Face off, the Bamburi super series finals were heaven

Three weekends ago I could not help myself, but attend a historic rugby match. This was the finals of the 10th Bamburi super series. And even more historic was that for once a Ugandan team had made it all the way to the end. Rwenzori (in the black and yellow strip) faced off with the Rhinos in a match that ended 14-25 respectively. The stadium was packed with enthusiastic, but good natured spectators………that’s rugby. And I got to tinker with photography, my new hobby.

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Set us free from the vuvuzela menace!

The world cup 2010 has finally come to a close and South Africa has indeed pulled it off, much to the chagrin of a couple of ‘wet blankets’ who made it their business to trash South Africa in particular and africa in general. By all accounts it was one swell party and kudos to Mzansi for a great show.

I do have one serious misgiving and that is the vuvuzela, that infernal plastic trumpet that producers more noise than an elephant confronting a lion. it has generated more controversy than anything that the actual football players on the pitches could. Sitting in the comfort of my living room did not spare me from the continous hum of a mega swarm of bees……….thousands of vuvuzelas. Ear plugs were sold out and they needed to be as the decibels produced are enought to cause ear damage.

At the beginning of June the latest edition of the safari Sevens rugby tournament took place. Its an event that brings out the rugby faithful in droves. But this year there was a marked difference: there was no singing, no chanting, no yelling at the referee. There couldn’t be because of the loud din produced by only a handful of vuvuzela’s, it was so loud that we could not hear the ref’s whistle, nor hear the music that those pretty young things were dancing too in the middle of the field during breakss in the play.

Safaris Sevens lost its soul !

The world has been stung by the damn thing and everyone is queing up to ban it from their games: european soccer leagues, test rugby, wimbledon etc. I can say good riddance. The storyline that it is the character and soul of African football is just hogwash. South african foot ball perhaps, but not african football, we have never seen the thing before.

Granted that it is based on some traditional instrument (?), though I cant remember the last time I saw a crowd of African men blowing Kudu horns for 45 minutes straight, thats because they would not be allowed to as it would drown out the singing, the dancing and the drumming. And that would not be African, now wouuld it?

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