At Ascot Tours, we are in the business of providing unforgettable moments on and off the golf course that go beyond expectations. Case in point – attending a rugby match for the first ever!
Michael and Vivienne Cairns from Canada are on their first golf and safari trip to South Africa and in the short time they’ve been here, they’ve become staunch Springbok supporters after attending their first rugby test match.
They had prime seats on Saturday 7 September when South Africa beat New Zealand at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town in the Rugby Championship. Thoroughly enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime experience, we know they’ll be back, not only for the rugby but also for some of the most fantastic golf in stunning locations across the country.
At the same time the Cairns got better acquainted with the intricacies of the game – scrums and lineouts, knock-ons and free kicks, penalties and tries – Ascot was also hosting a group from New Zealand. The group, led by John Spurway, are regulars and travel to South Africa every couple of years when the All Blacks take on the Springboks.
They had a fantastic trip with rounds on the Gary Player-designed Lost City Golf Course at Sun City and De Zalze Golf Club, Steenberg Golf Club and Pearl Valley Golf Course in the Western Cape. Staying in some of the best accommodations on offer, the Kiwis also had a taste of typical South African hospitality with a braai (barbeque).
Although they once again had nothing but great things to say about South Africa and Ascot’s excellent hosting abilities, on the rugby field it was a different story. Their much-beloved All Blacks suffered their fourth successive loss against the Springboks, the first time in 75 years this feat had befallen them.
It was a somewhat bitter pill to swallow and despite people poking fun at him, it didn’t deter group leader John, a real character, to continue wearing his jacket covered with the New Zealand flag. There was a small consolation when he lifted the Spoofing World Championship trophy.
Spoofing, what in heaven’s name is that? Here is an abbreviated explanation as it can get somewhat complicated for the layman.
According to www.worldspoofers.com, spoofing is a game played with three coins of equal size or denomination, where participants are divided into “schools” which may comprise two or more players. The object of the game is to calculate, or guess, the total number of coins held in the players’ clenched fist.
Championship competitions follow a knock-out type approach, where individuals compete in “schools” over seven rounds, with an initial round, followed by a repechage for those failing to win the first round. “School sizes” depend on the total number of competitors. After the repechage, the winners continue through the knockout competition, to quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
