Final Page 8 Snail Mail

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FAST FIVE WITH CONRAD SMIT

Monthly interviews with sports personalities

Brent Russell CSBrent - I see you hail from the Eastern Cape . The whole Southern Spears debacle has highlighted the eternal plight of Eastern Province rugby - bad management. Was this a factor in deciding where to play your rugby after school? BRDefinitely not. Infact rugby wasn’t even a deciding factor when exploring other avenues of higher learning. I was accepted into UCT and that was that. CSYou made your mark as a Sevens player before you got selected for the 15 man code. What was the highlight of that phase of your career? BRI only began playing rugby from Std 6 and so it was the 15 man game that I had always enjoyed. When I got selected for the 7’s it was like an eye opener. The game is so fast and explosive that it took me a while to catch the hang of it. I have always enjoyed the pace at which it’s played. I’ve never been so fit like I was during my short 7’s career. One of my fondest memories was playing against the “little magician” Waisele Serevi. CSYou are a regular in the Bok side, which means a lot of travelling. Does this mean sacrificing certain things - such as time with loved ones, or possibly a girlfriend? BRPlaying professional rugby is not at all glamorous as it may look. It is a very demanding career if you wanting to make it the whole way. The rugby public hardly ever see the hard work put in by the players and the coaching staff. Last year I was away from home for a total of 6 months. If that doesn’t somehow have an effect on your average home life, then I don’t know what will. Yes, I’d say it does affect families, especially those players who have children.

CSYou are one of the fastest and elusive rugby players in the country. At what age was this talent recognised by your rugby coach, and how did it affect your rugby career? BRI grew up alongside a sporting field watching my folks play sport. I guess I got my sporting genes from the folks who have always been actively involved in various sports. I began playing football and have always been quick off the mark. No one really identified my strong points in my game until I was in my early 20’s. CSYou have been used as a utility backline player by most of your teams. Which position would be your first choice? BRFullback is my first choice, followed by flyhalf.

South African Down Syndrome Swimming Team scoop Gold Awards September 2 to 9, 2006 The South African Down Syndrome Swimming Team recently participated in the 2006 International Down Syndrome Swimming Championships which took place in Limerick (Ireland) from September 2 to 9. Nineteen of the country’s finest swimmers, (7 female and 12 male), were selected by the South African Sports Association for the Intellectually Impaired (SASA-II), and underwent intensive training to prepare for the event, in which 15 countries participated. The swimming competition was run according to the normal FINA rules.

The SA swimmers were successful in defending their team title for the third time since 2002 when the first International Down Syndrome Swimming Championships was organized by England. The SA team not only achieved the most gold awards and world records, but also impressed the other participating countries with their discipline, clothing and joyfulness. Jennifer Higgins (KZN) achieved 8 gold medals and 3 bronze, and finished as the top female swimmer, with Tyrone Rademeyer (Gauteng) achieving 2 Silver medals and 3 Bronze as the top male swimmer. In 2004 South Africa hosted the second Down Syndrome International Swimming Championships in Durban. The communities in KZN and KZN Aquatics were very supportive. Sixty-four swimmers from eight countries competed. South Africa was once again, crowned “the country with the most points”. In addition, Jennifer Higgins was the top overall swimmer of the championships Tyrone Rademeyer finished third and Peter Lundy placed fifth. Snail Mail salutes all the organizers and athletes that made this event a success story for SASA-II, the SA team and KZN. Well done, and good luck further.

A victorious athlete breaks the tape at the recent Addington Primary School Sports Day held at King's Park Athletic Stadium