ANC backs Vodacom Stormers
Stormers fans have really rallied around their team since the start of the season and Newlands once again can boast some of the highest attendance figures in this year’s competition.
The attacking brand of rugby played by the team under coach Rassie Erasmus makes it easy for the supporters to flock to the stadium in their thousands and this coming Saturday should be no exception.
On Tuesday, even the Western Cape branch of the ANC voiced their support for the Cape Town heroes, who seem to be well on their way to a semi-final berth.
In a statement the ANC Western Cape calls on the people of the Western Cape to support the Stormers.
Member of Parliament Chris Stali says:
“Our provincial sports teams across codes – cricket, football and rugby – are excelling on the domestic and international stage.
“The ANC calls on the people of the province to celebrate these successes. But we also call on all our communities to embrace our teams, including the Stormers poised as they are on the log to contest the semi-finals of the Super 14.
“We say this not only because our teams are doing so well but because much progress has been made towards creating the conditions where all communities can embrace our teams.
“The Stormers have African and Coloured players who are in the forefront of the success. Of course there is still much more to be done with respect to transformation of all sporting codes and we must not shy away from tackling this issue.
“But the success of a Stormers team which is representative of our people demonstrates that transformation of sport is correct and that it can be done. Most importantly a team representing all our communities can and must be embraced as a symbol of our success.
“The ANC calls on all our sporting bodies, Western Province Rugby included, to redouble their efforts to take sport to all communities – to give real force to the slogan of ‘sport for all and supported by all’.
“In this way sport, rugby included, can act as an important vehicle for building social cohesion and be a cause for celebrating our successes.”
Crowd figures to date:
16-Feb-08 Vodacom Stormers v Bulls 47,896
29-Feb-08 Vodacom Stormers v Crusaders 43,724
12-Apr-08 Vodacom Stormers v Cheetahs 44,978
19-Apr-08 Vodacom Stormers v Hurricanes 43,984
