Wharton Journal

Issue date: 4/5/04 Section: Sports

Over spring break, the Wharton rugby team, the Whart'Hogs, toured Cape Town to take on the might of South African rugby and to enjoy one of the greatest playgrounds in the world. Three matches against strong opposition posed an excellent opportunity for the 'Hogs to build up for the World MBA Rugby Championships at Duke, to be held in early April. While rugby was to be the focus, the Wharton boys quickly found the attractions of Cape Town to be very much to their liking and began to integrate themselves with the locals almost immediately.

On the first Sunday, after a sobering visit to Robben Island, the prison for political prisoners during apartheid (including Nelson Mandela), the team played their first match of the tour against the Caledonian Roses. Arriving at the ground, the team immediately became aware that they were in a country passionate about rugby. The ground was in top order, the local team looked big and fast, and a small crowd of knowledgeable supporters was congregating to watch the match. Playing under lights, the Roses started strongly, running the ball hard and fast at the Wharton backs. Within minutes, the Roses scored their first try and the 'Hogs knew they had a tough game on their hands. Wharton showed great commitment, however, and turned the attack against the Roses, which led to a try by JJ Ethridge after a good run. This try was not enough to stop the onslaught by the Roses, and by the end Wharton had lost convincingly. New players Kevin Roberts, Obed Martinez and Matt Conway played well. Martinez showed great courage with some good tackles and Conway ran hard and fast when given the ball. Despite a few injuries, the match was very beneficial and an early reminder that playing rugby in South Africa would be much harder than the team had contemplated.

Final Score - Game One
Caledonian Roses 10 (tries)
Wharton 7
(try - JJ Ethridge, conversion - Niall
Sheehan)

The next two days brought much needed rest and recovery. The 'Hogs made the most of the outdoor activities offered in Cape Town. Some went to the Cape of Good Hope to hang out with the baboons (Nick Blawat felt right at home), others threw themselves off a cliff with a parachute, while the majority found time to lie on the beach with the requisite dark sunglasses. On Tuesday, the team was invited to the wine estate of Wharton alumnus Anthony Hamilton Russell. Anthony returned to South Africa with his Wharton MBA in 1991 to take over and turn around the family business, and today Hamilton Russell exports world famous white wines all over the globe. The team was entertained with a full explanation and tasting of the wine in addition to a glorious lunch. This was a highlight of the trip and a great example of student-alumni relations. The team would like to thank Anthony for his kind hospitality.

On Wednesday the 'Hogs played their second game against the University of Cape Town (UCT) Old Boys. The stunning UCT campus sits nestled under Table Mountain and its rugby ground is right in front of the main buildings. UCT is a famous rugby club in South Africa, a breeding ground for international players, so it was no surprise when the 'Hogs arrived to see a team much bigger than their foes from the first match. After a catalogue of injuries in the first game, the 'Hogs squad of 22 players was now down to 17, leaving us only two reserves for the match. Again, the team struggled with the pace and strength of the South African players. However, during passages of play, Wharton showed excellent skill, and UCT complimented us on our game and fortitude. Wharton scored one try later, but by a substitute player from UCT. 'Hogs who played especially well were our very own hobbit Matt Fifield, Andrew Aitken, and Brent Sonnek-Schmelz.

Final Score - Game Two
University of Cape Town 12 (tries)
Wharton 5
(try by UCT substitute)

The highlight of the evening was the after-match. The 'Hogs won every drinking race, leaving the larger South African side dumbfounded as to how the Wharton School can possibly produce intelligent business leaders. Aitken and Ritchie entertained the hosts by representing the club in the traditional UCT funnel game. Suffice to say that the 'Hogs did Wharton proud, winning the drinking session with notable displays from Ricky Wesch, Peter Kim, Nick Murat and Christian Selchau-Hansen. Drew Carter finished off the post-match celebrations by winning the arm wrestling competition.

After two hard matches, the 'Hogs needed a rest. The next two days saw some of the 'Hogs dive with great white sharks. This was troublesome for many as these predators are attracted to overweight seals, although thankfully everyone returned in one piece. Others hiked up Table Mountain while again the majority, led by George Corey, found that Clifton 4 beach was the best spot to rest injuries while admiring the attractive South African landscape. The nocturnal activity picked up over this period and it would be fair to say that the 'Hogs scored more off the field than on it. Particular mention goes to the match against Russia, an up and coming rugby nation whose league has recently gone professional.

The 'Hogs played their final match in hot conditions against a very strong Bishops College old boys (alumni) side. Basil Bay, the director of rugby at Bishops, had kindly scheduled all our games and practice fields for the tour. This was a spirited match but the 'Hogs were tired after the two prior games and a full week of night time activities, and were outclassed by the South Africans. However, the 'Hogs scored two outstanding tries: the first by JJ Ethridge was a well worked play with strong running and good passing by the backs; the second was by Henry Ritchie following an aggressive mid-field break.

Final Score - Game Three
Bishops ODs 15 (tries)
Wharton 14
(tries to JJ Ethridge and Henry Ritchie,
two conversions - Niall Sheehan)

The Wharthogs performed well in the post-game festivities, losing the boat race due to faulty tools but winning the kicking contest (Niall Sheehan) and the story-telling contest, thanks to a brilliant non-fictional account by Matt Conway. The 'Hogs then headed to Newlands, the Cape Town rugby stadium, to see the Super-12 Cape Town team, the Stormers, beat the strong Waratah side from Sidney, Australia. James Dolton, the sole Australian supporter in our part of the stadium, was repeatedly booed by 500 Stormers' fans. This was the first time many of the 'Hogs had seen a top-level game of rugby and was an excellent way to end the rugby part of the tour (the Super-12 league is composed of the twelve top teams from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand). The team finished the tour by celebrating the win with the Stormers win at "Billy the Bum's" bar before heading back to Philly on Sunday - the end of a fantastic tour. The 'Hogs would like to thank Jeremy Meilman for his superb organization of the tour, Basil Bay for hosting the team and organizing the games, and the very kind hospitality of our many new South African friends.

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