Mr Jem Van Vuren has been at King Edward VII School since 2015.

Working in the admissions department, responsible for marketing, expos and talent identification, he has been responsible for the mentorship and pastoral care of the boys on scholarships at the school.

He did great service to all the boys and programmes, but he seemed to have a special affinity for the boys on TAG Foundation scholarships. That’s why we were very sorry to hear that he will be leaving the school to take up an opportunity abroad.

He knew every boy in the Foundation team personally and took an interest in all of them. He was strict in insisting that they stay on the straight and narrow, but also did everything he could to smooth the way for the boys.

Most importantly he provided a ready ear and a sturdy shoulder to any boy who was in need of anything. The boys knew that, and felt comfortable to talk to him about their issues.

“Personally I will miss Jem and his excitement at unearthing talented but needy boys,” said Jonny Gerber. “Jem has been integral to everything TAG and we will miss his energy, enthusiasm, consistency and care for our TAG lads. While we are sad, he goes with our blessing. We are excited to see him pursue his dreams and we wish him only the very best.”

Lloyd Rowley by all accounts epitomized what it means to be a King Edward boy. He was a gentleman, caring and responsible. He was a good track athlete and a “B team” level team player who was a fierce supporter of the school’s top teams.

Lloyd was very popular with his classmates – the class of 1992. So when he sadly died of cancer soon after leaving school a group of them led by Cormack Sullivan and Adam Gunn, decided to start a trust fund in his name and use its proceeds as a bursary fund to send deserving boys to the school.

“We wanted to give boys who could not have otherwise afforded the fees at KES the opportunity to benefit from the school the way we did,” said Adam. “We have four or five major donors from our year and a number of others who make regular smaller donations and we use that money to put, ideally, two boys per year through the school.”

At the moment there is one such boy – Bandile Shazi – who is in grade 9 and a boarder in Gordon House.

“We decided to become part of the TAG Foundation because it made sense to use their experience and infrastructure to manage the programme. It also allows the boys we support to become part of the TAG group, giving them a greater sense of belonging” Adam explained.

The trust pays for hostel and school fees and tries to raise funds for any extra expenses, like tours and excursions, that may arise during the school year.

“We keep a close watch on the progress of our boys, but we intentionally try not to put extra pressure on them or make them feel beholden to us,” Adam said. “We know that the school will motivate them to be the best that they can be and will keep them on the straight and narrow. That’s what we all experienced by going through the system and it’s what we want to give to others, in Lloyd’s name.”

In an earlier life, Andrew Kramer worked for the Gauteng Cricket Board and he and fellow King Edward old boy Adam Bacher were part of an innovation initiated by the union’s development officer Imtiaz Patel.

It was a mentorship programme for players in the development structures. They were paired with senior players, including Andrew and Adam, to be helped to fit in and learn the other side of cricket – the little things that make the game special on, but especially off the field.

“Adam and I spoke about those days and decided that we were way too young to be effective back then,” Andrew explained. “Now that we are fathers ourselves, and we have more life experience, we have much more to offer. So Adam decided to institute a similar programme at the school and I was delighted to be part of it.”

The boy that Andrew teamed up with was Tino Sadaraki, who was commuting from the West Rand to the School each day, which just wasn’t working.

“You can’t spend three hours a day on a bus and be an effective KES boy. So I decided to get him into the hostel and pay for it, via the TAG Foundation. I soon realised it was one of the best things I have ever done,” Andrew said.

“Tino is a delightful young man. He is energetic, enthusiastic and is clearly loving being at the school. Being in Gordon House now means that he is able to form closer friendships with other boys and he has more time for both his sport and his schoolwork.

“There has been a marked improvement in both of those and I’m confident that he is busy growing from being a solid B team player in both of those into an A team contender.”

And, Andrew says, his own family are learning much from Tino. “My children are realizing how much they have and are appreciating it more. We are all seeing the value of using your opportunities and throwing yourself into what you do with enthusiasm.”

Cricket, Andrew says, is about far more that the technicalities of bowling, batting and fielding. “The game teaches so many valuable life lessons and it’s been great to be involved with Tino learning those through our mentorship programme. He is getting even more through the TAG Foundation’s involvement and the education he is getting at King Edward VII School.

Ngia Selengbe and Eulon Redcliffe were in Bloemfontein during the holidays representing the Golden Lions at the Craven Week.

Ngia was in the Craven Week A side and although the team did not do too well, he believes it was a valuable experience. “It was great getting an opportunity to match yourself against the best other players in your age group and I definitely learnt from them,” he said.

As far as the team’s performance was concerned, he thinks they just didn’t gel. “We all got on well during the week and the build up to it, but there was somehow not much good chemistry between us on the field,” he said. “At least we did pull it together in the last game and we ended on a high note.”

The same applied in the Golden Lions XV where Eulon played. “Everyone gave of their best, but we made too many mistakes and, although we felt we could win games, we just never got it together,” he said.

For both boys, playing for the 2019 Reds team will always be a highlight of their rugby careers. “The spirit in the team was fantastic,” Ngia said. “We played for each other, and became true brothers. We had some ups and downs, but we played some fantastic rugby. Coming to King Edward was the best decision I ever made.”

Eulon has made friends for life through rugby, he said. “We have gone through so much together and although we will be splitting up now, there is a bond between us that I don’t think will ever be broken.”

Eulon is set on going to Cape Town next year and is considering bursary offers from UCT and CUT. Ngia will stay in Joburg and will be choosing between UJ and Wits. Before then, of course, they have to get through matric and both are aware of the importance of knuckling down to their books.

We at the TAG Foundation congratulate them on their achievements and thank them for their hard work and commitment to the school. We will have their backs in the next few months as they prepare for the final exams.

Simphiwe joins us from Monument Primary School on the West Rand.

Being awarded a TAG Foundation scholarship is very important to him as he says it has given him the opportunity to attend a “prestigious English school. “

He has found high school very different to primary school. “We get lots of homework here and the teachers are strict,” he said. “It’s going to be hard work, but I’m looking forward to it.” The hostel has been fun. “We are very well looked after there and I have made lots of friends already and we have had some good times together.”

He is in the D cricket team now and enjoying it, but he can’t wait for rugby season to start. “My dream is to make the Grant Khomo team and then the Reds and the Craven Week and I think I can do it.” Simphiwe was named player of the tournament at the King Edward VII Festival last year and he represented the Golden Lions at the under-13 Craven Week for two years in a row.

Simphiwe is delighted to attend a school that so many sporting greats have attended before him and he hopes being at King Edward will help him to achieve his dream of becoming a professional player one day.

Siphosethu Mnebelele attended Fochville Primary School and first got to know about King Edward VII School when he played rugby for the Invitation XV at the Easter Festival last year.

Siphosethu has been living with his aunt since his mother passed away. He said being awarded a TAG Foundation scholarship means a great deal to him as he now can receive a good education, improve on his rugby skills and hopefully go to university one day. His dream is to become a professional rugby player. Siphosethu was selected for the Golden Lions at the under-13 Craven Week.

He is enjoying life in the hostel so far and says a lot is being done to make the new boys feel welcome at the school. “There is no bullying or initiation at this school and we are encouraged to become part of the school brotherhood,” he said. “I am enjoying the school spirit and feel motivated by it.”

Mbuso attended Monument Primary School on the West Rand where he averaged 80% in the classroom and was the school’s top try scorer.

He lives with his parents in Cosmo City and would not have been able to attend King Edward VII school if it were not for the TAG Foundation scholarship. “This scholarship can lead to a bright future,” he said. “It’s an investment in me that I hope to repay.”

One of the things that has struck him about the school is how quickly the boys have built a loyalty to each other. “We come from a lot of different primary schools, but we have quickly become brothers,” he said. “That is especially so for the boys in the hostel with me. “They treat us very well in the hostel and I can see that I am going to love being a boarder.”

Rugby is his favourite sport having made the Golden Lions U13 Craven Week and Sevens rugby teams, but in the meantime he is playing basketball. “I am in the under-14B team at the moment, but I am training hard and I hope to go up to the A,” he said.

Relive Nkole is in Grade 10 and attended Blairgowrie Primary School. She is active in the school’s hip hop society and in the Feda (Drama) Club. Building firm relationships and friendships are important to Relive. She hopes that one day, she will look back on her school days with fondness on the firm bonds created and made during her time at Parktown Girls’ High School.

Sima Komane is in Grade 9 and attended Crawford Sandton Prep School. A talented sportswoman who represented the A soccer, touch rugby and hockey teams in 2019. “When I leave Parktown I want to have achieved as well as I can in sport, but more importantly I want to be remembered as someone who did all she could to help those in need.

Ntombi Langa hails from Diepkloof in Soweto and travels a long distance to school every day. In Grade 9 this year, she plays netball for the School’s team and takes part in hip hop. “When I reflect back on my school career, I want to see that in everything I did I made my mother proud,” she said. “That’s what is important to me.”

Lesedi Maepa is from Emmarentia and is in Grade 10. She is very aware that she is the first girl in her family to have broken free from poverty and negative circumstances. “I want to use this opportunity to show I am worthy of that,” she said. She plays tennis at the school and is also involved in drama.

Lebo Nkosi in Grade 10 and already feels quite strongly about making ‘acting’ her future career. She came to Parktown Girls from Hyde Park High School this year and describes herself as a sound academic who also plays and enjoys her participation in sport. “I want my school to provide me with a sound foundation that I can build my acting career on,” she said. “So, I’ll be going for a part in every production staged while I’m here.”

Aisha Latiff attended Leicester Road Primary School and chose to come to Parktown Girls in Grade 8 this year because she believes the education provided at the school suits her personality. She will be playing hockey and touch rugby this year and when she leaves Parktown Girls at the end of matric, she hopes that she will have used every opportunity that came her way and built sound friendships and relationships along the way.

Jessica Shaku is in Grade 8 and attended Rosebank Primary School. She plays netball and was in the 1st team in primary school. She also enjoys swimming. Jessica will be participating in dance and drama this year. By the time she finishes matric she hopes her results will be good enough to study medicine at university.

The Imperial Lions Cubs’ side, without their SA under-19 players (who were preparing for the World Cup) won CSA Cubs Week tournament in Stellenbosch during the December holidays.

Our Mickey Copeland played a big role in that, scoring 98 in the final against the Knights. He deserved a century for his impressive knock but fell to the bowling of Reeza Alexander two runs short of the milestone. He hit six fours and six sixes as he took the game away from the Knights with some aggressive batting.

His 158-run third wicket partnership with Nick Halstead-Cleak (73 not out) was the key one of the game.

The Lions won all five of their matches against some of the best players in the country. Well done Mickey, we are very proud of you.

Proudly Keegan Janse van Rensburg is our second TAG Foundation scholar in a row to captain the King Edward VII School 1st cricket team, following in the footsteps of Bryce Parsons during the 2018/2019 season.

It’s been a great experience so far, he said, although not always an easy one. “I enjoy the leadership role, thinking about how to approach the different situations in the game. But we have some real stars in our team, and I have to be sharp to keep them focused and working within our team goals and as a unit.”

So far so good, the team has had much success, despite the narrow loss to St Stithians in the Johnny Waite Final. “We lost to Maritzburg College in a pre-season festival, but apart from those two defeats we have won all our matches,” he said. “There is a good work ethic in this team, and we work very hard in training, four times a week.”

Keegan is aware that he is following in the footsteps of some famous cricketers who were once the KES captain. “I don’t regard myself as being at their level,” he said. “It’s an honour and a privilege to be in this position and I will do my best to live up to it.”

He doesn’t think the captaincy has negatively affected his own personal form and he showed that to be true on the Johnny Waite finals weekend when he shone with bat and ball. “If anything, my batting has been a bit off, but I’m in pretty good form with the ball.”

Keegan was in the Central Gauteng Lions under-19B team at the end of last year and he had a good inter-provincial week. “I’m hoping to make the A team this year, although that is still far away and I’m focused on leading the KES team for now,” he said.

He is spending a lot of time on cricket at the moment, but is fully aware of the fact that he is in matric now and that schoolwork is very important. “I am coping, getting marks that are average and slightly above. I know that I can do better and I will be concentrating on my books as well this year.”

It’s a massively exciting year for Keegan – know your TAG family is rooting for you and wishes continued success in and out of the classroom. Strenue Keegs – Give it Horns!