Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
Republic of South Africa
Date: 28 May 2026
Dear Minister McKenzie: For the past three years, we at WC Sports Solutions (WCSS) have consistently written to the Sports Office in Vredenburg requesting financial assistance to uplift rural children and youth through sport.
To date, none of our letters have received a response. While our stories on community websites may not always attract national attention, we refuse to give up. The future of our young people is too important.
We are writing this open letter with a heavy yet hopeful heart, not to point fingers, but to highlight a crisis that affects thousands of young lives across the West Coast District and beyond.
Our Reality on the West Coast
Every year we receive invitations from the JBC Foundation & Rugby 7’s to participate in their major tournaments in Cape Town.
This year, we have once again been invited to compete from 24 to 26 September 2026. Since 2023, the JBC Foundation has regularly extended these opportunities to grassroots organizations like ours. In 2023, they hosted the U/20 World Cup Rugby tournament and generously provided WCSS with 60 free tickets so that rural children could attend matches at Athlone Stadium and Danie Craven Stadium. Those were moments our children will never forget.
Yet every single year we have been forced to cancel participation. The reason is always the same: “lack of funding for sports kits and transport”. While other teams travel and compete, our talented rural youth remain stuck at home – not because they lack ability, but because they lack opportunity.
This situation is not unique to our organization. Across the West Coast District Municipality, many community organizations report the same response from government departments and businesses: no funding, no replies.
The Crisis Facing Our Youth
Unemployment, gangsterism, drug abuse, and social breakdown are tearing our communities apart. Young people aged 17, 18, and 19 – many of whom were forced to leave school early due to circumstances beyond their control, are especially vulnerable. These are not statistics. These are children from impoverished homes who never received the chances that urban or more privileged athletes take for granted.
Sport has the power to change this.
Sport builds discipline, resilience, teamwork, confidence, purpose and hope. It keeps young people off the streets and away from negative influences. It creates role models within communities. It teaches that hard work and dedication can lead to something greater. For many disadvantaged teenagers, sport is not just a game – it is a lifeline and a pathway to a better future. When a child pulls on a jersey and represents their community, their entire outlook on life can shift. We have seen this transformation with our own eyes in the limited programmes we have managed to run.
A Story of Determination
On 23 September 2023, despite having zero sponsors, WCSS successfully hosted a major U/19 Rugby 7’s Tournament at the Gene Louw Sports Grounds in Moorreesburg. Thirteen teams participated on the same day the Springboks played Ireland in the Rugby World Cup. Attendance was low because of the big match, yet the event was professionally organized. We paid the referees out of our own limited resources. Winners received trophies and medals.
Even Springbok and Stormers winger Seabelo Senatla, who was recovering from a serious car accident injury earlier that year, entered a team from Wellington, which finished third. Despite his own setback, he chose not to stay home but got involved and supported grassroots rugby. That spirit is exactly what we want to instill in our youth.
That day proved what is possible when communities come together. This year we plan an even bigger event, including netball teams, in partnership with various rugby clubs and organizations across the region. Our goal is clear: the top three teams from our tournament must get the opportunity to compete at the JBC Foundation tournament in the Cape Peninsula.
Without financial support, this dream will remain just that – a dream.
A Direct Appeal
Minister McKenzie, you have spoken powerfully on television and social media about the untapped talent in rural and township areas. You have rightly criticized the system for failing to give platteland athletes a fair chance. We agree with your words. However, we must now ask: why is there still no visible action or response when organizations like ours reach out?
We are not asking for luxury. We are asking for basic support – assistance with kits, transport, and tournament costs – so that disadvantaged youth can participate in events that can genuinely change their lives.
To the business community: If you want to make a real difference in a teenager’s life through rugby and netball, we invite you to partner with us.
Please contact us at admin@wcsoirtssolutions.co.za – Together we can create opportunities where government support is absent.
We Will Not Stop
We remain committed to our mission. We will continue writing letters, hosting tournaments with whatever limited resources we have, and fighting for our youth. The young people of the West Coast deserve better than gangsterism and broken dreams. They deserve jerseys, boots, transport to competitions, and the chance to shine.
Minister, with elections approaching, we urge you and your party to turn powerful words into tangible support for rural sport development. The offices in Vredenburg and the national department must start responding to grassroots organizations.
Our children cannot wait any longer.
We stand ready to work with you and any business that shares our vision. – Sport is not a luxury. For many of our children, it is their only hope.
Yours in sport development,
George C April – Founder / Director
West Coast Sports Development
Email: admin@wcsoirtssolutions.co.za
Contact: 067 074 5040
Date: 28 May 2026
