Ezemidlalo zimayelana namaphupho – futhi iphupho likaRicky Duarttee legolide lingafezeka, kubhala uLucky Maree.
Kungenzeka kanjani ukuthi i-South African Rugby kanye nekomiti le-South African Olympics bengaliboni leli thuba lokuzuzela elakuleli igolide?
Kumele babeke izinsiza ezihamba phambili kuleli – okuhlanganisa abaqeqeshi abawaziyo umsebenzi kanye nabadlali emdlalweni wabadlali abangu-15 – ukusiza iBlitzboks ukuthi ithole indondo yegolide.
Kungaba ihlazo ukunganiki uRicky Duarttee othole indondo ye-Sevens Rookie of the Year ithuba lakhe elilodwa lokuthola indondo yegolide. I-Australia inekhangaru njengentelezi yayo yenhlahla – intelezi yethu yenhlahla uRicky Duarttee.
Umama kaRicky, uJuanita Duarttee uyavuma ukuthi indodana yakhe ibingeyona umuntu olula kubafana abancane – kodwa lawo amazwi anethemba kamama onothando.
Kodwa ubelokhu ewuthanda umbhoxo.
“Wayeneminyaka eyisithupha ubudala ngesikhathi edlala umdlalo wakhe wokuqala,” kusho uJuanita. “Wayehlezi ethwele ikepisi lakhe le-scrum elibhekise emuva futhi akazange alikhumule izinsuku ezimbalwa.”
Kodwa esikoleni samabanga aphakeme wabhekana nezingqinamba ezimbalwa.
“Yilapho okwaqala khona izinkinga zami zokuziphatha,” evuma.
Izinkinga zokuziphatha, angithi?
Iqiniso ukuthi uRicky wayengezwa ngesikhathi esakhula. Ngesikhathi eqala ukuba mdala waba inkinga kakhulu akazange abe ngcono. Ukulwa, ukungayi esikoleni, ukuphuza nokuxoshwa esikoleni kwakungezinye “zezinto ayezenza”.
Waxoshwa esikoleni ngo-11 ebusuku ngobunye ubusuku,” kukhumbula uJuanita futhi kwakungekhona okokuqala.
Omunye umdlali webhola lombhoxo odlalela i-Western Province ophinde abe umngani kaRicky wasesikoleni u-Angelo Davids, uthe “ngalezo zinsuku wayesahamba izindawo zobumnandi ezijabulisa.”
Kodwa ngesikhathi intshisekelo yakhe ezifundweni ishabalala uthando lwakhe lwebhola lombhoxo lwakhula. Kwakusobala ukuthi uzophumelela. Kodwa waba nokuphazamiseka. Waphuka iqakala futhi akazange ayithole inkontileka ebaluleke kakhulu yokudlala ibhola lombhoxo ngendlela esezingeni eliphezulu – futhi lokho kwakungawaqeda amaphupho akhe.
Kodwa uRicky wayilwela impilo yakhe. Iqala kanjalo-ke, enye yezindaba zesihlabani sebhola lombhoxo.
Waya e-UJ lapho ayedlala khona ibhola lombhoxo eqenjini labangaphansi kweminyaka engu-19. Wayedlala ibhola lombhoxo kodwa lutho ukufunda.
Wafika ekhaya engenazo iziqu wabe esethunyelwa ukuthi ayosebenza e-Die Visfabriek embonini yezinhlanzi yabazali bakhe ehola ngehora uma kwenzeka eshiye umsebenzi.
Waqala ukudlala kwiWestern Province kodwa kwabe sekufika i-Covid uRicky waphoqeleka ukuthi ahlale phansi.
Wahamba wayohlala nomngani wakhe kanye nayeziqeqesha naye uFabio Martinez futhi uRicky wenza into eyodwa. Phakathi kwabo bobabili bandlondlobala futhi baphila impilo yokuziqeqesha.
Ekugcineni waba nenhlahla. Wadlala njengomdlali omenyiwe esikhungweni sokuziqeqesha e-Stellenbosch futhi bahlabeka umxhwele kangangokuthi wanikezwa indawo yokuzilolonga kodwa wayedinga u-R125,000 ukukhokhela isizini.
Abazali bakhe bathi ngeke bamsize. Indaba kaRicky yokuthengisa imoto yakhe yaziwa kakhulu – futhi umsebenzi wakhe waqala lapho.
“E-Dubai ogwadule okokuqala ngqa njengeBlitzbok. Angisoze ngakhohlwa,” esho.
Kule sizini lapho elakuleli eliphoxe khona emidlalweni ye-Sevens impumelelo enkulu kaDuarttee kuze kube manje ihlonishwe ngendondo “ye-Rookie of the Year”.
Uma imidlalo yama-Olympics ezoba e-Paris ifika ngonyaka ozayo – ezinsukwini ezingu-425 – elakuleli lizoba namathuba ambalwa angempela okuwina izindondo zegolide. Futhi elinye lalawo mathuba ngelabadlali bebhola lombhoxo be-sevens.
Kodwa kuphoxile ukubuka iBlitzboks yehla ezilinganisweni njengoba manje sekumele ilwele ukuhlungela.
Ukuphindaphinda isenzo esifanayo kaningi kanye nethemba lomphumela ohlukile njengoba wonke umuntu azi kuyiphutha eliwubulima.
Kuzoba ngcono uma kuwukuthi i-South African Rugby nekomiti bakuqaphele lokhu.
URicky unephupho – futhi kumele simeseke.
Esithombeni esingenhla: URicky Duarttee