Graeme College captain Andrew McCallum goes on a run against Dale in the Pam Golding Properties Graeme Rugby Day in 2019. Photo: Supplied
Powerful No 8 Andrew McCallum wants the Graeme College team to lay down a marker for the season when they play Marlow Agricultural in the final match of the Pam Golding Properties Graeme Rugby Day in Grahamstown on March 14.
This is one of the many attractive fixtures the tournament organisers have set up for this popular schools event, which will kick off on the Somerset field at 8am when Mary Waters take on East London outfit Cambridge.
There are age-group fixtures taking place on the Marais field, while St Andrew’s and Kingswood venues will also be used to accommodate all the matches.
The home team skipper, who is in matric, is playing in his second Graeme Rugby Day and is looking forward to one of the highlights of the schools rugby season.
“The guys are very excited about the day and for many of us it will be the last chance to play in it, so we want to make it a memorable one,” McCallum said.
Last year, the Graemians drew the curtain down on the day with a hard-fought 14-14 draw against Dale and this time the eighth man is expecting a tough encounter against the Cradock outfit.
“We have played Marlow in past years and we know they are an extremely physical side, who play with a lot of passion,” he said.
“But the guys have been working hard since last year and we know this is a chance to showcase our talents in one of the biggest tournaments in schools rugby.
“We want to leave a legacy at Graeme and we want to make sure the team of 2020 is remembered by all.”
Under the guidance of coach Jonty van der Meulen, the Graeme squad have been working hard ahead of the season.
“The preparations for the season have been going very well,” McCallum said. “Under our conditioning coach, we have put in the hard work to ensure we are ready for the season.”
The first team will continue their preparations when they play their first match against Daniel Pienaar on Saturday.