The Western Force rugby players that are in between two matches against the Free State Cheetahs in the Toyota Challenge, got a proper South African experience in between their hectic schedule.
A few of them was having a chat last week saying how great it would be to shoot some guns while they are here in Bloemfontein.
Lucky for them, Hendrik Swanepoel, their local security advisor and shooting organizer of the Bloemfontein branch of the South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association were at hand.
Whithin 48 hours Swanepoel organized for team members to go to the Bloemfontein shooting range on Saturday (26/08) and he organized some guns that they could use. The day was planned as a club shooting day for local club members also.
Angus Wagner (prop) and Donny Freeman (flank) from the Western Force, two of the group of 16 rugby players that went along, say they had a lot of fun.
They started out with the guns that Swanepoel got together, but soon the club members handed them their own equipment and they got to shoot with all kinds of fire arms – from hunting rifles to hand guns.
Donny is a farmboy and knows something about guns. “We only have shotguns and rifles back home, we don’t have the wide variety of guns that’s available here. I got to shoot an elephant gun,” he enthused. “The bullets are huge.”
Donny played his first match for the Western Force on Friday (25/08) and said the atmosphere in the Toyota stadium was amazing. “It was so loud.”
The team face the Cheetahs again on Saturday (02/09) at 15:00 before they return to Perth where they will play their home matches against the Cheetahs on 29 September and 7 October.
