Beavers star joins SA Cheetahs

NTHAKO MAJORO

MASERU – Preparations are at an advance stage for Mabote Beavers star player, Sekhola Phate, to join South African professional rugby union side, the Cheetahs. According to Beavers coach Letsielo Mabitle, Phate, 21, will be joining the Cheetahs Rugby Academy next year. Beavers mentor said Cheetahs scouts saw the player recently when he was playing test matches against other South African clubs. “They saw Phate playing against the South African Defence Force side,” said Mabitle in an interview with Public Eye.

“So last month we received an invitation from the Cheetahs for Phate to go for trials at the Cheetahs Rugby Academy.” Mabitle said Phate went twice for trials in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The Beavers management, he said, later received confirmation from the Cheetahs that the player had passed the trials. Mabitle said Phate would join the Cheetahs for two years, from 2024 until 2025.

“He will be with the Cheetahs for two years, and they also promised to fund his academic studies.” Mabitle said among the courses that Phate would be studying in those two years is sports management. “He is also going to do skills and rugby management, as well as high-intensity fitness.”

Mabitle further said: “We are happy as the Beavers because he will come back with the necessary skills that we need here at home, and I think that is what we need as the local rugby fraternity, and so we should support this boy. He is going to take us far.” 

He added: “Phate will be raising the country’s flag over there.” “That is good for him and the country because our vision is to be contesting for the Rugby World Cup by 2030, and so having youngsters like Phate get opportunities like this is good progress for us, and I know he is going to shine,” he said. Mabitle started coaching Phate when he was 13 years old. “I started coaching him when he was 13 years old, from primary to high school, and until he joined the Mabote Beavers as a young boy before he could be promoted to the senior team,” he said.

A cherry on top for the Beavers star is being named the Econet Rugby League Player of the Season and the Highest Point Scorer as the 2023 local rugby championship came to an end last Saturday. Phate was instrumental to his team’s famous victory against Liqhomane in the final of the championship play-offs on the day. The Beavers beat Liqhomane 30-15 to win the trophy.