In the twilight of a career forged in the crucible of South African rugby’s most storied battles, Scarra Ntubeni stands poised to throw one last perfect lineout into the annals of Western Province history.
Like a seasoned hooker crouched low in a final scrum, muscles aching yet spirit unbroken, the 34-year-old Ntubeni is preparing for one last heave — one last surge toward glory in the Currie Cup, the trophy that has been both a crown and a crucible in his long tenure beneath the blue-and-white hoops.
“I won [the Currie Cup] in 2012, 2014 and 2017, so it would be nice to add one more and then know I’m done,” Ntubeni reflected, his voice lined with both pride and poignancy.
“It will always be special to win a Currie Cup, with its history — and hopefully I have those memories again with my son [Siyabonga} in the cup, holding the cup or drinking from the cup!”
This isn’t just another player winding down his boots — it’s a loyal soldier of Newlands and Cape Town Stadium closing his final chapter with the very team that cradled his dreams from the start.
Since his debut in 2011, Ntubeni has been more than a hooker — he’s been the heartbeat of Province’s pack, a craftsman in the trenches, steady in the set piece, and fierce at the breakdown.
And so, in a city where mountain meets ocean and rugby pulses through cobblestone streets, Scarra wants to ride off not into the sunset, but with the golden Currie Cup hoisted high above his head one final time — a parting gift to the faithful who’ve cheered every bruising ruck and thunderous tackle.
A New-Look Brain Trust in the WP Dugout
Flanking Ntubeni at this week’s media briefing was another beloved WP warhorse — Brok Harris, the grizzled front-row general now donning the whistle instead of the scrum cap.
Harris, who once locked horns with the toughest packs in Europe and South Africa, has traded boots for the whiteboard, stepping into a coaching role as forwards guru in a beefed-up management team.
He’ll be packing down next to none other than former Bok defence mastermind Brendan Venter, head coach Labeeb Levy, and tactical operator Dewaldt Duvenage — a backroom quartet as varied and potent as a multi-phase attack.
“I’m really learning a lot from him,” Harris said of Venter, eyes wide like a rookie on debut.
“Just the energy that he brings and just being a good rugby brain. Brendan and Labeeb bring a lot of experience and it’s been a very good experience for me so far.”
If coaching is a chess game, then Harris finds himself moving pawns under the guidance of a few former kings — sharpening his craft in preparation for a long-term influence on WP’s forward fortunes.
Baby Boks, URC Stars on Ice for Opener
As Western Province brace for a thunderous derby against the Vodacom Bulls this Saturday, their Currie Cup artillery will consist of a more modest but equally motivated mix — no URC stars, no freshly crowned Junior Springbok champions.
“Those identified URC players are going into pre-season,” Harris explained.
“So we’ll also be making use of the under-20s, good club players, and then the experienced guys who haven’t played a lot of URC.”
In other words, this isn’t the heavy cavalry yet — but rather the hungry foot soldiers, out to prove their mettle and possibly stake a claim for bigger battles to come.
Who Leads the Charge?
As for the armband, the Province camp is keeping that card close to its chest. The captain will only be named on Friday — a strategic delay, perhaps, or simply a nod to the number of leaders already embedded in the squad.
“We’ve got strong leaders in the squad,” said Harris.
“You’ve got your lineout leaders, scrum leaders, and then your general play and defensive leaders as well.
In that, you just pick a guy that has a massive work rate and knows all our systems. I personally feel the captain is just the guy that literally does the toss.”
Yet make no mistake — leadership in this team isn’t about pageantry. It’s about grit. Work ethic. A deep knowledge of Province’s systems. It’s the guy who stays after the lights go out, who knows every beat of the playbook and every nuance of the jersey’s legacy.
In Ntubeni’s final campaign, the stakes are as high as Table Mountain and the margin for error as n
arrow as a gap in the defensive line. He knows it. Feels it in every drive and every lift.
The curtain is drawing, the boots will soon be hung, but for one last Currie Cup run, Scarra Ntubeni is ready to bind, brace and give it everything — not just for himself, but for his son, Siyabonga (2) for the legacy, and for the Province faithful who know that legends aren’t made in one cap, but in a lifetime of tackles, throws, and heart.
And maybe — just maybe — in drinking one last victorious sip from South Africa’s oldest and most sacred chalice.
