What it all means

The following words come courtesy of Xhanti Nesi aka Nessi aka Cobra till I die aka Club Captain aka Mayor of P.EEEEEEEEEEE. Truly inspirational....

Cobras Till I Die........

Gentle men of the Purple Cobras, it is a pleasure to write to you. It has been awhile since I have had the opportunity to address you. I am in no position to be offering solace for the dubious happenings of the internal league, but I can say that the emotional turmoil and frustration that plagues you is a familiar feeling to me as well. It’s often said that the measure of a man is not the amount of victories he has achieved but rather how well he handles defeat. 

I have often asked myself what are the Purple Cobras. Is it merely a rugby team? Perhaps a group of friends that get together to jol some rugga or opportunity to showcase some sublime ball skills? The answer to all the above is NO. 

Purple Cobras is not just a rugby team, it is not just a group of friends and it is not merely a classy side with slick handling ability. Gentle- to me the words Purple Cobras have come to mean so much more than all the above. Purple Cobras is Brotherhood. It encamps so much more than rugby. Our starting point admittedly is rugby but this team far exceeds what goes on between the four white lines. 

When I joined the Cobras I was welcomed with a cold beer, big smiles and an amazing song. I have gone on to share some of my fondest UCT memories with you gentlemen. I know that this year I was not part of the team but that was because of Club Captain duties. Without delving into too much explanation, as Exco we wanted to retain most of the residence players that stopped playing after their U/20 season when they moved into digs. My role is to work with the Marquard boys that I lived with and start and Old Marquard Boys team to retain all these players that fall through the system. I hope you will reach your satisfaction. 

I hope that you have enjoyed this season and reached the markers that you set out for yourselves. It is an absolute pleasure to be associated with you and my chest swells with pride at the mention of Purple Cobras. I have come to accept that I will never attend another fines meeting like yours and I am glad that I am always welcome to join you. 

In closing. The next time you look at a Cobras badge. Look not at the symmetry of the lines or the colors that it comprises off. Look deeper and think of all that it means to you. The friends, the big tackles, the nights at Tiger Tiger, the line-breaking runs, the massive PE Bus Jol, the anticipation before a game, the bail-outs, the fines meeting, the guest list at bang bang and most importantly the relationships we have come to have with one another- That is the Purple Cobras.   

I’m a COBRA Till I DIE........