Alec flies to the Final
For ebullient Alec Fortuin from Citrusdal in the Western Cape, it is the experience of a lifetime to go to the Currie Cup Final and in Durban nogal.
Alec looks after the gear for the Western Province Vodacom Cup and Under-21 sides and he lives at the High Performance Centre in Bellville as a security guard. He is a most popular part of the teams. So much so that he is with them at the Final. They saw to that.
The employees of the Western Province RFU are not there, not even the CEO Rob Wagner, but Alec Fortuin is there and so is Brian Petersen. Petersen, who has been with the Western Province Union for 17 years and looks after the Stormers and the Currie Cup team, is an old hand, having been away several times, including the Super Rugby Final in Soweto and the 2010 Final in Durban. But he's excited and hoping that "we will have something to take home".
Imagine Alec's excitement. There are a lot of firsts in the trip. It is the first time he had been in an airplane. "It was awesome. People had warned me about it but I wasn't frightened – just enjoyed it."
It is the first time he has been to Durban. And here he is in the Elangeni down on Marine Parade, not far from Kings Park.
It will be his first Currie Cup Final. "We must just win."
Alec has been doing his job at the Western Province Union for four years now. He says that "long ago", the Under-21 coach, John Dobson had said to him: "If we make the Final, you'll be with is." The coach does not remember saying it, but Alec was hanging onto it and his faith has been repaid.
"The players and the management got together and organised me."
Eyes bright and shining, Alec says: "I love these guys."
