Latest news with #Venter
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Inside Henco Venter's Glasgow Warriors exit and a special Scotstoun moment
Cult hero is swapping Scotland for France with a heavy heart Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It's hard to think of an overseas player who has become so popular so quickly in Scotland as Henco Venter. Glasgow Warriors supporters have taken the South African forward to their hearts and serenaded him on Friday night in what turned out to be his Scotstoun swan-song. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It was a moving experience for Venter as he came off in the 72nd minute of the victory over the Stormers which kept his team's bid to win the United Rugby Championship for the second year in a row very much alive. Departing Glasgow Warriors forward Henco Venter is a hugely popular figure with the club's supporters. | SNS Group No club has done that before but Glasgow are now through to the semi-finals, thanks in no small measure to another outstanding performance from their No 8 and cult hero, who scored a try in the 36-18 victory. Alas, a parting of the ways is imminent. Venter is off to France next season to play in the second-tier ProD2. It was announced in March that he would be joining Brive and the news of his departure was a source of regret for Franco Smith as well as the club's fans. The Glasgow Warriors coach wanted him to stay and while he acknowledged that the player had received a very good offer from Brive, 'other factors came into play'. The chief one being 'a movement in the direction of having less foreigners' in Scottish rugby. Venter, who arrived in Glasgow from the Sharks in summer 2023 and has played 35 times for the club, hopes he has two more games left. The Warriors travel to Dublin to take on Leinster in the URC semis on Saturday and the final is scheduled for the following weekend. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He wanted to remain at Glasgow but accepts there is a desire within Murrayfield to try to bring through more homegrown talent. Venter will be joined out the exit door by compatriot JP du Preez and Argentinian winger Sebastian Cancelliere. The appointment by Scottish Rugby last August of performance director David Nucifora was designed 'to provide a roadmap for its next decade of player development'. Being South African and 33, Venter isn't perhaps a poster boy for Nucifora's brave new world - but his contribution to Glasgow's success shouldn't be underestimated. He played a big part in last season's stunning URC triumph and has also been credited by Smith with an important role in helping bring through young Warriors players like Jack Mann and Euan Ferrie. He has also been a vital team cog during international windows when Glasgow have been without their large Scotland contingent. For Venter, it will be tough to leave. Henco Venter poses with the URC trophy after Glasgow's win over the Bulls in the final at Loftus Versfeld. | SNS Group 'With Scotland taking the route, as you all know, of less foreign players I wanted to stay but they all made their rules to make Scotland directly better - I respect it,' he said. 'It's one of those things, it's rugby. You just go to the next thing, stuff happens and you just keep going forward and make yourself better.' No-one could blame Venter for looking elsewhere when no offer of a new Glasgow contract was forthcoming but circumstances seemed to have worked against the player. The focus was on negotiating new deals for the club's frontline Scotland players such as Sione Tuipulotu, George Horne, Zander and Matt Fagerson, Kyle Steyn and Stafford McDowall, whose value had increased on the back of their URC success. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Approaching the final months of his contract, Venter would have been understandably concerned about his future and the offer from Brive was undeniably attractive. Nevertheless, he will leave Glasgow with a heavy heart. The reception he received from the home support on Friday had a profound effect on him, all the more so because so many of his family and friends were either at Scotstoun or watching back home in South Africa. 'You'd never think that would happen,' Venter said of the ovation he received as the supporters sang his name. 'I actually didn't know what to do. It was special, very special. I appreciate it a lot. I didn't expect it and to receive something like that is one of the highlights of my career. Henco Venter, with ball, scores Glasgow Warriors' third try during the URC quarter-final win over the Stormers at Scotstoun as Kyle Steyn celebrates. | SNS Group 'My [immediate] family was here [at Scotstoun] and it was televised in South Africa so my whole family saw it. All the people living on our street were also here, all our neighbours.' Venter's imminent departure also means he is splitting again from Smith, his coach and long-time mentor. The pair had success together in South Africa before lifting silverware with Glasgow Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's the second time that we've parted ways and it's not easier than the first time,' said Venter. 'Luckily we're not done. There's another game to go and then if we're successful, there's another one.' The game against the Stormers was Venter's first since returning from a six-game suspension for making contact with the eye of England prop Dan Cole during the win over Leicester in the Champions Cup in early April. It means he missed both of Glasgow's recent defeats by Leinster, the 52-0 hammering in Europe and the narrow 13-5 loss in the URC. If they are to prolong their season beyond this weekend they are going to have to find a way to win in Dublin. It's not been a happy place for Glasgow but Venter feels the Warriors are rediscovering their form and if they can match their hosts' formidable physicality they can progress to the final once again. 'Teams go through a bit of a dip here and there but I think after the weekend everyone's dialled in and everyone's ready to go again,' he said. 'We are prepared to sacrifice everything to win. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
IOL News
3 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
‘Warrior' Henco Venter departing Glasgow reluctantly after two stellar seasons for the Scottish URC champions
Glasgow Warriors' Henco Venter will reluctantly leave the club after not receiving a contract extension ahead of the next season. Image: Backpagepix South African Henco Venter, who has been a standout acquisition for the defending United Rugby Championship (URC) winners, the Glasgow Warriors, for the last couple of seasons, might play his final game for the team this coming weekend. They face Leinster in Dublin in the semi-finals on Saturday afternoon and depending on the result, it could be the swansong for the Free State native. He recently returned to the side following a ban and immediately made his impact felt, playing 72-odd minutes against the Stormers in the URC quarters. He terrorised his compatriots and spearheaded the Glasgow defence and breakdown play to help them to a comfortable 36-18 victory. He's been a thorn in the side of the Stormers, especially in the tournament, and seemed to always lift his game when facing the men from the Cape. In last season's final against the Bulls, Venter also made a telling impact to help his side lift the URC title against the odds at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Now, he is on the cusp of exiting the side that became his second home since leaving South Africa, and ahead of a move to French Pro D2 club Brive, he is poised to put his best foot forward. According to Venter, after a directive from higher-ups in Scottish rugby, the Warriors must focus on young talent and not foreign soldiers from next season. Despite being forced to leave, Venter told BBC Sport he loved his time in Glasgow and would've liked to extend his stay after two seasons there. 'It's a tricky question,' he said after being quizzed about leaving. 'It's also from above and all the stuff going on in Scotland regarding foreign players. That's basically one of the main reasons. I love this place, and I'd love to stay, but... (let's) leave it there. 'They want more Scottish players, and I understand that is their plan going forward and I respect that. I am not Scottish, so it's a privilege to be here and give back to the club and the country. If they make their plans and have a will to make Scottish rugby better, I hope they succeed in it.' The 33-year-old played for the Cheetahs before venturing overseas to Japan for a season. He returned and played for the Sharks in an unsuccessful spell before signing for Glasgow. Last season, he was one of the standout campaigners during their title-winning run. He has been more than a handy replacement when the Scotland players have been in camp during the Six Nations and that experience is what they will likely miss going forward. Venter, however, is looking forward to playing another big role this weekend when they take on Leinster in the semi-finals. He is also hopeful there will be a title-defending match after this weekend's duel at the Aviva Stadium.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Henco Venter eager for fairy tale Glasgow farewell
The 33-year-old former Cheetahs and Sharks loose forward will be leaving Glasgow Warriors for French side Brive at the end of the season. Henco Venter celebrates his try against the Stormers with Kyle Steyn during their URC quarterfinal at the Scotstoun Stadium on Friday night. Picture: Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images Former Cheetahs and Sharks loose forward Henco Venter is hoping to enjoy a fairy tale farewell with the Glasgow Warriors by helping them defend their United Rugby Championship (URC) title. But first they must get through their semifinal, against Irish giants, Leinster, in Dublin on Saturday. Venter, back from a six game ban for an accidental eye gouge during their Champions Cup win over Leicester Tigers in April, made a try-scoring return to help Glasgow cruise to a comfortable 36-18 win over the Stormers in their URC quarterfinal over the past weekend. Although this is just his second season with the Scottish side, he has become a firm fan favourite, as evidenced by the standing ovation he received when he was replaced after 72 minutes, with him now set to join French club Brive in the off season. First, however, is the small matter of trying to overcome competition favourites, Leinster, in Dublin, which is a task they will feel they can accomplish. Despite suffering an embarrassing 52-0 loss to them in their Challenge Cup quarterfinal a few months ago, they proved they can challenge them when they pushed them all the way in their final URC pool match, going down 13-5 a couple of weeks ago. The 33-year-old Venter believes they have what it takes to beat any side, and was happy to come away with a win in his final home game at the Scotstoun Stadium. 'It was special. This place is special, I have really enjoyed every second here, so I am just thankful for everything. We definitely can do it (defend their title). We are here for one reason and that is to win the cup, so we are going to be up for it.' Wanted to stay Venter explained in a press conference on Monday that he wanted to extend his stay in Scotland, but was being forced out by a Scottish rugby directive that has instructed their teams to play more 'home grown' players, over non-Scottish qualified players. 'It's a tricky question. It's also from above and all the stuff going on in Scotland regarding foreign players. That's basically one of the main reasons. I love this place and I'd love to stay, but (I'll) leave it there,' said Venter. 'They want more Scottish players and I understand that's their plan going forward and I respect that. I'm not Scottish, so it's a privilege to be here and give back to the club and the country. If they make their plans and have a will to make Scottish rugby better, I hope they succeed in it. 'It's bad and I didn't like it, but it's rugby and you don't take anything personally. Through many years in this game, you learn to accept stuff and just be better where you can be better and perform where you can perform and enjoy every moment. So I'll enjoy this week and hopefully next week.' South African head coach Franco Smith, admitted in April that the situation was out of his hands, and that if he could he would keep Venter, and after the game on Friday night praised his performance, while lamenting him leaving. 'He brought freshness, eagerness, and lifted the group. I'm really proud of him. He's a fantastic player in our environment, a true Warrior, and will be missed,' said Smith.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
City's failing service delivery under fire
Residents across several suburbs in the east of Pretoria feel neglected by the metro, as they continue to endure long delays before water leaks, sewage spills, power outages, and potholes are addressed. The metro is currently grappling with a significant service delivery backlog that has persisted for months, leaving many residents frustrated as critical issues remain unresolved for extended periods. City officials have not provided a clear timeline for when services will return to normal, citing backlogs that date back to previous financial years. According to the officials, ageing infrastructure, particularly deteriorating roads nearing the end of their lifespan, has led to a surge in service complaints, nearly three times more than the city's current capacity can handle. Some water leaks are attended to after only a month or two, and sewage leaks after three weeks, despite multiple escalations. Lucia Venter, a Moreleta Park resident for the past 27 years, said she was extremely frustrated with the deteriorating service delivery, lack of communication and their non-deliverance of promises. 'I attended a meeting earlier this year at the Erasmuskloof Fire Brigade, where the mayor and her colleagues hosted a so-called Imbizo. What a circus, not only did the mayor contradict herself several times, but empty promises were made yet again,' Venter said. 'They went as far as to take down our names of those who posed questions to the mayoral team and promised to revert back to us personally. Well, guess what? I am still waiting,' she said. Venter said, 'Potholes have not been fixed, our streetlights don't work. 'We have crime that has escalated in our area, of which the most recent was on Saturday evening, gunshots around 22:00 and an attempted break-in a couple of streets down at 23:00 and not to mention the rest.' She said they have homeless people sleeping at a bus stop and making the area look like a dumpsite. 'We are inundated with the recyclers/dustbin pickers roaming our streets. Most of the time, these guys are the eyes and ears for criminals. They sometimes hide stolen goods in their trolleys, including break-in tools. We are at our wits' end,' she explained. She added that the ward councillors are trying their utmost best to assist where they possibly can, but are met with the incompetence Tshwane. 'Moreleta Park is becoming a decaying suburb, and we are going nowhere slowly.' A resident of Wekker Street in Moreleta Park endured raw sewage spillages for three weeks as Tshwane tried to unblock and repair an overflowing manhole. Elzabe Booysen told Rekord that the manhole started overflowing on April 24, flooding her yard with raw sewage, damaging her garden, and causing severe discomfort for her and her family. Booysen said she was deeply frustrated and emotionally drained after dealing with an overflowing manhole on her property for over three weeks with no response from Tshwane. She said, despite logging more than 17 complaints with the city and contacting numerous officials, the issue remained unresolved even after May 8. 'I first logged a complaint when the sewage spillages began, then three days later, it was not resolved, and I had to do follow-ups. Despite numerous follow-up calls and emails, no help, I had to deal with rude customer care assistants.' Booysens added that to her shock, some municipal employees blamed her for the delay in repairs, claiming that 'reporting it too many times' was the reason the issue had not been fixed. 'I was told I'm the reason it hasn't been fixed simply because I followed up more than once. How is that fair?' Booysens said she has lost hope in the city' ability to deliver services. Connie Groenewald from The Wilds Estate said the turnaround time from Tshwane is not adequate. 'We waited 21 days for a water leak to be repaired and seven days for a blocked sewer,' she said. She said she reported a water leak on April 30. 'The main issues we have with the municipality are the turnaround time and when following up on reported matters, phone calls are not answered, nor is there any detailed information shared.' She said the lack of maintenance and repair undermines the confidence that residents [rate payers] have in the city's capability to uphold basic infrastructure standards. 'One of our ongoing frustrations lies in the lack of communication. When following up on reported matters, residents often receive no response, phone calls go unanswered, and no detailed updates are provided.' She said the metro leaving issues unresolved is a huge problem, as it's not only a waste of a valuable resource, but it also presents a public safety risk. 'The continuous flow of water is damaging both the road surface and private property, and the wet, slippery conditions could easily lead to injury or accidents.' She said this lack of timely maintenance and repair erodes public confidence in the city's ability to uphold even basic infrastructure standards. Gillian Bittienie, a resident of Die Wilgers, expressed her outrage over a persistent water leak at the corner of Wakis Place and Verkenner Avenue, which has been left unattended for more than six weeks. 'This water leak has been running for over six weeks now with no action. Councillor Uys said she's begged and pleaded for it to be fixed,' said Bittienie. 'We, as Tshwane residents, are being punished for the absolute uselessness of the city when it comes to fixing water pipes on time. Potholes grow bigger by the day, and nothing is being done,' she said. Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed that Region 6 is facing a substantial infrastructure backlog, with 1 152 pothole repairs still pending, alongside numerous unresolved water leaks and sewage spills. 'The backlog is widespread across Region 6, but the most affected areas are wards 91, 45, 83 and 85,' said Mashigo. Mashigo said the backlog in the east of Pretoria, unfortunately, dates back to previous financial years. 'There is currently no timeline to resolve the backlog, as some roads are old and at the end of their lifespan, resulting in three times more complaints than available capacity.' He said the core challenges are ageing infrastructure and limited resources, although efforts are underway to address them. 'We currently have five teams deployed in Region 6, which comprises Pretoria east suburbs, two comprising city officials and three from appointed service providers via tenders.' He added that budget constraints are also a significant factor, as they directly impact the ability to hire sufficient manpower and secure the necessary machinery to carry out repairs. 'As it stands, there are no formal plans to fast-track or accelerate service delivery in the coming weeks or months. However, residents can still report or follow up on service issues through their ward councillors or by contacting the city's customer care line at 012 358 9999.' He said in the past month alone, we received 209 new complaints related to water, sewage, and road maintenance in Region 6, of which only 101 have been resolved.' Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
STV News
4 days ago
- Sport
- STV News
Henco Venter disappointed to be leaving Glasgow due to Scottish Rugby strategy
Henco Venter expressed disappointment over his impending Glasgow exit after becoming one of the first victims of Scottish Rugby's drive to reduce the number of non-Scottish-qualified players affiliated to the country's two professional clubs. It was announced in March that the 33-year-old South African back-rower would be leaving Warriors this summer to join French second-tier side Brive. Venter, a fans' favourite at Scotstoun, had hoped to extend his two-year stint at the club, and head coach Franco Smith said in April he would have liked to have retained the forward. However, Scottish Rugby director of rugby David Nucifora is overseeing a shift in strategy to provide more opportunities for Scottish-qualified players to play for Glasgow and Edinburgh. Explaining his reasons for leaving at a press conference on Monday, Venter said: 'Oh, tricky question. It's from above and all the stuff going on in Scotland rugby with the foreigners. That's basically one of the main reasons. I love this place and I'd love to stay here.' Venter has had more than two months to get his head around the fact his Glasgow career will be over once their involvement in the United Rugby Championship play-offs is over this month, but he admits he was not expecting to be released. 'It's rugby, so there's always something and some challenge to overcome, some injury,' he said. 'So, yeah, it's bad and I didn't like it, but it's rugby. You don't take anything personally. 'You learn to accept stuff and just be better where you can be better and perform where you can perform and enjoy every moment. I'll enjoy this week and hopefully next week.' Venter insisted he 'respects' Scottish Rugby's change of policy with regard to foreign players. 'I understand that's their plan going forward and I respect it,' he said. 'I am not Scottish, so it's a privilege to be here and to give back to the club and to the country. 'If they make their plans, they have a will to make Scotland rugby better and I hope they succeed in it.' Venter was the toast of Scotstoun during and after Friday's URC quarter-final victory over Stormers as he scored a try and produced a magnificent display in his final home match for the Warriors. They now face Leinster in the semi-final at Aviva Stadium on Saturday, and the South African is braced for a formidable task as he bids to prolong his Glasgow career by one more week. When asked what it would require to win in Dublin, he said: 'Twenty-three dogs and 80 minutes of just everyone giving everything. 'They're a class outfit with world-class players and world-class coaching staff. But it's rugby. So if we do our stuff right, then we can do it. 'These games, this is what you play for. Big stakes, big crowd, everyone just ready to give everything.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
