No, of course I’m not talking about the legendary “Spiekeries” or commentator-turned-politician Nicky Van Der Berg (both of whom did the job in Afrikaans).  When it comes to English rugby commentators in South Africa THE name is obviously that of Hugh Bladen.  To quote one of his oft-used lines (add your own dramatic effect):

“Educated at King Edward VII School in Johannesburg, Hugh Bladen achieved great heights, being Head Prefect, Victor Ludorum, Captain 1st XV Rugby and Vice Captain 1st XI Cricket. He matriculated 1962.”

Well, the Southern African African Association in Hong Kong (SAAHK) this week announced that Hugh Bladen will be the guest-speaker at the annual Rugby Sevens Dinner that will precede the 2010 Hong Kong Rugby Sevens.  Just to show you the high esteem that Blades is held in, the legend in sports commentary follows high on the heels of Springboks Bob Skinstad (2009) and the huge Kobus Wiese (2008) who spoke at this much-anticipated event.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and since the start of this venture, I have been following the exploits of 2 young chaps back home who, in their own inimitable way, pay tribute to the man we call Blades.  Over to Hugh is a parody and a tribute to the man who is Hugh Bladen.  Have a look at one of their inserts:

While I wasn’t very impressed with Bob’s performance as an after-dinner speaker, the Missus and I quite enjoyed the big man Kobus Wiese’s performance 2 years ago.  The big guy’s experience as a TV presenter on MNet Supersport’s Super Rugby has clearly prepared him well and he did not disappoint when he appeared in front of a full-house at the Hong Kong Football Club.  If Bruce Fowler knows anything about Blades, breaking out a bottle of Ballentine’s finest before the evening should set us up for a lekka evening with “The Voice of  Rugby!”

Un-believable!