When the nominees were announced at the recent Western Cape Sports Awards, Stormers coach John Dobson was pleasantly surprised when a familiar face popped up on the big screen.
He immediately turned to everyone at his table and said “heck, I know this guy!”
The man in question was none other than Conroy Williams.
“I knew from my visits to Barrydale what work he was doing in the community. He took us around Smitsville when we last stayed at the Karoo Art Hotel, but no, I was not expecting this,” Dobson told News62.
The Stormers mentor recently inspired a fairly unknown group of players to victory in the United Rugby Championship – restoring faith in a franchise that had been in turmoil for many years.
His road to glory was one of the most inspirational in recent sporting history as his men triumphed against all odds.
What Dobson sees in Williams is a man who is changing lives by giving selflessly to his community.
“What he does (on nothing) and what he sacrifices and the passion he does it with… it is remarkable.”
Williams won the Sport Community Developer award, but that was not all.
“To put what happened on the night in perspective, he was one of only a few people who got nominated for two awards,” Dobson highlighted.
Through his visits he understands that the township in Barrydale is really nowhere in terms of infrastructure, support and finance, and that the role Conroy (similar to the Stormers players) plays is now more vital than ever.
“To come from Barrydale and win a Western Cape government award, you’ve got to be exceptional.
“It’s easy to do it for the Stormers in Cape Town where you are on television everybody knows about, but it is another thing to come from the dusty streets of Barrydale and win this level of award. It is remarkable.”
Williams was subsequently invited to attend the Cape Town franchise’s final practice session before the new season kicked off.
There he got to rub shoulders with the players (or was it the other way around) while getting more insight as to what happens behind the scenes.
“When I introduced Conroy to my team, I said the thing with Barrydale is that there is this perception of the nice restaurants and coffee shops but there is a really really impoverished world out there and this guy makes a massive difference.”
Approximately 90% of the population of Barrydale is dependent on government grants.
From a coaching perspective, Dobson said that the work Williams is doing with a young group of men in his Barrydale Panic Room will serve them in the long run.
“The discipline of those guys doing that sport (kickboxing and martial arts) is something else. The discipline they gain is something they can use in life to progress whether it is in their studies or at work – it is invaluable.”
For a humble police sergeant who has dedicated the last 19 years of his life to community service, these outings to Cape Town should be proof that, at the end, every dog has its day.
Words: Mickey Mentz
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Picture: News62