Connect Performance, Cape Town’s high-performance launchpad for promising young sports stars and coaches, is proud to announce a number of major successes of the past month.
Four of its players have been taken up in provincial Currie Cup squads. The Connect franchise also made history together with Edwin Doran Sports Tours by hosting the largest ever school sports event in the Mother City with 2500 players from Cape Town and Britain in a festival series of 130 sports matches across four venues.
Connect alumni get selected for four top rugby squads
“We’re incredibly proud to see Lukhanyo Vokozela (Western Province), Lamla Nunu (Boland Cavaliers), Haashim Pead (Lions), and Riyaad Bam (Bulls) named in their respective Currie Cup squads for 2025,” says Murray Ingram, founder and CEO of Connect Performance and the Connect Academy.
“Lukhanyo and Lamla are both from Makhaza, Khayelitsha, and Haashim is from Bokaap – and each of them earned scholarships to elite schools and went on to represent the Junior Springboks through our Connect sports development programme. Riyaad Bam attended Al Ameen, an Islamic school with no rugby programme, so to keep playing, he played for Bosmansdam High – a public school without the resources or recognition of traditional rugby powerhouses, which is now being assisted by Connect to grow its rugby talent. Our efforts paid off, because at just 19, Riyaad is now in the Bulls Currie Cup squad. And critically, Riyaad isn’t an exception – he’s the blueprint of what is possible.”
Ingram goes on to explain that these successes came about in part because of a shift in Connect’s strategy. Founded in 2014, the high-performance training ground initially focused on getting talented youngsters into elite schools on sports scholarships. Most recently, however, it started focusing on uplifting the next tier of schools, “full of raw, unpolished diamonds, waiting to be seen and supported”.
The Connect Festival of Unity makes history in Cape Town
In July, the Connect franchise made history, in association with their British partner, Edwin Doran Sports Tours, by hosting the largest ever school sports exchange in Cape Town’s history – with 2500 players from 42 school teams, 23 being from greater Cape Town and 19 from the UK – uniting in 130 rugby, hockey and netball matches across six action-packed days.
“We’re very proud of what the festival achieved and are already planning next year’s festival. The Connect Festival of Unity is more than a sporting event – it is a celebration of possibility.”
Ingram says: “The festival brought young people together from vastly different backgrounds – and they connected, competed, and grew. The result? A vibrant showcase of talent, fierce competition, and real human connection – proof that sport can break down barriers and build bridges.”
“At its core, the Festival of Unity is about one thing: opportunity. Opportunity for a young player from an under-resourced school or club to be seen. Opportunity for communities to come together in a spirit of hope and celebration. Opportunity for South Africa to imagine a future where talent isn’t defined by postcode.”
Jamie Anthony, Head of Sales at Edwin Doran, said: “This tour to Cape Town was absolutely thrilling for our rugby, hockey and netball teams from 19 sides across Britain. It was a true show of cross-cultural unity and everyone learned a great deal – about Cape Town, South Africa, its people, international sportsmanship, camaraderie, and ultimately, ubuntu. We can’t wait to return to Cape Town for the second Connect Festival of Unity, in association with Edwin Doran Sports Tours, in July 2026.”
A call to support ongoing impactful sports development
Ingram concludes: “We are on mission – and the festival and our players’ recent successes prove that it is paying off. At Connect, we work every day to level the playing field by building high-performance programmes in under-resourced schools and clubs, creating coaching pathways, and unlocking meaningful work opportunities through sport that uplift individuals, families, and communities. We’ve seen what’s possible when we come together. Now we need the community’s support to keep the momentum going. If you believe in the power of sport to change lives, now is the time to act,” says Ingram.
There are four ways in which the public can support Connect’s cause:
- Support the work – Fund coaching, mentorship, and infrastructure where it’s needed most.
- Sponsor a school or club – Make a long-term investment in real development.
- Partner with Connect – Help us create sustainable systems that unlock talent.
- Share the festival video – Help amplify this movement and inspire others.
Visit www.connectperformance.co.za or follow @connectperformacademy on Instagram to learn more and get involved.
