CHRISTOPHER JOUBERT
We are fast approaching this year’s rendition of Damestouch, the annual event hosted by Eendrag Residence, and sounds like it’s going to be one for the books.
There is however a slight change in Damestouch this year. Following the increased awareness regarding gender-based violence, Eendrag has removed the slogan “touching since ‘81”. Members of the Damestouch committee stated that the slogan comes across as inappropriate” and in support of various gender-based violence movements have opted to remove it.
However, the decision was made after some of the printing was completed. Therefore, the slogan will still appear in some of Damestouch’s older content. However, merchandise and posters at the event will not have the old slogan and the slogan will not be in any future events.
The event takes place on Saturday 28 September and promises to be a day filled with some of campus’ finest inter-res touch rugby followed by a night of music, dancing and partying. The tournament follows a round-robin format, meaning that each team will play against one another. There will be twelve Womens’s touch rugby teams with fiercely competitive history.
The touch rugby will take place from 13:00 until 17:00 and after the crowning of the winning team, a wide variety of live music acts will follow.
The music line-up opens at 18:00 with some of Stellenbosch’s finest talents and local acts. Jack Parow will also be performing from 20:00 until 21:00, which will certainly be a highlight.
Huis Francie van Zijl will be making a long-anticipated entry into Damestouch and will be dangerous wildcards. Heemstede, too, look like possible winners with their competitive history in the competition. There will be prizes up for grabs for the top-teams and try-scorers.
The victorious team of Damestouch will win an all expenses paid spa-treatment that will be set up in their res, with discounts being extended to all members of the winning team’s residence. The event is preceded by a fundraiser that collects sanitary pads for women.
Damestouch have teamed up with the 60Cycles Charity Organisation based in Stellenbosch. Collections and donations will be used to provide women’s residences with greater access to sanitary pads as well as supporting
60Cycles. 60Cycles is a foundation that aims to raise funds for sanitary pads for young women in Malawi. The idea behind the organisation is that with each R292 that is donated, a woman is supplied with five years’ worth of reusable pads (5 years equating to 60 cycles). The women’s res teams are decided by which residences donated and contributed most to the fundraiser drive. The top 12 benefactors will be the competing teams on the day.
