Over the past week, we hosted our annual Winter Intercollegiate fixtures against Prince Alfred College. Being my last ever Intercol as a student, I really tried my best to soak it all in and appreciate the little moments – especially the chanting, camaraderie and celebrations. My favorite moment of this entire Intercol was the final minute of the Basketball match. Everyone was on the edge of their seat, the scores were level, and there was one minute left on the clock. The stage was set for one of the closest finishes to a Basketball Intercol ever. With 30 seconds to go, SPSC managed to sneak in a two-pointer and hold on for victory. The team came bounding over to celebrate with the SPSC fans – it was one of the loudest things I’ve ever heard. Lost in the moment of celebration, we forgot about our opposition, who had to watch us celebrate raucously – a subtle reminder that whenever there is a winner, there is also a loser.
I experienced the other side of this playing in the Rugby Intercol, where we went down to a very strong PAC side, 30-5. Heartbreak for all of us who had worked so hard over the season. Two completely different sides of the same tale. I gained a lot of insight from being on both the winning and losing sides. It reminded me of a quote by Pierre de Coubertin, the former president of the International Olympic Committee: “The true spirit of the Olympics is not winning, but taking part.” The same applies to Intercol. Although winning is great, it is not the be-all and end-all. Regardless of the result, everyone who participated in Intercol has taken part in a great piece of history. So, to everyone who played in an Intercol fixture over the last week, congratulations – just know that you are now part of the School’s history, no matter the result.
James Hattingh and Ryan Fowler
School Captains