A brotherly rivalry on a rugby field is always something special.
No wonder FNB CUT Ixias centre Zachery Bester is relishing the prospect of facing younger brother Zane Bester, wearing the FNB UFS Shimlas jersey, for the first time in the FNB Varsity Cup when the two teams take to the field on Monday 27 March in Bloemfontein.
It is a very elite club indeed, with the Sango (FNB UP-Tuks) and Siba (FNB Maties) Xamlashe being the last pair in 2022. They have since both moved on to join the Griquas and Cheetahs respectively.
The Bester brothers played together for Hoërskool Jim Fouché in Bloemfontein where they formed the midfield combination and this was the start of their special rivalry.
Zachery says that while he loves his brother dearly, he cannot wait to play against Zane on Monday.
“The brother rivalry is coming soon and it's going to be nice. We are very close and love each other a lot, but it will be good to see who the better player is.
“There are all of those stories of brothers playing against each other, but we are not your typical brothers. The Besters have also always made a mark since school as we played together. I played inside centre, and he played outside centre and together we made a lot of good plays.
“I just want to say good luck to the Shimlas, we need them to go through. Let's have a Bloemfontein semi-final.
“To my team, just stay humble, we've got what it takes. Just carry on doing what coach Melusi (Mthethwa) tells us and just keep ticking the boxes.
“So far that Varsity Cup has been an amazing experience for me, and every time I play a game I smile, no matter the outcome. A smile just makes the game so much better. It's fast and I'm not going to lie about that.
“All the best to my brother. He is doing well for himself so far, he just shouldn't give up.”
