Latest news with #VanHeerden
The Citizen
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Vaal's Iron Dragon ready to roar
MEYERTON – South Africa's rising middleweight star, Donjuan 'Iron Dragon' van Heerden, is just 23 years old and already knocking on the door of international recognition. On Saturday, 5 July, he'll take a major step forward when he faces Dean Promnick for the vacant African Boxing Union (ABU) middleweight title at Emperor's Palace in Kempton Park. The high-stakes bout headlines the Golden Gloves event, 'Titans of Africa', and will be broadcast live on SuperSport. 'It's an incredible privilege and an honour,' van Heerden says about the upcoming title shot. 'Fighting for the ABU title, especially on an iconic stage like Emperor's Palace, means everything to me. This isn't just a personal dream, it's a chance to put my name on the global boxing map. A win here will not only reward all the sacrifices but open the door to international opportunities, ' says the born and bred Meyertonner. For Van Heerden, this bout carries more weight than any previous fight not just physically, but symbolically. 'This fight is different. It's not just a match, it's a statement. Everything about this camp has been intense. Every day feels like fight night, and I push through it. My last two fights were at super middleweight, but now I'm back at my natural weight. It's time to show people who I really am in the middleweight division.' Van Heerden admits footage of Promnick is scarce, but not lacking in what his team needed. 'There's not a lot of footage out there, just a few short clips, but we used what we could. I've watched a couple of his fights, one of them live. We brought in elite sparring partners with a similar style to his. The sparring was intense 10 to 12 rounds with fresh partners. We focused on pressure, fitness, and tactical awareness. I'm not just fit… I'm sharp and ready to improvise.' 'It's never easy to fight a southpaw, but I'm a very sharp southpaw myself. If he survives my power shots, it's going to be a long night for him.' Van Heerden is clear that this is not the final destination, but the first real stepping stone toward global ambitions. The ABU title is a massive continental title that opens international doors. My goal is to fight for a top-15 WBA, WBC, or IBF ranking within the next year. This is the bridge. I want to win this title, maybe defend it once or twice, maybe even go for the SA title too and then step onto the world stage.' Coming from a well-known boxing family, Don-Juan embraces both the pressure and the inspiration of being Chris van Heerden's younger brother. 'It's a bit of both. I'm proud of what Chris has achieved. It proves what's possible for a South African boxer. But I also want to build my own name. I don't want to just be known as Chris's brother. I want people to know Donjuan.' 'I've had amazing coaching and mentorship—my dad always said, 'Keep your head low and your work high.' I've also received guidance from Brian Mitchell, as I've been sparring at their gym in Edenvale. I can honestly say this will be my best performance ever.' Van Heerden also credits promoter Rodney Berman and Golden Gloves for reshaping his career. 'Everything changed. Rodney believes in me. Golden Gloves brings structure, opportunity, and professionalism that is what prepares you for the big stage.' 'We've got a tight schedule with my coach Arafaat Kock and my fitness team. Every detail is planned—from recovery to media to sparring. I'm surrounded by people who bring out the best in me. Coach Arafaat pushes me every session and stands by me no matter what.' Looking ahead, Van Heerden sees himself defending titles and expanding his reach. 'I see myself with one or two title defences under my belt and hopefully an invite to fight internationally—if that fits Golden Gloves' plans. I want to be known on the international circuit, working my way toward a world title. It's in my blood. I grew up around boxing.' 'First, I want to defend the ABU title and build my name in Africa. But I'm ready for any big challenge, whether that's the SA title or opportunities in Europe, the U.S., or the Far East. I'm ready to travel and prove my worth.' Reflecting on his only recent defeat, Van Heerden is candid and confident. 'I learned a lot from that loss. I took the fight on one week's notice, but I won't use that as an excuse. As a fighter, you have to be ready every day of the week, every month, all year. That guy wasn't in my league. He got lucky. If we fought 365 times, he might win once I will win the other 364.' 'Since then, I've worked on distance control, defensive movement, and my jab. I've sharpened my ring IQ. I'm now a more balanced, smarter, and more dangerous fighter than ever before. Come 5 July, I'll be ready to fight inside the pocket or outbox him from range—it depends on how I feel that night.' And he closes with certainty: 'One thing's for sure. I'm ready. And I will win this fight.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
eNCA
21 hours ago
- Health
- eNCA
Launch of new rehabilitation model
JOHANNESBURG - The 26th of June marks International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, a day aimed at raising awareness about the devastating impact of substance abuse and the importance of effective recovery strategies. In response to the growing demand from individuals struggling with addiction, the Centre of Transformation developed a holistic rehabilitation system more than a decade ago. The Centre treats addiction as a symptom of intergenerational trauma and focuses on long-term healing rather than short-term fixes. Curt van Heerden, CEO of the Centre of Transformation, says traditional rehabilitation models often fall short. 'We need to create new neural pathways in the brain, and that takes up to 3 to 9 months.' he said. Van Heerden added that the current system is broken because it relies heavily on 30-day programmes, which he believes are inadequate for lasting recovery.
The South African
3 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
When will Barbarians name team to face Springboks?
Earlier this week, the Barbarians reported for duty in South Africa to begin preparing for this Saturday's clash against the Springboks. As many as 18 players with Test experience from across the world touched down in Cape Town, with the 23-man squad – which includes former Junior Springbok lock Ruben van Heerden of the Stormers – set to take on the Springboks for the first time on South African soil. The first five players confirmed for the fixture were the Irish centurion trio of Cian Healy (prop), Peter O'Mahony (flanker) and Conor Murray (scrumhalf), while former All Black captain Sam Cane and his Kiwi teammate Shannon Frizell (both loose forwards) were also locked in. Murray is no longer involved, but they have included five more capped All Blacks in Hoskins Sotutu (loose forward), Tawera Kerr-Barlow (scrumhalf), Peter Umaga-Jensen (utility back), Leicester Fainga'anuku (wing) and Mark Tele'a (wing). Furthermore, Joe Marchant (England), Melvyn Jaminet (France), Santiago Arata Perrone (Uruguay), David Ribbans (England), Camille Chat (France), Will Collier (England), Hassane Kolingar (France), and Paul Alo-Emile (Samoa) are all capped at Test level. The composition of the final matchday 23 will be named at 12:00 on Thursday. Undoubtedly, Van Heerden is one player who the Springboks will be keeping an eye on, with the towering lock having recorded a URC league-leading 98% tackle success rate from 171 attempts during the regular season. 'Look, [Van Heerden] tackles like a machine, that we know, so he'll be all over us. It will be interesting,' Rassie Erasmus told reporters on Tuesday. 'He's been at an alignment camp last year with us, so we probably have to do our lineout calls in a bit of a huddle before we get there. We obviously trust him not to tell them our calls. The other lock [David Ribbans] is also South African… 'That team, if they get allowed to play the way they want – their thing is to play without pressure and entertain. Now, that can really backfire against you; I coached there. 'But what an opportunity for Ruben, because he's been close to the squad but he's never really got a look-in. So, he would love to play his socks off and show us, which is fantastic.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
3 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Sam Whitelock backs Ruben van Heerden to shine for Barbarians against Springboks
All Black legend Sam Whitelock says Ruben van Heerden will have plenty of motivation when he runs out for the Barbarians against the Springboks on Saturday in Cape Town. Image: BackpagePix All Black legend Sam Whitelock is backing Stormers lock Ruben van Heerden to make his mark against the Springboks on Saturday in the colours of the Barbarians. Whitelock, assistant coach of the invitational side, spoke highly of the 27-year-old Van Heerden who will relish the chance to measure himself against the Bok locks at the Cape Town Stadium (5.10pm start) after an outstanding United Rugby Championship season. Despite the strong campaign for the Stormers, Van Heerden was unlucky not to get a call-up from the national side. But with an abundance of locks, the world champions are in a fortunate position with depth. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The next best thing for Van Heerden would be to show the selectors that he wants to stay in the Bok conversation, and a good performance for the Baabaas can help with that. According to Whitelock, a lineout expert in his 153-Test career for New Zealand, he's had a couple of conversations with Van Heerden and will keep his door open for him. It's been cool. We've had a bit of time to catch up, and have a yarn about rugby and what I am doing now,' Whitelock said about his chats with Van Heerden. 'Some people (in the squad) I know really well, some I do not. He's someone I didn't know a lot about, but it's been nice to get to know him personally. Ruben van Heerden playing for the @Barbarian_FC on Saturday. There will be some needle. Some fun to be have in Cape Town! — Rágnár Ván Töndérsön (@Slipcatch) June 23, 2025 'If there's anything he wants to know, I'm an open book. I'll help him however I can.' 'I'm really looking forward to seeing him get out there and play. He's got plenty of motivation.' Whitelock added that it's been great to see the Baabaas players taking the initiative during training and that they are not waiting to be told by the coaches. Even if they might not spend as much time on the training field as the Boks will ahead of Saturday's clash, the New Zealander added that it is still special to be involved with the invitational side.
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Dog bite leads to fatality in Ezimbokodweni area
A MAN from Ezimbokodweni area died after he was bitten by his dog recently. According to a statement released by eThekwini Municipality, the dog was unvaccinated and later showed signs of rabies, such as unusual aggression and behavioural changes. Also read: Vaccinate pets against rabies, says SPCA The city's Communicable Diseases team investigated the situation and it was revealed that the man had been bitten in March, but only sought medical attention two months later when the virus had already spread through his body. He died soon after. 'This recent case is similar to an incident that occurred last year in the Ngonyameni area, where a three-year-old child died after coming into contact with a suspected rabid dog,' the statement read. Rabies is a deadly but preventable viral zoonotic disease that spreads through the saliva of infected mammals, including dogs, cats, mongooses, goats and cattle. 'Once symptoms appear in humans, the disease is almost always fatal. However, timely vaccination can prevent infection.' The World Health Organisation lists rabies as one of the most neglected zoonotic diseases, disproportionately affecting the poor in under-resourced areas. Director of Health in the city, Rosemary van Heerden, said eThekwini Municipality has adopted the One Health approach, which involves multi-sectoral collaboration to eliminate human rabies by 2030. 'We have already convened two stakeholder meetings with various departments who pledged to support the campaign. As a result, we successfully vaccinated 385 domestic animals, 372 dogs and 13 cats during a three-day campaign in the Ezimbokodweni area this month,' said Van Heerden. Also read: Vandals strike recently repaired Isipingo Hills distribution substation Symptoms of rabies in humans can include headaches, fever, confusion and muscle pain. Any contact with a potentially infected animal, whether through a bite, scratch, or lick requires immediate first aid and medical evaluation. Wounds should be washed thoroughly with running water and soap and reported to a health facility immediately. eThekwini's Communicable Diseases Directorate is working closely with the KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to expand vaccination and public education campaigns in high-risk areas. The public is encouraged to contact the eThekwini State Vet Office on 031 328 9300 for more information on rabies vaccination campaigns and prevention measures. For more South Coast Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
