๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ.
For Union High School, the enduring relationship with Astron Energy Eastern Cape and its local brand partners stands as a powerful example of what sustained community investment can achieve.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ปโ๐ ๐ณ๐น๐ฎ๐ด๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ – the Senior Rugby & Hockey Festival, now in its 37th year, and the Anne Beagley Junior Rugby & Hockey Festival, celebrating its 24th milestone. Together, these festivals have grown into some of the most respected school sporting gatherings in the Eastern Cape, welcoming over 600 learners from across South Africa to the heart of the Karoo for days of spirited competition, camaraderie and unforgettable memories – twice a year.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. Originally established by Old Unionite Clive Berlyn during his tenure as CEO of Caltex Eastern Cape Marketers, the partnership laid the foundation for what would become a defining feature of Unionโs sporting calendar. From those early days – when Caltex and College Motors first came on board – to the present, the commitment has remained unwavering, even as the brand evolved into Astron Energy in South Africa.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ณ๐๐น ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ต ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ-๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ โ a full-circle moment that reflects both continuity and growth. Today, alongside Astron Energy Eastern Cape, the partnership is proudly strengthened by local stalwarts Astron Energy Graaff-Reinet (College Motors), represented by ๐ ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐๐ฎ, and Astron Energy Bothas Market Square (Bothaโs Garage), represented by ๐๐ผ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐บ๐ถ๐.
College Motors, located on College Road, has established itself as a distinguished initial destination for travellers entering Graaff-Reinet.
Acquired by Pierre Le Grange in 1999, the business entered a new chapter in March 2024 under the ownership of his son-in-law, Stephan de Souza. With more than 20 years of industry experience, De Souzaโs journey has come full circle – from starting his career under Le Grange, to refining his skills in Cape Town and ultimately returning to invest in and lead the business alongside family.
Recent upgrades, including a modernised facility and an expanded FreshStop offering, have transformed the site into a 24-hour convenience hub. With well-loved additions such as Seattle Coffee Co. and FreshStop favourites like Crispy Chicken and Grill to Go, College Motors continues to serve both locals and travellers with the same welcoming, family-oriented approach that has defined it for decades.
๐๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ถ๐ Bothaโs Garage ๐ผ๐ป ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฆ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ – a true Graaff-Reinet institution. With a history stretching back more than a century, the site has long been woven into the fabric of the town. Since taking ownership in June 2024, Johan and Michaela Smit have embraced this legacy while bringing fresh energy to the business.
The recent redevelopment of the premises, including a modern retail space, coffee offering and improved facilities, reflects a thoughtful balance between heritage and progress – a commitment that mirrors the spirit of the festivals they support.
The impact of this long-standing sponsorship reaches far beyond the boundary lines of the fields. It enables Union to host large-scale, high-quality events that would otherwise not be possible – events where young sportsmen and women experience not only competition, but the warmth of Karoo hospitality and the unique charm of a town that opens its doors to them. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ต๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐๐, ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐, ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐.
For Graaff-Reinet itself, the ripple effect is significant. These festivals bring vibrancy, visitors and economic activity to the town, while showcasing the Karoo as a destination of both natural beauty and community spirit.
Quite simply, this is a partnership that has stood the test of time. The longevity of Unionโs Rugby & Hockey Festivals is inseparable from the loyalty and generosity of Astron Energy Eastern Cape and its local partners. ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ช๐ณ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ข๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ ๐ด๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด – ๐ช๐ต ๐ฉ๐ข๐ด ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ง๐ญ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ.
๐๐ ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ ๐ฎ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น๐, ๐ถ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ. Because behind every whistle blown and every try scored lies the quiet, steadfast support of partners who have believed in the journey from the very beginning.
