What started as a tournament to honour Lutho Sipamla’s remarkable journey from the Eastern Cape to the highest level of the game, has quickly grown into a bigger celebration of cricket in the region.
The second edition of the Lutho Sipamla Legacy Cup will feature eight teams, with four from the Nelson Mandela Bay area and four from outside the province, as United Brothers Cricket Club looks to build on the success of the inaugural event in 2025.
United Brothers general secretary Vusumzi Gonya said the growth was a source of immense pride for everyone involved.
The expanded field includes local sides One Golf Old Grey, Hollywoodbets PECC, United Brothers and Gelvandale.
Langa Cricket Club from Cape Town, Soweto Pioneers from Johannesburg, Fort Hare University Cricket Club from Dikeni and Perksdale Cricket Club from Middledrift will travel to Nelson Mandela Bay for the four-day event, which gets under way on Thursday.
“To have their name attached to a tournament like this is a source of immense pride, not just for us as a club, but for the family as well, and we will continue to work hard to see it grow every year,” Gonya said.
For Gonya, however, the tournament’s significance stretches well beyond the increase in numbers.
Sipamla’s story is central to the event, but his journey is also intended to serve as a reminder of what can be achieved by young cricketers coming through communities such as Zwide.
The Proteas fast bowler came through United Brothers’ junior structures before progressing through Eastern Province and eventually representing SA, making his rise a natural blueprint for the next generation.
That is the legacy the organisers want to preserve.
“Our aim is not simply to celebrate what Sipamla has achieved, but to create an environment where other young players can begin a similar journey, with this tournament providing the competition, exposure and inspiration for them to express themselves and succeed.
“There is also a strong sense of family pride attached to the event, with Sipamla’s family throwing their support behind a tournament that carries his name and celebrates his roots,” Gonya said.
The competition itself has expanded alongside those ambitions.
The eight teams will be divided into two groups of four, with each side playing three round-robin matches before the top two teams in each group advance to the knockout stage.
Matches will be played across two venues, Kemsley Park (home of Old Grey) and Alexander Road High School, with games scheduled for 10am and 2pm.
For United Brothers, the tournament also represents an opportunity to reconnect the club with the wider community and use cricket as a vehicle for bringing people together.
Organisers believe the tournament can give those dreams a bigger stage and lasting platform for growth.
“Our ambitions do not end with this year’s eight-team field either; we hope the Legacy Cup can continue its expansion over the next three to five years,” Gonya said.
“Eventually, we want it to become a week-long celebration of cricket with teams coming from every province of the country, rather than an event confined to just a few days.”
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