This year is all about ME; ME Sports to be exact. Since January, entertainment industry veteran, Martin Myers, and SA rugby legend, Egon Seconds, have been getting together, every Thursday between 2pm and 3pm, online to talk on thetaxi.co.za
Along with producer/engineer Heinrich-The- Hooker, Myers and Seconds unpack the week in sport. As one of internet-only radio station thetaxi.co.za’s weekly highlights, ME Sports combines the two’s passion for sport, particularly rugby, no matter what, where and when it’s played.
“The show is built on the premise that we offer a fans perspective from my side,” says Myers, “and conversely, a professional perspective from Egon. Together listeners get a good overview, as well as the opportunity to play along.”
Seconds has played professional rugby for the Springboks, Griquas and for the Boks 7s. Today he can be found at Hamiltons, South Africa’s oldest rugby club in Green Point, Cape Town – where he assumes the role of player/manager, along with Coach Chester Williams, where the two coach Inter-School 7s rugby.
Of his participation in ME Sports, Seconds explains the weekly hour-long show as where “we bring the professionals together and dissect, play-for-play, the games of the week, post and pre-match. We start at the very top and drill our way down.”
Being able to call on the experts, as well as offer some sideline humour, the show is all about edifying and entertaining lovers of all things sports related – on and off the field.
With a shared passion, Seconds and Myers have hit upon a winning game-plan, one that on thetaxi.co.za station manager Grant Jansen loves as much as host Soli Philandero.
“Egon is not only a consummate sportsman and philanthropist, he has a wonderful presence on air – something listeners really engage with,” Myers acknowledges.
“Martin, on the other hand, refers to himself as the ‘village idiot’,” jokes Seconds. “He has a natural ability to ask the difficult questions and fly comfortably beneath the radar. In the process the show often realises some great moments.”
Bench-banter and pedestrian perspective are his areas of real expertise.
Professionally, Seconds has been responsible for 92 tries in 95 rugby matches. Today he’s quick to point out that, “rugby isn’t my job anymore, it’s my calling.” An unapologetic Stormers supporter, he’s often chastised by Myers for his unwavering loyalty.
Myers, on the other hand, looks to the All Blacks for absolution, regardless of the ridicule Seconds, and the many callers, direct his way during their on-air diatribes.
“It’s light, fun and all a little silly sometimes,” says Myers of ME Sports. “Internet radio is in its infancy in South Africa, so it’s an exciting place for Egon and I to be playing in. The support has been incredible, which has us both thinking we may coach ME Sports towards a career in television next.”
Exciting, humbling and hugely rewarding, ME SportsS takes listeners to a place that, when you strip it all down to its core, reminds us all that it’s all for the love of the game.”
