Irene Villagers Cricket Club

The Irene Villagers Cricket Club has its roots deep within the Irene community. The cricket club was established in 1965 by local Irene resident, Mr Willie Lubbe, a keen cricketer who recognised the pressing need for a locally based club. The highly successful club has grown to be a powerhouse within the Premier League and boasts a membership of over one hundred players and six teams participating in the Northerns Cricket Union senior league set-up. It has one ladies’ side and has over one hundred junior members competing in the five junior leagues of the NCU. Irene Villagers also fields a social side (The Barbets) which is mainly made up of retired cricketers who, together with a well-structured supporters club (Godfathers) assist the club financially and spiritually. The Villagers home venues are the Irene Country Club, Irene Village Oval in the heart of Irene proper. The Club has flourished over the years with the 1st team finishing runner-up in the NCU top Premier league (2013/2014 season and has a very successful development plan with excellent coaching facilities and programme for young and up-coming cricketers. The cricket club has enjoyed a long and proud association with many international and provincial players including Fanie de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, Rudy Steyn, Andre Nel, Greg Smith, Johan Myburgh , Ray Jennings and Paul Harris. Our current professionals are Henry Davids, Peter Seelaar (Netherlands) and new signings for the current season include Jenre Van Wyk, Byron Fraser, Henk and Stefan Klopper, Schalk van Heerden and many more. The cricket section is now almost totally self-sufficient and the hard-working committee and dedicated members have really achieved a lot over the past twenty years or so. The club facilities have been up-graded and improved almost beyond recognition and these efforts have been rewarded in our Club Chairman, Wally van Heerden being granted honorary life-membership of Irene Country Club.