South African rugby fan Garth Lezard visits Forsyth Barr
Stadium this week. Photo by Gregor Richardson.
A South African rugby fan arrived in Dunedin this week on
an epic journey.
Garth Lezard set out from Durban on December 4, 2010, on a
cycling trip which will have covered 30,000km by the time he
returns to South Africa early in 2014.
''The concept was to visit four countries in each
continent,'' he said.
''It combines my love of endurance sport, photography, global
travel and humanitarianism.''
The 39-year-old trained as a photo-journalist before joining
his family's aluminium fabrication business.
Mr Lezard is compiling a documentary of his journey and has
been showing powerpoint presentations of his progress at
schools.
''I grew up in Durban and I'm a big Sharks fan, so I'm being
a goodwill ambassador for the Sharks by visiting all the
Super 15 teams and meeting the players and fans,'' he said.
''I'm a big rugby fan. I'm an All Blacks fan, as well as a
Sharks fan.''
A highlight of his trip was holding the Webb Ellis Cup at the
New Zealand Rugby Union headquarters in Wellington.
He chuckled at the tongue-in-cheek suggestion he might be the
last South African to ever touch the trophy.
Mr Lezard has had dinner with Highlanders players and leaves
Dunedin on Christmas Eve for the Australian leg of his
journey.
nigel.benson@odt.co.nz
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