Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 8, 1993 TAG: 9308080118
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVE JOHNSON NEWPORT NEWS DAILY PRESS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
For the first time in their 21 years and nine months, Heather and Heidi Burge will be on opposing teams as they enter a professional women's basketball league in France. Both will play for First Division teams in Clermont-Ferrand, which is about 250 miles from Paris in the south-central part of the country.
So after spending a lifetime as teammates, and at the same time being as competitive as any siblings, the former University of Virginia stars are officially rivals.
Mark your calendars. Their first clash, and that word expects to be very appropriate, is Sept. 18.
"Yeah, I'm pretty interested to see how we'll do against each other," Heidi said from the Burges' home in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. "We know each other's habits; we know each other's strengths and weaknesses. It'll be a great challenge."
"I'm sure it's going to be fun for the media over there," Heather said. "I'm sure they already have thoughts about what they're going to do. Who knows what the French will do?"
"You mean they'll be going against each other?" said Wendy Palmer, a sophomore forward for Virginia. "That'll be interesting. I wouldn't mind going over there to watch that."
For the record, the twins have played against each other in an official game - with referees, scorekeepers, the whole bit - only once. That was in a summer league a year ago in California. Heather's team won by four points, and Heidi is bummed to this day because she believes the officials got confused and charged her with some fouls that actually were committed by Heather.
Heidi says it's no coincidence they both ended up in the same city. Their agent, Bruce Levy of New York, worked it out that way. But they will live in separate apartments ("No!" Heather answered quickly when asked if they would be roommates), so they can be near each other but not too near.
Both are fluent in Spanish, but neither speaks French very well. Heidi is reading a book on the language; Heather's not all that concerned because her coach is Jose Ruiz, a Spaniard.
"Our parents are very good with languages," Heather said. "We tend to pick them up fast, too. And the best way to learn is to be there."
Heidi needs information on other things, such as her coach's name, her teammates' names and a schedule. "I don't know anything, basically," she said. "I mean, nothing."
She does know she's leaving Los Angeles International for Paris on Tuesday. Heather is flying to Charlottesville on Monday to spend a few days with some friends, then leaving for Atlanta to fly to Paris on Friday.
"It'll be a new experience," Heather said. "It's a little scary, but it should be fun, too. I don't know much about France. I've heard bits and pieces of how hostile they are toward Americans. They're very nationalistic, but I don't know much about the town we'll be in. I certainly don't want to put a terrible judge on them."
"I think it'll be a lot of fun," Heidi said. "It's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime thing."
by CNB