An Easter rugby tournament was held at Miki Yili Stadium over the Easter weekend. Organised by the local rugby association and supported by Makana Municipality, the tournament was aimed to uplift the levels of local rugby.
Local clubs from different league levels: Easterns, Wanderers, Lily White, Swallows, Brumbies, Winter Rose and Blues competed for the trophy.
An Easter rugby tournament was held at Miki Yili Stadium over the Easter weekend. Organised by the local rugby association and supported by Makana Municipality, the tournament was aimed to uplift the levels of local rugby.
Local clubs from different league levels: Easterns, Wanderers, Lily White, Swallows, Brumbies, Winter Rose and Blues competed for the trophy.
The clubs are part of the Premier League, Willem Harmse League and the Adam’s Cup. After a battle in the first round stages on Saturday, it was down to the top four to play each other in the semi finals, which took place on Sunday.
The first semi finals saw Brumbies clash with legendary Wanderers to settle an unresolved score. From the first half Brumbies gave Wanderers no room to breathe as they kept pressing forward looking for a try.
Almost half an hour into the game from a scrum two metres away from the Wanderers try line Brumbies’ Peter Frans forced his way through the Wanderers wall to score the first try of the game.
A few minutes afterwards, Brumbies pushed forward again, this time to receive a penalty kick, through which they stretched the lead.
Norman Danston, Cinton Gill, Alfonso Stuurman and Lucius Jordaan all scored a try each for Brumbies, while Wanderers failed to score.
This saw Brumbies taking a place in the finals, as the score ended 32-0 to Brumbies. Winter Rose, who had beaten Swallows 26–5 in the previous round, played Easterns who had a walk over against Lily Whites.
Both teams gave it their all in the opening minutes as they both came close to scoring. From a build up a few metres from the try line, Winter Rose’s Thandolwethu Bulani sprinted through the Easterns players to score a brilliant try, making it 5–0 fourteen minutes into the game.
Two drop kicks put Easterns in a momentary one point lead as the score was 5-6 with 20 minutes into the game.
Winter Rose’s Khanyisa Nombombo scored a converted try taking the score to 6–12 at the half time break. The battle intensified in the second half as it was crunch time and both teams wanted to take the place to oppose Brumbies in the finals.
Khanyisa Nombombo went over to score another try for Winter Rose, while Luzuko Mjongo, Thembalethu Thethani and Thandulwethu Bulani also scored a try each for Winter Rose.
Pumelelo Mvula, Pumlani Khongwana and Andile Bill scored a try each for Easterns. The game ended with Winter Rose winning by 29–23.
Swallows played Lily Whites in a losers’ match before the finals, with Swallows winning 16-13. The third and fourth place match between Easterns and Wanderers saw Easterns winning 22–0.
It was down to the big guns as Winter Rose took on Brumbies in a nail biting final on Monday. No time was wasted as Vincent Mains put over a penalty kick to make it 3–0 to Brumbies in the third minute after an attempted attack at Winter Rose.
A reply kick by the short 18-yearold Mzukisi Nontyi went narrowly off target. Seventeen minutes in Winter Rose were awarded yet another penalty kick, through which the illustrious Nontyi equalised.
Several attempts of capitalising through penalty kicks came to naught for Winter Rose as Brumbies kept putting pressure.
Then Khanyisa Nombombo put Winter Rose ahead with a drop kick, making it 6–3. Brumbies fought back to score from a Zolani Menze converted try, going into the lead once more.
The score was 10-6 to Brumbies at the half time break. In the second half a drop kick by Brumbies’ Mains almost stretched the lead, only to go just wide off target.
Winter Rose felt the pressure of trailing behind so they launched attacks at Brumbies, causing them at some discomfort.
In the dying stages Mains again found himself on the score board, this time through a self converted try bringing the trophy closer to Brumbies.
Winter Rose played great rugby with threatening attacks and ball control, and in the last few minutes of the match Winter Rose were playing not more than two meters away from Brumbies try line, trying to squeeze in through the solid Brumbies defence but failing to capitalise.
Brumbies went on to win 17–6. Winning Coach Ricardo Abrahams was more than pleased with the performance of his boys “It was a good but yet tough game for us because we had to defend most the time.
The game was well conducted by the match officials”. Local sports lovers gathered at Miki Yili to support their teams and also to witness this rugby phenomenon.
“The tournament is an initiative taken by the South Eastern District Sub-Union (Sedra), who approached the local government to revive the spirit of rugby during events and holidays such as Easter, as people focus on other badly influential activities and the community responded because people came in numbers,” said organiser and Rugby Development Officer Mazwi Dingana.
“We would like to host these Easter tournaments yearly and bigger and even invite other outside teams to play” said Dingana, who also mentioned other rewards in this great sport.
“Youth yugby has a lot of opportunities like scholarships, where school fees can be paid up until tertiary level if players have been selected”.
Andile Nayika is is an independent citizen journalist for Grocott’s Mail
