By Chesley Daniels
Defending champions Currie Park Rebels (CPR) successfully defended their 10’s rugby title at the annual Goldrush Fabian Juries Community Fun Day 2024, hosted by Grahamstown Brumbies Rugby Club at the Miki Yili Stadium in Joza last Saturday.
Thousands of rugby enthusiasts packed the Miki Yili Stadium to support their area teams who took part in the prestigious event. This was also the first time that the Miki Yili hosted the event, which had been predominantly hosted at the fortress Oval Sports Ground, which is currently under reconstruction.
Eight area teams took part this year and contested in the event for bragging rights. The teams were divided into two groups of four, with each team playing three round-robin matches, and the top two from each group progressing to the semi-finals. The groups were:
Group A Group B
1. Joza Kings 1. Cellotape Wildcats
2. Vergenoeg Eagles 2. Currie Park Rebels
3. Hoogenoeg White Bulls 3. Tantyi Rangers
4. Ghost Town Lions 4. Fingo Villagers
The popular event was named after Springbok 7’s Rugby and Makhanda legend, Fabian Juries, who hails from Scott’s Farm’s Cellotape Wildcats, with the areas competing annually against each other in the 10’s rugby format. Juries himself also took part for Cellotape in the past and won the event with his team in 2016 at the Oval.
CPR are the most decorated team in this event having won it five times, followed by Cellotape with three, Ghost Town Lions two and Tantyi Rangers one.
Goldrush took over as the main sponsor of the event and has changed its whole dimension and outlook, turning it into a highly successful and spectacular event. The LOC and Brumbies once again ensured a resounding day of success.
Past winners:
2013 – Ghost Town Lions
2014 – Currie Park Rebels
2015 – Currie Park Rebels
2016 – Cellotape Wildcats
2017 – Cellotape Wildcats
2018 – Cellotape Wildcats
2019 – Currie Park Rebels/Tantyi Rangers
2020 – No Event
2021 – Ghost Town Lions
2022 – Ghost Town Lions
2023 – Currie Park Rebels
2024 – Currie Park Rebels
Some spectacular, exciting and running rugby was on display throughout the beautiful, sunny Saturday, as the players showcased their skills and talent.
An upset came early in the day with tournament favourites Ghost Town Lions beaten by a spirited, highly talented and young Vergenoeg Eagles side. Verries surprised everyone and came out victorious 14-10 against Lions and set the bar for the rest of the day on what was to come.
Tantyi also recorded a dominant 17-7 win over defending champs CPR during the group stages, while the last group B match between CPR and Cellotape decided the contestants of one of the two semi-finals. CPR edged Cellotape at the death, winning 10-7 as Breyton Daniels scored the winner for CPR. Verries and Rangers were the only teams unbeaten during the group and round robin stages. CPR, Rangers, Eagles and Lions advanced to the semi-finals.
Semi-finals:
The first semi-final between CPR and Verries was a closely contested affair but it was the defending
champs who showed their experience and composure and ran out 12-0 winners. Verries had made a
few unforced errors that cost them the game.
In the second semi-final, the inform Tantyi side came out guns blazing against Lions as the game went down to the wire on the stroke of full time. Tantyi emerged 5-0 winners in a contest that could have gone either side, but the Lions’ lack of discipline proved costly in the end.
The final:
The stage was set for the much anticipated final between the two sides who shared the cup in 2019 at the Oval. Whilst Tantyi Rangers went into the final as firm favourites after beating CPR 17-7 in the group stages, it was CPR who were seeking revenge and wanted to redeem themselves. CPR started the final like a house on fire but lost an early scoring opportunity after Merlin du Plessis failed to pass the ball with two players on the inside.
Tantyi then regrouped and showed why they were the fittest team on the day, scoring two quick tries and taking a commanding 14-0 lead. CPR scored a try by running the ball from inside their own 22m area as young speedster Junaiden Kadie kicked forward and collected the ball from his own kick and offloaded to Shanton Whitebooi after three inter-passes, scoring next to the post. The conversion was missed with Rangers leading 14-5. CPR then reverted to the game plan that helped them get into the final by slowing the game down with their bigger and experienced forwards.
CPR used the scrum penalties to get lineouts close to the try line and it paid dividends as they scored their second try through veteran Monray Evans who received the ball after a dominant scrum, pushing 10m inside the 22m of Tantyi. The halftime score was 14-12 in favour of Tantyi Rangers.
An intense last 10 minutes of the second half awaited as the thousands of spectators cheered on the two top rugby teams. The second half was a stop-start affair as Tantyi players received medical attention due to injuries.
With 30 seconds left in the game, CPR got a lineout inside Tantyi’s half. The final siren went off just before CPR took the lineout. With a full backline move from the lineout, CPR created space on the outside. After a few passes, veteran Sheldon Nelson of CPR scored the winning try and broke the hearts of Rangers and
its faithful supporters.
The jubilant CPR supporters stormed the field as the Rangers players went down in disbelief with tears in their eyes. After a few minutes and the LOC and match officials struggling to get the supporters off the field, CPR captain Tevin Pillay stepped forward and converted the try to make the final score 19-14.
The victorious coach of CPR, Thomas Haywood, was a very happy and relieved man after the final
whistle. “Veteran scrumhalf Shanton Sash Whitebooi had a brilliant game and was definitely man of
the match, even though many players, especially veterans Monray Evans and Tevin Pillay stood out
in the tournament. Hooker Garin Strydom was CPP’s player of the tournament. He contributed three
tries and a conversion and also brilliant on defence throughout the tournament,” Haywood said.
The LOC commended the community of Joza for embraced the event by turning out in their thousands. “As the LOC, we want to thank all role players, supporters and areas for a wonderful event without any incidents as confirmed by the safety vommittee.”
The day’s results:
1. HOOGGENOEG WHITE BULLS BEAT JOZA KINGS (17-15)
2. VERGENOEG EAGLES BEAT GHOST TOWN LIONS (14-10)
3. TANTYI RANGERS BEAT CELLOTAPE WILDCATS (19-17)
4. CURRIE PARK REBELS BEAT FINGO VILLAGERS (24-5)
5. GHOST TOWN LIONS BEAT JOZA KINGS (25-5)
6. VERGENOEG EAGLES BEAT HOOGGENOEG WHITE BULLS (19-7)
7. CELLOTAPE WILDCATS BEAT FINGO VILLAGERS (19-14)
8. TANTYI RANGERS BEAT CURRIE PARK REBELS 17-7
9. VERGENOEG EAGLES BEAT JOZA KINGS (33-5)
10. GHOST TOWN LIONS BEAT HOOGGENOEG WHITE BULLS (20-5)
11. CURRIE PARK REBELS BEAT CELLOTAPE WILDCATS (10-7)
12. TANTYI RANGERS BEAT FINGO VILLAGERS (24-0)
SEMI FINALS:
13. CURRIE PARK REBELS BEAT VERGENOEG EAGLES (12-0)
14. TANTYI RANGERS BEAT GHOST TOWN LIONS (5-0)
7/8 TH PLACE:
15. JOZA KINGS BEAT FINGO VILLAGERS (19-5)
5/6 TH PLACE:
16. HOOGGENOEG WHITE BULLS BEAT CELLOTAPE WILDCATS (28-0) – WALKOVER
FINAL:
17. CURRIE PARK REBELS BEAT TANTYI RANGERS (19-14)
Prize money and awards:
The winners and runners-up received trophies and medals. CPR, as the rugby winners, will donate their R2 400 prize money to the Olifant family, whose entire house burned down recently, and all their belongings destroyed.
Rangers as the runners-up, will donate their R1 600 prize money to their nominated NPO – Macincedane Cynthia’s Soup Kitchen.
Netball winners Fingo Villagers donated their R2 400 prize money to Grahamstown Touch Rugby Sundays’
Vibez Fitness, while runners-up Joza Queens donated their R1 600 prize money to Mam K Day Care
Centre.
