Barberton are two matches away from becoming the ninth team to automatically qualify for the SARU National Club Championships in Stellenbosch next month after beating former Mpumalanga champions Nelspruit in the Lowveld league semi-finals last weekend.
Barberton’s 27-16 victory has set up a repeat of last year’s Lowveld final against arch-enemies White River, who booked their place thanks to a nailbiting 15-14 win over Malelane. The final takes place at Coronation Park in Barberton on Saturday, with kickoff at 16h00.
“The Lowveld season has been very competitive this year with 10 clubs all battling it out,” said Lowveld chairman Louis Koen. “The final is difficult to call but whoever wins will know that they’re only one match away from the big prize, which is the Club Champs.”
The winner of Saturday’s Lowveld final will play defending Mpumalanga champions Middelburg, who beat Witbank Ferros 17-6 on Tuesday night to claim the province’s Hoëveld-Koolveld region title.
The overall final, between the two regional winners, is a two-legged affair, with matches scheduled for August 20 and 27.
One of Middelburg, Barberton or White River will join defending champions College Rovers (KZN), Roses United (Boland), Maties (WP), Progress (SWD), Shimlas (Free State), Kimberley Police (Griquas), Welkom Rovers (Griffons) and Winter Rose (Border) at the Club Champs, which takes place at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch from 17-23 September.
Winter Rose will make their maiden Club Champs appearances after securing the Border Super League title with a 26-10 win over Old Selbornian. Welkom Rovers, the 2009 Griffons champions, beat title holders Bethlehem Oud-Skoliere 18-14 in a gripping final at the North West Stadium last Saturday to book their place.
Apart from Mpumalanga, five provinces – Blue Bulls, Golden Lions, Leopards, Valke and Eastern Province – are yet to confirm their Club Champs representatives. The 14 provincial qualifiers will be joined by two invited clubs in the 16-team draw. The identity of those clubs will be announced by SARU shortly.
Elsewhere around the country, unbeaten Tukkies’ 34-17 victory over Pretoria Police has opened up a 15-point gap over Pretoria Harlequins in the Blue Bulls’ Carlton League with two rounds to go before the playoffs.
The Boland Premier League is still neck and neck, with Roses United ahead of Wesbank on points difference after Roses’ 43-39 come-from-behind victory over Robertson, and Wesbank’s 15-12 nailbiter over third-placed Darling.
UJ remain top of the Golden Lions’ Pirates Grand Challenge and Predator Leagues, following the Johannesburg students’ 71-19 derby win over fellow varsity side Wits.
There were a couple of big shocks in the KZN Castle Murray Cup knockout tournament, with Premier Division sides Durban Harlequins and Jaguars beaten by unfancied first division clubs Ladysmith and Pietermaritzburg Collegians respectively in the round of 16. The draw for the quarter-finals of what is believed to be the world’s oldest knockout rugby cup tournament takes place at Mr Price Kings Park on Wednesday evening.
The Leopards’ Neser A semi-finals take place this weekend, with league winners Klerksdorp taking on Hartbeesfontein and second-placed Vryburg hosting Potch Dorp.
Another province heading into the playoffs is the Valke, where reigning Peregrine Super League champions Springs host Vereeniging on Saturday and second-placed Brakpan are at home to Benoni.
In the Western Province Super League A, Maties’ 24-18 win over fellow Stellenbosch University side Victorians on Tuesday night has allowed to students to leapfrog Hamilton to the top of the table. This follows Maties’ 22-15 loss to UCT in last Saturday’s Intervarsity – a result which has turned the race for Super League honours into a three-horse affair between the two Varsity Cup sides and Hammies, the 2009 national club champions.
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