The most keenly contested Border Super League in many years reaches its climax this week with two previously unfancied sides, Winter Rose and Fort Hare, both looking to qualify for their maiden National Club Championships.
A fascinating season has boiled down to an unlikely two-horse race, with Winter Rose (11 wins from 13 games, 50 points) enjoying an eight-point lead over the only team that can still overtake them, FNB Varsity Shield side Fort Hare University (nine wins and a draw from 12 matches).
Winter Rose can seal their maiden title in Mdantsane on Saturday with victory in their final league match, against fourth-placed Old Selbornian (NU 1 Field, 15h30).
A Roses loss will however open the door for Fort Hare, provided they win both their remaining fixtures – against East London Police on Wednesday night (Police Park, 20h30), and against bottom-placed Swallows in Alice on Saturday (Davidson Field, 15h30).
Bonus points and points difference may yet play a crucial role in deciding the title, but Fort Hare coach Elliot Fana is philosophical about the permutations. “We’ve spoken about the fact that our fate is no longer entirely in our hands,” he said. “As much as I hate that situation, it’s still up to us to put ourselves in contention by beating Police and Swallows.”
Fana has masterminded Fort Hare’s league charge after absorbing lessons from his team’s disappointing Varsity Shield campaign, which saw the side win only two of their eight matches to finish bottom of the table.
“We leaked a lot of points in the Varsity Shield but in the league we have the best defensive record and have conceded the least amount of points,” said Fana. “The players have grown and are now ready for this week’s challenge. Whatever happens, I’m very proud of the students I’ve worked with, all of whom have been with me since last November’s pre-season training. None of them have even been home in that time.”
Fana added that Fort Hare, who won last week’s Gonubie Tens event, will soon begin preparations for the 2012 Varsity Shield. “It doesn’t take one season to build a winning team,” he said. “You have to build on your experiences. The team isn’t yet the finished product but things are coming together. We just have to keep the momentum going.”
With just six weeks remaining until the Club Champs, six teams have already qualified: College Rovers (KZN), Roses United (Boland), Maties (WP), Progress (SWD), Shimlas (Free State) and Kimberley Police (Griquas).
Elsewhere around the country, Tukkies picked up their 10th win on the trot in the Blue Bulls Carlton League to open up a 10-point lead over second-placed Pretoria Harlequins, who have a game in hand.
Fellow FNB Varsity Cup team UJ are proving just as dominant in the Golden Lions leagues. In the Pirates Grand Challenge, which is contested between the top seven Lions clubs, the Johannesburg students are unbeaten after eight matches, with only second-placed Raiders mounting any sort of challenge for league honours.
In the Predator League, which also features Leopards super clubs Pukke and Rustenburg Impala, UJ, with 13 wins from 14 matches, enjoy a nine-point advantage over Pukke, with third-placed Raiders the top-performing ‘open’ club.
The Mpumalanga Lowveld League has also reached the play-off stage, with log-topping Barberton hosting Nelspruit and Witrivier at home to Malelane in Saturday’s semi-finals.
The Griffons First Division final will be a repeat of last season’s nailbiter, although champions Bethlehem Oud-Skoliere will have to travel to Welkom Rovers this year for the decider. The match takes place at the North West Stadium in Welkom on Saturday, with kick-off time still to be confirmed.
Klerksdorp ensured they finished top of the Leopards Neser A league thanks to a 25-13 victory over Potch Dorp. Klerksdorp will now face surprise package Hartbeesfontein in one semi-final, with the other being contested between second-placed Vryburg and Potch Dorp. Both matches take place on 13 August.
Progress continued on their winning ways in the SWD Premier League with a 42-25 away win over Bonnievale United, while the biggest surprise of the weekend saw Springs surrender their 13-match unbeaten run in the Valke Peregrine Super League by going down 32-13 to third-placed Benoni in the final match of the league phase.
FNB UCT got their Western Province Super League A campaign back on track following the student break with a 29-23 away win over league leaders SK Walmers, who have now lost six matches and whose lead has been cut to a single point following Maties’ 53-41 romp over second-from-bottom Belhar.
National club champions College Rovers wrapped up their KZN Moor Cup league season in fine style with a 14th consecutive victory, 38-9 over Jaguars. Attention in the province now turns to one of the oldest knockout tournaments in world rugby, the hugely successful Castle Murray Cup.
In an innovative way to grow the game in the province’s country districts areas and smaller towns, Saturday’s round of 16 matches sees eight second-tier clubs host the eight Premier Division clubs, with matches taking place in the likes of Ladysmith, Newcastle, Richards Bay, Ballito, Amanzimtoti and Vryheid. See the Sharks’ official club rugby website, www.kznrugby.co.za for the draw as well as a history of the tournament, which dates back to 1890. – SARU.
