The Gustrouw Sports Ground was a theatre of high-octane rugby this past week as the St George’s RFC 85th Anniversary Easter Tournament delivered a masterclass in grassroots sport.
From Wednesday 1 to Monday 6 April, seven clubs collided in a 12-match marathon that saw a staggering 484 points and 74 tries recorded, leaving fans breathless.
The pool phase set a competitive tone, accounting for 19 tries and 123 points across four hard-fought matches. Early on, Kleinmond RFC and the hosts’ St George’s (1st XV) signalled their intentions as the heavyweights to watch.
Other standout moments from the opening rounds included Faure RFC turning heads with a gritty 22-13 victory over Evergreens Grabouw, while the St George’s 1st XV ground out a tactical 13-5 win over Sir Lowrians.
The tournament was “lit” on Saturday as scoring-intensity leapt by 74%, producing 25 tries and 161 points in just three matches.
The Lulus’ first team showed no mercy to their own development side, coasting to a 48-5 victory highlighted by a clinical hat-trick from Raeez Collins. Meanwhile, Kleinmond RFC sent a clear message to the rest of the field by putting 52 points past Faure RFC – the highest single-game score of the tournament – featuring eight different try-scorers.
In the day’s most dramatic encounter, Strand United displayed nerves of steel to edge out Evergreens Grabouw 28-21 in the Plate semi-final, thanks in large part to the boot of Taariq Burton, who successfully converted all four of his team’s tries.
The final day of play provided the perfect climax to the anniversary celebrations as Kleinmond RFC cemented their status as the tournament’s dominant force.
With a clinical 27-12 victory over the host’s first team, they hoisted the Cup trophy and finished the weekend undefeated.
In the Plate final Whistling Wheels RFC outgunned Strand United RFC 41-29 to take home the silverware.
The home crowd finally had a reason to erupt when the St George’s RFC development team secured third place, narrowly defeating Faure RFC 29-26 in a nail-biting finish.
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