Strong winds greeted the crew and beach touch rugby teams at Macassar Beach on Sunday (11 December), but the weather did not deter the 37 participating teams from bringing the gees to another hugely successful round of the 2022 Six Gun Grill Hot Summer of Touch.
The action got better as the teams got used to the conditions and the different elements each venue tends to serve up, and the general consensus is that both players and spectators enjoyed the event and were looking forward to many more events in Macassar.
The Pro Series is certainly shaping up to be one of the most open competitions in years with all the games in the group stages being fiercely contested. The Score Forward Legends took on the Maori Kingz in the first semi-final and the Liberty Webb Samurais played Team Composure in the other semi-final, with the Score Forward Legends then taking on Team Composure in a thrilling final played in front of a big crowd.
The Legends took an early lead, but Composure fought hard to equalise, and then took the game by 2-1 to claim their first victory in the Pro Series on the Hot Summer of Touch circuit.
The Challenger Series was won by Most Wanted, who beat Kia Targo in the final. The Open tournament was won by Liberty Webb Touchies, who defeated the Bo Kaap Boys in the final, while the Junior final was won by The Barbarian Roosters, who beat the Score Forward Legend Juniors.
“Our sincere thanks go out to the many people who assisted in making this event happen and the success that it was including, but definitely not limited to, Gerome Jasem, Adelaide Vermeulen, Macassar Neighbourhood Watch, Law Enforcement, Rafiek Khan and Councillor Peter Helfrich,” the organisers said in a statement.
The action moves to Strand Beach this Friday (16 December) – a leg which is always oversubscribed, so fans are implored to arrive early.
There will be also special tribute to Strand’s Nygal Phillips, who was so instrumental in building touchies in the Helderberg, and tragically passed way earlier this year.
