Club rugby fans have a jam-packed weekend of play to look forward to this weekend, with especially the Northern League set to deliver plenty of action as local teams gear up for derby duels on Saturday 9 May.
Round five of the Northern League will see four local clubs do battle in two derbies, with Cloetesville locking horns with Excelsior at Nietvoorbij Sports Field while Blakes and Stellenbosch-Coronations will tussle for the coveted Lindoor/Rhode Cup at Cloetesville Sports Ground.
Arnold Arends, chairperson of Blakes Rugby Club, says the Lindoor/Rhode Cup holds deep sentimental value for both clubs.
“The trophy was named in honour of two former players Willem Lindoor and Angelo Rhode who represented both Blakes and Stellenbosch-Coronations before sadly passing away a few years ago,” he explained, adding that Corries are the current trophy holders.
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Open to all
The match promises to be a club rugby masterpiece, with both teams having shown great form since the start of the season. Corries have played five matches and notched up four victories and one defeat, while Blakes boast an unbeaten record having won all four their outings.
“Community leaders, former club members, loyal supporters and dignitaries including the mayor and council members are encouraged to attend the match in large numbers,” Arends implored.
“As organisers, we hope the event will not only showcase competitive rugby but also demonstrate that the sport remains vibrant and healthy within the community despite ongoing challenges. As anticipation builds, Saturday’s clash promises more than just league points, it is a contest of pride, history and community spirit.”
VDE’s woes
Meanwhile, the Super League A derby clash between Maties and Van der Stel-Evergreens (VDE), scheduled to be played at Danie Craven Stadium on Wednesday 6 May, was cancelled long before the referee blew the whistle.
According to VDE chairperson Dr Les Siegelaar they had requested that the match be postponed to a later date, but Maties indicated that maintenance work to its playing field in the coming weeks would mean they would not have a suitable playing venue.
“We had indicated that our field is available for the fixture, but this offer was rejected. After asking Western Province officials to mediate, we were informed that if the clubs cannot reach an agreement, we would have to forfeit the match,” Siegelaar explained, adding that VDE is still willing to play the match.
A forfeit by VDE means Maties is handed a 28-0 victory and five log points, firmly placing them at the top of the table. The students also boast an unbeaten record this season, having convincingly beaten Brackenfell 56-28 in their league match on Wednesday 29 April.
Other results
In other Super League A clashes on Saturday 2 May, VDE’s woes of the season continued as they went down 6-119 to Tygerberg, while Franschhoek put in a valiant effort but could not fend off the UCT Ikeys, as the local team went down 41-20 at the Green Mile.
In Super League C, Kylemore continued flying high as they recorded a 39-29 win over Scottsdene-Central to keep their perfect season in tact, while Pniël Villagers’ unbeaten run came to an end as they went down 33-14 to Delft United.
Meanwhile Raithby Universals will take a lot of positives from their 26-18 defeat to log leaders Rangers, although the local team has still not managed to get that elusive victory as yet.
Fixtures for Saturday 9 May:
- Super League A: Franschhoek vs Kuils River (Groendal Sports Ground); Maties vs Tygerberg (Danie Craven Stadium).
- Super League C: Atlantis vs Pniël Villagers (Protea Park); Langa vs Raithby Universals (Langa Stadium).
- Northern League: Blakes vs Stellenbosch-Coronations (Cloeteville Sports Ground); Cloetesville vs Excelsior (Nietvoorbij Sports Field).
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