National Club Rugby Round-up – Park & Kimberley Police book Club Champs tickets
Port Elizabeth’s Park Rugby Club became the latest team to qualify for the season-ending, 37th National Club Championships in Stellenbosch later this month when they beat favourites Despatch in a dramatic Eastern Province Grand Challenge final on Wednesday night.
Park, the 2009 EP champions, hung on for a 16-12 victory in a match played at Uitenhage’s Central Ground – the same neutral venue at which they beat Port Elizabeth Harlequins 25-23 in an equally nailbiting semi-final last week.
There was further drama at another neutral venue on Wednesday when Kimberley Police confirmed their place at the Club Champs with a come-from-behind 29-24 victory over Kuruman at Ammasol Rugby Club, in a replay of the Griquas Super League final.
The match was replayed after Kuruman, who finished unbeaten at the top of the Super League log, appealed against the result of the original final played on 9 July that saw Police score a try on the hooter to seal a 27-all draw. With no change to the scoreline after extra time, it was decided to determine the winner via a penalty shootout – the first ever in SA rugby history – which Kimberley won.
Park and Kimberley Police are the 13th and 14th teams to qualify for the Club Champs, which features the 14 provincial champions, a team from Limpopo, as well as one invited club in a 16-team knockout competition at Coetzenburg at the University of Stellenbosch from September 17-23.
Only the Valke and Blue Bulls must still confirm their champions. The Blue Bulls Carlton League final, between defending champions Tukkies and last year’s runners-up, Pretoria Police, takes place on Saturday September 10.
Brakpan won the Valke Peregrine Super League when they beat league winners Springs 25-15 in last Saturday’s final, but Springs have since appealed the result and a decision is expected soon.
The other teams who will be in action in Stellenbosch are defending champions and KZN qualifiers College Rovers, Roses United (Boland), Maties (WP), Progress (SWD), Shimlas (Free State), Welkom Rovers (Griffons), Winter Rose (Border), University of Johannesburg (Golden Lions), Middelburg (Mpumalanga), Noordelikes (Blue Bulls Limpopo), NWU-Pukke (Leopards) and SK Walmers (Western Province, invited team).
In other results, Raiders Rugby Club beat Club Champs qualifiers Pukke 41-38 (after extra time) on Wednesday night to reach the final of the Golden Lions’ Predator League.
Raiders, who finished second behind the University of Johannesburg in the Golden Lions’ Pirates Grand Challenge league this year to emerge as one of the country’s best so-called ‘open’ clubs, will meet UJ in the final, after the students beat Rustenburg Impala 57-12 in the other semi-final.
Maties play their final match in the Western Province Super League A on Thursday night when they travel to fourth-placed Durbanville-Bellville. The students must win the match to have a realistic chance of retaining their title, after their 17-16 loss to Hamiltons last week opened the door for UCT to claim the title if they win each of their last four matches with a bonus point.
Durbanville-Bellville, who upset Maties 15-9 in Stellenbosch in the first round, will be looking to register a rare double over the three-time Varsity Cup champions and put some daylight on the log between themselves and fifth-placed SK Walmers.
Saturday’s other matches see UCT travel to relegation-threatened Helderberg, False Bay host Villager, and second-placed Hamilton at home to ninth-placed Belhar.
The only other big match this weekend sees national club champions College Rovers up against arch-rivals Durban Collegians in the 111th KZN Castle Murray Cup final, to be played at Crusaders Rugby Club in Durban North.
If Rovers win, they will go to the Club Champs on the back of a two-year, 40-match unbeaten streak in all SA competitions. Victory over Collegians will also be their 50th in a row in all KZN competitions, and their 56th in 57 matches dating back to April 2009, with their only defeat coming at the hands of eventual champions Hamiltons in the semi-finals of the 2009 Club Champs.
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