Club Rugby Round-up – Wesbank making strides in Boland
Perennial Boland Premier League runners-up Wesbank showed why 2011 may finally be their year when they recorded a 53-17 victory over Robertson last Saturday to go three points clear at the top of the table.
The Malmesbury-based club have finished second in the league for the past four years but have signalled their title ambitions by winning their first five matches in what is one of the most competitive leagues in the country. They have 22 points, three more than defending champions Roses United, who do have a game in hand.
Wesbank’s ambitions have not gone unnoticed despite a lack of silverware, with the club being invited by SARU to take part in the 2007 and 2008 National Club Championships.
“In 2007, we won two of our three games, including against (current national club champions) College Rovers,” said veteran fullback Martin Lesch. “We won the Bowl in 2008 but our goal this year is to win the title and go to the champs for the first time as champions.
“I remember it being a great feeling just to be amongst the best clubs in the country and we would now like to recreate those feelings,” he added.
With new coach Denna Koopman and flyhalf Deston Wellman bringing with them new ideas and skills, and new Malmesbury-based sponsors Rola Motors and OK MiniMark adding their support, Wesbank have recorded good wins over the likes of Wellington and Saldanha Bay. But with the top-placed team after the first round qualifying for this year’s National Club Champs, Lesch and his teammates know that their match against Roses on 28 May is shaping up as a potential Club Champs eliminator.
“Roses United are the champions and it will be a massive game in Wellington,” he said. “We are looking forward to it but also know that we must take things game by game until then because anything can happen.”
In other action from around the country, SAPS remain top of Pool A of Eastern Province’s Grand Challenge following a 27-15 away win at Gardens, while there were also wins for second-placed PE Harlequins (19-10 over Crusaders) and third-placed Park. Park, the 2009 EP champions, beat current title holders Progress 28-13.
In Pool B, Despatch recorded their third straight win when they picked up a 38-8 away win against Patensie’s United Barbarians.
In the Golden Lions’ Pirates Grand Challenge, 2009 champions Pirates suffered a 23-5 home loss to Roodepoort, while Raiders beat Union 29-19 and Wits, the FNB Varsity Shield finalists, edged Vaal Reefs 32-25.
There are only three unbeaten teams left after two rounds of the KwaZulu-Natal Fidelity Security Premier Division. Current national club champions, Durban’s Jonsson College Rovers, beat Thanda/ZRA Zululand Rhinos 38-20 in Empangeni while arch-rivals Acer Durban Collegians stay top of the Moor Cup log thanks to a 28-5 away win against Crusaders. Bluff Superspar Harlequins made it two from two when they beat the University of KZN Pietermaritzburg 49-18.
In the South Western Districts Premier League, Progress moved clear at the top of the 12-team league with a 24-13 away win at Blanco for their seventh win in eight matches. Second-placed Barbarians, the defending champions, suffered a 28-10 home defeat to Grootbrak.
• For the latest club rugby news, fixtures, results and logs, visit www.sarugby.co.za and click on the Club Rugby link.
• You can also receive the latest fixtures and results by following SARU’s club feed on Twitter @saclubrugby
• There are more than 800 clubs affiliated to the 14 provincial unions, of which a total of 133 are competing in their respective top leagues this year for the chance to qualify for the season-ending National Club Championships, taking place from 17-23 September in Stellenbosch.
• SARU will publish a national club rugby round-up every Tuesday until the end of September. In addition, weekly fixtures, results and logs from the 14 top provincial leagues will be updated throughout the season on the SARU website.
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