East Bank wins gold in match against Kwabhekilanga
East Bank and Kwabhekilanga’s U17 sides went head-to-head in a tough Vuka Rugby derby that showed just how much talent is brewing in Alexandra.
After edging out Kwabhekilanga Secondary School in a tense derby final, East Bank High School’s U17 rugby team walked away with gold medals. The match, held on Wednesday afternoon at Marlboro Gardens Combined School, was the culmination of the Vuka Rugby programme in Alexandra, a development initiative led by the South African Rugby Legends Association.
The game was hard-fought from the beginning, with both sides determined to dominate possession and territory. Several scrums punctuated the match, and East Bank repeatedly pushed deep into Kwabhekilanga’s half, but Kwabhekilanga’s defence held firm, blocking East Bank’s attempts to break through. The deadlock was finally broken when East Bank converted a penalty, which helped them to secure the only points of the match, and, ultimately, the win.
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Coach Khula Msuthwana commended his team’s resilience, noting that this was their second consecutive derby win over Kwabhekilanga. “The game was similar to last year’s game. We played against the same school and we won with the same number of points as we did today: 3 points on just a single penalty. This just shows how difficult the game was.”
Msuthwana admitted he had not expected such a performance, given the limited training time many of his players had. “Some of them are in Matric, and only manage two or three sessions a week, but they surprised me. It showed me that, even without practice, as long as we work as a team, we will do well.”
He also acknowledged the competitiveness of the rivalry, noting that the players are all talented, but their opposition’s weakness was that they play too much as individuals, not as a team. “What helped us is that we were playing as a team.”
Kwabhekilanga coach Jack Moloi did not dwell too much on the loss. He emphasised that his players are still developing and need continued support. “This loss doesn’t mean anything. We just need to go back to the drawing board. As coaches and teachers, we just need to give them the support they need. So, that they can improve.”
Kwabhekilanga earned silver medals as runners-up in the Alexandra leg of the Vuka Rugby programme – an achievement that Moloi believes reflects their growing potential in the sport.
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