Although Alex Wolves played their best at the recent Township Rugby Youth 10’s Festival at Bill Jardine Stadium, both the girls’ and boys’ teams fell short of the tournament’s glory because of internal issues that require urgent attention.

The club, known for its talent and resilience on the field, faced challenges that cost it the first prize on January 31.

First, the boys’ team, which undoubtedly demonstrated its strength against tough opponents, forfeited their opening match after failing to show up on time for the fixture. This, according to coach Tebogo Mofokeng, cost the boys a shot at reaching the final and possibly winning the tournament, which he believes they would have.

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He expressed frustration over the boys’ late arrival, which saw their opponents, Soweto Eagles, secure a 28-0 win with a walkover.

“If they had been here on time, I know we would have played the finals, and we would have won,” Mofokeng said.

He admitted that when it comes to the boys’ team, he knows they are strong. This was evident in their successful campaign against Inner City Highlanders and Eldoronians.

Mofokeng said the main thing that needs to improve is their punctuality.

The girls, on the other hand, pulled off a strong campaign that saw them rise to the summit of the competition, taking on Soweto Eagles’ girls’ team in the final.

It was a tight game, which the Soweto giants won by a narrow margin. Reflecting on the girls’ performance, Mofokeng, while appreciating their fight to reach the final, highlighted that their challenges run deeper and would require time to fully address.

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He pointed to fitness issues as the reason why the girls were unable to win the finals, noting that some members of the senior team are working and unable to balance work commitments with regular practice.

He said this is the main issue he is confronted with, and emphasised that to solve it, he would need to go back to young players at a development level, nurture them, and train them to grow into fit players for the senior team.

“We have to start at a development level and try to develop the younger players.”

Mofokeng shared that his decision to go back to development is based on experience. The current players of the U21 boys’ team, whom he praises for their competitiveness, were developed at a young age and grew in the sport. According to Mofokeng, this experience was enough to convince him that it is possible to build a stronger team from the ground up.

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