Kwabhekilanga wins gold at the Gauteng Rugby Uprising 2025 tournament
Kwabhekilanga Secondary School’s U16 girls’ rugby team delivered a stellar performance to claim top honours at the Gauteng Rugby Uprising 2025 tournament.
Kwabhekilanga Secondary School’s U16 girls’ rugby team capped off a strong campaign with a 29–0 win over Phateng Secondary School in the final of the Khanyisile Gauteng Rugby Uprising 2025 tournament.
The team earned the coveted gold medals and lifted the trophy at Bill Jardine Stadium on September 13, along with R10 000 worth of resources as part of the first prize.
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Coach Jack Moloi credited the team’s success to a week-long preparation and planning. “We had a full week to prepare, and this time, everything came together. We’ve never lost a game since joining this tournament,” he said.
Their semifinal against Mandisa Shiceka High School was a comfortable win, with Kwabhekilanga dominating possession and scoring freely. Moloi explained that the team approached the two matches with different strategies. “In the first game, we wanted our forwards to take control while the backline conserved energy for the final. We had depth on the bench, especially among the forwards. Then in the finals, our backlines were dominant.”
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That tactical shift paid off in the final, where the backline took centre stage. “They pressed hard and scored all the tries. I don’t recall any forward scoring,” Moloi noted. He added that the coaching team had studied their opponents closely and identified areas where Kwabhekilanga could apply pressure.
Moloi also reflected on the earlier group-stage match against Phateng, which had been far more competitive. Kwabhekilanga won in that encounter, 12-7. “Had Phateng scored under the poles and converted, we might have lost. So, the performance from that game was different compared to today.”
He emphasised the importance of rotating players during the group stages to build a balanced team. “You give everyone a chance early on. Even if we had dropped a game, we would still have made the finals.” Looking ahead, Moloi hopes the team’s success will pave the way for future provincial selections. “We are working toward producing players who can go further. One day, we would love to see some of them playing for prestigious clubs.”
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