The Alex Wolves U21 boys’ coach, Tebogo Mofokeng, said his team missed out on a shot at claiming the top spot in the Township Rugby Youth (TRY) Festival after forfeiting their opening match, which handed a 28-0 walkover victory to Soweto Eagles at Bill Jardine Stadium on January 31.

According to Mofokeng, the forfeiture came due to the team arriving late, preventing them from taking the field for their first fixture.

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Mofokeng believes that had it not been for this forfeiture, Alex Wolves would have had a chance to play in the final and win.

“If they had been here on time, I know we would have played in the finals and we would have won because I know these boys’ stronger and weaker points,” Mofokeng said.

He said his confidence that his side would have finished the competition strongly comes from the fact that he knows how skilled his team is. “We started them really young, we know how they are, and we know every tournament we go to, we leave our stamp.”

Despite the early setback, the Alexandra-based side bounced back impressively in their subsequent matches against Inner City Highlanders and Eldoronians, demonstrating the skill that Mofokeng has instilled in the group.

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However, their tournament run ended in their last match, when they suffered a defeat that halted their progress toward the final of the TRY Festival.

The annual TRY Festival, organised by the Township Rugby Youth programme, brings together multiple clubs from across Gauteng, including Alex Wolves, Soweto Eagles, Eldoronians, Inner City Highlanders, and others, for a day of rugby action celebrating talent and youth development in the sport.

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