Alexandra Wolves Rugby Club’s U19 and U21 sides both walked away with Senior Grand Challenge titles in Ridgeway on September 12, capping off a season that coaches are calling a defining moment for the club.

The results are made all the more remarkable by the fact that Alex Wolves did not feature in the league the previous season, meaning both age groups went from absent to champions in a single campaign.

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U21s grind out a hard-fought 30-10 win

The U21 team was first up, and had a dominant start against Union Knights Rugby Club, racing to a 13-point lead before their opponents crossed the try line.

But the momentum stalled soon after, as a string of unforced errors crept into their game. In one costly sequence, Alex Wolves turned down a straightforward three points, a penalty within easy range of the posts, in favour of a quick tap, only to lose possession moments later.

Coach Jack Moloi did not hide his frustration with the decision-making in the moment. “Why, when you get a quick ball, don’t you go with someone else, so that when you get tackled and fall, you may pass the ball?” Moloi said.

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The Wolves’ defence, to their credit, kept Union Knights pinned back for long stretches. The home team struggled to breach the Wolves’ 22 through several phases of play in the first half. Yet Alex Wolves struggled to convert that defensive dominance into the scoreboard advantage it deserved.

By half-time, Union Knights trailed 13-0, a gap Moloi knew was not yet safe. He admitted that two converted tries and a penalty could still have swung the result.

Alex Wolves came out of the break transformed, adding 17 points in the second half to close out the game 30-10.

U19s cruise to a 70-12 rout

The U19 clash, the final match of the day, was pure statement. Alex Wolves demolished Harlequins Rugby Club 70-12 to seize the league title.

Coach Menzi Mbatha, said the win was the culmination of years of work behind the scenes. “I am very happy and excited. These boys are coming from a long-term project that has been built by all the coaches in Alexandra. They have been working with them to ensure they take the cup.”

Head coach Andile Kahla put the achievement in perspective, saying that the U19s did not lose a single match all season. “Ever since we started playing, our U19s have not lost. Our U21s only lost their first game, then after that we have been winning every game with bonus points,” Kahla said.

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