Huge support for Villagers’ charity day
This year's charity match event was the biggest to date and the Villagers thank everyone for coming through to support Alma and the teams on Saturday.
EVERY year the Land Rover Durban – Hillcrest Villagers Rugby Club family make their way to Kearsney College to host their annual charity day fund-raiser.
This year, the main focus of the day was to raise money for Alma van Heerden, a delightful bright-eyed, 15 year old with an incredible zest for life who has acute Lymphoid Leukemia.
The Villagers hosted its Northern KZN rivals, Drakensberg Rugby Club and the Old School Villagers hosted the Toti Old Crocs.
The charity day kicked off with the Villagers U11 exhibition match. This was a curtain-raiser to the charity match with a half-hour exhibition of up-and-coming talent within the Crest youth stable.
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More than 200 cars drove into the Kearsney grounds to show their support to Alma and the two Old School sides.
The incredible turn-out of supporters and spectators included some high-ranking KZNRU Club officials.
Villagers Old Boys versus Toti Crocks was a match played in fantastic spirit but with a real edge as old rivalries were again renewed. But the sides put their aging bodies on the line and the breakdown was ferociously fought over.
Toti made the breakthrough to open the scoring and soon after added a second to lead 14-0. Villagers weren’t to be outdone and they responded with two well worked tries to level the score 14-14.
Neither side could breakthrough and a hard fought match ended in a draw, but the real winner was rugby and Alma.
The man of the match title went to Skipper Badenhorst, who put in some crunching tackles up front, and Wade Windell who showed he still has the uncanny ability to speed up the game and find gaps in the defence.
Sadly he ended up in hospital with concussion and a dislocated shoulder. The club wishes him a speedy recovery.
In the 2nd XV match, the home side demonstrated their excellence with a 59-0 drubbing of their Winterton opposition. Men of the Match went to Brandon Young (backline) and Juandré de Beer (forwards).
The 1st XV match was a treat of tough attack and defence rugby by both sides traded possession and territory.
The ‘mountain men’ had clearly arrived for the game to cause an upset.
The hosts were made to work hard for their win, with a final result of 24-19.
Men of the Match went to Brendon Baxter (forwards), and Robbie Skilton (backline).
On Friday night, the Land Rover Durban Hillcrest Villagers 1sts and 2nds are playing at home hosting UKZN, with match night getting underway from 7pm at the Durban Shongweni Club.
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