TZANEEN – Ben Vorster High School rugby teams outperformed their rivals, Hoërskool Pietersburg (PHS), during an exciting fixture held at the Vossies rugby field on Saturday, June 7.

The day started with a setback as the u/13A team lost 3–34. However, the momentum quickly shifted in Ben Vorster’s favour. The u/14A and u/14B teams secured convincing victories with scores of 22–12 and 41–12, respectively.

The u/15A team edged out a narrow 16–14 win, while the u/15B team followed up with a solid 22–12 victory.

Although the u/16A team suffered a close 16–12 loss, the u/16B squad stepped up to deliver a 24–18 win, helping the school maintain its overall dominance.

PHS’s first team made a strong start by scoring a try within the first five minutes of the match. But Ben Vorster quickly responded. At the 25-minute mark, Kobus de Beer scored a try, followed by a successful conversion by Shelton Ray Primo, giving the hosts a 7–5 lead.

In the second half, Ben Vorster took full control of the game. Lethabo Sejake and Chifu Banda each scored tries, while Joshua van Eeden excelled with several successful conversions. In the dying seconds of the match, Barend Harmse added another try, and Van Eeden’s final conversion sealed an emphatic 36–15 win for Ben Vorster.

Vossies’ head coach, Frikkie Spangenberg, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance.

“Our teams are on the rise,” he told the Herald. “Looking back to where we started two years and five months ago, I can confidently say we are growing. The game plan for the first team was to take them on physically, as that is one of our strengths. I told the boys to keep the pressure on because PHS is a strong side and should never be underestimated.”

Reflecting on the u/16A team’s loss, Spangenberg added, “They trained well during the week, but perhaps became too comfortable on the field. It’s a good team, last year we had a great season, but they need to understand that they can’t relax. PHS came in hungry for a win.”