Rugby boys and girls from all over Mpumalanga put on a fine display of skill and power at Hoërskool Barberton during the annual BUCO Makhonjwa 7s Tournament on September 5 and 6.

No fewer than 17 schools had representative teams participating in the tournament, with a grand total of 42 teams making up the roster. There were 15 teams, divided into three pools of five teams, in both the boys’ U15 and U17 age groups, while there were six teams competing in one pool in both of the girls’ U15 and U17 age groups.

Competition was stiff and little separated the highest placed teams from the lower placed teams. It was a matter of fine margins in the pool stages and teams fought tooth and nail. In the U17 boys it was Hoërskool Bergvlam who took the cup trophy while Penryn College won the plate division (third overall) with hosts Barberton finishing fourth.

The girls’ U17 age group was won by Coovaria who took the cup trophy with Lowveld High School in second, while Barberton finished fourth and Bergvlam won the bowl division. The U15 boys’ age group harboured more success for Barberton though as they managed to claim the cup trophy and win overall, while Hoërskool Nelspruit’s U15B team won the plate and Bergvlam won the bowl (fifth overall).

Lowveld took the top prize in the U15 girls’ age group as they went home with the cup trophy with Barberton in second and Penryn finishing fourth.

> Photos: Blake Linder