Hazyview Rugby Club (HRC) rewrote local rugby history on June 28 by clinching the Ehlanzeni Mayor’s League championship title for the first time.

Their 29-22 victory over Matsulu Rugby Club (MRC) crowned them the champions.

In a thrilling and hard-fought final at the Numbi Primary rugby field, HRC held their nerve in the face of mounting pressure. Despite claims from MRC of biased officiating, the match was ultimately decided by costly errors on their part.

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The game was a testament to determination, heart, and sheer grit from both sides.

HRC opened the scoring with the first try, but MRC responded strongly to lead at half-time. This put HRC on the back foot, but the squad refused to back down.

Their unity, composure, and relentless effort carried them through a fiercely contested second half. Every tackle, pass and decision reflected their resolve to bring the title home. Despite Matsulu’s best efforts, they could not halt HRC’s charge.

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The final whistle was met with jubilation as HRC celebrated their historic win. The community erupted in celebration, proud of the team’s achievement and their display of sportsmanship and resilience.

HRC’s backline coach, Manny Correira, told Hazyview Herald it was a dream come true for the club.

“This was a tough encounter against a good team. But the Hazyview boys kept their composure, maintained discipline, and took the game from Matsulu. Finals are won with passion, dedication and respect for the game – and the HRC showed all of that.

“We promised to inspire the town, and I believe we did that, one game at a time. At some stage, when we were behind on the scoreboard, the support from our fans fired the team up. Losing in front of our biggest crowd of supporters was never an option. Now we turn our focus to the semi-final on July 12 to qualify for the provincial final.”
MRC’s vice-captain, Sam Mabunda, admitted it had been a tough match.

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“We knew we were going to war, not only with the players but with how the referee would manage the game. In all fairness, he turned a blind eye to some late tackles and made decisions that changed the momentum and mentally took us out of the game.

“We could’ve handled it better, but it was frustrating to put in that much work and not be allowed to showcase our talent,” he said.
“However, there’s no denying that the best team won.”