Club’s 50th celebrations start off with action-packed rugby weekend
Malelane Rugby Club's 50th anniversary year could not have kicked off better than with an action-packed weekend with SA and Pumas legends and some of the strongest teams from several provinces.
Hundreds of supporters and fans lined the rugby field in Malelane on Friday afternoon and Saturday, some pitching tents and gazebos to hide from the vicious Lowveld sun, and socialising until the early morning hours.
Teams from as far as Pongola and Johannesburg showcased some great rugby, and locals gave fans much to look forward to during this year’s season.
The highlight of the weekend was the match between SA Rugby Legends and Pumas Legends, which also saw the debut of the J9 jersey.
Scrum half Dave von Hoesslin had the honour of playing in the number-nine jersey with the J9 logo for the first time, as a tribute to Joost van der Westhuizen.
This was handed to him by 1995 Rugby World Cup winner and teammate of Joost, Krynauw Otto, who acted as the team’s manager.
“It was a massive honour for me to run out wearing the jersey for the first time,” Von Hoesslin said. “I’ve been fortunate to be part of the J9 Foundation International 10s rugby team that plays at the annual Dubai 10s tournament, a team with players from all over the world. Because of my involvement, I grew close to Joost and his family, so when I was asked to play in this game I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
“Joost became a legend twice over in his lifetime, and the work he and his foundation have put into creating more awareness about MND worldwide is incredible, as well as the work done by the SA Rugby Legends for rugby. It is an honour to be associated with both organisations,” he said.
The match started with a moment of silence to honour Joost and two other fallen rugby brothers; Kiwi, Sione Lauaki, and Wallaby and former Junior Bok, Dan Vickerman.
Both teams were determined to score, but the Pumas managed to put the first seven points on the scoreboard.
The SA Legends almost scored a try after intercepting the ball, but were stopped in their tracks near the tryline.
After half-time the Pumas scored another try after slipping through the SA Legends’ defence. This was followed by another try, putting the score at 21-0.
The game was characterised by good sportsmanship on both sides, with some good-natured ribbing and lots of laughs both on and off the field.
The Pumas scored another seven points with the SA Legends fighting hard for their own try.
In the last minutes of the game, Kennedy Tsimba (former Cheetahs’ flyhalf and Rugby International Hall of Fame inductee), put five points on the scoreboard for the SA Legends, with former Golden Lions player Eugene Marx successfully slotting over the conversion for a fulltime score of 28-7.
Click here to view a photo gallery of the match.
The weekend’s results:
Uplands College (17) vs Lowveld High (19)
Malelane Ou-Olifante (26) vs Laeveld Leeulopers (12)
Komatipoort (3) vs Middelburg XV (10)
Malelane XV (15) vs Lowveld Rhinos (10)
Barberton II (45) vs Ngodwana (19)
Pumbas I (26) vs Nelspruit II (5)
Ratels I (19) vs Witrivier II (10)
Barberton I (12) vs Middelburg XV (45)
Nelspruit I (21) vs Raiders XV (17)
Lydenburg I (12) vs Standerton I (19)
Witrivier I (0) vs Raiders I (17)
Malelane I (5) vs Pongola I (15)
Belfast I (7) vs Carolina I (15)
Malelane Rugby Club, Pumas Legends and SA Legends would like to thank all the teams that participated, the spectators for their support, and all of the sponsors for their valuable contributions.
