The 2022 Ehlanzeni club rugby leagues start this weekend. The big clash of the opening round will be the derby between Barberton and White River on Saturday.
The 2020 season was cancelled and the 2021 season called off after only three rounds, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Barberton, Nelspruit, White River and the Pumbas from Hoedspruit will compete in the Ehlanzeni Premier League.

The winners will play the winners of the Highveld Premier League to decide the Mpumalanga club rugby champions. The top two teams on the Lowveld-based teams’ log table will play in the Ehlanzeni final on July 9.

The Highveld League will be contested between Highlanders (Newcastle), Middelburg, Sasol (Secunda) and Witbank rugby clubs. They too will have a final between the two top teams on the log table after all the round-robin matches have been played.

The Rooikatte I and II (Lydenburg), Malelane I and II, Steelpoort, Hazyview, the KaMhlushwa Black Cats, the Ratels (Ohrigstad) and Matsulu will play in the Ehlanzeni Mayor’s and Mayor’s Reserve leagues.

Each team will play the other once, either home or away. The top four teams on the log after this stage will play in the Mayor’s League semifinals and two bottom four teams in the Reserve League semifinals.

White River Rugby Club players have been hard at work on the practise field.

“There are lots of old faces, and some new faces. Each and every player is of value to the club and we look forward to the 2022 season.

“Our aim is to develop new players and build on the future of the club, by using the old guns to teach the young guns. We have a brilliant team of coaches and the club’s aim is to take it one game at a time,” said Pietman Rademeyer of White River Rugby Club.

Nelspruit Rugby Club are rearing to start the season. Eighty players are available for selection for first, second and third teams.

“We are very excited for the upcoming league. Nelspruit is once again in a building phase with a lot of young but talented players. The league will be extremely tough and challenging this year, but we believe in our system and players. We will be competitive and hope to host the finals,”
said Freddie Welmans, the club coach.

Petrus Sambo of Matsulu Rugby Club said the club are ready to take on any opponent in the Mayor’s League. Matsulu are not a big club, with 36 players attending preseason practice. But they are ambitious.

“Our main aim is to focus on growing and obviously work hard on qualifying for the Premier League next session,” said Sambo.

Premier League fixtures for Saturday (home team first)
• 12:30: Barberton III v White River III
• 14:00: Barberton II v White River II
• 15:30: Barberton I v White River I
• 14:00: Pumbas II v Nelspruit II
• 15:30: Pumbas I v Nelspruit I.
Mayor’s/Mayor’s Reserve League (home team first)
• 14:00: Malelane II v Lydenburg II
• 15:30: Malelane I v Lydenburg I
• 15:30: Steelpoort v Ratels
• 15:30: Hazyview v Black Cats.