The second annual edition of the Jimmy Stonehouse 10s was held with great success at Hoërskool Bergvlam on Saturday March 16. Nelspruit Rugby Club were crowned the victors of the cup division, Kriel Saders winners of the shield division, Hennies won the bowl division and Gert Sibande won the women’s title.

After the event was held with great success last year, it was deemed necessary to hold the 10s tournament once more this year, and it was welcomed back with open arms. No fewer than 20 men’s teams and three regional women’s teams took part in the 2024 Jimmy Stonehouse 10s competition.

There were also various divisions, helping to divvy up the teams based on their skill levels and ability. This ultimately ensured more competitive rugby too, as teams played one another on a strength-by-strength basis. And the spectators filled up the pavilion at Bergvlam, with vendors and stallholders ensuring they were hydrated and fed.

Fixtures started shortly after 08:00 and were played right through the day, through the Lowveld heat without a single care in the world for the rugby players. They were all too happy to simply be playing rugby. The event wrapped up with the various division finals in the early hours of the evening.

In the women’s U20 regional final, Gert Sibande beat Nkangala 17-0 to secure the title.

Next was the bowl final where Hennies beat the UXI 1, 21-15. Then there was the shield division where the Kriel Saders triumphed over Matsulu with a score of 24-5. Vuyo Mahlango of Kriel Saders was named the shield player of the tournament.

The pinnacle of the day was a tense and tight cup final between Nelspruit and Sasol. The hometown team ultimately scraped home with a win, beating Sasol 12-10 at the final whistle. Timothy Townsend of Nelspruit was the cup player of the tournament. Tiaan Buys was named the referee of the tournament.

Named after the famed and legendary Pumas coach, the Jimmy Stonehouse 10s are a means for clubs to kick into gear ahead of the upcoming season, but ultimately it is meant to aid in local rugby development.

Stonehouse himself noted this, reflecting on a successful 2024 event. “It really is great to see how far some players and teams have come. It shows that development of Mpumalanga rugby is really in a good place,” he said.

“Teams like Embalenhle and the University of Mpumalanga played some great rugby, and it is promising to see just how much growth there has been.”

As Stonehouse has shown during his time with the Pumas over the years, he is a man of great ambition, and this now extends to the 10s competition.

“We’ve seen how successful the 10s competitions in Tshwane and Cape Town have been, and there’s no reason the same can’t happen here in Mbombela,” he said.

“We want to grow the event to include netball and hockey, and for teams right around the country to come and take part in our event.”

He added that the eventual goal is to ultimately further the growth of not only Mpumalanga rugby, but the Pumas themselves and local tourism too. “Imagine how beneficial it would be to have the Pumas playing in international competitions. The tourism boost for Mbombela and the region would be massive.

“We would also like to see the university playing Varsity Cup rugby, and all of these things have to start somewhere, and we believe we can initiate that growth through the 10s.”