In a tense final that showcased the very best of local club rugby, White River defeated Nelspruit to claim the 2024 MRU Ehlanzeni Premier League title.

The final was played at Nelspruit Rugby Club on Saturday July 6, and the hosts would have been in high spirits ahead of the encounter, having gone unbeaten during the league stage of the season. Meanwhile, White River won four of their matches, drew to Nelspruit, and also lost to Nelspruit in the most recent encounter between the two clubs before the final.

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What ensued on Saturday was a brilliant game of club rugby and a befitting way to end off a great MRU Ehlanzeni Premier League season. The hosts drew first blood through a penalty to take a 3-0 lead, but White River hit back with an unconverted try to lead 5-3. Nelspruit slotted over another penalty to retake the lead, but again, not for long, as White River scored their second try to take a 12-6 lead.

This was the last time the lead changed hands in the first half, as the score stayed 12-6 at half-time. Nelspruit were first to strike in the second half courtesy of a converted try, which put them in the lead again, the score now being 13-12. White River countered with a converted try of their own to lead 19-13.

Nelspruit bounced back once more with another try, but couldn’t convert and trailed 19-18. White River crossed the whitewash once again to take a 24-18 lead. They slotted over their first penalty of the match with five minutes remaining to go outside of scoring reach for Nelspruit with the score at 27-18.

No more than a minute later, Nelspruit set up a tense finish with a try that went unconverted, and the score was 27-23. Nelspruit found their way into White River’s 22m area as the clock ticked past 80 minutes, and even managed to win a scrum penalty.

But they failed to progress from there, and White River won a turnover before booting the ball out of touch to secure yet another Premier League title.

This makes White River the current dominant force in Lowveld club rugby, considering they have won three of the four league titles since the resumption of club rugby in 2021 after a break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nelspruit have now gone nine years without winning the title. They did find glory in the second team division, though, where Nelspruit 2 beat White River 2, 15-8. Their third team weren’t as lucky, with Lydenburg Rooikatte 2 beating Nelspruit 3, 29-20 to win the third team division.

Nelspruit and White River’s first teams have both, however, progressed to the Mpumalanga play-offs where they take on the top two clubs from the Highveld on July 20. Nelspruit will face Sasol in Mbombela, while White River will travel to Witbank to take on eMalahleni.

In the MRU Ehlanzeni Mayor’s League final, Malelane defeated Hazyview 26-13 to win their first trophy in 12 years.