The two finalists in the provincial Mayor’s League competition have been confirmed, following Malelane Rugby Club’s triumph over Ermelo Rugby Club in the semi-final.

Malelane qualified for the semi-final stage, having won the 2024 MRU Ehlanzeni Mayor’s League, which is the Lowveld portion of the competition, while Hazyview finished as runners-up. The same competition is played in the Highveld, where Kriel were the winners and Ermelo the runners-up.

Thanks to the draw, Malelane was to host Ermelo, while Hazyview would travel to Kriel, both matches being on July 13. However, Hazyview withdrew from their fixture, and this meant Kriel automatically progressed to the provincial final, while Malelane and Ermelo would do battle to determine the second finalist.

The match got off to a scintillating start for the hosts in Malelane as they raced to a significant lead in the first half. A flurry of four tries compared to Ermelo’s one meant Malelane went into half-time with a 31-7 lead. While a half-time score like this would typically spell disaster for most teams, Ermelo refused to be found wanting.

The men from the Highveld did not go down without a fight, scoring five more tries of their own in the second half. Malelane still scored a further three tries, though, managing to do enough to finish as the victors 48-36. Their triumph means Malelane will travel to Kriel on July 27 to face the Highveld champions in a battle for Mpumalanga Mayor’s League supremacy.