Nelspruit Rugby Club played in the finals of the MRU Premier League in eMalahleni on Saturday August 3. The second team earned a win, but the first team suffered a loss.

Both the first and second teams had progressed to the final after winning the provincial semi-final the week before. There they’d beaten Sasol Secunda Rugby Club to earn the spots in the finals on the first Saturday in August.

In the clash with Secunda, Nelspruit’s second team narrowly crept home thanks to a try and conversion after the hooter had sounded. This while the first-team encounter was tight, before Nelspruit cruised to victory in the final 10/15 minutes.

Both sides would, however, face an uphill battle in the final. Witbank Rugby Club was highly touted to take the victory in both finals, thanks to a brilliant and strong season in the Highveld. The second team final was incredibly tight, with neither Nelspruit nor Witbank able to gain the upper hand at any point.

However, the men from the Lowveld ultimately held their nerve and channelled their inner Springboks to sneak over the finish line with a 30-29 victory. The first team would undoubtedly have hoped to repeat this feat, but Witbank’s team was determined in front of their home fans.

The home team showed their class throughout the encounter, never allowing Nelspruit into the game and ensuring they were dominant from start to finish. When the hooter sounded and the final whistle went, Witbank had ran out 56-35 victors.