Tuks is first champion of UXi Sports u.20 tournament
Tuks' u.20 team were crowned the first winners of the UXi Sports interprovincial u.20 tournament on Saturday, after they easily beat a spirited team from Hamiltons in Cape Town in the final of the tournament.
After one of the most difficult and saddest rugby seasons in the history of the once proud Tuks Rugby Club, there was at least a ray of light towards the end for this student from Pretoria.
Tuks’ u.20 team was crowned the first winners of the UXi Sports interprovincial u.20 tournament on Saturday.
This tournament, jointly presented by UXi Sports and the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, is one of a kind and certainly a great asset in the effort to revive club rugby across South Africa to the heights of its glory days.
This competition featured 21 teams in three sections including North, South, and Central regions, with junior club teams from the Blue Bulls, Lions, Pumas, Griquas, Valke, Leopards, and Western Province Rugby Unions involved.
Several clubs’ u.20 teams first competed against each other at the local level, until the strongest candidates were selected for the interprovincial play-off phase.
Photo: Frans Lombard
During the launch of the tournament in April this year, the Blue Bulls’ president, Willem Stauss, confirmed that the aim of this tournament is to make club rugby’s foundation strong again with a quality tournament at interprovincial level.
In addition, an attempt will also be made to keep the large number of young players who stop playing rugby after their school careers involved in the game with a good quality u.20 tournament at club level.
Teams from the Blue Bulls’ clubs performed particularly well in the first presentation of the tournament. There was almost an all-Bloubul final, but unfortunately Naka Bulle’s team lost last week (12-15) against Hamiltons in the semi-final, which left the Capetians cold for Saturday’s final against Tukkies.
Eventually, Tuks was too strong for Hamiltons, who unfortunately had to go home with the silver medal. Tuks dominated things up front and with an abundance of possession the students were able to attack continuously. The gaps opened later and Tuks was able to start stringing in the tries.
Hats off to the Crusaders, who never slowed down and sometimes, especially in the second half, attacked for long periods. However, Tuks’ defence was sharp and the Capetonians could only reach the goal line twice.
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