The Blue Bulls were crowned the northern amateur provincial champions after defeating hosts the Pumas Lowveld 35-10 in the final at Nelspruit Rugby Club last week.

The Lions finished the competition in third place with a 57-26 victory against the Leopards, while the Blue Bulls Invitational XV pipped the Limpopo Blue Bulls 11-10 to win the Plate Final.

The Valke, meanwhile, defeated thePumas Highveld 36-20 to finish seventh.

The Final was initially tight as the Blue Bulls and Pumas Lowveld entered the break level with three points each. But the floodgates opened for the Pretoria side in the second half as they found their rhythm on attack and scored four tries to only one by the hosts to secure an emphatic 35-10 victory. Steven Moir again proved to be a star for the Blue Bulls as he scored a try, three conversions and three penalties for a personal tally of 20 points. This set them in good stead for their 35-10 victory.

In the Plate Final the Blue Bulls Invitational XV and Limpopo Blue Bulls were involved in a tense showdown as both teams put their bodies on the line. With both sides boasting solid defense, few try-scoring opportunities presented themselves. The Blue Bulls Invitational XV took an 11-3 at the break. But the Limpopo Blue Bulls forced their way back into the match in the second half with a converted try to come within one point of the Blue Bulls Invitational XV at 11-10 down. However, they were unable to add to their score to nudge them to a victory and had to settle for the disappointing defeat.