The opening fixtures of day two of the Best of the West Easter Festival got off to a spectacular start, with Krugersdorp High School’s U16 and first-team girls taking on invitational sides made up of players from Marks Park Rugby Club and African Badgers Sports Club in Meadowlands, Soweto.

The KHS U16 side delivered a dominant performance, defeating their opponents 20–0. The first half proved a slow burner, with KHS scoring the only try to take an early lead.

The second half picked up in intensity, with both teams showing determination, but KHS proved too strong, adding three more tries to seal a convincing win.

Also read: More action expected on day two of Best of the West festival

The first team followed suit with an equally commanding performance, beating the invitational side 32–0. Although KHS absorbed early pressure, they broke the deadlock with the opening try and added a successful conversion to extend their lead.

Star player Kylie Vermeulen sealed the victory with the final try of the match.

KHS U16 coach Nthabiseng Ncalane praised her team’s performance, noting significant improvement, particularly in defence.

“The girls stuck to the basics — tackling, catching and ball handling in possession. That is where we struggled before, so it is great to see improvement,” she said.

“Going forward, we hope to continue improving, play more matches throughout the season and encourage more girls to commit to the sport.”

Invitational team coach Tyrone Lennox acknowledged that his side has room for improvement, especially as it was their first match playing together.

“We will get better over time. We will work on the basics and I believe we will come back stronger,” he said.

African Badgers coach Thando Khumalo welcomed the opportunity presented by the tournament, describing it as a valuable learning experience.

He also highlighted the importance of social cohesion, adding that the teams would become more competitive as they continue to develop.