Roodepoort Rugby Club’s (Poorte) first and U21 teams have been crowned the champions of the Castle Lager Senior Grand Challenge, following their impressive wins against Germiston Simmers on August 15.

The first team had an easy encounter, dominating the match with 43–8, and the U21 team secured a hard-fought 18–13 victory.

This season has been remarkable for Poorte, with all senior teams (U19, U21, second, and first team) reaching the finals.

The U21 and first team concluded the season undefeated, whereas the second team and U19s faced tough defeats in the finals against Wasps Rugby Club of Edenvale, losing 28–22 and 19–8, respectively.

U21 coach Juan-Pierre du Toit expressed his pride in the team’s performance, saying they are very proud of the boys, and they played beautifully against Germiston Simmers.
“It was a physical and tough game. We were level at 8–8 at halftime, and we scored the winning try in the last five minutes of the game.”

Du Toit added that this victory and all the teams reaching the finals mean they advanced to the Promotion Relegation Match, which will see them competing to move back into the league.

Shawn Benningfield, the backline coach, described the first team’s triumph as ‘a dominant performance’.

“We played a very safe game, and by halftime, we were leading 14–3. By the end of the match, we had scored 29 unanswered points, and we’re extremely proud of every player and coach,” he said.

Benningfield added that, having played 45 matches with an average of 52 points per game, the team is excited for what’s to come.

Victor Volschenk, the director at the club, also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all their loyal sponsors.

“We’re extremely grateful to all our sponsors who have made this possible. Their support has been invaluable, and we couldn’t have achieved this success without them.”