Valke wins first SuperSport Rugby Challenge match

South Africa’s newest provincial rugby competition, the SuperSport Rugby Challenge, started in spectacular fashion this weekend, delivering no less than 43 tries in six matches played around the country.

Two of those took place at Wolfson Stadium in Port Elizabeth on April 23 as part of a new initiative of playing matches on Sunday at community venues as part of a Rugby Festival.

The festival, which included a local club derby, was well attended and hailed a success by all concerned, with an estimated 10 000 spectators packing the Kwazakele venue.

The first weekend produced some highly entertaining and memorable rugby action, with a number of teams flexing some early season muscle.

The Hino Valke led the pack in the try-scoring stakes, with seven five-pointers in a convincing 50-17 win over the Windhoek Draught Welwitschias in Kempton Park on Saturday, a day of upsets for home teams.

The game was still very tight with only 20 minutes to go, with the hosts leading their Namibian counterparts by just six points, but then the Valke ran in five of their seven tries to comfortably win their North Section match and send the men from Windhoek packing.

Earlier on Saturday, the Vodacom Blue Bulls, Cell C Sharks XV and Down Touch Griffons lost their home matches, while on Sunday, the EP Kings could also not press home the advantage of a highly supportive crowd in the Wolfson Stadium.

The Vodacom Blue Bulls came up short to the Steval Pumas at Loftus Versfeld, with the visitors finishing very strong, scoring three late tries to secure a 31-23 (halftime 9-13) victory.

In Welkom, the Leopards turned the tables on the Down Touch Griffons, beating the hosts 29-17 in the HT Pelatona Projects Stadium in Welkom, in a replay of last year’s Currie Cup First Division Final.

This time the Griffons played host to the same side they beat in Potchefstroom last season, but had to concede to the hard-running Leopards, with Gene Willemse scoring a brace for the visitors and flyhalf Schalk Hugo adding 15 points.

In Durban, the Cell C Sharks XV were pressing for a win over Tafel Lager Griquas, but two late scores thwarted their efforts.

The visitors started the second half with a 14-7 lead and could only secure the win in the last five minutes. Tafel Lager Griquas scored their third try of the game against the run of play as nippy back Enver Brandt intercepted a pass on his own goal line and ran more than 90m for his try. Debutant centre, Tertius Kruger, then burst over right on the final whistle to seal a bonus point victory for the Kimberley side.

On Sunday, the Border Bulldogs came from behind to edge Boland Cavaliers 28-25 (half-time 14-20) in their opening SuperSport Rugby Challenge Festival match at Wolfson Stadium. Down 20-7 at one stage, Border fought back manfully, showing great determination and skill to score a bonus-point victory in front of an enthusiastic Eastern Cape crowd.

DHL Western Province had their work cut out against the EP Kings as well. The visitors from Cape Town survived a tough examination to beat the Eastern Cape team by 30-18 (half-time 10-13) on Sunday.

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