Hentie Cilliers wins u17 Pionier Sevens, Pionier the u15 champs
Hentie Cilliers captured the u17 title and Hoërskool Pionier the u15 honours on Saturday after two days of all-out action at Hoërskool Pionier in the High School Sevens Series, proudly sponsored by Toyota.
Hentie Cilliers, from Virginia, in the Free State, made the longest drive of any of the competing teams, around 480 kilometres, to be in Vryheid, but they made it worthwhile, going unbeaten to lift the title.
They very nearly came unstuck in the final against Glencoe’s Sarel Cilliers, the defending champion, but pulled off a tight 24-22 win.
Sarel Cilliers won a key pool game against Pionier 14-10, but sparkled in their quarterfinal and semi-final matches, thumping Vryheid Landbou, who made the final in 2024, by 38 points in the last eight before beating Ladysmith High by 14 to secure their place in the title game.
u15 Competition
There was joy for the hosts, Pionier, in the u15 competition. They saved their best for the playoffs, brushing aside Vryheid Landbou 40-0 in the semi-finals before almost matching that emphatic victory in the final, which they won 40-5 over Empangeni.
That result came close to their 42-7 win over the same opponents in their Pool A clash. The Zululanders did well, though, to topple Pool B’s winners, Ferrum, 40-26 in the semi-finals.
Pool B was closely contested, with no team emerging unscathed. Ferrum fell 14-15 to Vryheid Landbou. Vryheid Landbou lost 22-28 to Sarel Cilliers, and Ferrum beat Sarel Cilliers 27-19.
U17 RESULTS
Pool A
Hentie Cilliers 45-5 Empangeni
Sarel Cilliers 2 0-10 Empangeni
Hentie Cilliers 10-0 Sarel Cilliers 2
Pool B
HS Vryheid 10-24 Ferrum
Ferrum 2 5-25 HS Vryheid
Ferrum 2 0-43 Ferrum
Pool C
Vryheid Landbou 52-7 HS Vryheid 2
Ladysmith 26-5 HS Vryheid 2
Vryheid Landbou 12-21 Ladysmith
Pool D
Pionier 5-7 Amajuba
Sarel Cilliers 14-10 Pionier
Sarel Cilliers 59-0 Amajuba
Cup Quarterfinals
Hentie Cilliers 33-5 HS Vryheid
Ferrum 21-14 Empangeni
Ladysmith 24-10 Amajuba
Sarel Cilliers 50-14 Vryheid Landbou
Bowl Semi-finals
Sarel Cilliers 2 22-26 Ferrum 2
HS Vryheid 2 10-12 Pionier
Plate Semi-finals
HS Vryheid 19-26 Empangeni
Amajuba Vryheid Landbou
Cup Semi-finals
Hentie Cilliers 22-5 Ferrum
Ladysmith 12-26 Sarel Cilliers
Shield Final
Sarel Cilliers 2 20-12 HS Vryheid 2
Bowl Final
Ferrum 2 17-24 Pionier
7th/8th
HS Vryheid 10-0 Amajuba
Plate Final
Empangeni 7-14 Vryheid Landbou
3rd/4th
Ferrum 5-0 Ladysmith
u17 Cup Final
Hentie Cilliers 24-22 Sarel Cilliers
U15 RESULTS
Pool A
HS Vryheid 49-12 Vryheid Landbou 2
Pionier 10-0 Sarel Cilliers 2
HS Vryheid 14-29 Empangeni
Sarel Cilliers 2 10-33 Vryheid Landbou 2
Pionier 42-7 Empangeni
HS Vryheid 105-0 Sarel Cilliers 2
Empangeni 38-19 Vryheid Landbou 2
HS Vryheid 12-19 Pionier
Empangeni 48-5 Sarel Cilliers 2
Pionier 43-5 Vryheid Landbou 2
Pool B
Vryheid Landbou 29-0 HS Vryheid 2
Amajuba 0-52 Sarel Cilliers
Vryheid Landbou 15-14 Ferrum
Sarel Cilliers 21-5 HS Vryheid 2
Amajuba 10-59 Ferrum
Vryheid Landbou 22-28 Sarel Cilliers
Amajuba 12-35 HS Vryheid 2
Ferrum 27-19 Sarel Cilliers
Vryheid Landbou 61-0 Amajuba
Ferrum 36-5 HS Vryheid 2
Plate Semi-finals
HS Vryheid 10-0 HS Vryheid 2
Sarel Cilliers 19-7 Vryheid Landbou 2
Cup Semi-finals
Pionier 40-0 Vryheid Landbou
Ferrum 26-40 Empangeni
Bowl Final
Sarel Cilliers 26-12 Amajuba
Plate Final
HS Vryheid 32-7 Sarel Cilliers
u15 Cup Final
Pionier 40-5 Empangeni
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