Rejuvenated Rhinos, Zwarries set up early Northern dominance at Noord/Suid

The rejuvenated Rhinos of Hoërskool Nelspruit ran in five tries in their opening victory over Hoërskool Framesby, from Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape.

Nellies asserted control early, laying the foundation for success with a powerful opening spell driven by their big hitters up front.

The lock pairing of Ulrich Kleynhans and Naudé Joubert, combined with the attacking impetus of dynamic eighthman Vian Louw, ensured the Lowveld side dictated proceedings from start to finish.

As the curtain fell on the second match of the opening day, Nelspruit’s exciting fullback Rhandzu Mkhabela was named the Player of the Match. Renowned across Mpumalanga for the electricity he brings from the backfield, Mkhabela lit up the tournament’s big stage, causing the crowd to take notice.

To complement his sharp attacking display, he was equally assured in defence, providing an uncompromising final line as the Rhinos closed out a commanding performance.

In the opening fixture of the tournament, Hoërskool Zwartkop captain David van Jaarsveld crossed the whitewash twice as the Vikings marked their debut with a commanding 50–14 victory over Bethlehem Voortrekker, scoring eight tries.

Van Jaarsveld, in particular, was devastating when carrying the ball. His powerful, bullocking runs repeatedly split the defence and brought him 10 points after two deserved visits behind the Voortrekker tryline.

Up front, the reliable hooker Regan Blignaut set the tone for a dominant Vikings pack. His powerful carries stood out as he consistently punched holes deep in Voortrekker’s defensive line, making metres well beyond the gainline.

Blignaut was ably supported by second rower Jethro Le Roux, who is one of 14 players returning to the Vikings 1st XV in 2026. Le Roux capped his industrious performance with a superb try, bursting through the defensive line with an attacking run that left even the centres scrambling.