Results | Day One | LSEN Week 2025
The 2025 and 42nd LSEN Craven Week kicked off on Saturday at Hoërskool Hoogenhout in Bethal, Mpumalanga.
Saturday’s showcase featured six matches, ending in the ceremonial opening between the hosts, the Pumas, and the Griffons.
Despite being at the disadvantage of being the away team, the Griffons rose to the challenge and produced some champagne rugby to win 37-7.
The Fakkel SOS hero, Ricardo Chatwind, delivered an electric performance at outside centre to win the player of the match award.
A powerful Leopards team brought in some heavy metal to overpower the Sharks. Player of the match, Reamogetswe Gaje, displayed daring physicality at lock, with his dominant performance overwhelming the Sharks’ forwards in the set pieces and breakdowns. When the final whistle sounded, the North West side had run away to a 36-10 victory.
In one of the day’s most eagerly awaited matches, the Gauteng rivals, the Lions and Blue Bulls clashed. On this occasion, the Lions claimed a 22-13 victory.
Their blindside flank, Gilbert Lebeya, used his powerful engine to help his side to victory in a tightly contested battle, also earning himself the player of the match award.
Undefeated in 2017, Valke made a big statement in their 40-28 win over the Free State.
Their resilience, work ethic, and cohesive teamwork enabled them to outlast the Cheetahs.
Kempton Panorama left wing, Ompile Dubase, showed a thrilling turn of pace to win the player of the match award. Might the Falcons, once again, fly away to an undefeated record?
Eastern Province were the tournament’s unofficial winners last year when they were viewed as the underdogs. On Saturday, they were the only team to not surrender a try.
They comprehensively downed Boland 41-3, with many of their players putting in strong performances, but outside centre, Uvern Adams, from Bergsig, was the best of them and the winner of the player of the match award.
Western Province laid down a marker, delivering a strong showing in a 35-12 win over South Western Districts.
Blindside flank, Chandley Jacobs, of Westcliff SOS, led the charge, picking up the player of the match award thanks to his mighty tackling and ball carrying.
The action continues on Monday.
Fixtures
Boland vs Free State
SWD vs Blue Bulls
Sharks vs Pumas
Griffons vs Leopards
Valke vs Eastern Province
Western Province vs Lions
The final day will be on Tuesday, 1 July. Those fixtures will be announced only after day two’s matches have been played.
Scorers:
Pumas 7 (7) – Tries: Mongezi Qometa. Conversions: Mongezi Qometa; Griffons 37 (27) – Tries: Ricardo Chatwind (3), Roelof Saunders (2), Keenan Felix. Conversions: Kyle Till (2). Penalties: Kyle Till.
Sharks 10 (0)- Tries: Kean Sukkels, Levi Jansen van Niewenhuizen; Leopards 36 (17)- Tries: Reamogetse Gaje (3), Xolane Nzeke (2), Kamogelo Johnson. Conversions: Boeta Johnson (3).
Lions 22 (5)- Tries: Olwethu Vuso, Gilbert Lebeya, Rethabile Sefika. Conversions: Timothy Nortman (2). Penalties: Timothy Nortman; Bulls 13 (3)- Tries: Jacques Fourie, Hendrik Fourie. Penalties: Reitumetse Mbele.
Valke 40 (20) – Tries: Thinus van Willing (2), Ompile Dubase (2), Oratiloe Ramaite, Pieter le Roux (Captain), Rigen Chigosie. Conversions: Thinus van Willing. Penalties: Thinus van Willing; Cheetahs 28 (14) – Tries: Ruben van Aswegen (2), Duncan Montgomery, Rato Ramanotsi. Conversions: Kay-Dinn Langley (4).
SWD 12 (0) – Tries: Ambrace Africa, Saleni Saleni. Conversions: Quintin Visser (Captain); Western Province 35 (17) – Tries: Jayden September, Wesley Kannemeyer, Jean McEwan, Xavier Jacobs. Conversions: Yusuf Hannibal (3). Penalties: Yusuf Hannibal (3).
Eastern Province 41 (29) – Tries: Andre Barnard (3), Uvern Adams (Captain) (3). Conversions: Zaynodeen Bennie (3), Loydin Prins. Penalties: Zaynodeen Bennie; Boland 3 (0) – Penalty: Shagan Philander.
