Rustenburg outshine Kempton to stay on top, Transvalia get back to winning ways on home soil
Hoërskool Rustenburg proved why they are the main contenders to bring home the silverware after thumping second place Kempton Park by 38-15 in Rustenburg on Saturday.
The Rusties pack stayed true to their reputation, overpowering the team from Kempton upfront in a very physical encounter between the two sides. The dominant display upfront meant that the danger men out wide got ample opportunities to stamp their authority by racking up the points.
The openside flanker from Rustenburg, MC Smit, was outstanding, showcasing his high work rate and proving to be a menace at the breakdowns, disrupting Kempton’s ball on a regular basis.
Smit was well supported by his colleague at tight head, Carlo van Wijk, who stamped his authority at scrum time as well as being instrumental with ball in hand, the tight head also managed to cross the whitewash for a well-deserved five pointer.
At the back it was the twinkle toes flyer, Lorenzo Snyers, who impressed with his kicking performance proving that he can be a danger in all aspects of the game.
It was a tough day for the visitors, who struggled to hit their straps, allowing unforced errors to creep into their game stemming their search for rhythm. The visitor’s loose trio, led by eighthman, Milano Hattingh, stood out once again, as they countered the Rustenburg pack’s physicality with some of their own, but it deemed not to be enough to overpower the home side.
Both teams will now turn their attention to next week’s semi-finals as Rustenburg face Hoërskool Middelburg in Rustenburg and Kempton Park cross swords with Transvalia.
Transvalia made light work of HTS Middelburg in their final round robin clash of the Plate Division beating the visitors 40-11.
Hooker, Junior van Wyngaardt, led the way crossing the whitewash four times, contributing 20 of his team’s 40 points. Although, the accolade for man of the match went to fullback, Daniel Grobler, who was exceptional from the back proving to be a real problem for the Rooi Bulle’s defenders as he continuously pounced on any weaknesses in the visitor’s defence.
Transvalia’s bonus point victory means that they move to second place and secure a home semi-final where they will welcome Kempton Park in what promises to be a titanic battle.
Hoërskool Middelburg continued their good run of form on home soil, beating Zwartkop by 21-7 to secure their place in the playoffs next week. The stalwart in the front row, Fumani Chauke, had another fantastic outing, adding yet another try to his already impressive tally for the season. The Middelburg based side will travel to Rustenburg next week to battle it out for a place in the final.
The festivities in Hoërskool Klerksdorp would have been high after the home side managed to hold on to their lead and bag their first win in the division beating Montana 27-26 in a cliff hanger and ending their campaign on a positive note.
Scorers:
Hoërskool Rustenburg 38 (26) – Tries: Zulu Khumalo (2), Adriaan Liebenberg, Adriaan Young, Carlo van Wijk, MC Smit. Conversions: Lorenzo Snyers (4). Kempton Park 15 (3) – Tries: Divan Francis, Tian Aucamp. Conversion: Tiaan Delport. Penalty: Marko Opperman.
Transvalia 40 (6) – Tries: Junior van Wyngaardt (4), Daniel Grobler. Conversions: Duan du Toit (3). Penalties: Du Toit (3). HTS Middelburg 11 (3) – Try: Toy Engelbrecht. Penalty: Zander Erasmus. Drop Goal: Erasmus.
Hoërskool Middelburg 21 (15) – Tries: Fumani Chuake, Blessing Hamandishe, Kaylin Maputha. Penalties: Divan van der Westhuizen (2). Zwartkop 7 (7) – Try: Kyle Blignaut. Conversion: Waldo Smith.
Hoërskool Klerksdorp 28 (3) – Tries: Pedri Snyman (2), Liam Pretorius, Izak Nienaber. Conversion: Leonard Bevan. Penalties: Bevan (2). Montana 26 (7) – Tries: Dewan van der Merwe, Ewan Korb, Roald Matthee, Divan Nel. Conversions: Matthee (3)
Other results:
u14: Rustenburg 8, Kempton 8; Transvalia 22, HTS Middelburg 0; Middelburg 75, Zwartkop 7; Klerksdorp 24, Montana 14.
u15: Kempton 12, Rustenburg 10 ; Transvalia 54, HTS Middelburg 3; Zwartkop 15, Middelburg 0; Klerksdorp 12, Montana 3.
u16: Rustenburg 38, Kempton 12; Transvalia 50, HTS Middelburg 7; Middelburg 50, Zwartkop 10; Klerksdorp 31, Montana 14.
- St David’s topples Grey High in super over finish - 2025-10-19
- Waterkloof exceptional in regaining Wildeklawer T20 title - 2025-10-19
- As tight as it gets, but Northwood perseveres over Parkies - 2025-10-17
