Tries galore in Welkom, Kimberley as Youth Weeks kick off
There were some impressive performances in Welkom on Monday, where the SA Rugby U16 Girls Week kicked off at HT Pelatona Projects Stadium, with the Valke in particular showing their intent with a 63-0 win over Griffons, scoring no less than 16 tries in the biggest win of the day.
Valke scrumhalf Dineo Swartbooi bagged the first hattrick of the U16 Week, and she was later followed by Blue Bulls flyhalf Thabitha Ngobeni, who scored three tries and a conversion against the Pumas to become the leading points scorer at the tournament.
The Golden Lions, Eastern Province and Border Country Districts all recorded emphatic wins as a total of 47 tries were scored on the opening day.
The Blue Bulls and Western Province also recorded good victories, but in different ways.
The Western Cape side squeezed past SWD 10-5 in a very tight game, while the Blue Bulls dismissed the Pumas’ effort with ease, winning 42-14 and scoring 25 unanswered points in the second half.
In Kimberley, there were strong performances from the perennial achievers at the U16 Grant Khomo Week.
The Western Cape sides again proved a handful, with Western Province XV beating the Leopards and Western Province edging the Golden Lions, after having to overcome a 11-5 deficit at the break, but rallying strongly in the second half to clinch the win.
Boland showed good form in beating Griquas, but SWD ran into a rampant Blue Bulls team.
Day one results:
U16 Girls Week: Border CD 37 (32) Free State 0 (0); Valke 63 (29), Griffons 0 (0); Border 27 (5), Boland 0 (0); EP 37 (17), Griquas 0 (0); Golden Lions 41 (15), Leopards 0 (0); Limpopo Blue Bulls 22 (0), Sharks 15 (10); WP 10 (5), SWD 5 (5); Blue Bulls 42 (17), Pumas 14 (14).
U16 Grant Khomo Week: WP XV 31 (24), Leopards 17 (10); Namibia 12 (5), Border CD 0 (0); Free State 28 (14), Border 12 (0); Zimbabwe 15 (10), Griquas XV 7 (0); Blue Bulls 47 (17), SWD 7 (0);
Griffons 45 (26), Limpopo Blue Bulls 21 (7); Sharks 42 (21), EP 13 (10); Valke 29 (7), Pumas 0 (0); WP 24 (5), Golden Lions 17 (11); Boland 36 (22), Griquas 14 (0). —