Rhodes Rugby reaches for redemption

South Africa’s Varsity Rugby landscape is full of the most outrageous young talent in the world, where teams, even those competing in the B-Division (like the Varsity Shield), have the courage to pull out a victory, no matter how unlikely.

And so, being the new kid on the block is never going to be an easy task. Just ask Rhodes.

The men from Grahamstown have lost all four of their matches in their debut season so far, with two of the losses coming in the dying minutes.

The Eastern Cape side’s results have been competitive for the most part, but their 88-6 demolition at the hands of the University of the Western Cape was a stark reminder of how far behind they are in their evolution.

Nevertheless, they rallied well in their following game against the University of Fort Hare, before eventually succumbing to a 30-10 defeat. Captain Jonathan Braans’s men have played with fire, passion and heart – but still have zero wins to show for their efforts.

Coach Qondakele Sompondo has often emphasised the need to be realistic in Rhodes’s rugby expectations this season, but has admitted that his players will be all the wiser from this year’s experiences, and hungry to compete again in a year's time.

Rhodes' final home game for 2017 pits them against Walter Sisulu University, the “All Blacks”, and this game will certainly seem like a Test match for the Rhodents, who will want to put in a solid showing and repay their supporters' loyalty.

Walter Sisulu University (WSU) have also had a disappointing season, collecting just two wins from their four matches, and currently hold a -55-point difference in the overall table.

The game, Rhodes’s penultimate of the season, kicks off at 6.30pm on Monday 13 March, at the Rhodes Great Field.