An intriguing season filled with joy and surprises

AS THE final curtain came down on the club rugby season with the Sharks Club XV losing 60-27 to the Blue Bulls in the final of the Amateur Provincial Club Champions at Loftus Versveld, one can look back at the highs and lows of what has been another intriguing season filled with joy and disappointments, success and surprises.

One does have to wonder how the Blue Bulls came away with such a resounding win over not only the Sharks Club XV, but also Boland, when we take into consideration the fact that in recent times only Pretoria Police really featured in the National Club Championships.

Other than that, the clubs representing the Bulls have had a pretty poor showing in the past few years.

The question then arises: why are the Universities divorced from the open clubs at the beginning of the season during the so-called prestigious FNB Varsity Cup, yet are then linked to the clubs for the Amateur Provincial Clubs competition?

Just a thought, as it appears that they have the best of both worlds.

The Blue Bulls also won gold in all the age groups at the Junior Clubs Tournament in Pretoria, with the Youth Duikers collecting two silvers and a bronze, leaving them overall runners up.

So it was a clean sweep for the Blue Bulls, but our senior and junior Ambassadors to the Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage can hold their heads high as there were certainly a lot of positives coming out of both these competitions.

SA Home Loans Durban Collegians ended with arguably one of their most successful seasons in recent times, winning every trophy except the Castle Murray Cup.

Having now taken over the mantle from Jonsson College Rovers as the premier club in the province, they will look to next year with a lot of confidence.

Rovers, who came good at the end of the season by winning the Castle Murray Cup in fine style, were undoubtedly the side in the end that produced some of the most entertaining rugby of the season, along with FNB UKZN Impi.

The Fidelity Security Premier Division match hosted by Impi at the Peter Booysen Stadium was unquestionably the most entertaining of the season, with the two sides also producing another classic in the quarter-finals of the Murray Cup.

The semi-final of the knockout competition between Rovers and Durban Collegians saw Rovers hit their straps in yet another exhibition of entertaining running rugby.

The newly crowned champions took the honours against Nashua Crusaders, who hosted an unbelievable club day on their home grounds at Ranleigh Crescent in Durban North.

It certainly did “all come together with a Castle”.

What of the other clubs? Amanzimtoti once again performed admirably, and after hosting and beating Rovers and a memorable Fidelity Security Clubs’ Day, the South Coast Terriers have proved beyond doubt that they are here to stay in the Premier Division.

For Rovers, the loss against Toti cost them dearly, but they did come back during the season to finish with a flourish. Varsity College were unquestionably the most disappointing of all the Premier Division clubs, and will look back, take stock and rebuild. Of that there can be no doubt.

Zululand Rhinos managed to stay out of the promotionrelegation stakes.

That was left to Maritzburg Collegians, who managed to draw with Fidelity Security Jaguars, thus keeping them in Premier Division. However, they will still be joined by Jaguars Newcastle and South Coast Warriors for next year’s season, which now sees a club representing each sub-union in the Premier Division.

The introduction of the KIA initiative for the clubs as the season drew to a close also added value to the game, with clubs now able to earn some extra money.

First out the blocks was College Rovers, and if the initiative is driven the rewards will be there.

Till next season – its not goodbye, but au revoir.