by Ben-Piet Lotter
There are many opinions on the future of club rugby abound, but when Pirates fielded a team featuring six previous Varsity Cup players this weekend it highlighted a key ingredient in the recipe for success. So many talented players follow a career path outside of professional rugby upon completing their studies. Amateur club rugby provides a great platform for these players to continue their rugby journey. When paired with skilled coaching and the able management of the unique challenges club rugby presents, we will see more results like Pirates’ 34-24 triumph over WITS this weekend. WITS Head of Strength and Conditioning, Jacques Durand, was complimentary of Pirates who applied pressure from the start, stifling their attack. In the second half, WITS found some structure and scored two brilliant tries in succession, ensuring a nail-biting final ten minutes. Keegan Lailvaux, an ex-student at 10 for Pirates, stepped up to the plate and controlled matters masterfully. Durand promised that “the Witsies will work hard this week to be better for [their] upcoming fixtures.”
Raiders struggled to find their rhythm in the initial stranglehold maintained by Alberton, keeping them off the scoreboard. However, they recovered in the latter stages of the first half, building on that to register a 24-10 win in the end.
While Roodepoort played well on the day with a strong set piece that set the foundation for their four tries and bonus point, the ball didn’t always quite bounce their way, ultimately forcing them to go down 33-24 to UJ. Neil Kalify pointed out: “UJ did capitalise on two or three of our mistakes”. Nevertheless, he is proud of his team growing into a stronger unit with every challenge.
According to first team coach Guy Coutts, Wanderers: “were beaten by a far superior, well trained NWU team,” However, despite Wanderers being the youngest team on average in the competition, there is notable talent and potential. The efforts of the dedicated coaching staff to restore Wanderers to its former glory is commendable. They have had a tough start to the season, but we look forward to the turn-around.
