EPRU Grand Challenge club rugby champions Gardens beat Gauteng side Raiders 23-21 to win the Plate final at the Transnet Saldanha Super 8 Easter club rugby tournament on Monday.
After losing their opening match 14-11 against hosts Saldanha Bay on Thursday, Gardens bounced back with a big 53-17 win over Velddrif to reach the Plate final.
Thanks to a series of eye-catching performances, Gardens scrumhalf Marvin Kampher was included in the Saldanha Super 8 dream team.
“The tournament did not start well for us with a loss to Saldanha, but at the end of the day we have two wins out of three games,” Gardens skipper Ryan Oliphant said.
“I am very proud of the boys after our win over Raiders. Now we are looking forward to the rest of the club rugby season.
“Our forwards were dominant against Raiders and we got good front-foot ball for our backline.
“It was great to come here and play in Saldanha because club teams do not get many opportunities like this.
“I think we showed great character to come back with a big win over Velddrif after our narrow defeat to Saldanha on Thursday.
“In the game against Veldriff, the big difference was we used the opportunities that came our way to score points.”
Grabouw team Safcol were crowned champions for the second time in succession when they beat Groot-Brakrivier 20-10 in Monday’s final.
A well-drilled Safcol side disrupted any momentum Groot-Brakrivier tried to gain and their defence proved impenetrable.
In 2023 EP team Progress were pipped 28-25 by Safcol after a titanic battle in the final.
The Kariega team were on the attack in the final minutes of the clash, but the wild card team from Grabouw managed to hold on to deny the 2022 EPRU Grand Challenge champions victory.
Tournament director Bertram Vraagom said: “Allow us to congratulate the team from Grabouw on their sterling performance. We are certain they would like to build on this with the league matches ahead of them.
“To the rest of the teams who also participated, our sincere thanks in making this a successful tournament.
“It has indeed become quite a festive event on the calendar.
“It is not all about the cup for players but being an ambassador for their community and team and I wish all the competing clubs everything of the best.
“This Super 8 tournament is undoubtedly the best tournament hosted by an amateur club over the Easter weekend.
“To start, all records regarding attendance numbers have been surpassed and the 2023 records are now a thing of the past.
“We are deeply grateful and humbled by the thousands of spectators who streamed through the gates over the past three days to witness this prestigious tournament.
“We had no incidents, which is a significant feather in the cap for the tournament.
“The fact that this tournament had sponsors from international companies again demonstrates the sound financial principles on which this tournament is based.
“We thank all eight teams that delivered top-quality rugby, but it is the spirit among the players that took this tournament to unprecedented heights.
“There is no substitute for hard work, and the feedback we received humbles us.
“We will take responsibility and address all the challenges we experienced this year, striving to make 2025 even better.”
With their Saldanha adventure over, Gardens will now turn their attention to defending their EPRU Grand Challenge title when the tournament kicks off in May.
HeraldLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.