EP’s Kwaru shine at inaugural club champs

The inaugural Betway Women’s Club Championships (WCC) got under way at Alberton Rugby Club in Gauteng on Monday, signalling a historic day for the women’s game in SA.

The weeklong event, which is taking place on the back of the Springbok Women’s emergence as a world force at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarterfinals, is another significant boost for women’s rugby development.

Eastern Province side Kwaru made light work of Mqanduli Sharks, emerging 39-0 winners in a seven-try rout to kick off the afternoon’s four Premier League matches.

In contrast, Pretoria’s Harlequins were pushed all the way by Durban University of Technology (DUT), running out 26-19 victors in a seven-try thriller that went right down to the wire.

In the day’s seventh and penultimate match, one of the title favourites, Walker Bay, the four-time defending Boland champions, beat Collegians Valkyries 24-8 in an arm-wrestle that had everything — including a spring highveld thunderstorm.

When Van der Stel-Evergreens and Pirates finally got the all-clear to return to the field, it was the home side who struck first through a try on the half-hour mark by flanker Sinalo Honono.

Pirates looked to have the measure of their Cape Winelands opponents, but a breakaway try from right wing Alichia Arries 10 minutes later levelled matters, leaving flyhalf Donelle Snyders to slice through for the winning score three minutes from time.

In the historic first-ever match in an official women’s national club championship tournament on Monday morning, Sol Plaatjie University edged out wild cards Raiders 24-17 after leading 10-5 at halftime.

In the other three First Division fixtures of the day, Titans beat Welkom 34-7, Embalenhle edged the University of Limpopo 20-15 and Potch Dorp overwhelmed Kempton Park 87-0.

The groundbreaking, eight-match day finally came to a close almost 12 hours later, with Van der Stel-Evergreens edging hosts Pirates 10-5 after a long lightning-enforced delay eight minutes into the feature game.

The Betway WCC features 16 women’s club teams — one from each of the 15 provincial unions, together with wild cards Raiders — playing three days of rugby in a format similar to that of the FNB Craven Week.

The teams have been split into two divisions of eight, based on their respective provinces’ participation in the Women’s Premier & First Divisions.

Women’s Club Championships day one results:

First Division

Sol Plaatje 24 (10) Raiders 17 (5)

Titans 34 (29), Welkom 7 (0)

Embalenhle 20 (10), University of Limpopo 15 (5)

Potch Dorp 87 (47), Kempton Park 0

Premier Division

Mqanduli Sharks 0, Kwaru 39 (10)

Harlequins 26 (12), DUT 19 (7)

Walker Bay 24 (17), Collegians Valkyries 8 (3)

Van der Stel Evergreens 10 (0), Pirates 5 (5)

• Results from day one at the U20 Women’s Week at Queens High School in Johannesburg on Monday: 

Valke 35 (21) Northern Invitational 7 (0)

Limpopo Blue Bulls 31 (14) Pumas 5 (0)

SWD Eagirls 10 (10), Griquas 15 (0)

Western Province 38 (28), KZN 5 (0)

Golden Lions 24 (12), Free State 7 (0)

Border 51 (19), Boland 19 (7)

Blue Bulls 31 (21), Eastern Province 7 (0). — SA Rugby Communications