Union wins trophy again

FOR the second year running Union Rugby Club from Wemmerpan in the South won the floating trophy for the winner of the annual derby against A-Square Forklifts Alberton Rugby Club.

Union outplayed Alberton by 27-17, after leading 10-3 at half time in a tough encounter at the Alberton Stadium.

Both clubs have a proud history with Alberton established in March 1912 and Union in 1950. In 1999 a merger took place between the two clubs, and Alberton-Union reached the Pirates-Grand Challenge final. A sport trivia fact is that Kevin de Klerk played his first club rugby for Union, later Diggers, and was a Springbok at Alberton where he eventually played 3 tests, the record for an Alberton player in the Springbok jersey.

The week after the derby, A-Square Forklifts Alberton faced Wits University at Milner Park, but went down by 13-63, where Wits scored eight tries against Alberton’s one by prop Wikus Coetzer. Outside centre Ryno Brits converted the try and added a penalty. Fly-half Kenneth du Plessis succeeded with a drop goal.

Both the Alberton u.21, with a victory of 29-24, and u.19, with a runaway score of 34-5, were on the winning side. The seconds, however, were beaten 0-52 by Wits.

Revised remaining fixtures for June are: June 21 Alberton vs Diggers away, and Union vs Roodepoort at Union. June 28: Alberton vs Randfontein at home (to replace the UJ fixture which was played on June 7) and Union vs Rustenburg Impalas away.