Northern region launch exciting Super League
According to BBRU CEO Dr Eugene Hare, the TW Profile Super League will kick-off on March 14, with the finals to be played on June 20. The Trophy Competition will kick-off on March 21 and finals will be played on August 15.
Northern region rugby unions recently launched the TW Profile Super League and Trophy competitions at the back of last year’s successful Volcano competitions.
They are cross-border competitions between the premier clubs of the Blue Bulls, Valke and the Leopards. Tuks are the defending Super League and Carlton champions, while QBR won an exciting u-20 competition last year.
According to Blue Bulls Rugby Union (BBRU) president Willem Strauss, the professional clubs at the Bulls will be playing an ever bigger role in the High Performance Programme of the BB Co. because of the reduction of contracts.
Last season, no less than 80 players from the TW Profile Super leagues represented provincial u-20, u-19 and Supersport Challenge teams.
Ethan Wentzel (Centurion) played for the SA u-19 team, Hencus van Wyk (ABE Midas Naka Bulle) represented the British Barbarians, Fred Eksteen (Tuks) played for the Blue Bulls Currie Cup team and Ignatius Prinsloo and Christopher Hollis (both from ABE Midas Naka Bulle) represented the EP Kings in the Pro 14 Competition.
“Club rugby in Pretoria has become relevant again,” said Strauss at the launch, which was held at Loftus.
“It is also important for us to grow rugby in the communities. The BBRU will assist the Pretoria and Limpopo clubs financially in 2020.
“TW Profile and Joost Smuts, in particular, have always been great supporters of club rugby in the Northern region of South Africa and we are immensely grateful for them joining and supporting our club communities once again.”
The clubs participating in the TW Profile Super League are University of Pretoria (Tuks), ABE Midas Naka Bulle, QBR, Centurion, Northam, Brakpan and East Rand United.
The clubs participating in the TW Profile Trophy Competition are Vereeniging, Klerksdorp, Impala, Benoni, Boksburg, Pretoria, Tuine, TUT, Dragons, Correctional Services, NWU Vaal and Springs.
In the TW Profile u-20 leagues, no less than 16 teams will be competing.
In a new initiative this year, the President Club Challenge will kick-off on March 21 at Loftus Versfeld when the four top non-tertiary clubs of the Blue Bulls will play against their Lions counterparts. In the main match of the day, the Blue Bulls first rank team, ABE Midas Naka Bulle, will face Wanderers from the Lions.
The growth of club rugby, the amount of resources invested into clubs by individuals and the new initiatives and leagues are contributing to a new golden era for club rugby in the Blue Bulls region.
