Elsburg reign as Kestrel League champions

The Kestrel League came to an astonishing end last Saturday when two league giants went head-to-head with the aspiration to reign as kings of the 2019 season.

Elsburg Rugby Club welcomed longtime rivals Vanderbijl Rugby Club to their home ground, Elspark Sports Complex, for a riveting game of rugby.

This was the third time the teams clashed this season.

Their first meet was early in the season, in May, when Elsburg hosted Vanderbijl and secured a 33-28 win.

Vanderbijl redeemed themselves in a home match last month when they clinched a 17-10 win against their visitors.

In this third clash and final game of the season, both teams performed to their greatest ability and displayed inexhaustible physical vitality, and after 11 years of watching the throne, Elsburg took the glory of being crowned champions of the 2019 Kestrel League.

Marinus van Vuuren was the first to score a try 15 minutes into the game, putting the home team on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, the conversion by Rudie Wessels was unsuccessful.

A relentless Vanderbijl scored a try soon after, with an unsuccessful conversion.

The visitors were awarded a penalty which they scored successfully, giving them their first lead in the game.

Elsburg’s Danie du Preez scored the second try for the home team, with a successful conversion by Wessels, bringing the score to 12-8.

Vanderbijl soon followed up by scoring a try, with an unsuccessful conversion.

The home team’s fly half, Wessels, added another three points to the scoreboard after the team was awarded a penalty.

The teams went into half-time with the score Elsburg 15, Vanderbijl 13.

In the second half, van Vuuren was once again the first player to put points on the scoreboard with his second try of the match, with a successful conversion by Wessels.

Vanderbijl then retaliated and scored a try with a successful conversion.

The game continued to heat up and Wessels kicked for three extra points when Elsburg received a penalty.

Vanderbijl scored a try with a conversion in reply.

In the last minutes of the game, with Vanderbijl in the lead, Elsburg’s Morné Badenhorst took the opportunity to score the winning try for the home team, but the conversion was unsuccessful.

The full-time score was Elsburg 30, Vanderbijl 27.

“Thank you to our sponsors, Interlock and King of Cars, for all their support and help throughout the season and thank you to our loyal supporters,” said Jolandie Konig, marketer at Elsburg Rugby Club.

“We are very proud of our team, they all played well this season and the commitment and dedication they have shown this year was impeccable.”

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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za or Kgotsofalang Mashilo (journalist) kgotsofalangm@caxton.co.za

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