Ermelo hosts provincial rugby league tournament

The AJ Swanepoel Stadium came alive on Saturday when Tuffshield hosted a provincial rugby league tournament that produced exciting, fast-moving rugby and a try-fest to please the most discerning rugby fanatic.

The main game between the Tuffshield Mpumalanga Panthers and the Northern Bulls X111 was a closely contested affair with the Panthers eventually running out the winners with 34 -24.

The Bulls took an early lead and were ahead on the scoreboard at the break, but the Panthers came back strongly in the last quarter to clinch the game to the delight of the local spectators.

The Panthers team was bolstered by nine Ermelo Tomahawks players, who certainly stood their own and made an impact on the game. The Tomahawks players were Tiaan Rosslee, Arrie Pretorius, Kobus Basson, Henkie Jacobs, Jaco Oosthuizen, AJ van Uyssen, Wentzel Sonnekus, Marius Herbst and Deo Botha. Tiaan Rosslee was voted Man of the Match.

A curtain-raiser between the North West Warthogs and the Bisons produced a runaway victory for the Warthogs who trounced the Bisons by 62 – 0.

The main curtain-raiser between the SARL Presidents Invitational team and the Eastern Eagles produced a similar result with the Presidents Invitational team also winning by 62 -0.

The games were preceded by a rugby clinic and goal-kicking competition for primary school players at which the finer points of rugby were shown to the youngsters.

The gleaming motorbikes of the Harley Davidson Chapter Big Five Nelspruit chapter were also on display and added lustre to the event.

The organisers wish to thank the sponsors, Tuffshield, GWM, Big Five, GTSI, West Street Guest House and the Highvelder, for their support.