Countdown to new league champions begins…

With rugby fans still on ‘cloud nine’ after the Springboks made ‘mincemeat’ of the Wales team on Saturday in the final of the three-test match series, local fans are getting into gear for the league final at Vryheid Rugby Club.
Captain Chris Pretorius (no. 2), with the support of vice-captain Ntando Mbatha (no. 10), will lead the team on the field against Piet Retief on Saturday. During each friendly game, coach Jaco Maritz tested the waters by giving different players the opportunity to act as captain for that game. “There were many players who showed leadership and who could also have been chosen as captain, but at the end of the day, Chris and Ntando came through stronger when they displayed absolute commitment during practices and games. Their passion for the game is remarkable,” says the coach. Interestingly enough, when asked to act as captain during a friendly game, Chris respectfully declined, saying that he can’t even keep himself in order, so how can he keep the team intact. The opposite happened and Chris showed extraordinary leadership qualities. He received lots of support from the senior players in the team, which encouraged him to grow into his role as captain. “Ntando has always been a rugby man; he has a passion for the game. He has the utmost respect for the game and the players, and he is 100% the opposite of Chris. Ntando lives up to his name of ‘Mr Cool’ when he displays discipline and by doing that, he automatically gains everyone’s respect on the field.”

There are three games on Saturday, of which the first game kicks off at 13:00 when Newcastle’s first team plays Vryheid’s second team in a friendly encounter. At 14:15, Newcastle’s second team takes on Piet Retief’s second team in the second log of the league. The main game will start at 15:45 when Vryheid wages war against Piet Retief in the final. The winner of this match will be crowned league champions. Volksrust had the honour of being champions in 2019, but 2022 will see new champions. After two years of not being able to play at this level of rugby, this game promises to exceed all expectations…

ALSO READ: Vryheid in the running for rugby league finals

The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.

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