West Rand Ringball clubs battle in first fixture of the season
Warriors, Noordheuwel, Greenhills and Fochville engage in friendly fire
Grace, skill, poise and precision flooded the Warriors Ringball Club on Saturday, 29 February. The ringball clubs of the West Rand gathered for the first fixture of the season to get an early taste of what the year has in store.
While rain interrupted the day’s main events, there was still plenty of fierce competition on court. First on the card was Noordheuwel Women’s A against the hosts’ Women’s B2 team, while Warriors B1 played Fochville B. Noordheuwel ran their opponents ragged and excellent shooting from the forward trio of Yvette Axsel, Ronelle Jacobs and Khaly de Beer saw them cruise to a 26–10 win. Meanwhile, Fochville B’s iron defence earned them a 10–0 win.
Next up were the men as Greenhills A played Warriors Seals, and Noordheuwel A challenged Warriors Bats. Players moved the ball up and down the court with incredible speed and accuracy in these end-to-end battles. Collisions are inevitable when playing at such a frenetic pace, but the respect and discipline were impeccable. After the 60 minutes of back and forth, Noordheuwel overcame the Bats 46–38 and the home team’s Seals defeated Greenhills 68–38.
Rain made the courts too slippery to continue the games that followed, but the camaraderie would not be dampened. Chairperson of the Greenhills Ringball Club was happy with the spirit saying, “It’s a family sport. That’s what we enjoy most about it. There are sons, daughters, mothers and fathers, and there is a great community atmosphere here.”
Quinton Oliver of Noordheuwel Ringball Club echoed this, saying, “We all enjoyed being here today. We had some good results and I am sure we can get better. We are really looking to grow the game, so we encourage people to join.”
The season continues as each club hosts their friendly rivals in these communal sports, days before uniting as a district to take on the rest of Johannesburg.+
