• Rugby

Kudus stand tallest on tiring day of sevens

• 1 Week Ago 07 October 2024

Spectators at the Ongos Valley Rugby Sevens were treated to an exciting tournament with many unpredictable results building up to a tense finish.

Walvis Bay’s Kudus showed admirable resilience on their way to the final against United, where the teams were locked at 17-17 before a stunning winning try off the last move of the match.

Under the captaincy of Aurelio Plato and motivated by Chad Plato as coach, the Kudus team outlasted their opposition to clinch the main prize of N$50 000, while United was rewarded with N$20 000 after they had won every match except the final.

Aston Mukwiilongo proved his worth and was awarded the most valuable player prize, scoring a long-range try in the final ghosting through the United defence without ever fully stepping on the accelerator.

Another uncoverted try by Virgil Bampton off an interception put Kudus ahead 10-0 at halftime, but United forward Thehard Lintvelt paid them back for his earlier mistake with the next try.

Kudus wing Lucio Isaacs was involved in the next move finished off by Henri Rossouw, with Aurelio Plato extending the lead with the conversion (17-5). However, United’s next two tries by forwards Zander Bronkhorst and Rudi Pieters, with one conversion by Reinold Benade, suddenly brought them level at 17-17.

As time ran out, Mukwiilongo once again featured in the build-up to the winning try by forward Franco Vries, who arrived at the right time to crash between two defenders under the posts, with players from both teams laying down for a period to overcome the physically and emotional toll of a full day of sevens rugby.



Semi-finals

Yellow cards to Jayson Morkel, shortly after scoring the opening try, and forward Nicolai Januarie were influential as Wanderers failed to overcome United in a tight semi-final.

United were ahead 14-5 at halftime, but Wanderers edged a late lead of 15-14 before Timothy van Wyk scored the winning try for Reinold Benade’s men.

In semi-final 2, Mukwiilongo scored twice for Kudus as they overcame a resilient Rehoboth 19-10. The beaten semi-finalists took home N$10 000 each.



Dream team

The women’s competition was reduced to two friendly matches between Unam Steenbokkies and their challengers Wanderers and United, which the favourites both won, after these were the only entrants.

Afterwards, the names of a “team of the tournament” was read out as follows:

Men: Zander Bronkhorst (United), Pieter Daan kok (Grootfontein), Thehard Lintvelt (United), Jahno du Plessis (United), Lucio Isaacs (Kudus), Natie Janse van Rensburg (Wanderers), Hanreco van Zyl (United), Enrique Husselmann (Reho Falcon), Aurelio Plato (Kudus), Reinold Benade (United), Manfred Garoeb (Rehoboth), Irongwa Atshivudhi (Kudus), Jurgen Meyer (Wanderers), Aston Mukwiilongo (Kudus).

Honourable mentions: Richard Kasimbu (Dolphin), Geraldo Beukes (Wanderers), Cejay Coetzee and Quirione Majiedt (both Unam), Wyatt Brooks (Suburbs).

Women: Selma Paulus, Tishina Basson and Ivandre Rittmann (all United), Dimitha Wagner (Wanderers), Mandy Hansen, Klaudia Josef, Elzane-Lee Basson, Michelle Slinger, Letisha Matheus, Kayla Tjombe, Fiola Vliete, Ivone Kooper (all Unam).



Full round-robin results

Wanderers 31-7 Western Suburbs

Rehoboth 33-15 Reho Falcon

United 38-0 Dolphin

Kharas All Stars 26-19 Erongo All Stars

Unam 19-19 Grootfontein (Grootfontein scores the winning sudden-death try by Justin Pollmann)

Western Suburbs 19-12 Reho Falcon

United 21-19 Kudus

Rehoboth 33-14 Kharas All Stars

Wanderers 47-12 Erongo All Stars

Unam 38-7 Dolphin

Kudus 33-17 Grootfontein

Western Suburbs 33-5 Erongo All Stars

Wanderers 19-21 Reho Falcon

United 19-14 Grootfontein

Unam 19-28 Kudus

Rehoboth 17-14 Western Suburbs

Wanderers 29-19 Kharas All Stars

Grootfontein 17-26 Dolphin

Reho Falcon 31-12 Erongo All Stars

United 19-19 Unam (United scores the winning sudden death try by Rudi Pieters)

Wanderers 19-34 Rehoboth

Western Suburbs 19-10 Kharas All Stars

Kudus 38-12 Dolphin

Rehoboth 24-17 Erongo All Stars

Reho Falcon 17-24 Kharas All Stars