Both the DHL Western Province girls U18 and U16 teams went unbeaten in the SA Rugby Girls U16 and U18 Weeks, which were held at Jeppe High School in Johannesburg.
DHL Western Province’s victory in the grand finale of the U18 Week against Eastern Province not only ensured that they were the only unbeaten team in the competition, it reaffirmed their status as the top team in their age group as they also took the honours last season.
The clash was gripping as the Capetonians powered their way to a 21-0 halftime lead before having to fight for the win. DHL Western Province made good use of their speedy backs to touch down three times in the first half, but Eastern Province fought back strongly to close the gap on scoreboard to 28-24 in the dying minutes as they maintained their composure on attack. The Cape side, however, remained calm until the final whistle, which allowed them to seal the four-point victory.
In the U16 week, DHL Western Province girls U16 continued their winning ways by outplaying Border 47-0 thanks to an impressive performance which saw them cruise to the tryline nine times, while they shut out their Eastern Cape counterparts completely. Inam Mbeki and Chenice Cornelius were instrumental in their exciting attack with five tries being scored between them.
Western Province U16B went down 34-17 against Border CD in their final match, but showed impressive resolve in a worthy performance. The Capetonians tried hard to force their way back into the match in the second half, but their efforts were not enough as Border CD maintained their rhythm on attack to win.
Throughout the week, DHL WP’s players received Player of The Match accolades in almost every game. Nikita Bosch of De Kuilen High (DHL WP U16A vs KZN), Amy Erasmus of Bernadino Heights High (DHL WP U16A vs Blue Bulls), Kyle-Lee Hendricks of Gordon High (DHL WP U18 vs Blue Bulls), Camelitha Malone of Scottsdene High (DHL WP U16B vs Border CD), Anelisa Ndamase of Masiyile High (DHL WP U16A vs Border) and finally, Anelisiwe Mxabo of Iqhayiya High (DHL WP U18 vs EP). Amy Erasmus was crowned U16 Forward Player of the Tournament and Gaamiela Josephs was crowned the U18 Backline Player of the Tournament.
