The inaugural Betway Women’s Club Championships (WCC) got underway at Alberton Rugby Club in Gauteng on Monday, signalling a historic day for the women’s game in South Africa.
The week-long event, which is taking place on the back of the Springbok Women’s emergence as a world force at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals, is another significant boost for women’s rugby development.
In the historic first-ever match in an official women’s national club championship tournament, Sol Plaatjie University edged out wildcards Raiders 24-17 after leading 10-5 at half-time. The groundbreaking, eight-match day finally came to a close almost 12 hours later, with Van der Stel-Evergreens edging hosts Pirates 10-5 after a long, lightning-enforced delay eight minutes into the feature game.
The Betway WCC features 16 women’s club teams – one from each of the 15 provincial unions, together with wildcards, the Raiders, playing three days of rugby in a format similar to that of the FNB Craven Week.
The teams have been split into two divisions of eight, based on their respective provinces’ participation in the Women’s Premier & First Divisions.
The honour of scoring the first points in this pioneering tournament went to Sol Plaatjie’s fly-half, Juanine Jacobs, who dived over for a try after six minutes.
Centre Jenna van Nel doubled the Kimberley side’s lead five minutes later with a second touchdown, before the Raiders stormed back to level the scores after half an hour, thanks to tries from left wing Amanda Basheila and Khanyisile Ntai.
Sol Plaatjie hit back just before the break with their third try, courtesy of fullback Donishea Cloete, converted by Jacobs, before scrumhalf Charlize Jacobs crossed for her team’s fourth try after 52 minutes, once again converted by Jacobs.
Raiders’ scrumhalf Masego Sejamoholo scored a consolation try in injury time to cut the deficit to just seven points, but it was Sol Plaatjie who were full value for their historic win.
In the day’s other three First Division fixtures, Titans beat Welkom 34-7, Embalenhle edged the University of Limpopo 20-15, and Potch Dorp overwhelmed Kempton Park 87-0.
Kwaru made light work of Mqanduli Sharks, emerging 39-0 winners in a seven-try rout to kick off the afternoon’s four Premier League matches.
In contrast, Pretoria’s Harlequins were pushed all the way by Durban University of Technology (DUT), running out 26-19 victors in a seven-try thriller that went right down to the wire.
In the day’s seventh and penultimate match, one of the title favourites, Walker Bay, the four-time defending Boland champions, beat Collegians Valkyries 24-8 in an arm-wrestle that had everything – including a spring Highveld thunderstorm.
When Van der Stel-Evergreens and Pirates finally got the all-clear to return to the field, it was the home side who struck first through a try on the half-hour mark by flanker Sinalo Honono.
Pirates looked to have the measure of their Cape Winelands opponents, but a breakaway try from right wing Alichia Arries 10 minutes later levelled matters, leaving flyhalf Donelle Snyders to slice through for the winning score three minutes from time.
“This is what community rugby is all about, people out in their hundreds on a Monday to watch women’s club rugby. This would have been unthinkable even a year ago, and that is a measure of how far we have come in a very short space of time,” said SA Rugby CEO, Rian Oberholzer.
SA Rugby General Manager: Participation & Development, Ian Schwartz, echoed Oberholzer’s thoughts, adding that the Betway Women’s Club Championship was specifically designed to provide proper opportunities for players in their home provinces, and to reflect the true depth of development across South Africa.
“This first day was a great success, and while the results are naturally important, it’s all about building a sustainable pipeline for women’s rugby,” he said. “The event is firmly aimed at elevating the domestic women’s rugby further and developing the women’s game nationally at the grassroots level.”
The Betway WCC, like the Pick n Pay Gold Cup for men, excludes FNB Varsity Cup teams, but this year has allowed the participation of teams from three tertiary institutions that did not participate in the Varsity Cup: DUT (Sharks), Sol Plaatje (Griquas) and the University of Limpopo.
Betway Women’s Club Championship – Day 1 Results