IN PHOTOS: Thrilling rugby as primary schools clash to decide Mpumalanga champions

The best primary school rugby teams from all over Mpumalanga converged at Laerskool and Hoërskool Nelspruit on June 20 and 21 for the 2025 Pumas primary schools’ play-offs. The standard of rugby was exceptionally high and bodes well for the future of the sport in the province.

The best four rugby teams in each age group in the small, medium and big schools leagues played in the semi-finals on Friday, and the 3rd/4th place play-offs and finals on Saturday.

Laerskool Nelspruit’s firsts clashed with Laerskool Bergland’s in the feature match on Saturday – the Pumas big schools’ final. Bergland defeated Laerskool JJ van der Merwe in the semifinal on Friday, while the Nellies beat Middelburg Primary School.

Bergland scored first in the final, but the Nellies hit back with vigour to claim a 38-5 victory and the title of the Pumas big schools’ first teams’ champions.

In the U10 big schools’ semis on Friday, Laerskool Nelspruit claimed a hard-fought win against Laerskool Middelburg, and Laerskool JJ van der Merwe defeated Bergland. The Nellie Leeutjies’ hard work on the training field paid off in the final and they claimed a 15-0 win over JJ van der Merwe.

In the U9 big schools’ final Laerskool Nelspruit and Laerskool JJ van der Merwe faced each other on Saturday. In the semis on Friday, the Nellie Welpies defeated Laerskool Middelburg, and JJ van der Merwe won against Nelspruit Primary.

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The Nellies’ U9 team are one to keep an eye on as the progress up the age groups. They played scintillating rugby and beat JJ van der Merwe 22-0 to be crowned the champs.

In the medium schools’ first teams’ semi-final Curro Nelspruit won against Laerskool Secunda, and Standerton defeated Laerskool Onverwacht. Standerton then went on to beat Curro Nelspruit 42-22 in the final the following day.

Komatipoort Akademie had a strong rugby season and had three teams in the small schools’ finals.

Komati faced Laerskool Trichardt in the first teams’ final on Saturday. The previous day Komati defeated Laerskool Balmoral, and Trichardt won against Laerskool Sabie. The teams played to a 12-12 draw and shared the title of Mpumalanga champions.

Komatipoort Akademie’s U11s booked a spot in the final with a win over Trichardt. They would face Curro Secunda who beat Laerskool Sabie. Trichardt took the title with a score of 17-0.

The Komati U9 team also qualified for the final after seeing off Trichardt. Their opponents would also be Curro Secunda, who defeated Sabie in the semis. Trichardt won the final match 25-5.

> Photos: Mark Kinnear