IN PHOTOS: Bergvlam and Curro Nelspruit clinch Mpumalanga titles

Curro Nelspruit’s first rugby team and Hoërskool Bergvlam’s U14 and second teams recently made the Lowveld proud when they won their division of the Mpumalanga Noordvaal Schools Championship.

Division 3 of this championship is perhaps better known as the medium schools division. Other schools in the Lowveld that compete in Division 3 are Lowveld High School (LHS) and Hoërskool Barberton, with the latter represented in the finals by their U14 team, while LHS’s teams were knocked out in the semifinals.

The Division 3 finals are hosted each year by either of the two schools who have representative teams in the first team final. Seeing as last year’s Division 3 finals were played in the Highveld, this year’s finals were scheduled to be held in the Lowveld, and with Curro as the Lowveld representative in the first team final, they had hosting rights.

Curro’s first team was their only side in a final, while Bergvlam had teams in the U14, U16 and second team finals. What unfolded at Curro Nelspruit on Saturday was an incredible day of hotly contested and tight school rugby.

The participating schools showcased exactly why they are the province’s best Division 3 teams.

The U14 final was the first order of the day, and Bergvlam managed to fend off their Lowveld rivals, Hoërskool Barberton, winning the game 24-19. The second team final was next for the Vlammies, and boy, was it tight – but the boys in red and blue emerged 29-28 victors over Hoërskool Standerton. Unfortunately, they couldn’t make it three from three in the U16 final as Standerton beat Bergvlam’s U16s 20-17.

Curro Nelspruit’s time to shine came at the end of the day, also against Standerton. These two first teams could hardly be separated throughout the final, trading blow after blow in pursuit of glory. It was, however, Curro who narrowly emerged victorious with a hard-fought 21-20 win, making this the second time Curro Nelspruit’s first team has won the league.

The top three teams in the U14, U15 and U16 age groups, as well as the first team league, will now head off to the regional play-offs of the Noordvaal Schools Championship. Bergvlam’s U14s take on Hoërskool Fochville, while their U15s and first team face Hoërskool Riebeeckrand and the U16s face Hoërskool Elspark.

Curro Nelspruit’s first team will play against Hoërskool Linden and Barberton’s U14s will face Vereeniging Gimnasium. All of the matches will be played this Saturday.