Border Ladies will not be relegated regardless of the outcome of their Women’s Super League match against Free State Women at Police Park on Saturday (1pm).
This was confirmed by SA Rugby’s communications officer for women’s rugby-related affairs, JJ Harmse. Harmse said, after consultation with the rugby parent body’s operations team, there will be no promotion-relegation procedures this season.
SA Rugby rebranded its women’s competition earlier this year.
There was uncertainty among the Border rugby fraternity over whether the lowest-placed team would be dropped from the top flight.
In the past, the team holding the wooden spoon in the top flight would be involved in a promotion play-off against the winners of the second tier.
“No team will be relegated from the top division this season,” said Harmse.
I’m giving this team two years. They are building a new culture and playing the rugby we know them from again
— Onke Dubase
It has been a dismal season for Border, both on and off the field. They are winless in the league heading into the final round this weekend and their head coach Bongani Nogilana resigned in the penultimate matches.
Since then, Onke Dubase has taken on interim coaching duties to oversee the league.
“I helped out with the team. Border rugby is in my blood. I couldn’t sit and watch. I offered my services,” he said.
Dubase, who has made more than 100 appearances for the Bulldogs, also acts as a defense advisor for the Border senior men’s team and is also a mentor for club team East London Police. He was optimistic despite the situation in which six-time league winners Border Ladies find themselves.
“In rugby there are phases where you win it all, and there are also phases where the results don’t go to the team. Border encountered something similar in early 2010 and they recovered from that difficult period as they went from there to the finals season.”
“I’ll give this team two years. They will build a new culture and get back to playing the game of rugby we know them from,” he said.
The Free State has its own problems and has only won one match this season. Like Border, Free State suffered a defeat in their last match. They went to the Bulls Daisies in Bloemfontein where the visitors defeated them 52-9.
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Anathi Wulushe
www.dailydispatch.co.za