Initially anticipating a crowd of 300 to 400, the event drew over 500 spectators who enjoyed watching the matches from the sidelines.
ON SATURDAY, eight teams from the Northern Cape region gathered at Rugga Inn for the much awaited Ntlo Sevens Rugby Competition, filling the Kimberley Rugby Club fields with energy and excitement.
By the end of the day, as the scorching Northern Cape sun finally dipped behind the horizon, the very closely contested final saw Kimberlites emerging victorious over Safari Rangers with a narrow 29-18 win, and walking away with the winner’s cheque of R5,000.
It has to be said that both teams displayed incredible skill and determination during the final even though the teams had several tough games under their belts already.
Earlier in the day, Hartswater I and II, Christiana I and II, Kimberlites, Black Warriors, Universal RFC, and Safari Rangers had pitched up to battle it out for the prize money and the bragging rights, and the teams’ intense competition and the players’ all-out effort had the spectators on the edge of their seats.
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Following a day of intense competition, four teams eventually made it to the quarter-finals. The first match-up saw Safari Rangers go head-to-head with Black Warriors. It was Safari Rangers that dominated the game, leaving the Black Warriors scoreless with a final score of 47-0.
In the second game, Tigers took on the Rooikatte from Christiana. Although the Rooikatte entered the game with high hopes, the Tigers proved too strong, defeating the Christiana team 35-5 thereby ending their run in the tournament.
The third quarter-final match-up of the day was between Universals and Kimberlites. Despite putting up a good fight, Universals were unable to overcome the sheer strength of the Kimberlites team, ultimately going down 35-14.
The action continued into the afternoon, with the spectators soaking up the hot Northern Cape sun and enjoying the social atmosphere of the tournament.
In the last game of the quarter-finals, Hartswater I took on Hartswater II in what turned out to be a tough game, with both teams displaying incredible grit and determination, but it was Hartswater II that ultimately emerged victorious with a hard-fought 21-5 win.
It was then down to the semi-finals, where Kimberlites faced Hartswater II. The Kimberley team’s good run continued and being too strong for their opponents, they dominated the game from start to finish, winning 29-12.
The second semi-final saw Safari Rangers destroy Tigers 40-7.
And it was after the semis and under the floodlights that Kimberlites sent Safari Rangers packing.
Looking back at Saturday’s action and judging by the turnout and crowd interaction, the Ntlo Sevens was a huge success with some great rugby on display.
The eight teams that took part showed incredible skill and determination for club rugby sides, making it a highly competitive tournament. In fact, the event MC, Chad Mpisi, described the tournament as a resounding success, praising the exciting rugby and the unexpectedly large turnout.
Initially anticipating a crowd of 300 to 400, the event drew over 500 spectators who enjoyed watching the matches from the sidelines. Mpisi also lauded the tournament for showcasing the impressive local talent in the Northern Cape, with several standout players on display.
He expressed gratitude to the event sponsors, particularly highlighting the significant contribution of Christo Snyman from Ntlo Signs, acknowledging that the tournament would not have been possible without their support.
According to Snyman, the sponsor of the Sevens tournament and owner of Ntlo Signs, the event was a huge success, as evidenced by the amazing publicity they received. Snyman also mentioned that the spectators who came out to enjoy the rugby made the event extraordinary.
Furthermore, Snyman expressed his commitment to sponsor the event again next year, and he promised that it would be even more impressive, with bigger and better features than this year’s edition, meaning that Kimberley residents can already pencil in a Sevens tournament in their calendars for around this time next year.
Congratulations went out to the Kimberlites team for being crowned the champions of the tournament, and everyone must be looking forward to next year’s tournament to see them defend their crown.
