Eagle Stars continue to shine bright

RUGBY NEWS – Sedgefield Eagle Stars again proved to be the shining light among local rugby teams last weekend as once more the Smutsville-based club was the only CX rugby club to win their game, overcoming Thistles at Grassy Park. Knysna United meanwhile lost against Harlequins at Loerie Park with Jaguars downed by Heidelberg at Neverland in The Crags.

We are three weeks and three games into the 2023 SWD club rugby season, and it's been somewhat of a mixed bag for our local clubs.

In Super League A, Jaguars have had a far from ideal start to the season, and one of the toughest. They faced Oudtshoorn's Bridgton in the opening fixture, followed by Evergreens the next weekend – two fixtures that few would like to start their season with.

Matters didn't get any easier in the third weekend as they had to take on 2022 Super League A runners-up Heidelberg on Saturday 1 April. They hosted Heidelberg in The Crags with the games played at Neverland, their home field. The home side had an ideal start to the game, taking a 17-5 lead at half-time. But, a determined Heidelberg C outfit fought back hard in the second half to win 29-22.

The second team match was also a tough encounter, but Heidelberg were able to keep their hosts at arm's length for the bulk of the clash. A late surge from Jaguars B gave the home supporters some hope towards the end of the game, but Heidelberg held on for a 19-10 victory. In what was to be the toughest game of the day, Jaguars held their own in the first half, with Heidelberg only leading 10-3 at half-time. A dominant second half from the visitors saw them run away with it though, winding up 31-17 winners.

In First Division A, Knysna United had a promising start to the season, beating Thistles first up before losing to Albertinia Rangers next. In their third fixture they hosted Harlequins at Loerie Park for two hard-fought matches. A particularly low-scoring encounter, the second teams' game went right down to the wire, but the visitors from Oudtshoorn ground out a 6-0 win. The first team match delivered more points, but not a favourable result for the Knysna supporters. Harlequins remained steadfast in their resolve, keeping Knysna United at bay to win 14-10.

Sedgefield Eagle Stars have had the best start to the season out of all three clubs. They took down Spring Roses first, and brushed aside Silver Stars in the second game. They were tasked with hosting Thistles at Grassy Park in Smutsville for their third game. Despite there being three missed conversions, Eagle Stars' second team emerged 22-10 victors, setting the tone for the home fans.

With the hope of emulating their colleagues' success, the first team repeated the second team's performance by also beating their opponents 22-10 to keep their 100% winning streak intact.

Jaguars player Thando Makelani (centre) goes into contact with a defender from Heidelberg, before being taken down.