Imbokodo crowned queens of Knysna

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KNYSNA RUGBY NEWS - Knysna was abuzz with rugby action on 28 and 29 September with the 2019 TWRA Knysna 7s Tournament at Loerie Park, where the Springbok Women 7s team eventually came out trumps on Sunday.

The tournament welcomed teams in four sections, with U13 boys and girls, U18 girls, and senior women's teams all taking part.

The U13 boys' division was contested between Sunridge and Rheenendal primary schools, with Sunridge crowned the victors. The U13 girls' clash was between Sunridge and Hornlee primary schools, with Hornlee winning here.

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In the U18 girls' section, Titans Women's Rugby Academy (TWRA) had two teams competing against teams from Humansdorp and Tuks Youth Rugby. The senior women's section was by far the most exciting, as it featured the SWD EaGirls Invitational 7s, TWRA Seniors, EP Queens 7s, and, of course, the two international teams – Botswana Women's 7s and our very own Springbok Women's 7s team, Imbokodo.

The first day of play served up plenty action, with the first-ever international rugby match played at Loerie Park coming when Imbokodo and Botswana locked horns. While the match might not be recognised as an official test, it is still a big milestone for the rugby community in Knysna. At the end of day 1, TWRA 1 lay top in the U18 division with Humansdorp second, TWRA 2 third, and Tuks fourth. In the senior women's section, Imbokodo finished top after day 1, with Botswana second, EP Queens third, and TWRA fourth.

Day 2 action kicked off on 29 September with a match between TWRA and Imbokodo, with Knysna star Mathrin Simmers returning home in the Springbok jersey, playing against the club she cofounded 14 years ago. Semifinals would follow on after this, with TWRA 1 and Humansdorp advancing to the U18 final thanks to respective wins over Tuks and TWRA 2.

Imbokodo and Botswana progressed to the final of the senior women's section with wins over EP Queens and TWRA respectively. The third-place playoff in the U18 section followed, with Tuks earning their first victory of the weekend, downing TWRA 2 29-0 to earn bronze, while Humansdorp upset hosts TWRA 1 in the final 24-12 to be crowned winners of the 2019 TWRA Knysna 7s U18 girls' section.

Once the youth section was finished, the bronze final/plate final of the senior women's section kicked off between former SA Women 7s Champions EP Queens and TWRA, with EP finishing third by beating the hosts 35-0. In the gold final, Imbokodo locked horns with Botswana in a bid to be crowned queens of the Knysna 7s, with all other sides uniting in support of their national side as they lined up against their African neighbours.

Imbokodo dominated the final the same way they did the rest of the weekend, managing to beat Botswana 31-0, and in so doing completing the perfect weekend that saw them not concede a single point in any of their matches.

Rozaan Etsebeth tackles Laurenchia Barnard while Faith Ndlovu arrives in support.