KNYSNA NEWS - Four SWD touch rugby teams representing schools in the greater Knysna district and from across the Garden Route competed at the recent Junior National Touch Rugby Tournament in Johannesburg.
Hosted by the South African Touch Rugby Association, the tournament brought together junior teams from across the country, with 60 players representing the SWD region.
Reavan Uithaler, assistant coach of the SWD U15 boys, said it was a privilege for the region to have four teams competing at national level.
"It's an even bigger privilege to see senior touch rugby players now becoming coaches of the SWD teams," he said.
U17 boys deliver strong performance
The SWD U17 boys produced the strongest performance of the four teams. After an unbeaten run in the pool stages, they finished second in their pool to qualify for the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
They lost to the Western Cape Islanders in the semi-final before going down to Western Province Touch in the bronze-medal match, finishing fourth overall.
It was a significant achievement for the SWD, with this being the region's first-ever U17 squad at the national tournament.
Mixed results
The U19 boys also enjoyed a successful campaign. They lost their quarter-final against Gauteng Touch, but bounced back to beat the Western Cape Islanders in the fifth-place play-off. "This was a milestone for SWD, as it was the first time we have beaten them since we started competing at the nationals," said Uithaler.
The U15 boys finished their campaign on a high, winning their final match to secure ninth place overall.
The U19 girls, meanwhile, endured a challenging tournament, losing all their matches and finishing last. However, Uithaler said the experience would be valuable for the young team, which finished with its narrowest defeat, 5-0, in its final match.
Support and growth
Off the field, the SWD teams received important support from Knysna Municipality, which sponsored their playing gear and transport to and from Johannesburg.
"We are proud and grateful to say that Knysna Municipality has been our association's biggest supporter over the last couple of years," said Uithaler.
"We also had the privilege of having municipal representative Shahida Sigula with us."
He said the tournament demonstrated the growth of touch rugby in the region and highlighted the potential of the sport to provide young players with an alternative to contact rugby. "Overall, the SWD had a successful tournament, showcasing our undeniable growth," he said.
Looking ahead
"We're looking to become the biggest touch rugby association in the country, allowing our region more alternative opportunities than just contact rugby, while laying a foundation of fitness and skill development for those who do play contact rugby."
The SWD teams were coached by Cheswayne Simons (U15 boys head coach), Uithaler (U15 boys assistant coach), Nico Jafta (U17 boys head coach), Peter Miller (U19 girls head coach) and Ronaldino Hunter (U19 boys head coach).
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