Jonsson College Rovers win era-ending SARU Club Championship title
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Jonsson College Rovers players celebrate winning the 2012 SARU National Club Championship title following their 23-10 victory over Pretoria Police in the Cup final played at Rustenburg Impala Rugby Club on Friday.
Kobus de Kock scored a try and kicked a 58-metre penalty late in the game as Jonsson College Rovers claimed the 2012 SARU National Club Championship title with a 23-10 victory over Pretoria Police in the final, played at the Rustenburg Impala Rugby Club on Friday.
The KwaZulu-Natal champions, who in the process recorded their 79th victory in 83 matches dating back four seasons, now earn the right to host the opening match of the inaugural SARU Community Cup, which replaces the Club Championships, in Durban on 16 February 2013.
It was Rovers’ fourth final in the past seven years and their second title, having beaten Maties in Stellenbosch to win the 2010 event.
“We are absolutely elated and I can’t say enough about my team-mates,” said College Rovers captain Chris Micklewood. “We’re a band of brothers and the Rovers spirit pulled us through in the end. Police are a great side and we have nothing but respect for them and what they’ve done here this week.”
The 24-year-old De Kock was named Backline Player of the Tournament for his efforts during the week-long tournament, which also included a match-winning cameo performance against Despatch in Monday’s quarter-finals when Rovers were at one stage just five minutes away from being bundled out of the tournament by the 1985 and 1988 national champions.
De Kock’s teammate and eighthman Lubabalo Mtembu won the Forward of the Tournament accolade, while there was consolation for Pretoria Police when their evergreen skipper Nico Luus was deservedly named Player of the Tournament, having led his side through to their first Club Championship final since 1996.
And in the Plate final, Bloemfontein Police shocked their more fancied Griffons rivals Welkom Rovers 17-15 to take the title. It was a case of sweet revenge for the Bloem Bobbies, who had lost three times to Rovers during the season but who rose to the occasion with three touchdowns, including the match-winning try of the tournament to replacement wing Johannes Nguvulo.
The game also provided a fitting and emotional sendoff for 42-year-old Bobbies tighthead prop Jaco Rademeyer, who was playing his final match after a Club Champs career which had started 22 years earlier, in 1990.
“I simply don’t have words to describe this,” said an emotional Rademeyer, whose son, Marco, represented Free State at last year’s Coca-Cola Under-13 Craven Week. “I’ll never ever forget it.”
Day 4 results (Fri 21 Sep):
Plate final
Bloemfontein Police 17 – Tries: Pieter Ludwick, Albert Hertzog, Johannes Nguvulo. Conversion: Andre du Plessis.
Eagle Towing Welkom Rovers 15 – Tries: Johnnie Fourie, Cobus Aucamp. Conversion: Ricardo Santos. Penalty: Santos.
Cup final
Jonsson College Rovers 23 – Tries: Kobus de Kock, Andrew Borgen. Conversions: Jors Dannhauser (2). Penalties: Dannhauser (2), De Kock.
Pretoria Police 10 – Try: Heinrich Rademeyer. Conversion: Dillon Laubscher. Penalty: Laubscher.
Day 3 results (Wed 19 Sep):
Cup semi-finals
Jonsson College Rovers 72 Broubart Old Selbornians 10
Newrak Rustenburg Impala 25 Pretoria Police 35
Plate semi-finals
BB Truck Noordelikes 7 Bloemfontein Police 27
Naka Bulls 24 Eagle Towing Welkom Rovers 35
Day 2 results (Mon 17 Sep):
Cup quarter-finals
Broubart Old Selbornians 28 Brakpan 26
Jonsson College Rovers 41 Despatch 30
Durbanville-Bellville 25 Pretoria Police 36
Newrak Rustenburg Impala 31 Roodepoort 19
Plate quarter-finals
Naka Bulls 25 Villagers Worcester 23
Blanco 22 Eagle Towing Welkom Rovers 37
BB Truck Noordelikes 38 Witrivier 30
Bloemfontein Police 22 Kumba Iron Ore Sishen 17
Day 1 results (Sat 15 Sep):
Roodepoort 26 Naka Bulls 12
Jonsson College Rovers 61 BB Truck Noordelikes 0
Bloemfontein Police 33 Broubart Old Selbornians 43
Durbanville-Bellville 53 Blanco 20
Pretoria Police 43 Eagle Towing Welkom Rovers 12
Kumba Iron Ore Sishen 0 Brakpan 28
White River 10 Despatch 72
Newrak Rustenburg Impala 53 Villagers Worcester 21
National Club Championship winners 1975-2011:
2012 Jonsson College Rovers 23 Pretoria Police 10
2011 Pukke 19 UJ 14
2010 Jonsson College Rovers 24 Maties 15
2009 Hamilton 36 Pukke 34
2008 Pukke 17 College Rovers 12
2007 Maties 24 Tukkies 8
2006 Pukke 33 College Rovers 21
2005 Maties 24 UJ 13
2004 Pukke 41 TUT 10
2003 Tukkies 46 Pukke 25
2002 Shimlas 34 Pukke 26
2001 Pirates 37 Tygerberg 13
2000 Maties 54 Tukkies 37
1999 Shimlas 45 Welkom Rovers 9
1998 Maties 28 RAU 10
1997 Maties 30 RAU 15
1996 Pretoria Police 70 Old Greys 29
1995 Pretoria Police 26 Durban Crusaders 12
1994 Durban Crusaders 34 Oud-Studente 3
1993 Durban Crusaders 8 Despatch 3
1992 RAU 40 Harlequins 22
1991 Old Greys 36 Despatch 6
1990 Tukkies 22 Despatch 20
1989 Roodepoort 29 Goudstad Onderwyskollege 22
1988 Despatch 13 Tukkies 12
1987 Defence (WP) 26 Despatch 8
1986 Shimlas 14 Tukkies 6
1985 Despatch 28 Tukkies 6
1984 Maties 16 Tukkies 15
1983 Harlequins 29 Tukkies 12
1982 Maties 25 RAU 6
1981 Maties 32 Pretoria Police 9
1980 Villager 14 Maties 3
1979 Maties 27 Tukkies 11
1978 Maties 15 Tukkies 9
1977 Maties 12 Harlequins 10
1976 Tukkies 19 Maties 0
1975 Maties 28 Durban Collegians 20
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