Fighting spirit defines SPU’s campaign at Betway Women’s Club Championship

Kimberley’s Sol Plaatje University (SPU) women’s rugby team continue to make their province proud at the inaugural Betway Women’s Club Championships (WCC), despite a tough loss in midweek.

Fighting performance in Johannesburg

SPU displayed courage and determination in Wednesday morning’s clash against the Titans Rugby Academy from the South Western District (SWD) at the South African Rugby Union (SARU) National Women’s Club Championship in Johannesburg.

Although they went down 12-24, the team representing Griquas showed the same grit that earned them an opening-day win earlier in the week. Their fighting spirit and commitment drew praise from local supporters on social media following the team’s strong debut on Monday.

Making history on opening day

That first outing proved to be a moment of history — both for the Kimberley-based team and South African women’s rugby as a whole.

In the opening match of the first-ever official national women’s club championship tournament, Sol Plaatje edged out wildcards Raiders 24-17 after leading 10-5 at half-time. The result set the tone for a landmark day at Alberton Rugby Club in Gauteng, where the WCC officially kicked off on Monday.

The honour of scoring the tournament’s first-ever points went to Sol Plaatje flyhalf Juanine Jacobs, who crossed the line after just six minutes. Centre Jenna van Nel doubled the Kimberley side’s advantage soon after, before the Raiders struck back through Amanda Basheila and Khanyisile Ntai to level matters.

Sol Plaatje fullback Donishea Cloete scored just before the break, with Jacobs adding the conversion to restore the lead. Scrumhalf Charlize Jacobs added a fourth try in the second half, again converted by Jacobs, to seal a memorable 24-17 victory.

Raiders’ scrumhalf Masego Sejamoholo managed a late consolation try in injury time, but Sol Plaatje’s composure and teamwork ensured their place in the tournament’s early headlines.

Strong provincial representation

The Betway Women’s Club Championships feature 16 teams — one from each of South Africa’s 15 provincial unions, plus the wildcard Raiders — competing in a week-long event similar in structure to the men’s FNB Craven Week.

Teams are divided into two divisions of eight, based on their provinces’ participation in the Women’s Premier and First Divisions. The competition gives players from across the country a national platform to test themselves and showcase the depth of women’s rugby talent emerging from all regions.

Highlights from a full first day

Alongside Sol Plaatje’s opening triumph, the First Division also saw Titans beat Welkom 34-7, Embalenhle edge the University of Limpopo 20-15, and Potch Dorp produce a dominant 87-0 win over Kempton Park.

In the Premier Division, Kwaru ran in seven tries to beat Mqanduli Sharks 39-0, while Pretoria Harlequins were made to work for their 26-19 victory over Durban University of Technology (DUT) in a thrilling contest that went down to the wire.

Title favourites Walker Bay, the four-time Boland champions, began their campaign with a 24-8 win over Collegians Valkyries, a hard-fought game interrupted by a Highveld thunderstorm.

The final match of the marathon first day saw Van der Stel-Evergreens edge hosts Pirates 10-5 in a contest that stretched deep into the evening after a lightning delay.

“A measure of how far we have come”

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said the strong turnout and enthusiasm surrounding the tournament spoke volumes about the sport’s growth.

“This is what community rugby is all about – people out in their hundreds on a Monday to watch women’s club rugby. This would have been unthinkable even a year ago and that is a measure of how far we have come in a very short space of time,” said Oberholzer.

SA Rugby General Manager for Participation and Development Ian Schwartz echoed that view, emphasising that the Betway Women’s Club Championship was created to grow the game at all levels.

“This first day was a great success and while the results are naturally important, it’s all about building a sustainable pipeline for women’s rugby,” said Schwartz. “The event is firmly aimed at elevating domestic women’s rugby further and developing the women’s game nationally at grassroots level.”

Building the game from the ground up

Like the men’s Pick n Pay Gold Cup, the Betway WCC excludes FNB Varsity Cup teams but includes sides from three tertiary institutions that were not part of that competition — DUT (Sharks), Sol Plaatje (Griquas), and the University of Limpopo.

For the SPU women, their spirited performance against SWD’s Titans on Wednesday may not have brought a win, but it reinforced their growing presence in national rugby.

With more fixtures ahead, Sol Plaatje’s players have already shown that they belong on South Africa’s biggest women’s rugby stage — and that the Northern Cape can hold its own in the fast-rising world of women’s club rugby.