UPDATE – Diamantveld are the 2024 Wesgrow Champions!
The 2024 edition of the Wesgrow Sentrale Skole Sportreeks is ready to get going with an interesting match that pits Diamantveld of Kimberley against Voortrekker of Bethlehem on what’s expected to be a blazing hot day in the Diamond City.
The Trekkers’ season did not get off to the start they had hoped for as they had to come from behind to earn a 17-all draw against a resilient HTS Louis Botha of Bloemfontein at the President Steyn Sportdag. HTS’s conversion rate of possession to visits to the 22 to tries was excellent. Their rugby had been on the decline for a while now but this passionate display and the result they got out of it was like winding the clock back a decade to a time when they were one of the best 1st XV’s in the entire Free State.
Voortrekker approached the match as a trial and started with a handful of second choice players. Once they brought on replacements in the second half, the potential of the team and ability to penetrate was clearly evident. However that said there is a ton of work ahead this week to improve cohesion and line-out work.
The Diamantveld offseason has been dominated by conversions surrounding the arrival of two top coaches from Boland Landbou and with it suspected greater emphasis on rugby development in their system.
New Diamonds head coach Vlos Molnar helped BL record their best season in a decade in the most competitive local league in the country and had this to say about his new school 1st XV and big game ahead:
It’s an exciting week for us, kicking off the start of the season!
We worked very hard in pre-season. The boys put in a huge effort to buy into our team culture and better themselves for this upcoming season!
The first game of a season is always exciting and we are looking forward to it, especially at home in front of our home spectators. We would like to put up a great show for them!
| WESGROW SSS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat.02Mar | GRQ | Diamantveld | 18-06 | Voortrekker (Beth) | GRF | |
| Tue.12Mar | FS | Jim Fouche | 24-24 | Witteberg | GRF | |
| Tue.12Mar | GRF | Goudveld | 22-19 | Fichardtpark | FS | |
| Sat.16Mar | GRF | Goudveld | 28-14 | Jim Fouche | FS | |
| Sat.16Mar | GRF | Witteberg | 51-08 | Sentraal | FS | |
| Sat.16Mar | GRF | Trio | 27-29 | Diamantveld | GRQ | |
| Sat.16Mar | GRF | Voortrekker (Beth) | 33-10 | Fichardtpark | FS | |
| Sat.06Apr | FS | Fichardtpark | 24-15 | Jim Fouche | FS | |
| Sat.06Apr | GRF | Trio | 15-38 | Voortrekker (Beth) | GRF | |
| Sat.20Apr | FS | Fichardtpark | 27-07 | Sentraal | FS | |
| Sat.20Apr | GRF | Witteberg | 17-20 | Trio | GRF | |
| Sat.20Apr | GRQ | Diamantveld | 38-15 | Jim Fouche | FS | |
| Sat.27Apr | GRF | Goudveld | 05-21 | Trio | GRF | |
| Sat.27Apr | GRQ | Diamantveld | 41-12 | Fichardtpark | FS | |
| Sat.11May | FS | Sentraal | 12-32 | Jim Fouche | FS | |
| Sat.11May | GRF | Witteberg | 52-00 | Goudveld | GRF | |
| Sat.18May | GRF | Voortrekker (Beth) | 23-25 | Witteberg | GRF | |
| Sat.25May | FS | Jim Fouche | 22-17 | Burgersdorp | EP | |
| Sat.13Jul | FS | Fichardtpark | 14-37 | Witteberg | GRF | |
| Sat.13Jul | FS | Jim Fouche | 26-28 | Trio | GRF | |
| Sat.13Jul | FS | Sentraal | 12-59 | Voortrekker (Beth) | GRF | |
| Sat.13Jul | GRQ | Diamantveld | 45-07 | Goudveld | GRF | |
| Sat.20Jul | FS | Sentraal | 12-34 | Goudveld | GRF | |
| Sat.20Jul | FS | Fichardtpark | 28-25 | Trio | GRF | |
| Sat.20Jul | GRF | Voortrekker (Beth) | 53-26 | Jim Fouche | FS | |
| Sat.20Jul | GRF | Witteberg | 26-36 | Diamantveld | GRQ | |
Good day for Diamantveld. They won an exciting match 15-6.
Trekkers were so much better than last weekend. They just couldn’t get their dangerous players into the best try scoring positions.
For the Diamonds Simon Liversage (SA Colts cricketer) and Kyle Taute looked like good players. The young lock also value for money as a lineout jumper