On 29 November, OK Foods in Mamre hosted their annual Sevens rugby tournament. This year’s tournament consisted of 20 teams from various locations competing for the prestigious trophy.
Thousands of spectators gathered together to enjoy a full day of fast-paced rugby action, food from local vendors, as well as performances by JCM dance crew and a cheerleading squad. The tournament, now in its fourth year, is a celebration of rugby and community pride. “Rugby is rooted in the identity of our town. The Hamlets pride runs deep in our community so this event is an opportunity for people to see the talent that we have here, for people to experience the community’s love for rugby and for the players to showcase their talent,” says Stephanie Kraak, one of the event organisers.
The tournament kicked off with a tightly contested group stage followed by a knockout round of 16. The quarter-finals saw Connect NTK defeat Hamiltons Rugby Club 19-24. Watsonia defeated Young Hearts RFC 17-7, while Mamre A came up short in the quarter-finals following a 10-12 loss against St George’s RFC. The final match in the quarter-final stage saw Hamlets B defeat Wesbank Rugby Club 21-5. The first semi-final match was a clash between Watsonia and Connect NTK. Watsonia came out on top, beating Connect NTK 19-5, with tries scored by Nathan Cyster, Bradley Robertson and Lynsay Hendricks. Cardorel Mafouna managed to pull one back for Connect NTK, but all efforts were in vain. The second semi-final was a tightly contested battle between Hamlets B and St George’s RFC. Tries scored by Claudio Van Wyk, Henry Davids and Isaac Davids helped Hamlets B secure their place in the finals following a 19-10 victory over St George’s.
The highlight of the day was the final match, a hard-fought battle between two rugby giants. Watsonia was crowned champions of this year’s Mamre OK Sevens after defeating Hamlets B 17-12 in the championship final. Tries in the match were scored by Chelsen Jacobs and Liam Okkers for Hamlets, and Bradley Robertson, Lehenco Abrahams and Nathan Cyster for Watsonia. “This win means a lot for the club. We had a bit of a slow start to the tournament but with discipline and hard work we managed to push through and win the tournament,” says Watsonia Club Chairman Abdul Cloete, following the team’s victory. Watsonia’s Bradley Robertson was named Player of the Tournament.
