The Sharks, Leopards, Griquas and Eastern Province racked up the highest scores on the first day in the competition, which is a joint initiative between the SA Rugby Legends Association and SA Rugby. The teams will take the field in the second round on Tuesday, and will have Wednesday off to recover before Thursday’s closing round.
The Leopards were in fine form against their neighbours, the Griffons, registering an emphatic 49-17 victory, while the Sharks delivered an equally rewarding performance against Free State for a 41-10 win, with both winning sides running in an impressive seven tries.
Eastern Province – who took top honours in the competition last season – again made a strong statement as they touched down five times to cruise to a 31-12 victory against the Valke, while the Pumas also produced a dominant display against the Blue Bulls, scoring four tries for their 29-12 victory.
There were also a few tight clashes, with Boland scoring two tries to one by and Border for a narrow 15-7 victory, while Western Province outscored SWD three tries to two for their 17-13 victory.
A hat-trick by Griquas centre Renier Ferreira, meanwhile, steered his team to a 42-33 win against Golden Lions in a match in which a thrilling 11 tries were scored.
The action will continue on Tuesday, with the Sharks facing SWD and the Blue Bulls meeting Border in the opening matches.
Iqhawe Week Day 1 results (Monday, 23 September):
Pumas 29-12 Blue Bulls
Griffons 17-49 Leopards
Golden Lions 33-42 Griquas
Boland 15-7 Border
Western Province 17-13 SWD
Sharks 41-10 Free State
Eastern Province 31-12 Valke
Iqhawe Week Day 2 fixtures (Tuesday, 24 September):
10h00: Sharks v SWD (A Field)
10h00: Blue Bulls v Border (B Field)
11h00: Boland v Leopards (A Field)
11h00: Valke v Free State (B Field)
12h00: Western Province v Griquas (A Field)
12h00: Golden Lions v Griffons (B Field)
13h00: Eastern Province v Pumas (A Field)
