Latest news with #BolandCavaliers
IOL News
a day ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Boland Cavaliers finally adding sweet dessert to club rugby's bread and butter
Boland Cavaliers players celebrate their dramatic win over the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup Image: Backpagepix Club rugby is more than just a casual pastime in the Boland. In these parts it's more like a religion, and Saturdays are when supporters fill their spiritual cups. Club rugby is the heart and soul of many communities, with people playing organised rugby from Wellington in the Winelands to Saldanha on the West Coast; to Grabouw in the Overberg to Van Rhynsdorp close to the Northern Cape border. Boland boast around 220 clubs and about 24,000 registered players, by far the most of any other union in the country. All of this culminates at the end of the season into the Boland Top 12, which is a fiercely contested competition, with the best of the best competing to be the union's top team. Those games, especially the semi-finals and finals at Boland Stadium, are normally packed to the rafters with supporters coming to support their teams from far and wide. However, the massive support hasn't always spilled over to the Boland Cavaliers provincial team, who before last Sunday's Currie Cup opener against the Cheetahs had plaed in an enpty stadium for the longest time. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'The club rugby is big and well-supported, the bread and butter for all of these towns. The clubs are better supported than Boland and we would like to change that and get them behind us in the Currie Cup,' coach Hawies Fourie told Independent Media following their return to the Premier Division of the Currie Cup. But Fourie's wish came true on Sunday when the supporters rocked up on a perfect Winelands winter's day to support the team on their return to the Currie Cup. Boland capped off a spectacular day's rugby with a try eight minutes after the hooter had gone to beat Frans Steyn's Cheetahs. Club rugby rivals in the stands embraced as their provincial side announced their arrival back into top-flight rugby with a bang. For the union, being in the Currie Cup is just a stepping stone to something great after South Africa's richest men Johann Rupert and Patrice Motsepe purchased the professional arm in an equality deal. The goal is franchise rugby and competing in competitions such as the United Rugby Championship sooner rather than later. The Boland region is a gold mine for rugby talent if you look at the amount of players the schools and clubs produce. But many of those players are normally snapped up by other unions who can offer money and a path to the Springboks by playing in the big competitions. But Boland's ambitions to grow and put high-performance plans in place to keep the cream of the crop at home - with the help of Rupert and Motsepe's money - could see them become a proper rugby superpower. Donovan Don gets it over in the corner 😤🔥 What a win for the Boland Cavaliers in front of their home crowd 🏉#CarlingCurrieCup | #SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 27, 2025 Such a pipeline from club rugby to the very top will help players who normally fall through the cracks that chance to reach their dreams and inspire those around them in their communities. It's something that Fourie is very passionate about. 'The purpose of this team (Boland) is to inspire our community. It is really important for us to show the people in the Boland that we can compete at a high level and inspire the young kids to play rugby and make a living from it,' Fourie said after the Cheetahs win. 'We need to give back to the community, and the way that we played and the character that we showed in the last six to seven minutes of the game will inspire a lot of people. 'We would just like to thank everyone who took the time on a Sunday afternoon to come and support us here in Wellington, we appreciate it.' Club rugby remains the bread and butter of the Boland region, but supporters can now look forward to the Cavaliers as the sweet dessert that brings the whole rugby meal together.
The South African
3 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Don strikes late as Boland sink Cheetahs in 88-minute Currie Cup thriller
Donavan Don scored in the dying moments to hand the Boland Cavaliers a dramatic 37-35 win over the Cheetahs in Wellington. Boland dominated early proceedings, smashing into contact and putting pressure on the Cheetahs at scrum time and the breakdown. Fullback James Tedder slotted two penalties to reward Boland's pressure and maintain the scoreboard pressure against an unsettled Cheetahs side. Ashlon Davids finished a flowing move to score the opening try, with Tedder's conversion pushing Boland into a 13–0 lead. The Cheetahs were punished for sloppy restarts and lineout errors as Boland enjoyed almost complete control in the first quarter. Hooker Marko Janse van Rensburg pounced on an overthrow to grab Free State's first try and shift momentum toward the visitors. Scrumhalf Rewan Kruger darted through a gap to score and give the Cheetahs a 14–13 lead midway through the half. David Brits hit back almost immediately for Boland after poor Cheetahs defence allowed him space out wide to dive over. Gideon van der Merwe was yellow-carded, and Boland capitalised as Davids raced away to score his second of the match. The hosts led 27–14 at half-time, having bounced back from a mini wobble with sharp counter-attacking play and clinical finishing. Despite Boland's strong finish to the half, the Cheetahs showed signs they still had more to offer after the break. Replacement Carel-Jan Coetzee finished a solid phase buildup to get the Cheetahs going early in the second half. Van der Merwe made amends with a powerful try from close range, before Vernon Paulo rumbled over to make it 35–27. Boland's energy dipped noticeably as the visitors took control of possession, territory and tempo midway through the second period. The Cheetahs looked set for victory before Paulo's late yellow card shifted momentum at the worst possible moment. Marcqiewn Titus scored on the stroke of full-time, giving Boland a shot at a miracle comeback win in added time. Boland retained the restart and launched wave after wave of attacks against a desperate Cheetahs defence in added time. Cheetahs tackled bravely but couldn't clear their lines or force a turnover during nearly eight minutes of extra time. Eventually, Donavon Don found space and sprinted clear to score the match-winning try and spark wild celebrations in Wellington. It was a moment of composure, precision and pace as Don read the defence perfectly and finished under heavy pressure. Boland next face Griquas in Kimberley, while the Cheetahs regroup at home ahead of a clash with the Pumas. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Cornal Hendricks remains in the back Boland minds ahead of Currie Cup journey
FILE - Boland coach Hawies Fourie says they are ready for the new season. Image: Boland Rugby The Boland Cavaliers have been through a lot over the last few months following the shock passing of Springboks back Cornal Hendricks right before the business end of the SA Cup. Hendricks died a couple of days before their SA Cup semi-final against the Pumas. Boland played that match with a lot of heart, but just couldn't pick themselves up emotionally to get the job done after such terrible news. But the real job was essentially done a couple of weeks before that when they beat Eastern Province to qualify for the Currie Cup Premier Division for the first time in almost a decade. Despite not playing anymore because of health concerns, Hendricks was still a big part of the team who brought top-flight rugby back to Wellington. It's something his coach Hawies Fourie doesn't take for granted as they take their first steps back into the Currie Cup's top division later this month. 'Cornal is always in the back of our minds. Sometimes at training or in the meetings I still look for his face, and I get that shock that he is not with us anymore,' Fourie told Independent Media. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'But his legacy will live on. He had a great impact on Boland rugby and someone to look up to and someone who the players can aspire to.' Fourie has been busy over the last seven weeks, as Boland basically has a second pre-season to prepare for the Currie Cup. Their first preseason started almost a year ago as they prepared for the SA Cup. Now there has been a two-month break between the competitions, which means they almost had to start from scratch. 'Luckily this pre-season wasn't as long as it was for the SA Cup. We started preparing for that in August last year. That was seven months, while this one is just six to seven weeks,' Fourie said. 'We have some games in between to get some minutes before the Currie Cup starts. It was a good pre-season, but we struggled a bit with flu, because every now and then we had five or six guys out that couldn't train.' Boland also bolstered their side ahead of the Currie Cup, with centre David Brits, utility back Juan Mostert, hooker Llewellyn Claassen, prop Laurence Victor, rookie wing Renaldo Young, Blitzbok Donovan Don and veteran scrumhalf Louis Schreuder. Schreuder is back where his rugby started, after stints with the Stormers and overseas clubs such as Bath. @bolandrugbyunion Stage is set. Preparations are underway. Dig your heels in, for the return of the Sanlam Boland Cavaliers to the prestigious Carling Black Label Currie Cup Premier Division. ♬ original sound - bolandrugbyunion
IOL News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
The spirit of Cornal Hendricks must help Boland as Cavaliers try to lift themselves for Pumas
FILE - Boland and their players have been through a lot over the last couple of days following the passing of Cornal Hendricks. The team now face the Pumas in a SA Cup semi-final on Friday night. It's been a rollercoaster week of emotions for the Boland Cavaliers, going from the great high of qualifying for the Premier Division of the Currie Cup to the crushing low of Cornal Hendricks' shock passing. Boland beat Eastern Province last Saturday to get back into the top tier of the Currie Cup for the first time in nine years. But the team was rocked by the untimely death of one of the union's icons on Wednesday night. Hendricks moved back to Boland after leaving the Bulls in September last year. He had five wonderful years in Pretoria after a period out of the game because of a rare heart condition. His homecoming back to Wellington to play for the team where it all started for him in 2008 was seen as a bit of a fairytale ending to a career that hit a major speedbump in 2015. The Currie Cup qualification was seen as a fitting way for him to add even more gloss to an already disguised career, even though he hadn't featured for the team since March.
