Union High School, Graaff-Reinet’s 𝟭𝗦𝗧 𝗫𝗩 traveled to Oudtshoorn over the Easter weekend to participate in the Langenhoven Gimnasium Sports Festival.
𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺, Langenhoven Gimnasium, the boys faced an early challenge as the hosts secured the first points with a try, leading 7-0.
However, Union quickly responded with a try from 𝗬𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗮 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗮, leveling the score. Union then took the lead with two penalty kicks, bringing the score to 13-7.
𝗞𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗴 further extended the lead with another try, making it 18-7. Unfortunately, a lapse in concentration allowed Langenhoven Gimnasium to narrow the gap to 18-14. 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗶’s try ensured that Union went into halftime with a comfortable 23-14 lead.
𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧, 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴. 𝘜𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 31-23.
Union’s second game was against Brighton Secondary School, also from Oudtshoorn.
Brighton struck first, scoring a try and taking a 5-0 lead. A well-executed line-out and maul set the stage for Union’s first try, scored by 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗔𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗱.
Brighton then capitalized on defensive lapses from Union, regaining the lead at 12-7. 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗾𝘂𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲 made his mark by scoring a try, which, along with a conversion by 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝘂𝗸𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗲 𝗱𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗿, put Union ahead 14-12. A penalty try pushed the score to 21-12 in favour of Union at halftime.
However, the second half mirrored earlier struggles, as costly mistakes, including a red and yellow card, allowed Brighton back into the game. They narrowed Union’s lead to 21-19 before 𝗘𝗹𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘆𝗲𝗿 scored again, bringing the tally to 28.
𝘜𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 29-28.