Bulletin

Union High School’s rugby teams took to the field against Gill College on Saturday, 26 July.

From the u/14s to the 1st XV, our players showed great determination, with 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 the u/16s (17-12), 2nd XV (24-14) and 1st team (34-24). While the u/14s (14–26) and u/15s (8–12) faced defeat, the matches were closely contested.

𝘈 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘎𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺.

1st XV Match Report
The game started slowly for Union, as the boys took some time to find their rhythm. Once they settled, they began applying pressure on the Gill defense, earning an early penalty inside kicking range. Opting not to go for the posts, Union instead pushed forward and were rewarded when Issy Ahmed crashed over the line from a maul to open the scoring. The conversion was unsuccessful, but Union had drawn first blood, 5–0.

Gill had an opportunity to respond with a penalty of their own but failed to convert. Union struck again shortly after, this time through a moment of brilliance from flyhalf Similo Mvandaba, whose pinpoint cross-kick found Liso Booi on the wing. Booi dotted down in the corner to extend Union’s lead to 10–0.

Gill fought back, gaining momentum through a midfield break which saw them enter Union’s half. Their pressure paid off with a try from a 5m lineout, narrowing the gap to 10–5. But Union responded swiftly. After a lineout, Elvandre Meyer broke through the defensive line to score under the poles. The try was converted, restoring a 12-point cushion at 17–5.

However, Gill weren’t done yet. A well-timed intercept on Union’s 10m line led to another try, bringing them back into the game at 17–12. Just before halftime, Gill capitalised on a lapse in discipline and struck again, leveling the scores at 17–17 going into the break.

Union came out firing in the second half. They regained the lead early on through a well-taken penalty, making it 20–17. The momentum continued as loosehead prop Athi Mahlati bulldozed over for a crucial try, taking the score to 27–17.

Substitute Shaakir Kazi made an immediate impact off the bench with sharp spatial awareness. His accurate cross-kick found Siba Mbutye, who finished beautifully to push Union further ahead at 34–17.

Injuries and moments of ill-discipline disrupted Union’s flow, allowing Gill to mount a late surge with a well-earned try, closing the gap to 34–24. Despite the pressure, Union held firm in the dying minutes to secure a well-deserved win.

Final Score: Union High School 34 – 24 Gill College