UniMil’s comeback stuns university rivals
Union-Milnerton Rugby Club (UniMil) potentially orchestrated one of the most significant upsets in the Western Province Club Rugby Super League A campaign with a thrilling victory over Stellenbosch University, in Milnerton, this past weekend.
The atmosphere at Theo Marais sports complex on Saturday evening was electrified by the vibrant rugby culture in the area. A gust of celebratory noise swept through the crowd, fuelled by Milnerton High School's exhilarating victory over rivals Bellville High School earlier in the day, with a scoreline of 29-28. This contagious winning spirit spread to the local club members who were present to support the school earlier, adding to the palpable excitement.
After suffering a 30-23 defeat at home against Tygerberg Rugby Club last weekend, UniMil faced a daunting task against an arguably stronger opponent, Maties.
Head coach at the club and former Junior Rugby World Cup winner with the Baby Boks, Isma-eel Dollie, said the previous week had been a tough one for the Milnerton outfit, with injuries and setbacks affecting their performance. However, this week marked a remarkable turnaround as they squared off against one of South Africa's top university teams.
From the outset, it was clear that UniMil wasn't about to let adversity hold them back. Their players displayed a remarkable combination of determination and skill, putting up a fierce fight against the students.
With a bonus point secured early in the second half, UniMil’s captain, Leon Carstens and vice captain, Cheslyn Roberts rallied the team to maintain their momentum. Despite the students’ relentless pressure, which included two tries in the closing minutes, it was a little too late for the comeback. UniMil edged a historic 38-35 victory.
“By the 80th minute we were off our feet. It looked like a war zone with our bodies littered all over the field when the final whistle went. No jumping for joy, just pure exhaustion and extreme fatigue,” said coach Dollie.
Throughout the match, standout performances were plentiful. Tiaan Shonken's unstoppable runs, Kyle Kermis's strategic leadership at flyhalf, Ryan Muller's powerful bursts, and Duncan Saal's impressive gains all played pivotal roles in Milnerton's triumph.
“It’s not every day you beat Maties. Let’s just put some context to this. Maties is an established university having won the most Varsity Cups of all the universities in South Africa. They have a wealth of resources and players (amateur and professional) at their disposal. And this was their Varsity Cup side which is as professional as they come. Hence this win is so special,” said Dollie.
“The odds were stacked against us before our guys even took the field. We are talking about working class men with family, kids and a day job that trains on a Tuesday and Thursday night up against semi professional young, conditioned students. Our guys were not going to let someone else write their script! We had other ideas,” he said.
The significance of the win was not lost on the team, especially considering they had previously defeated the same opponents on the same date two years prior. It seemed as though fate was smiling upon them once again.
“The stars were aligned, April 27 2022 was the exact date that we beat them on the very same ground. It felt absolutely surreal. An omen. April 27 will never be the same again and it’s now my favourite day of the year (after the day I got married),” said Dollie.
Beyond their victory on the field, UniMil’s success speaks to the growing rugby culture within their community.
“The rugby culture within the Milnerton area has really picked up in both schools and our club over the past few years. The club has been very supportive of Milnerton High School, after their heroics lately, having beaten established rugby school institutions (Bishops and Rondebosch). Our presence at their games is important for the link to be made between club and school,” said Dollie.
As they celebrate this hard-earned win, Union-Milnerton Rugby Club knows that their journey is far from over. With an upcoming match against the newly-promoted Cape Peninsula University of Technology on Wednesday, May 1, they remain focused and determined to continue their winning streak against a new challenger.
