The University of Johannesburg (UJ) Rugby 7s teams showcased their prowess at the recent two-day University Sport South Africa (USSA) tournament in Stellenbosch, with both the men’s and women’s teams reaching the finals before ultimately finishing in second place.
The UJ Women’s team had an exceptional run, asserting their dominance from the start. They began their campaign with a convincing 48-5 victory over Tshwane University of Technology, followed by an even more impressive 51-7 win against Wits. They capped off their first day with a hard-fought 17-5 victory against the University of the Western Cape (UWC), earning their place in the cup quarterfinals.
On Day Two, their winning streak continued. They breezed past the University of the Free State (UFS) with a resounding 33-0 win, and then secured a spot in the final by defeating the University of Fort Hare (UFH) 26-17. Despite their stellar performance throughout the tournament, they fell just short of the title in the final match, taking home the silver medal.
The UJ Men’s team also had a strong showing, displaying skill and resilience on the field. They kicked off the tournament with two commanding victories on Day One, first shutting out the UFH 33-0, and then defeating Cape Peninsula University of Technology 31-0. Their only loss of the day came against UWC, with a final score of 12-22. This performance was enough to advance them to the cup quarterfinals against Stadio.
Day Two saw the UJ men rebound fiercely. They secured their semifinal spot with a dominant 19-0 win over Stadio, followed by a tough 26-17 victory against Walter Sisulu University in the semis. Like their female counterparts, the men’s team made it all the way to the final but couldn’t clinch the gold, earning a well-deserved second-place finish.
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