Hat-trick victory for Pro-Ed
Schools rugby
PSG Pro-Ed Academy earned the bragging rights by clinching a 13-8 victory over neighbours PSG Walvis Bay Private School in a Standard Bank NSSR U19 premier league match at Naartjie Park in Walvis Bay yesterday.It was a game of contrasting halves,. The home team opened the scoreboard with a penalty by flyhalf Adriaan Boonzaaier, soon followed by a try from outside centre Josh Visagie.
Just before halftime, Pro-Ed added three points with a penalty from fly-half Maughan Jarman. At halftime, the Naartjies led 8-3.
However, Pro-Ed decided they would not go down without a fight and retaliated with an equalising try by Jarman and the winning try by prop Devon Burger. Both tries went unconverted.
Tayton Saunders, captain of Pro-Ed, said this is their third win in three years at Naartjie Park. “The first half did not go as planned, but we pulled through. In the second half, the boys showed heart and managed to win the game.”
Pro-Ed’s goal remains to reach the U19 Super League final. “That’s still the goal, and we are well on our way,” he said.
Just before the match, head coach for Pro-Ed Academy, Thys Saunders, mentioned that they are not quite placed where they want to be in the league.
“But, we have done the necessary work. It now depends on us to determine where we want to end up in our last three remaining matches. If we can play like we did against Windhoek Gymnasium and Windhoek Affies, we should make it to the semi-final, and that’s where we want to be.”
For the home team, it is also a bittersweet moment as the school said goodbye to Henry Kemp, the head of department for sports. Although he will no longer hold the position, he will still help coach the team until the end of the season.
Morné Rust, the Naartjies head coach, said he cannot express enough gratitude toward Kemp.
“We are all, from the players to the students, infinitely grateful for his contributions; he has made a big difference in the lives of many boys, and we wish him only the best with his future plans,” Rust added.
In a quick chat, Henry Kemp stated, “I will definitely miss the learners and the sport. I look forward to the next chapter in my life, and I am confident there are capable people to take sports at WBPS forward. I know the school will reach even higher heights.”