Brave Impala rugby team goes down fighting

Rustenburg – A spirited second half effort by the Newark Impala rugby team was not enough to avoid a 30-22 defeat at the hands of a well drilled East Rand United (ERU) side in a SuperSport Rugby Challenge match played in Rustenburg on Sunday 18 May. 

Playing in front of their home crowd, the 2019 Gold Cup champions found the going tough as they attempted to overturn the tables after ERU surged to a 20-0 lead in the first half.

The game was played with a fast pace and high tempo by the visitors, who took firm control in the first half to lay a solid foundation for victory. 

However, ERU came under pressure in the second half when Impala’s wingers Itu Mpete and Dumi Matyeshana, Gerald Gibson as well as reserve scrumhalf Stefan Kruger all scored during Impala’s brave comeback attempt. 

ERU managed to ward off the onslaught to secure a well-deserved win. 

It was Impala’s second and third teams that gave their supporters something to smile about by defeating their ERU opponents 36-34 and 21-12 respectively.