Following two action-packed days of sevens rugby at Pirates Rugby Club, the Varsity 7s star players were honoured for their efforts.
Odwa Nkunjana claimed the player of the tournament award at last month’s USSA 7s tournament in Margate (when UJ finished runners-up to UP-Tuks) and he repeated the feat with the FNB-sponsored award at Varsity 7s.
Nkunjana was neither UJ’s captain (Divan Henning), nor top try- or points-scorer (Shaun Williams), but without their number 10 the Orange Army aren’t the same force. The 23-year-old was a key playmaker throughout the tournament at Pirates Rugby Club, scoring a try in the opener against UCT and then against Madibaz in the semi-final. Apart from that, the fourth year Transportation Management student was cleverly used as a strike runner as UJ claimed their second title in three years.
>>> Meanwhile, UWC’s Roshaan Adams claimed the Steers Kinging Award as the tournament’s top try scorer. The 24-year-old B.Ed student dotted down seven times as UWC finished seventh.
LEADING TRY-SCORERS
7 – Roshaan Adams (UWC)
6 – Skinny Buthelezi (UCT)
5 – Dewald Naudé (UP-Tuks), Shaun Williams (UJ), Joao Cristovam, Reuben du Plooy (both NWU)
>>> The MTN Pulse Try of the Tournament award went to Michael Visser (21). The Maties speedster – and B.Agric Wine Science student – scored the decisive try against UWC in 24-22 group stage win and then against NWU and UP-Tuks in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.
By Carlo Jonkerman
