SOUTH AFRICA RUGBY LEAGUE SPREADS INTO NORTHWEST PROVINCE

21 Aug 2014

South Africa Rugby League has announced the formation of two new clubs to play in the North West province and compete in the Protea Cup; Pretoria East Rabbitohs and  Stilfontein Hurricanes.

The Rabbitohs boast several SA Rhino internationals and have experienced coaches and management in Tjaart van der Walt, Jonothan Soares and Deon Kraemer. The club will play from their home base in Potchefstroom. Long thought of as a potential hotbed for new rugby league talent and a neighbouring mining town, Stilfontein’s Hurricanes has access to a strong university and agriculture college.

“We are focussing on sustainable club development, linked to regional tertiary institutions,” said Kobus Botha, President of SARL, who was also full of praise for Jan Prinsloo (a previous vice-president of SARL) for his tireless efforts to get the Northwest Province up and running. Botha continued: “All of this forms part of the expansion plans for rugby league in South Africa and the Hurricanes and Rabbitohs will join the newly formed Bethal Broncos in the Protea Cup Challenge. We are planning on a few more clubs to strengthen the region and will keep working away.”