Rhinos battle Bulls for Charlton Cup glory

Northam – Northam Rhinos will be up against Midas Naka Bulls in what is expected to be an exciting final of the 2021 Charlton Cup to be held on Saturday 30 October.

This hugely anticipated clash, to be played at Loftus Versfeld, will also be screened live on SABC 2 from 19:00. 

Rhinos, who will be backed by thousands of rugby followers from Northam, made it to the finals by winning their semi-final match against University of Pretoria (TUKS). They hope to go a step further by lifting a very prestigious trophy in South African rugby.   

Managing that achievement – however – will not be easy. Unlike Rhinos, this is not Naka’s first final.   
The last time the Naka Bulls made it to the finals was in 2016 when the Moot’s pride lost to TUKS in the semi-finals by a 12-60 score only for the latter to be disqualified in the week of the final for transgressing the eligibility bylaws of the competition. However, Naka lost to Centurion in the final and will be very determined to go all the way this time around.

 
The Rhinos have already made history by making it to their first Charlton Cup final. And when the game begins, they will be just 80 minutes away from becoming the first ever champion of this competition from outside the Tshwane Region of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union (BBRU).

If they win, Rhinos will also enjoy the record of becoming the first opponents to beat TUKS three times in the same season and in the same competition – a statistic that will haunt the 2019 champions for quite a while.

Rhinos thoroughly deserve to be in the finals of this competition – if their victory over TUKS can be anything to go by. Their forwards laid the foundation for that win with their physical and relentless approach to the game. 

Their aggression was complimented by a formidable defensive approach with Anthony Brand, Maverick van der Merwe and Patrick Hattingh ensuring that the Rhinos backline was solid and impenetrable. 

Naka, on the other hand, powered to a 47-26 win over Betway Centurion to progress to the finals.

 

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