The Valke kicked off their 2026 Currie Cup
campaign with an emphatic 49-28 victory over Eastern Province at Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park on Saturday.
The East Randers laid the foundation in the first half, tearing into the Eastern Province defence with four rapid-fire tries. Zeilinga Strydom opened the account in the sixth minute already, followed quickly by scores from Godfrey Muzanargwo and Abulele Ndabambi.
EP hit back through Christiaan Potgieter and Buhle Nojekwa, but a late strike by Marco Fuhri for the Valke, along four successful conversions from Sergio Stalmeester, ensured a commanding 28-14 lead at the interval.
The second half saw no respite as Ilunga Mukendi crossed the whitewash immediately after the resumption for the hosts. EP fought back gallantly with a try from Siya Nzuzo and a late self-converted effort by replacement Maxwell Klaasen.
However, their discipline cost them late in the game, resulting in yellow cards for Christiaan Potgieter and Jay-Dee Jooste. The Valke capitalised, adding further tries through Mosolwa Mafuma and Zingisa April to comfortably seal the bonus-point win.
Scores:
Valke 49 (28), Eastern Province 28 (14)
- Valke – Tries: Zeilinga Strydom, Godfrey Muzanargwo, Abulele Ndabambi, Marco Fuhri, Ilunga Mukendi, Mosolwa Mafuma, Zingisa April. Conversions: Sergio Stalmeester (5), Adrian Joubert (2).
- Eastern Province – Tries: Christiaan Potgieter, Buhle Nojekwa, Siya Nzuzo, Maxwell Klaasen. Conversions: Garth April (3), Klaasen.
