The Bloemfontein Crusaders Rugby Club, based in Heidedal, emerged victorious over their lackluster opposition, the Mangaung Rugby Club, in a fixture that formed part of the first Lucas Matobako Games tournament. The Crusaders demolished their opponents 28 – 7 to claim bragging rights of the rugby clash at the final match played at the Mangaung Outdoor Sport Centre in Bloemfontein on Saturday (18/03).
The victorious side proved they are in a different league altogether when it comes to club rugby in the city. They dominated the match throughout with the Mangaung side unable to recover from the onslaught. Ultimately, the Mangaung team had to yield to the stronger team and admitted defeat.
The winning team converted all tries while Mangaung’s consolidation try came late in the one-sided final of the tournament.
The multi-coded games featured at the Lucas Matobako Games included netball, volleyball, basketball, rugby and football. The games featured club participation from Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, and Thaba Nchu.
The Metro Sport Confederation staged the games to honour Matobako while still alive, for his contribution to promoting sport in the Mangaung region.
His contribution as administrator to transforming football and organising different sporting codes spans as far back as the 1980s. He initially served as a match referee in football and contributed to the formation of the Bloemfontein Sport Council, which later became the Mangaung Sport Council.
Matobako was instrumental in reviving and strengthening the Free State Sports Confederation. He served as the president of the body from 2016 until 2021 when he resigned. Shuping Seboko was then elected as his successor.
Matobako also served as secretary to the Bloemfontein Young Tigers, chairperson of the Football Association of Bloemfontein (FAB), secretary general of the South African Football Association (Safa) of the southern Free State during the tenure of Obakeng Molatedi, and also during the era of the late Steven Lebeko as president.
Matobako currently serves as the president of the Safa Mangaung Metro.
The category winners were the following clubs:
- Volleyball Bloemfontein clubs
1. Badnews VC;
2. 76ers VC; and
3. Mighty Spikers.
- Basketball girls U18
1. Lethal Dragons; and
2. Lereko Sportif (Bloemfontein).
- Basketball boys U18
1. Mangaung Knights (Bloemfontein); and
2. Lethal Dragons (Bloemfontein).
- Netball positions
1. Bloemfontein;
2. Botshabelo; and
3. Dewetsdorp.
