The 2022/23 season is on its final leg, and in Vygieskraal, Hamediehs’ remarkable journey in the Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) is about to take another exhilarating turn.
Around this time last year, they were celebrating their promotion to the Super League C (SLC), setting their sights on being competitive and making a mark in their new division. That competitive drive and hard work would propel them even further up the rugby ladder.
The Vygieskraal-based outfit has defied expectations, and against all odds, they are celebrating once again, this time for earning promotion to the Super League B (SLB) after defeating Macassar 20-13 at the weekend.
The club spent a single season in the SLC and finished the round-robin rounds in third place, winning 11 of their 14 games, and finishing with 57 points.
“We are extremely grateful for achieving promotion to Super League B,” says club chairman Ashraf Joseph.
“A special acknowledgment and prayer goes out to those members who have contributed their wealth and time to the club since its inception in 1896. They have laid the foundation for us to prosper today.”
Joseph says the recipe for the club’s success is their value system which consists of perseverance, honesty, obedience, generosity and forgiveness.
“These values were used in crucial decision-making for the club, removing doubt and guiding us towards the best way forward.
“It is definitely the blessings from above, and the sum of all parts that has made it possible for us to achieve promotion for two consecutive years,” said Joseph.
The club’s fairytale run has captured the hearts of fans and players alike, and taking on the big guns in the Super League A (SLA) may be starting to feel like a genuine dream.
But they can be forgiven for not thinking that far ahead as the season is not yet over, with the final games being played this coming weekend.
Hamediehs will look to cap off a brilliant campaign by lifting the SLC trophy, which they will compete for against another promoted side Van der Stel at City Park.
The game between number one and three on the log is sure to produce brilliant rugby despite the two sides having both secured their promotion.
Interestingly, it was the same two sides that won promotion a year ago, with Hamediehs finishing first and Van der Stel second in last year’s SLC.
With the promotion to the higher division, the level of competition gets even harder but you don’t win back-to-back promotions by chance – it’s the hard work that will surely guide them towards being competitive against SLB heavyweights.
“We don’t know what the future holds. However, if we stick to the blueprint of our values, further blessings are on the way,” said Joseph.
