This weekend we are all invited to the biggest girls’ night out in the province where the trendsetting Bulls Daisies will host a Women’s Day celebration, rugby style. The SA Rugby Women’s Premier Division defending champions will be chasing a successive league crown when they host the final of the 2024 edition of the competition at Loftus Versfeld.

Their matchup against DHL Western Province will be a rematch of last season’s final, setting up a tantalising clash between two clubs who will leave nothing to chance on the day. Lusanda Dumke and the herd are calling on all women of all walks of life to turn up at the fortress for their 19h15 kick-off and celebrate women’s rugby excellence, in unity.

Tickets to the Saturday clash start from R50.00c and are available only from Ticketpro

CELEBRATING WOMEN WHO DEFY EXPECTATIONS

The Daisies invite includes free entry into the match for all women. A continuation of celebrating #WomenWhoDefyExpectations, a campaign the team launched earlier in the month to acknowledge trendsetters across all sporting codes as well as to spotlight those who have and continue to lay the foundation in women’s high performance.

“We wanted to celebrate women’s day in style, spotlighting some of our peers who have and continue to do amazing things in their respective spaces and that is how the #WomenWhoDefyExpectations came to life,” says team captain, Lusanda Dumke.

Dumke adds: “It is our opportunity to celebrate others who have and continue to lay the foundation in professionalising women’s sports across the board. It is also an opportunity to inspire other girls to continue to graft hard and put in the hard work because one day, the dream will become a reality,”

“I hope that we will have as many women as possible, turning up to celebrate Women’s Day with us on Saturday; whether they support us or Province. Ofcourse, I hope they will support us but the most important is women coming together to celebrate one another. So, I am calling on all ladies to turn come to Loftus on Saturday” the Springbok forward concludes.

STAT ATTACK

The Daisies enter the finals with great confidence having put aside a physical and counter-attacking Border side in the semi-finals. However, things look different for Hayden Groepes’ outfit heading into this weekend, facing an opposition who registered their single loss of the season earlier in the campaign.

The two finalists finished 1 and 2 respectively, separated by just nine tries. The Daisies boast a formidable 116 tries as part of their 744 points tally for the season while their visitors have amassed more than 500 points against opposing sides.

“We know they will be up for it and they will throw the kitchen sink if they must because they know how to win. They got that well-earned victory earlier in the season and that is probably a good reference point for them ahead of the weekend,” says Groepes.

“We are also using the lessons of that outing for our own benefit and we all have this huge desire to complete our team goal that we set for ourselves at the beginning of this season, and that is to see our ladies continue to excel and overcome oppositions who stand in their way. Saturday will be special, for everyone.”

MORE RUGBY

Before the Daisies begin their title defence charge, their counterparts the Vodacom Bulls will take on the NovaVit Griffons in round six of the 2024 Carling Currie at 17h00. The Tshwane-based men will be looking to retain their unbeaten record in the campaign to cement a spot in the competition’s playoffs.

With five rounds completed, Phiwe Nomlomo’s chargers have remained aloft of the table with 21 points, three ahead of second, third and fourth-placed Toyota Cheetahs (defending champions), Fidelity ADT Lions and the Airlink Pumas who are all tied on 18 points.