WFR News
SEMI FINAL MATCH REPORTS
2026-09-01 09:36:41
🏆 WFR XXX PREMIERSHIP FINALS
SEMI FINAL MATCH REPORTS
🐯 LEEDS TIGERS 65 – 21 DURBAN SPORTS CLUB
Half Time: Leeds Tigers 22 – 7 Durban Sports Club
The Leeds Tigers are heading to the WFR XXX Grand Final after a devastating attacking performance ended Durban Sports Club's championship challenge with a 65–21 Semi Final victory.
The Minor Premiers didn't simply win their way into the Final — they issued a warning.
From the opening stages Leeds played with the urgency of a side determined not to waste the advantage earned during the regular season. George Ford opened the scoring with a fifth-minute try before Ben Earl and Caelan Doris followed him across the line.
A Ford penalty, coming after Ruan Delport was yellow-carded in the 21st minute, stretched the advantage to 22–0.
Durban desperately needed something before halftime, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu delivered it in the 33rd minute, converting his own try to reduce the deficit.
But Leeds still went to the sheds firmly in control:
HALF TIME — LEEDS 22–7 DURBAN
Then came the avalanche.
🔥 TIGERS RUN RIOT
Alex Lewington scored just four minutes after the restart.
Ben Earl added another.
Lewington struck again.
Caelan Doris grabbed his second.
In only 15 minutes, Leeds had transformed 22–7 into a staggering 50–7 advantage.
Durban showed tremendous character rather than folding. Grant Williams scored twice, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting both, but Leeds had another gear.
Earl completed his hat-trick, before Ford crossed for his second try of the afternoon to complete a massive nine-try performance.
⭐ WFR TV Match Summary
FULL TIME: Leeds Tigers 65–21 Durban Sports Club
Tries — Leeds:
Ben Earl 3
Caelan Doris 2
George Ford 2
Alex Lewington 2
Conversions: George Ford 7/9
Penalty Goals: George Ford 2/4
Tries — Durban:
Grant Williams 2
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 1
Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 3/3
Leeds dominated possession 65–35%, won the lineout count 15–7, and committed only five handling errors compared with Durban's ten. Durban's Henco van Wyk was also injured and is listed as being out for 1–2 games.
🟨 Yellow Card: Ruan Delport — Durban Sports Club
🟥 Red Cards: None
🔥 LEEDS TIGERS ADVANCE TO THE WFR XXX GRAND FINAL
❌ DURBAN SPORTS CLUB ELIMINATED
⚔️ SOUTHERN SWASHBUCKLERS 46 – 28 GALWAY GREYHOUNDS ☘️
Half Time: Southern Swashbucklers 29 – 7 Galway Greyhounds
If Leeds made their Semi Final look easy, the second contest provided a completely different road to the Grand Final.
The Southern Swashbucklers are through after defeating the Galway Greyhounds 46–28 — but Galway made them work for every bit of it.
Southern exploded out of the blocks.
Samisoni Taukei'aho crossed after just two minutes and Brad Weber converted. Weber added a penalty before Luke Jacobson scored the Swashbucklers' second try.
After only 14 minutes:
SOUTHERN 17–0 GALWAY.
And they weren't finished.
Weber himself crossed in the 21st minute before Hugh Renton added another five minutes later.
Suddenly it was 29–0.
Galway appeared to have finally cracked Southern's defence in the 30th minute, only for the video referee to rule NO TRY. But just before halftime, Josh van der Flier finally broke through and Antoine Dupont converted.
HALF TIME — SOUTHERN 29–7 GALWAY
☘️ GALWAY REFUSE TO GO QUIETLY
The second half became a fight.
Mika Muliaina extended Southern's advantage to 34–7, but Galway began clawing their way back.
Duhan van der Merwe scored.
Muliaina responded with his second.
Then Aaron Sexton crossed for Galway.
And when Jack Conan scored in the 74th minute and the faultless Antoine Dupont converted, Galway had suddenly dragged the score back to:
SOUTHERN 39–28 GALWAY.
Eleven points.
Six minutes.
A place in the Grand Final hanging in the balance.
Southern needed one final answer.
And they found it.
In the 79th minute the Swashbucklers crashed across the line. The referee went upstairs to the video official...
TRY!
Ox Nche had scored the try that finally killed off Galway's comeback.
Weber converted.
46–28.
Grand Final secured.
⭐ WFR TV Match Summary
FULL TIME: Southern Swashbucklers 46–28 Galway Greyhounds
Tries — Southern:
Mika Muliaina 2
Samisoni Taukei'aho
Hugh Renton
Luke Jacobson
Brad Weber
Ox Nche
Conversions: Brad Weber 4/7
Penalty Goals: Brad Weber 1/1
Tries — Galway:
Josh van der Flier
Duhan van der Merwe
Aaron Sexton
Jack Conan
Conversions: Antoine Dupont 4/4
Southern controlled 62.5% possession, won the scrum battle 6–2 and the lineouts 9–6. Remarkably, Galway made only one handling error compared with Southern's ten, highlighting just how fiercely the Greyhounds fought to stay alive.
🟨 Yellow Cards: None
🟥 Red Cards: None
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SEMI FINAL MATCH REPORTS
🐯 LEEDS TIGERS 65 – 21 DURBAN SPORTS CLUB
Half Time: Leeds Tigers 22 – 7 Durban Sports Club
The Leeds Tigers are heading to the WFR XXX Grand Final after a devastating attacking performance ended Durban Sports Club's championship challenge with a 65–21 Semi Final victory.
The Minor Premiers didn't simply win their way into the Final — they issued a warning.
From the opening stages Leeds played with the urgency of a side determined not to waste the advantage earned during the regular season. George Ford opened the scoring with a fifth-minute try before Ben Earl and Caelan Doris followed him across the line.
A Ford penalty, coming after Ruan Delport was yellow-carded in the 21st minute, stretched the advantage to 22–0.
Durban desperately needed something before halftime, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu delivered it in the 33rd minute, converting his own try to reduce the deficit.
But Leeds still went to the sheds firmly in control:
HALF TIME — LEEDS 22–7 DURBAN
Then came the avalanche.
🔥 TIGERS RUN RIOT
Alex Lewington scored just four minutes after the restart.
Ben Earl added another.
Lewington struck again.
Caelan Doris grabbed his second.
In only 15 minutes, Leeds had transformed 22–7 into a staggering 50–7 advantage.
Durban showed tremendous character rather than folding. Grant Williams scored twice, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting both, but Leeds had another gear.
Earl completed his hat-trick, before Ford crossed for his second try of the afternoon to complete a massive nine-try performance.
⭐ WFR TV Match Summary
FULL TIME: Leeds Tigers 65–21 Durban Sports Club
Tries — Leeds:
Ben Earl 3
Caelan Doris 2
George Ford 2
Alex Lewington 2
Conversions: George Ford 7/9
Penalty Goals: George Ford 2/4
Tries — Durban:
Grant Williams 2
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 1
Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 3/3
Leeds dominated possession 65–35%, won the lineout count 15–7, and committed only five handling errors compared with Durban's ten. Durban's Henco van Wyk was also injured and is listed as being out for 1–2 games.
🟨 Yellow Card: Ruan Delport — Durban Sports Club
🟥 Red Cards: None
🔥 LEEDS TIGERS ADVANCE TO THE WFR XXX GRAND FINAL
❌ DURBAN SPORTS CLUB ELIMINATED
⚔️ SOUTHERN SWASHBUCKLERS 46 – 28 GALWAY GREYHOUNDS ☘️
Half Time: Southern Swashbucklers 29 – 7 Galway Greyhounds
If Leeds made their Semi Final look easy, the second contest provided a completely different road to the Grand Final.
The Southern Swashbucklers are through after defeating the Galway Greyhounds 46–28 — but Galway made them work for every bit of it.
Southern exploded out of the blocks.
Samisoni Taukei'aho crossed after just two minutes and Brad Weber converted. Weber added a penalty before Luke Jacobson scored the Swashbucklers' second try.
After only 14 minutes:
SOUTHERN 17–0 GALWAY.
And they weren't finished.
Weber himself crossed in the 21st minute before Hugh Renton added another five minutes later.
Suddenly it was 29–0.
Galway appeared to have finally cracked Southern's defence in the 30th minute, only for the video referee to rule NO TRY. But just before halftime, Josh van der Flier finally broke through and Antoine Dupont converted.
HALF TIME — SOUTHERN 29–7 GALWAY
☘️ GALWAY REFUSE TO GO QUIETLY
The second half became a fight.
Mika Muliaina extended Southern's advantage to 34–7, but Galway began clawing their way back.
Duhan van der Merwe scored.
Muliaina responded with his second.
Then Aaron Sexton crossed for Galway.
And when Jack Conan scored in the 74th minute and the faultless Antoine Dupont converted, Galway had suddenly dragged the score back to:
SOUTHERN 39–28 GALWAY.
Eleven points.
Six minutes.
A place in the Grand Final hanging in the balance.
Southern needed one final answer.
And they found it.
In the 79th minute the Swashbucklers crashed across the line. The referee went upstairs to the video official...
TRY!
Ox Nche had scored the try that finally killed off Galway's comeback.
Weber converted.
46–28.
Grand Final secured.
⭐ WFR TV Match Summary
FULL TIME: Southern Swashbucklers 46–28 Galway Greyhounds
Tries — Southern:
Mika Muliaina 2
Samisoni Taukei'aho
Hugh Renton
Luke Jacobson
Brad Weber
Ox Nche
Conversions: Brad Weber 4/7
Penalty Goals: Brad Weber 1/1
Tries — Galway:
Josh van der Flier
Duhan van der Merwe
Aaron Sexton
Jack Conan
Conversions: Antoine Dupont 4/4
Southern controlled 62.5% possession, won the scrum battle 6–2 and the lineouts 9–6. Remarkably, Galway made only one handling error compared with Southern's ten, highlighting just how fiercely the Greyhounds fought to stay alive.
🟨 Yellow Cards: None
🟥 Red Cards: None