Abbotsdale Lays Down the Marker: A Dominant Start to the Boland Grootuitdaag Campaign

Abbotsdale | Carlo Small | 09 March 2026

The 2026 Boland club rugby season has officially arrived, and if Saturday’s performance is any indication, Abbotsdale Rugby Club is not merely participating—they are hunting for silverware.

Following their recent triumph as Swartland Mayoral Cup champions, the men in green and gold clinicaly dispatched Riebeek United with a 48-7 victory. While the scoreline suggests one-sided traffic, the match was a tale of two halves that tested the composure of a revamped Abbotsdale outfit.

The opening forty minutes were far from the "vintage" expansive rugby fans have come to expect. In a gritty, stop-start affair characterized by handling errors from both sides, Abbotsdale struggled to find their clinical edge. However, the foundational work of the loose trio—Samkelo Siyo, Rheinard Adonis, and Adlo Lendoor—ensured that even when the rhythm was lacking, the physical dominance remained.

The Turning Point

The momentum swung decisively when lock Delano Baartman shredded the defensive line, sparking a counter-attack that shifted the game’s gravity. After a series of punishing phases, prop Nathan Fortuin crashed over to stretch the lead to 19-7.

From that moment, the floodgates opened. Abbotsdale’s conditioning and tactical superiorirty under the new coaching tutelage of Wayne Jullies, Ryno Benjamin, and Warwick May became evident. Tries by Lendoor, Carlton Plaaitjies, Adonis, and Marvin Malgas rounded off a second-half masterclass.

Speaking post-match, coach Ryno Benjamin remained pragmatic. While acknowledging the first-half inconsistencies, he praised the squad’s mental fortitude. "The players kept their composure. We didn't panic when things were messy early on, and that allowed us to produce that strong second-half finish," Benjamin noted.