College Rovers and Naka Bulle claimed big victories this past weekend to secure home ground advantage for the African Rainbow Community Gold Cup semi-finals, while the Northam Rhinos and Helderberg recorded impressive wins to gather some momentum ahead of the penultimate round of the tournament.

The quarter-final matches staged in Pretoria, Strand, Setaria and Durban this past Saturday were high-scoring affairs. All four home sides won by comfortable margins, but it remains to be seen whether this trend will continue into the semi-finals.

Naka Bulle proved too strong for the Northam Wolves in Pretoria, scoring 10 tries in a 65-10 win. Winger Pule Molokome dotted down twice for the defending champions, while fullback Hansie Graaf slotted four conversions.

The playoff between Helderberg and Centurion in Strand was in the balance at half-time, with the hosts enjoying a slender 22-19 lead. Helderberg scored 27 points after the break to emerge with a 49-24 victory, with scrumhalf Michael Visser contributing 19 points from the boot.

Northam Rhinos continued their high-scoring run in this tournament, following up a 55-19 win over Pirates in the Round of 16 with a 60-12 victory against Groot-Brakrivier in Setaria on Saturday.

Replacement hooker Maliviwe Simanga scored two of his team’s 10 tries, and the margin of victory may have been greater if not for five missed conversions.

Down in Durban, Inny Radebe scored 14 points to guide College Rovers to a 70-6 win over Louis Trichardt. The Rovers have racked up 237 points over the course of their three fixtures, while conceding just five tries.

College Rovers’ defence will be put to the test this Saturday when they host the Rhinos in Durban. The fixture is a replay of last season’s semi-final, which the KwaZulu-Natalians edged 21-19.

Naka Bulle, who beat Rovers 56-29 in the 2023 final, will host Helderberg in the playoff staged in Pretoria this Saturday.

The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday afternoon and will be streamed live on the SuperSport Schools app and website.

Quarter-final results:

Naka Bulle 65 Northam Wolves 10

Helderberg 49 Centurion 24

Northam Rhinos 60 Groot-Brakrivier Rugby Club 12

College Rovers 70 Louis Trichardt 6

Semi-finals (Saturday, 12 October):

15h00: College Rovers v Northam Rhinos (Hollywoodbets Kings Park 3, Durban)

16h00: Naka Bulle v Helderberg (Naka Bulle Rugby Club, Pretoria)