In a hard-fought encounter at Malta Park, Violets emerged victorious over Silvertree in their opening match of the Western Province Promotional League, prevailing with a final score of 18-10.
The clash was a crucial one, as both teams are looking for a spot in the WPRFU Super League C next season.
The promotional league is made up of the top three teams from the Southern, Northern, and City Leagues, and only two of the nine teams competing in the promotional league will advance to the Super League C.
The game was particularly significant for both sides as games will now be coming in fast.
With recent weeks marred by inclement weather in Cape Town, which led to numerous postponements, teams had been left itching to get back onto the pitch.
Violets and Silvertree showed no signs of rust as they kicked off their campaign with a solid and competitive performance.
The win is particularly satisfying for the Violets, who like the rest of the division, had endured a challenging build-up to the season as a result of the adverse weather conditions.
In the wider context of the league, the first round saw a few other teams also making significant strides.
Delft, Albions, Caledonian Roses, and Sir Lowrians each have a solitary win in the Top 9.
Delft got their win against Sir Lowrians, while Caledonian Roses triumphed over Young Wesleys. The competitive nature of the league means that every point is valuable, and the early wins set a strong foundation for these teams.
With only nine rounds in total, the need for consistency and urgency is paramount and every match carries significant weight and the need to secure points early is clear.
Looking ahead to the second game week, Violets are set to face Delft at home in Chukker Road.
The previous encounters of these two sides suggest that the upcoming match will be a closely contested affair.
Both teams will be eager to continue their winning momentum, and a victory could be pivotal in establishing themselves at the top of the standings.
Meanwhile, Albions will be hosting Sir Lowrians, and Watsonia will take on the Caledonian Roses. The round will be rounded off with fixtures involving Silvertree and Blue Stars.
Elsewhere in the Super League C, the race for promotion has been equally intense. At the weekend, Primrose and Garden engaged in a high-scoring spectacle at Gardens, with Primrose emerging victorious with a score of 49-30.
The win has positioned Primrose in second place, keeping their promotion hopes alive as they chase to secure the top two spot.
With only two rounds remaining, Primrose trails the league leaders, Goodwood, by three points but holds a slender one-point lead over third-placed Macassar, who have three games still to play.
The top two teams will advance to the Super League B, while the third spot will have another opportunity for promotion by facing the team currently sitting in 13th place in Super League B in a play-off round.
Primrose, having been relegated from Super League B the previous season, is determined to return to the higher division. Their upcoming fixture against Blue Jets, a side fighting its own relegation battle, will be crucial.
