TY Academy dominate early season

… as they secure a second consecutive victory in Econet Rugby League
NTHAKO MAJORO
MASERU – Teya-Teyaneng (TY) Academy are setting the pace in the Econet Rugby League with two consecutive victories at the start of the new season on February 24. Academy secured their second win in a row by defeating NUL Spears 41-10 last Saturday at Mabote Ground, following a commanding 59-0 triumph over the Gorillas at Makoanyane Barracks Ground two weeks prior.
As the only team to achieve two victories in the 2024 Econet Rugby League season thus far, Academy captain Bokang Ncheke expressed satisfaction with the back-to-back wins, acknowledging the challenge of not being able to train as a complete team. This is due to some Academy players being based in TY, Berea, and others in Maseru. Training sessions are split between TY and Maseru, with distinct groups of players practicing in each location.
Ncheke reflected on the recent match, admitting there were occasional mistakes but emphasising the improvement compared to the previous encounter against the Gorillas. Despite the training challenges, Ncheke commended the team’s preparation for the Spears match.
“We have a challenge of not training together as a team since some of our players train in TY and others in Maseru, and so we are struggling in terms of combinations,” Ncheke said in a post-match interview with Public Eye.
“Today’s match was quite better compared to last weekend’s game, and therefore I am happy for our players for having that bond—playing and winning as a team,” he added. With a break scheduled for Academy players this upcoming weekend, as their team will be on standby, the Econet Rugby League fixture allows for recuperation. Keketso Letaoana, a player from NUL Spears, acknowledged the team’s second consecutive defeat but noted an improvement in their performance against Academy compared to the previous match against Liqhomane.
“Today’s game was better than the previous game, even though we are not happy with the referee’s decisions,” said Letaoana. “But that is rugby. It is not always easy for a referee to notice all the fouls.” Letaoana acknowledged his team’s mistakes but emphasised the overall excitement of the game. He said despite the errors, the match was thrilling, attributing some mistakes to the inexperience of several players who are new to the league.
Spears are set to face the Maseru Warriors this Saturday in a rugby league fixture hosted by the Gorillas in Butha-Buthe. Warriors, coming off a narrow 22-21 victory over defending champions the Mabote Beavers, will be seeking to maintain their winning streak.
In another fixture at Mabote Ground last Saturday, the Beavers Ladies secured a 22-0 victory over the Warriors Ladies.
Econet Rugby League Fixtures (Saturday, March 9, 2024):
- Gorillas Ladies vs. Liqhomane Ladies (12:00)
- Warriors vs. Spears (13:00)
- Gorillas vs. Liqhomane (15:00)