The 2009 KZNRU Club Rugby season kicked off with the first round of First Division games being played this last weekend and will start in earnest this week with the arrival of the oldest rugby club in South Africa, Hamilton Sea Point Rugby Football Club who are in Durban for a short pre-season tour. The Capetonians will face Jonsson Crusaders tonight at the Durban North Clubs Ranleigh Crescent grounds with the main game scheduled for an 8pm kick-off.

Hammies are also scheduled to meet House of Paint College Rovers on Friday evening for the third Roy Dryburgh Memorial match at Reebok Park (KP 3). Dryburgh who became the club’s first Springbok captain represented both clubs in his illustrious career and played for Western Province and Natal. The squad will stay on to watch the Sharks face the Brumbies in their Super 14 clash at The Absa Stadium Durban on Saturday before flying home to Cape Town on Sunday.

From a First Division perspective, two of the favourite sides for top honours, Hillcrest and Amanzimtoti, picked up convincing wins and so kickstarting their season of high hopes. Hillcrest thumped Kokstad 41-5 while the South Coast Terriers hammered Pietermaritzburg Waratahs 64-5. In the other two local games, Durban Varsity came desperately close to toppling South Coast Warriors, narrowly going down 30-27 while in another closely contested clash, Gestetner Pietermaritzburg Collegians edged out Ballito Dolphins 20-17 in a game that could have gone either way.

The House of Paint Premier Division kicks off on Saturday with Maritzburg Varsity and ChemSpec Jaguars facing each other in their first round game in the curtain raiser to the Vodacom Super 14 encounter between the visiting Brumbies and the Sharks at The Absa Stadium Durban on Saturday.

The season does look as though it’s going to be a lot more competitive in not just the Premier Division but especially in the Under 20 ranks. The 2008 Moor Cup champions College Rovers can expect strong challenges from Evirosan Old Boys, Acer Durban Collegians and Crusaders. Thanda North Coast Rhinos are expected to continue where they left off last season winning the 2008 Murray Cup knockout competition for the first time in their 90 year history, while Airtron Harlequins will come into the new season as one of the unknown factors as the teams line up to begin yet another chapter in the history of KZN Club Rugby.

The Frank Norris Under 20 competition will see the 2008 cup holders Rovers hard pressed by Oldies, Durban Collegians and the Mighty Quins once again with Old Boys having looked the pick of the bunch in the pre-season build up outings. All in all we can expect another competitive season, so let the games begin.

- Jos Robson - The Mercury