College Rovers won the SAA National Club Champs for the first time in their history when they beat Maties 24-15 (halftime 11-5) at the Danie Craven Stadium on Friday.

For Rovers, the KZN champions, it was a case of third time lucky after they had lost the two previous finals they had appeared in, in 2006 and 2008, also in Stellenbosch. It was also the second year running that an open club – after Hamilton in 2009 – had beaten a Varsity Cup team to lift the most prestigious club rugby tournament in the country.

It was the first time in 30 years that Maties, the 12-time champions, had lost in the final. Their eight-match unbeaten streak in deciders was broken by a committed Rovers side whose defence, which was their hallmark throughout the tournament, again proved to be impenetrable.

Flyhalf Wesley Dunlop, one of the standout players during the week-long tournament, was again magnificent, kicking a conversion, three penalties and a drop goal to dash the Stellenbosch students’ dreams of an unprecedented 13th title.

In a match in which both sides looked tired and not on top of their games, it was Rovers’ flyhalf Dunlop who gave the gutsy KZN champions a 6-0 lead after 24 minutes with two penalties.

Maties, who, like Rovers were playing their fourth match in seven days, appeared off the pace and hesitant against the Rovers defence but they finally made a breakthrough after 27 minutes when hooker Arno White crashed over from a lineout penalty. Flyhalf Coenie van Wyk missed the conversion that would have given his team the lead.

With play swinging back and forth and neither side able to stamp their authority on the game, it was Rovers who broke the deadlock just before halftime when centre Jerome Pretorius raced over after some great phase play by the Durbanites to give them an 11-5 halftime lead.

Stellenbosch began the second half with more vigour and were rewarded with the lead after 46 minutes when White crashed over for his second try, converted by Van Wyk, to make it 12-11. But Dunlop reclaimed the lead for Rovers with a penalty before Pretorius intercepted a lazy Maties pass to scoot home under the posts.

Dunlop’s conversion suddenly opened up a nine-point gap for the KwaZulu-Natalians as the listless students just couldn’t get out of second gear. The flyhalf then coolly slotted a last-minute drop goal to ensure that the trophy would return to Durban.

In the Plate competition, Shimlas beat East London Police 35-17.

Scorers: Maties 15 – Tries: Arno White (2). Conversion: Coenie van Wyk. College Rovers 24 – Tries: Jerome Pretorius (2). Conversion: Wesley Dunlop. Penalties: Dunlop (3). Drop goal: Dunlop.