SK Walmer — from battling to survive to fighting for silverware

Mark Ward

SK Walmer moved to within striking reach of a grand final in the Western Province Super League A championship

This is indeed a remarkable feat, as just a year ago, the men from Bo-Kaap were staring down the relegation barrel after stumbling to 13th on the log and were forced into a tense playoff against Franschhoek and were barely to hold onto their spot in the province’s top-flight competition. That was after having only just fought their way back into the Super League A at the end of 2023.

Fast forward almost a year later the story has turned on its head and instead of fighting for survival, SK Walmers are fighting for silverware. On Saturday, they square off against a formidable Villager side in a semifinal clash at City Park, with a coveted place in the final at stake. For a team that has lived through both the agony of relegation, it has indeed been a remarkable turnaround.

Apart from the tremendous backroom work of the executive, the head coach, Sentle Lehoko has brought new life to the side and has managed to mould the team into an attacking unit. Under his guidance, Walmer finished the regular season in sixth place on the log, having recorded eight victories from their 14 matches. That may not scream dominance, but it has built the foundation for a team that now believes in itself.

But apart from the on-field revival lies the hard work of the club’s executive, who had the foresight to create an environment for the team to flourish, grow, and build a legacy around a new crop of young players

That belief was on full display last weekend at the Phillip Herbstein grounds in Constantia, with thousands of SK supporters rocking up at the venue to witness this bruising quarter-final battle. Walmer had to dig deep to edge out a narrow 13–10 victory. It was a contest defined by hard running coupled with the individual brilliance of scrumhalf Moegamat Labib Kannemeyer.

Small in stature but colossal on attack. He dictated the tempo with his darting runs and razor-sharp breaks and also added a penalty. He orchestrated his side’s only try midway through the first half, when he quickly tapped a penalty and caught the False Bay defence flat-footed, to set up Ramiz Osman to cross for his side’s only try.

Now comes their sternest test when they square up against top-of-the-log Villager, who dropped only a single game in their 14-match campaign. With a squad brimming with seasoned campaigners, Villagers represent the most daunting hurdle on Walmer's unlikely journey.

But as SK Walmer has shown, when the odds are stacked against them, they can rise to the occasion — from near relegation to within touching distance of a grand final.