Pumas Halt Leopards’ Unbeaten Run in High-Scoring Potch Showdown
- Karen Scheepers
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
The Leopards Senior Women’s Rugby team suffered their first defeat of the 2026 Pick n Pay Women’s Super League 2 season, falling 44–22 to the defending champion Hollywood Foundation Pumas Women at Olën Park Stadium in Potchefstroom. The highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash left the Pumas as the tournament's only undefeated side, though the Leopards maintain a strong position in second place on the log after three rounds of play.
First-Half Blitz Forces Leopards to Rally
The visitors launched a relentless offensive from the opening whistle, catching the Leopards off guard with a four-try blitz in the opening 20 minutes. Fullback Alicia Mahlalela crossed the line twice in that window, complemented by scores from Megan Guambe and Jibrine Dube. Showing immense resilience, the Leopards rallied in front of their home crowd to strike back with a converted try and a penalty goal. However, late first-half responses from the Pumas extended the visitors' cushion to 34–15 at the halftime whistle.
The second half proved to be a much tighter, more physical affair, with the Leopards tightening their defensive structures and limiting the Pumas to just three tries in the final 40 minutes. While Pumas center Pauline Sianga managed to secure a hat-trick, the Leopards fought until the final whistle. Flyhalf Amzolele Gqola orchestrated a late consolidated attack, scoring a try of her own and converting it to cap off a resilient individual performance.
Key Performers & Scorecard Breakdown
The Leopards' resistance was led by their core playmakers, with flyhalf Amzolele Gqola contributing 12 individual points to the team's tally through her diverse skill set.
Team | Tries Scored | Conversions & Penalties | Key Match Drivers |
Leopards Women (22 Points) | Portia Mariquele, Onie Sihlobo, Amzolele Gqola | Conversions: Amzolele Gqola (2) Penalty Goal: Amzolele Gqola (1) | Amzolele Gqola: 12 points total Forward Pack: Improved second-half discipline |
Hollywood Pumas (44 Points) | Pauline Sianga (3), Megan Guambe (2), Alicia Mahlalela (2), Jibrine Dube | Conversions: Alicia Mahlalela (2) | Pauline Sianga: Center hat-trick Backline: Explosive opening 20 minutes |
Drama Across the League
The rest of Round 3 delivered high-stakes drama across the country. In Kempton Park, the Valke Women experienced the cruel realities of rugby at Barnard Stadium, losing a 34–33 nail-biter to the Griffons Women after a potential game-winning conversion in the 43rd minute of the second half drifted wide.
Meanwhile, at Suzuki Park in Kimberley, the AVBOB Griquas Women secured their first victory of the season in spectacular fashion, exploding for 46 second-half points to hand the Limpopo Blue Bulls Women a massive 73–15 defeat, highlighted by four tries from winger Maserati Bangaza.
The Leopards will regroup immediately following this home defeat. Having faced the defending champions, the North West side remains firmly in the playoff hunt as the competition intensifies heading into the upcoming rounds.
Log Standings (After Week 3)
Following the conclusion of Week 3 matches, the Pumas Women lead the tournament table, with the Leopards firmly holding onto the second-place spot.
Pos | Team | Played (PL) | Points Difference (PD) | Points (PTS) |
1 | Pumas Women | 2 | +112 | 15 |
2 | Leopards Women | 3 | +25 | 11 |
3 | Valke Women | 3 | -25 | 7 |
4 | Griquas Women | 2 | +20 | 6 |
5 | SWD Eagirls | 2 | +16 | 5 |
6 | Griffons Women | 2 | -30 | 5 |
7 | Limpopo Women | 3 | -97 | 2 |
Upcoming Week 4 Fixtures (25 July 2026)
While the Leopards Women head into a scheduled Bye Weekend to rest and regroup, the remaining six teams will battle it out across the country on Saturday, 25 July 2026:
AVBOB Griquas vs. Valke (Venue: Kimberley)
Hollywoodbets Pumas vs. Limpopo Blue Bulls (Venue: Nelspruit)
Griffons vs. SWD Eagirls (Venue: Welkom)
Final Whistle
With the tournament heading into its critical middle phase, the Leopards Senior Women’s team will look to maximize their upcoming recovery week. Sitting comfortably in second place on the table, the squad is well-positioned to iron out technical areas exposed during the physical Pumas encounter.
When action resumes for the North West side, leveraging their passionate home support back at Olën Park Stadium will be essential to keeping their championship ambitions firmly on track.
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