TITLE favourites Durbanville-Bellville will play Pretoria Police in a heavyweight SARU National Club Championships quarter-final clash on Monday after both sides recorded impressive victories on the opening day of the 38th edition of the tournament on Saturday in Rustenburg.

Durbell, the top-ranked Western Province club with two wins each over Varsity Cup teams Maties and UCT this season, were made to work hard before running out 53-20 winners over SWD Premier League winners Blanco, coached for former Springbok fullback Bevin Fortuin.

Police, who beat Tuks to claim the Blue Bulls Carlton Cup last month, were dominant against Welkom Rovers under the leadership of evergreen lock Nico Luus, scoring six tries en route to a 43-12 win.

Two other title favourites, KZN champions Jonsson College Rovers and EP's Despatch, had much easier first-round matches. Rovers beat Limpopo champions Noordelikes 61-0 to record their 76th win in their past 80 matches dating back four seasons, while Despatch were much too good for Mpumalanga champs White River, winning 72-10.

In the day's other matches, Valke champions Brakpan beat Griquas' top side Sishen 28-0 to set up a Cup quarter-final against Broubart Old Selbornians of Border, who beat Bloemfontein Police 43-33 in a free-flowing encounter earlier in the day that produced 10 tries.

Roodepoort will play hosts Rustenburg Impala in Monday's main match after the Golden Lions champions overcame invited team Naka Bulls 26-12 in a much tighter affair.

Rustenburg Impala, playing the main match in front of a 2,000-strong home crowd, were too strong for gallant Boland champs Villagers Worcester, winning 53-21. Scrumhalf Willie Kok had a field day, kicking 28 points by way of six penalties and five conversions to go with his side's five tries.

Day 1 results:

Roodepoort 26 - Tries: Juan Shaw, Clifford Vermaak. Conversions: Llewellyn le Roux (2). Penalties: Le Roux (4).
Naka Bulls 12 - Tries: Rikus de Beer, Deon Mocke. Conversion: Braam Pretorius.

Jonsson College Rovers 61 - Tries: Kobus de Kock, Jors Dannhauser, Nick Jackson, Kyle Wilkinson, Juan Language, Conrad Stoltz, Shannon Rick (2).
Conversions: De Kock (4), Dannhauser (2). Penalties: De Kock (2), Dannhauser. Noordelikes 0

Bloemfontein Police 33 - Tries: Pieter Ludwick, Stevie Meyer, Isak Job, Jaco Rademeyer, AN Other. Conversions: Job (4).
Broubart Old Selbornians 43 - Tries: Lindani Gulua, James Posthumus, Dale Hobbs, Marc Hammond, De Waal Veldsman. Conversions: Glen Warner (3). Penalties: Warner (4).

Durbanville-Bellville 53 - Tries: Morne Mennigke (2), Izak Saayman, Quinten Coetzer, Carlo Prinsloo (2), Douw Wessels. Conversions: Adolf Stoffberg (6). Penalties: Stoffberg (2).
Blanco 20 - Tries: Christo du Plessis, Hilton Baartman. Conversions: Alaine Jansen (2). Penalties: Jansen (2).

Pretoria Police 43 - Tries: Valentine van Wyk, Michiel Pienaar, Dillen Laubscher, Gerhard du Preez (2), Dehandre de Beer. Conversions: Laubscher (5). Penalty: Laubscher.
Welkom Rovers 12 - Tries: Bom Samaai, Virgel Russel. Conversion: Tiaan van Wyk.

Sishen 0
Brakpan 28 - Tries: Franco Booysen, Ian Evans (2), Wikus van den Berg. Conversions: Charl Nieuwenhuis (4).

White River 10 - Tries: Dewald van den Bergh, Pieter Prinsloo.
Despatch 72 - Tries: Billy Mentoor (2), Monty Dumond (2), Baldwin McBean (2), Ryan Brown, Marlon Lewis, Elroy Ligman, Ashley Viviers, Trichardt van Tonder, Christo Memanie. Conversions: Dumond (4), Deon Booysen (2).

Rustenburg Impala 53 - Tries: Therlow Pietersen, Michael Lubbe (2), Berty Visser, Victor Joubert. Conversions: Willie Kok (5). Penalties: Kok (6).
Villagers Worcester 21 - Tries: David Wehr, Jovelian de Koker. Conversion: Godwann Damon. Penalties: Emile Smith (3).

Day 2 fixtures (Mon 17 Sep):

Cup quarter-finals (A field):
11:30 Old Selbornians vs Brakpan (Match L)
13:00 Despatch vs College Rovers (Match J)
14:30 Pretoria Police vs Durbell (Match K)
16:00 Roodepoort vs Rustenburg Impala (Match I)

Plate quarter-finals:
09:30, A field: Welkom Rovers vs Blanco (Match P)
10:30, B field: White River vs Noordelikes (Match N)
12:00, B field: Naka Bulls vs Villagers Worcester (Match M)
13:30, B field: Bloemfontein Police vs Sishen (Match O)

Day 3 fixtures (Wed 19 Sep):

Cup semi-finals:
Winner I vs Winner K
Winner L vs Winner J

Plate semi-finals:
Winner M vs Winner P
Winner O vs Winner N

Day 4 fixtures (Fri 21 Sep):
Cup & Plate Finals (live on SuperSport)

National Club Championship winners 1975-2011:

2011 Pukke 19 UJ 14
2010 College Rovers 24 Maties 15
2009 Hamilton 36 Pukke 34
2008 Pukke 17 College Rovers 12
2007 Maties 24 Tukkies 8
2006 Pukke 33 College Rovers 21
2005 Maties 24 UJ 13
2004 Pukke 41 TUT 10
2003 Tukkies 46 Pukke 25
2002 Shimlas 34 Pukke 26
2001 Pirates 37 Tygerberg 13
2000 Maties 54 Tukkies 37
1999 Shimlas 45 Welkom Rovers 9
1998 Maties 28 RAU 10
1997 Maties 30 RAU 15
1996 Pretoria Police 70 Old Greys 29
1995 Pretoria Police 26 Durban Crusaders 12
1994 Durban Crusaders 34 Oud-Studente 2*
1993 Durban Crusaders 8 Despatch 2*
1992 RAU 40 Harlequins 22
1991 Old Greys 36 Despatch 6
1990 Tukkies 22 Despatch 20
1989 Roodepoort 29 Goudstad Onderwyskollege 22
1988 Despatch 13 Tukkies 12
1987 Defence (WP) 26 Despatch 8
1986 Shimlas 14 Tukkies 6
1985 Despatch 28 Tukkies 6
1984 Maties 16 Tukkies 15
1983 Harlequins 29 Tukkies 12
1982 Maties 25 RAU 6
1981 Maties 32 Pretoria Police 9
1980 Villager 14 Maties 3
1979 Maties 27 Tukkies 11
1978 Maties 15 Tukkies 9
1977 Maties 12 Harlequins 10
1976 Tukkies 19 Maties 0
1975 Maties 28 Durban Collegians 20

Issued by SARU