While it wasn’t entirely unexpected, the inclusion of three Multisure Evergreens players in the Saldanha Super 8 Dream Team certainly turned heads after a fiercely contested Easter tournament.
Flank Godwin Mangenje, veteran lock Lubabalo “Giant” Mtyanda, and promising young prop Malcolm Joseph were all named among the top performers, recognition that speaks to the Evergreens’ impressive showing against some of South Africa’s strongest club sides.
Joseph’s selection was particularly surprising, considering his tournament was cut short due to a rib injury just halfway through his second game.
Backed by fresh management and renewed ambition in 2025, the Evergreens have made it clear they’re eyeing a return to the top. And they’ve walked the talk – currently leading the South Western Districts Super League A after four rounds.
While the team only secured one win at the Saldanha tournament, they pushed top-tier teams to the limit, losing the Plate Final to Cape Town powerhouse Tygerberg by a single point in a tightly contested match.
“It was a good learning curve for us as players and coaches. I’m proud of the guys,” said head coach Ricardo Beukes, who praised his squad’s grit and growth throughout the event.
He reminded his players after a tough 33–9 loss to Northam Rhinos that the real difference was experience—Rhinos had been together for three years, while the current Evergreens setup was barely ten weeks old.
Their response? A thrilling 40–34 win over Kruisfontein in the very next match.
Beukes is focused on striking the right balance between youth and experience, a mix he believes is already starting to gel.
At 39, Lubabalo Mtyanda brings serious rugby credentials to the table—having played for the Sharks, EP Elephants, Kings, SWD Eagles, and even clubs in Italy. But even for a seasoned campaigner, the Dream Team nod meant a lot.
“It’s great to be acknowledged like this. It shows I can still do this thing,” he laughed, adding that the Easter tournament was among the most physical he’s ever played.
Mangenje, a Zimbabwean international and former Boland Cavaliers player, said the Dream Team selection came as a surprise – bbut a welcome one.
“It was a chance to show the kind of rugby we play in the districts,” he said. “I didn’t know a Dream Team was being selected, so it was a real honour.”
Meanwhile, Malcolm Joseph, who previously played under Beukes at George’s Crusaders, was stunned to be named after sustaining his injury so early in the tournament.
“A guy landed on my ribs in the second game, so I really didn’t expect anything after that,” said the 23-year-old prop and SWD U21 representative.
Despite the early exit, he’s optimistic about his new team’s chemistry: “We’re starting to find the right combinations.”
Multisure CEO Denton Goodford summed it up best:
“Let’s take the positives from Saldanha to build a Green Machine that will be very tough to beat.”
info: Full Stop Communication
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