A massive showdown awaits Meadows, in Balgowan, on Saturday, 3 May, when Michaelhouse hosts Hilton College in the first of their annual derby matches. Both scored one-sided wins on Saturday ahead of their big rivalry clash.
Michaelhouse hosted their brother school, Zimbabwe’s Peterhouse, and, unusually, the match was played on Baileys instead of Meadows, which ‘House coach James Fleming described as “a muddy mess” after heavy recent rains.
No doubt, the decision to move the match was also made with an eye on the coming weekend’s clashes.
It’s believed that the Michaelhouse 1st XV last played on Baileys in 1955, which, coincidentally was the same year that Peterhouse was founded by former Michaelhouse Rector, Fred Snell.
Despite all the familial connections, Michaelhouse was not in a charitable mood on Saturday and they ran riot against their brother school.
At half-time, they had powered their way into a 33-0 lead. Then, in the second half, they tacked on 35 more points to run out 68-0 winners.
The pack laid the foundation, and the backs revelled in the freedom they were given to express themselves. Fullback Alex Jankowitz went over for two tries. So, too, did outside centre Rourke O’Sullivan, and scrumhalf Dan Aissing, who also enjoyed the space afforded him, bagged a brace, also.
William Ridl, Luke Mitchell, Nick Baker, and Dom Sesink-Clee added further five-pointers as Michaelhouse tallied 10 tries in total. Unfortunately, for Peterhouse, Stefan Moolman had his kicking boots on and he goaled nine of them to add salt to the wounds of the tourists.
Hilton, meanwhile, visited St Charles College, who are celebrating their 150th anniversary. Sadly, for Saints, Hilton wasn’t in the mood to give them any more reasons for celebration.
The home team was hobbled by injuries and illnesses, and Hilton captain Liyema Nela and company took full advantage of that.
It was all over bar the shouting in the first half, with Hilton powering their way into a 40-0 lead at the break. From there, they went on to a 74-14 win, scoring 12 tries.
Three players – Zander Vorster, Ricky Adonis, and Guy Fender – dotted down twice each. Further tries were scored by Jacques Olivier, André Boshoff, Emmanuel “Jerry” Dankwah, Khazimla Makali, Mholi Khuzwayo, and Andrew Schnell.
Flyhalf Liyema Nela added 12 points from six conversions, and John Grubb scored two more with another conversion.
At Kearsney College, the One-Stripe, well beaten by Hilton earlier in the season, continued their resurgence by edging out Glenwood by a single point in a high-scoring clash, beating the Green Machine 32-31.
It was a second loss of the season for Glenwood, who were also beaten at Maritzburg College, They were unbeaten during the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, drawing 26-26 with Monument while defeating Milnerton 37-34 and Dale 33-12.
RESULTS
Michaelhouse 68-0 Peterhouse
St Charles College 14-74 Hilton College
Kearsney College 32-31 Glenwood High School
Northwood 8th-man Jamie Wimble, who scored one of the Knights’ three tries, pulls off a tackle in DHS’s narrow 22-19 win over Northwood on Van Heerden’s Field, on Saturday. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Durban High School(DHS) was forced to come from behind, down 0-12 at halftime, to beat a committed Northwood School 22-19 in front of a packed crowd on Van Heerden’s Field, in Durban, on Saturday. It was a fascinating battle between two outstanding teams.
The first half was one of frustration for the home side. Unforced errors abounded, while the Knights, with their hard-hitting defence and up-for-it forward pack were also able to create errors from Schooland force some turnovers to boot.
DHS is a physical outfit. That’s one of their calling cards. Unless an opposing team fights fire with fire, they’re in for a long day, but Northwood brought the fire to a big battle up front. The Horseflies had the edge in the set scrums, but not enough to significantly impact the game. Scrumhalf Jed Mun-Gavin did a good job of feeding the visiting backline.
Coach Jacques Deen declared himself especially happy with Northwood’s mauling, and it was the maul that brought them the opening points of the game in the 13th minute when, from a maul inside the DHS 22, the drive splintered and three players broke clear. The last defender made a tackle, but with two men in support all that was needed was a simple pop-pass, and the visitors were over for a try.
The scoreboard remained static until, with time almost up in the first half, Northwood had a lineout just over five metres out, on the left-hand touchline. An accurate throw to the front of the lineout was quickly shifted to a pod near the back of the lineout. As the DHS defenders shifted their focus, 8th-man, Jamie Wimble, ran a sharp line, cutting against the grain, and took a short pop-pass. He crashed through one tackle and was over the line for another five-pointer. Trevor van Volenstee added the extras.
DHS needed to score early in the second stanza if they were going to claw their way back into the contest. Their response was predictably furious.
Early on, under pressure, in their 22, Northwood conceded a penalty and DHS kicked into the left-hand corner, setting up a lineout. The Horseflies executed it well and powered their way over for their first points of the contest, courtesy of hooker Okuhle Mbanjwa.
It didn’t take long for DHS to score again, and this time it came from their skipper, Daniel Ikotela, with the industrious flank racing over for a five-pointer.
When DHS captain Daniel Ikotela went over for a try, it was a pivotal moment in the match, finally giving the home side a little breathing space, up 22-12 after a successful conversion kick. Photo: Brad Morgan.
When a grubber from scrumhalf Jaydon Roberts was bobbled by the Northwood defence, Ikotela toed the ball ahead and it sat up invitingly for him. Just outside the visitors’ 22, he snatched it out of the air, then stepped off his right foot and handed off Savio Stevens. He was over 10 metres to the left of the uprights, and when Jordan van Wyk nailed the conversion it was all-square at 12-12.
In the 64th minute, DHS took the lead for the first time when Van Wyk knocked over a penalty from just inside the Northwood 22. It was a lead, but hardly a comfortable one.
Then, under pressure, the Knights botched a lineout near their try line, which forced them to dot down and concede a five-metre scrum.
DHS fed their powerhouse centre, Zingce Simka, but two Northwood tacklers quickly wrapped him up. School, then, executed three pick-and-goes in front of the visitors’ uprights before releasing it to the left. There was Simka again, and he charged over to add another try to his healthy season’s tally.
Van Wyk enhanced the total by two points, and the tide had turned with DHS 22-12 to the good. Northwood, though, is a never-say-die outfit and they had the last say in the match.
With time almost up, they launched a quick attack from a penalty, up to the DHS 22. Then, a flowing backline move created space on the left touchline and, after outflanking the covering defenders, they were in for a third try, scored beneath the posts.
The conversion was a formality, but the contest was over and DHS had scored a hard-fought 22-19 victory.
As the players shook hands and shared hugs, the mutual respect they shared was a heartwarming and pleasing end to a fantastic battle. Northwood’s Jacques Deen commented: “With Peter [Engledow] and [DHS forwards’ coach] Ronnie [Uys] and their boys and our boys, there is big respect. They’re two terrific schools, two rugby schools. That respect is earned.”
Respect earned and respect given. Photo: Brad Morgan.
“What a game! We were out of it,” DHS coach Peter Engledow told SuperSport Schools Plus afterwards.
“It’s just one of those days. We’ve come off a hard Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, and we’re straight back into school, the same as Northwood. It was a tough week with the rain. We haven’t trained. Conditions are tough, as well.
“I’m delighted with the character. We had some hard words at halftime. To come back and score the points that we did, and to win the game was amazing. It was 22-19. We should have kept it at 22-12. But what a comeback by the boys. Really good character!”
Northwood’s Jacques Deen was proud of his side’s effort: “I think there were moments when we were truly outstanding. We stuck to what we did, and it worked.
“Our mauling was exceptional again, but we missed one or two lineouts after that. When we played to the edges, we were dangerous. We scored in that moment [at the end of the game] there.”
The margins between victory and defeat were slim, but DHS edged it. In 2024, the sides drew 7-7 at Northwood. Then, at DHS, the home team scored an 18-11 victory. This time, there were only two points in it.
“It’s small moments, small margins, and these boys need to get to a level that they can believe they can do it,” Deen reflected.
“I think there were a lot of positives, but I said to the boys now, ‘What’s done is done. We get another opportunity in the third term to play them again. Did people think we were able to do it? No. I think this team still has the ability to be one of the top teams.”
Two massive tests lie ahead of DHS in the coming week. They face Stellenberg and Paarl Gimnasium – lest anyone needs a reminder, very impressive winners by 43-31 over Grey College in Bloemfonteinon Saturday – at the Absa Wildeklawer Rugby Festival in Kimberley, on 1 May and 3 May respectively.
Engledow commented with a smile: “I said at halftime, we’re staring at 100-0 against Gim if we’re going to do that! Before we get to Gim, though, we’ve got to get through Stellenberg, who are a very well-coached team. There are a lot of good people involved at Stellenberg. I have a lot of respect for them.”
SCORES
u19 – DHS I 22 Northwood I 19; DHS II 12 Northwood II 7; DHS III 22 Northwood III 12; DHS IV 29 Northwood IV 10; DHS V 0 Northwood V 14; DHS VI 10 Northwood VI 11
u16 – DHS A 24 Northwood A 14; DHS B 8 Northwood B 10
u15 – DHS A 38 Northwood A 3; DHS B 45 Northwood B 7; DHS C 19 Northwood C 14
u14 – DHS A 22 Northwood A 5; DHS B 50 Northwood B 0; DHS C 44 Northwood 7
Peterhouse will hope that with three games under the belt at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival they’ve played themselves into form for their match against Michaelhouse. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Michaelhouse vs Peterhouse
Michaelhouse hosts Peterhouse, their brother school, from Marondera, Zimbabwe, on Meadows, on Saturday.
The KZN school had been scheduled to take on Clifton College, but Clifton has been severely struck by the injury bug, leading to a change late on Thursday afternoon.
The Peterhouse 1st XV recently participated in the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, while other Peterhouse sides were in action at Michaelhouse in Easter events, so the change went smoothly, with the Zimbabweans touring South Africa as part of their 70th anniversary celebrations.
Peterhouse was founded in 1955 by John Snell, who was formerly the Rector of Michaelhouse. The current Rector is John Trafford, a former Housemaster at Michaelhouse.
This season, the Michaelhouse 1st XV hasn’t quite hit its straps yet. They opened their campaign at Northwood and played some good rugby, leading almost the entire match before being overhauled just before the final whistle and suffering a 13-15 defeat. The sting of that loss appears to have caused a bit of a hangover.
They’ve lost four games – by eight points against both Durban High School and Bishops, by seven against Helpmekaar Kollege, and by six against St Stithians, which was an unexpected setback. They also drew 28-28 with Grey High and 22-22 with St Andrew’s College.
That shows, though, that the Balgowan boys have been in every match. The line between victory and defeat is thin, and they’ll know they can turn their fortunes around with slight improvements.
They’re a better team than their won-loss record suggests. They’re well-balanced and it will take only minor improvements to turn losses into victories.
Peterhouse played their first matches of the season at Kearsney, losing all three. Their opponents, though, had the luxury of having already played games before the festival. With four days of rest, they’ll have peered through their performances in Botha’s Hill and worked on making improvements where they see fit.
At Kearsney, they impressed in the set scrums but were somewhat loose around the rucks and mauls. They’ll try to tighten up there.
Peterhouse’s backs also delivered some exciting moments, with their powerful centre, Andrew Maringa, being named to the All Stars Team. He and his midfield partner, Munashe Masamha, will face a sturdy challenge from Michaelhouse’s centre pair of captain William Ridl and Rourke O’Sullivan, two experienced campaigners.
Hilton College visits Old Orchards on Saturday for a showdown with St Charles College.
Brad Mcleod-Henderson‘s charges have played some fantastic rugby this season. They’re led by flyhalf Liyema Nela, who played one of the best games you’ll see from any number 10 in their 29-5 win over St John’s College at the St John’s Easter Festival. Hilton also scored a sound 33-16 victory over Kingswood College in Johannesburg, breaking open a tight contest in the second half.
They’re an experienced side, which has also been injected with some younger talent. They’re hard-nosed up front and skilled at the back.
There are no obvious weaknesses, but they failed to hit their stride in their two losses this season, against Westville Boys’ High (15-23) and Grey High (20-7). They’ll, therefore, be focused on starting the game on the right foot.
Saints, after an excellent 2024 season, was expected to take a bit of a step back this year, and they were well beaten by GlenwoodHigh in their opener, going down 0-38. But coach Craig Dwyer has them playing good rugby, and they’ve won three of four since, beating Port Rex 19-15, HTS Daniel Pienaar 26-13, and Windhoek High 38-22.
Most recently, they went down to a tight 14-19 defeat to St Andrew’s College at the Saints Easter Rugby Festival, in Johannesburg. The Makhanda boys, too, have played some enterprising rugby in 2025, so, despite the defeat, the close nature of that loss reflects well on St Charles.
The Pietermaritzburg school plays an attractive and expressive game – perhaps a reflection of the decade Craig Dwyer spent coaching the game in New Zealand– and they also have some exciting talent up front, especially their powerful, athletic eighthman, Raphael Ajibade. He has the power to run over players, as well as the pace to run around them. No doubt, Hilton will keep a close eye on him.
That said, Hilton’s eighthman, Emmanuel Dankwah, is a big unit, too, and he’ll require similarly close attention from Saints.
Michaelhouse: 15 Alex Jankowitz, 14 Lwandle Nzama, 13 Rourke O’Sullivan, 12 William Ridl, 11 Jack Carmody, 10 Stefan Moolman, 9 Dan Aissing, 8 Dominic Sesink-Clee, 7 Luke Mitchell, 6 Oliver Davis, 5 Dan Carr, 4 Thomas Peach, 3 Nicolas Salamousas, 2 Max Oliva, 1 Koketso Bopape
Peterhouse: TBC
St Charles College vs Hilton College, Old Orchards, at 15:00
Hilton College: 15 James Peattie, 14 Guy Fender, 13 Khazimla Makali, 12 Tristan Uys, 11 Requilme Adonis, 10 Liyema Nela, 9 Zander Vorster, 8 Emmanuel Dankwah, 7 Stewart Falconer, 6 Jacques Olivier, 5 Andrew Schnell, 4 André Boshoff, 3 Mholi Khuzwayo, 2 Josh Grant, 1 Khanya Jekwa.
DHS showed, in a convincing win over Monument at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, that their pack stands back for no one. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Durban High School vs Northwood School
Last year’s two best teams in KwaZulu-Natal, highlight Saturday’s schedule in the province, with Durban High School (DHS) taking on Northwood on Van Heerden’s Field at 15:30, in Durban.
It will be a down ‘n dirty scrap featuring two powerful and abrasive packs. They’re well-coached, structurally sound, and they hit hard.
Northwood has lost only once in 2025, a narrow 14-16 defeat against Westville Boys’ High, who, together with DHS, are the lone unbeaten KZN teams. But the three teams just mentioned have shown that rugby in the province is in a healthy state this season.
The Knightsvisited Johannesburg for the KES Easter Rugby Festival and overran Pearson 61-14 before having their match against KES called off because of lightning when leading 12-7 in the second half.
Coach Jacques Deen‘s team is relentless, which is what Pearson discovered, but so, too, is coach Peter Engledow‘s DHS side. Last season, they drew 7-7 at Northwood before DHS triumphed 18-11 in a tight tussle at home.
It’s likely to be an arm wrestle again. Both sides play a similarly abrasive game up front and both boast backs with the potential to tear up the opposition.
Perhaps the most interesting battle to watch will be in the midfield where DHS wrecking ball Zingce Simka, alongside Nathan Aneke, will face the fleet-footed Bongane Khumalo, who partners Tristan Parkinson.
Simka and Khumalo offer a fascinating contrast of styles. Simka, especially near the try line, is a hard-to-stop, try-scoring machine. Khumalo is a smaller player, but slippery as they come. His path over the whitewash is usually less direct, but he, too, is an excellent finisher.
DHS went unbeaten at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival for a second season in succession, scoring three emphatic wins over Hoërskool Rustenburg (41-7), Hoërskool Monument (32-17), and Hoërskool Durbanville 33-5.
Last year, they had a legitimate claim to fielding the best defensive outfit in the country, conceding only 133 points in 15 matches, which is less than nine a game. While not quite up to that standard yet this season, there are signs that it’s becoming an ever-greater challenge to breach their defences. The Knights, though, will put that to the test.
Expect more of a test match-style game than a typical schoolboy running game, but anything is possible when two quality outfits butt heads.
Kearsney College vs Glenwood High School
Lock Joseph Roylance impressed for Kearsney at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival with his high work rate and all-round game. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Stott Field hosts Kearsney College against Glenwood. That clash has the look of a sneaky-good matchup.
Playing on the same field at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, Glenwood drew 26-26 with Monument, edged out Milnerton 37-34 in a thriller, and handed Dale College a 33-12 loss.
Kearsney opened with a 24-29 setback against Dr EG Jansen, coming alive in the second half of that match after starting slowly, to outscore the Boksburg boys 24-12 in the second stanza. They, then, beat Dale 34-13 before ending the festival with a 48-8 romp against Peterhouse.
First things first, Glenwood is a far better, more cohesive unit than last year’s 1st XV. They played some excellent rugby at Kearsney, especially in the first half of their match against Milnerton, which they led 29-0, thanks to their clinical ball movement and finishing. The concern for the Green Machine will be the fact that they allowed Milliesback into the contest, which was tied 34-34 before Joshua Kopp landed a late penalty to win it.
Led by Tylo Madaat, Glenwood’s lineout looks like a strength of the side, and another big unit, captain Lizwe Mtetwa, brings solidity and power to their midfield.
Between the backline and the forwards, scrumhalf Lian Lochner is a livewire and a try-scoring threat. He performed impressively at the Easter Festival.
Kearsney, after a deflating showing in a big defeat against Hilton College, has won four out of five since (and they will surely feel they should have beaten EG Jansen), and those wins include victories over Pretoria Boys High and Hudson Park.
Under the guidance of coach Grant Bashford, they appear to be going from strength to strength, and they played an enterprising 15-man game at the Easter Festival, with both the back and forwards making big contributions to the points’ scoring.
Looking at their standouts, an obvious one would be their eighthman, Nhlanhla Ndlovu, who was named to the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival. He led the way for an energetic and industrious pack.
At the back, Doan Nel, at centre, caught the eye with his excellent all-round game – physical and hard-hitting on defence, while also consistently denting opposing defences and setting up his support players for scores on the attack.
Last year, Kearsney won on Dixon’s Field for the first time since 2013, scraping a 25-22 victory over Glenwood.
TEAMS
Durban High School vs Northwood School, Van Heerden’s Field, at 15:30
Durban High School: 15 Cilermo Carolus, 14 Richard Gyamfi,13 Nathan Aneke,12 Zingce Simka, 11 Zenkosi Mthiyane, 10 Jordan van Wyk, 9 Jaydon Roberts 8 Bradley La Grange, 7 Zion Smith, 6 Daniel Ikotela, 5 Ambesiwe Sipango, 4 Vimbiso Kasvosve, 3 Bobby Udo-Idung, 2 Okuhle Bmanjwa, 1 Likho Khonza.
Hoërskool Monument26 (19) – Tries: Juandré Ehlers, Juandré Marais, Ryno van der Westhuizen, Ewan van der Walt. Conversions: Jaydon Viljoen (3); Milnerton 21 (0) – Tries: Chadlin Sellidon (2), Chadwin Sellidon. Conversions: Chadwin Sellidon (3).
Glenwood 33 (12) – Tries: Lian Lochner (2), Nkululeko Khumalo, Tylo Madaat, Lizwe Mtetwa. Conversions: Joshua Kopp (4); Dale College 12 (7) – Tries: Milani Madide, Kungawo Jaca. Conversions: Inga Mafanga.
Dr EG Jansen 22(17) – Tries: Marco Ventura (2), Jordan van der Westhuizen, Deshean Pietersen. Conversion: Juan van Aswegan; Framesby 20 (13) – Tries: Jaco George. Conversions: Miles Feltham (2). Penalties: Feltham (2).
Durban High School 33 (14) – Tries: Nathan Aneke (3), Zingce Simka (2). Conversions: Jordan van Wyk (4); HoërskoolDurbanville 5 (5) – Tries: Valrhinio Olckers.
After a tight first half, Maritzburg College pulled away in the second half to record their first win of the season. Photo: Maritzburg College on Facebook.
Maritzburg College captured their first win of the 2025 season, beating Glenwood 37-25 in an entertaining clash on Goldstone’s, on Saturday, in Pietermaritzburg.
College had gone down to Northwood and Durban High School (DHS), two of KZN’s top sides, in their first two outings, while Glenwood had opened their campaign with wins over St Charles College and HTS Middelburg.
In ideal weather for rugby, scrumhalf, Dom du Toit gave College an early lead from the kicking tee, but Glenwood struck back within two minutes through their captain, Lizwe Mthethwa, who was played into a gap after a good drive by the forwards up the left created an opportunity out on the blind side, and he finished well.
Joshua Koop tacked on the extras to give the visitors a 7-3 advantage.
College skipper Wasi Vyambwera came close to replying but was brought down only five metres from the Green Machine‘s try line. Glenwood, then, turned over possession and cleared to their 22m line.
The visitors worked their way into the College half, and when a lineout throw-in wasn’t handled cleanly, they were able to pressure the Red, Black, and White into holding onto the ball on the ground and the referee raised his arm to signal a penalty to the Durban side. Koop knocked over the kick from just outside the 22 and Glenwood moved seven points clear at 10-3.
Du Toit reduced the deficit to four points from the Glenwood 10m line after 26 minutes. Koop, though, responded with his third successful kick to put the visitors 13-6 clear.
Just before the break, College levelled when Amahle Hadebe crashed over the line, just to the right of the uprights, following a five-metre penalty. Du Toit had no trouble with the kick, and the teams turned with the scores even.
Early in the second half, for the first time since the second minute, Maritzburg College hit the front and it came from a special try from their Amahle Hadebe. Following good defensive pressure from College in the Glenwood 22, the visitors cleared to the right-hand touchline. A quick throw-in, though, gave College some space in which to play.
Two quick passes and Hadebe received the ball on the halfway line, in the middle of the field. He pinned his ears back and raced up to the Glenwood 22. Then, he beat the nearest defender with an outside break before cutting back inside, while selling a dummy, to wrong-foot the cover defence and go over next to the posts. Du Toit’s conversion made it 20-13.
Within a couple of minutes, Vyambwera and company struck again. Glenwood appeared to have a ruck covered just inside the College half, but David Colenbrander picked up and rocketed over the top of the ruck and away. On the opposition 22, he found support to his outside from lock Jaden Smith, who had done fantastic work to get up on the flank’s outside. He was dragged to the ground, but, with good vision, he picked out Adam Cahill and the wing rounded Glenwood to score a superb try. Du Toit continued his good form with the boot by adding the conversion.
Just eight minutes into the second half, Maritzburg College led by 14 points after the teams had turned at 13-13.
When a Glenwood lineout throw went awry inside the host’s 22 in the 53rd minute, the Red, Black, and White flung the ball down their backline, launching a long-range counterattack. They found space on the left flank and burned Glenwood to go over for five more. Du Toit rubbed salt into the visiting side’s wounds with another accurate conversion.
At 34-13, after three tries and three conversions without reply in the second half, College had broken the game open and it looked well and truly won. Glenwood, though, is renowned for a blue-collar approach and they kept working hard.
In the 58th minute, after bashing it up through their forwards, they broke through in the right-hand corner, to tack on five points to their total.
Shortly after the kick-off, though, they undid some of their good work when they conceded a penalty and Du Toit punished them, knocking over another three-pointer.
The Green Machine, however, had the final say in the match, completing the scoring with an enterprising try. A pinpoint cross-kick from centre Thamsanqa Ngubane picked out left-wing Mvelo Ndwalane, who immediately stepped off his left foot and cut inside. He offloaded to Joshua Edwards, who shrugged off a tackle and cut back outside before sprinting away to score in the left-hand corner.
Koop converted the challenging conversion to make the final score 37-25.
RESULTS
u19: Maritzburg College I 37-25 Glenwood I; Maritzburg College II 21-14 Glenwood II; Maritzburg College III 26-12 Glenwood III; Maritzburg College IV 50-0 Glenwood IV; Maritzburg College V 50-0 Glenwood V; Maritzburg College VII 50-0 Glenwood VI; Maritzburg College VIII 50-0 Glenwood VII; Maritzburg College IV 41-0 Glenwood VIII; Maritzburg College X 0-48 Howick II
u16: Maritzburg College A 30-10 Glenwood A; Maritzburg College B 15-5 Glenwood B; Maritzburg College C 10-5 Glenwood C; Maritzburg College E 12-10 Glenwood D; Maritzburg College F 28-18 Glenwood Er
u15: Maritzburg College A 26-21 Glenwood A; Maritzburg College B 29-7 Glenwood B; Maritzburg College C 32-5 Glenwood C; Maritzburg College E 15-5 Glenwood D; Maritzburg College F 28-18 Glenwood E
u14: Maritzburg College A 29-15 Glenwood A; Maritzburg College B 40-0 Glenwood B; Maritzburg College C 50-0 Glenwood C: Maritzburg College D 34-5 Howick A; Maritzburg College E 19-28 Glenwood D; Maritzburg College F 5-14 Glenwood E
Westville’s players turn towards coach Zander Erasmus in delight after the final whistle sounded to give them a hard-fought 16-14 victory over Northwood on Reece-Edwards Field. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Westville Boys’ High claimed a bruising 16-14 victory over Northwood in front of a large crowd surrounding Reece-Edwards Field, in Durban, on Saturday.
It wasn’t a free-flowing, open affair. It was very physical, the kind of battle one sees when top sides meet, with both working feverishly to neutralise the opposition’s offensive flair.
The difference in the game was provided by a difference-maker, Westville fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya, who scored a stunning counterattacking solo try from 70 metres out early in the second half.
It began near the left-hand touchline and finished wide on the right over the Northwood try line. In his wake, defenders lay sprawled and beaten.
“The whole plan was not to kick on him,” Northwood coach Jacques Deen told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match. It happened only once that the Knights kicked on Siyaya and gave him space to work in, but that was enough for the SA Schools’ star to put his stamp on the contest.
“It was a very tight game, but then a special player, Zekhethelo Siyaya, cracked it open and gave us the lead,” Westville coach Zander Erasmus commented. “We kind of got momentum and a bit of tempo in the second half and a bit more urgency. Our defence came through in the lineouts.”
It was a credit to Westville that they were able to pressure Northwood in the lineouts. The Knightspride themselves on that set piece – a speciality of coach Jacques Deen – and they, usually, are among the best at pressuring the opposition’s throw-ins. On this occasion, though, Westville was able to withstand the Northwood challenge and put the home team under some pressure.
“The lineout did not function as well as it usually does. And that is normally our strength,” Deen admitted.
Give credit to Northwood, though. Apart from that instance when they allowed Siyaya space to perform his magic, they made Westville play the game in the trenches. “They, obviously, fancied their maul,” Erasmus said. Credit, too, to Westville, who were up for the fight.
A rugged contest between two powerful packs led to the momentum flowing back and forth throughout the game. Photo: Brad Morgan.
“When we did our analysis, they were quite similar to our profile, so we knew coming here was going to be tough. We haven’t won here in a long time,” Erasmus said.
“We came here with a plan. It wasn’t pretty, but the plan was executed. You can’t ask for more because a lot of that fight you can’t coach.”
Late in the game, Northwood could have taken a shot at goal for the win, but they elected, instead, to kick the penalty into the corner and try to maul their way over the line. Westville stopped them. “Unfortunately, we made a mistake,” Deen said.
As good teams do, the Knights have made it a habit of pulling through to win close games – as they did earlier in the season against Michaelhouse and Maritzburg College – but this time around they couldn’t pull off another escape.
“It went the other way, but I said to the boys we didn’t take our opportunities,” Deen said. That’s the good news for Northwood, they’re creating opportunities and they’re capable of more.
“The positive thing is we’re at about 50 to 60 percent of our capability. If we hit 60 to 70 percent, we are going to be unstoppable,” Deen reckoned. “They need to realise that.”
For Westville, it was a big win, the kind of victory that strengthens bonds and belief, and the joy with which they celebrated afterwards, having withstood severe pressure in the latter stages of the game, showed that their players understood just how momentous their achievement was.
Together with Durban High School (DHS), Westville and Northwood, thus far, look like the cream of the crop in KwaZulu-Natal schools’ rugby in 2025.
Taking a look at how it unfolded: In the first half, Siyaya opened the scoring with a penalty kick from 40 metres out and flyhalf Lux Sonkononkono made it 6-0 with a second penalty.
Northwood hit back with a try from centre Tristan Parkinson after the Knights’ pack had pounded away at the Westville try line through numerous phases and a successful conversion from Savio Stevens gave them a 7-6 lead.
Centre Bongani Khumalo provided an extravagant finish to help pull Northwood within two points of Westville late in the game. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Then, in the second stanza, came Siyaya’s special moment and Sonkononokono added the extras to put Westville 13-7 ahead. The number 10 tacked on a penalty to extend the visitors’ advantage to nine points, but Northwood fired back.
They forced their way deep into the Westville 22 until they pried open the defensive line, with centre Bongani Khumalo finishing with a spectacular dive. Stevens slotted the conversion to pull the home team within two points.
That’s as close as they got as Westville defended stubbornly to claim a precious win.
u19: Northwood I 14-16 Westville I; Northwood II 12-14 Westville II; Northwood III 20-32 Westville III; Northwood IV 12-5 Westville IV; Northwood V 21-14 Westville V; Northwood VI 15-10 Westville VI
u16: Northwood A 17-14 Westville A; Northwood B 12-22 Westville B; Northwood C 26-0 Westville C; Northwood D 15-5 Westville D; Northwood E 7-0 Westville E
u15: Northwood A 17-17 Westville A; Northwood B 0-45 Westville B; Northwood C 0-36 Westville C; Northwood D 7-24 Westville D; Northwood E 21-12 Westville E
u14: Northwood A 7-21 Westville A; Northwood B 5-5 Westville B; Northwood C 0-24 Westville; Northwood D 0-33 Westville D; Northwood E 10-21 Westville E
Captain and 8th-man, Wasi Vyambwera, leads Maritzburg College against Glenwood, on Goldstone’s, on Saturday, 12 April. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Two matches are in the spotlight in KwaZulu-Natal this weekend: Northwood versus Westville Boys’ High, on Reece-Edwards Field, and Maritzburg College versus Glenwood, on Goldstone’s.
The match at Northwood brings together two unbeaten teams.
On both occasions, the Durban side had to stage late fightbacks to snatch the win. Coach Jacques Deen will want to see a better start from his side on Saturday. Their late-game finishing has been top-notch, however.
More recently, they were in action at the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival where they produced more emphatic performances and blanked Dale College 24-0 before outplaying Kingswood College 33-14.
There aren’t many matches in which teams score freely against Northwood, although Westville has the potential to change that narrative. Still, the Griffin will need to be on point with their defence to have a shot at victory.
The sides met in the last match of 2024 for both, with the Knights snatching a last-gasp 30-27 victory on Bowden’s after an enthralling encounter.
Westville has played three games this season so far and they have impressed. They opened with a 23-15 win at Hilton College, which was no mean feat. Then, they overran Selborne College at the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival, charging to a 45-12 win, before signing off with a 28-13 defeat of Dale College.
Together with Durban High School (DHS), Northwood and Westville have, thus far, been the most impressive of KZN’s 1st XVs.
Northwood and Westville look a lot like one another: Both boast rugged, physical packs and, behind them, some game-breaking runners.
Jaydon Smith‘s game-winning try for Northwood at Maritzburg College is one of the best solo efforts that will be seen this season (see YouTube highlights below). Westville, meanwhile, has the dangerous SA Schools’ fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya ready to punish any wayward kicking.
It should be a fascinating, evenly contested clash.
On Goldstone’s, Maritzburg College hosts Glenwood in a fixture that has been played since 1921.
While 2024 was not a good year for Glenwood’s 1st XV, the signs are that they’re a far more competitive outfit in 2025. There is a familiar look to many names in their lineup, but they’re now battle-hardened after a year of playing against, mostly, older opposition.
Glenwood’s team also includes a settled halfback combo of Lian Lochner, at scrumhalf, and Juan Viljoen, at flyhalf, and having an experienced pair of decision-makers is a big plus.
College, on the other hand, has different halfbacks from when they took on DHS in Durban on 15 March. Ryland Armoed and Jordan Thackeray were in the nine and 10 jerseys that day. This weekend, it will be Dominic du Toit and Liyema Tsoko doing duty. Du Toit is the brother of Luc du Toit, who enjoyed a superb season at flyhalf for College in 2023.
Glenwood beat St Charles College 38-0 in their opening match of the season and scraped a 7-5 win over a good HTS Middelburg side at the Glenwood Rugby Festival. That’s a small sample size, though, and there is a lot still to be learned about coach Derek Heiberg‘s side. Their status should be far clearer after Saturday’s showdown.
College has also played only two games: the narrow 21-24 loss to Northwood, which they led 21-10 with only 10 minutes to play, and the 13-29 defeat to DHS. There could be no better salve for the hurt sustained in those losses than a win on Goldstone’s over their old rivals, Glenwood.
Saying that and doing that are different things, of course.
TEAMS
Northwood vs Westville Boys’ High, Reece-Edwards Field, 15:00
In 2024, Dr EG Jansen beat Kearsney College at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival. They meet again at the 2025 event. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Just one week remains until the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival(KERF) lights up Stott Field and Roberts Field in Botha’s Hill.
The 2025 edition of the event features 12 high school 1st XVs, 12 primary school teams, and, for the first time, four high school girls’ u16 sides.
Since the lineup was revealed on 18 February, we’ve had an opportunity to see most of the 1st XVs in action. Of the four KwaZulu-Natal representatives, three – Durban High School (DHS), Westville Boys’ High, and Glenwood – are unbeaten, albeit that the season is in its infancy and some serious challenges await them this coming weekend, Kearsney College has won three of their four matches.
DHS, the best team in KZN in 2024, is staking a strong claim to be number one again. They’re a well-coached and well-drilled side, very physical and relentless, and they’ve won five matches already.
Most recently, they were in action at the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival, where they impressed in emphatic wins over Kingswood College (41-20) and Selborne College (35-5). They’ve also beaten Michaelhouse (28-20), Maritzburg College (29-10), and Bethlehem Voortrekker (63-8).
Yet, it feels like there is still more to come from School. No doubt, that’s how coaches Peter Engeldow and Ronnie Uys see it. With an Absa Wildeklawerschedule that features games against Stellenberg and Paarl Gimnasium, with Gim having already staked a strong claim to being number one in South Africa, DHS will want to find their best form as soon as possible.
They open their challenge against Hoërskool Rustenburg, a school they crushed 45-0 at KERF in 2024, which was one of those games that alerted people to the fact that DHS might have a special team. They went on to prove that case, winning 13 and losing only two by a combined seven points.
Rustieslook like a tougher out this year. They were well beaten by Hoërskool Noordheuwel (14-40) earlier this season, but Noriesshowed they’re a serious side when they pushed Grey College (22-24) and Paul Roos (19-26) to the brink at the NMI Toyota North/South Tournament.
Rustenburg has won three matches besides that, edging out Hoërskool Trio 17-14 in their season-opener on 1 March, followed by a narrow 27-25 win over Hoërskool Witteberg, and a convincing 60-24 victory over Hoërskool Diamantveld at the North/South, where they also shared a 15-15 draw with Nico Malan.
It’s a credit to DHS that they’ve been handed three tough fixtures. They also face Hoërskool Monument on Saturday, 19 April, and Hoërskool Durbanville on Monday, 21 April. Those teams met at the North/South, with Durbies scoring a hard-fought 27-21 win over Monnas.
Durbanville, first-timers at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, also faced another of the KERF teams, Dr EG Jansen, in Stellenbosch and won that one 34-16. They boast a beefy pack and some gas in the backline. They’ll be tough.
They face an interesting challenge in their opener against Dale College, who are renowned for their running rugby. Durbies will also have an early morning call on Saturday, opening the day’s menu with an outing against Rustenburg.
DHS excelled in a 45-0 win over Hoërskool Rustenburg at KERF in 2024. They do battle on the first day of the 2025 festival. Photo: Brad Morgan.
The hosts, Kearsney, face Dr EG Jansen in their opener at 13:00 on Thursday. Last year, after trailing 5-11 when they met the One-Stripe at KERF, EG Jansen shifted gears and ran away to a 36-11 victory.
They’re not the powerhouse that they were in 2024, but they’re still a decent outfit. Both teams have suffered one big loss each this season – Kearsney to Hilton College, and Jansies to Boland Landbou – but they’ve also shown enough to suggest that their meeting could be an entertaining head-to-head.
Kearsney also faces Dale College and Zimbabwe’s Peterhouse. Both matches should see the ball doing plenty of work, being put through the hands, as Dale and Peterhouse favour a running game.
Kearsney, too, has shown a real appetite for that approach early in the season, and it brought them wins over Pretoria Boys High (28-26) and Hudson Park (41-31) at the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival.
Glenwood will be a team to keep an eye on. Yes, 2024 was not a big success, but they head into the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival with an experienced team and one year on that could lead to a reversal of their fortunes. They’ve played only two matches thus far in 2025, comfortably beating St Charles 38-0 before sneaking a 7-5 win over HTS Middelburg.
They’ll confront Monument in their opener, which should reveal a lot about both sides. Then, they take on Milnerton, another newcomer from the Western Cape, who edged out Durbanville 20-15 at the Western Province Rugby Schools Day in mid-March. They close with a game against Dale College on Monday.
One of the KERF regulars, Hoërskool Framesby, has been handed a daunting opener against Westville Boys’ High, who have looked very good early on this season. They’re coached by Zander Erasmus, who has moved up to the 1st XV after coaching many of the players he now leads at u16 level.
They play an enterprising game. They’re strong up front but mobile, and they possess some very dangerous backline players, led by fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya, who is dynamite on the counterattack.
Westville fullback Zekhethelo Siyiya crossed for two superb tries in his side’s 14-point win over Hilton College on 25 May 2024. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Framesby will also be challenged by Peterhouse’s running game before facing a more traditional challenge from Dr EG Jansen. Westville, who upset Monument 25-22 in their last game of last year’s festival, take on EG Jansen on Saturday and finish with Rustenburg, on Monday.
Westville has played three and won three thus far, including a 24-15 win at Hilton College, a 45-12 shellacking of Selborne, and a 28-13 defeat of Dale.
Milnerton, one of 2024’s most exciting teams anywhere in the country, tackles Peterhouse in the festival’s opening game and it should be pleasing to the eye. After their Glenwood game on Saturday, they meet Monnas on Monday. They’ve been handed three very different challenges, but their rugby should be all the better for it.
Each day, on Stott Field, a prime-time spot, at 12:00, has been reserved for girls’ u16 matches. In a late change to the field of four teams, Grosvenor Girls’ High has replaced Richards Bay High School.
Thursday’s Stott Field spotlight will fall on Mowat Park High and Adams College. On Saturday, it will be the turn of Adams College and George Campbell to play the prime-time game, and, on Monday, Adams College and Grosvenor will meet.
The event also features 12 primary school teams, who will be in action on Roberts Field. Apart from the KZN primary schools, it will include two development sides and, also, the Harare Lions, from Zimbabwe.
BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL FIXTURES
Thursday, 17 April
08:00 – Milnerton High School vs Peterhouse
09:20 – Hoërskool Durbanville vs Dale College
10:40 – Durban High School vs Hoërskool Rustenburg
13:00 – Kearsney College vs Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen
14:20 – Hoërskool Monument vs Glenwood High School
15:40 – Westville Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Framesby
Saturday, 19 April
08:00 – Hoërskool Durbanville vs Hoërskool Rustenburg
09:20 – Hoërskool Framesby vs Peterhouse
10:40 – Milnerton High School vs Glenwood High School
13:00 – Westville Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen
14:20 – Kearsney College vs Dale College
15:40 – Hoërskool Monument vs Durban High School
Monday, 21 April
08:00 – Hoërskool Monument vs Milnerton High School
09:20 – Glenwood High School vs Dale College
10:40 – Hoërskool Framesby vs Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen
12:50 – Closing Ceremony
13:00 – Durban High School vs Hoërskool Durbanville
14:20 – Westville Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Rustenburg
15:40 – Kearsney College vs Peterhouse
GIRLS’ U16 FIXTURES
Thursday, 17 April
12:00 – Mowat Park High vs Adams College
12:00 – George Campbell vs Grosvenor Girls’ High School
Saturday, 19 April
12:00 – Adams College vs George Campbell
12:00 – Mowat Park High vs Grosvenor Girls’ High School
Monday, 21 April
11:00 – Mowat Park High vs George Campbell
12:00 – Adams College vs Grosvenor Girls’ High School
PRIMARY SCHOOL FIXTURES
Thursday, 17 April
08:00 – Highbury Prep vs Kloof Senior Primary
09:00 – Penzance Primary vs uThukela Team (Bergville)
10:00 – Winston Park Primary vs Westville Senior Primary
11:00 – Hillcrest Primary vs Chelsea Prep
13:00 – Umhlali Prep vs KZN Ibutho Development Team
14:00 – Glenwood Prep vs Harare Lions
Saturday, 19 April
08:00 – Kloof Senior Primary vs Winston Park Primary
09:00 – Chelsea Prep vs Harare Lions
10:00 – Westville Senior Primary vs Hillcrest Primary
11:00 – Glenwood Prep vs uThukela Team (Bergville)
13:00 – Highbury Prep vs KZN Ibutho Development Team
14:00 – Penzance Primary vs Umhlali Prep
Monday, 21 April
08:00 – Hillcrest Primary vs Winston Park Primary
09:00 – Kloof Senior Primary vs uThukela Team (Bergville)
10:00 – Glenwood Prep vs Westville Senior Prep
12:00 – Highburg Prep vs Umhlali Prep
13:00 – Penzance Primary vs Harare Lions
14:00 – Chelsea Prep vs KZN Ibutho Development Team
After six days of entertaining rugby in the 1st XV, 2nd XV, u16, u15, and u14 age groups, the annual Glenwood Rugby Festival came to a close in Durban, on Saturday.
Durban High School (DHS) showed off their strength in depth, with a DHS Invitation XV beating Landboudal 36-17 on Tuesday before holding Transvalia to a 10-10 draw two days later. School‘s 1st XV recently convincingly beat Kingswood College and Selborne College at the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival.
Transvalia also cruised to a 45-9 victory over Vryheid Landbou, while Potchefstroom Volkskool went two for two, overpowering a KZN Select team 55-0 before claiming a hard-fought 18-7 win over Landboudal.
Jim Fouché battled to a 40-26 win over DF Malan and edged out a Glenwood XV 15-13 in their second outing. Glenwood’s 1st XV was involved in a low-scoring tussle against HTS Middelburg but came away with a 7-5 win. HTS Middelburg followed up with a 27-9 defeat of DF Malan and won 31-10 against Landboudal.
In the u14 matches, Glenwood and DHS ruled the roost. The hosts scored 100 points in two wins while conceding only seven, while DHS scored 101 and kept a clean sheet in both victories.
HTS Middelburg claimed two KZN scalps in the u15 age group, beating a Westville Invitation XV 33-22 and Northwood 19-17, but they were swamped by DHS, who roared to a 41-0 win. The Horsefliesalso handed Jim Fouché a 41-0 loss, and they overran CBC Bulawayo 50-0.
Glenwood was even more ruthless, crushing Jim Fouché 50-0, CBC 54-0, and a KZN Select side 54-0.
In the u16 games, DHS won by 50-0 margins against Jim Fouché, the KZN Select team, and DF Malan while Glenwood trounced DF Malan 45-0, but was made to work harder for a 33-12 victory over Jim Fouché before finishing with a 50-0 victory over DF Malan.
Transvalia was the pick of the 2nd XVs, beating Hilton College 31-14 before thumping Jim Fouché 50-3 and DF Malan 50-0.
