Author: correspondent

The 2025 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival concluded on Monday following three absorbing days of play, with Durban High School (DHS) and Westville Boys’ High finishing with 100 percent records – three wins from three matches – while Glenwood was unbeaten but drew with Monument.

As is the tradition on the last day, an independent panel of selectors named the festival’s best forward and best backline player, and also shared the Festival All Stars Team.

Flank Briint Davids, from Milnerton, received the forwards’ accolade, while the best backline player went the way of Westville’s fullback, Zekhethelo Siyaya.

The All Stars team:

Forwards: 1 Eli Pedro (Durbanville), 2 Okuhle Mbanjwa (DHS), 3 Joseph Udo-Idung (DHS), 4 Vimbiso Kasvosve (DHS), 5 Lwandile Mlaba (Westville), 6 Briint Davids (Milnerton), 7 Sambesiwe Ndamase (Glenwood), 8 Nhlanhla Ndlovu (Kearsney)

Backs: 9 Mondre van Heerden (Framesby), 10 Chadwin Sellidon (Milnerton), 11 Ruan Genis (Monument), 12 Zingce Simka (DHS), 13 Andrew Maringa (Peterhouse), 14 Zenkosi Mthiyane (DHS), and 15 Zekethelo Siyaya (Westville).

The organisers made special mention of Milnerton High for their entertaining running rugby and Westville Boys’ High for producing the most attractive rugby at the festival.

Westville Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Rustenburg

In the day’s second-last match, Westville won their third game on the trot, defeating a game Hoërskool Rustenburg 24-17.

Coach Zander Erasmus opted to start the contest with seven of his leading players on the bench. That was intended to challenge the other members of the Westville squad and also give those seven a little rest ahead of a showdown with Jeppe High School for Boys on Friday.

Rusties pushed the Griffin hard. Clearly, their come-from-behind 26-22 victory over Durbanville on Saturday had instilled in them the belief that they have the firepower to overcome the odds and they delivered an impressively stubborn performance.

Unfortunately for the side from the North West Province, though, they faced the two unbeaten teams, Westville and DHS, so had to settle for that solitary win over Durbies.

It looked to be business as usual for Westville when they scored quickfire tries through Lwandle Makhanya and Avumile Lisa to charge into an early 12-0 lead. Rustenburg found a response, though, through Tristan Myburgh, who crashed over from close range to reduce the deficit.

Hooker Ross Calvert scored Westville’s third a little before the break with a sharply executed lineout move that caught Rustenburg unawares to extend the local side’s advantage to 17-7 at the interval.

Ten minutes into the second half, Rustenburg replied, with Thian Labuschagne barging his way over for a five-pointer to pull the team in green to within three points.

With only 10 minutes left on the clock, Ayden Willemse nailed a penalty to level matters. By then, Westville had sent on their bomb squad and Rusties made the mistake of kicking on SA Schools’ fullback, Zekhethelo Siyaya, who, given space, sliced through the Rustenburg defence before offloading to Lux Sononkonkono, who dotted down the winning try.

Kearsney College vs Peterhouse

The Festival wrapped up with Kearsney tackling Peterhouse. The One-Stripe had gone down to Dr EG Jansen in their opener by five points after a slow first half, but their second-half performance suggested there was a lot more to come from the hosts.

They showed up well in a comfortable 34-13 win over Dale College on Saturday. On Monday, they were more clinical in a 48-8 dismantling of Peterhouse.

The touring Zimbabweans, who had had no pre-season to speak of heading into the festival, finished their campaign winless after also going down to Milnerton High School and Hoërskool Framesby.

The hosts got off to the best possible start when, after nailing a superb 50/22, flyhalf Jayden Jonsson was on hand to finish off the ensuing attack.

Andrew Maringa, earlier named best number 13 at the festival, nailed a drop goal for Peterhouse to get their first points on the board, but a pinpoint cross-kick from Jonsson moments later set up Valentino Lenge for Kearsney’s second five-pointer.

Lwandle Mkhize and Keanu Williamson also crossed the whitewash to take the home side into a handy 24-3 lead at the break.

In the second half, Mkhize made it a brace before Peterhouse, at last, grabbed their only try of the afternoon through Michael Marimo. However, more Kearsney five-pointers – from Lwazi Mbebe, Simo Mnqokoyi, and Jonsson – added even more gloss to the final score.

SCORERS

Westville Boys’ High 24 (17) – Tries: Lwandle Makhanya, Avumila Lisa, Ross Calvert, Lux Sononkonkono. Conversions: Jade-Will Koopman. Hoërskool Rustenburg 17 (7) Tries: Tristan Myburgh, Thian Labuschagne. Conversions: Ayden Willemse (2). Penalty: Willemse.

Kearsney College 48 (24) – Jayden Jonsson (2), Lwandle Mkhize (2), Valentino Lenge, Keanu Williamson, Lwazi Mbebe, Simo Mnqokoyi; Peterhouse 8 (3) – Try: Michael Marimo, Drop goal: Andrew Maringa.

Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen vs Hoërskool Framesby

Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen edged out Hoërskool Framesby 22-20 on Stott Field in a fascinating arm wrestle in the third game of Monday’s slate at the 2025 Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Festival.

After a day one defeat to Westville Boys’ High, the Gqeberha school was looking to build on their victory over Peterhouse on Saturday, while Jansies were keen to add a second win to their record after a five-point defeat of Kearsney College and, like Framesby, a big loss to Westville.

In the first half, the lead changed hands several times, with neither side able to establish dominance, but, as things slowed down in the second half, EG Jansen took control and, despite a battling effort from Framesby, they were able to hold on for a tight win.

Framesby sharpshooter Miles Feltham opened the game’s scoring with a penalty a few minutes in before hooker Marco Ventura replied for EG Jansen, crashing over for a try off the back of a rolling maul.

A nifty Jaco George grubber and re-gather put Framesby back in front before Jordan van der Westhuizen finished off in the corner to level matters.

Feltham nudged over another three-pointer thereafter, but Ventura struck again after EG Jansen went back to their brutal maul game, which resulted in the Boksburg boys taking a 17-13 lead into halftime.

Shortly after the resumption of play, Deshean Pietersen extended their advantage with another try. George responded with his second three minutes before the final whistle, which reduced the deficit to just two points, but EG Jansen held on to claim a hard-fought win.

Durban High School vs Hoërskool Durbanville

For a second year in succession, Durban High School (DHS) recorded a 100 percent record at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival. After convincing wins over Hoërskool Rustenburg (41-7) and Monument (32-17), the Horseflies beat Durbanville 33-5, running in 19 unanswered points in the second half.

Coach Peter Engledow‘s charges were boosted by tries from Zingce Simka, who powered over twice, and his centre partner, hat-trick hero Nathan Aneke.

Durbanville endured mixed fortunes. They opened their campaign with a commanding 66-22 victory over Dale College on Thursday, but they were stunned by Rustenburg, who staged a second-half fightback to capture a 26-22 victory on Saturday.

Both defensively and offensively, DHS exhibited intensity and a hard physical edge, which, although Durbanville did well to keep them in sight in the first half, meant they were never quite in with a shout at victory.

The prolific Simka, a huge weapon from close range, opened the scoring before Valrhinio Olckers hit the gas to race through and dot down for Durbanville’s only points of the contest.

Not long after that, Simka bulldozed his way over for his fifth five-pointer of the festival, which made it 14-5 to School at the break.

In the second stanza, his midfield buddy, Aneke, stole the show. He scored a pearler early in the second half off of first-phase ball and then added two more as DHS cantered to victory.

SCORERS

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); Hoërskool Durbanville 5 (5) – Tries: Valrhinio Olckers.

Monument vs Milnerton

A physical onslaught on both sides of the ball from Hoërskool Monument was enough to earn them a 26-21 win over a spirited Milnerton High School in the first game of the final day of the Standard Bank Kearsney College Easter Rugby Festival.

Monnas shared a 26-26 draw with Glenwood on day one, which was followed by a 17-32 defeat to Durban High School (DHS) on Saturday, while the Western Cape side downed Peterhouse 34-18 in their opener before coming unstuck against Glenwood, losing 34-37 after the Durban school landed a last-gasp penalty.

The last time Monument left the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival winless was in 2012, and it was clear from the outset that the Krugersdorp school wasn’t keen on ending their successful streak on Monday.

Much like they did against Glenwood, Milnerton staged another rousing comeback to lead 21-19 at one stage, but ultimately they
fell just short.

Juandré Ehlers set the scoreboard in motion when he barged over early on for the team in white, with Morgan Lodewyk, who was otherwise his side’s best player, missing a rather straightforward penalty attempt for Milnerton minutes later.

Monument went on to take control of proceedings from there, while Milnerton struggled to gain any kind of foothold in the contest.

A clever tap-and-go from Wit Bulle tighthead Juandré Marais, from five metres out, led to their second try, before a third through blindside flank, Ryno van der Westhuizen, made it 19-0 at the break.

The introduction off the bench of the Sellidon twins, Chadlin and Chadwin, resulted in a huge upturn in Milnerton’s fortunes, with the diminutive duo pulling three excellent tries back between them in the third quarter, to edge their side into an unlikely two-point lead.

However, Cornelius Mostert set up Ewan van der Walt to go over for five and Monument edged in front once more. This time, Milnerton was all out of answers.

Glenwood vs Dale College

Glenwood High School overcame a valiant Dale College defensive effort to claim a 33-12 victory in the day’s second game.

That victory ensured the KZN outfit leaves Botha’s Hill unbeaten after a draw with Hoërskool Monument and a narrow win over Milnerton High School in their first two matches.

Dale, meanwhile, made huge improvements in their third outing, following earlier defeats to Hoërskool Durbanville and the hosts, Kearsney College. They’ll take heart from a determined and proud performance against their more-fancied opponents.

For all of Glenwood’s territorial dominance throughout the game, they struggled to break down Dale, with the boys from the Eastern Cape defending manfully and living off scraps.

Lesedi Khumalo scored first up for Glenwood before Milani Madide finished off a spectacular 80m try for the Daleians, which began on the left-hand touchline and ended in the right-hand corner.

Inga Mafanga had a penalty opportunity to put Dale ahead with just over three minutes of the first half-hour remaining, but he pulled it wide. Just before the break, lock Tylo Madaat crossed for a try for the Green Machine, who led 12-7 at the break.

A Kungawo Jaca smash-and-grab five-pointer brought Dale to within two points early in the second half, but further tries for Glenwood tries through Lizwe Mtetwa and Lian Lochner, who touched down twice, all but sealed the deal.

SCORERS

Hoërskool Monument 26 (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 (14) – Tries: Lian Lochner (2), Nkululeko Khumalo, Tylo Madaat, Lizwe Mtetwa. Conversions: Joshua Kopp (4); Dale College 12 (5) – Tries:  Milani Madide, Kungawo Jaca. Conversions: Inga Mafanga.

Kearsney College vs Dale College

In ideal weather for rugby – sunny but slightly cool – Kearsney College saw off Dale College 34-13 to win the fifth game on day two of the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, in front of the large and vociferous crowd surrounding Stott Field.

The hosts were beaten 29-24 by Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen on Thursday, while the Eastern Cape side came into Saturday’s showdown off the back of a 22-66 loss to Hoërskool Durbanville, but it was Kearsney who returned to winning ways, thanks to some clinical finishing.

Coach Grant Bashford‘s boys scored their opening two tries through the clever use of cross-kicks, with the first finished off by Lwandle Mkhize on the left-hand touchline, while midfielder Keanu Williamson scored the second out wide on the right.

Less than a minute before halftime, Doan Nel crashed over to take the score out to 24-3, with Inga Mafanga having pulled three points back for the visitors, courtesy of a successful penalty attempt.

Nhlanhla Ndlovu scored Kearsney’s first five-pointer of the second half, before Valentino Lenge added another to all but end the match as a contest.

Dale showed their fighting spirit by crossing for their first try through loosehead Phawu Ludwaba, who rumbled his way over, and they struck again moments later through second-rower Ebenezer Sarpong. By then, though, they were too far behind to be able to mount a serious comeback.

Durban High School vs Hoërskool Monument

In Saturday’s last game, Durban High School (DHS) outplayed Hoërskool Monument 32-17, with Monnas scoring on the final whistle to add seven points, which left the Horseflies the winners by 15.

The victory also kept alive School‘s hopes of going undefeated for a second year in succession at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival.

DHS had put Hoërskool Rustenburg away 41-7 on the first day, while Monument played out an exciting 26-26 draw with Glenwood, which meant the Wit Bulle were searching for their first win of the Easter weekend.

Monnas‘ flyhalf Anthony Viljoen pulled an early penalty attempt wide before a powerful DHS driving maul teed up bowling ball centre Zingce Simka, who powered over for his team’s first points of the encounter.

Sparked to life, Monument shifted gears and levelled matters through the hard-running midfielder Juandré Ehlers. Then, a successful Viljoen penalty cancelled out an earlier three-pointer landed by his opposite number Jordan van Wyk. However, a Duhan du Plessis try, on the stroke of halftime, put the KZN side 15-10 ahead.

After the break, Viljoen missed another kickable penalty attempt and DHS, who had made a mess of a couple of excellent scoring opportunities, found their finishing as hooker Okuhle Mbanjwa, substitute Marcwin Nero, and number 13 Nathan Aneke all crossed for five-pointers to open up a 22-point lead.

With time up on the clock, eighthman Vincent Roberts pulled a try back for coach Jannie du Plessis‘s boys, but by then the damage had already been done.

SCORERS

Kearsney 34 (24) – Tries: Lwandle Mkhize, Keanu Williamson, Doan Nel, Nhlanhla Ndlovu, Valentino Lenge. Conversions: Lwazi Mbebe (3). Penalty: Mbebe; Dale 13 (3) -Tries: Phawu Ludwaba, Ebenezer Sarpong. Penalty: Inga Mafanga.

Durban High School 32 (15) – Tries: Zingce Simka, Duhan du Plessis, Okuhle Mbanjwa, Marcwin Nero, Nathan Aneke. Conversions: Jordan van Wyk (2). Penalty: Van Wyk; Monument 17 (10) – Tries: JuandréEhlers, Vincent Roberts. Conversions: Anthony Viljoen, Cameron Kourie. Penalty: Viljoen.

Glenwood vs Milnerton

Joshua Kopp kicked a penalty after the final hooter to lift Glenwood High School to a 37-34 victory over Milnerton High School, who had staged a terrific fightback from 0-29 down halfway through the first half of their clash, on Saturday, at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, in Botha’s Hill.

Kopp opened the Green Machine’s account with a three-pointer before a Sthabiso Dube swan dive and Lian Lochner‘s blindside snipe put the KZN outfit firmly in the driver’s seat early on.

When No 12 Lizwe Mtetwa then ran in an interception, matters looked ominous, and it went from bad to worse for the Western Cape boys when wing Litha Tasana saw yellow at the resulting kick-off for a reckless challenge in the air.

Glenwood scored another try through their industrious flank Joshua Edwards to make it 29-0, but Milnerton, whose never-say-die spirit is a feature of their play, dramatically swung the momentum their way.

The boys in sky blue hit back hard with quickfire tries by the Sellidon twins – Chadwin and Chadlin – and Divine Ambrose, while a further penalty by Chadwin brought Milnerton right back into the contest at 24-29 at halftime.

Glenwood set up camp deep inside Milnerton’s territory after the resumption and the pressure told when Chadlin Sellidon copped his side’s second yellow for a deliberate knock-on in the red zone. After a prolonged period of attack, the Durban school, at last, opened their second-half account through Mvelo Ndwalane.

Milnerton was far from done, though, and Chadwin Sellidon snapped a superb drop goal minutes later – the first of the festival – before going on to score his second try, which he duly converted to make it 34-34. Very little time remained in the match.

Glenwood was able to mount a late attack, however, and, on the last play of the contest, they won a penalty, which Kopp slotted to seal an absolute doozy.

Westville Boys’ High vs Dr EG Jansen

Westville Boys’ High‘s superior tactical awareness powered them to a 36-5 win over Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen in the fourth game of day two.

Jansies had narrowly knocked over the hosts, Kearsney College 29-24, on Thursday, while the Griffin cantered to a 31-0 opening win over Hoërskool Framesby.

Some thought it might be a hard-fought affair, but the Boksburg team struggled to play in the right areas and were often pinned back in their half by the astute tactical kicking of the local side.

Westville started like a house on fire, scoring within 30 seconds after fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya tore away down the right flank. An impressive lineout drive saw Brandon Eke go over to extend their lead, but EG Jansen retaliated through Craig Lightfoot.

Possession traded hands before Westville finished off another opportunity out wide through their speedy left-wing, Avumile Lisa.

Unlike that of their counterparts, Westville’s tactical kicking kept them playing the game in the right parts of the field, with Siyaya executing two immaculate 50/22s in the first half alone to heap the pressure on EG Jansen.

Jade-Will Koopman was on hand to add two more tries to the Westville tally before the break, showcasing exceptional acrobatics to complete his brace in the right-hand corner from a cross-kick in one of the tries of the festival.

The scoring slowed up after the break, with EG Jansen unable to convert any of their chances, while Phumula Xulu went over for Westville to seal a comfortable win for coach Zander Erasmus‘s boys.

SCORERS

Glenwood 37 (29) – Sthabiso Dube, Lian Lochner, Lizwe Mtetwa, Joshua Edwards, Mvelo Ndwalane. Conversions: Joshua Kopp (3). Penalties: Kopp (2); Milnerton 34 (24) – Tries: Chadwin Sellidon (2), Ambrose, Chadlin Sellidon. Conversions: Chadwin Sellidon (4). Penalty: Chadwin Sellidon. Drop goal: Chadwin Sellidon.

Westville 36 (29) – Tries: Jade-Will Koopman, Zekhethelo Siyaya, Brandon Eke, Phumula Xulu. Conversions: Koopman (3). Dr EG Jansen 5 (5) – Try: Craig Lightfoot.

Hoërskool Rustenburg vs Hoërskool Durbanville

In Saturday’s opening game on day two of the Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, Hoërskool Rustenburg captured a dramatic 26-22 win over Hoërskool Durbanville, on Stott Field.

The Western Cape outfit had picked up a big 66-22 victory over Dale College on Thursday and they were focused on keeping that momentum rolling. Rustenburg, meanwhile, had been on the receiving end of a 7-41 defeat against Durban High School (DHS) in their opener, but they produced a stoic performance to come away with the spoils.

Durbanville didn’t hang about after the opening whistle and they were quickly on the scoreboard through hooker Juan Smit, who forced his way over after an effective driving maul.

Tristan Myburgh levelled matters for Rustenburg, thanks to a maul of their own, but another Durbanville drive led to a Zay-Winn Januarie score.

Despite Durbanville dominating possession and territory for most of the first half, Rustenburg’s good work on the deck enabled them to reject a number of their opponent’s attacking forays. De Wet Viljoen had the final say of the opening stanza when he landed a sublime 50-odd metre penalty, to extend coach Johann van Deventer’s side’s lead to 17-7 at the break.

Early in the second half, Rustenburg scrumhalf Adriano George finished off a sparkling attack, which was highlighted by swift ball movement. Durbanville, though, responded immediately through Ruan Vosloo.

The boys in green and orange were not to be outdone, however, and they scored further tries through hooker Xavier Steenkamp and winger Keathwyn Afrika to edge in front with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Despite a late fightback from Durbanville, some manful defending and smart tactical play secured Rustenburg a morale-boosting victory.

Hoërskool Framesby vs Peterhouse

Hoërskool Framesby rolled to a comfortable 45-19 win over Peterhouse in the second match of the day.

Both sides were searching for their first victory at the festival after the Gqeberha school was put to the sword in a 0-31 drubbing by Westville Boys’ High, while the Zimbabwean side had suffered an 18-34 defeat to Milnerton in their opener on Thursday.

In the first half, both teams showed plenty of positive attacking intent, and the first blow was struck by Peterhouse, with their flyhalf James Watt, breaking the deadlock with a converted try 15 minutes in.

Wian Holtzhausen hit back soon thereafter to level it for Framesby, before captain Eden Calitz put the Eastern Cape boys in front when he crashed over from close range.

Peterhouse was made to rue an unsuccessful Watt penalty attempt when a superb Calestin Felkers break and pop off the deck allowed Mondre van Heerden to collect and dive over under the sticks.

The scrumhalf sniped over for his second not long after that to give Framesby a comfortable 26-7 advantage at the interval.

The tourists were arguably better than the scoreline suggests, but their inability to execute the basics at crucial moments let them down.

After halftime, Framesby picked up where they left off and extended their lead through Holtzhausen’s second five-pointer.

Tries by flying fullback Munashe Masamha and Andrew Maringa narrowed the deficit for the boys in white, but two more tries by Jaco George, off the back of more Peterhouse errors, provided the final nails in the coffin.

SCORES

Rustenburg 26 (7) – Tries: Tristan Myburgh, Adriano George, Xavier Steenkamp, Keathwyn Afrika. Conversions: Ayden Willemse (2), Ricardo Enos; Durbanville  – Tries: Juan Smit, Zay-Winn Januarie, Ruan Vosloo. Conversions: De Wet Viljoen (2). Penalty: Viljoen.

Framesby 45 (26) – Tries: Wian Holtzhausen (2), Mondre van Heerden (2), Adriano George (2), Eden Calitz. Conversions: Miles Feltham (5); Peterhouse 19 (7) – Tries: James Watt, Munashe Masamha, Andrew Maringa, Conversions: Watt, Maringa.

Scores
Framesby
Tries: Holtzhausen (2), Calitz, van Heerden (2), George (2)
Cons: Feltham (5)
Peterhouse
Tries: Watt, Masamha, Maringa
Cons: Watt, Maringa

Dr EG Jansen triumphed 29-24 over Kearsney College in the fourth match of the opening day’s play at the Standard Bank Kearsney College Easter Festival.

As good as the boys from Boksburg were on Thursday, they were helped in part by a number of unforced errors from the hosts, whose basics let them down.

Still, the teams produced one of the most competitive games of the day.

Jansies weren’t hanging around early on and were quickly rewarded for their bold, expansive play when Deashean Pietersen and Otlotleng Zulu finished off great counterattacks from deep before an ensuing breakaway try from Juan van Aswegen made it 19-0.

Just before halftime, Kearsney launched an all-out assault on the EG Jansen try line but couldn’t unlock the visitors’ defence, with their passing accuracy and the opposition’s gain-line dominance ensuring Reghardt Botha’s charges headed into halftime the happier of the sides.

Kearsney came out firing at the start of the second half, with winger Lwandile Mkhize running in their festival opener from 80-odd metres out. That fast start was just what the doctor ordered, and skipper Simanye Mlakalaka scored another soon thereafter to make it 12-19.

EG Jansen hit back after setting up camp deep inside Kearney’s territory, and they finally picked up their first points of the half when left winger Jordan van der Westhuizen dived over out wide.

The teams continued to trade tries, with Joseph Roylance, De Wet Muller, and Doan Nel all going over in what became a topsy-turvy affair in the second half. Ultimately, though, it was the Gauteng school that held out for an all-important win.

Durban High School scored a comprehensive 41-7 win over Hoërskool Rustenburg in the third game of the festival.

The result ensured the unbeaten Horseflies extended their winning run to six matches this year, and you’d have to be a brave man to bet against them going unbeaten at KERF yet again.

DHS withstood an effervescent start from the North West side to score through right-wing Richard Gyamfi. It wasn’t long before they took control of proceedings, with flyhalf Jordan van Wyk knocking over a penalty to add to their advantage.

Rustenburg showed promising signs with the ball in hand and did well to switch up play on attack, but they were unable to finish off the chances they created for themselves. When Mthiyane Zinkosi dotted down for DHS against the run of play, just before the break, their job became even harder.

Things soon got worse for Rustenburg, who struggled to get out of their half, and they conceded again when a powerful driving maul teed up SA Schools A midfielder Zingce Simka for DHS’s third.

MJ Otto hit back for the boys in green, but another Simka effort, as well as two tries from Milisuthando George, sealed the deal for the Durban boys.

SCORERS

EG Jansen 29 (19) – Tries: Deashean Pietersen, Otlotleng Zulu, Juan van Aswegen, Jordan van der Westhuizen, De Wet Muller. Conversions: Van Aswegen (2). Kearsney College 24 (0) – Tries: Lwandile Mkhize, Simanye Mlakalaka, Joseph Roylance, Doan Nel. Conversions: Lwazi Mbebe, Nel.

Durban High School 41 (15) – Tries: Zingce Simka (2), Milisuthando George (2), Richard Gyamfi, Mthiyane Zinkosi. Conversions: Jordan van Wyk (3), Roberts. Penalty: Van Wyk. Hoërskool Rustenburg 7 (0) – Try: MJ Otto. Conversion: Ricardo Enos.

In the opening game of the 2025 Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, Milnerton’s power play boosted them to a 34-18 win over the touring Peterhouse, from Zimbabwe.

The Western Cape side dominated the opening exchanges, thanks largely to their abrasive attacking play, and they scored the first points of the festival via a Morgan Lodewyk penalty.

Milnerton was relentless on both sides of the ball and extended their lead when the big midfielder barged over for the opening try. He also converted it, to go with his earlier penalty.

Those early setbacks seemed to jolt Peterhouse to life, and they responded with a prolonged period of possession in the Milnerton half, which eventually brought them three points from the boot of Andrew Maringa.

The Zimbabweans continued to struggle with Milnerton’s physicality at the contact point, though, and Prosper Zimbango was shown yellow after a series of repeated team infringements because of that pressure.

However, with time up at the end of the half, and against the run of play, Peterhouse second rower Mufaro Mawoyo broke through the Milnerton defensive line to reduce the deficit to 8-10 at the break.

The boys in white started the second half brightly, with another Maringa penalty edging them ahead, but lapses in concentration on defence allowed Lodewyk to score his second try, before Nicholas Young, on as a substitute, crucially added a third try soon thereafter.

It was a long way back from there for the tourists, and further tries from Kgaugelo Mokgobu and a brilliant individual effort from Akho Mkaya effectively ended the match as a contest.

When Peterhouse hit back through a converted Michael Marimo try, it was too little, too late.

In the second game of the first day, Hoërskool Durbanville breezed past Dale College, romping to a 66-22 win, thanks to some devastating attacking play.

The Eastern Cape outfit was unable to cope with Durbanville’s superior structure on both sides of the ball, with the boys in yellow and blue stripes crossing for 10 tries.

The Dalians enjoyed the lion’s share of territory in the first quarter and broke the deadlock 10 minutes into the contest when hooker Lakhanya Mbewu burst over from close range. They failed to add to that 5-0 lead during that period, though, and were made to rue that moments later.

During their first real spell of possession inside the Dale red zone, a brutally efficient driving maul resulted in a penalty try for the Western Cape school, with Liyabona Mayikana being shown a yellow card for a cynical collapse.

Durbanville, then, made the most of their numerical advantage and scored quick-fire tries through Jeandré Ungerer and Tiaan Kearns to shoot out to a 21-5 lead at halftime.

It didn’t take for Durbies to open their second-half account, with Muller Jansen van Rensburg going over, thanks to another unstoppable rolling maul. Xander Muller added another try minutes later, before his teammate Eli Pedro saw yellow for a breakdown offence on their try line.

Dale fullback Phikolomzi Mtyalela then managed to weave his way over for their second, but further Durbanville tries from Louwrens Rademeyer, Cole Carls, Juan Smit, Muller, and Milani Madide pushed out the lead even further.

Dale mustered an additional penalty try, as well as another five-pointer from loose forward Owethu Siswana, but they couldn’t consistently hold their own for the full 60 minutes.

SCORERS

Hoërskool Durbanville 66 (21) – Tries: Xander Muller (2), Jeandré Ungerer, Tiaan Kearns, Muller Janse van Vuuren, Louwrens Rademeyer, Cole Carls, Jaun Smit, Milani Madide, Penalty Try. Conversions: De Wet Viljoen (8). Dale College 22 (5) – Tries: Lakhanya Mbewu, Phikolomzi Mtyalela, Owethu Siswana, Penalty Try.

Milnerton 34 (10) – Tries: Morgan Lodewyk (2), Nicholas Young, Kgaugelo Mokgobu, Akho Mkaya. Conversions: Mkaya (2), Lodewyk. Penalty: Lodewyk. Peterhouse 18 (8) – Tries: Mufaro Mawoyo, Michael Marimo. Conversion: James Watt. Penalties: Andrew Maringa (2).

Catch all the action live from around the country on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

The results from around South Africa will be updated here as we receive the results from the various schools.

If your school’s match is not listed below or you would like to send in your team’s results, please email us via e-mail at rugby@ssschoolsplus.co.za or via WhatsApp at 072 172 5455.

You can also submit a result via our website – Submit Result.

All the results: 

NWU SPORT SERIES 

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NWU PRESTIGE SERIES 

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NWU INTERSCHOOLS SERIES 

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NWU 16 SERIES 

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SUPER SERIES 

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EASTERN CAPE

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FREE STATE/GRIQUALAND WEST

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KWAZULU-NATAL 

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NOORDVAAL 

[ninja_tables id=”66559″]

WESTERN CAPE 

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All eyes will be on the Tuks cricket fields in Pretoria as the inaugural Schools SA20 National Champions are crowned

The stage is set for the Final Showdown in schools cricket as the top boys’ and girls’ teams gather for the inaugural Schools SA20 National Finals from 12-15 March at the Tuks Oval in Pretoria.

SA20 in collaboration with Cricket South Africa (CSA) launched this national competition in September 2024 to discover and nurture cricket talent among both girls and boys in the U19 age group. Over 370 boys’ school teams and 200 girls’ school teams participated in the national competition, with over 1000 matches played across all provinces in the country.

CSA Chief Executive Officer Pholetsi Moseki commented: “Congratulations to all the schools that participated in the inaugural Schools SA20 and to those who have made it to the National Finals.

“It is inspiring to see the continued growth of our game at all levels, especially following the remarkable performances of our men’s and women’s teams—both senior and youth—on the global stage in the past 24 months. We look forward to the emergence of future stars of South African cricket over the weekend.”

The final phase of the tournament will feature the regional champions from a highly competitive Phase Two, which includes traditional cricket schools, CSA Hub teams and Focus Schools.

It will be the culmination of months of high-quality boys’ and girls’ school cricket, which has produced incredible individual and team performances.

SA20 League Commissioner, Graeme Smith said: “Off the back of a successful season 3 of SA20, it’s wonderful to be able to continue providing a platform for talent in South Africa to perform. The first two phases showed there is an abundance of youth talent in the pipeline. We will have some of the best boys and girls cricketers in action for the Schools SA20 National Finals and I’m looking forward to seeing the next generation of incredible in action.”

A number of young upcoming players will be showcasing their talent at the Tuks Oval including Bishops’ South Africa U19 opening batter Adnaan Lagadien, Pearson High School’s SA Colts allrounder Cayden Wilson along with St Davids’ Marist Inanda’s SA Schools representatives Armaan Manack and Jason Rowles.

Steyn City School will be showing off their two SA U19 Women stars Karabo Meso and Diara Ramlakan along with non-travelling reserve Jenna-Lee Lubbe, who were all part of the team that recently reached the ICC Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup Final in Malaysia.

Nkowankowa Hub’s allrounder Shelfa Mukhari as well as Saints Christian School allrounder Tshegofatso Monyela were also part of the SA20 supported U19 girls training camps held last year.

The eight boys’ teams have been divided into two pools of four teams each. The boys will have three matches in their respective pools with the top two sides in each pool qualifying for the semi-finals.

The six girls’ teams are split into two pools of three, where they will play two group matches and one cross-pool match.  The top girls’ team in each pool will automatically qualify for the Final.

In addition to the thrilling matches, the Schools SA20 Finals also serve as a vital platform for skills development, with coaches and scouts eager to spot the next generation of future stars.

The event stands as a testament to the joint commitment to strengthening the pipeline, especially with the recent success of the Rookie Draft concept introduced in the SA20 League’s second season, ensuring that the road to professional cricket is more accessible for talented players.

Spectators are encouraged to head to the Tuks Oval from 12-15 March to cheer on the future of South African cricket. Saturday will be a family-friendly outing with food and beverages on sale, shaded areas for picnics, live music, and action-packed schools cricket.

All matches from the Finals Showdown week will be live on the SuperSport Schools app, DStv Channel 216 and SABC Plus. The girls’ final on Saturday, 15 March will be shown on DStv Channel 209.

Follow @Schools_SA20 for all the match updates and behind the scenes action from the week # BattleOfTheBest. For more information visit https://schools.sa20.co.za

Format

Boys Teams

POOL A: Northwood (KwaZulu-Natal), St Andrew’s School (Central), Hoërskool Garsfontein (Gauteng North), Graeme College (Focus School).

POOL B: Pearson (Eastern Cape), Diocesan College (Western Cape), St David’s Marist (Gauteng South), CSA Hubs Invitational XI

Girls Teams

POOL A: Dr JL Dube High School (KwaZulu-Natal), Saints Christian School (Central), Nkowankowa Hub (Gauteng North).

POOL B: Nomandi Junior Secondary School (Eastern Cape), Victoria Hub (Western Cape), Steyn City School (Gauteng South)