{"id":92857,"date":"2026-04-01T19:28:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T17:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=92857"},"modified":"2026-04-01T19:28:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T17:28:02","slug":"bothas-hill-set-for-three-days-of-thrills-at-kearsney-easter-rugby-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=92857","title":{"rendered":"Botha’s Hill set for three days of thrills at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"
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James Whatmore and Kearsney College will be eager to add to their two wins to start the 2026 rugby season. Photo: Ryley Munstermann (Kearsney College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ripple effects of global events have reached as far as Botha\u2019s Hill, where the 2026 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (KERF)<\/strong> has been forced into an unexpected late adjustment.<\/p>\n

Dublin’s Catholic University School<\/strong>, originally slated to be part of the line-up, has withdrawn after travel complications linked to the outbreak of conflict between the USA and Iran. Their route to South Africa, via Dubai, became untenable, opening the door for a new contender.<\/p>\n

Stepping into the breach is Ho\u00ebrskool Transvalia<\/strong>, with the Vanderbijlpark outfit being handed an opportunity to showcase their credentials on one of school rugby’s biggest stages.<\/p>\n

They begin their campaign on Thursday at 09:20 against Zimbabwe’s Peterhouse<\/strong>, before a marquee clash with the hosts, Kearsney College, at 14:20 on Saturday. Their festival concludes bright and early on Easter Monday, when they face Framesby<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Based on recent evidence, Transvalia is no mere stopgap. Their 2025 season featured notable victories over fellow KERF competitors Ho\u00ebrskool Dr EG Jansen<\/strong> and Ho\u00ebrskool Rustenburg<\/strong>, while they also held Noordheuwel<\/strong> to a draw and pushed Ho\u00ebrskool Garsfontein <\/strong>to the brink in a narrow 41-43 defeat.<\/p>\n

The reshuffling of the fixtures has also had a knock-on effect for another of the newcomers, Helpmekaar Kollege<\/strong>, who face a baptism of fire. They kick off the festival in the opening match against Glenwood High<\/strong>, before locking horns with Westville Boys’ High <\/strong>on Saturday in one of the festival’s most eagerly anticipated clashes.\u00a0There’ll be no let-up for Helpies<\/strong>, <\/em>who conclude their campaign against Durban High School (DHS)<\/strong> on Easter Monday.<\/p>\n

That is no gentle introduction. Both Westville and DHS navigated the 2025 festival unbeaten, going on to finish as KwaZulu-Natal\u2019s top two sides. It would surprise few if they were again central figures in the race for provincial supremacy in 2026.<\/p>\n

Westville has built a reputation for consistency and composure, while DHS continues to set the benchmark for balance and depth. The Horseflies<\/strong> <\/em>will be chasing a third successive unbeaten KERF showing, which underlines their status as perennial contenders for top honours.<\/p>\n

The hosts, though, may have something to say about that. Kearsney College<\/strong> has assembled one of the province\u2019s most intriguing combinations. Early-season outings have offered a glimpse of their potential: a thrilling 60-19 dismantling of St Charles<\/strong> showcased their attacking ambition, while a gritty 18-10 win over Glenwood in wet, misty conditions at Botha’s Hill highlighted their adaptability.<\/p>\n

Central to their challenge is flyhalf Daniel Miskey<\/strong>, a composed and creative playmaker who steered the Sharks u16 side to Grant Khomo Week glory in 2025<\/strong><\/a>. Yet Kearsney\u2019s strength lies not in individuals alone, but in a squad brimming with players capable of producing decisive moments.<\/p>\n

Another side worth watching closely is Ho\u00ebrskool Zwartkop<\/strong>. Making their KERF debut, they arrive on the back of a remarkable 2025 campaign in which they won 20 of their 21 matches. With many of those players returning, they’re a rising force in school rugby.<\/p>\n

An intriguing subplot to the festival is the involvement of five teams \u2013 Zwartkop, Dr EG Jansen<\/strong>, Transvalia, Rustenburg<\/strong>, and Helpmekaar \u2013 in the Noord\/Suid Tournament in the build-up to Easter. Whether that proves to be a benefit or a burden remains to be seen.<\/p>\n

A few seasons ago, DHS coach Peter Engledow<\/strong> made the call to skip that competition, a decision that paid dividends as his side arrived at KERF fresh and finely tuned. For others, however, the additional match practice could serve as valuable preparation. It is a delicate balance between sharpness and fatigue, and one that may well influence outcomes over the long weekend.<\/p>\n

What is certain is that, despite the late changes, the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival once again boasts a compelling mix of proven powerhouses and ambitious challengers. If recent editions are anything to go by, drama is guaranteed on Stott Field<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The home of Kearsney College rugby will also host u16 girls’ matches at 12:00 on all three days.<\/p>\n

For more information, please visit the Kearsney College website<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

FIXTURES<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thursday, 2 April<\/strong>
08:00 \u2013 Helpmekaar Kollege vs Glenwood High
09:20 \u2013 Transvalia vs Peterhouse
10:40 \u2013 Westville Boys\u2019 High vs Framesby
\n12:00 – Ogwini Comprehensive Technical High vs Grosvenor Girls’ High
13:00 \u2013 Kearsney College vs Ho\u00ebrskool Rustenburg
14:20 \u2013 Milnerton vs Dr EG Jansen
15:40 \u2013 Durban High School vs Zwartkop<\/p>\n

Saturday, 4 April<\/strong>
08:00 \u2013 Peterhouse vs Milnerton
09:20 \u2013 Durban High School vs Ho\u00ebrskool Rustenburg
10:40 \u2013 Zwartkop vs Dr EG Jansen
12:00 – Ogwini Comprehensive Technical High vs Ohlange High School
\n13:00 \u2013 Glenwood High vs Framesby
14:20 \u2013 Kearsney College vs Transvalia
15:40 \u2013 Westville Boys\u2019 High vs Helpmekaar Kollege<\/p>\n

Day Three<\/strong><\/p>\n

08:00 \u2013 Transvalia vs Framesby
09:20 \u2013 Glenwood High vs Dr EG Jansen
10:40 \u2013 Peterhouse vs Ho\u00ebrskool Rustenburg
\n12:00 – Ogwini Comprehensive Technical High vs Mowat Park High
\n12:50 \u2013 Closing ceremony
13:00 \u2013 Westville Boys\u2019 High vs Milnerton
14:20 \u2013 Durban High School vs Helpmekaar Kollege
15:40 \u2013 Kearsney College vs Zwartkop<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The ripple effects of global events have reached as far as Botha\u2019s Hill, where the 2026 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (KERF) has been forced into an unexpected late adjustment. Dublin’s Catholic University School, originally slated to be part of the line-up, has withdrawn after travel complications linked to the outbreak of conflict between the USA […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":92859,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=92857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92857\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/92859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=92857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=92857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=92857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}