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Eastern Province (EP), the defending champions, continued on their merry, winning way on Thursday, day three of the u16 Girls’ SASHOC National Tournament, at St Anne’s DSG, in KwaZulu-Natal.

The picked up a further three points and enhanced their flawless run with a 2-0 win over a determined Western Province A side

Iminathi Rungqu and Lucy Holderness, who have both consistent and influential for EP since the tournament started, sealed a crucial victory for coach Ignatius Malgraff‘s side.

That win leaves EP with a comfortable five-point lead at the top of the Pool A standings, and a positive goal difference of 15 goals from only four matches. They have already secured a place in the semi-finals.

Western Province A, after their setback against Eastern Province A, returned guns blazing in their second match of the day and took out their frustrations on Eastern Gauteng, powering their way to a one-sided 6-0 victory.

That win lifted Province’s record to two wins, a draw, and the loss to EP from their four games – good enough for second place in Pool A, with a match against Southern Gauteng B awaiting them in their last group stage assignment.

Western Province A is on seven points, as is Southern Gauteng A, who also made a strong statement with a 4-1 win over Eastern Gauteng A earlier in the day.

Province, though, has a better goal difference by a single goal. Southerns, in their final pool clash, face a tough challenge, however, taking on the high-flying Eastern Province.

Southern Free State A romped to their first win in style, outplaying Southern Gauteng B 4–0, thanks to goals from Logan Williams, Tshiamo Sizane, Illana De Gouveia, and Zene Beukes.

In Pool B, in a showdown of unbeaten teams, KZN Coastal A outplayed Boland A, scoring a commanding 3-0 win.

Charley-Rose Boyall was instrumental in the victory, scoring twice, with Asanele Zuma continuing her strong goal scoring form by adding another goal to take her tally to three.

EP’s Lucy Holderness leads the way on the goal scoring chart with five goals, while Boyall, Alanda Rademeyer (Boland A), and Iminathi Rungqu have all netted four times.

Northern Gauteng A, with goals from Rearabetsoe Masepe and Lenique Vogel, scored a tight 2-1 win over KZN Coastal B, for whom Bella Roberts scored. With her goal, Vogel joined Zuma on three for the tournament thus far.

That result leaves Northerns two points behind Boland A ahead of the last round of group stage matches. Boland A takes on KZN Inland A in their last pool game, while Northerns tackles the table-topping KZN Coastal A, who are all but certain of finishing in first place in Pool B.

KZN Inland A were held to a goalless draw by Boland B on Thursday, which ended their chances of making the semi-finals. They play twice on Friday, which means they could bag six points, but they trail second placed Boland A by seven.

DAY 3| RESULTS

POOL A
Southern Gauteng A 4: Zuri Jimerson, Emily Quinton, Teegan Aronson, Erica Broskie. Eastern Gauteng A 1: Natalia Jardim.
Eastern Province A 2: Iminathi Rungqu, Lucy Holderness. Western Province A 0.
Eastern Gauteng A: 0. Western Province A: 6 Bea Van den Berg, Jamie Gall, Aisha Hendricks, Heather Kane, Sophia Luger, Sally Gitlin.
Southern Gauteng B 0. Southern Free State A 4: Logan Williams, Tshiamo Sizane, Illana De Gouveia, Zene Beukes.

POOL B
Northern Gauteng A 2: Rearabetsoe Masepe, Lenique Vogel. KZN Coastal B 1: Bella Roberts.
Boland A 0. KZN Coastal A 3: Charley-Rose Boyall (X2), Asanele Zuma.
KZN Inland A 0. Boland B 0.

After 20 exhilarating matches across the first two days of the 2025 Academy Week at Hoërskool Middelburg in Mpumalanga, the Golden Lions once again find themselves in familiar territory.

Follow all the Academy Week action live on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

Adding further intrigue to a final showdown with Western Province, the action on the final day will move to Middies’ pristine A-Field.

The SA Schools selectors will be in attendance there to assess the talent competing just below the level of the ongoing Craven Week. Kick-off is scheduled for 12:45.

The Lions are within reach of a third consecutive title at the Academy Week. Over the first two days, the Gauteng-based outfit roared with authority, racking up a remarkable 164 points in just two outings, including a century (108–14) against the Griffons in their opener.

Following that demolition of the Purple People Eaters, they proceeded to hunt down Eastern Province, once again surpassing the 50-point mark with a commanding 56–10 victory. In that encounter, Monument flyhalf Jaydon Viljoen became the week’s leading points-scorer, highlighting just how crucial his kicking may prove on the final day.

His side’s dazzling attacking play has provided Viljoen with plenty of opportunities to aim at goal, and he now leads the conversions table with a staggering 21 to his name. Viljoen’s looming duel with WP flyhalf Francois van der Merwe promises to be a battle within the battle. In addition to being lethal off the tee, both pivots boast sharp attacking prowess, setting the stage for a mouth-watering face-off.

In the curtain-raiser, the ever-impressive South Western Districts Eagles meet the Lions’ second side, the Lions Welpies. Despite narrowly falling short against WP (21–25), the all-U17 Welpies have impressed throughout the week. They will, however, be well aware that the Eagles present a formidable challenge, especially after their comfortable 25–7 victory over Free State on day two.

The final day’s action kicks off at 08:30, with the Blue Bulls, featuring the tournament’s second-highest points-scorer, Ronan Bastiaanse, taking on the Sharks. Bastiaanse also leads the try-scoring charts, having crossed the whitewash three times. Eastern Province and Boland will follow, meeting for bragging rights in a classic Eastern versus Western Cape encounter.

Fixtures for Day 3, Friday, 11 July:

Hoërskool Midelburg A-Field: 

08:30 – Blue Bulls vs Sharks
09:45 – Eastern Province vs Boland
11:00 – South Western Districts vs Lions XV
12:15 – Golden Lions vs Western Province

Hoërskool Middelburg B-Field: 

08:30 – Pumas vs Griffons
09:45 – Valke vs Limpopo Blue Bulls
11:00 – Free State vs Border

Hoërskool Middelburg C-Field: 

08:30 – Namibia vs Zimbabwe
09:45 – Leopards vs LSEN XV
11:00 – Griquas vs Border Country Districts

The second day of the u16 Girls’ SASHOC National Week saw Eastern Province A (EP) continue to build on their strong opening day showing.

After posting two wins Tuesday, while scoring 10 goals and conceding only one, Eastern Province A further extended their dominance in Pool A with a commanding 5–1 win over Southern Free State A.

EP’s attack flowed with almost effortless ease, resulting in goals from Jade Grobler, Chanelle Venter, Iminathi Rungqu, and a superb double from Lucy Holderness.

Their forward play was swift and clinical, and it overwhelmed the Free State defence. Despite a well-taken consolation goal from Marichelle Crous, the Free Staters simply had no answer for the defending champion’s pressure and accurate finishing.

Western Province A, after a draw with Southern Free State in their opener, bagged a 2-1 win over Southern Gauteng A in a tightly contested match.

In another Pool A match, Southern Gauteng B, after a 1-1 draw with Southern Gauteng A and a 1-5 hammering from Eastern Province on Tuesday, bounced back from that big loss to claim a narrow 1-0 win over Eastern Gauteng, with Caitlyn McLean scoring the match-winner.

In Pool B, Boland A continued their push for a semi-final place by picking up two wins. In their first outing, they overcame KZN Coastal B 2–0 and followed up with a 3-1 victory over Northern Gauteng A

Alanda Rademeyer was the star of their win over Northerns, netting twice, while Frankie Henn added a third. Daniella Grobbelaar replied for Northerns.

KZN Coastal A was also impressive. In a KZN derby, they edged past KZN Inland A, with a goal from Asanele Zuma securing Coastal a hard-fought 1-0 win.

Zuma was also on the scoresheet in the afternoon in Coastal’s 4-2 victory over Boland B. Charley-Rose Boyall, Buntu Msweli, and Chelsey Wolf also struck for the KZN team, while Maria Hamman and Zahra Twigg scored for Boland B.

Northern Gauteng A, beaten by Boland A in the afternoon, went one for two on the day, edging out Boland B 1-0 in their other outing.

Eastern Province A is setting the pace in Pool A, with a maximum haul of points, and their high-scoring attack, which has generated more goals than any other team in the tournament.

While EP leads the way in Pool A, in Pool B, KZN Coastal A and Boland A occupy the top two spots, with Northerns not far behind. It looks like a three-horse race for two semi-final places.

DAY 2 RESULTS

POOL A

Western Province A 2: Sally Gitlin, Heather Kane. Southern Gauteng A 1: Teegan Aronson.

Southern Free State A 1: Marichelle Crous. Eastern Province A 5: Jade Grobler, Lucy Holderness (2), Chanelle Venter, Iminathi Rungqu.

Southern Gauteng B 1: Caitlyn Mclean. Eastern Gauteng A 0.

POOL B

Northern Gauteng A 1: Lenique Vogel. Boland B 0.

Boland A 2: Alanda Rademeyer, Zoe Jacobs. KZN Coastal B 0.

KZN Coastal A 1: Asanele Zuma. KZN Inland A 0.

Boland B 2: Maria Hamman, Zahra Twigg. KZN Coastal A 4: Charley-Rose Boyall, Buntu Msweli, Chelsey Wolf, Asanele Zuma.

Boland A 3: Alanda Rademeyer (2), Frankie Henn. Northern Gauteng A 1: Daniella Grobbelaar.

Scorers: 

Western Province 45 (24) – Tries: Jayden Brits, Markus Muller, Matthew van der Merwe, Jordan Jooste, Jadon Ocks, Josh Neill. Conversions: Ethan van Biljon (6). Penalty: Van Biljon. Sharks 13 (13) – Try: Jadrian Afrikaner. Conversion: Liyema Nela. Penalties: Liyema Nela (2).

Eastern Province 30 (27) – Tries: Liyema Katikati, Neshaun Bester, Erin Nelson. Conversions: Tristan Kemp (3). Penalties: Kemp (3). Border 12 (5) – Tries: Njonga Banga, Liam Hansen. Conversion: Bungqina Nuku.

Griqualand West 46 (19) – Tries: Aidan Gadeija (2), Jonathan Harding, Enrique Boshoff, Themba Kella, Jayden de Klerk, Zuan Rautenbach. Conversions: Gadeija (4). Penalty: Gadeija. Leopards 34 (24) – Tries: Juan van Rhyn, Rea Motsusi, Oratile Sekoto, Elzeno Schalkwyk, Franco Dumond. Conversions: Eduard Dreyer (3). Penalty: Dreyer.

Valke 35 (20) – Tries: Dihan Crause, Ruan Rossouw, Deshean Pietersen, Tumi Moloi, Deveraux Weideman. Conversion: Joshua van Rensburg, Juan van Aswegen. Penalties: Van Rensburg, Van Aswegen. Boland 19 (14) – Tries: Jeraldo Davids, Lorenzo Kroutz, West-Lee Uithaler. Conversions: Zion Rabie (2).

Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote praised his players for executing the game plan and playing with intensity after South Africa scored a runaway victory over Scotland in their final World Rugby U20 Championship Pool A game at the Stadio San Michele in Calvisano on Wednesday afternoon.

The Junior Boks completed the pool stage unbeaten after beating Australia, defending champions England and Scotland with bonus-point victories to finish top of their pool and top of the overall rankings and to secure their place in the semi-finals.

The South African Under-20 side delivered another clinical performance in their 73-14 victory over Scotland in the bright Italian summer sunshine, delighting the crowd with their powerful forward play and ability to attack from deep to score some brilliant tries.

Foote said afterwards he was happy with the score and proud of the team – especially since some of the players were playing the first time in the competition – as they executed the game plan and played with intensity.

“It was a mature effort and our squad is in a good place – I thought our back row were excellent around the breakdown.” Said Foote.

“They are a humble bunch and immediately after the game in the changeroom room they were happy, but there was a real purpose amongst them to move onto the next job.

“Some of those tries were great and most of them were as a result of the work done at the breakdown and massive effort upfront, which gave the boys such a good platform. And when they got the space in front of them, they really are exciting on attack.

“The support lines of the guys were excellent today. The whole team were just so clinical in how they went about it. Scotland were brave in the second half and hey held us up three times and stayed in the fight.”

On the question of team selection for the semi-final, Foote said: “It is a difficult problem to have and I keep on going on about the talent we have in the country. It will be a very difficult job and will be hard to leave guys out.”

Thando Biyela, the captain on the day, led by example and said afterwards it was a tough game, despite the convincing scoreline.

“It was a good win but a tough game,” said Biyela.

“I thought we started the game well and had a good opening 20 minutes, which set us up for the rest of the game. But I must give credit to Scotland who tested us in the second half.

“Of course there’s always room for improvement. We want to put in an 80-minute performance and play to our full potential.”

The three teams that will join the Junior Boks in the semi-finals will be confirmed once all the pool games have concluded. The playoffs are scheduled for Monday, 14 July in Viadana.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) has today announced the South Africa Under-19 (SA u19) Men’s squad for the upcoming three-match Youth One-Day International (YODI) series against Bangladesh, followed by a tri-series involving hosts Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Harare.

The three-match home series against Bangladesh will be played from 17 – 22 July at Willowmoore Park in Benoni, before both teams travel to Zimbabwe for the tri-series scheduled from 25 July – 10 August.

The tour forms part of the squad’s ongoing preparation for the ICC u19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, set to take place in Namibia and Zimbabwe early next year.

KZN Inland batter Muhammad Bulbulia and Lions all-rounder Jason Rowles will continue to share captaincy duties, having led the junior Proteas during the recent series against Namibia.

There are three new faces in the squad, with Lions duo Corne Botha (seamer) and Armaan Manack (top order batter), along with Titans batter Vihan Pretorius, all earning their maiden call-ups to the national age-group side.

SA u19 Convenor of Selectors Patrick Moroney commented: “We had a productive selection week featuring three competitive 50-over matches involving a pool of 27 players.

“Armaan impressed with a standout knock of 147 and has shown good progression through the emerging setup. Vihan brings added depth with his versatility as a batting option, while Corne has been on our radar for some time and really put his hand up with the ball this past week.

“Overall, we’re pleased with the balance of the squad and look forward to seeing how these players take their opportunities in the coming weeks.”

SA u19 Head Coach Malibongwe Maketa added: “We’ve retained both Muhammed and Jason as co-captains because we believe strongly in developing leadership within our youth structures. This approach also gives us the opportunity to assess both players in leadership roles across more matches before selecting a single captain for next year’s Under-19 World Cup.

“We’ve always maintained that the door to selection remains open, and it’s exciting for us as coaches to welcome new players like Corne, Armaan, and Vihan. They’ve shown great promise, and this tour gives us the opportunity to see how they perform at junior international level.

“The home series against Bangladesh will be a strong test against a quality subcontinent side and provides exactly the type of challenge we need as we continue building towards the World Cup. Both series will help us assess our progress and identify areas for improvement as we sharpen our preparations.”

SA u19 Men’s Squad – Youth ODI series against Bangladesh u19 and Youth ODI Tri-series against Zimbabwe u19 and Bangladesh u19
Muhammad Bulbulia (captain, KZN Inland), Jason Rowles (captain, Lions), JJ Basson (Lions), Corne Botha (Lions), Daniel Bosman (Western Province), Paul James (Western Province), Enathi Khitshini (Garden Route Badgers), Adnaan Lagadien (Western Province), Bandile Mbatha (Dolphins), Armaan Manack (Lions), Bayanda Majola (Dolphins), Kamogelo Phiri (Lions), Vihan Pretorius (Titans), Ntando Soni (Warriors) and Jorich van Schalkwyk (Titans).

Management
Malibongwe Maketa (Head Coach), Blanche Conradie (Manager), Imraan Khan (Batting Coach), Paul Adams (Bowling Coach), Thabang Kumalo (Fielding Coach), Tumi Masekela (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Sheenagh Jordaan (Physiotherapist), Kyle Southgate (Team Analyst), Eugene Oppelt (Performance Psychologist) and Lita Gqirana (Media Manager).

SA u19 Men’s Youth ODI Series against Bangladesh u19

Warm-up Match – Monday, 14 July at 09:30
CSA u19 Invitation XI vs Bangladesh u19 – Groenkloof Oval, Pretoria

1st YODI – Thursday, 17 July at 09:30
South Africa u19 vs Bangladesh u19 – Willowmoore Park, Benoni

2nd YODI – Saturday, 19 July at 09:30
South Africa u19 vs Bangladesh u19 – Willowmoore Park, Benoni

3rd YODI – Tuesday, 22 July at 09:30
South Africa u19 vs Bangladesh u19 – Willowmoore Park, Benoni

YODI Tri-series Fixtures

Friday, 25 July – 09:15
Zimbabwe u19 vs South Africa u19 – Sunrise Sports Club, Harare

Saturday, 26 July – 09:15
South Africa u19 vs Bangladesh u19 – Sunrise Sports Club, Harare

Monday, 28 July – 09:15
Zimbabwe u19 vs Bangladesh u19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare

Tuesday, 29 July – 09:15
Zimbabwe u19 vs South Africa u19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare

Thursday, 31 July – 09:15
Bangladesh u19 vs South Africa u19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare

Friday, 01 August – 09:15
Zimbabwe u19 vs Bangladesh u19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare

Monday, 04 August – 09:15
Zimbabwe u19 vs South Africa u19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare

Wednesday, 06 August – 09:15
South Africa u19 vs Bangladesh u19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare

Friday, 08 August – 09:15
Zimbabwe u19 vs Bangladesh u19 – Harare Sports Club, Harare

Sunday, 10 August – 09:15
Number 1 vs Number 2 – Harare Sports Club, Harare

Western Province (WP) u14A head coach, Mike Willig, said he was proud of his side’s performances after they claimed gold at the SASHOC National Week in Johannesburg.

The u14 National event ran from 4 to 7 July and was hosted at King Edward VII, St John’s College, and Parktown Boys’ High.

Playing an attractive game, WP dominated from the pool stages through to the final, where they defeated Boland 3-1.

It was a special moment for coach Willig after last year’s u14 group ended with a bronze medal at the same venue.

“I’m proud of the boys. We had a great start in terms of the pool games against Mpumalanga and Limpopo,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“We defeated Mpumalanga 4-0, and the boys got a bit comfortable because it’s different playing up in Johannesburg, with the altitude.

“Our best goal-scoring game was against Limpopo (10-0). The guys started to find each other, and we started scoring some flicks, as well, through Chai Rozendaal, which was great.”

After those comprehensive wins early on, Province went on to thump Southern Free State 5-0 before brushing off the defending champions, Southern Gauteng, 3-0 in the quarterfinals.

They met Eastern Province in the last four, and a brace by Rozendaal secured a hard-fought 2-1 win, setting up the final against Boland.

It was always going to be a tough clash against their neighbours, but WP showed up, converted their chances, and defended like their lives depended on it.

Their short-corner defence was immaculate, and up front, Rozendaal made sure he made the most of his opportunities to score a hattrick.

Konrad Gouws replied for Boland in the title-deciding match.

“We know Boland well. All of our schools in the southern suburbs played against their players, but we came in as underdogs.

“It was a challenge to get the boys up mentally, but I told them they could win and beat this side.

“We knew it would come down to PCs and managing their key players, like Konrad and Nathan Phillips up front. We did well, defended multiple PCs, and our goalkeeper, Reuben Rozendaal, made some great saves, including a penalty stroke, which gave us a massive boost.”

The SACS coach took over the u14 side after a spell as manager of the u16A side in 2024. He witnessed firsthand the talent making its way through the provincial ranks and was pleased with what he saw.

“This is a special team,” he declared. “The province is in good hands, and the leadership team is immense.

“You’ve got talented players from 1-16, and with a flicker like Rozendaal and his twin in goal, they will be massive for the province going forward.

“The captains, Macen Lesbirel and Luke Presence, are also proper and up front we have Eli Africa and Alakhe Ntoyanto, who have real striking ability, so the future looks good.”

Province finished the tournament with a whopping 27 goals. Chai Rozendaal scored eight, which tied him with Boland’s Nathan Phillips as the tournament’s top goal scorer.

Final standings

Western Province
Boland
KZN Inland
Eastern Province
Southern Gauteng
KZN Coastal
Southern Free State
Northern Gauteng
Border
Mpumalanga
Eden
Eastern Gauteng
Limpopo
Northern Cape
North West
Northern Free State

While Boland A and Southern Gauteng A recorded wins on Wednesday, the second day of the u16 SASHOC National Week, it was Eastern Province (EP) A and Western Province (WP) A who ended the day the happiest.

That’s because both sides pulled off crucial victories and finished the day atop Pools A and B, respectively.

The u16 national tournament is currently being hosted at Hilton College, St Anne’s DSG, and St John’s DSG, in KwaZulu-Natal, and concludes with the final on Sunday.

Last year’s beaten finalists, EP, opened their campaign on Tuesday with a 4-1 triumph over Southern Gauteng B.

They had a doubleheader on Wednesday against KZN Inland B and Northern Gauteng A, and two wins, worth six points, would almost guarantee them a semifinal berth.

EP was impressive once again and defeated Inland B 2-0 before scraping past Northerns 4-3 in their second outing.

Against Inland, it was Luke Manson and Callum Peltenburg who found the back of the net.

Peltenburg scored his second goal of the day against Northerns before Michael Gillies, Deanu Bezuidenhout, and captain Dante Elkington joined in the action to make it four.

As things stand, EP lead Pool B with nine points and a game in hand, in front of Southern Gauteng A, who beat KZN Inland A 4-2.

The Eastern Cape boys, led by coach Kiano Geldenhuys, will face KZN Inland A on Thursday at 14:35 at St Anne’s. Southern Gauteng, meanwhile, takes on Southern Gauteng B in a provincial derby.

While matters have started to take shape in Pool B, spectators should keep a close eye on Pool A.

Western Province A, after a win and a draw on the opening day, returned on Wednesday and made a statement with a 3-2 victory over KZN Coastal A.

Zach Hillman, Buhle Kama, and Limani Makeleni were the goal scorers for WP, while Dylan Forbes and skipper Luc Boyall scored for Coastal.

The defending champions, Boland A, also kept their unbeaten record intact with a 5-1 drubbing of Southern Free State A.

Coach Shaun McIntyre’s troops dominated the first half and led 3-0 at the halfway point, thanks to goals by Stephan Malan, Caleb Cilliers, and Christiaan Fouché.

Ethan Seager responded for Free State in the second half, but a Jamie Kock brace took the game away from the Bloemfontein boys.

Boland has a doubleheader on day three, against KZN Coastal A and B, while WP A tackles WP B on Hilton’s Mansergh’s AstroTurf at 07:30.

All the action will be LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App and SABC Plus App.

Day 2 | Results and scorers

Pool A

Western Province A 3: Zach Hillman, Buhle Kama, Limani Makeleni. KZN Coastal A 2: Dylan Forbes, Luc Boyall.

Boland A 5: Stephan Malan, Caleb Cilliers, Christiaan Fouché, Jamie Kock (2). Southern Free State A 1: Ethan Seager.

Western Province B 2: Ethan Smith (2). KZN Coastal B 1: Aaron Blackburn.

Pool B

Eastern Province A 2: Luke Manson, Callum Peltenburg. KZN Inland B 0.

Northern Gauteng A 1: Zeann Marais. Southern Gauteng B 1: Endré Ludick.

Southern Gauteng A 4: Kade Lottering (2), Jason Joiner, Blaine Candy. KZN Inland A 2: Santiago Matroos, Ntshabiseng Ntshingila.

Eastern Province 4: Michael Gillies, Callum Peltenburg, Deanu Bezuidenhout, Dante Elkington. Northern Gauteng 3: Zeann Marais, Ethan Jaftha, Rorisanga Ledwaba.

KZN Inland A 4: William Aylward, Santiago Matroos, Ntshabiseng Ntshingila, Rayhan Fitz. Southern Gauteng B 2: Letuka Katiso, Mahlatse Maapola.

CLICK HERE TO SEE DAY 3 FIXTURES.

The Free State is back to winning ways on the third day of the 60th annual FNB u18 Craven Week hosted by Hoërskool Middelburg in Middelburg, Mpumalanga.

The Free Staters were fueled by a hat-trick of tries by their fullback, Lamla Mgedezi, as well as a brace of tries by their SA Schools centre, Ethan Adams, to down the Blue Bulls by 52-33.

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

Adams’ midfield partner, O’Ryan Kleyn, once again produced a solid performance, quietly becoming an unsung stalwart for the team.

Flyhalf, Darius Erwee, also found his rhythm again as he opened the Bulls’ defence with some wily running. He also slotted four conversions and three penalties for a personal tally of 17 points.

His father, Marius Erwee, was the scrumhalf for the Free State schools’ side when they smashed Northern Transvaal in 1992 in a curtain raiser for the match between the All Blacks and Free State in Bloemfontein. His schoolmate from Sentraal, Stephen Brink, scored 46 of the Free State schools’ side on that day.

The Blue Bulls will be licking their wounds, but also need to recover quickly before Saturday’s final day of the tournament. It was the team from Pretoria’s fourth successive defeat at the Craven Week. The first time ever since the inaugural tournament in 1964.

The Bulls did, however, have a worse run of form as they went for six matches without a victory from the last match in 1984 until 1986. The only reason they did not lose four in a row is the fact that they drew 15-all with Western Transvaal (now Leopards) in their final match of the 1985-edition of the tournament in Witbank.

In the Free State’s pack, both locks, AJ Meyer and Claude Steyn, also produced standout performances.

For the Bulls, their winger Thabiso Simelane showcased his pace and also put forward a solid claim for a place in the SA Schools’ side with a hat-trick of tries. Their captain and flyhalf, Ruben Groenewald, took possession a lot flatter than in their opening match against the Golden Lions, which unlocked the Bulls’ backline much more efficiently.

In the opening match of the third day in Middelburg, the Limpopo Blue Bulls came out on top by 49-44 against the Griffons in an exciting clash that produced 13 tries in total.

The winning side’s hooker, Ziahn Lombaard, recorded the first hat-trick of tries. And in the spirit of the game, not from rolling mauls. Their fullback, Ryno Mienie, also produced a kicking masterclass as he converted all seven of his side’s tries.

The quality of rugby produced by the Limpopo Blue Bulls under Corstiaan Vermaak (coach) is without a doubt a huge improvement by the union from their performances during previous weeks in recent history.

The Griffons suffered their second defeat, but will feel better about this performance than their first outing against Western Province XV. Their eighthman, Emile Mahlelebe, caused Limpopo problems with his bullocking runs. He was also rewarded with a brace of tries for his performance.

Other performances of note were by Joze Draghoender (fullback) and Sedwin Gysman (inside centre).

Scorers: 

Free State 52 (27) – Try: Lamla Mgedezi (3), Ethan Adams (2), O’Ryan Kleyn, AJ Meyer. Conversions: Darius Erwee (4). Penalties: Erwee (3). Blue Bulls 33 (19) – Try: Thabiso Simelane (3), Junaide Stuart, Luan Potgieter. Conversions: Ruben Groenewald (4).

Limpopo Blue Bulls 49 (21) – Tries: Ziahn Lombaard (3), Tumi Ramohale, Anzio Swartbooi, Gehan Hendricks, Stephan Janse van Rensburg. Conversions: Ryno Mienie (7). Griffons 44 (31) – Tries: Emile Mahlelebe (2), Joze Draghoender, Sedwin Gysman, Xander Wiltshire, Qlin Booyse. Conversions: Olereko Sebatana (3), Draghoender. Penalties: Sebatana (2).

Dale College’s Kamvelihle Sithole dotted down twice as Border bagged a memorable 27-17 victory over the hosts, the Pumas, in the main match on the B-Field of the 2025 Academy Week at Hoërskool Middelburg.

Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

The encounter initially struggled to get going with the sides locked 3-3, before Sithole crossed the whitewash for the first time, shortly before the break.

The Border side found their rhythm in the second half with more tries, to Sithole, Luphumzo Toyo and Phawu Ludwaba, and a total of 17 points scored in the final 35 minutes.

The hosts’ Siboniso Manglanghu and Ethan Esterhuizen broke through for the side in pink’s only tries, yet the Pumas had hit their straps just a tad too late.

Valke scrumhalf, Jason Coetzer, booted his side to a 25-19 victory over the Griquas in the curtain-raiser. With the Valke having pierced the Griquas’ defence only once, with a try from Themba Mbele, Coetzer had to step up to the plate from the tee. He did so with aplomb, slotting six penalties and a conversion for a personal contribution of 20 points.

The Griffons shrugged off the 108-point defeat at the hands of the Lions on the first day, to redeem themselves with a 31-12 victory over the visiting Zimbabwe. Inside centre Adieu Cramford provided the necessary punch in midfield. Along with a strong performance on attack, his defence was also noteworthy. He was rewarded with a well-deserved brace, which paved the way for the Purple People Eaters’ win.

The encounter between Namibia and the LSEN XV went down to the wire as the teams pushed each other to the limit. Enjoying a healthy 31-10 lead at the break, which included a brace of tries by Ethan Sinden, Namibia had to start defending for all their worth as the LSEN side shifted into top gear. Ralton Rhode stole the show in the second stanza, delivering a wonderful attacking performance that also yielded a brilliant brace of tries.

The Leopards saw off Border Country Districts 26-7 in the opening fixture on the B-Field. Openside flanker, Wian Vieter, did most of the damage as he, too, crossed the whitewash twice, while inside centre, Wian du Preez, also kept the Country Districts side busy in midfield.

Scorers: 

Hoërskool Middelburg C-Field: 

Border 27 (10) – Tries: Kamvelihle Sithole (2), Luphumzo Toyo, Phawu Ludwaba. Conversions: Ignanathi Mnunu (2). Penalty: Mnunu. Pumas 17 (3) – Tries: Siboniso Manglanghu, Ethan Esterhuizen. Conversions: WJ Enslin (2). Penalty: Enslin.

Valke 25 (12) – Try: Themba Mbele. Penalties: Jason Coetzer (6). Griquas 19 (0) – Tries: Hlompo Rooibaadjies, Dohan Dege, Azince Mphawuli. Conversions: JG van Heerden (2).

Griffons 31 (24) – Tries: Adieu Cramford (2), Vusi Ndyayi, Jayden Windvogel. Conversions: Windvogel (3), Tyron Adams. Zimbabwe 12 (0) – Tries: Khulekani Nduku, Tavonga Chirisa. Conversion: Rukudzo Mayida.

Namibia 34 (31) – Tries: Ethan Sinden (2), JD Jankowitz, Frederick Engelbrecht, Buhlem Oelofsen. Conversions: William Beukes (2), Jankowitz. Penalty: MC van Wyk. LSEN XV 29 (10) – Tries: Ralton Rhode (2), Rigen Chigosie, Ayema Mbotya. Conversions: Yusuf Hannibal (3). Penalty: Hannibal.

Leopards 26 (5) – Tries: Wian Vieter (2), Wian du Preez, Lethabo Rebanone. Conversions: Luan Snyman (2), Juhan Geldenhuys. Border Country Districts 7 (7) – Try: Uyathnadwa Nogqala. Conversion: Siphesande Mchangayi.