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The annual Hibbert Shield Hockey Tournament, sponsored by Standard Bank, is considered to be the pinnacle of schoolboy hockey in South Africa.

The 2025 event, which is hosted by Grey High School, in Gqeberha, runs from Wednesday, 30 April, to Saturday, 3 May.

Many of the country’s leading teams will be in attendance, knowing that success at the Hibbert Shield will include them in the conversation about the best sides in the country.

All the action will be LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App and DSTV Channel 216.

For results and match reports, follow SuperSport Schools Plus Hockey.

With only a week to go before the tournament, SuperSport Schools Plus hockey writer Avuyile Sawula looks at everything you need to know about the event, taking a deep dive into the history of the tournament, the fixtures, venues, teams in action, and past winners.

HISTORY

The Hibbert Shield was established by Grey High School to give some of the country’s top teams an opportunity for game time and competitive play.

Named after the Hibbert family, it began in 2019 with just six teams: Michaelhouse, Selborne College, Grey High, Paul Roos Gimnasium, Bishops [Diocesan College] and Hoërskool Garsfontein.

The inaugural tournament was won by Paul Roos, who defeated Bishops 4-2 in the final.

Play was halted the following year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the tournament resumed in 2021.

The return of the event also came with a change to the lineup, with Pearson High School, Paul Roos, St Stithians College, Grey College, South African College High School (SACS), and Grey High competing for the title.

That year, Grey High claimed the title. Since then, in double-quick time, the tournament’s status has grown massively, with leading hockey-playing schools signing up to take part, and it has gone from strength to strength.

TEAMS IN ACTION

In 2024, only 12 teams were in action at the Hibbert Shield, but that number has increased to 16 sides for 2025. For hockey fans, it’s a must-watch. The event is stacked with teams that have already established themselves as among the best in the country this season.

The host province, the Eastern Cape, will be represented by Grey High, Pearson High, and East London’s Selborne College.

The Western Cape provides a strong list of challengers, including the defending champions, Paul Roos, who will be challenged by SACS, Paarl Gimnasium, Bishops, and newcomers, Parel Vallei High School.

KwaZulu-Natal will be represented by Westville Boys’ High, Clifton College, Maritzburg College, and Durban High School.

Gauteng, meanwhile, has three teams in action. Hoërskool Garsfontein, which falls under the Noordvaal region, made the semi-finals in 2024, and they return, along with St Stithians College and St Alban’s College, who will also be making their debut.

Grey College is the sole Free State representative.

NEW STRUCTURE

Unlike in previous years, where the teams that didn’t qualify for the playoffs were out of the running, this year’s edition will see the introduction of a bowl section.

This means the top eight teams will progress to the quarterfinals and battle it out for the Hibbert Shield while the bottom eight will pursue the Bowl.

VENUES FOR THE 2025 TOURNAMENT

Due to the tournament’s expansion from 12 to 16 teams, the Rectory AstroTurf, at Grey High, won’t be able to accommodate every match.

Other pool matches and knockout games will be played at the nearby Collegiate Girls’ High School AstroTurf.

PAST WINNERS

2019 – Paul Roos Gimnasium
2021 – Grey High School
2022 – South African College High School (SACS)
2023 – Paul Roos Gimnasium
2024 – Paul Roos Gimnasium

2024 FINAL STANDINGS

Paul Roos
SACS
Grey High
Hoërskool Garsfontein
Durban High School/Bishops Diocesan College (Joint fifth)
Westville Boys High/Paarl Gimnasium (Joint sixth)
Selborne College
Clifton College
St Stithians College
Pearson High

2025 FIXTURES

GROUPS

Pool A: SACS, St Alban’s College, Pearson High School, Grey College
Pool B: Paul Roos Gimnasium, Clifton College, Maritzburg College, Selborne College
Pool C: Grey High, Paarl Gimnasium, Westville Boys’ High, St Stithians College
Pool D: Durban High School, Bishops Diocesan College, Parel Vallei, Hoërskool Garsfontein

Wednesday, 30 April

@Grey High School

07:30 – SACS vs St Alban’s College
08:45 – Paul Roos vs Selborne College
10:15 – Grey High vs Paarl Gimnasium
11:30 – DHS vs Bishops
13:00 –  Parell Vallei vs Garsfontein
14:15 – Westville vs St Stithians College
15:45 – SACS vs Pearson
17:00 – Paul Roos vs Clifton College
19:00 – Grey High vs St Stithians College

@Collegiate AstroTurf

09:00 – Grey College vs Pearson
10:15 – Maritzburg College vs Clifton College
18:15 – DHS vs Garsfontein

Thursday, 1 May 2025

@Grey High School

07:30 – Selborne College vs Clifton College
08:45 – SACS vs Grey College
10:15 – Paul Roos vs Maritzburg College
11:30 – Bishops vs Garsfontein
13:00 – DHS vs Parel Vallei
14:15 – Grey High vs Westville
15:45 – St Alban’s College vs Grey College
17:00 – Selborne College vs Maritzburg College
18:30 – Bishops vs Parel Vallei

@Collegiate AstroTurf

08:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Westville
09:45 – Pearson High vs St Alban’s College
14:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs St Stithians College

Friday, 2 May 2025

@Grey High School

07:30 – 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool D
08:45 – 1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool C
10:15 – 2nd Pool A vs 1st Pool D
11:30 – 2nd Pool B vs 1st Pool C
15:00 – Loser of quarterfinal 1
16:15 – Loser of quarterfinal 2
17:45 – Semifinal 1
19:00 – Semifinal 2

@Collegiate AstroTurf

07:30 – 3rd Pool A vs 4th Pool D
08:45 -3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C
10:15 – 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D
11:30 – 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C
15:00 – Loser 3rd Pool A/4th Pool D vs Loser 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C
16:15 – Loser 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D vs Loser 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C
17:45 – Winner 3rd Pool A/4th Pool D vs Winner 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C
19:00 -Winner 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D vs Winner 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C

Saturday, 3 May

@Grey High School

07:30 – 13th Place vs 14th Place
08:45 – 11th Place vs 12th Place
11:30 – 5th Place vs 6th Place
13:00 – Bowl Final
14:15 – 3rd/4th Play-off match
15:45 – u14 Final
17:00 – u16 Final
19:00 – Final

@Collegiate AstroTurf

10:15 -15th Place vs 16th Place

Bishops will aim to claim the big scalp of Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) when the sides meet in a Western Cape derby at the Woodlands AstroTurf, in Cape Town, on Friday night.

Recently, coach Ryan Julius‘s Bishops’ boys participated in the Independent Schools Hockey Festival that was hosted by St Alban’s College in March.

There, they played five matches and walked away with two victories, two draws, and a 1-2 loss against the hosts.

They next shifted their attention to their opening league fixture against Durbanville. Playing at home, Bishops won 3-2, courtesy of goals by Troy Stockdale, James Robb-Quinlan, and Adam Diggle.

Despite that success, coach Julius, his assistants, and players are fully aware that PRG is a different kind of beast.

Led by coach Michael Baker and captained by Christo Swanepoel, PRG looks deadly on attack, composed in the middle, but is still working to find greater consistency at the back.

They’re an exciting side and their thrilling 4-4 draw with Grey High School, which was stacked with superb skills from both teams, is already a strong candidate for the match of the season.

Scoring goals early on in the season hasn’t been an issue, but they’ve also conceded some silly goals, and Bishops will want to capitalise on that.

In their last outing, just before the Easter long weekend, though, PRG kept a clean sheet and beat Somerset College 5-0.

Both coaches have fairly young squads, and there are no guaranteed results, but Bishops will feel they have a shot at getting one over the Stellenbosch outfit.

While those sides battle it out in the southern suburbs, South African College High School (SACS) will visit Parel Vallei High School for a Hyundai Friday Nite Lights clash.

It will be SACS’s first official outing on South African shores in 2025 after their tour to The Netherlands last month.

While away, SACS took on some Dutch powerhouses and proved why they are, once again, regarded as one of the top teams in the country.

They racked up wins against Athena Hockey Club (4-1), Pinoke (5-4), THC Hurley (9-2), and MHC Alliance (4-2), and drew 4-4 with Amsterdamsche Hockey & Bandy Club.

Coach Sam Holmes will have a fully fit squad to choose from except for Litha Kraai and Matthew Lassen, who are both on national duty with the South African and Namibian u21 men’s sides at the Junior African Cup of Nations, in Namibia.

They come up against a fiery Parel Vallei side that’s on a mission to upset the status quo this season.

Their last outing resulted in a 5-1 victory over DF Malan in Luka Meets’ 50th appearance for the side.

The clash, at Parel Vallei, starts at 19:45.

In other matches on the weekend, Rondebosch Boys High welcomes Paarl Boys High for a Friday night clash, and Hoërskool Punt visits Worcester Gimnasium.

Paarl Gimnasium journeys to Bloemfontein for a titanic clash against Grey College.

FIXTURES

18:15 – Grey College vs Paarl Gimnasium
18:30 – Worcester Gimnasium vs Hoërskool Punt
19:00 – Bishops v Paul Roos Gimnasium
19:45 – Parel Vallei vs SACS
19:45 – Rondebosch vs Paarl Boys’ High

Easter in South Africa is synonymous with sport, with the football menu including Orlando Pirates hosting their annual Pirates Cup at Marks Park, in Johannesburg, over four days.

It ended on Monday with Lerumo Lions capturing the Men’s u21 title while Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies took home the Women’s trophy.

A solitary strike from Lumka Qhekeka proved decisive as Sundowns Ladies claimed a maiden triumph in the competition, defeating the 2023 runners-up, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Ladies in a hotly contested final.

A similar scoreline decided the destination of the men’s trophy, with an early goal from Bongani Mpini handing Lions a hard-fought victory over the tournament hosts, Pirates.

Both finals were fitting showstoppers after a long weekend of exciting football action, which kicked off with 64 teams from around South Africa and beyond. When the dust had settled, Sundowns Ladies had followed in the footsteps of the inaugural champions, Tuks Ladies, and the 2024 winners, JVW.

After securing their spot in the knockout stage of the competition on the opening day, Banyana Ba Style returned on Monday for a semifinal showdown against Wits Ladies.

It ended 1-0 in favour of the team from Tshwane after a tight tussle, which set up a title-deciding clash against UJ Ladies. They had played to a goalless draw against the defending champions in their semifinal, before edging out JVW in a penalty shootout.

That set up a fascinating final between two sides who had fallen just short of glory in the competition’s previous editions, with the 2024 runners-up, Sundowns Ladies, prevailing to claim the grand prize of R50 000.

Third place went to Wits Ladies, who, for the second match in succession, handed JVW a defeat on penalties.

JVW did have cause to celebrate, however, when their star forward, Bonolo Mokoma, received the Golden Boot for her seven goals, which also won her the tournament’s MVP accolade.

The semifinals also proved to be the end of the road for last year’s men’s champions, with the Buccaneers eliminating UJ from the spot after they had played to a goalless draw in regulation time.

There was a similar story in the parallel fixture between Leruma Lions and Wits, with the team from the North West Province prevailing in another shootout to book a place in the final against the Soweto giants.

Bongani Mpini’s strike from close range handed Lions an early lead, which they clung onto to thwart the tournament hosts’ attempt at claiming their first Pirates Cup title since 2018.

Midfielder Lucky Malatsi took home the MVP accolade for inspiring Lerumo Lions to victory with his eye-catching displays in the middle of the pitch, while Emalahleni United‘s Alfred Kwanele was the men’s Golden Boot winner after scoring five goals.

Wits, meanwhile, emulated their ladies’ team by finishing third in the tournament after getting the better of UJ in the third-place playoff.

The Mancosa KwaZulu-Natal High School Football Association (KZHHSFA) Coastal and Inland Second Term Leagues started last week, with more teams than ever signing up for the competition.

This week’s highlight in the Mancosa KZNHSFA Inland A League is a clash between Edendale Technical High School and Haythorne Secondary School, which will be played on Barns Field at Maritzburg College.

In a pre-match interview with SuperSport Schools Plus, Mxolisi Mchunu, the head coach of Edendale’s first team, expressed his straightforward ambition to secure the league title this season.

Edendale is a distinguished and highly regarded school within the South African school football community. In recent years, it has played both direct and indirect roles in fostering the development of South African football, particularly by contributing to the girls’ national junior teams.

The boys’ team at Edendale has also garnered attention. In 2024, they were one of the top teams in the nation, achieving promotion to the KZNHSFA Inland A League after competing in the Inland B League. Additionally, they captured the prestigious Siyabonga Nomvethe Schools Cup in October.

Mchunu emphasised the significance of Edendale’s participation in those competitions and the school’s successes, stating that they boost morale and motivate the players. He expressed confidence that they will continue to make him proud this year, just as they have in the past.

Despite stepping up to the Inland A League for the first time, Mchunu confidently stated that his team is determined to compete for the championship. He said his team has lost several players from last year’s squad but this has also opened doors for other young players.

“Yes, we did lose five of our key players. One was doing matric last year and others [are not available] due to age, but we always ensure that we do have the young players and we promoted some this year,” he explained.

As Easter tournaments are being held nationwide, football clubs and academies have summoned their players to take part in various competitions. Because of this, Mchunu acknowledged that the holiday period has limited his players’ preparation time for Tuesday’s match. However, he expressed his confidence in his players’ ability to perform and produce a strong effort.

FIXTURES

Tuesday, 22 April 

Coastal A League

Venue: Queensburgh High School

15:00
Field 1 – Glenwood High School vs Hillcrest High School
Field 2 – Westville Boys’ High School vs Pinetown Boys’ High

16:15
Field 1 – Empangeni High School vs Northwood School
Field 2 – Bechet vs Port Shepstone

Inland A League

Venue: Barns Field

15:00 – Edendale vs Haythorne
16:05 – Carter High School vs Ixopo Secondary School

Venue: Alexandra High School

15:00 – Alexandra High School vs Maritzburg College
16:05 – Newtown vs Linpark

Unfortunately for the large crowd gathered to watch the final fixture of the 2025 Standard Bank King Edward VII School Easter Festival – between the hosts, King Edward VII School (KES), and Northwood – the match was brought to a premature end by lightning.

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

The final whistle was blown just six minutes into the second half, with the KwaZulu-Natal side enjoying a slender 12-7 lead.

However, it appeared that the Reds were beginning to find their rhythm, setting the stage for what could have been a thrilling final 25 minutes.

KES captain Sam Bruwer and eighthman Chinedu Amadi sparked the home side’s resurgence with powerful carries that pushed the hosts onto the front foot. For the Knights, hooker Ayavuya Makula made an early statement, marshalling a dominant rolling maul that led to one of his team’s two tries. The other came courtesy of fullback Trevor van Vollenstee, who crossed the line early in the game.

Thankfully for the spectators, the eagerly anticipated curtain-raiser between Hoërskool Noordheuwel (the Blues) and Jeppe High School for Boys delivered a dramatic contest. After an intense 60 minutes, the men from Krugersdorp celebrated their first win of the 2025 season, claiming a hard-fought 21-20 victory.

Jeppe started like a house on fire, racing into a 17-0 lead in the blink of an eye, through tries from loosehead, Joshua Hamman, and inside centre, Phano Letsie. They held onto the lead for nearly 50 minutes.

The Blues, then, found their rhythm in defence, delivering some thunderous tackles that disrupted Jeppe’s flow. With momentum shifting, their eighthman Kean Lourens crashed over for a crucial try, which was converted by Jeandré Uithaler – his third successful kick of the match – to seal a memorable victory.

SCORERS

Northwood 12 (12) – Tries: Trevor van Vollenstee, Ayavuya Makula. Conversion: Savio Stevens. King Edward VII School 7 (0) – Try: Joshua Wilkinson. Conversion: Indi Mboniswa.

Noordheuwel 21 (14) – Tries: Clinton Agu, Jayden Steyn, Kean Lourens. Conversions: Jeandré Uithaler (3). Jeppe High School for Boys 20 (17) – Tries: Joshua Hamman, Phano Letsie. Conversions: Nehemia Hollenbach (2). Penalties: Hollenbach (2).

The annual King Edward VII School (KES) Hockey Festival wrapped up on Monday with a dominant win for Jeppe High School for Boys amid four other tightly-contested affairs.

In the first match of the day, Jeppe continued their outstanding form, thumping Queen’s College 5-0 to close the festival with a perfect record of five wins from five.

The hosts, KES, were held to a 1-1 draw by a resilient Northwood School side, while another KZN team, Glenwood, won a five-goal thriller against Selborne by the odd goal.

Later in the day, Hoërskool Waterkloof edged past St Charles College 2-1 in a tense battle, while Parktown Boys’ High ground out a gritty 1-0 win over Helpmekaar Kollege to bring the curtain down on a weekend of top-tier schoolboy hockey.

Waterkloof had to dig deep in their final outing, rallying from a goal down after Saints had taken an early lead. The Pretoria side demonstrated composure and mental strength to quickly pull a goal back before scoring the winner late in the second half.

Klofies‘ coach Mark Lamprecht praised his players’ growth throughout the festival: “The KES Festival is always entertaining, and we always enjoy coming here,” he said. “The quality of hockey and the games we get to play are always of a high standard. It gets us to the next level.

“I think we did pretty well,” he added. “There’s still some work to do for the rest of the season to get the outcomes we want and score more goals, but I’m very happy with how the guys started from game one and grew with each match.”

Waterkloof suffered three defeats earlier in the festival, but Lamprecht credited their comeback win to the team’s calm mindset: “Yes, it’s the calmness from the side. I try to stay as calm as possible, and the players stay quite calm, too,” he explained.

“We went 0-1 down, so I had to be a little less calm and start helping the boys push for goals. Coming from behind to score two, I’m really happy with how the boys came back.”

Captain Diederik Maartens echoed his coach’s sentiments, highlighting the team’s resilience and improvement: “We had a wonderful festival,” he enthused. “We were here last year as well, and a lot of the boys returned.

“We had a rough start against Northwood, but we came back strongly against Pearson. Jeppe gave us a hard game, too, but the boys showed a lot of effort. It’s been a tough 60 minutes the last two days, and I think we’ve improved a lot.”

Reflecting on their win over St Charles, Maartens said: “Going a goal down is pretty hard because I’m at the back and can’t help much at the front,” he said. “But I just try to keep motivating my players to keep their heads up. The goals come as soon as you put in the effort.

“Like the coach said, we were a goal down, came back to 1-1 quickly, and just kept going. I just tell my boys to keep working. It’ll show on the scoreboard at the end of the day.”

In the final match of the festival, Parktown Boys’ High got by Helpies in a tight, defensive encounter. With chances at a premium, Parktown made theirs count late in the game, thanks to a composed finish by Zeyad Davids.

Coach David Grace was pleased with Parktown’s effort across the festival: “I thought it was a very good festival for us,” he reckoned. “We won a couple of games, drew a tough game against Selborne College, and ran out of legs against Maritzburg College. They deserved to win. They were very good on the day.

“All in all, I am very happy with my boys. They played very well and grew from strength to strength. That’s all I can ask,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

RESULTS

Jeppe High School for Boys 5–0 Queen’s College
Glenwood High School 3–2 Selborne College
Kearsney College 2–0 Pearson High School
Maritzburg College 2–0 Hoërskool Eldoraigne
KES 1–1 Northwood School
Waterkloof 2–1 St Charles College
Parktown Boys’ High 1–0 Helpmekaar Kollege

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.

Rondebosch Boys’ High School delivered a commanding performance, running in four tries in the second half, to overpower Queen’s College 33–0 in the second fixture on Monday, the final day of the Standard Bank King Edward VII School Easter Festival.

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

The scoreline belied the valiant efforts of a spirited Queen’s side, who came out determined to unsettle ‘Bosch from the outset.

They impressed during the opening 30 minutes, valiantly repelling wave after wave of Rondebosch surges at the try line to keep themselves in the contest.

Leading the defensive charge was the openside flank, Jeffrey Niland, who stood out at the breakdown where he secured several crucial turnovers when they were most needed.

Despite Queen’s resilience, Rondebosch’s relentless assault eventually brought reward in the second half. Randall-John Davids was a constant threat in the midfield, where his powerful carries kept the Queens defenders on high alert throughout the encounter.

Up front, Bulela Mbala made a telling impact off the bench. The dynamic front-rower imposed himself with a tireless display, and he was ably supported by the towering locks, Bertus Versfeld and Danil-Nicolas Oosthuizen, who delivered industrious performances to all corners of the field.

Meanwhile, Pearson held firm against a late surge from Hoërskool Eldoraigne to claim a 21-12 win over the Centurion-based outfit.

The Eastern Cape side’s outside centre Sibu Mkhontwana produced a standout performance, not only in open play but also with the boot. He kept the scoreboard ticking, slotting three penalties and also converted one of Pearson’s two tries.

Scrumhalf, Denio Jordaan, who is also the school’s first XI cricket captain, caught the eye with a sharp and energetic showing behind a pack that more than held its own against a formidable Eldoraigne forward unit.

Eldoraigne has work to do on sharpening their attacking edge. Their blindside flank, Justin Meintjies, showed how to do it with a tireless display, which was capped off by a superb long-range try in the dying moments.

SCORERS

Rondebosch Boys’ High School 33 (7) – Tries: Andrea Parrello, Daniel Arendse, Randall-John Davids, Bulela Mbala, Ethon Williams. Conversions: Sebastian Boshoff (3), Harry Soboil. Queen’s College 0.

Pearson 21 (8) – Tries: Denio Jordaan, Keano Beling. Conversion: Sibu Mkhontwana. Penalties: Mkontwana (3). Eldoraigne 12 (0) – Tries: Kevin Earle, Justin Meintjies. Conversion: Damian Elferink.

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.

Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies) delivered another commanding performance, storming to a 57–19 victory over Selborne College to claim a second win at the 2025 Standard Bank King Edward VII School Easter Festival, in Johannesburg, on Monday.

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

Demonstrating their remarkable depth, the Wit Bulle, from Pretoria, rested several leading players ahead of their clash with Hoërskool Garsfontein on Saturday.

Yet, even with key players given a breather, the Pretoria powerhouse didn’t skip a beat.

Their forwards set the tone early, battering the East London outfit with a barrage of physical carries that left Selborne reeling. Lock Martin van Niekerk, whose tireless work underpinned the Affies’ effort, was rewarded with two tries in quick succession just before the final whistle.

He was ably supported by openside flanker Luhan Potgieter, who impressed with another standout showing. Potgieter and his fellow flank, Elwin Jansen van Vuuren, both crossed the whitewash after impressive solo runs, which underlined Affies’’ dominance across the park.

For Selborne, openside flank Lwandle Bacela delivered a quietly heroic shift. Though often unnoticed, his hard graft on defence against the colossal Affies pack was commendable. His back-row partner, Uviwe Jikwana, also made his presence felt, scoring one of Selborne’s three tries with a determined individual effort.

Later in the day, the growing crowd was treated to a thrilling seesaw encounter between Parktown Boys’ High School and Hudson Park. Trailing 10-15 at half-time, the Johannesburg side rallied to score 15 unanswered points after the break to grab a hard-fought 25–15 victory.

Parktown’s eighthman, Siya Masinga, and openside flank, Lethabo Sikhundo, were pivotal to the turnaround, delivering tireless performances at the breakdown and in open play. Their efforts were justly rewarded, with tries, which contributed 10 points to their side’s winning tally.

For Hudson Park, left-wing Masibulele Kwakini provided one of the match’s standout moments with a blistering run down the touchline to score just before the break, which gave his team the half-time advantage.

SCORERS

Affies 57 (38) – Tries: Martin van Niekerk (2), Estian Marx (2) Hannes Nagel, Joshua Gouws, Charl Els, Luhan Potgieter, Elwin Jansen van Vuuren. Conversions: Ruben Groenewald (4), Lamond Baaidjies (2). Selborne College 19 (5) – Tries: Oliver Schmidt, Aaron James, Uviwe Jikwana. Conversions: Khazimla Qavile (2).

Parktown Boys’ High School 25 (10) – Tries: Siphesihle Mpofu, Siya Masinga, Lethabo Sikhudo. Conversions: Enrico van Coller (2). Penalties: Van Coller (2). Hudson Park 15 (15) – Tries: Sibalbwe Mtshini, Masibulele Kwakini. Conversion: Landile Gidi. Penalty: Gidi.