After a short rest, the Jade Brigade will continue their march onwards. Photo: Stellenberg rugby.
Stellenberg High defeated Wynberg Boys’ High 38-10 in Bellville on Friday. The victory was the latest in an outstanding season thus far for the Jade Brigade.
Big lock Juvan Burden crashed over the try line on two occasions, hitting short passes from scrumhalf Daniel Steffen with intent. On defence, he led the Stellies‘ forward pack, with the hosts effectively dismantling the Wynberg rolling maul, which included a breakdown steal on their own five-metre line.
They opened the scoring through left-wing, Chad Campbell, who dived over in the left-hand corner with defenders on his back after receiving the ball five metres out. Flyhalf Luke Gertze slotted the challenging conversion.
All three of Stellenberg’s visits to Wynberg’s 22 in the first half led to tries.
Right-wing Ralton Rhode got Stellenberg onto the scoreboard with a scintillating 40-metre run, which started from an overlap on the blindside. The Wynberg defenders were unable to shuffle across in time to stop the speedster from scoring.
For the second try, Wynberg’s defenders made it back in time to prevent Rhode from scoring an identical try. However, the wing skillfully offloaded the ball for blindside flank Carlo Brink to run in untouched for five points.
Stellenberg’s third try was finished by left wing Emile Cilliers in the corner.
Throughout the season, Stellenberg’s quick attacks down the blindside have borne fruit, and they executed them to perfection on Friday.
At the break, it was 19-10 to the hosts. They, however, had the advantage of the wind at their backs in the second half.
Using the elements well, flyhalf Ethan van Biljon often kicked for space in the left corner, utilising some superbly accurate kicking to make multiple 35-40 metre territorial gains. As a result, Stellenberg frequently made their way into the Wynberg 22 in the second half.
They sealed victory in the 68th minute with their last try, which came through replacement scrumhalf Jean-Roux Wessels.
After Van Biljon kicked deep, Stellenberg won the ball inside the Wynberg 22, with replacement hooker Matthew van Wyk grabbing possession. After taking the ball up through numerous phases, Wessels dummied and sniped over for five from about two metres out.
Next Saturday, the Jade Brigade travels to Riversdale for a showdown with Oakdale Landbou. It’ll be a tough contest between sides that boast two of the best lineouts in the game this season.
Scorers
Stellenberg High 38 (19) – Tries: Juvan Burden (2), Carlo Brink, Ralton Rhode, Emile Cilliers, Jean-Roux Wessels. Conversions: Ethan van Biljon (4). Wynberg Boys’ High 10 (10) – Try: Chad Campbell. Conversion: Luke Gertze. Penalty: Gertze.
The first day of the Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge delivered high-quality action. Photo: ES Media.
Paarl Gimnasium made a strong start to their Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge title defence with a pair of wins on Friday, the opening day of the tournament, in Cape Town.
St Mary’s DSG Kloof, Waterkloof, and Reddam House Constantia also collected maximum points.
Alanda Rademeyer began her campaign with a bang, bagging a four-goal haul in Paarl Gim’s 5-1 win over Durbanville. Anya Swanepoel scored the fifth goal, while Zieke Rossouw claimed a consolation goal for Durbanville.
Rademeyer carried her outstanding form into her side’s second match, scoring a brace to help Gimmies to a 3-1 win over St Cyprian’s. Imke Koegelenberg scored Gim’s third, while Chelsea McGregor found the back of the net for St Cyprian’s. Those back-to-back victories took Paarl Gim to the top of Pool A.
St Mary’s DSG Kloof fired five unanswered goals past SpringfieldConventSchool and Garsfontein to claim six points and a place at the summit of Pool D.
Jamie da Silva, Olivia Lord, and Tayte Stewart found the back of the net in the KZN school’s 3-0 win over Springfield. Stewart was on the scoresheet again in her side’s 2-0 win over Garsfontein, while Georgia Short also netted.
Lenique Vogel led the charge in Waterkloof’s march to the top of Pool E. She and Mila Rodenburg found the back of the net in Waterkloof’s 2-0 win over DF Akademie. Vogel, Eliane Haycock, and Renske Smit were on target for Klofies in their 3-1 win over Parel Vallei (PV), while Elrie Pienaar replied for PV.
Emma Hibbert‘s goal-scoring skills were on display as Reddam House Constantia made an impressive start in Pool H. She scored a hat-trick to spirit Reddam to a 4-0 win over St Mary’s Waverley, with Kayla Brown also getting onto the score sheet. Hibbert, then, scored the match-winner in a 1-0 win over St Anne’s.
DSG Makhanda won one and drew one to claim top spot in Pool B. In their first outing of the day, Emma Watson scored in a 1-1 draw with St John’s DSG, with Annabelle Balmer replying for the Pietermaitzburg school. Lucy Holderness led the way in DSG Makhanda’s comfortable 4-0 win over Rustenburg Girls’ High, scoring a hat-trick, with Emma Watson adding to her tally with another goal.
Collegiate and Stellenberg provided one of the most tightly contested matches of day one, with neither team scoring in a goalless draw. College, though, rocketed to the top of Pool C with an emphatic 6-1 defeat of St Andrew’s School for Girls.
Kate Brennan and Kerrin Gillies each scored a brace, while Lauren Duckworth and Nolitha Makasana slotted the other two. Erica Broskie was on target for St Andrew’s.
Affies Meisies worked their way to the top in Pool F via a win and a draw. They edged out Durban Girls’ College 1-0, courtesy of a goal from Doxa Uys, and then shared the points with Fairmont after a 1-1 draw. Lisa Kleu scored for Affies, while Camryn Corner was on target for Fairmont.
The Pool G leaders, Herschel, began their campaign with a win and a draw. They shared a six-goal thriller with Pearson, with Sarah Ashbolt striking twice for Herschel and Heather Kane adding the third. Hanna Potgieter, Hannah du Plooy, and Lisa de Villiers scored for Pearson.
In their opener, Herschel bounded to a comfortable 6-1 win over York, behind Emily Dickinson‘s brace and further goals from Anna Sherren, Katherine Featherstone, Sophie Lashbrooke, and Sophie Luger. Keira Harding responded for York.
RESULTS
Pool A
St Cyprian’s 4-0 Durbanville
Paarl Gim 3-1 St Cyprian’s
Paarl Gim 5-1 Durbanville
Pool B
St John’s DSG 2-0 Rustenburg Girls’ High
St John’s DSG 1-1 DSG Makhanda
DSG Makhanda 4-0 Rustenburg Girls’ High
Pool C
Collegiate 0-0 Stellenberg
Stellenberg 2-1 St Andrew’s School for Girls
Collegiate 6-1 St Andrew’s School for Girls
Pool D Garsfontein 2-0 Springfield St Mary’s DSG Kloof 3-0 Springfield St Mary’s DSG Kloof 2-0 Garsfontein
Pool E
Waterkloof 3-1 Parel Vallei
Parel Vallei 4-1 DF Akademie
Waterkloof 2-0 DF Akademie
Pool F
Durban Girls’ College 3-2 Fairmont
Affies 1-0 Durban Girls’ College
Affies 1-1 Fairmont
Pool G
Pearson 3-0 York
Herschel 6-1 York
Herschel 3-3 Pearson
Pool H
Reddam House Constantia 4-0 St Mary’s Waverley
St Anne’s 1-0 St Mary’s Waverley
Reddam House Constantia 1-0 St Anne’s
Western Province showed they have no peers in the U20 women’s game when they outplayed Eastern Province 36-7 in the final of the 2026 U20 Women’s Week in Alberton on Friday, claiming the national title for a fourth consecutive time.
Earlier in the day, KZN beat the Blue Bulls 12-0; the Limpopo Blue Bulls edged Griquas 10-5; the Pumas outlasted the Valke 24-17; the Griffons outscored Free State 10-5; the Golden Lions made the home crowd happy with their 27-7 win over Boland; and Border ended their week with a 24-12 victory over SWD.
A total of 122 tries scored over the three match days had the Alberton Rugby Club crowd on their feet.
In the final, the Capetonians held a 12-0 lead at the break and although EP, who lost a player due to a red card in the first half, tried gamely, WP’s extra player and their class showed why they are the best team in the country.
The four-time champions started strongest and scored in the third minute of the match – played in blustery conditions – when the inside backs moved the ball to the right where wing Saadiqah Corbett found space to score.
WP were all over their Eastern Cape opponents in the opening minutes, but credit to EP who took the punches well. Their forwards were doing a lot of heavy lifting, while WP use their backline as main attacking weapon.
EP missed a huge opportunity when WP wing Davedine March was yellow carded – first they missed a penalty attempt and then kicked the ball dead when trying to force an attacking lineout, two errors that proved costly.
More misery was to follow when a head clash saw Shanice Scholtz red-carded. WP, sensing their advantage, pounced when scrumhalf Danica Pypers sniped and scored, and flyhalf Nuha Levy’s successful conversion pushed the lead to 12-0 at the break.
The second half was again close, but the Western Cape side finished stronger as they manipulated their extra attacker into space.
Prop Sesethu Dumke scored a gem of a try to open the second half try-scoring spree. Levy saw an opening and ran through a gap and after some crisp passing, the ball ended up in the hands of Dumke, who crashed over for the third try of the match.
Not to be done when it comes to spectacular tries, the EP struck back when Lukhanye Lolo ran 60m to score under the sticks. The ball was worked through the hands and the wing, once in possession, rounded her opponent and raced away from the desperate WP cover defence.
The game was opening up, and as expected with some of the finest age group backline players on the field, more spectacular tries followed. The next came from March, who scored after a fine intervention by fullback Emma Bester, but not before a telling run by prop Anothando Khatshwa.
Levy converted and with 12 minutes left, WP were 24-7 up and EP staring down the barrel. The women from Gqeberha responded though and looked set to score in the corner, but a great cover tackle by centre Ronecia Gordon saved the day for her team.
Instead, WP worked their way up the field and lock Mivuyo Pawuli finished another remarkable team try. Towards the end, Gordon was rewarded for her earlier defensive heroics as she scored try number six to seal the deal.
With a home crowd urging them on, the Golden Lions finished the tournament strong, outplaying Boland 27-7 to celebrate them hosting the tournament in fine style. Five tries to nil was a true reflection of the dominance they showed in every facet of play, with their replacements also adding good value.
The home team’s forwards had too much power on the day, and Boland just could not get the ball to their dangerous backs. They had to wait for the final play of the match before they could cross the Lions’ try line, but by then, they were a well beaten side.
The Lions had a 12-0 lead at the break, courtesy of tries by wing Makungu Ntsumele and captain Thabisile Zungu, and added three more in the second half to finish the tournament on a strong note. Siphumelele Mdlalose and Ntokozo Kandiado both scored and to add icing to the Alberton cake, replacement forward Chioma Onuegbu mauled over the line as well.
Two first half tries laid the foundation for KZN in their 10-0 victory over the Blue Bulls in the opening match on the A-field.
An early try by Bokamoso Mokali (centre) in the corner was followed by a second soon after when prop Wandile Ndlovu crashed over from a tapped penalty near the Bulls line.
The team in blue kept on trying, but could just not build enough momentum on attack to get over their opponents’ line, allowing the Durbanites to celebrate their second win of the tournament.
The Griffons claimed provincial bragging rights by beating Free State 10-5 in a tight affair. Both teams struggled to get going and at the break, it was still 0-0.
Outside centre Thato Rantai opened the scoring for the Griffons early in the second half, but 10 minutes later, Free State lock Maipato Matebesi made her way over the Northern Free Staters’ try line to level scores. Rantai became the toast of Welkom when she scored four minutes from time to seal the win.
Two tries by hooker Vanessa Gabade eased the Limpopo Blue Bulls to a 10-5 win over Griquas, who suffered their first defeat of the week.
Gabade’s first came early in the first half and from short range after the Limpopo pack pummelled the gain line, while her second was a fine solo effort, where she ran 40m to dot down.
Griquas did pull one back 10 minutes from time when star player Angel Jaar danced past defenders to score, but the Northern Cape side could not score the winning points despite being on the Limpopo tryline in the dying stages of the match.
Both teams were guilty of poor handling and ill-discipline, resulting in a stop-start affair and that resulted in the game never really get going.
Border also finished the week on a winning note, beating SWD 24-12, with a strong second half the deciding factor.
SWD had a say in the match in the opening stanza and scored the only try of the half to lead 5-0 at the break, but Border found their rhythm in the second half and four tries later, including one from speedy wing Anelisa Striga, they could celebrate victory.
The Pumas also secured a win on the final day, outplaying the Valke 24-17 in a close match. The Pumas always had the edge and were leading at halftime and the four tries to three scoresheet was a good reflection of what happened on the field.
The Valke again looked at try-scoring ace Neo Mokoena to stay in the hunt and the wing did not disappoint, scoring twice.
Scorers:
Western Province 36 (12), Eastern Province 7 (0) WP – Tries: Sesethu Dumke, Danica Pypers, Saadiqah Corbett, Davedine March, Mivuyo Pawuli, Ronecia Gordon. Conversion: Nuha Levy (3). EP – Try: Lukhanye Lolo. Conversion: Julene Haas.
Western Province and Eastern Province will contest the final of the 2026 U20 Women’s Week in Alberton on Friday after dominating displays on day two of the action at Alberton Rugby Club, with WP scoring 10 tries in their 54-0 win over Boland, while EP outplayed hosts, the Golden Lions, 23-7.
The two undefeated sides impressed with their team play, but there is little doubt that some of the most exciting young backs in the country are coming through the ranks at the two coastal sides.
KwaZulu-Natal and the Blue Bulls also registered impressive victories, with KZN outplaying Border 29-0, while the Blue Bulls bounced back strongly from a defeat in their opening match to defeat the Limpopo Blue Bulls 36-10.
Griquas also remained on the winning track by beating SWD 12-8, and the Valke bagged their first win by beating the Griffons 17-5. The Pumas, meanwhile, outplayed Free State 26-15.
Fixtures for Friday, 1 May:
B-field:
08h30: Free State v Griffons
09h40: Border v SWD
10h50: Pumas v Valke
A-field: (all matches live on SA Rugby YouTube channel)
08h30: KZN v Blue Bulls
09h40: Griquas v Limpopo Blue Bulls
10h50: Golden Lions v Boland
12h00: Eastern Province v Western Province
Day Two match summaries:
Western Province thumped Boland 54-0 in the final match of the day, with their ability to play a total game being the big difference in this match. WP scored ten tries, all of them well-worked with forwards and backs combining in a smooth display of clinical rugby.
They scored first from a couple of forward drives to soften up the Boland defence, and Anothando Khatshwa crashed over with flyhalf Nuha Levy converting for a 7-0 lead. A set-piece play handed WP their next five-pointer from a line-out drive, as prop Sesethu Dumke was driven over to extend their lead to 12-0.
The Boland side did well to stop the early pressure on the scoreboard, but ten minutes later, following some heavy lifting by the forwards, outside centre Ronecia Gordon scored their third try of the match to extend their lead to 17-0. That was stretched even further when Davedine March scored in the same corner two minutes later, and the left wing’s effort extended the lead to 22-0, with the halftime hooter sounding.
A well-worked try, again with clean ball from the pack, was scored by wing Saadiqah Corbett shortly after the restart as they extended their lead to 27-0. That jumped to 32-0 when flanker Kaylin Heuvel finished a sustained attack in the corner and then 37-0 when fullback Anita Fazi stepped past a couple of defenders. Gordon earned her brace ten minutes from full-time, again compliments of solid team play, which paved the way for the outside centre to finish in style. The final nails in the coffin were dealt by team captain, Abigail Smit, with a minute to play and 50 coming up with a try in the corner by replacement Gemma Thomas.
Eastern Province outplayed the Golden Lions 23-7 to spoil the party for the Alberton crowd, but the home team support will be the first to admit that EP capitalised more effectively on their opportunities and had a more potent backline.
The Eastern Cape side scored first with a penalty goal – an option they often looked to keep the scoreboard rolling – and it worked like a charm as flyhalf Julene Haas kicked three penalty goals in total. The EP also scored two well-worked tries, while the home side’s only points came via a penalty try early in the match.
That came as Shanice Scholtz executed a high tackle in trying to stop opposing wing Siphumelele Mdlalose from scoring. The tackle succeeded, but the effort earned Scholtz a yellow card and seven points on the board.
Two Haas penalty goals – one before and another just after the yellow card – kept EP in close proximity on the scoreboard. They took the lead 20 minutes in when Iviwe Hawu scored following a good counterattack initiated by Haas, who also converted for a 13-7 halftime lead.
Haas extended the lead to 16-7 with a penalty goal that landed on the crossbar and bounced over. Another intervention by the flyhalf handed EP their second try, as they opted for a dart down the blindside and the pass found Scholtz, who dotted down behind the poles for a converted try. That pushed the lead to 23-7 with 20 minutes left on the clock. Credit to the Lions, who had most of the play in the final quarter but just could not get the points to get them closer to a result.
KwaZulu-Natal scored a good win on Wednesday, outplaying Border 29-0, with a strong showing all-around, which earned them Sunshine Coast bragging rights. The Durban side not only showed more composure on attack, but seemed fitter and sharper, with an impressive Hlekane Baloyi bossing the Border team around with a number of strong carries. The No 8 also scored two tries for her efforts.
Border had to defend for long spells, which tapped their energy and saw them fade away in the second half. KZN had no such problem in the second stanza, and four tries to none in 30 minutes rubberstamped their dominance in the match. Ill-discipline also did not help, and after a yellow card for repeated offences, Border conceded two tries in that spell with fourteen players.
The Limpopo Blue Bulls – who scored 40 points against Griffons on Monday – continued where they left off against the Blue Bulls, scoring twice in the opening quarter for a 10-0 lead. Both tries came via their forward pack, who looked menacing early on, but once the Blue Bulls changed tactics and started to play with their backs, the dynamics of the match changed as well.
The Blue Bulls’ halfback pairing of Georgia-lee Lewis and Erin Prins, with more possession coming their way, started to dictate play, and the rewards soon followed.
Two tries by the Blue Bulls, one of them converted, handed them a 12-10 lead at the break, while the second half was dominated by the Pretoria side. Their backline started to find gaps, and four more tries eased them into a comfortable win over their northern neighbours. With the win, they also redeemed themselves after a slow start to the tournament on Monday.
The Valke secured their first win of the tournament with a 17-5 win over the Griffons, with a strong first-half performance laying the foundation for the victory. The Gauteng side were out of the blocks early, with speedy winger, Neo Mokoena, racing away after eight minutes of play to score the opening try and earn the team a 5-0 lead. Mokoena was at it again with a fantastic second try. The winger intercepted a stray Griffons pass, sprinted away and after shrugging off a would-be defender, finished her 70-meter run under the sticks. The conversion was good and nudged the Valke 12-0 ahead.
The score remained static till the break, but soon after the restart Valke fullback, Mpho Tsolele, delivered a strong run, which resulted in a superb individual try. That extended their lead to 19-0. Credit to the Griffons, who kept playing, and it was a just reward when flyhalf and captain Lemohang Maduna scored under the sticks. This try was also marked the first for the Northern Free Staters at the tournament. Sadly, it was too little too late, which saw the Valke claim the win.
Free State, in turn, scored first after a good spell of rugby, forcing the Pumas to concede several penalties. A couple of tap-and-go’s did not yield the result, but once the ball was spread wide, winger Charmaine Marema found space and scored in the corner after 15 minutes of play.
The Pumas slowly found their groove – mainly with drives from the pack – and that tactic was rewarded when flanker Lerato Zitha crashed over the chalk. The converted try edged the Pumas ahead, and they extended that with speedy wing Megan Guambe outpacing the Free State defenders to score a good individual try. The conversion was successful, and the Pumas held a 14-7 lead at the break.
Guambe’s pace had the Bloem side in trouble shortly after the restart when another fine run extended their lead to 21-5. The reply by Free State came immediately as Boitumelo Booi scored, with the team captain running hard and straight to score near the poles. Her conversion went wide, though, leaving the Pumas still 21-10 up.
Her opposing captain, Precious Mamaila returned the compliment by scoring her team’s fourth try with eight minutes to play. The flanker crashed over in the corner to extend the lead to 26-10. Free State scored a third try on the buzzer, with Maipato Matebesi dotting down, giving them some momentum for Friday’s final match.
A strong second half by Griquas, meanwhile, assisted them to a hard-fought 12-8 win over the SWD Eagirls in a tightly contested match that could have gone either way. SWD opened the scoring with a penalty goal and a try in the corner to lead 8-0 early on. They had most of the possession and used it well with attacking plays through the pack, who were also not scared to move the ball from side to side.
Griquas held on in the first half, spending most of the time on the back foot and defending their line.
The second half saw more parity from Griquas, who were dangerous on the counterattack. It was route one though, which earned their first points, with replacement Lutho Xhulu crashing over after good support play amongst the pack. The converted try reduced the lead to 8-7 with 15 minutes to play. Griquas, however, snatched the lead with seven minutes to play when Xhulu crashed over from a tapped penalty and some forwards taking it up before the time. The Eagirls had one more attack with time up on the clock, but a sloppy pass thwarted that opportunity, allowing Griquas to celebrate.
A Parel Vallei defender delivers a cracking tackle in the Somerset West school’s win over Hudson Park High. Photo: Alwyn Burger.
Ahead of the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival, Hoërskool Parel Vallei (PV) was a team about which people outside of the Western Cape knew little. After the Bulldogs scored two comfortable wins in Gqeberha, those who weren’t familiar with them now know they’re a serious rugby team.
On Monday, Freedom Day, they defeated KuGompo City’s Hudson Park High 28-15 on the Pollock Field.
It was no surprise to see PV’s electric fullback, Shudley Rhoda, and their brickhouse inside centre, Brad Brown, get over the line for a try each.
Rhoda ripped through a gap by running an excellent line at pace, while Brown used his physical might to bounce off a handful of defenders one by one for his five points.
Left-wing Rafael vonLoeper also shone with two tries, showing the Hudson Park defenders a clean pair of heels for both of his five-pointers.
Hudson appeared down and out when they went into the break trailing 0-28, but they showed fierce grit and determination to score 15 points unanswered in the second half.
Twice, they burst over from driving mauls, with openside flank Phindekuhle Mdlalana and hooker Avela Magcoba dotting down.
Their other try came from their right wing, Cwenga Bityo. He hit the afterburners on a 95-metre run after picking up a loose pass on his own five-metre line to score a simple but impressive try.
Graeme made their intentions clear early on when they scored in the second minute, regathering the ball from kickoff and playing a couple of phases inside the opposition’s 22-metre area, where they moved possession quickly from right to left before reversing direction.
Flyhalf Ibenathi Kondile then dished out a testing cross kick, which left wing Selunathi Mfundisi claimed to score after a St Charles player dropped the contested ball.
Despite going down 0-19 in the first 20 minutes, the Pietermaritzburg outfit remained alert, and blindside flank Une Shabalala quickly pounced on a loose pass thrown out by Graeme on their own five-metre line. He was over the try line in a flash for five points to get the Saints‘ score moving.
Graeme led 29-7 at halftime. The second half was more competitive, but the Makhanda locals had already laid a solid foundation for victory.
With successive wins over KZN opposition, Graeme will head into Saturday’s Makhanda derby against St Andrew’s College full of confidence. St Andrew’s was well beaten by another KZN side, Michaelhouse, on Monday, going down 5-41.
Grey High ended their festival campaign with a strong performance against Glenwood High. Photo: Mikah van Niekerk.
The hosts, Grey High, staged a great comeback against Michaelhouse on their Kolisi Field on Saturday, and followed up with a 34-12 triumph over Glenwood High on Monday, Freedom Day.
Grey had been scheduled to play Pretoria Boys High (PBHS), but a measles outbreak forced PBHS to withdraw and the organisers to revise the fixtures.
Blindside flank Cole Bennett was on fire for The Grey, using his strength to twice drive over the try line from pick-and-goes.
Unlike many of the games played on Monday, the wind didn’t appear to have a heavy impact. Grey led 17-5 at halftime, and they outscored Glenwood 17-7 in the second stanza.
Much like their match against Rondebosch Boys’ High on Saturday, the Green Machine had their moments, highlighted by fullback Rosco Williams, who scored a brilliant try via a grubber and chase down the left-hand touchline, which saw him running 40 metres through a five-metre wide corridor of space to get his side into double digits.
Nonetheless, an entertaining fixture brought the hosts’ festival campaign to a successful close.
The Donkies were in a flow state, cruising to a big 67-12 win in dominating style. Left wing Darren Makeza scored a hat-trick, while replacement back Willvino Paultin earned a brace.
The Worcester locals’ passing was second to none, with many of their tries coming from brilliant offloads from their bigger players, who sucked in defenders before unleashing the speedsters into gaps. Perhaps the best example of that came with their second try in the tenth minute.
Loosehead prop Juan Janse van Vuuren found himself running down the left flank. Then, when confronted, he delivered a lovely one-handed pass out the back of his hand as three defenders closed in on him. Inside centre Jano van Deventer received the ball and flew clear, crossing unscathed for a try.
Meanwhile, Selborne earned their two tries with a straightforward, physical approach, which included hooker Joshua McKay being driven over from a rolling maul that started on the Drostdy five-metre line.
The Donkies will head back to Worcester feeling justifiably proud of their performances at the festival.
Rondebosch Boys’ High wasn’t far behind Drostdy when assessing teams’ dominance. They defeated King Edward VII (KES) 29-12 in the closing match of the festival.
It was a complete performance from Rondebosch, with lock Bjorn Morkel standing out for his two tries. Both came from line breaks near the base of the ruck on the opposition 22-metre line, with the first delivered through a crash-ball feed from scrumhalf Daniel Arendse, while Morkel picked up and sniped for the second.
KES had one of their own locks score a try after a well-placed restart kick found its way into no man’s land, which allowed the Johannesburg outfit to regather the ball. After a few phases, Kristian Sheahan ploughed over the line from the base of a ruck to tack five points onto the Red Army‘s total.
Scorers
Grey High 34 (17) – Tries: Cole Bennett (2), Noah Mbizi, Daniel Naude, Christopher Vosloo, Ryan Swarbrick. Conversions: Tristan Kemp (2). GlenwoodHigh 12 (5) – Tries: Cody Soll, Rosco Williams. Conversion: Elgenio Oersen.
Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote left the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium a satisfied man after South Africa kicked off their U20 Rugby Championship campaign with a statement victory over Argentina on Monday.
The Junior Boks blended a high-tempo attacking game with a gritty defensive display that left the Gqeberha crowd delighted.
Despite the comfortable 48-21 scoreline, the match was a relentless physical test and Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote praised his side’s intent to play an “exciting brand” of rugby.
“We never want to stop the guys from expressing themselves, and our journey is just starting now,” Foote said after the game.
Riley Norton led a defensive effort that effectively neutralised the South Americans for the first hour of play. The SA u20 captain said the performance was pleasing and praised the Junior Boks’ fighting spirit and grit.
“It’s about character. It comes down to the heart that each player has,” said Norton of the match against a competitive Argentine side.
The Junior Bok captain also highlighted the intensity brought by the visitors, noting that Argentina didn’t stop fighting for the full 80 minutes, and he also credited his forward pack for “fronting up” against a renowned Argentine set-piece that remains the “bread-and-butter” of their game.
One of the Junior Boks’ standout performers was the strong-running inside centre Ethan Adams, whose physicality in the midfield was rewarded with two tries in the first half. Out wide, Jack Benade (wing) registered a hat-trick of tries in his debut international for the Junior Boks.
Norton also praised the passionate Eastern Cape crowd that came out to watch the Junior Boks play on Freedom Day: “It was such a special occasion to sing our anthem with the crowd. I am so pleased that we could play some really exciting rugby today, especially in the first half, and be successful in what was always going to be a tough encounter against Argentina.”
South Africa leads the standings after the opening round on five points, followed by New Zealand on four, and Australia on one, while Argentina scored a point.
The Junior Boks’ next game is at 16:10 on Sunday against Australia, who were beaten 34-29 by New Zealand in their opener, while the Kiwis and Argentina will clash at 14:00. Tickets, from only R35 per person, are available here.
Western Province (WP), Eastern Province (EP), and Boland showed their intent at Alberton Rugby Club on Monday with three commanding wins on the opening day of the 2026 U20 Women’s Week, while Griquas and the Limpopo Blue Bulls started their Tier Two campaigns impressively.
EP outplayed the Blue Bulls 46-10, WP romped past Free State 79-0, and Boland proved too slick for Border, winning 29-22. The tournament hosts, the Golden Lions, started their campaign with a 10-0 win over KwaZulu-Natal.
The four Tier One matches delivered great rugby, but so did the three Tier Two clashes, with the Limpopo Blue Bulls dominating the Griffons 40-0, Griquas outplaying the Valke 27-14, and the SWD Eagirls outlasting the Pumas 17-7 in the opening match of the day
That clash was tightly contested and highly entertaining, with the Eagirls finishing stronger in the second half to beat the Pumas by 10 points after leading 12-7 at the break.
The team from Mpumalanga dominated the opening spell but failed to score. SWD, after their stout defensive effort in the first quarter of the match, pounced on their first opportunity with good interplay between forwards and backs resulting in Ashlin Manho crashing over for a converted try that handed them a 7-0 lead after 18 minutes.
A second try by Manho from a blindside move at a scrum extended that lead to 12-0, but the Pumas scored before the break with Megan Guambe outsprinting several defenders on the way to the tryline. She converted as well. At the break, it was still anyone’s game.
The second half started like the first, with some good play by the Pumas, but SWD again weathered the storm and, when it mattered most, hooker Marcell Cedrass crashed over after a couple of solid drives from the pack.
The Valke started stronger in their match against Griquas with some powerful interplay by their pack. It yielded points early as prop Dimpho Dibate crashed over and, with the try converted, the Gautengers were up 7-0, but the Northern Cape team scored next with a fluent backline move resulting in Angel Jaars dotting down in the corner.
Both teams tried to force their game plans on the other. Griquas was not shy about using their potent backline, but from such an attack, they spilled the ball and Valke flyer, Neo Mokena, responded with a blistering run from 70m out to make it 14-5 at the break.
The second half was much more productive for Griquas. They scored shortly after the restart when lock Ntombikayise Mashaba crashed over and slowly took control of the match. Two more tries followed and, when Jaars scored her second in the dying minutes of the match following a kick and chase, the result was secured.
The Limpopo Blue Bulls ran the Griffons ragged in the second half of their match at Alberton Stadium, scoring five tries in 30 minutes on their way to a 40-0 win, with a hat-trick within 10 minutes by prop Karabo Rabekane the highlight of the game. Hooker Vanessa Gabadi also dotted down three times.
Limpopo may have dominated the match, but the Griffons had some good moments, although they lacked the cohesion to sustain their attacks, and as the confidence grew from their defensive effort, things started to gel for the team from the north.
The Golden Lions started strongly against KwaZulu-Natal and scored in the opening minutes when fullback Catherine Stacey went over in the left corner, much to the delight of the home crowd.
The rest of the half was a hard-fought affair as good defence on both sides prevented any further points. Most of the match was played between the two 10m lines.
The second half delivered more of the same, but the momentum tilted towards the team in black and white. They had more than enough parity in the contest, but couldn’t put an attack together to break open the opposing defence.
The hosts defended very well, and a late try by lock Amber Howell sealed the deal for the Lions, whose pack knuckled down and earned the hard yards towards the KZN line.
Eastern Province scored a well-deserved 46-10 win over the Blue Bulls, with the seven tries to one romp a surprisingly one-way affair.
EP opened the scoring in the opening minute and never looked back, while the Bulls looked a far cry from the team that contested last year’s final.
Shanice Scholtz (wing) scored from the kickoff, and she then combined very well with her fellow speedster Lukhanye Lolo and fullback Micayle Hendricks. In the 16th minute, Hendricks scored to extend the advantage, and Julene Haas added a penalty goal to her two conversions to make it 17-0.
A yellow card to EP for cynical play gave the Blue Bulls an opportunity, and they opted for a penalty goal to get the scoreboard going six minutes before the break, but that didn’t help much as another counterattack by the EP back three opened up the Bulls, with Scholtz scoring her second, converted by Haas for a 24-3 lead at halftime.
EP then got off to a perfect start in the second half when Ywaydha de Vos ran onto a corner kick by Haas to score for a 29-3 lead. The Blue Bulls tried hard, but missed some opportunities before a yellow card to Scholtz gave them a sniff, and Georgia-Lee Lewis darted through from a quick tap penalty to cut EP’s lead to 29-10.
But EP had the final say with their bench making an impact. Esona Sokani and Zusakhe Tembani added their names to the score sheet in an emphatic victory.
Some wonderful finishing by Boland’s backs helped them to a convincing 29-22 win over Border, with their ability on the counterattack proving vital in a match played at a good tempo and pace.
Boland scored first when Jomare Hendricks was driven over the line by her pack, before wing Tereske Kabuika showed her lethal finishing ability to extend the lead from a wayward Border kick.
Few sides can score team tries like Border, though, and wing Sikiwe Likhanye was on the end of a flowing move, but that try was quickly cancelled out by Boland, who worked wing Aisha Valentine over in the corner, also with a flowing backline play.
Border came back again with a try from a quick tap penalty, and some straight running delivered the required outcomes, but again Boland responded in the required way as Valentine scored her second.
There was still some fight left in Border, however, and they scored again, with the converted try cutting the lead to 24-17, but once again Boland extended their lead when Hope Williams scored. Although Border pulled one back on the buzzer, it was a little too late.
Western Province totally dominated Free State and delivered the slickest performance of the day, sending a clear signal to all comers that they are the defending champions, and they don’t plan to be displaced.
The 79-0 scoreline might look harsh, but Free State tried hard. The reality is that they were outclassed by a team which showed a wonderful synergy on attack, an ability to find space for their strike runners, and a very solid defensive set that put opponents under pressure.
WP’s strike runners Davedine March, Emma Bester, and Saadiqah Corbett were connected with wonderfully-timed and crisp passing from their inside backs, with flyhalf Nuha Levy feeding the machine with solid play.
It all started with a dominant WP pack that showed good patience and discipline, ensuring their primary job was done before looking for glory themselves. The likes of Abigail Smit, Endinako Mbunje, and Abby Koopman worked all afternoon to secure possession, tackled anything in orange, and celebrated each try as they had scored it themselves.
Western Province 79 (36) – Tries: Jada Davids, Mivuyo Pawuli, Yanelisa Plaatjie (2), Davedine March (3), Emma Bester (4), Anita Fazi, Kaylee Daniels. Conversions: Nuha Levy (7). Free State 0 (0)
Round two fixtures (Wednesday, 29 April – all matches live on SA Rugby’s YouTube channel)
08:30: Griffons v Valke
09:40: Pumas v Free State
10:50: SWD v Griquas
12:00: Limpopo Blue Bulls v Bulls
13:10: KZN v Border
14:20: Eastern Province v Golden Lions
15:30: Boland v Western Province
Despite meeting for the first time in 31 years on a rugby field, there was certainly no love lost between Alberton’s Hoërskool Dinamika and Hoërskool Marais Viljoen. Their showdown brought the inaugural Fairtree Sport Festival at Die Hoërskool Menlopark in Pretoria to a dramatic close.
After a nail-biting and drama-filled clash, bragging rights in Alberton went to Marais Viljoen (MV), thanks to a hard-fought 24–20 victory.
At halftime, they trailed by 17 points and had been held scoreless. Undaunted, they mounted a fightback, outscoring Dinamika 24-3 in the second stanza.
Openside flank Tshepo Tsholo opened the Marais Viljoen account shortly after the restart, dotting down the first of his two tries in a standout performance.
A series of thundering collisions from both sides defined the match. Dinamika’s first-half dominance was underpinned by their ability to absorb sustained pressure before converting defensive resilience into points.
The battle between scrumhalves, Peter Chihobo (Hoërskool Marais Viljoen) and Riley Sinclaire (Hoërskool Dinamika), added further intrigue. Chihobo‘s service was sharp, which helped MV to build momentum, while Sinclaire‘s tactical box-kicking dictated play during the opening 30 minutes.
A 34-minute lightning-related disruption led to an intense last seven minutes of the match. Upon the resumption of play, Dinamika launched wave after wave of attack in an attempt to overturn the four-point deficit. However, a resolute defensive effort from the MV kept them out and secured the victory.
Earlier, in the fixture preceding the much-anticipated Alberton derby, the Parkies of the Die Hoërskool MenloparkXV withstood a spirited challenge from the Hoërskool Dr Malan of Meyerton, claiming a 34–22 win.
Hooker Gihann Parsons delivered a superb performance, scoring the only hat-trick of the day to make a significant contribution to his side’s total.
Dokkies‘ hooker Dylan Hopkins was his usual influential self and also crossed for a try. However, Dr Malan’s primary points scorer was flyhalf JJ Kruger, who scored a try, added two conversions, and slotted a penalty, which constituted 12 of his team’s 22 points.
Scorers
Marais Viljoen 24 (0) – Tries: Tshepo Tsholo (2), Joshua O’Brien, Penalty try. Conversions: Ovayo Jonas. Dinamika 20 (17) – Tries: Jadon Fritz, Riley Sinclaire. Conversions: Caiden van der Merwe (2). Penalties: Van der Merwe (2).
Menlopark XV 34 (17) – Tries: Gihann Parsons (3), Johan Vermaak, Eduan Bothma, Marco de Bruin. Conversions: Julian Nel (2). Dr Malan 22 (15) – Tries: Dylin Hopkins, Jason-Lee Oosthuizen, JJ Kruger. Conversions: Kruger (2). Penalty: Kruger.
‘n Strafdoel deur die haker, Keaton “Chunks” Olivier, met speeltyd reeds verstreke het aan die Hoërskool Outeniqua ‘n naelskraapse sege in die doodsnikke van 30-29 oor Maritzburg College op die laaste dag van die Absa Wildeklawer-toernooi besorg.
Olivier is na die strafskop aan die Kwaggas toegedien is, deur sy afrigters op die veld vanaf die plaasvervangerbank gestuur om die stelskop waar te neem.
Die nederlaag sal sonder twyfel vir Maritzburg College soos ‘n hou op die maag gevoel het, na hy ook in sy eerste kragmeting teen met 19-24 teen die Hoërskool Stellenberg die knie moes buig.
Stellenberg is wel die voorste skolespan tot dusver in Suid-Afrika, maar Maritzburg College kan hulself in albei wedstryde ongelukkig ag. Die span van Pietermaritzburg het werklik deurgans goeie rugby opgedis.
Gepraat van Stellenberg, hy moes vroeg môre ‘n hewige aanslag van die gasheer, Hoërskool Diamantveld, afweer. Die Jade Brigade het eers na 55 minute se spel vir die eerste keer in die kragmeting voorgeloop.
Dit was danksy ‘n drie deur sy staatmaker slot Juvan Burden. Hy het kort daarna nog ‘n keer oor die doellyn gebars. Burden is sonder twyfel ‘n speler waarvoor daar nog ‘n groot toekoms op die rugbyveld voorle.
Die draaislag in die kragmeting het met die verskyning vanaf die plaasvervangersbank van Stellenberg se gereëlde kaptein en agtsteman, Yanos Molnar, gekom. Hy het voorlangs die vuur aangesteek, terwyl dit ook geblyk het dat sy span met meer doelgerigtheid gespeel het.
Dit het boonop die familie-affêre vir die kragmeting voltooi. Molnar se twee neefs, Andras (Stellenberg) en Phillip (Diamantveld) was as afrigters by die kragmeting betrokke. Phillip is Diamonds se hoofafrigter, terwyl Andras na die Jade Brigade se verdediging omsien.
Diamantveld se agttal verdien hope lof. Hulle het onder die spreekwoordelike kombers gespeel met Franklin Stevens (slot), CJ Meiring (stut) en Heinrich Swart (agtsteman) wat beduidende rolle vertolk het. Agterlangs verdien die heelagter, Tyler Cmapher, asook die losskakel, JG van Heerden, ‘n klop op die skouer vir hul vertonings.
Die 70 minute se rugby tussen Helpmekaar Kollege en Queen’s College het ‘n ongelooflike 109 punte opgelewer. Die Helpies het uiteindelik met 73-36 as oorwinnaars van die veld gestap.
Soos gewoonlik was Helpies se skrumskakel, Shaye Lourens, asook die linkervleuel, Zuan Krige, vuurwarm op die aanval. Albei het ook twee keer ‘n draai agter die doellyn gaan maak.
Die SA Skole A-vleuel Ncutu Kepe het twee van Queen’s College se drieë afgerond. Die buitesenter, Mtokozisi Mbambo, en die heelagter, Inganathi Mnunu, het ook dubelle driedruk-plesier ervaar.
Puntemakers:
Outeniqua 30 (19) – Drieë: Jean Capes, Gerrit Janse van Rensburg, Logan Jacobs, AJ Botha. Doelskoppe: Tylor Marais, Jansen van Rensburg. Strafdoele: Janse van Rensburg, Chunks Olivier. Maritzburg College 29 (21) – Drieë: Rory Stanton, Lungelo Hadebe, Sean Jansen, Theo Boshoff. Doelskoppe: Dominic du Toit (3). Strafdoele: Du Toit.
Helpmekaar 73 (28) – Drieë: Shaye Lourens (2), Zuan Krige (2), Jeandré van der Merwe, Ruann Bester, John van Druten, Eben van Buuren, Daniel Kelbrick, Xander van Niekerk, Jayden Brown. Doelskoppe: Ethan Kruger (9). Queen’s College 36 (24) – Driee: Mtokozisi Mbambo (2), Ncutu Kepe (2), Inganathi Mnunu (2). Doelskoppe: Mnunu (3).
Stellenberg 31 (12) – Drieë: Yuvan Burden (2), Ralton Rhode, Ethan van Biljon, Yanos Molnar. Doelskoppe: Ethan van Biljon (3). Diamantveld 20 (17) – Drieë: Franklin Stevens, CJ Meiring. Doelskoppe: JG van Heerden (2). Strafdoele: Van Heerden (2).
Junior Springbok coach Kevin Foote left the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium a satisfied man after South Africa kicked off their U20 Rugby Championship campaign with a statement victory over Argentina on Monday.
Despite meeting for the first time in 31 years on a rugby field, there was certainly no love lost between Alberton’s Hoërskool Dinamika and Hoërskool Marais Viljoen. Their showdown brought the inaugural Fairtree Sport Festival at Die Hoërskool Menlopark in Pretoria to a dramatic close.
