Blog

The Parel Vallei Bulldogs are geared up for one of their biggest challenges of the season, a visit to George to take on Outeniqua on Saturday.

Watch the action live on SuperSport Schools – Register now – Link to the game

Outeniqua had a tough run of fixtures to start the season, coming up short against Noordheuwel (19-28) and Boland Landbou (13-15) early on. They regrouped well to beat Pretoria Boys High (29-12) and Menlopark (37-17) at the NMI Toyota North-South Tournament in Pretoria before suffering the wrath of a wounded Grey College in Bloemfontein.

Last weekend, they got off to a flying start against the visiting Hoërskool Durbanville and went on to double up the Durbies in a 34-17 win.

Keenan Jantjies was in top form in that match, crossing the whitewash twice. He will be a player to keep a close eye on this weekend, along with other Kwagga dangermen, including Luca Potgieter and Ruart Curlewis.

The Bulldogs saw off Hoërskool Tygerberg 29-14 in their last outing. Flyhalf Shudley Rhoda spearheads their attack to great effect, and they will be looking to showcase more of the exciting brand of rugby that has brought them success so far this season.

They have a number of options available to them, which they showed in the match against the Tigers, twice scoring through strong forward play, with the big tighthead prop Ian Kleynhans rounding off, while their other two tries came by way of exciting backline interplay from Rhoda and his speedy winger, Iviwe Majingo.

While the hosts are definitely the favourites going into the match, they will not be taking the challengers from Somerset West lightly. An exciting contest looms.

Outeniqua vs Parel Vallei at 13:10

Outeniqua: 15 Jade Peterson, 14 Keenan Jantjies, 13 Reshaan Damons, 12 Luca Potgieter, 11 Xavier Solomons, 10 Ellie Meyer, 9 Jay-Zee Olivier, 8 Gareth Maree, 7 Jonothan Schutte, 6 Henru Nell, 5 Ruart Curlewis, 4 Trent Huisamen, 3 Zacary Meyer, 2 Luhan van der Sandt, 1 Deven Kleingeld.

Parel Vallei: 15 Luchen Meyer, 14 Junior Ruzvidzo, 13 Caleb Maasdorp, 12 Cayde Lucas, 11 Iviwe Majingo, 10 Shudley Rhoda, 9 Michael Kent, 8 Renato Tosi, 7 Sebastian van Niekerk, 6 Dylan Cockroft, 5 Marko Karsten, 4 Thomas Hoffmeyer, 3 Ian Kleynhans, 2 Diaan du Toit, 1 Ayandisa Mpumlwana.

FIXTURES

A field: 08:30 – Outeniqua u14 A vs Parel Vallei u14 A; 09:35 – Outeniqua u15 A vs Parel Vallei u15 A; 10:40 – Outeniqua u16 A vs Parel Vallei u16 A; 11:50 – Outeniqua II vs Parel Vallei II; 13:10 – Outeniqua 1ste XV vs Parel Vallei 1ste XV.

B field: 08:30 – Outeniqua VI vs Hoërskool Punt III; 09:40 – Outeniqua III vs Parel Vallei II; 10:50 – Outeniqua IV vs Hoërskool Punt II; 12:00 – Outeniqua V vs Parel Vallei III.

C field: 08:30 – Outeniqua u16 B vs Hoërskool Punt u16 A; 09:40 – Outeniqua u16 C vs Hoërskool Punt u16 B; 10:50 – Outeniqua u15 C vs Hoërskool Punt u15 B.

D field: 08:30 – Outeniqua u15 B vs Hoërskool Punt u15 A; 09:35 – Outeniqua u14 C vs Hoërskool Punt u14 B; 10:40 – Outeniqua u14 B vs Hoërskool Punt u14 A.

This weekend, the King Edward VII (KES) 1st hockey team heads to Jeppe High School for Boys for their first of two derby meetings this season. Saturday’s first leg tie takes place on the Boden Astro at 10:00.

You can catch the action live on SuperSport Schools.

Following a difficult start to the season at the Nomads Festival, where they played a tough schedule, KES has put some wins together, but last weekend they were well beaten.

In Pretoria, they came out on the wrong end of a 0-4 result against Pretoria Boys High. They had played a good game the weekend before, when they drew 2-2 with Parktown Boys’ High.

In their opening second term fixture, they edged out their neighbours and rivals, St John’s College, 3-2.

Jeppe, meanwhile, warmed up for Saturday’s derby with a one-sided 7-0 romp against Krugersdorp High School.

Afterwards, coach Siya Sityana politely downplayed that win and shifted the focus to the forthcoming clash: “Don’t count the match between us and Krugersdorp. It was a warm-up game,” he said. “This weekend will be all different against KES.”

Before the mid-week victory, the Zebras were held to a 2-2 draw at Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) last weekend. It was the first draw between the sides since 2008, although Affies mixed in a win in 2017 amid plenty of Jeppe victories.

In one of their better performances, Jeppe saw off Westville Boys’ High 3-1 on 13 April.

Last year, a very good Jeppe team convincingly beat KES both times they met, winning 3-1 and 6-0.

Since they started playing hockey matches against one another towards the end of the 1960s, Jeppe has won 30 of the 64 contests, KES has recorded 15 wins, and there have been 19 draws.

Jeppe, however, heads into Saturday’s match having won nine and drawn one of their last 10 games against KES.

JEPPE V KES HEAD-TO-HEAD

2017 Jeppe 3 KES 0
2018 Jeppe 2 KES 2; Jeppe 1 KES 0
2019 Jeppe 5 KES 1; Jeppe 6 KES 0
2021 Jeppe 4 KES 2
2022 Jeppe 2 KES 0; Jeppe 2 KES 0
2023 Jeppe 3 KES 1; Jeppe 6 KES 0

Also on Saturday, Pretoria Boys High takes on Parktown Boys’ High.

Wynberg Boys’ High will be aiming to continue their unbeaten run when they kick off the first of their southern suburb double-headers against Bishops Diocesan College on the Piley Rees Field on Saturday.

As one of the few teams yet to taste defeat this season, Wynberg has been one of the pacesetters in the Western Cape, delivering some spectacular performances to defeat almost every opponent they’ve come up against thus far.

Most recently, however, Grey High managed to hold them to a 10-10 draw in Cape Town. Before that, Wynberg recorded an historic 30-27 win against Paarl Boys’ High at the Buco Brug Street Stadium, where Yaqeen Ahmed slotted the winning penalty in the final moments of the clash.

Bishops have not had the season they would have hoped for in their 175th year. They lost their star scrumhalf Kashief Joseph to an injury and, despite some brave fighting spirit shown by the boys in white, the results have not gone their way thus far.

Ending their rivals’ spectacular run would go a long way towards righting their season, though, and one thing that is certain is that will not be lacking in motivation when they host the rampant Wynberg boys on Saturday.

Bishops will have their hands full containing Wynberg’s wings, Levi Brown and Kunene Gadu, and with their SA Schools A flyhalf, Ahmed, guiding their attack, the visitors will be excited about an opportunity to get back to winning ways after last week’s draw.

Last year, Bishops toppled Wynberg 14-10 away from home before Wynberg returned the favour in the return fixture, winning 27-20 on the Piley Rees.

Meanwhile, SACS travels to take on a wounded Paarl Gimnasium on the JA Kriel Field.

Watch that game live on SuperSport Schools – Register now – Link to the match

Gim has been in top form this season and until last weekend, when Grey College scraped a 29-27 victory in Paarl, had maintained an unbeaten record despite facing some of the top sides in the country.

Chandler Green stood out for the Gimmies at flyhalf and will spearhead their challenge this weekend.

After a slow start to their season, SACS impressed against Stellenberg (24-22) and Brackenfell (54-27) but Rondebosch Boys’ High dismantled them 55-22 last weekend.

Taking on the Paarl giants on their home field will undoubtedly be the biggest challenge so far for SACS and they will need to produce something special and unexpected to upset the Gimmies.

The return of SACS’ captain, Seth Bradford, who has been out due to injury for most of the season, will be a welcome boost for the Cape Town school.

Rondebosch will seek to tap into the momentum they took from their decisive victory over SACS when they take on Melkbosstrand.

TEAMS

Diocesan College vs Wynberg Boys’ High at 12:30

Diocesan College: 15 Wa-keem Fortuin, 14 Rynard Gordon, 13 Alex Newton, 12 Alex Laspatzis, 11 Ben Koenig, 10 Jordan Petersen, 9 Lucca Mynhardt, 8 Aza Gabada, 7 Alex Smith, 6 Daniel van den Heever, 5 Rieko Kidha, 4 James Kotze, 3 Yusuf Ahmed, 2 Jack Campbell, 1 Gareth Mckinon.

Wynberg Boys’ High: 15 Morne Noble, 14 Kunene Gadu, 13 Ezra Antonio, 12 Brandon Ashburner, 11 Levi Brown, 10 Yaqeen Ahmed, 9 Tyrone Gombe, 8 Jaden Meier, 7 Aden da Costa, 6 Jamie Stride, 5 Tjeripo Karuhumba, 4 Jaythen Orange, 3 Luqobo Makwedini, 2 Xabiso Matthews, 1 Benjamin Matthews.

Paarl Gimnasium vs SACS at 12:00

Paarl Gimnasium: 15 Josh O’Neill, 14 Freek de Kock, 13 Markus Muller, 12 Kobus Blanckenberg, 11 Markus Moolman, 10 Chandler Green, 9 Melt Viljoen, 8 Adriaan Louw, 7 Wihan Kotze, 6 Jan Koegelenberg, 5 Marinus Daling, 4 Stiaan de Goede, 3 Ely Williams, 2 Dawie Stemmet, 1 Jean-Jacques du Preez.

SACS: 15 Jack Benade, 14 Imtiaz Abrahams, 13 Nic Reynolds, 12 Matt Carrick, 11 Endi Sidinile, 10 Rayaan Solomons, 9 Seth Bradford, 8 Daniel Grant, 7 Tashriq Bailey, 5 Zac Wilson, 4 Callum Hirst, 3 Ikhona Maxegwana, 2 Sango Zangqa, 1 Ethan Combrink.

Melkbosstrand vs Rondebosch Boys’ High at 13:15

Melkbosstrand: 15 Waydon Afrikaner, 14 Jordan Heys, 13 Cyle Theys, 12 David Kuhburger, 11 Logan Becker, 10 Joel Maree, 9 Patrick van Niekerk, 8 Hanro Bresser, 7 Christiaan de Beer, 6 Zaheer Moosa, 5 Tristen Els, 4 Melkisidek Wakazadi, 3 Brody Nel, 2 Deyondre Andrews, 1 Janco Labuschagne.

Rondebosch Boys’ High: 15 Caleb Louw, 14 David Kadima, 13 Ewan Lawrie, 12 Alutha Wesi, 11 Shakeel Abrahams, 10 Harry Soboil, 9 James Kirsten, 8 Collin Paul Kemp, 7 Matthys du Plooy, 6 Travis van den Berg, 5 Danil-Nicolas Oosthuizen, 4 Carl Geddie, 3 Damian Spence, 2 Kai Ramsbottom, 1 Luke Pretorius.

Westville Boys’ High visits Maritzburg College for a showdown on Pape’s Astro on Friday evening, while Michaelhouse hosts Kearsney College in a contest that is expected to keep spectators on the edge of their seats on Saturday.

Westville’s preparations for the 2024 season got off to a rocky start. They rarely had a full team at their disposal, as many of their leading players also play first-team cricket. That stop-start schedule meant that they did not hit their straps until after they were a few games into the season.

“It wasn’t an ideal way to prepare for the season, but we worked hard and got what we could out of it,” said Cam Mackay, the Westville Director of Hockey.

However, the Owen Slack-captained side hit their straps last Friday when they romped to a 5-0 win over Glenwood.

While Westville heads into the College clash buoyed by their recent win, they are wary of the threat Kyle Emerson‘s side poses. “College is always a tough opponent and has always been one of our biggest games in the season. We drew last year at Pape’s, so we definitely want to get the better of them this year,” explained Mackay.

Nick Bérichon and his good friend and former Tuks’ teammate Ashley Kemp will be in opposite dugouts when their charges face off on Friday at 18:30 in a high-octane contest.

Bérichon’s side grows in confidence with each passing week and Michaelhouse’s performances on the field point to a team that is adapting to the style of play Bérichon has envisioned: aggressive and easy on the eye. That style will, however, be tested by Ashley Kemp’s Kearsney side. Last year, they defeated Michaelhouse 1-0.

“Kearsney will be very tough! They are a top side that is well coached by Ashley Kemp and have had some brilliant results this season,” Bérichon remarked.

Kemp’s charges shared a thrilling 4-4 draw away at Hilton College last weekend. In the past two years, they’ve had the edge over Michaelhouse, producing a better all-round record. However, that will have no impact on Saturday’s game, and Kemp and his charges will not be complacent. They know a serious test awaits.

“Playing against Michaelhouse at their home, with the entire school cheering them on, is going to be a different kettle of fish,” said Kemp, who expects the home crowd to provide the Michaelhouse 1st XI with a lift.

The Kearsney gaffer made sure that his charges were well-prepared for the encounter. The team has trained well, with lots of work focused on deep defence, he said. Kemp doesn’t want his side to be caught flatfooted by Michaelhouse’s attackers, whom he expects to be aggressive.

Clifton College has a tough assignment on Saturday when they take on Northwood in a Durban derby.

The teams’ rivalry dates back to when their respective coaches were still schoolboys. Clifton’s coach, Calvin Price, returns to his old stomping grounds to lead the opposition.

“In my youth, we always found the games tough. Right now, they are under one of the top coaches around, Justin Collins, and [they have] boys who know each other quite well. This is going to be one exciting game to watch,” Price reckoned.

His charges won 3-1 at St Charles last weekend after falling 0-1 behind. They showed character, took their chances, and pressed well to claim victory over a well-structured team.

The Clifton coach is seeking a performance of either the same standard or higher because that is what it will take to defeat the Knights.

FIXTURES

Saturday

Clifton vs Northwood, Michaelhouse vs Kearsney, Glenwood vs Hilton

Oranje and Witteberg headline girls’ hockey action in the Free State on Friday, while St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) and Voortrekker (Bethlehem) will meet in a contest that promises to light up Friday night in KwaZulu-Natal.

Witteberg makes the trip to Oranje for a mouthwatering showdown. Gyster van Schalkwyk and his Oranje team returned home from a successful tour to the Cape last weekend, where they edged out Paarl Girls’ High School 1-0, before settling for a 2-2 draw against Paarl Gim in a fiercely contested match.

Coach Casey-Jean Terblanche’s side will be intent on halting Oranje’s positive run of results and will aim to build off of their 5-1 thrashing of Trio when last they played.

Terblanche, a Eunice old girl who played SA Schools in 2016 and subsequently received her SA u21 colours, is moulding her team into a force to be reckoned with. In the preseason, she and her charges worked on reshaping Witteberg’s style of play into one that helps them create more 2-v-1 opportunities.

“Given the speed of our players, infusing pace into our tactics was paramount,” explained Terblanche.

As her team forges its path, Witteberg is focussed on securing victories beyond the scoreboard. They’re young and playing as a cohesive unit is something that they will consider as one of those wins. They will need to perform like a well-oiled unit if they’re to realise their ambition of clinching the Eastern Free State league title.

“We also want to test ourselves against top-tier opponents to lay a foundation for the coming year,” Botha shared. They face a huge challenge against Oranje. The Bloemfontein side is consistently outstanding.

However, Botha has Amy Kotzè and Arnè Maritz, who have both been in fine form, to lead Witteberg’s challenge. Kotze, who will be making her 70th appearance for the first team, will be keen to celebrate that milestone with a goal or two. Maritz, who bagged a hattrick in the 5-1 win over Trio, will be eager to further add to her rising tally of goals.

Juanè Loubser and Junè Lombard will reach their own milestones of 50 and 70 first-team caps respectively on Saturday, when they go up against the Free State u21 team. Their star, Kotze, will swap her Witteberg kit for the provincial uniform.

In KZN, Our Lady of Fatima will be chasing two wins in three days when they lock horns with their neighbours, Danville Park Girls’ High School.

“Our goal, as a team, is to really show everyone that we can compete with the best and play a really exciting brand of hockey. We want to fight for top two in the KZN league this year and finish in the top 20 in the country,” shared Matthew Smith, the Our Lady Fatima High School Sports Co-ordinator.

The team, captained by Katrina De Carvalho, made their ambitions abundantly clear when they walloped Ashton 7-1 on Wednesday. However, they are not walking into the tie against Danville expecting a cakewalk. Although Fatima has already beaten Danville once this year – they defeated them 1-0 at the Spar Tournament – De Carvalho and her teammates remain wary of their opposition.

“Danville is one of our rival schools, as we are in the same area. They are a tough fixture and [we] often have a nail-biting finish,” Smith explained.

A lot of eyes will be on Our Lady of Fatima’s KZN u16 trio of Gabi Howarth, Mia Lopes, and Jenna Shaw. Lopes and Shaw will do their best to control the midfield while Howarth poses a goal-scoring threat up front.

Kirsten Beneke’s Voortrekker (Bethlehem) goes head-to-head with St Mary’s DSG (Kloof). The tie will be the first of Voortrekker’s two in KZN over the weekend.

“It is a big game for us as they are currently ranked fifth in the country and we are ranked 13th,” said Beneke.

Carla Ann Mackay’s charges, on the other hand, head into the contest revitalised. Last week, they lost to their rivals, Durban Girl’s College (DGC) in a five-goal thriller. St Mary’s put that 2-3 defeat behind them and stormed to a 6-0 win over Maris Stella in their next outing.

Elizabeth Anderson led the charge with four goals, and Nicola Forbes and Alex Bowyer scored a goal each. Mackay’s charges will be keen to string victories together over the weekend – they also face St Anne’s on Saturday – to keep their ambitions for the season within their grasp.

Like Beneke, Mackay is expecting a difficult challenge, when the two sides face off. It promises to be a thrilling contest.

FIXTURES

Friday

Our Lady Fatima vs Danville, St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) vs Voortrekker (Bethlehem), Oranje vs Witteberg,

Saturday

St John’s DSG vs Voortrekker (Bethlehem), St Anne’s vs St Mary’s DSG (Kloof), DGC vs Ashton

Selborne College continues its long-standing rivalry with Grey College on Saturday when the Free State powerhouse visits East London.

Catch all of the action live on SuperSport Schools – Register now – Link to the game

The last time the Selbornians were able to topple Grey was in 2017 when third-team call-up, Thomas Bursey, cemented his place in Selborne history by scoring the winning try, which Mitchell Connellan converted, for an historic 20-19 victory.

After Grey stumbled against Jeppe High School for Boys earlier in the season, however, the boys from Bloem won’t be caught napping and the hosts are in for a massive battle.

Grey’s midfield caused havoc against a strong Paarl Gimnasium outfit last weekend, beating the previously unbeaten hosts 29-27 in Paarl to make a massive statement.

Centres, Pieter van der Merwe and Ethan Adams, are again among the players to keep an eye on this weekend, while the big boys up front, like Heinrich Theron, Danie Kruger and captain, Liam van Wyk, will also make their presence felt in the coastal city.

The hosts enter the big clash off the back of a convincing 49-10 win over Port Rex last weekend.

Scrumhalf Page Fennel directs their attack very effectively and, with speedsters like Daniel Breetzke and Siyamthanda Sakhela on the wing, Selborne has the tools to unlock any defence.

Captain Gcina Puzi and the rest of the forwards will have their work cut out for them containing the burly Bloemfontein boys, though. The Grey loose trio of Liam Santos, Juliun Cosmo and Xander Smit has been unrelenting and influential in its previous few outings and will be keen to continue that good work ahead of the Absa Wildeklawer Tournament in Kimberley.

Their focus will, however, be firmly fixed on the fixture in front of them as they know that Selborne presents a big challenge on their home field.

Selborne College vs Grey College at 13:30

Selborne College: 15 Bunqina Nuku, 14 Daniel Breetzke, 13 Cole Schonknecht, 12 Siyamthanda Sakhela, 11 Anjolauluwa Sogbanmu, 10 Chad de Beyer, 9 Page Fennel, 8 Joshua Cloete, 7 Gcina Puzi, 6 Adam Schwedhelm, 5 Andrew de Smidt, 4 Thabo Sonamzi, 3 Luke Stegmann, 2 Luke McGregor, 1 Robert John-Osunkwo.

Grey College: 15 Heinz Stockenström, 14 Siyabonga Kenny, 13 Ethan Adams, 12 Pieter van der Merwe, 11 Ruben Cilliers, 10 Alzeadon Felix, 9 Philip McLaren, 8 Liam Santos, 7 Juliun Cosmo, 6 Xander Smit, 5 AJ Meyer, 4 Heinrich Theron, 3 Danie Kruger, 2 Liam van Wyk, 1 Dian Venter.

Fixtures

A Field: 08:00 – Selborne u14 A vs Grey College u14 A; 09:00 – Selborne u15 A vs Grey College u15 A; 09:55 – Selborne u16 A vs Grey College u16 A; 11:05 – Selborne III vs Grey College III; 12:15 – Selborne II vs Grey College II; 13:30 – Selborne College 1st XV vs Grey College 1st XV.

B Field: 08:00 – Selborne V vs Grey College V; 09:05 – Selborne IV vs Grey College IV; 10:15 – Selborne u14 B vs Grey College u14 B; 11:15 – Selborne u15 B vs Grey College u15 B.

C Field: 08:00 – Selborne u16 B vs Grey College u16 B; 09:05 – Selborne u14 C vs Grey College u14 C; 10:05 – Selborne u15 C vs Grey College u15 C; 11:05 – Selborne u16 C vs Grey College u16 C.

St Stithians College is in the Eastern Cape for a showdown with Hudson Park High School on Friday afternoon. The game kicks off at 15:30.

With the Grey Festival getting underway next weekend, 4-6 May, both teams will be eager to build some confidence ahead of the Gqeberha event.

For Saints, Friday’s match will present an opportunity to acclimatise to the weather and field conditions on the Eastern Cape coast, while Hudson Park will be able to run the rule over a few players that they might want to give a run next weekend.

Hudson Park went down 12-50 to Graeme College in their most recent game, and they will be desperate to produce a strong response to that 38-point setback. Their efforts will be bolstered by their home field advantage.

Not too much should be read into their loss against Graeme. Hudson Park showed, when they beat a competitive Hoër Landbouskool Marlow 20-7 and ploughed through Cambridge 55-0 the week before, that they have plenty to offer.

St Stithians has had a break since an 11-47 defeat against Jeppe on 6 April, but they’ve also delivered some impressive performances, including thrashing St Benedict’s College 62-3 and beating St Andrew’s College 27-14.

Saints’ fullback Chris Anderson has delivered some fine all-round performances while, in the forward pack, prop Keabetswe Mapukana has also played quality rugby.

Meanwhile, in East London on Saturday, Port Rex Technical High School hosts Queen’s College at 13:30. The visitors beat Dale College 29-15 after trailing 0-12 in the early going last weekend.

Lutho Majavu was the only try scorer for Port Rex last time out, when they suffered a 10-49 defeat against Selborne College.

The Port Rex 1st XV is a young side, mostly made up of u17 players, but they’re always ready for a scrap and are an enthusiastic bunch, according to their coach Waldi van Greunen.

Despite the big loss last weekend, Port Rex showed plenty of fight, which Selborne coach Allan Miles recognised after the game. It would be a surprise if they shocked Queen’s, but Port Rex will hope their home ground lives up to its nickname of the ”Lions’ Den“.

Queen’s College will fancy their chances. They have some quality players in their lineup, and they reacted well against Dale when faced with adversity to come from behind and win the rivalry clash.

They have made a change on the right wing, where Ayathanda Mtyando takes over from Liyakha Sipunzi.

Dale College tackles Cambridge in another Eastern Cape match on Saturday, and they will be laser-focused on a return to winning ways.

Before their defeat at Queen’s last weekend, they showed their potential and their quality in a 32-25 victory over Grey High School, which held the unbeaten Wynberg Boys’ High to a draw in Cape Town on the same day.

Teams

Hudson Park: 15 Likho Gidi, 14 Msuthu Mbane, 13 Jacqyl Wright, 12 Luthando Yase, 11 Lebogang Madikane, 10 D’Angelo Snayers, 9 Landile Gidi, 8 Siyamthanda Klass, 7 Hlumelo Gobile, 6 Sibablwe Mtshini, 5 Luyolo Cweya, 4 Alwaba Yili, 3 Luyolo Nqeno, 2 Siqalo Gwagwa, 1 Linamandla Sonjani.

St Stithians College: 15 Chris Anderson, 14 Cullen Bradford, 13 Nthabeleng Mafole, 12 Gabriel Hore, 11 Sicelo Sakawuli, 10 Josh Meyer, 9 Aphelele Ngcuka, 8 Jono Caveney, 7 Tashinga Chingonzo, 6 Ross Turner, 5 Francois Botes, 4 Ryan Zvinavashe, 3 Jean Antony Eblen, 2 Ethan Jacobs, 1 Branden Lightfoot.

Port Rex Technical High School: 15 Hlulumi Tisane, 14 Qhayiya Silwani, 13 Owa Nqweniso, 12 Mivuyo Kongela, 11 Avela Dyubeni, 10 Indiphile Songqwaba, 9 Thando Maseti, 8 Lutho Majavu, 7 Siyolise Dubula, 6 Ty Fetting, 5 PK Susela, 4 Ethan Schoeman, 3 Arryn Sangerhous, 2 Mlibo Makapula, 1 Elijah Nkantweni.

Queen’s College Boys High School: 15 Mveli Mqulo, 14 Ayathanda Mtyando, 13 Thina Fenako, 12 Sbabalwe Magwebu, 11 Jameel Fleshman, 10 Siya Madzidzela, Ryan Denston, 8 Mbasa Mda, 7 Bulumko Manqina, 6 Jeffrey Niland, 5 Angalakha, 4 Aza Mdingi, 3 Abulele Bolotini, 2 Sinelizwi Deleki 1 Kuhlekonke Stuma.

Fixtures

Friday, 26 April 

Hudson Park vs St Stithians College 

u16A:  14:30 – Hudson Park vs St Stithians College (A Field)
u19A: 15:30 – Hudson Park vs St Stithians College (A Field)

Saturday, 27 April 

Port Rex Technical High School vs Queens College High School for Boys

u19A: 13:30 – Port Rex Technical High School vs Queens College High School for Boys

King Edward VII (KES) will lock horns with Jeppe High School for Boys in the first leg of their much-anticipated season’s double-header on Saturday. Winning the first game potentially sets up the victors for a season’s sweep and the bragging rights that would come with that.

Kick-off takes place at 14:00 on Jeppe’s iconic Collard Field.

Both schools’ 1st XVs ranks among South Africa’s elite in 2024 and their clash promises to deliver an afternoon of exhilarating rugby action, lathered in the history and tradition of the fixture.

Catch all the action live on Channel 216 or SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com)

The rivalry dates back to 1935. Since then, Jeppe and KES have met on 97 occasions. Despite playing so many times, the intensity of that rivalry appears to be escalating.

While the Red Army was dominant during the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s, Jeppe has mounted a formidable resurgence and clawed their way back into contention, with the schools splitting the wins evenly over their past 10 meetings.

KES has the upper hand in the overall record, with 63 victories to Jeppe’s 28, and six draws. In last year’s fixtures, KES won the first leg 23-20, in a nail-biting clash, while Jeppe bounced back strongly in the second match to secure a composed 43-31 victory.

Both sides feature players who were part of last season’s squads, which should add a bit of ”spice” to Saturday’s encounter. Many of the players would have also shared changerooms while playing together at various age-group levels for the Golden Lions over the years.

KES is in good form, having won all four of their April outings. Most recently, they beat Pretoria Boys High School 24-14 last weekend and the weekend before that they crushed Parktown Boys’ High 80-0.

Jeppe lost at Affies a week ago. The final result read 26-39. Jeppe made a slow start and trailed by 19 at the break, but they showed in the second half what they’re capable of being, winning it 19-13.

Spectators will need to keep a close eye on the front rows as both sets of forwards carry some formidable weight and a hard-fought battle is expected up front.

Jeppe’s Andre Poulton, Bonga Nxumalo and Luca Trevisan have shown up well this season, but they will be up against some stiff competition from Connor White, Esethu Mnebelele and Nathan van der Merwe.

Another interesting contest within the contest will be that between the flyhalves, Vusi Moyo (KES) and Matthew Coetzee (Jeppe), who have both impressed this season. They present two very different styles of play, which should challenge both players tactically.

Jeppe’s defence will need to be airtight against a rampant KES team which has shown an affinity for an aggressive brand of attacking rugby.

Of course, nobody owns a better win this season than Jeppe’s over Grey College at the NMI Toyota North-South Tournament.

Teams

Jeppe High School for Boys: 15 Sanele Simelane, 14 Mjij Ndimphiwe, 13 Kuthadzo Rasivhaga, 12 McMillen Mongwana, 11 Lindelani Nkambule, 10 Matthew Coetzee, 9 Talent Sithole, 8 Risima Khosa, 7 Nathan Claassen, 6 Uwaku Manaka, 5 Luke Cannon, 4 Lagan Leisher, 3 Luca Trevisan, 2 Bonga Nxumalo, 1 Andre Poulton.

King Edward VII: 15 Mbuso Methula, 14 Jarell Mbuyi, 13 Olunje Mehlomakulu, 12 Tristan Maugeri, 11 Haniel Monkoti, 10 Simphiwe Moyo, 9 Regan McGurk, 8 Kebotile Maake, 7 Sam Bruwer, 6 James Kobrowisky, 5 Michael Bownes, 4 Thomas Beiling, 3 Nathan Frank vd Merwe, 2 Esethu Mnebelele, 1 Connor White.

Fixtures

Jeppe High School for Boys vs King Edward VII

u14A: 8:00 Jeppe High School for Boys vs King Edward VII (White Field)
u15A: 09:30 Jeppe High School for Boys vs King Edward VII (Collard Field)
u16A: 11:10 Jeppe High School for Boys vs King Edward VII (Collard Field)
u19B: 12:30 Jeppe High School for Boys vs King Edward VII (Collard Field)
u19A: 14:00 Jeppe High School for Boys vs King Edward VII (Collard Field)

For some teams, the young Gauteng Development League season has been a series of steep learning curves. Certainly, the bottom three – Panorama FC, Wits Junior and NWU Vaal – have been on the receiving end of some harsh lessons over the course of the first eight rounds.

SuperSport Schools Plus‘ Ongama Gcwabe looks at the state of affairs within the league’s three strugglers, who sport only one win between them after a combined 19 games, ahead of the weekend’s ninth round of fixtures.

PANORAMA FC

The 2024 season has been a constant struggle for the Roodepoort-based club. They are currently in 18th place in the standings, at the very bottom of the league, and have failed to register a single victory in their six matches thus far.

When a team concedes almost three goals per game, which is roughly what Panorama FC has conceded this season, the reason why they occupy the bottom rung of the ladder is clear.

Perhaps what is more disappointing is how much their poor start to the season mirrors last season’s slow start, which featured only one victory in their first six outings.

The club from the west side of Johannesburg will need to pick themselves up ahead of round nine and produce far better form if they want to find themselves anywhere near the tenth position they secured at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

On Saturday, they travel to President Park to go toe-to-toe with Remember Elite Sports Academy FC.

WITS JUNIOR

It is difficult to understand how a club that is so successful at the professional level could struggle to the extent that the Wits Junior under-19 team has struggled over the past two seasons. In their 2023 campaign, Wits Junior finished at the very bottom of the log with a staggering 27 losses in 34 league fixtures.

The Marks Park-based unit appears to be on a similar downward trend this season and they, too, are winless after eight rounds of fixtures. They have lost five matches, drawn three, and have conceded 15 goals, which has left them in 17th place in the standings.

They host the defending champions, Highlands Park, at Marks Park on Saturday for their ninth league match.

NWU VAAL

The league’s newbies have had a number of challenges to negotiate this season, and most of them have, disappointingly, been outside the field of play. One of the main issues arose when the club attempted a name change, which led to an extended delay to their opening fixtures.

As a result, they occupy 16th place on the log after five fixtures, with one victory, one drawn game, and three losses.

They will be chasing a second victory of the season on Saturday when they travel to the Rosina Sedibane Media Sports Complex for their sixth league fixture of the season.

Other Fixtures

East Rand Athletic Club vs Randburg AFC at Tsukane Stadium
School of Excellence vs Mamelodi Sundowns at Elandsfontein
Sevens Academy vs Kathorus Hyper Academy at the Alberton Football Club
SuperSport United vs Kaizer Chiefs at Eskom Megawatt Park
TS Galaxy vs Jomo Cosmos at George Lea Park
TUKS vs Joburg City at the University of Pretoria Sports Campus

In the heart of the Eastern Cape, in Makhanda, St Andrew’s College will be celebrating 125 years of playing rugby on Lower Field, when they take on one of their longstanding rivals, Graeme College, on Saturday.

In the very first fixture between the schools, played in September 1886, Graeme College (formerly Grahamstown Public School) won. The rivalry has since gone from strength to strength.

Mutual respect has been built up over the years and it will again be to the fore when the teams run out onto the hallowed turf of Lower Field at 15:30.

Catch all the action live on Channel 216 or SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com)

To celebrate the 125-year milestone, St Andrew’s College will be donning a vintage kit as worn by the team between 1887-1904 in a nod to their proud and longstanding history as one of South Africa’s premier schools. The three stripes, which today represent the College 1st XV, were first introduced on 27 April. 1904

Three distinct iterations of the St Andrew’s College 1st XV jersey exist. The original jersey, adorned with thin navy and light blue stripes, was worn until 1887 and resembles the current school jersey worn across all College and Prep teams. On Saturday, supporters will see the boys sporting a fresh look.

St Andrew’s College last played a match on 30 March at the Saints Easter Festival, where they went down 15-34 to Michaelhouse in the battle for the Currey-Clark Cup. They had fallen 14-27 to St Stithians on the opening day of the event.

Graeme College is fresh off a big 38-point win over Hudson Park last weekend and has named an unchanged starting XV for Saturday’s showdown.

Fullback Cameron Doyle has been one of Graeme College’s standout performers this season. He shone at the St John’s Easter Rugby Festival, where he scored a hattrick of tries in a 50-10 defeat of St Benedict’s College.

St Andrew’s fullback Karabo van Heerden has also enjoyed a strong season and performed well at the Saints Sports Festival. The contributions of the two number 15s could be key to the outcome of the Makhanda derby.

Last year when they clashed, with just two minutes remaining on the clock, the score stood at 23-17 in Graeme’s favour. St Andrew’s, however, scored a late try by Daniel Hickey, which was converted, to snatch a nail-biting 24-23 win.

Back in 2022, in a very cold, wet and muddy affair, Graeme College came away with an 11-5 victory in a low scoring but entertaining game.

Both schools have produced renowned players over the years. Graeme’s Hennie le Roux ran out at centre for South Africa in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final and was the founder and president of the first players’ union in 1997.

St Andrew’s College boasts among its past pupils former Springbok and Springbok coach Nick Mallet. Their other Springboks include, among others, Frank Douglass, Fanie Cronje, Jackie Powell, Jack Dold, Daantjie van de Vyver, Russell Bennett and Ryan Kankowski.

The stage is set, the teams are ready, and history will be remembered and made when St Andrew’s College and Graeme College collide on Saturday.

Teams

St Andrew’s College: 15 Karabo Van Heerden, 14 Aza Nonxube, 13 ⁠Nic Hall, 12 Aphindile Ncuka, 11 ⁠Julian Mapoore, 10 ⁠Oli Johns, 9 Will Stern, 8 Murray Wilson, 7 ⁠Guy Fraser, 6 Philipp Maske, 5 Roman Van Zyl, 4 Rob Faber, 3 Thatao Machaba, 2 Joe Wostenholm, 1 Mark Were.

Graeme College: 15 Cameron Doyle, 14 Emihle Sukula, 13 Ashton Williams, 12 Xolisa Mdyesha, 11 Inathi Planga, 10 Marcus Williams, 9 Kevin Bodie 8 Ayamila Bill, 7 Liyema Mbatyotyi, 6 Fumani Baloyi, 5 Ayola Mali, 4 Mikhulu Yolani, 3 Byron Hunter, 2 Lebo Mahasele, 1 Avuyile Helesi.

Fixtures

U14A: 8:30 – St Andrew’s College vs Graeme College
U15A: 9:30 – St Andrew’s College vs Graeme College
U16A: 10:30 – St Andrew’s College vs Graeme College
U19D: 11:45 – St Andrew’s College vs Graeme College
U19C: 13:00 – St Andrew’s College vs Graeme College
U19B 14:15 – St Andrew’s College vs Graeme College
U19A: 15:30 – St Andrew’s College vs Graeme College