The Klerksdorp school will compete in the Plate section of the newly branded Virseker Noordvaal Cup, while the Middies have been promoted to the Cup division of the same competition.
The lead changed hands several times during a hotly contested clash, especially near the end, but Wesvalia’s Wian du Preez secured the six-point win. He took over the kicking duties from Dundré Hales and converted two crucial penalties. He also crossed the whitewash for one of his side’s four tries.
Middies’ fullback Jano Wilson kept the Mpumalanga side in contention with his boot, but Wesvalia did a good job of limiting their attack, winning the try tally by four to three and the match by six points.
In the opening fixture of the final day, Middelburg’s other representative, the Rooi Bulle of HTS Middelburg, returned to winning ways thanks to a composed display off the kicking tee by Cornelius Erasmus. He converted three of his side’s four tries, and his solitary penalty proved decisive in a 31–28 win over Humansdorp’s Nico Malan.
Jacques Greyling, a seasoned campaigner in the No.13 jersey, made a strong impact on attack. Inside him, another veteran, Nathan Jansen van Vuuren, delivered a sound defensive performance, which was vital to the Rooi Bulle‘s narrow victory.
Flyhalf Leighton Lawrence controlled proceedings effectively for Nico Malan and delivered a flawless goal-kicking display, converting all of his side’s four tries.
Fullback Masood Knowlden also played a prominent and impressive role in a brave effort from the Eastern Cape side.
Scorers:
Wesvalia 28 (12) – Tries: Damian Potgieter, Wian du Preez, Ruben de Klerk, Fanie Linde. Conversions: Dundré Hales. Penalties: Du Preez (2). Hoërskool Middelburg 22 (14) – Tries: Kgontse Masilela, Melchior van Niekerk, Siyabonga Mokgoatjana. Conversions: Jano Wilson (2). Penalty: Wilson.
HTS Middelburg 31 (14) – Tries: Reghard Blake, Ruben Kruger, Nathan Jansen van Vuuren, Jacques Greyling. Conversions: Cornelius Erasmus (3). Ruhan Jansen van Vuuren. Penalty: Cornelius Erasmus. Nico Malan 28 (21) – Tries: Masood Knowlden, Callie de Lange, Sima Ozah, Erich van Zyl. Conversions: Leighton Lawrence (4).
Durban High School(DHS) stole the show at the Belgotex Sport Coastal Cup, emerging as the only unbeaten team at the conclusion of the event on Monday.
In fact, after a weekend of very interesting hockey and results, DHS was the only unbeaten side, including both the Nomads and Founders festivals.
They opened their challenge with a 2-1 win over Paul Roos Gimnasium, which was a key result. It gave the side an injection of confidence for the rest of their fixtures.
“That was a defining moment,” DHS coach Keegan Hezlett admitted. “We spoke a lot about it before the game, saying that it’s not going to be the biggest game of our season. It is the start of the season. Obviously, we were determined to win it.
“We tried to get into a mental state where, regardless of the result, we were still in the right frame of mind going into the season. The big thing for us was whether we won or lost that game, could we get our processes right? Hopefully, the result would take care of itself.”
DHS followed up with a 3-1 win over Paarl Boys’ High, which made it School’s second successive victory over a team that had gone undefeated at the Coastal Cup in 2025. From there, they hit the afterburners, trouncing Menlopark 6-1 before closing with an impressive 6-3 defeat of Parel Vallei High on Monday.
The Capetonians were unbeaten in Durban until that point and had played some good hockey. With an experienced line-up that includes standout performers Stephan Malan, Luka Meets, and Luca Jordaan, and coming off a hard-fought 4-3 win over a high-flying Clifton College, they presented a tough challenge.
“I don’t think people realised how good that team is,” Hezlett said. “Then, they started to put together some good results at the Coastal Cup. As the festival progressed, we realised that the game against them was going to be a big one.”
DHS was up for it. They fell behind early, but responded superbly. “We started slowly. They scored early on, just two minutes in, so we were under a little pressure. But straight after that goal, the mindset from the boys was incredible,” Hezlett said. ”
“Immediately, we went into this next level of rhythm. For the next 10 minutes after conceding the goal, it was the best we have played. We scored two goals and then scored another one to go 3-1 up. We were playing with such confidence after that, which was cool to see.”
Coastal Cup newcomers, Bishops, won two, drew one, and lost one match. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Reflecting on a very successful run, which was shown not only in the results but in the way that DHS played, Hezlett said: “Honestly, it was awesome. We spoke about enjoying the way we play – the boys’ enjoyment, doing all the right things, playing as a team, was exciting.
In the past, we’ve probably had a few too many guys playing a little bit too individually. It was epic to see everyone playing together as a team.”
Since Michael Baker was in charge before he took up the post of Director of Hockey at Paul Roos, DHS has become one of KwaZulu-Natal’s premier outfits, but they had stumbled against Western Cape sides in previous seasons. They had also played fantastic hockey up to the 23-metre line, but then struggled to score. At the Coastal Cup, they rectified both of those problems.
Hezlett enthused: “We have 18 goals in our first five games of the season, which is awesome. We already have a player with five goals, and our top scorer last season was on nine goals only. It’s awesome to have guys scoring goals and finding the back of the net.
“We have a strong group of forwards. There are five of them, and, at almost any other school, all five of them would start. They’re starting to understand that it is about them as a group, who are not necessarily competing against each other, but trying to make each other look good, which is really cool.”
Teams’ results
Paul Roos, after their loss to DHS, bounced back nicely. They produced a superb performance to beat a good Michaelhouse team 4-1 in their next outing. Next, they added successive 3-1 wins over Westville Boys’ High and St Alban’s College.
Michaelhouse won three and lost one match at the Coastal Cup, Photo: Brad Morgan.
“House, meanwhile, also enjoyed a good festival. They beat St Alban’s 2-0 in their opener before losing to PRG. But that loss was followed by a 2-1 win over Paarl Boys’ High and a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Garsfontein in a match between Michaelhouse coach Nick Bérichon‘s former team and his current side.
Parel Vallei, apart from their loss to DHS and win over Clifton, drew goalless with Garsfontein and trounced Glenwood 7-0.
That big loss was a bump in the road for a Glenwood side that delivered an encouraging showing. They also beat St Alban’s 3-2 and edged out Menlopark 3-2. In their last outing, they fell 1-3 to St Andrew’s School.
The Bloemfontein boys played some entertaining hockey. They were off the pace in their first outing, a 1-3 loss to Westville, but they bounced back with a 3-3 draw against Garsfontein, which they followed with a thrilling 4-3 win over Bishops and, in their last match, that victory over Glenwood.
It was Bishops’ first time at the Coastal Cup. Apart from their loss to Saints, they beat Menlopark 3-1, sneaked by Clifton 3-2, and drew 2-2 with Westville.
Their fellow Capetonians, Paarl Boys’ High, lost 2-5 against Clifton, went down 1-3 against DHS, but then picked up a 2-1 win over Garsfontein. Michaelhouse beat them by the same score in Boishaai‘s last match.
A hard-fought 3-2 win over St Alban’s was one of two victories scored by Glenwood High at the Belgotex Sport Coastal Cup. Photo: Brad Morgan.
The event, co-hosted by Westville, DHS, and Clifton, was also an encouraging one for Westville. They had played some good hockey in the build-up to the festival but had struggled to put together a complete game. They put that right with a win over St Andrew’s in their opener on Friday night.
They also scored a 2-2 draw with St Alban’s, fell 1-3 to Paul Roos, and drew 2-2 with Bishops.
Recording winning results was challenging for the trio of Pretoria schools.
Garsfontein held the high-powered Parel Vallei to a goalless draw, drew 3-3 with St Andrew’s, then suffered tight 1-2 and 0-1 defeats to Paarl Boys’ High and Michaelhouse, respectively.
Menlopark lost 1-3 to Bishops and 1-2 to Clifton. Next, they fell 2-3 to Glenwood before being swamped 6-1 by DHS.
St Alban’s went down 0-2 against Michaelhouse, lost 2-3 to Glenwood, drew 2-2 with Westville, and lost 1-3 against Paul Roos.
The growth of the Coastal Cup
Westville Boys’ High Director of Hockey, Cameron Mackay, who has taken a step back to coach the u14A side this year, reflected on the Coastal Cup, which he helped to co-found in 2023.
“It’s exactly where we want it to be,” he said. “We’ve tried to make it bigger and better every year, and I think we have found our limit in terms of the number of players we can handle. We have now expanded to about 670 players and 80 to 100 staff involved.
“We’re at a stage now where we’re happy with where we are. We have space for 13 schools, and this year we had 14, with Pearson not coming and St Andrew’s School taking their place.
Getting a school like Bishops involved has been quite cool. We have a healthy balance in terms of the schools that we have participating, and we have generated a lot of interest.
“We want schools to want to be at our tournament, and we’re trying to be the first choice tournament at this time of the year.”
He also had kind words for DHS, the event’s top team: “They’re playing so well. I’m glad Keegan Hezlett has helped them form his own kind of identity, which is important. I hope he can kick on.
“It’s a really nice group of DHS boys. They’re sweet kids, and they’re doing a fine job playing, as well.
“They’re scoring goals, and even Michael Baker, when he was at his best there, was struggling to score goals. The fact that they’re scoring five and sixes is really good news for them.”
RESULTS
1st XI
29 March
Glenwood 3-2 Menlopark
Bishops 3-2 Clifton College
Paarl Boys’ High 2-1 Garsfontein
St Andrew’s School 3-1 Glenwood
DHS 6-1 Menlopark
Paul Roos 3-1 Westville
Parel Vallei 4-3 Clifton College
Michaelhouse 2-1 Paarl Boys’ High
30 March
DHS 6-3 Parel Vallei
Paul Roos 3-1 St Alban’s
Westville 2-2 Bishops
Michaelhouse 1-0 Garsfontein
Under-16
29 March
Bishops 3-0 Pearson
Parel Vallei 4-1 Glenwood
DHS 5-1 Menlopark
Garsfontein 0-0 Paarl Boys’ High
Westville 2-0 St Alban’s
Paul Roos 1-1 Michaelhouse
Bishops 1-0 Clifton College
DHS 1-0 Parel Vallei
Menlopark 1-0 Glenwood
Pearson 4-1 Garsfontein
30 March
Pearson 4-2 Glenwood
Clifton 2-2 Parel Vallei
Paul Roos 5-0 St Alban’s
Bishops 2-1 Westville
Michaelhouse 2-0 Paarl Boys’ High
Under-14
29 March
Bishops 3-1 Clifton
Pearson 1-0 Glenwood
DHS 7-1 Paarl Boys’ High
Westville 1-0 St Alban’s
Paul Roos 1-0 Michaelhouse
Clifton 4-3 Parel Vallei
Glenwood 3-1 Menlopark
Garsfontein 1-0 Paarl Boys’ High
Bishops 3-2 Pearson
Paul Roos 4-1 Westville
DHS 2-1 Parel Vallei
30 March
Menlopark 2-1 DHS
Paul Roos 5-0 St Alban’s
Garsfontein 1-1 Michaelhouse
Westville 2-0 Bishops
Northwood was one of the most impressive teams at the Founders’ Festival. Their win over SACS was the event’s most eye-catching result. Photo: Mthoko Gule
Queen’s College hosted the annual event at their Chris Harker AstroTurf, with some of the country’s top sides in action for the first time this season.
The opening day delivered goals galore, with South African College High School(SACS), Northwood School, and Paarl Gimnasium dominating.
SACS was clinical, slotting a combined 19 goals in their two matches against Parktown Boys’ High and St Stithians College.
Paarl Gim also defeated the same Gauteng duo, beating Saints4-2 and Parktown 6-2. Coach Justin Collins and his Northwood side went about their business quietly, beating Somerset College 4-1 and the hosts 7-2.
The script completely changed on day two. There were massive upset results, and unbeaten records were ended.
The match of the day saw Northwood beat SACS 4-2 in a thrilling contest. Luc Boyall was on fire for his side and netted a hat-trick, with two of his goals coming from short corners.
Ben Henwood-Fox also got his name onto the scoresheet, while Litha Kraai scored both goals for SACS.
Earlier, SACS had defeated Kingswood College 8-1, while Northwood proved too strong for Paarl Gim, winning 3-1.
Somerset College also made massive strides on the second day, and they looked dangerous on the offensive. Coach Kyran Fortuin‘s boys picked up two convincing victories, beating Queen’s 3-1 before upsetting Saints 1-0 in a humdinger.
Paarl Gim, SACS, Somerset College, and St Stithians were the big winners on the final day.
Gim put nine past Dale College, and SACS bounced back, beating Helpmekaar College 7-0 to finish their festival on a high.
Somerset College continued their fairytale run with another gritty win, this time beating Parktown 3-1 before Saints stunned Northwood 2-1 in the last game of the festival.
That meant Northwood, Paarl Gim, SACS, and Somerset College all finished the weekend with four wins from five outings.
Kingswood College 2-1 Helpmekaar
Northwood 3-1 Paarl Gimnasium
Somerset College 3-1 Queen’s College
St Stithians College 5-1 Dale College
SACS 8-1 Kingswood
Paarl Gimnasium 8-0 Helpmekaar
Dale College 0-4 Parktown Boys’ High
Somerset College 1-0 St Stithians College
SACS 2-4 Northwood
Queen’s College 1-1 Parktown Boys’ High
Monday, 30 March
Dale College 1-9 Paarl Gimnasium
SACS 7-0 Helpmekaar
Somerset College 3-1 Parktown Boys’ High
St Stithians College 2-1 Northwood
A victorious team photo for Oakdale Landbou after another victory in Paarl, this time over SACS. Photo: Oakdale Landbou on Instagram.
Day three of the Frans Malherbe u15 Festival, Monday, started with a cracking performance from Grey High against Stellenberg High.
With some of their key playmakers out injured, Stellies struggled to convert their opportunities into points.
On the other hand, the Gqeberha locals were clinical. After a loss in a tight contest against Paarl Boys’ High on Friday night, they proved that the tournament hosts hadn’t delivered a sub-standard performance. Rather, they showed that Grey High boasts a formidable outfit.
They outplayed Stellenberg, winning 38-7 and running in five tries to one. Joubert Bosch, Ben Kennedy, Zach Matthys, and Caleb Makoba all crossed for five-pointers, and Ethan Houlie was denied a try by a high tackle. However, that led to the referee awarding a penalty try.
Paul Roos Gimnasium was one of two teams to tally 50 points on the day. They produced a mighty performance to topple Die Hoërskool Menlopark 52-5.
Paarl Gimnasium was the other side to better 50 points, racking up 59 while holding Hoërskool Wesvalia to only five in reply.
The Klerksdorp outfit was overwhelmed by a near-perfect performance from Gimmies. Just as he had done on Friday night, Xandru van Rensburg dotted down twice for Gim, while Alano Engelbrecht also bagged himself a brace.
At flyhalf, Daniel Jackson caught the eye, making several line-breaks, one of which brought him a try. He also added seven conversions from the kicking tee.
Oakdale Landbou earned another comfortable victory, downing SACS 32-7. Their win was built upon their superiority in the set pieces, which meant they bossed the possession stakes.
Boishaai tackled Hoërskool Waterkloof in the final match of the day. In a tight contest, the hosts overcame their Pretoria challengers 27-19.
Results | Day 3
Grey High 38, Stellenberg High 7; Hoërskool Strand 35, Hoërskool Robertson 28; Oakdale Landbou 32, SACS 7; HTS Daniel Pienaar 24, Worcester Gimnasium 21; Hoërskool Charlie Hofmeyr 29, Hoërskool Punt 8; HTS Drostdy 43, Boland Landbou 17; Hoërskool Rustenburg 45, Hoërskool Swartland 7; Hoërskool Durbanville 24, Hoërskool Diamantveld 5; Wynberg Boys’ High 28, Hoërskool Middelburg 21; Paarl Gimnasium 59, Hoërskool Wesvalia 5; Nico Malan High 21, Hoërskool Trio 20; Paarl Boys’ High 27, Hoërskool Waterkloof 19.
HTS Drostdy’s Willvino Paultin dives over for one of his two tries in a high-scoring contest at Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool in Pretoria that Monument won 75-41 in the annual NMI Toyota Noord/Suid Rugby Tournament. Photo: Frans Lombard/Actionpix.
Two hat-tricks and two braces were included in a breathtaking 116-point clash between the Wit Bulle of Hoërskool Monument and the Donkies of HTS Drostdy on Monday at the NMI Toyota Noord/Suid Rugby Tournament in Pretoria.
In a thrilling contest that delivered more than a point a minute, Monument ruled the roost with a pulsating 75–41 victory.
The Wit Bulle crossed the whitewash 11 times, while the Donkies responded with seven tries of their own – a remarkable total of 18 tries in just 70 minutes.
Monument’s centre pairing was outstanding throughout.
Blessing Monareng crossed for three tries, combining superbly with inside centre Juandré Ehlers, whose intelligent lines and physical carries repeatedly unsettled the visitors from the Western Cape. His powerful all-round display was rewarded with a try, too.
The impressive Ruan Genis, who stole the spotlight with two outstanding tries against Grey College in Bloemfontein, was again a standout for Monnas. He racked up a hat-trick in devastating fashion.
Up front, eighthman Ryno van der Westhuizen led the charge for the Monument pack and twice crossed the try line to underline his influence.
Donkies’ right wing Willvino Paultin also lit up the Affies A Field with moments of individual brilliance. His ability to conjure something from nothing created two key scoring opportunities. Fullback Anwill Jacobs also impressed, both on the attack and on defence.
In the penultimate match of the day, Paul Roos Gimnasium hooker Lehan Barnard tore Pretoria Boys High early on, scoring the first three of his four tries within the opening 14 minutes. The Maroon Machine went on to record a convincing 43–12 victory.
Barnard completed his four-try haul in the second half, which made him the only player to score four tries in a single match at this year’s Noord/Suid tournament. It was, however, the openside flank, Christian le Roux, who earned the Player of the Match honours, which was just reward for his tireless work rate and disruptive presence at the breakdown.
Pretoria Boys High produced a moment of magic late in the contest, with left wing Aya Mabuza finishing off a long-range effort that was one of the best tries of the day.
Paul Roos Gimnasium 43 (31) – Tries: Lehan Barnard (4), Christian le Roux, Tristan Armitage, Werner de Bruin. Conversions: Travis Pheiffer (4). Pretoria Boys High 12 (0) – Tries: Mbala Ndima, Aya Mabuza. Conversions: Reinier Kruger.
SW POTGIETER (met bal), slot van Hoërskool Garsfontein se Bere, was ‘n doring vir die span van Pretoria in sy geskiedkundige sege van 31-28 oor die Hoër Jongenskool Paarl in Pretoria. Levi Jordaan (links) leen ‘n hand van ondersteuning. FOTO: Frans Lombard/Actionpix.
Die Hoërskool Garsfontein se losskakel, Ruan Fluks, wat met ‘n skitterende vertoning aan die voorpunt van die Turkoois Bere se geskiedkundige oorwinning van 31-28 oor die Hoër Jongenskool Paarl tydens die derde dag van die jaarlikse NMI Toyota Noord/Suid-toernooi in Pretoria.
Dit was die eerste keer wat die Garsie Bere daarin kon slaag om Boishaai om te dop. Die naaste wat die span van die Jakarandastad voorheen aan ‘n sege kon kom was in 2022 die einste hoofveld van Affies toe die twee spanne met 19-elk gelykop gespeel het.
Fluks se vertoning was nie net genoeg om die toekenning van Speler van die Wedstryd te gaps nie. Hy is ook uiteindelik as Fairtree Speler van die Dag aangewys.
Dié vertoning deur Fluks sal die Garsies se hoofafrigter, Sylvester Booysen, met ‘n lekker probleem vir later in die seisoen los, wanneer sy eerstekeuse losskakel, Joshua Gouws, sy terugkeer maak. Fluks het spel goed afgewissel en spel dikteer. Sy taktiese skopwerk, saam met ‘n foutlose uitstappie vanaf die skopkegel was uiteindelik die verskil tussen die twee spanne.
Die span van die Paarl was vinnig uit die blokke. Steelkantflank, Luhan Hattingh, het na ‘n goed afgeronde string fases die doellyn oorgesteek. Daarna het die res van die eerste helfte egter aan die Bere behoort. Die span in turkoois het niemand laat twyfel dat sy plan was om die vir Boishaai met fisieke duikslae en barslopies onder druk te plaas nie.
Dit het die Pretorianers toegelaat om ook die afbreekpunte te teiken, iets wat hy baie suksesvol vermag het.
Dit het ook daartoe gelei dat twee van sy drieë in die eerste 35 minute deur voorspelers, naamlik haker, Justin Blom, en die woelige oopkantflank, Stefan van der Vyver, gedruk is. Die haastigr regtervleuel, Yuvrah George, het daarna ook gewys wat hy kan doen indien hy net ‘n rapsie spasie gegun word. George het die Bere se derde drie van die helfte gedruk en sy span met 19-7 teen die omdraaislag laat voorloop.
Die wind was egter nog lank nie uit Boishaai se seile nie. Nes die Bere in eerste helfte het Boishaai se drie keer gaan druk sonder om punte af te staan.
Regtervleuel, Aleit Stander, se langafstand drie was moontlik die hoogtepunt van die dag, aangesien dit heeltemal teen die verloop van spel gekom het. Dié drie het ook aan die span van die Paarl weer die voortou gegee.
Dit was egter die Bere se staatmaker Drewyn Baron wat die oomblik in Garsfontein se geskiedenis gegrafeer het, nadat hy met tyd byna verstreke in die hoekie oorgeduik het.
Puntemakers:
Garsfontein 31 (21) – Drieë: Justin Blom, Stefan van der Vyver, Yuvrah George, Drewyn Baron. Doelskoppe: Ruan Fluks (3). Strafdoel: Fluks. Paarl Boys’ High 28 (7) – Drieë: Luhan Hattingh, Aleit Stander, Ruben de Jager, Trichard van Tonder. Doelskoppe: Daniël Meisenheimer (4).
Outeniqua celebrated a hard-fought draw with Hoërskool Waterkloof after Taylor Marais slotted a difficult conversion kick, which was followed by the final whistle. Photo: Frans Lombard/Actionpix.
In the end, a draw between Hoërskool Waterkloof and Hoërskool Outeniqua was, in the eyes of most, a fitting outcome after a scintillating 70 minutes of rugby in the third match on Monday at the NMI Toyota Noord/Suid tournament.
Outeniqua scrumhalf Fagan Hendricks emerged as the hero for the Kwaggas.
With time almost expired, he burst clear from the base of a scrum inside his own half and sprinted 60 metres to score, dragging his side to within striking distance of a dramatic draw.
Flyhalf Taylor Marais then calmly slotted the conversion from wide on the left to make it 24–all just before the final whistle brought a captivating contest to a heart-stopping end.
Waterkloof scrumhalf Marcel Tsiakos ensured that the head-to-head battle between the two number nines was among the highlights of an absorbing contest.
His crisp service ensured the Klofies played at a fast tempo, and it helped them to assert control for long periods of the match.
The foundation for that control was the domination of their pack, which scrummed powerfully and provided Tsiakos with the luxury of front-foot ball. The Blou Tornado unquestionably held the upper hand in the set scrums, which would surely have drawn an approving smile from SA Schools‘ and Tuks‘ scrum coach Cobus van Dyk, their first XV coach.
The Klofies’ supremacy in the set piece was complemented by resolute defence, particularly around the fringes near their own tryline. Still, sustaining that intensity proved difficult, and the Kwaggas eventually punched holes in Waterkloof’s defensive line.
In the match that followed, Jeppe High School for Boys returned to winning ways, running in five tries to three to secure a 34–21 victory over the Hoërskool Diamantveld, which condemned the side from Kimberley to a second successive Noord/Suid defeat.
Jeppe eighthman Mihle Dyakala was named the Player of the Match after a tireless performance. He carried strongly throughout the contest and made a significant impact on defence, delivering some thunderous tackles.
Outside centre, Clinton Brits, was a constant threat for the Diamonds and tested the Jeppe defence. However, his efforts were ultimately not enough to overcome the composed and experienced midfield pairing of Phano Letsie and Joel Akilo, who stubbornly stood their ground.
Hoërskool Nelspruit became the second side on Monday, day three of the 2026 NMI Toyota Noord/Suid Rugby Tournament at Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) in Pretoria, to overturn a deficit and secure victory, thanks to a commanding second-half performance.
Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)
The Rhinos outscored Bethlehem Voortrekker 28–7 in the second stanza to overcome a 14-15 halftime deficit and record a 42–22 win, which meant they completed their assignments in Pretoria with a clean record.
As was the case on Friday, when Nelspruit beat Framesby 29-14, the Rhinos’ locks, Christiaan Botha and Dirk-Arnold Joubert, stood out. Their combined efforts, bolstered by the impact of replacement prop Christiaan Viljoen, ensured Nellies‘ dominance of the tight exchanges.
That solid platform allowed scrumhalf Kamo Monkwe to dictate proceedings from the base of the rucks and set scrums. The lively halfback also crossed the whitewash, delivering a late blow to put the contest beyond doubt.
His intriguing duel with Voortrekker scrumhalf Vlag Janse van Rensburg was one of the highlights of the encounter. Janse van Rensburg was also on the scoresheet, dotting down after a clever break from behind a ruck caught the Nelspruit defence napping.
In the opening 1st XV match of the day, Hoërskool Framesby overturned a 5-12 half-time deficit to edge out Boksburg’s Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen 37–31 after scoring 32 unanswered second-half points to complete a stirring comeback.
Framesby’s flyhalf, Miles Feltham, the Player of the Match, sparked the revival. Hisslotted three conversions and two penalties, with those two penalties separating the sides at the final whistle.
In the midfield, inside centre Charles Blignaut impressed and opened the scoring with the first try of the match.
Fullback Juan van Aswegen excelled in the opening half for Jansies. Difficult to contain on attack, he played a key role in creating Werner Breytenbach‘s second try of the clash.
In the first match of the day, King Edward VII School‘s 2nd XV made it a tough day for the Mzwandile Mali XV in the composite side’s only appearance at the festival. KES reigned victorious, cruising to a 52-8 victory, but the Mali XV got the crowd to their feet with a try right at the end.
Royal Bafokeng Sports (RBS), representing the Royal Bafokeng Nation, has formed an exciting partnership with LaLiga to establish the Royal Bafokeng Sports LaLiga Academy. Its goal is to provide world-class football development in South Africa.
RBS has built a strong reputation in sports development in the North West in athletics, netball, football and basketball, especially.
It hosts the exciting annual RBS Junior NBA/WNBA Finals in Rustenburg, which, in 2024, was attended by five-time NBA champion Ron Harper.
One of the products of those events is Reatlegile Taukobong, who now plays for the Soweto Basketball Academy and signed with Western Texas College earlier this year.
Hailing from Rustenburg, she played for Kitsong School, which excelled in the Royal Bafokeng Jr. NBA/WNBA League. She has also captained South Africa’s junior national basketball team, and will jet off to the USA in autumn 2026.
The football partnership between RBS and La Liga reflects the commitment of RBS to developing youth football, both nationally and across the continent. It also merges LaLiga’s internationally acclaimed training methodology with RBS’s enduring dedication to utilising sport as a catalyst for community development.
In a joint press statement, RBS and LaLiga said: “The initiative supports the Royal Bafokeng Nation’s Vision 2035 (Plan 35), which prioritises investment in sports programmes and resources to empower local communities.”
In early 2025, RBS, in collaboration with LaLiga, selected eight young South African footballers, four boys and four girls, to travel to Madrid for a training camp as part of the Next Gen Draft Project. The initiative is a global talent development programme launched by LaLiga and EA Sports FC, which is aimed at discovering and nurturing young players from around the world.
The players selected from South Africa included Masilo Goitseone, Malatso Orateng, Tebogo Montshing, Olerato Ramafi, Boitshepo Mfaladi, Kgatsliso Raseloma, Mamonyana Mpondo, and Dineo Potso.
Trésor Penku, the Managing Director of LaLiga Africa, said: “This launch reflects a shared commitment between LaLiga and the Royal Bafokeng Nation to the responsible and sustainable development of youth football in Africa.
“By combining our methodology with RBS’s infrastructure and long-term vision, we are creating a high-performance environment that will nurture talent and contribute meaningfully to the South African football ecosystem.”
The RBS and LaLiga Academy will be located at The Sports Campus Marang – a facility providing a cutting-edge environment that adheres to elite international standards – within the Royal Marang Hotel, in Phokeng.
The complex features six natural grass pitches, two artificial turf pitches, a 7v7 pitch, and a High Performance Centre, creating an ideal environment for both training and competitive events.
Initially, the academy will host around 100 players distributed across five divisions – u14, u15, u17, u19, and a senior team. That structure will provide a well-defined pathway that integrates high-performance training, competitive engagement, and academic support.
Players will participate in community, regional, and elite competitions. They will be supported by sophisticated performance analysis technology, which is aimed at fostering individual growth.
Emile Smith, the Acting Managing Director of Royal Bafokeng Sports, highlighted the strategic importance of the collaboration: “This partnership with LaLiga represents a major milestone in the Royal Bafokeng Nation’s journey to develop young football talent.
“Together, we are creating opportunities for aspiring athletes through world-class coaching, mentorship, and access to exceptional facilities. This academy will not only elevate player development but also inspire a deeper passion for football within our communities.”
The collaboration leverages La Liga’s vast global presence. In the past 10 years, it has executed over 900 international sports initiatives in more than 60 nations.
Several La Liga clubs have academies, elite development programmes, and foundations in South Africa. Espanyol created the first official La Liga club academy in Johannesburg in 2022, with Michael Bender serving as its CEO. The Real Madrid Foundation has, meanwhile, initiated an academy in collaboration with Generation Schools in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Juan Florit, Head of Football Projects at LaLiga, commented: “Through collaborations such as this, we are able to share the knowledge and expertise of Spanish football while adapting it to local contexts.
“Together with the Royal Bafokeng Nation, we aim to identify and develop regional talent and create long-term value for the game,” he concluded.
