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It will truly be a momentous occasion on Saturday when Diocesan College and SACS take the field on Piley Rees to continue the tradition of South Africa’s oldest rugby clash.

This Saturday will be the celebration of 150 years since these two schools played in the first ever recorded rugby match in South Africa.

Bishops will be captained by inside centre, Nic Allison, while loose-head prop, Ali Osman-Bosch, will be leading SACS out.

SACS won the first recorded match between the two schools back in 1873 by two goals to nil. Both schools has since that first match played a major part in developing Springboks.

Bishops have suffered only one defeat so far this season in their previous match again Paul Roos Gimnasium (12-24). They were quite impressive during the St Stithians College Easter Festival in Johannesburg bagging victories over St Stithians (66-3), Helpmekaar-kollege (31-30) and Clifton (43-10).

SACS have suffered two defeats this far aganst Paarl Boys’ High (18-34) and St Andrew’s College of Makhanda (12-13).

Bishops always plays a wonderful 15-man game but players to watch out for are the midfield pairing of Allison and Olo Sopotela, as well as the scrumhalf, Haashim Pead. Expect a lot of opportunities on attack thanks to their playing style for winger Lucca Mynhardt.

SACS has produced 32 Springboks over the year with World Cup winning fullback Percy Mongomery being the last. Other Springboks include Cecil Moss, Clive van Ryneveld, Billy Millar, Ben Duff (Springbok Nr. 1) and Oupa Versfeld.

Bishops boasts 42 Springboks so far with Dillyn Leyds being the last to don the Green-and-Gold. Other Boks include Nizaam Carr, Dave von Hoeslin, Francois Louw, Robbie Fleck, Guy Kebble, Peter Whipp and Christian Stewart.

The teams: 

Bishops: 15 Gilermo Mentoe, 14 Ayanda Bonoyi, 13 Olo Sopotela, 12 Nic Allison (captain), 11 Lucca Mynhardt, 10 Shaywan Blanckenberg, 9 Haashim Pead, 8 Aidan Norris, 7 Christian Steward, 6 Tapiwa Nkumanda, 5 Zach Willemse, 4 CJ Gordon, 3 Nashe Chahwahwa, 2 Merlin Fransman, 1 Richard Horton.

SACS: 15 Aya Machuli, 14 Jack Benadé, 13 Daniel Dyaram, 12 Endinako Peter, 11 Nicholas Reynolds, 10 Rayaan Solomons, 9 Seth Bradford, 8 Connor King, 7 Ben van Coller, 6 Richard Skeeles, 5 Niche Koopman, 4 Pierre van Selm, 3 Ikhona Maxegwana, 2 Alex Pybus, 1 Ali Osman-Bosch (captain).

Grey College return from the long weekend’s Absa Wildeklawer action triumphant, having added two more big names to the list of schools to have fallen short against the Bloemfontein powerhouse this season, after beating Garsfontein (23-9) and Stellenberg (33-8).

They play host to their old rivals from East London, Selborne, this weekend and will look to assert their dominance even further in their first home game of the season.

Watch the game live on SuperSport Schools – Register now

Selborne was also in action this past weekend at the Grey High Rugby Festival in Gqeberha where they beat Brandwag 32-0 and their match against Jeppe ended equal 34-34.

Daniel Larkan, their flyhalf, has stood out because of his exceptional work rate on defence and ability to guide their attack.

Much like the old Selbornian, Brent Russel, what he lacks in size he more than makes up for in athleticism, skill and passion.

He and his team will have their work cut out for them though, as they try to defend against the likes of Vincent Wolhuter (fullback), Hayden Tolmay (winger), Benito Goeda (centre) and Pieter van der Merwe (centre) who have been slicing through teams, playing off their general, Ian van der Merwe (flyhalf).

This is, of course, only possible because of the work of the forwards and captain, JJ Theron (no. 8), Keegan Scholtz (flanker) and Jean-Henri Smit (flanker) have been excellent at powering over the advantage line when carrying, and providing good, clean ball for their scrumhalf. 

They are without their other big carrier, Jean Erasmus (prop), for this fixture.

Josh Carr (lock), Jordan Luck (hooker) and captain, Grant Day (flanker), have stood out among the Selborne forwards but it will take an exceptional effort to outgun the Grey pack in Bloemfontein. 

Grey College are still to play Paarl Boys’ High, Affies, Monument, Grey High, Oakdale and Paul Roos after Selborne this season, and one wonders if their schedule against this calibre of opponents might cause them to trip up at some point, but judging on the form they’re in it looks like it might be another perfect season for Grey Bloem.

The teams:

Grey College: 15 Vincent Wolhuter, 14 Hayden Tolmay, 13 Benito Goeda, 12 Pieter van der Merwe, 11 Martin Botha, 10 Ian van der Merwe, 9 Christiaan van der Westhuizen, 8 JJ Theron, 7 Keegan Scholtz, 6 Jean-Henri Smit, 5 Juan Venter, 4 Schalk du Plessis, 3 Danie Kruger, 2 Liam van Wyk, 1 Ranon Fouché. 

Selborne: 15 Siya Sakhela, 14 Thomas Braun, 13 Cole Schonknecht, 12 Chad de Beyer, 11 Anjolauluwa Sogbanmu, 10 Daniel Larkan, 9 Armani Somane, 8 Dewan du Preez, 7 Grant Day, 6 Gcina Puzi, 5 Josh Carr, 4 Zuko Poswa, 3 Nathi Nthuli, 2 Jordan Luck, 1 Sandi Msengana.

Other fixtures, 6 May:

11:15 – Staatspresident Swart vs President Steyn; 13:15 – Hentie Cilliers vs Witteberg.

This weekend marks a big occasion for Paul Roos Gimnasium and Paarl Gimnasium as they are currently both sitting on five match winning streaks with one of these coming to an end, unless the match results in an unlikely draw. 

The teams are set to face-off in what promises to be an exciting clash of two giants at the Markotter Stadium in Stellenbosch with the first XV’s kicking off at 12:55.  

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

Since 2009, Paarl Gim have been on the winning side eight times compared to Paul Roos’ six times.

There have been several tight contests with Paul Roos winning narrowly by two points in last year’s match. 

Last weekend Paul Roos beat Affies (31-25) and Durban High School (21-14) in their most recent outings at Wildeklawer. Having only lost (44-26) to Monument at the Noord/Suid tournament the remainder of the season has demonstrated the teams capable winning ability. 

Paarl Gim have been particularly destructive this season having beaten some of South Africa’s top schools thus far, only losing one match to Grey College earlier in the season. There was one close match ending in a one point difference win over Stellenberg which came right down to the wire. 

Having decided not to participate in any of the Easter Festivals this year, the team has shown a freshness having beaten Affies, Wynberg and most recently Monument (19-5) and Helpmekaar-kollege (25-14) at Wildeklawer. 

Paarl Gim will be looking at their strong back row, to run through the opposition’s defenses.

Flyhalf Kyle Smith, has had a good season so far and will be looking to build on his previous success. A strong forward pack led by the tank Jannie Grobbelaar in the number two jersey will be itching at the opportunity to scrum against the Paul Roos front row.  

Paul Roos’ captain, Andreas Oosthuizen, will be out of the side after picking up an injury in the fixture against DHS. He will be disappointed having missed out on the match against Affies at Wildeklawer this past weekend too. Philip Groenweld will skipper the team in his absence. 

Lee Jay Pietersen will want to carry over his good form from last weekend’s tournament. 

Both teams have shown over the season that they both carry immense depth in their squads and have not been afraid to give newcomers a run. But in a fixture like this both coaches will be wanting to field their strongest XV’s. 

Paarl Gim, needs to make sure that they do not allow Paul Roos to sneak another nail-biting win in and will want to meander back across the mountains with a victory under their belt. 

One thing remains, who will walk away with their winning streak still intact? 

The teams:

Paul Roos Gimnasium: 15 Declan Croy, 14 Keehan Etson, 13 Samuel Badenhorst, 12 Phillip Groenewald, 11 Keenan Stoffels, 10 Leejay Petersen, 9 Zeke January, 8 Reuben Kruger, 7 Riley Norton, 6 Malan Erasmus, 5 Jesse Stegehuis, 4 Truspe Schoeman, 3 Ryan Jack, 2 Christian de Villiers, 1 Oliver Reid.

Paarl Gimnasium: 15 Tazreeq Moerat, 14 Freek De Kock, 13 Hennie Otto, 12 Kobus Blankenberg, 11 Pieter nel Du Plessis, 10 Kyle Smith (captain),  9 Dawid Kotze, 8 Nicus Van Coller,  7 Eduan Vosloo, 6 Adruan Cotze, 5 Marco Steyn, 4 Danio Botha, 3 Nicholas Crous,  2 Jannie Grobbelaar, 1 Xander Mynhardt.

Fixtures:

u14A – 9:00 (Rivierveld)
u15A – 11:00 (Rivierveld)
u16A – 10:10  (Markotter)
u19B – 11:25  (Markotter)
u19A – 12:55 (Markotter)

Previous Meetings: 

[ninja_tables id=”15137″]

Die Hoërskool Garsfontein se Bere verdedig Saterdag ‘n trotse rekord wanneer hy sy aanslag op vanjaar se SDC Noordvaal Cup in die Beker-kompetisie teen die Hoërskool Waterkloof afskop.

Die Bere het laas in 2013 (34-36) teen die Klofies die knie gebuig. Die span van 2023 beklee tans die tweede posisie op die nasionale ranglys en sal sonder twyfel vandag op Berepark die veld as die gunstelinge betree.

Klofies sal egter nie die sowat 6.5 kilometer oos op Solomon Mahlangu aanpak sonder hul eie planne en doelwitte nie. Die span word afgerig deur die SA Skole A-afrigter, Cobus van Dyk, met Renier de Villiers wat hom bystaan.

Garsies het vanjaar nog net een keer die knie gebuig. Dit was verlede Saterdag teen Grey-kollege (9-29) tydens die Absa Wildeklawer-toernooi in Kimberley.

Die Bere sal wel sonder twee van sy staatmakers, Divan Brits en Zander Lourens (albei flanke) moet klaarkom. Lourens het sy skouer tydens die nederlaag teen Grey beseer, terwyl Brits sy knie in die oorwinning van 19-8 oor Outeniqua beseer het.

Die twee het saam met hul kaptein en agtsteman, Abri van der Westhuizen, ‘n gedugte lostrio gevorm. Lourens se plek is reeds deur Luan Olivier gevul wat verlede jaar die SA Rugby Skole-sewestoernooi se Speler van die Toernooi was, terwyl die slot Thinus Oosthuizen na die kant van die skrum sal skuif om Brits se stewels te vul.

Klofies het ook hul kaptein en agtsteman, Dale Arlow, van slot na die agterkant van die skrum geskuif.

Die nuweling in vanjaar se Beker-kompetisie, die Hoërskool Nelspruit se Rhinos, kon nie vir ‘n moeiliker eerste uitstappie tussen die groot honde van die reeks gevra het nie.

Die Rhinos moet die verdedigende kampioen, Monument van Krugersdorp, op laasgenoemde se tuisveld, die Ras van Rooyen-veld, die stryd aansê. Monnas se Wit Bulle was in die twee spanne se laaste kragmeting in 2019 met 71-7 baas.

Dit was egter on Mbombela, terwyl die laaste kragmeting in Krugersdorp in 2018 in ‘n sege van 24-20 vir Monnas geëindig het.

Die Wit Bulle het verlede jaar nie een keer in die Noordvaaltrofee, soos die kompetisie verlede jaar geheet het, die knie gebuig nie.

Die Wit Bulle se losskakel, Daylon Myners, is ook weer terug in die saal en behoort ‘n doring in die Rhinos se vlees te wees.

‘n Uitgedunde Hoërskool Menlopark sal geen illusie hê oor die opdraende stryd wat more teen Helpmekaar-kollege in Johannesburg op hul wag nie.

Die Parkies se span het heelwat staatmakers op die krukkelys, terwyl Helpies weer tydens Wildeklawer gewys het dat hulle nie ‘n span is wat onderskat kan word nie.

Helpmekaar het sonder twyfel die taaiste twee kragmetings van enige span ooit sedert die ontstaan van Wildeklawer in 2009 gehad. Helpies moes oor drie dae teen Paarl Gimnasium (14-25) en die Hoër Jongenskool Paarl (10-15) te staan kom.

Ondanks twee nederlae het die span van die Goudstad met eer uit die stryd getree.

Die Parkies sal veral die dienste van sy losskakel, Marco Strydom (knie), agtsteman, Hanru Potgieter (skouer), buitesenter, Alro le Roux (skouer) mis. Strydom en Potgieter is onderskeidelik die kaptein en onderkaptein van die span.

Die spanne is: 

Garsfontein vs Waterkloof om 13:20 op Berepark in Pretoria: 

Hoërskool Garsfontein: 15 Jason Hugo, 14 Ruan Enslin, 13 Dimitre Erasmus, 12 Heinrich Cloete, 11 Cassie Prinsloo, 10 Nicallen Gabrielsen, 9 Zian Cilliers, 8 Abri van der Westhuizen (kaptein), 7 Thinus Oosthuizen, 6 Luan Olivier, 5 James Schnetler, 4 Jacques Swarts, 3 Leighton-Jon Cloete, 2 De Wet Lottering, 1 DA Swart.

Hoërskool Waterkloof: 15 Hernus Marais, 14 Waldimar Griesel, 13 Happy Makate, 12 Reuven Ferreira, 11 Sjaan Steyn, 10 Franco Cronje, 9 Francois Viljoen, 8 Dale Arlow (kaptein), 7 Jean Jooste, 6 Kevin van Staden, 5 Stephan de Beer, 4 Anrich Uys, 3 Luan Brown, 2 Stephan Jacobsz, 1 Marnus Maritz.

Monument vs Hoërskool Nelspruit om 13:30 op die Ras van Rooyen in Krugersdorp: 

Monument: 15 Jody Schambreel, 14 Nathan Venter, 13 Kelvin van Wyk, 12 Theuns du Plooy, 11 Ernesto Oersen, 10 Daylon Myners, 9 Ceano Everson, 8 Jamaal Feldman, 7 Nathan Erasmus, 6 Dylan Viljoen, 5 Uli van der Westhuizen, 4 Jacques Botha, 3 Ricardo du Plessis, 2 Stephan Uys, 1 Muller van Reenen.

Hoërskool Nelspruit: 15 Kian van Tonder, 14 Owen Steyn, 13 Ian Wood, 12 Heino Meiring, 11 Karl Erichson, 10 Theuns Meyer, 9 Andeon Pringle, 8 Braam Basson, 7 Bradley Claassen, 6 Banele Ngwenya, 5 Juan Bezant, 4 Luke Poison, 3 Ryan Venter, 2 Regard Vermaak, 1 Hugwin Heyman.

Helpmekaar-kollege vs Menlopark om 12:30 in Johannesburg:  

Helpmekaar: 15 Junayden Seffier, 14 Tiaan le Roux, 13 Reynard van der Linden, 12 Michael Benzien, 11 Pieter Moller, 10 Juan Storm, 9 Tristan van Niekerk, 8 Christian Steyn (kaptein), 7 Vaughn le Grange, 6 Darius Haasbroek, 5 Ulrich Swart, 4 Francois Tonkin, 3 Boela de Wet, 2 Ruan Welman, 1 JJ du Preez.

Menlopark: 15 Jaden Fortuin, 14 Xander Haasbroek, 13 Xander Loubser, 12 Ruhan van Rensburg, 11 Kagiso Kubheka, 10 Logan Botha, 9 Christian Herbst, 8 Steyn Landman, 7 Xander Roets, 6 Rocco Myburgh, 5 Owen Basson, 4 Stefan van der Bijl, 3 Owen Herbst, 2 Mocke Balt, 1 Ruan Wolmarans.

SACS looking to bounce back after the Hibbert Shield Hockey Festival disappointment.

After finishing second in the Hibbert Shield Hockey Festival, South African College Schools (SACS) will be looking to return to winning ways when they travel to Bishops Diocesan College for an electrifying Cape Derby on Friday night on the Woodlands Astroturf at Bishop’s. 

SACS, who lost to Paul Roos (3-2) in the dying seconds of the final in Gqeberha, failed to defend the title they won in the 2022 edition.

However, the Cape side has undeniably been the side to beat this year. They currently sit second in the latest school’s hockey rankings, trailing behind St. Stithians College, who have played seven fewer games than them.

To break down their season, the team began the year with an international tour to the Netherlands in April. Down under, they won four of their six matches against HC Athena (10-0), S-Hertogenbosch (3-1), LOCH (6-4), and Hattem (5-4), respectively. 

A return to home soil brought even more fortunes for James Peverley’s side, as convincing wins over Parel Vallei (4-0), Grey High School (11-0), and Paarl Boys (9-0) asserted their dominance in the South African schools’ hockey scene. 

The recent disappointment came at the Hibbert Shield Hockey Festival hosted in Gqeberha. After scoring 18 goals and conceding just three in the group stages, the side from Newlands lost concentration in the final and failed to defend their title, finishing second behind Paul Roos (3-2). 

That will, however, not dampen the team’s spirit, as they can fix their wrongs against a side they know best, in Bishops. 

When Bishops are concerned, a win against their rivals after losing (1-0) in the final match last year would be the icing on the cake. 

However, it has been hard to judge Bishop’s season considering the quality of the opposition teams they’ve played this year. Their tour to the Netherlands saw the side win eight of their 11 games in the Dutch Republic. 

However, in their recent clash, Sean Henchie’s men succumbed to a 3-1 defeat, leaving much to be desired about the side. 

Another factor that might play a role in the game is the number of days the Bishops team has gone without playing any competitive hockey. The last time they played was on the 21st of April, and a little bit of rust might be visible in the first two quarters. 

Kick-off is at 18:30 on the Woodlands Hockey Austro. 

SACS team to face Bishops: Rogan Stirk, Luke Salters, Thomas Stewart, Michael Cowen (c), Litha Kraai, Mikey Royden- Turner, Josh Opperman, Ozair Pillai, Dean Carrick, Liam Haupt, Ray Bonnet, Cole Allam, Stephan Meyer, Rowan Davis, Wayne Mandabva. 

 

Pretoria will see one of its long standing rivalries when St Albans College play host to Pretoria Boys’ High School this weekend at the Moshate Field with kick-off taking place at 13:35.

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

It has not been an easy ride in 2023 for St Albans having come off a string of losses, four in a row. They will want to make use of their home support this weekend to help aid them in their efforts of putting a much needed win under their belts.

The side last won a match when they played St David’s Marist. 

The Candies have had a mixed bag of results thus far this season having lost to Maritzburg College and King Edward VII, but will take pride in what was a successful Grey Festival outing last weekend in the Eastern Cape.

Having beaten an Invitational XV and SACS the side has the momentum going forward into this fixture. 

St Albans will be looking towards captain Luke Webber to lead the charge and will need him to be on top of his game, as Boys High have a strong front row centered around Shaun Schurman in the hooker position. Winning the scrums will be a crucial part of this match up.  

St Albans’ John-Joshua Steenkamp had a good Easter Weekend Festival at St Stithians College earlier in the season and will be looking to impress.  

Pretoria Boys’ High have a formidable squad this year and will be banking on some key players to gel together to build on their run of recent form. Joshua Naude has had a good season thus far, he has put up his hand as one to watch out for.

He will be looking at winning the ball for his side to put full-back Kyle Hezlett into strong positions, who has recently swapped with Tebogo Nchabeleng who now finds himself in the all important number ten jersey. 

On paper the Candies go into this match as favorites but should not underestimate the Blue and the Grey, who have been known to come into this fixture and have caused several upsets in years gone by. 

The teams: 

St Albans College: 15 John-Joshua Steenkamp, 14 Michael Rider, 13 Tumelo Mohale, 12 Luke Sass, 11 Nkosi Malaza, 10 Josh Verster, 9 Dominic Waddell, 8 Daniel Bouwer, 7 Matthew Peirce, 6 Patrick Weir, 5 Lloyd Schneeberger 4 Alex Yeatman, 3 Craig Milne, 2  Luke Webber (captain), 1 Joel Muruya. 

Pretoria Boys’ High: 15 Kyle Hezlett, 14 Itumeleng Baloyi, 13 Ntsako Ndlovu, 12 Rickus Wessels, 11 Motheo Dimpe, 10 Tebogo Nchabeleng,  9 Joshua Naude, 8 Katlego Shebo, 7 Stephen Adams, 6 Panayiotis Ellinas, 5 Tshepiso Shikibana, 4 Randy Muzungu, 3 Ofentse Moeng, 2 Shaun Schurmann (captain), 1 Kitso Mokena.

Fixtures:

All matches on Moshate Field.

u14A – 8:00
u15A – 10:10
u19B – 11:15
u16A – 12:30
u19A – 13:35

“Any trip to Kingswood is tough and it’s going to be another great game of hockey,”

That the words of Greg Dubus, first team girls hockey coach of Stirling.

What a way to kick off the first weekend in May with a thrilling derby game against Kingswood College and Stirling this Saturday at 12:30 in Makhanda.

Past games between these two schools have always ended up being a nail-biting experience having extremely tight games and teams winning the game only by one or two goals at the end like in 2022 where Kingswood prevailed with a very close 1-0 win against Stirling. 

This year the Stirling team believes that a positive result can happen and Kingswood girls are going into the match with confident attitudes. Two driven teams that promise an entertaining game.

“The Kingswood College first team are looking forward to playing a competitive game and are feeling confident that their hard work will be rewarded,” said, Zimasa Dunywa, coach of Kingswood College.

The teams:

Kingswood College: Sthando Mandlendoda, Isabella Oertel, Olivia Connellan, Holly Windsor, Araya Boettiger (captain) Lilly Winstanley, Keagan Lottering, Jasmine Witthuhn, Amy Hobson (vice-captain), Sarah Allibone, Ophola Bulani, Matipa Karimazondo, Amy Wilson, Raena Trivella, Jasmine Pieterse, Ella Stone.

Stirling: Myiesha Adams , Jade Bahlmann, Shannon Corlet, Kacy Bahlmann, Lina Mxinwa (captain), Cayla Kockott, Holly Harris, Siviwe Sidinana, Michelle Barnes, Princess Mcinga, Tyler Knock, Erin Saunders, Kishka Baartman, Diandre Baulch.

 

 

This weekend sees some of the top KwaZulu-Natal rugby schools coming together, one of the most notable games being Glenwood versus Maritzburg College.

Glenwood have not lost against Maritzburg College since 2010 and therefore a lot of pride will be at stake for the home side at Goldstones.

Maritzburg’s reputation precedes them and are known for playing top rugby season after season.

This year is no exception, and they are coming into this game with seven wins.

It seems they have been on a nation-wide victory tour, beating contenders in every province. They have defeated Nelspruit this season at 43-19. They beat their provincial peers, Clifton, 35-5.

They then decided that they need to send a message to Gauteng and took a 47-15 victory over Pretoria Boys’ High. 

Glenwood is no stranger to triumphant outcomes this season, though. Earlier in the year, Glenwood also managed a victory over Nelspruit, winning the game at 39-33.

At the 2022-edition of Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, Glenwood managed to win two of their three games.

This year they wouldn’t settle for anything short of the hat-trick and won all three of their games.

This was no small feat considering the competition. Their third game was against Worcester Gimnasium, who were having a strong season, and Glenwood managed to defeat them with a very respectable 57-8. 

This game will be a competitive one to say the least. 

Maritzburg and Glenwood will not be the only schools competing this weekend. 

Michaelhouse and Kearsney College will take the field together this Saturday. Michaelhouse was undefeated until there match up with Hilton last week. Michaelhouse has played excellently so far, even when Hilton took the win, it was a fight to the end.

Michaelhouse fought at the try line and did not stop pushing forward until the last moments.

In previous games this year, Michaelhouse has dominated, beating Glenwood 36-10 and Maritzburg 27-20. Kearsney has also earned some decent wins, their most recent victory being over EG Jansen at 17-12. This should make for some interesting rugby. 

Hilton College goes up against Durban High School this weekend.

Both schools are going strong.

Hilton just defeated Michaelhouse 20-17, the first to do so this season, and Durban played with full force to end up beating Drostdy 64-17, their tenth win so far.

Hilton and Durban High School have great track records this season and this game could go either way. 

St Charles College will play against Clifton College.

Clifton started their season off really well, beating Richards Bay 73-0. They managed to secure a great outcome when they played St Andrews School two weeks ago and took the win at 47-7.

St Charles took an excellent 31-0 victory over St Benedicts. Only time will tell which institution will take the win.

Westville Boys’ High will take on Jeppe High School for Boys. Westville has managed to rack up four wins so far, most recently defeating Voortrekker 28-5. Jeppe, too, has four wins so far, making this very interesting.

Jeppe has beaten some big names this season, including their 30-24 victory against Monument and their 51-5 victory over Queens College. 

The teams: 

Maritzburg College: 15 Luyanda Kunene, 14 Langelihle Makhathini, 13 Ayrton van der Linde, 12 Nkululeko Sithole, 11 Colm Reardon, 10 Luc du Toit, 9 Rhett Quinn, 8 Sasha Kadira, 7 Kevin Ayliffe, 6 Travis Walton, 5 Kuhle Mthimkhulu, 4 Bohlale Maphisa, 3 Aiden Botha, 2 Elbie Mouton, 1 Phiwayinkosi Kubheka.

Glenwood High School: 15 Jaco Williams, 14 Tawanda Mashoni, 13 Okanta Chijindu, 12 MJ Schoeman, 11 Bukhosibakhe Gamede, 10 Andrew Martins, 9 Tyrique Hartnick, 8 Zukisani Tom, 7 Kane Plasket-Burne, 6 Tumisho Mofidikoane, 5 Laython Sheahan, 4 Jesse Venter, 3 William van Vuuren, 2 Keegan Goosen, 1 Lithemba Mfupi.

Other fixtures (home sides mentioned first): 

13:00 – Westville Boys’ High vs Jeppe High School for Boys’; 14:55 – St Charles College vs Clifton; 15:00 – Hilton College vs Durban High School; 15:05 – Maritzburg College vs Glenwood; 15:30 – Kearsney College vs Michaelhouse.

It’s all to play for in Kwa-Zulu Natal as Maritzburg College prepares to host Glenwood High School in the annual KZN derby for the first time this season at the Pape’s Astroturf on Saturday at Maritzburg.

The two sides, rich in history, have battled it out for several years with little to separate them.

In their last encounter, which was in August last year, College thumped the green machine 4-0 to end a near-perfect season after producing some eye-catching results like beating Affies (2-1), King Edward (3-0), and Durban High School (2-1).

After losing their inspiration, Captain Matthew Ponter, the current season has come with challenges for College, and the team has found the going much harder, producing performances that have been far from convincing.

Known for their counterattacking and punishing teams on the counterattack, the Maritzburg side has succumbed to unexpected defeats against Michaelhouse (3-2), DHS (2-1), and Wynberg Boys High (2-0) early in the season.

Mark Sanders’ team, however, will draw encouragement from outstanding victories in some of the preseason games against St. John’s (2-1), Grey High School (2-1), and Helpmekaar (4-0).

On home soil, they will also be relying on the skills of Kyle Dobeyn, who was named the “Most Improved Player” in last year’s awards ceremony.

On Glenwood’s side, they go into the match high in confidence after playing some good hockey that saw them win three, draw one, and lose one match at the Kingswood College Hockey Festival last weekend.

The “Green Machine,” as they’re known, are starting to claim their stake, proving that it’s not just their rugby team to look out for.

The side coached by Luke de Bruyn has also shown that it’s not how you start but rather what you learn from your mistakes after suffering a humiliating 7-0 loss to Northwood early in the season.

The gutsy wins collected against St. Andrew’s (2-0), York High School (4-0), Graeme College (4-0), and Glenwood House School (2-0) down in Makhanda will surely serve as a confidence booster.

The match will kick off at 11:30 on Saturday. Catch the action live on SuperSport Schools –https://bit.ly/MaritzburgGlenwood2023

The teams:

Maritzburg College: Nicholas Holmes, Ipheleng Mosupye, Uyanda Dlamini, Liam Armstrong, Kyle Dobeyn, Asanda Khumalo, Phiwa Dlamini (captain), Siviwe Sithumbu, Julian Konigkramer,
Banele Dlamini, Ryan Bernstein, Ryan McKean, Landiswa Seshemae, Jacques Bradford, Greg Askew.

Glenwood High School: Liam Ryland (GK), Connor Johnston, Matthew Francis, Alwanduthando Qulu, Siyabonga Malatjie, Ndumiso Majali, Cameron Laing, Ntandoyenkosi Soni, Ntando Vezi, Xolani Zondo, Jayden Aylward, Sibani Mtolo, Braigen Yunnie, Miondi Nyawose, Slade Locke, Amukelo Mchunu.

Other fixtures: 

08:00 – Voortrekker (Pietermaritzburg) vs Carter High; 11:15 – Westville Boys’ High vs Jeppe High School for Boys’; 11:15 – Hilton College vs Durban High School; 11:15 – Kearsney College vs Michaelhouse; 11:30 – Maritzburg College vs Glenwood.

 

The Mamelodi Sundowns u19 team remain unbeaten as the Gauteng Development League moves over to the 12th round of fixtures. 

Schools sports continues to take center stage across South Africa and one of the leading sports tournaments in the country, the Gauteng Development League, has been at the forefront of it all. 

The country was in awe yesterday as one of the GDL products, Vicky Mkhawana, stole the show in South Africa u17’s 3-2 victory over Zambia in the Africa Cup of Nations u17 tournament. 

The star is one the many youngsters who compete in the GDL week in week out, and on occasion even feature in the senior competitions in the country. 

One of the rising stars in the tournament has recently captured the attention of one of the top football clubs in the world – England’s West Ham United. 

Vuyo Buthelezi dons the white and navy blue of the Wits Junior Academy and he might just travel to England to be part of the West Ham United Academy.

His Wits Junior teammates, though, will be competing this week in the GDL as they host School Of Excellence in Pretoria on Saturday. 

The race is to topple the log-leading Mamelodi Sundowns u19 who remain unbeaten in the tournament thus far. 

The ‘Ka Bo yellow, Masandawana’, as Mamelodi Sundowns football club are famously called, have a solid structure that runs from the ground up. 

The senior team has already won the DSTV Premiership and are also dominating African football year-in, year-out. 

They are setting the standard for all African football clubs to follow. 

Their u19 team follows the same winning culture. They currently sit top of the log despite being one match behind.

Kaizer Chiefs u19, School Of Excellence u19, Highlands Park u19 and Randburg FC u19 all make up the top five on the log standings. 

The main questions is – who will hand Mamelodi Sundowns its first loss of the season? 

Fixtures for Week 12:

Mamelodi Sundowns vs Joburg City
Kathorus Hyper vs Panaroma FC
Kaizer Chiefs vs Prestige Football Development Academy
Kagiso Porto Academy vs Randburg
Jomo Cosmos vs Remember Elite Sports Academy
Highland Parks vs Rosina Sedibane Modiba
Wits Junior vs School of Excellence
Tuks vs Siluma 7
TS Galaxy vs Supersport United