Western Province 31 (17) – Tries: Rudi Coetzee, Willem Lubbe, Isak Swanepoel, Francois Gouws. Conversions: Jonathan van der Byl (4). Penalty: Van der Byl. Eastern Province 7 (0) – Try: Bulelani Norman. Conversion: Siyambonga Mila.
Golden Lions 24 (12) – Tries: Moses Ugboke, Nkosinathi Maseko, Lehumo Kgongoana, Francois du Toit. Conversions: Hanro de Beer, Lemuel Fourie. Griqualand West 12 (0) – Tries: Brayden Matshoba, Angus Hattingh. Conversion: 10.
Unusually, clad in white, the Junior Springboks made a spectacular start to their challenge at the World Rugby u20 Championship. Photo: SA Rugby.
The Junior Springboks started their World Rugby u20 Championship campaign like a house on fire, scoring 11 tries in a convincing 73-17 victory over Australia on a hot and windy Sunday afternoon at the Stadio San Michele, in Calvisano, Italy.
The Junior Boks played a controlled game with a clear plan, with their pack delivering a physical masterclass and providing their dangerous backs with a brilliant attacking platform.
Although they were sometimes undone by unnecessary errors, the SA u20s could not be faulted for their effort, attacking with intent and often ripping the Aussie defence to shreds and controlling the pace of the game by dominating possession.
Despite a few strong early carries, there were mistakes on the Junior Bok side, but they showed their intent in the sixth minute when scrumhalf Haashim Pead raced away for the opening try from a counterattack that started deep inside their own half, with hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele putting in a good run.
Flyhalf Vusi Moyo‘s conversion made it 7-0, but the Aussies pulled one back a few minutes later when their fullback, Sid Harvey, exposed a defensive lapse on the wing. The conversion missed, and the South Africans remained in the lead as they started to step up the pace.
The Junior Boks then delivered one body blow after the other in last 15 minutes of the half, scoring four tries to seize firm control of the match.
Prop Herman Lubbe bulldozed his way over after sustained pressure on attack before wing Siya Ndlozi went over for a brace of tries in six minutes, both from attacking breaks from the scrum, with Moyo converting all three to make it 28-5 three minutes before the break.
The South Africans were not done yet and their other wing, Cheswill Jooste, dotted down on the stroke of half-time after some great hands. Moyo missed his kick for the first time in the game, but at 33-5, it didn’t hurt the South African side.
After the break, the Junior Boks made a scorching start to the second stanza, running in four more tries in the first 12 minutes of the half, to ruthlessly seal the deal with a superb display of attacking rugby.
Pead scored his second from an attack after a Wallaby kick in the 45th minute before fullback Gilermo Mentoe intercepted a pass and raced 80m downfield to add another five points to South Africa;s rapidly growing tally.
Two minutes later, lock JJ Theron smashed his way over after a great run by flank Xola Nyali, which brought up 50 points for South Africa. A few moments later, Jaco Grobbelaar crashed over in the corner shortly after replacing Theron.
Moyo converted three of those four tries and, with 25-odd minutes to go, the Junior Boks led 59-5. They soon made it 66-5, just before the hour-mark, when Nyali broke away from a maul and ran 30m to score. Replacement flyhalf Ian van der Merwe made no mistake from the tee.
Australia was able to get their hands on more possession, but the Junior Bok defence held firm as coach Kevin Foote emptied the South African bench.
With 10 minutes to go, the Junior Wallabies finally scored a second try when wing Cooper Watters dived over in the corner. A few minutes later, he added a second as the heat started to take its toll.
Replacement wing, Jaco Williams, had the final say, though, as he intercepted and scored from the halfway line to seal a superb victory for the Junior Boks.
Scorers
Junior Springboks 66 (33) – Tries: Haashim Pead (2), Herman Lubbe, Siya Ndlozi (2), Cheswill Jooste, Gilermo Mentoe, JJ Theron, Jaco Grobbelaar, Xola Nyali, Jaco Williams. Conversions: Vusi Moyo (7), Ian van der Merwe (2).
Australia 17 (5) – Tries: Sid Harvey, Cooper Watters (2). Conversion: Sid Harvey.
St Charles Gold lock Raphael Ajibade prepares to receive a pass in his team’s game against Somerset College on the opening day of the Independent Schools Rugby Festival, Old Orchards, Pietermaritzburg, 28 June 2025. Photo: Brad Morgan.
A festive atmosphere filled St Charles College as the school, celebrating its 150th anniversary, hosted not only 16 Independent Schools Rugby Festival(ISRF) teams on Saturday, the opening day of the event, but 52 teams in total, with u11 and u13 Sevens festivals running alongside.
The event is for u18 players only. Some teams went with only Stayers teams, while others included grade 12 boys who met the age restriction.
One of the big questions to be answered on the opening day was how would Brisbane Boys’ College measure up to their South African opposition? The answer to that was very well, thank you.
Brisbane Boys’ College claimed a tight win over a young Hilton College team in an evenly contested back-and-forth clash. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Coached by Samoan international Dan Leo, assisted by former All Black hardman Brad Thorn, the Queenslanders impressed, demonstrating a physical edge that caught Hilton College cold in the early going of their clash on Old Orchards.
From there, it became a fascinating back-and-forth battle, but Brisbane Boys were able to keep their noses in front to claim a 29-24 win.
Their 2nd XV was also in action against St Alban’s College, and they gave the Pretoria school, a tough going-over. Brisbane’s organisation and physicality again stood out, but they went down to a narrow 17-21 defeat.
The undoubted highlight, from an individual standpoint, on day one, was a 100-metre try scored by Clifton College loosehead prop Jonathan Mazibuko, which included him breaking tackles, side-stepping, and running away from defenders. Who doesn’t love seeing a prop turn on the jets?
Clifton’s Director of Rugby, Jose Dos Santos, grinned when asked about his fleet-footed front-ranker. “He’s in grade 11. Fantastic! He had aspirations this year to play wing. It was good seeing him score one,” he said.
The Durban school, despite having only five practices together with their ISRF lineup, turned in a strong showing and impressed with their good finishing, which included a double from right-wing James Joughin. Up against a good Cornwall Hill College side, Clifton scored a 33-14 win.
Clifton College played some excellent running rugby and scored a number of eye-catching long range tries. Photo: Brad Morgan.
“It was nice to see them enjoy their rugby. And it was a good feeling to win,” Dos Santos commented.
Brisbane Boys’ College weren’t the sole tourists from overseas in action. St Andrew’s School, from Bloemfontein, included six Italian players in their squad – two flanks, an eighthman, two wings, and a fullback.
Lieben Pietersen, the St Andrew’s Director of Rugby, said an exchange had started last year between the school and an Italian club: “We brought over 15 guys over the course of two months. First six, then nine. We went over with four of our guys in March/April to a club, just to start building it up, so that we start getting more guys involved.
“This is the second year that we are doing this. We learn from them, and they learn from us. The way the Italians play is the way that Saints wants to play. They offload. They play a quick game.
Playing Bloemfontein schools and being an English school in among many Afrikaans schools, St Andrew’s is almost always the smaller side, Pietersen said, so swift ball movement is what is needed.
St Andrew’s took on St Benedict’s on Saturday and restricted the Bedfordview school to a single try in a hard-fought 19-14 win, with Bennies’ flyhalf Jarred Cheketri showing off a good boot, which brought him two penalties and a conversion.
St Andrew’s School’s Italian players were distinguishable by their close-cropped hair. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Pietersen said communication for St Andrew’s, with their Italian players, was not a problem. “Rugby is a language that everybody speaks,” he explained. “Once they understand what we call certain calls, they know what to do. They know how to play situations and positions, and they have been with us for almost three weeks now.
“They have an English tutor. That’s also why they come over, to learn English with us, and we take them around Bloemfontein and South Africa. We’re going to take them to the Italian test before they fly back.”
St Stithians and St Andrew’s College produced an entertaining contest. Saintsstruck twice early to open up a double-digit lead before the Makhanda boys replied, showing off their trademark offloading and exciting running rugby.
The Johannesburg boys also showed enterprise, led by their flyhalf Tinodashe Mambure. Not only did he exhibit a very good boot, but he also split the defence for a sharp try in the first half.
St Andrew’s fought back strongly in the second half but couldn’t quite make up the deficit and St Stithians scraped a 25-22 victory.
St Charles College put out two teams, St Charles Blue and St Charles Gold, after the late withdrawal of one of the participating schools. They won one and lost one, with the score in both games being the same, 36-5.
A St John’s College Superman? The Johannesburg school ran in some thrilling tries against St Charles Blue. Photo: Brad Morgan.
St John’s College fed off the Blue team’s errors to run in some superb long range tries, while Somerset College found the going tougher against the Gold side.
St David’s Marist Inanda enjoyed a big 59-0 win over CBC Boksburg, which did no justice to the efforts of CBC, who spent plenty of time in the St David’s 22m area but were unable to unlock the Sandton school’s defence.
St David’s, then, punished them on the counterattack.
SCORES
St John’s College 36-5 St Charles Blue
St David’s Marist Inanda 59-0 CBC Boksburg
Clifton College 33-14 Cornwall Hill College
St Stithians 25-22 St Andrew’s College
St Andrew’s School 19-14 St Benedict’s College
Brisbane Boys’ College 1st XV 29-24 Hilton College
Brisbane Boys’ College 2nd XV 17-21 St Alban’s
St Charles Gold 36-5 Somerset College
Ricardo Chatwind with his player of the match award. Photo: LSEN Week WhatsApp Channel.
The 2025 and 42nd LSEN Craven Week kicked off on Saturday at Hoërskool Hoogenhout in Bethal, Mpumalanga.
Saturday’s showcase featured six matches, ending in the ceremonial opening between the hosts, the Pumas, and the Griffons.
Despite being at the disadvantage of being the away team, the Griffons rose to the challenge and produced some champagne rugby to win 37-7.
The Fakkel SOS hero, Ricardo Chatwind, delivered an electric performance at outside centre to win the player of the match award.
A powerful Leopards team brought in some heavy metal to overpower the Sharks. Player of the match, Reamogetswe Gaje, displayed daring physicality at lock, with his dominant performance overwhelming the Sharks’ forwards in the set pieces and breakdowns. When the final whistle sounded, the North West side had run away to a 36-10 victory.
In one of the day’s most eagerly awaited matches, the Gauteng rivals, the Lions and Blue Bulls clashed. On this occasion, the Lions claimed a 22-13 victory.
Their blindside flank, Gilbert Lebeya, used his powerful engine to help his side to victory in a tightly contested battle, also earning himself the player of the match award.
Undefeated in 2017, Valke made a big statement in their 40-28 win over the Free State.
Their resilience, work ethic, and cohesive teamwork enabled them to outlast the Cheetahs.
Kempton Panorama left wing, Ompile Dubase, showed a thrilling turn of pace to win the player of the match award. Might the Falcons, once again, fly away to an undefeated record?
Eastern Province were the tournament’s unofficial winners last year when they were viewed as the underdogs. On Saturday, they were the only team to not surrender a try.
They comprehensively downed Boland 41-3, with many of their players putting in strong performances, but outside centre, Uvern Adams, from Bergsig, was the best of them and the winner of the player of the match award.
The Lions and Blue Bulls compete at the lineout. Photo: LSEN Week WhatsApp Channel.
Western Province laid down a marker, delivering a strong showing in a 35-12 win over South Western Districts.
Blindside flank, Chandley Jacobs, of Westcliff SOS, led the charge, picking up the player of the match award thanks to his mighty tackling and ball carrying.
The action continues on Monday.
Fixtures
Boland vs Free State
SWD vs Blue Bulls
Sharks vs Pumas
Griffons vs Leopards
Valke vs Eastern Province
Western Province vs Lions
The final day will be on Tuesday, 1 July. Those fixtures will be announced only after day two’s matches have been played.
Healthy crowds took in the action on the opening day of the Waterstone College Super Cup. Photo: Waterstone College on Facebook.
The Waterstone College Super Cup delivered a high level of intensity and competitiveness on Saturday, the first of three days of the competition, which brings together 17 schools and over 850 footballers.
SuperSport Schools Plus chatted football with Gavin Andrew, the Technical Director and highly experienced Senior Soccer Coach at Waterstone College, as well as the school’s Executive Head, JC Engelbrecht.
Coach Andrew oversees the football programme for both the primary and high school. Additionally, he shared, the school operates a football club, which demonstrates its commitment to the advancement of the game.
Echoing that focus, Engelbrecht, during the official opening ceremony, stated: “At Waterstone College, we believe that education must extend beyond the classroom.”
Waterstone College boasts excellent facilities, including an exceptional pitch, named FIFA, a designation that was bestowed upon it by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, held in South Africa.
During the World Cup, Andrew said Mexico utilised Waterstone College’s facility for training. Their group included notable players, such as Javier Rodríguez, Efraín Juárez, and Giovani dos Santos. They were in Group A with South Africa and played the opening game against Bafana Bafana, during which Siphiwe Tshabalala famously scored a ripping opener for the hosts in a 1-1 draw.
After the World Cup, Waterstone College extended their field, turning one into two. “What we do each year is we try to keep or maintain the main field in the same condition as we got it from FIFA, and we are probably the only facility that is still properly maintained.”
Waterstone College is the defending champion of the Super Cup and, Andrew said, they’re aiming to defend the title, but, he admitted, that’s a tough task. “It’s difficult to say that you’re going to be the champion again because unfortunately in school football what happens is your team is different every year.” he said.
“So, it sometimes works in cycles, where you have a particular age group that is very talented, and in some years you’re unfortunate because maybe they’re not as talented as the previous group. What’s nice, in my particular role, is that I get an opportunity to coach different kids, not the same kids over and over and over again.”
Coaching also offers opportunities to positively influence children, not only as footballers, but with life lessons, Andrew said.
Engelbrecht said Waterstone College prioritises a robust connection between academics and sports. He emphasised that this holistic approach focuses primarily on empowering students to venture into the world, equipping them to demonstrate perseverance and to manage both success and failure.
“Sport is the ultimate tool to actually do that – expose them to real life, and not just lessons of sport. So, sport becomes a vehicle to actually highlight and get these values across to our learners.
“When we see the heartache when the little ones step off the pitch and they’ve lost the game, they must realise that there’s a lesson in that and that creates opportunities for us to be teachers and to be coaches, to show them how to manage those emotions.” he said.
The Super Cup, Engelbrecht said, has helped to build Waterstone’s community, engaging schools, parents, and the broader community by involving them in the event’s journey.
In his message at the opening ceremony, Engelbrecht welcomed all attendees and urged each player to give their utmost effort, to compete vigorously and fairly, and, most importantly, to savour every moment.
“Compete with grace, win with grace, and lose with dignity. Let this be a festival of sports where passion, positivity and respect shine the brightest when we leave here.”
“May the Super Cup be filled with outstanding football, as we’ve already seen throughout the morning, great sportsmanship and friendships, and memories that will last well beyond the final whistle. Let the tournament begin,” he concluded.
The Kloof High School National Football Tournament brings together schools from vastly different backgrounds from across South Africa. But one of the common threads is that many of the country’s top sides are part of the action. Others, lesser known, are out to upset the apple cart.
When those teams come together, upsets and shocking defeats are likely to occur. That’s the nature of the event, which transitions from a group stage competition on day one into a knockout the following day.
Saturday was knockout day, and the casualties included Maritzburg College, who had won all three of their group games. They, however, exited the Cup competition but remain in contention for the Plate.
Cup Knockout
The group matches concluded on Saturday morning, with wins then becoming of utmost importance in the knockouts. Several top teams found their Cup ambitions ended, as sides found themselves playing in the other divisions for either the Plate, the Shield, or the Spoon.
Virginia High School, who beat Maritzburg College 3-1 in 2024’s bronze medal match, and won the ABSA Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament earlier this year, continued to shine on Saturday. They overpowered Umvuzo Secondary School 4-0 in their last 16 match to set up a quarterfinal showdown with Carter High on Sunday.
Virginia High has been running hot all year long, and, apart from their title-winning success in Kimberley, they’ve been putting on a weekly show in their domestic league, the Magnificent Wednesday Schools Football League.
Photo. LB Photography
What adds to the excitement of Sunday’s showdown is the fact that Carter High won 2-1 over their long-standing rival, Maritzburg College, in the last 16.
Games between the Pietermaritzburg schools are almost always hard-fought, but it was an especially gratifying win for Carter, who went down to the Red, Black, and White in the final of the KZN Inland A-League in May.
In other last 16 matches, a former Kloof champion, HTS Louis Botha was pushed to their limits. They, however, scraped a 1-0 victory over Nilgiri Secondary School.
TuksSport High School continued their impressive campaign with a decisive 2-0 victory over Durban High School (DHS), while Vuyiswa Mtolo, who have shown up well in the Kloof tournament in the past, beat New Forest 1-0.
Edendale Tech High School, which earned promotion from the KZNHSFA Inland B-League to the Inland A-League last season and then finished third this season, delivered a dominant performance to advance to the quarterfinals, outplaying Mondeor High 3-0
Pinetown Boys’ High, a dark horse outfit, produced a strong showing to cruise to a 4-0 win over Ashton Ballito. Their reward is a quarterfinal clash against Edendale.
Another team that is on people’s radar is the defending champion, Nqabakazulu, who didn’t concede a goal on their way to the title in 2024, and their defensive record remains unblemished thus far in 2025 after they defeated the hosts, Kloof High School A 4-0 on Saturday.
In the quarterfinals, they face the team they beat 3-0 to win the title last year, HTS Louis Botha. The Bloemfontein boys will need to be on their A-game to challenge the champions.
Photo. LB Photography
Plate Knockout
The teams that were eliminated from the last 16 of the Cup competition continued their journey in the Plate playoffs.
Following their elimination from the Cup, Maritzburg College beat another KZN Inland side, Umvuzo Secondary, 2-0. That’s put College into the semi-finals of the Plate.
Nilgiri claimed a narrow 3-2 victory over Kloof High A, while New Forest took down DHS, winning 3-1. Mondeor High was on song, surging to a convincing 5-1 victory over Ashton Ballito.
Those results mean it will be Mondeor against New Forest on Sunday for a place in the Plate final.
Shield Knockout
Alexandra High School, which SuperSport Schools’ commentator Sibonelo Zulu has described as the sleeping giant of KZN Schools football, finished in third place in Group A of the competition.
However, there was a pick-me-up for Alex on Saturday, with a 3-1 win over Durban North College putting them through to the Shield quarters.
Northwood School, who have endured a challenging season, which has included narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the round-robin of the KZNHSFA Coastal A-League, by scoring their first win of the season, a very good 3-0 victory over Pinetown Boys’ High, picked up a 2-1 win over Sarel Cilliers, which put them through to Sunday’s quarterfinals.
In other Shield last 16 matches, Kearsney College scored a 2-1 victory over Linpark, while Amanzimtoti defeated St Henry’s Marist College 1-0.
Reddam House Umhlanga bagged a comfortable 4-1 victory against Kloof High B, while Hilton College ran out 2-0 winners over George Campbell. Birdswood turned on the style to overrun Howick High 5-0.
In a big surprise, the champions of the Mancosa Coastal A-League, Westville Boys’ High, finished only third place in Group F with one win, one draw, and one loss, which put them out of the running for the Cup competition.
That led to an interesting consequence, with Westville meeting Hillcrest High in a repeat of the KZNHSFA Coastal A-League final, which Westville won 4-3 from the penalty spot after a goalless draw. This time, they won emphatically, picking up a 3-0 win.
Spoon Knockout
In the Spoon competition, Sarel Cilliers outplayed Durban North College 5-0 and Linpark matched that scoreline in a big win over St Henry’s. Hillcrest High, also, won 5-0, comfortably dispatching Kloof High B.
The last of the Spoon matches also delivered five goals, this time, though, Howick High edged out George Campbell 3-2.
RESULTS
Saturday 28 June
Group Stages
Group A
Alexandra High School 2-0 Kloof High School B
Group B
Northwood 2-1 Hillcrest
Group C
Kearsney College 3-1 George Campbell
Group D
Mondeor High 1-1 Amanzimtoti
Group E
Kloof High School A 4-2 Durban North College
TuksSport 4-0 Reddam House Umhlanga
Pinetown 4-2 Umvuzo Secondary
Hilton College 1-0 Linpark
Group H
St Henry’s 0-0 Howick
Carter High 1-1 Edendale
Cup Knockout
Last 16
Nqabakazulu 4-0 Kloof High School
HTS Louis Botha 1-0 Nilgiri
Carter High 2-1 Maritzburg College
Tuks 2-0 Durban High School
Vuyiswa Mtolo 1-0 New Forest
Virginia High 4-0 Umvuzo Secondary School
Pinetown 4-0 Ashton Ballito
Edendale 3-0 Mondeor High
Shield Knockout
Alexandra High School 3-1 Durban North College
Northwood 2-1 Sarel Cilliers
Kearsney College 2-1 Linpark
Amanzimtoti 1-0 St Henry’s
Reddam House 4-1 Kloof High School B
Westville 3-0 Hillcrest High
Hilton College 2-0 George Campbell
Birdswood 5-0 Howick
Plate Knockout
Nilgiri 3-2 Kloof High School A
Maritzburg College 2-0 Umvuzo Secondary
New Forest 3-1 Durban High School
Mondeor High 5-1 Ashton Ballito
Spoon Knockout
Sarel Cilliers 5-0 Durban North College
Linpark 5-0 St Henry’s
Hillcrest 5-0 Kloof High School B
Howick 3-2 George Campbell
Fixtures: Sunday 29 June
Cup Knockout Quarterfinals
Main Field
07:30 – Tuks vs Vuyiswa Mtolo
08:30 – Nqabakazulu vs HTS Louis Botha
Top A
07:30 Pinetown vs Edendale
08:30 – Virginia High vs Carter High
Plate Knockout
Main Field
10:30 – Nilgiri vs Maritzburg College
Top A
10:30 – New Forest vs Mondeor High
Place 13 – 16
Top B
10:30 – Kloof High School A
Massingham
10:30 – Durban High School vs Ashton Ballito
Shield Knockout Quarterfinals
Top B
07:30 – Reddam House Umhlanga vs Westville
08:30 – Alexandra High School vs Northwood
Massingham
07:30 – Hilton College vs Birdswood
08:30 – Kaersney College vs Amanzimtoti
Hoërskool Wesvalia hosted a taste of provincial schools clashes as the northern unions locked horns at the annual Noordvaal Bondedag in Klerksdorp on Saturday in preparation for the coming Craven and Academy Weeks.
The Blue Bulls Academy’s powerful forward pack laid the groundwork for a commanding 47–27 victory over hosts, the Leopards, in the main Academy fixture. The team from Pretoria asserted their authority early, combining forceful carries with resolute defence from the outset.
Fullback Ronan Bastiaanse opened the scoring within minutes, crossing the line for the first try. He went on to add five conversions, contributing 15 points in total. Loose forwards Queenton Mcube and Marko Kok spearheaded the physical onslaught, regularly breaching the advantage line and providing momentum.
This dominance enabled flyhalf Tilon Baron to orchestrate proceedings from the standoff slot and bring Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool centre Petrus Rautenbach into play with front-foot ball in the midfield.
Despite the early onslaught, the Leopards refused to capitulate. The North West outfit showed glimpses of their potential, hinting that they could be a formidable force at the upcoming tournament in Middelburg this July.
Though their attack lacked early bite, their persistence paid off in the closing stages with three unanswered tries. Eighthman Letlotlo Tobosi crossed twice for a deserved brace, while scrumhalf Juan Geldenhuys impressed with a composed showing behind a retreating pack.
In another tightly contested match, the Sharks Academy produced a late surge to defeat the Valke 29–16. The Valke stayed within reach for most of the match thanks to the accurate boot of flyhalf Luka Pretorius, who slotted three penalties and a conversion.
However, the Sharks’ back three proved decisive. Wingers Rourke O’Sullivan and Liyema Nela sliced through the Valke defence in the final 10 minutes to put the result beyond doubt.
Blindside flanker Wasi Vyambera was a standout performer up front. His tireless work rate and powerful carries were rewarded with a long-range, runaway try that helped establish a lead the Sharks never relinquished.
In the opening fixture of the day, Leopards u17 delivered a scintillating display to overcome the Limpopo Blue Bulls Academy 35–19. Leading the charge was Potchefstroom Gimnasium’s De Wet Grobler. The flanker was everywhere—on attack, in defence and on the scoreboard, notching two tries through his relentless ball carrying.
Tighthead prop JW Coetzee provided valuable support with his powerful drives that repeatedly breached the gain line.
Scorers:
Blue Bulls Academy 47 (21) – Tries: Ronan Bastiaanse, Charl Els, Queenton Mcube, Baele Mashaba, Petrus Rautenbach, Estiaan Marx, Nico Klein. Conversions: Bastiaanse (4), Tilon Baron. Leopards Academy 27 (3) – Tries: Letlotlo Tobosi (2), Louis Fourie, Gitso Mabitso. Conversions: Juhan Geldenhuys (2). Penalty: Geldenhuys.
Sharks Academy 29 (14) – Tries: Theo Boshoff, Wasi Vyambera, Rourke O’Sullivan, Liyema Nela. Conversions: Jade-Will Koopman (2), Nathan Aneke. Penalty: Aneke. Valke Academy 16 (10) – Try: Dylan Jordaan. Conversion: Luka Pretorius. Penalties: Pretorius (3).
Leopards u17 35 (18) – Tries: De Wet Grobler (2), Anro Nel, JW Coetzee, Ricardo Enos. Conversions: Nel, Enos. Penalties: Nel (2). Limpopo Blue Bulls Academy 19 (12) – Tries: Khathu Sikhethu, Itu Magaba, Keanu Visser. Conversions: Juan Randall (2).
The first day of the Kloof High School National Football Tournament started with the favourites – including Nqabakazulu, Maritzburg College, and Virginia High School – performing strongly and showing off their pedigree.
Group A
The defending champions, Nqabakazulu, who convincingly beat HTS Louis Botha 3-0 in the 2024 final, laid down a marker by picking up three wins on Friday in Group A.
In their opening match, Nqabakazulu handed Kloof High School B a 3-0 loss. Then, in their second outing, against Alexandra High School, they were relentless as they powered their way to a 5-0 victory. In their final fixture of the day, they handled Durban High School (DHS) comfortably, scoring a 3-0 win to finish the day with 11 goals scored and none conceded.
With that perfect record, they also advanced to the knockout stages with ease.
In other matches in Group A, DHS began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Alexandra High. They also romped to a 7-0 victory over Kloof High B. Those two wins meant they joined Nqabakazulu in the knockout stage of the Cup competition.
Both Alexandra High and Kloof High B have no chance of contending for the Gold Cup. They will, however, face each other on Sunday morning, with an opportunity to compete for the Plate on the line.
Group B – The 2024 Runners-up HTS Louis are prepared for blood and retribution.
The 2024 runners-up, HTS Louis Botha, look formidable. On Friday, like Nqabakazulu, they went three for three, beating New Forest, Hillcrest High, and Northwood School in Group B action.
Northwood, who narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the Mancosa KwaZulu-Natal High Schools Football Association (KZNHSFA) Coastal A-League, was the first team to succumb to HTS Louis Botha, with the Bloemfontein school easing to a 4-0 victory.
New Forest was overwhelmed, with the Free Staters winning 6-0, but Hillcrest High put up a tough fight. In the end, though, HTS Louis Botha claimed a 2-1 win
New Forest, despite the big thrashing they suffered at the hands of HTS Louis Botha, are still in with a shout of joining the Bloemfontein boys in the next round. They scored a 1-0 win over Northwood and drew 0-0 with Hillcrest in their other matches.
Photo. LB Photography
Much will depend on the outcome of the clash between Hillcrest and Northwood when they meet at 08:30 on Saturday morning. A victory for Hillcrest, the recent runners-up in the KZN Coastal A-League, would see them join HTS Louis Botha in the knockout for the Gold Cup.
Group C
In Group C, the champions of the Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament, Virginia High School, featuring players including Lebohang Mobe, Kabelo Mukhuoane, and South Africa u17 National forward Oageng Lebesane, cruised into the knockout stage after an impressive showing on the first day of competition.
They kicked of their campaign with an 8-0 thrashing of George Campbell, which was followed by a 5-0 triumph over Ashton Ballito before a hard-fought 1-0 win against Kearsney College.
After suffering that heavy defeat to Virginia, Ashton Ballito regrouped and performed well in their other two Group C matches. They easily dealt with George Campbell, winning 5-1. Then, in one of the day’s most entertaining contests, they edged out Kearsney College 4-3.
With those wins, they accompanied Virginia High into the knockout stages of the Gold Cup. George Campbell and Kearsney College meet on Saturday, with their result determining their future path in the tournament.
Group D
The champions of the Mancosa KZNHSFA Inland A-League, Maritzburg College, caught the eye with a strong showing on Friday.
The Red, Black, and White were one of the top performing sides on day one, showing that they have designs on going all the way.
College bagged victories in all three of their matches, with Mazithi Qasha, who concluded the KZN Inland A-League as the leading scorer, once again spearheading the attack with four goals across three matches.
Photo. LB Photography
In their opening game, Maritzburg College defeated Amanzimtoti High 1-0, and that was followed by another 1-0 win, this time over Birdswood. They found their goal-scoring form against Mondeor High, overrunning the Johannesburg school 5-0.
Birdswood and Amanzimtoti drew 1-1, while Mondeor High reversed their fortunes with a decisive 4-1 victory over Birdswood.
Group E
TuksSport High School opened their challenge with successive victories in Group E, beating Kloof High A 2-0 and Durban North College 3-0.
They’re top of the group with six points, but it remains competitive with Kloof High and Reddam House Umhlanga both on three points but with a game to play.
After losing to TuksSport, the hosts, Kloof High, rebounded with a 2-1 victory over Reddam House, while Reddam bagged a convincing 2-0 win over Durban North College.
Group F
In Group F, the champions of the Mancosa KZNHSFA Coastal A-League, Westville Boys’ High School, were taken aback by a 1-1 draw in their opening match against Vuyiswa Mtolo.
Westville, though, soon found their way, outplaying Sarel Cilliers 4-0, with the prolific Dayyan Fudu netting twice.
Vuyiswa Mtolo, after their draw with Westville, scored a tight 1-0 win over Nilgiri Secondary School.
Nilgiri was beaten for a second time, going down 1-2 to Sarel Cilliers.
Group G
Pinetown Boys’ High are considered among the favourites to lead Group G after overpowering Hilton College 5-1 in their first match.
They were just as impressive in their second outing, outplaying Linpark 4-0. With nine goals scored and only one conceded in two games, Pinetown has shown they have the striking power and the defensive fortitude to test the top contenders.
They’ll be aiming for a perfect record in Group G when they take on Umvuzo Secondary School on Saturday. They’ll be in for a tough challenge.
Umvuzo excelled in a 4-0 victory over Linpark, but they were also held to a 1-1 draw by Hilton College
Group H
Carter High and Edendale Technical High, who finished second and third in the KZNHSFA Inland A-League on the same number of points, are also tied atop Group H after two matches, with both beating Howick High and St Henry’s College.
In the first match of Group H, Edendale made a strong statement by battering St Henry’s 8-0. Howick pushed Edendale hard in their second game, but the Pietermaritzburg side came away with a 4-3 win.
Edendale’s goals came from many sources, with Alwande Bekwa and Wanade Zuma netting twice, while Andile Magwaza, Ayabonga Sibiya, Ayanda Mtshakazi, and Habatho Mnikatho scored once each.
Carter High had no problems with Howick, picking up a one-sided 5-0 win, and they repeated that scoreline against St Henry’s.
On Saturday, Carter High takes on Edendale for first place in the group. It promises to be an intense clash.
RESULTS
Group A
Nqabakazulu 3-0 Kloof High School B
Durban High School 2-1 Alexandra High School
Nqabakazuku 5-0 Alexandra High School
Durban High School 7-0 Kloof High School B
Nqabakazulu 3-0 Durban High School
Group B
HTS Louis Botha 4-0 Northwood
Hillcrest High 0-0 New Forest
HTS Louis Botha 2-1Hillcrest High
New Forest 1-0 Northwood
HTS Louis Botha 6-0 New Forest
Group C
Virginia High School 8-0 George Campbell
Ashton Ballito 5-1 George Campbell
Virginia High 1-0 Kearsney
Virginia High High 5-0 Ashton Ballito
Ashton Ballito 4-3 Kearsney
Group D
Mondeor High 4-1 Birdswood
Maritzburg College 1-0 Toti
Maritzburg College 5-0 Mondeor High
Toti 1-1 Birdswood
Maritzburg College 1-0 Birdswood
Group E
Tuks 2-0 Kloof High School A
Reddam House 2-0 Durban North College
Tuks 3-0 Durban North College
Kloof High 2-0 Reddam House
Wes Chetty talks, and his players listen. Photo: Wes Chetty.
The last three games were rough outings for Diocesan College. Against Paarl Gim, Paarl Boys’ High and Rondebosch, Bishops was put to the test.
Gim and Boishaaiare rated first and second in the country in 2025, and Rondebosch delivered plenty of players to the Western Province and Western Province XV Craven Weeksides. Yet Bishops fronted up to the challenge.
There was something about them, about the manner in which they met the daunting challenges head-on. They did not fade away. Rather, they grew into those contests.
Against Paarl Boys’ High, they scored their two tries in the last 10 minutes of the game. They also had the final say in the Bish-Bosch derby last week. That never-say-die spirit and resilience was a reflection of their coach.
Bishops Head Coach, Wesley Chetty, began playing rugby in the park at the age of nine. He went on to play the game professionally.
Along the way, he represented Western Province in many different age groups where he leant about the game under different mentors, including John Dobson, the coach of The Stormers.
“John Dobson has to be my biggest rugby mentor,” Chetty revealed. “He coached me for the better part of 12 years of my playing career.
“He also mentored me in terms of my coaching, always willing to share ideas and put his faith in me.”
The coach and his players. Photo: Wes Chetty.
In 2013, that faith helped Chetty transition into coaching. He joined Bishops as an assistant coach to Dave Mallet and André Jacobs.
Five years later, Chetty, also a Bishops’ old boy, was promoted to the head coach’s position.
While in charge of the school’s 1st XV, he was able to help shape some outstandingly talented players, including Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Jonathan Roche, Bruce Sherwood, and Imad Khan.
Chetty’s excellence was recognised and this year he was made head coach of the Western Province u19 team.
A former captain of the UCT Ikey Tigers, where he holds the record at the club’s most-capped player of all time, having turned out over 100 times for the side, he has also been appointed the coach of the Varsity Cup champions for their Western Province league commitments after 12 years of coaching at Bishops.
His time at the 176-year-old Cape Town school is over. He’s taking the next step in a distinguished career.
Given his coaching achievements by his mid-thirties, Chetty is a man on whom to keep an eye. Renowned for his rugby IQ, he may yet climb even higher up the rungs of the coaching ladder.
St Charles College and Clifton College will be two of the teams defending a strong KZN record in the Independent Schools Rugby Festival. Photo: Brad Morgan.
St Charles College, celebrating its 150th anniversary, plays host to the 2025 Independent Schools Rugby Festival. The event, for Stayers’ teams, kicks off on Saturday.
Adding interest to occasion is the presence of Brisbane Boys’ College, which will field a 1st XV and 2nd XV. The 1st XV opens its challenge with an outing against Hilton College at 14:00.
It should be a revealing clash for both units. The Hilton 1st XV enjoyed a strong season in 2025, but their run-on side included many grade 12 boys. It will be interesting to see where a player like Guy Fender, for example, plays. In 2024, he was the u16A flyhalf, but this season played mostly on the right wing for the 1st XV.
Brisbane Boys’ College played a warm-up game on a muddy field in Brackenfell on 23 June against a Kallos Cowboys XV and came away with a 36-5 win, but it’s hard to read much into a match against a composite side.
A better indication of their potential came on 25 June when both the 1st XV and 2nd XV turned out against Hoërskool DF Malan, with the 2nd XV winning 33-5 and the 1st XV winning a hard-fought arm wrestle 12-5.
They have shown they are up for the challenge and spectators will be keen to see how the Australians measure up to independents schools’ sides.
In recent years, the Independent Schools Rugby Festival has been dominated by KZN teams, and those sides this year include, besides Hilton, Clifton College, and St Charles. Unfortunately, Kearsney College was a late withdrawal, which has led to the organisers dividing Saints into St Charles College Blue and St Charles College Gold. That’s a pity because St Charles returns the majority of its 1st XV and it would have been exciting to see them in action.
They play a crowd-pleasing offloading game with more than a touch of flair, and they also return all of their front row players, starters and reserves, which likely means they’ll be playing with good quality ball in 2026. Unfortunately, that’s when we’ll get a proper look at the side and not from Saturday.
The Gauteng contingent includes St David’s Marist Inanda, CBC Boksburg, St John’s College, Cornwall Hill College, St Stithians College, St Benedict’s College, and St Alban’s College.
Out of those teams, St Stithians, arguably, turned in the best season in 2025. Of course, the Stayers XVs could look very different, so the ISRF is a fantastic opportunity to catch a glimpse of the future.
Completing the lineup are St Andrew’s College, from Makhanda, Somerset College, from Somerset West, and St Andrew’s School, from Bloemfontein.
On Saturday, the clashes between St Stithians and St Andrew’s College, and Hilton and Brisbane Boys’ 1st XV look like the games to watch, but that could be way off the mark given that the teams are next year’s sides playing this year. The day should reveal more about what to expect when the Monday’s and Wednesday’s matches are played.
Saturday, 28 June
Colts Field
11:30 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs CBC Boksburg
12:45 – Clifton College vs Cornwall Hill
14:00 – St Andrew’s School vs St Benedict’s
15:15 – Brisbane Boys’ College 2nd XV vs St Alban’s
Old Orchards Field
11:30 – St Charles Blue vs St John’s
12:45 – St Stithians vs St Andrew’s College
14:00 – Hilton vs Brisbane Boys’ College 1st XV
15:15 – St Charles Gold vs Somerset College
Monday, 30 June
Colts Field
10:00 – St Benedict’s vs Somerset College
11:15 – St Alban’s vs St Charles Blue
12:30 – St Andrew’s College vs Cornwall Hill
13:45 – St John’s vs Hilton
Old Orchards Field
10:00 – St David’s vs St Andrew’s School
11:15 – St Stithians vs Brisbane Boys’ College 2nd XV
12:30 – Clifton College vs CBC Boksburg
13:45 – St Charles Gold vs Brisbane Boys’ College 1st XV
Wednesday, 2 July
Colts Field
08:00 – St John’s vs St Alban’s
09:10 – St Andrew’s School vs CBC Boksburg
10:20 – Hilton vs St Stithians
Old Orchards Field
08:00 – St David’s vs St Andrew’s College
09:10 – Somerset College vs Cornwall Hill
10:20 – Clifton College vs St Benedict’s
Scorers: 
