Writer: Neale Emslie
THREE Eastern Cape schools – Framesby, Selborne and Dale – will have their work cut out for them when they compete in the prestigious Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, which kicks off in Durban on April 2.
With 12 top South African rugby-playing schools participating, the trio will have some tough matches, while also having the opportunity to make a name for themselves.
The school holidays will herald the start of a series of festivals, with a large number of Eastern Cape schools competing around the country.
Five schools – Daniel Pienaar, Graeme, Hudson Park, Kingswood and Queen’s – will play in the KES Festival in Johannesburg, while Grey High and St Andrew’s will also be in Johannesburg for the St Stithians Festival.
A further four teams – Nico Malan, Otto du Plessis, VP and Westering – will play in the Tony Stoops Festival in the Western Cape, while Marlow, Brandwag, Kirkwood, Pearson and Muir will compete in the Oakdale Festival.
The Kearsney Festival will be held for the eighth year and is now recognised as one of the foremost Easter rugby festivals in the country, with seven of the schools present ranked in the top 20 at the end of last year.2014.
Once again it is expected to offer spectators thrilling match-ups and exciting running rugby that makes this style of the game so popular.
The oldest school in South Africa, Sacs from Cape Town, who open their programme against Dale, will be in their 152nd year of rugby and will bring the Western Cape flavour, with their first visit to the festival.
Although the lowest-ranked of the participating schools, they could surprise their opponents.
The top-ranked side from 2014, Grey College from Bloemfontein, will be a big drawcard as they are always a side difficult to beat, due to their skilful running and powerful forward play. They have a particularly heavy pack this year.
Affies and Menlo Park, the latter making their first appearance at the festival, both travel from Pretoria. Although Affies did not make the top 20 last year, they will be a force in the coming months with a very good U16 side in 2014, five of whom played at the U16 Grant Khomo Week.
The Eastern Cape schools bring three different styles of rugby, adding to the enjoyment of the week.
Selborne have five players in their pack all over 100kg and this will assist them to give a good supply of ball to their back line.
Framesby, a never-say-die side, will play to the last whistle and, with a lighter pack, will probably likely spread the ball.
Dale, with their dynamic back line, can never be discounted and with a heavy front row this year which is likely to get more ball, dynamite could be in the offing.
Kearsney open the festival playing their first match against Selborne and, although the hosts lost against Noord Kaap last Saturday, they have had two good wins locally against Glenwood and Hilton. This should give them plenty of confidence against the tough Border side.
After losing two matches to KZN teams this year, Glenwood will make be determined to set the record straight in their first match against Framesby.
The fixtures for Eastern Cape teams are:
Kearsney Festival
Thursday 2 April: 09:30 Kearsney vs Selborne; 10:45 Dale vs SACS; 12:00 Westville vs Menlopark; 13:15 Affies vs EG Jansen; 14:30 Glenwood vs Framesby; 15:45 Grey College vs HTS Middelburg
Saturday 4 April: 09:30 Selborne vs Menlopark; 10:45 Westville vs Dale; 12:00 Kearsney vs Grey College; 13:15 Affies vs SACS; 14:30 Glenwood vs HTS Middelburg; 15:45 EG Jansen vs Framesby
Monday 6 April: 09:30 Westville vs SACS; 10:45 Affies vs Framesby; 12:00 Selborne vs HTS Middelburg; 13:15 Glenwood vs Menlopark; 14:30 Grey College vs EG Jansen; 15:45 Kearsney vs Dale.
St John’s Festival
Thursday, April 2: 12.15: St Charles vs Jeppe , 13.30: Lions XV vs Garsfontein , 14.45: Paul Roos vs Viadana (Italy) , 16.45: Hilton vs Nelspruit , 18.00: St Benedict’s vs Monument , 19.15: Paarl Boys’ High vs St John’s
Saturday, April 4: 08.45: St Benedict’s vs St Charles , 10.00: Lions XV vs Viadana (Italy) , 11.15: Nelspruit vs Garsfontein , 13.30: St John’s vs Hilton , 14.45: Paarl Boys’ High vs Monument , 16.00: Paul Roos vs Jeppe
Monday, April 6: 09.00: St Charles vs Viadana (Italy) , 10.15: St John’s vs Lions XV , 11.30: Paul Roos vs Monument , 13.30: St Benedict’s vs Hilton , 14.45: Nelspruit vs Jeppe , 16.00: Paarl Boys’ High vs Garsfontein
KES Festival
Thursday, April 2: 8h00: Hudson Park High School vs Hentie Cilliers; 9.20: St David’s Marist Inanda vs Graeme College, 10.40: Kingswood College vs Parktown Boys; 12.00: Queen’s College vs Northwood Boys; 13.20: Daniel Pienaar vs Eldoraigne; 14.40: KES vs Ben Vorster, 16h00: Durban High School vs Rondebosch
Saturday, April 4: 08h00: St David’s Marist Inanda vs Durban High School; 09.20: Ben Vorster vs Eldoraigne; 10.40: Hentie Cilliers vs Kingswood College; 12.00: Daniel Pienaar vs Northwood; 13.20: Hudson Park vs Graeme; 14h40: Parktown vs Queen’s; 16.00: KES vs Rondebosch
Monday, April 6: 08.00: Hentie Cilliers vs Southdowns College; 09h20: Northwood vs Graeme; 10.40: Hudson Park vs Parktown; 12.00: Eldoraigne vs Durban High School; 13.20: Daniel Pienaar vs Ben Vorster; 14.40: St David’s Marist Inanda vs Kingswood; 16.00: KES vs Queen’s College
St Stithians Festival
Thursday, April 2: St Andrew’s vs St Alban’s, Pretoria Boys’ High vs Wynberg, Windhoek High vs Clifton, St Stithians vs Schoonspruit Invitational, Helpmekaar vs Michaelhouse, Maritzburg vs Grey High
Saturday, April 4: Windhoek High vs Pretoria Boys’ High, St Alban’s vs Maritzburg, Schoonspruit Invitational vs Clifton, Wynberg vs St Andrew’s, Grey High vs Helpmekaar, St Stithians vs Michaelhouse
Monday, April 6: Michaelhouse vs Windhoek High, Maritzburg vs Schoonspruit Invitational, Pretoria Boys’ High vs Grey High, Wynberg vs St Alban’s, St Stithian’s vs Clifton, Helpmekaar vs St Andrew’s
Tony Stoops Festival at Tygerberg High
Fixtures for Thursday, April 2, A field: 09.00: Oudtshoorn v Voortrekker (Pmb), 10.10: De Kuilen v Westering, 11.20: New Orleans v Otto du Plessis, 13.20: Outeniqua v Noord-Kaap, 14.30: Stellenberg v Nico Malan, 15.40: Tygerberg v Worcester Gym
B field: 09.00: Kairos v Edgemead, 10.10: Groendal v Victoria Park, 11.20: Jan van Riebeeck v Klein Nederburg, 13.20: Barrydale v Jan Kriel, 14.30: Milnerton v Hopefield, 15.40: Swartland v Bellville South
C-Field: 09.00: Porterville v Sutherland, 10.10: Table View v York, 11.20: Weston v Stella, 13.20: Parow v Langenhoven High, 14.30: Piketberg v Bosmansdam
Oakdale Festival
Fixtures for Thursday, April 2, De Eike Field: Hermanus vs Durbanville, Welkom Gym vs Strand, Augsburg Gym vs Upington, Centurion vs Voortrekker Bethlehem, Kempton Park vs Marlow, Langenhoven Gym vs Potch Gyim, Diamantveld vs Brandwag (EC), Sentraal (FS) vs Bellville, Oakdale vs Windhoek Gym (Namibia)
Populiersbos Field: Knysna vs Labori, Kirkwood vs Bredasdorp, Monumentpark vs Pearson, Brackenfell vs Muir College, Vredendal vs Overberg, Dirkie Uys vs Montagu