NCH team are looking forward to tough draw at Kearsney Festival

IT’S THAT time again with the Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, hailed as one of the country’s favourite schoolboy rugby festivals, set to kick off tomorrow.

This year will be the 12th edition and this year the festival promises rugby enthusiasts exciting running rugby from some of the country’s top rugby-playing schools over the Easter weekend. It also offers participating players opportunities to secure a possible future in provincial and national rugby.

Twelve South African school teams, renowned for their rugby pedigree, will participate over three days of play – tomorrow, Saturday and Monday – at Kearsney College in Botha’s Hill, between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

This year Hoërskool Transvalia from Gauteng will participate for the first time. They will join Pretoria Boys High, Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen, HTS Middelburg and Welkom Gimnasium from Gauteng; the Eastern Cape’s Selborne College (East London) and Hoërskool Framesby (Port Elizabeth); HTS Drostdy from Worcester in the Western Cape and Northern Cape High (Kimberley); as well as Glenwood High School, Durban High School and, of course, hosts Kearsney College from Kwazulu-natal.

Head coach of Northern Cape High, Deon Carney, told the DFA prior to their departure that they were motivated to do well this year. “We have a very well balanced first team this year, with a really mobile pack of forwards and a quick backline, which shows we have a dangerous team. Our squad also has the ability to beat some of the stronger teams this season.

“We have three very tough fixtures this year – Selborne College, EG Jansen and HTS Middelburg, and the NC team is extremely motivated to win all three matches.”

The coach also said that the team was looking forward to the competition. “Every year it is an honour and privilege to be part of this prestigious and wonderful tournament which gives the players a fantastic opportunity to showcase their skills; and each year there are three Sharks Academy bursaries awarded to three promising players, where they can get some good exposure.

“We are really looking forward to this tournament.”

NORTHERN CAPE HIGH FIXTURES

Day 1 (Today, 12 noon): Selborne College Day 2 (Saturday, 9.30am): HTS Middelburg Day 3 (Monday, 9.30am): Dr EG Jansen