Schoolboy rugby at its best

THE skills and power of 12 top South African schoolboy rugby teams will be tested next weekend, when the annual Standard Bank Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, regarded as one of the country’s top schoolboy festivals, kicks off.

This year three local teams – Glenwood, Durban High School and Kearsney College – will play against a diverse spread of tough teams from across the country.

In the opening game of the festival, hosts Kearsney will face powerhouse HTS Middelburg, followed by Hoërskool Noord-kaap from Kimberley on Saturday and Pretoria Boys High in the closing game of the festival on Easter Monday.

Always formidable opponents, Glenwood open their weekend against HTS Drostdy who will travel from Worcester, and then play Dale College (King William’s Town) on Saturday and finally festival newcomers Welkom Gimnasium. Returning to the festival this year, DHS face a trio of Eastern Cape schools – Selborne College from East London in their opening game on day one, Queen’s College on Saturday and Dale in their final game on Monday.

Other first day fixtures are Queen’s College and Pretoria Boys, Dale will face Hoërskool Framesby (Port Elizabeth), with Welkom Gimnasium tackling Hoërskool Noord-kaap.

Festival play days are Thursday, Saturday (31st) and Easter Monday (2nd), with kick-off at 9.30am each day. A primary schools’ fixture between Umhlali Prep, Hillcrest Senior Primary and Highbury against the KZNRU U-13 Ibutho development team starts at 8.30am daily. Many gifted players have been discovered by talent scouts at previous Kearsney rugby festivals, with some now having progressed to playing for the Springboks, SA Sevens, Sharks and other provincial teams.

Gate entry is R25 per person. Ample secure parking will be available; as well as numerous food outlets, a beer tent and Kidzone to ensure a fun-filled family-orientated Easter weekend.

Day 1 – Thursday, March 29

9.30am: Kearsney College v HTS Middelburg

10.45am: Queen’s College v Pretoria Boys High School

12 noon: Glenwood High School v HTS Drostdy

1.15pm: Dale College v Hoërskool Framesby

2.30pm: Selborne College v Durban High School

3.45pm: Welkom Gimnasium v Hoërskool Noord-kaap

Day 2 – Saturday, March 31

9.30am: Hoërskool Framesby v Pretoria Boys High School

10.45am: Durban High School v Queen’s College

12 noon: Kearsney College v Hoërskool Noord-kaap

1.15pm: Glenwood High School v Dale College

2.30pm: HTS Drostdy v Welkom Gimnasium

3.45pm: Selborne College v HTS Middelburg

Day 3 – Monday, April 2

9.30am: Glenwood High School v Welkom Gimnasium

10.45am: Hoërskool Noord-kaap v Hoërskool Framesby

12 noon: HTS Middelburg v Queen’s College

1.15pm: Durban High School v Dale College

2.30pm: HTS Drostdy v Selborne College

3.45pm: Kearsney College v Pretoria Boys High School