GREY COLLEGE schools rugby

2009 SCHOOLS hen Francois Steyn and his powerful 1855, is the oldest school in the country that’s weird grey boot sank the All Blacks in Hamilton, not in . This dual-medium college facts W South Africans jumped up and down was named after then-Governor of the Cape euphorically. Except perhaps the rugby masters Colony, Sir George Grey. It’s often confused Pupils use a special three- at Grey College, who might have found it a bit of with Grey , but do this at your fingered handshake, a yawn. After all, they’d been watching half the peril – Grey PE cannot boast 36 Springboks. apparently dating back RUGBY review current Bok team in action for years. Grey Bloem’s 2009 rugby crop, quite typi- to the 1920s and owing Grey doesn’t need to advertise its rugby, cally, went almost unbeaten. Between March its origins to the insignia on a 19th-century By Richard Asher because people like Steyn do that for them. So and August, 16 points was their smallest mar- does hooker (and part-time fetcher!) Bismarck gin of victory; and most teams were walloped French knife. du Plessis, whose brother Jannie is also a Grey by much more. Only in their tryless final game Only the first XV is Schoolboy rugby is getting better, faster and more professional with each old boy. Then there’s the gifted, versatile Ruan against Paul Roos did they slip up – Grey’s first allowed to train in non- Pienaar, and SA’s new opportunity-stealing loss since Paul Roos beat them in 2006. And Grey rugby jerseys – and year that passes. With the 2009 season now behind us, SI looks back on superhero, Heinrich Brussow. The that was with several first-choice players miss- only the first team wear school has their stamp on this all-conquering ing at the U18 High Performance Programme. white shoelaces. what made the top-ranked schools so magic... Bok squad – and that’s nothing new. It’s hard to imagine there aren’t a few future It’s almost old hat, in fact: Grey, founded in Boks among this lot. Grey are so good that only four schools in Bloemfontein dare to Future Bok? play them. Games in the Free State are stopped if At over two metres, Carl Wegner the score reaches 30-0 has the necessary physicality to before half-time – it’s go all the way. The son of former happened many times Free State forward Kallie, he’s when Grey have been from fine rugby stock. involved. Sentraal, Jim Fouche, Louis Botha and Game of the Year Fichardtpark all gave it The massive 62-3 win over a go this year, but all Glenwood stands out, especially conceded over fifty points. given that Grey struggled to beat The team travels to all its the KZN side in 2008. away games by train.

Rugby Philosophy “We play 15-man rugby,” says Head of Rugby Dries van der Wal. “We don’t want to force any- one into a pattern. No individual is made to feel threatened about making their own decisions – if an opportunity is there, he must use it.” Archrival The year-end derby against Paul Roos is the big one, but the show- down with Affies is also a major deal. Both weekends are like an en masse school outing, with a multitude of teams in action. ay what you like about what’s hap- a Saturday runaround – schools rugby replaced by mobile Spur outlets. And pening to test rugby as a spectacle, has arguably overtaken club rugby as the if you want to go and watch, you may S and say what you like about the major feeder to the provinces. Whether or well have to pay for a ticket. Times have state of this country’s club rugby. But not that’s an entirely good thing is another changed. there’s no denying that schools rugby in question, but there’s no doubt that the There’s also a ranking system to keep the is in rude health. seriousness of the game at school level boys motivated – though the traditional If we’re looking for a reason why South is helping keep SA rugby as powerful as rivalries and prospects of female adulation Africa’s rugby trophy cabinet is bulging tradition demands. probably do that anyway. More than that, right now, maybe we need look no fur- Schools rugby nowadays means spon- even we at SI are starting to sit up and THE INTIMIDATORS Grey like to run the ball, All Black-style. But ther than our burgeoning schools rugby sorship, television coverage and year- take notice. So, by way of introduction, they did it with more success than the Kiwis this year! scene. It’s a long, long time since a first round training. On the touchlines, tan- we bring you a closer look at rugby in the team rugby match was just an excuse for nies with boerewors roll stand are being top-ranked schools of 2009.

42 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED NOVEMBER 2009 november 2009 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED 43 2009 schools rugby OUTENIQUA

eorge is not a place for the faint-hearted. This year’s team was a very experienced weird The capital of the Southern Cape (if there one, with loosehead prop win- outeniqua G is such a thing) is home to South Africa’s ning an unbelievable 62nd first XV cap in most brutal course (the Fancourt Links), the his final game. Speaking of forwards, former fact remarkable Montagu Pass and some reliably foul player has been looking The school has a weather. No wonder, then, that it also has our after the pack in the last couple of years – rather unusual badge, country’s second-meanest rugby school. something that’s made a big difference to the featuring a bee and Even more than is the case with Grey team’s fortunes. honeycomb. It’s all a College, Outeniqua dominates its own region. It showed in the 2009 season, with reference to the fact Just look at the South Western Districts Craven Outeniqua defeated only twice. The only loss- that Outeniqua is a Khoi Week side this year – more than half the es came against Grey College and Monnas, word meaning ‘a man squad’s players were Outeniqua boys. It cer- and there was a 20-20 draw with Paul Roos. carrying honey’. tainly doesn’t hurt that the school is home to A win that put the seal on a good year was the Kwagga Rugby Academy, another thing beating Boland Landbou 32-3 to take the that makes it the place to go in that part of the Cape-based Burger Trophy. Oh, and 107 tries nickname world if you’re a good rugby player. in 22 games ain’t bad! Kwaggas

Future Bok? Fourie is the standout talent. He’s exceptionally strong and mus- cular, but can play like a loose forward. Last year Fourie played a major role in SWD’s successful side, showing his versatility by playing hooker. “He’s a bit like the Beast,” says Head of Rugby Piet Cloete. Now that sounds promising… even if the name doesn’t roll off the tongue quite like Mr Mtawarira’s does! advert Game of the Year Beating Gim for the first time since 2004 was the highlight of the season for Outeniqua. “It was a close game, but our backs were quicker than them and we were able to push them back,” says Cloete of the 18-15 victory.

Rugby Philosophy “We don’t have a fixed style like some schools,” says Cloete. “We rather adapt our style to the team we have. This year we had a good back- line and relatively light forwards, so we played at a fast tempo.”

Archrival The boys from across the Oute- niqua Mountains in (known as Struisies, thanks to Oudtshoorn’s ostrich connections) are the traditional derby enemy, but the annual clash with Paarl Gim has also become a big one for Outeniqua. GRUDGE MATCH The Outeniqua boys proved too strong for their arch-rivals from across the mountain in this year’s game against Oudshoorn.

44 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED NOVEMBER 2009 schools rugby

f ever a school was destined for rugby 2009 wasn’t a settled season for the weird paul greatness, it’s this one. When your school boys, with losses to Affies, Paarl Boys’ High, roos fact I once had a headmaster who doubled as Bishops and Grey among the disappointments. the first Springbok captain, well, you’d better They also had a couple of games cancelled due There’s a grand ceremony front up on the rugby field. That rector and to bad weather and flu at the school, and injuries called the Jolla Bolla, Bok captain was of course Paul Roos himself – and call-ups meant a lot of combination changes which gets played out rugby heritage is loaded into the very name of and three different captains. after big wins. It’s best the school. But the low-scoring win against archrivals described as a mass hud- So it’s entirely fitting that the Stellenbosch Grey in the season finale rounded things off dle involving the entire institution, which dates back to 1864, has nicely, giving Paul Roos bragging rights going school. In the case of a churned out more Springboks than any other. into the off-season. Grey may have dominated rugby triumph, like that and may have been the rankings for three years now, but Paul Roos against Grey, the first the first in nearly a decade, but who’s going to bracketed their unbeaten run with wins in team and head boy stand argue with a total of 48 Boks? And it’s not just ’06 and ’09. Though Paul Roos may not beat in the middle, while con- rugby players who’ve made the place famous everyone, it seems they’re the only team who centric circles of matrics, – was a pupil here, although he was can beat Grey – and that’s a big deal in SA and lower grades nearly kicked out for not paying his fees! schoolboy rugby. form around them. There follows a time-honoured routine of chanting and Future Bok? movement. It’s a noisy JP du Plessis – if he manages to but unique way to fill up a ignore the rugby league offers he’s rugby field. getting from Australia, that is. This outside centre is known to be an incisive and blindingly quick runner, jolla bolla so maybe SA rugby had better hang onto him! Paul Those deep and Treu is trying to do just that – last we heard JP was meaningful lyrics training with the Bok Sevens team. in full Game of the Year Jolla Bolla Jolla Bolla advert Boemalakka Boem The 9-3 home win against Grey Jolla Bolla Jolla Bolla College. It helped that Grey missed Boemalakka Boem a couple of kicks and had a try disal- Temmalakka lowed, but a win’s a win. Temmalakka Rakwana Rakwana Rugby Philosophy Lia Lia Lia Stellenbosch “We try to get the best out of every player,” says coach Stephan Jordaan. “There is a structure, but guys can also play the situation. We want to create rugby players.” Archrival Surprisingly, it’s not a Cape school. The annual clash with Grey tradi- tionally rounds off the season for both schools – and for each of them, it’s as big as it gets.

TRADITION RULES Paul Roos’ legendary school spirit (above) is fanned by the remarkable Jolla Bolla (left).

november 2009 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED 47 2009 schools rugby PAARL BOYS’ HIGH weird Paarl our pupils were all they needed to get and Rondebosch were all on the PBHS scalp list in Boys’ High this school going in 1868 – not nearly 2009, not to mention an unanswered 50 points F enough to make up a rugby team. So against HTS Windhoek. The big slip-up was going facts you’d never have guessed this would become down 15-30 to Affies at the St John’s tournament. PBHS has had numerous one of the country’s top rugby schools, with They also lost to Grey (50-8) away and, a little names. Initially it was the Mannetjies Roux and Carel du Plessis among its more surprisingly, to Boland Landbou at home. Paarl First Class Public many Springboks. “We weren’t a magic team and people were School, then the Paarlse When ‘Boishaai’ scored a thoroughly con- slating us, so I’m proud we were able to move Opvoedingsinstituut. In vincing 24-12 win over their big enemies Paarl up into the top ten this year,” says coach Elmo 1900 it became PBHS, Gimnasium in 2009 – their first win in the derby Wolfaardt. “We had work to do among the or, if you were Dutch, De for five years – it put the seal on a great year for backs, and made quite a few positional changes – Paarlsche Hoogere School the school’s first XV. with a more settled side next year, things should voor Jongens. Paul Roos, St John’s, Monument, Bishops, SACS be even better.” In the 1800s, three attempts were made to Future Bok? merge PBHS with . Fortunately , the captain it didn’t happen, or and tighthead prop. Malherbe rugby would be without was vice-captain of the winning one of its great derbies. Western Province Craven Week side, and of the SA Schools team that played U18 in August. war cry Game of the Year Shimalaya wha! Winning the Paarl derby. It was Shimalaya wha! a dominant performance from the HJS HJS underdogs, who made sure Paarl Wha ‘sop - Gim never got into the game. It’s ‘sop ‘sop ‘sop arguable that the victory margin flattered Gim. We are - we are HJS HJS Rugby Philosophy Wha ‘sop, advert “We play a mix of Bulls and rugby,” says Shimalaya wha! Wolfaardt. “We hit them hard up front to lay a foundation, then create space among the backs. nickname But we can play either brand of rugby, depending on the situation.” Boishaai. But their bitter rivals Paarl Gim would call Archrival them Galpille. Paarl Gimnasium. The clash at neu- tral Paarl Rugby Stadium is the big- gest day of the year in Paarl, and splits the town down the middle. This year the game overlapped with a Bok test against the All Blacks, but did the schools resched- ule their kick-off time? No way. Nothing interferes with the Paarl derby.

PEACEFUL PAARL The school (left) may have an air of tranquility for most of the year, but passions run high (above) when they line up for derby day.

48 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED NOVEMBER 2009 2009 schools rugby MONUMENT

unny name for a school… so what’s all this Future Bok? weird about a monument then? It’s actually right monument F next door to the school, and the structure The school expects flyhalf Jacob Taute to in question is the historic Paardekraal Monument. become the next Monument Springbok. fact And there’s a replica on the school grounds, too. The coach reckons he’s as quick over 30 The school has a cer- But the -medium school’s more about metres as , and rates him emonial gate - bang rugby than it is about distant Krugersdorp history. highly as an attacking runner anywhere in the back- in the middle of the It gave us Springboks such as Jacque Fourie and line. The guy scored a jaw-dropping 21 tries this year. campus. Monument tra- , and it also supplied this year’s Could he be another Jacque Fourie in the making? dition has it that when Lions coach, Hans Coetzee – recog- you start Grade 8, you nised at the school as a rugby saint, after half a Game of the Year take a walk through the ‘hekkie’, and when you lifetime spent coaching there. “The win against Paarl Gimnasium really leave matric you ‘exit’ 2009 was a typically strong year for Monument, turned our season around,” says Van der the gate into life. who went unbeaten aside from an unhappy St Merwe. “It was in the Cape and in the John’s Festival, where they went down to both rain, but we managed to win 6-5. We played bril- Paul Roos and Paarl Boys’ High. Thereafter things liant rugby after that.” went well, with wins over Paarl Gimnasium, Outeniqua, Affies, Waterkloof and Boys’ Rugby Philosophy High among the highlights. Titles included the Beeld Trophy and NuPower Tuks series, and “We like to play running rugby and score tries,” Monnas supplied a host of Craven Week players. says Van der Merwe. “We set a target to score a “This year’s team was a special bunch,” says minimum of six tries per game.” coach Schalk van der Merwe (that’s Heinke’s dad). “We were like a family, and everyone played for Archrival nickname each other. Last year we had a lot of talent, but not The Krugersdorp derby is against near- Monnas – but the first the same spirit. This time round it was very much by Florida, but the enemy that really team is known as the a team effort.” gets Monnas juices flowing is Affies. Wit Bulle. AFFIES advert frikaanse Hoër Seunskool. It’s got an intim- Future Bok? weird affies idating ring. Maybe it’s because the school Keep an eye on scrumhalf Lohan Jacobs, fact A is named after a language – founded in who captained the SA Schools side 1920, this was the first high school to instruct in At least 24 Van der against . He has a great work Merwes have played Afrikaans rather than Dutch. And Afrikaans is a lan- ethic and kicks well with both feet. He’s guage with a terrific record in rugby – enough to first team rugby for strong but not too big, and passes very well. The Affies since it all began scare the pants off most schools. If you’re lining up next , perhaps? to play these guys, expect a bruising game. in 1921. There have Affies, as they are known, have dominated Game of the Year been an equal number rugby north of the Jukskei for a long, long time. of Pretoriuses, however, The 25-22 win against Paul Roos at St For example, their first team won the so make of this fact John’s was probably the most satisfying final ten times in a row between 1993 and 2002. what you will. of the year. It was a tight match, and No wonder the school has produced seven Boks, Affies had to tackle a would-be Roos try-scorer out including Fourie du Preez and . in the corner on 80 minutes in order to hang on. No school shows quite the same pride in its rugby history as Affies. The rugby stats on its web- Rugby Philosophy site go right back to the 1920s, when the Afrikaanse Hoërskool Rugbyvoetbalklub was founded. Their “We try to play open, 15-man rugby,” says coach initial games were played on a nearby field now Sakkie van der Walt. “And we manage to do that known as Loftus Versfeld, so it’s hardly surprising most of the time!” that Affies became a Bulls production line. In 2007, Affies pulled out of all competitions, Archrival saying they were making schools rugby too seri- Pretoria Boys’ High. It’s Afrikaans vs nickname ous. Now Affies play just for the sake of winning English, and in current Bok terms, it’s matches – and they do plenty of that. In 2009 they Fourie du Preez vs . Virtually Affies. The first XV are known won 11 out of 15, losing only to Grey College (who neighbours, they’ve been at it since 1923, with as the Wit Bulle – same as at doesn’t?), Paarl Gim, Monnas and Glenwood. Affies winning 54 of the 104 clashes. It’s intense. Monnas.

50 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED NOVEMBER 2009 2009 schools rugby GLENWOOD

waZulu-Natal’s only representative in the Future Bok? weird top ten can look back on a fine 2009 sea- glenwood Kson, their copybook blotted only by a drub- Francois Kleinhans might have just bing at the hands of Grey in Bloem – a defeat which missed out on a Craven Week spot, but fact being picked for Natal’s under-19 Currie severely dented their end-of-year ranking position. Specific works of art in Cup side more than made up for it. But the school’s highs far outweighed the refectory are turned the lows. Having won the schools’ world title last Game of the Year around to face the wall year, one of Glenwood’s highlights was going back if Glenwood loses a big to defend it in ’09. They did well again, but went Glenwood’s most satisfying win was game to a rival. out in the semis to French side Dax Landes. their defeat of Affies. “It’s never easy On the home front, Glenwood won all its games playing in Pretoria, and this was a real in KwaZulu-Natal, which included a 31-nil home mudbath,” says coach Sean Erasmus. “But we win over Maritzburg College – their fifth straight played really good rugby that day.” win over their rivals from up the N3. They also took the scalp of Outeniqua at the St John’s Easter Rugby Philosophy Festival by one point, and later added a superb “We had a really big pack of forwards,” says away win at Affies. Erasmus. “I concentrated on a lot of big runners up Glenwood dates back to 1910, when it was front. With a good platform and a brilliant Grade known as the Day Continuation School for Boys 11 flyhalf, , the backs were able to and formed part of the Durban Technical Institute. finish things off.” The two institutions were only separated in 1923. Archrival The Glenwood name was finally adopted in 1934, nickname but it took many years for rugby to usurp soccer The traditional derby is against Durban as the sport of choice. By 1965 the school was a High School, but that game has The Green Machine, thanks to powerhouse, however – the first XV went unbeaten become a little one-sided in recent the colour of their jerseys. But that year. To this day that remains the only perfect times. Tougher local opposition now includes they’re also commonly known season for Glenwood’s top rugby side. Michaelhouse and Maritzburg College. as the Grasshoppers. MARLOW LANDBOU advert espite the fact that they’ve been around Future Bok? weird marlow for almost 80 years and are no strangers Outside centre Hanro Louw could be fact D to the top ten, Marlow remains a bit of a Marlow’s next international star – he’s The school gets its mis- mystery. And that’s probably because the school’s big, strong, fast and has already been leading English-sounding in Cradock, an out-of-the-way place even for most snapped up into the junior name from the railway Eastern Cape residents! ranks. He’s also a handy goalkicker. officer who originally Marlow doesn’t have much in common with built a railway siding at the other schools in the top ten except for passion Game of the Year the property on which and excellence in rugby. For a start, it’s small – only The highlight was beating Grey Port the school stands. around 260 boys make up the school. They’re all Elizabeth at the Graeme College Festival. boarders, and only about forty don’t play rugby for The two teams don’t meet on a regular one of the 14 teams. It’s also the only agricultural basis, so it was a once-off opportunity for Marlow school to feature in the elite list. to show the city boys how it’s done. Numerous Marlow players made it to Craven Week this year, but they were playing for EP Rugby Philosophy Country Districts, which isn’t the toughest side to get into. But don’t doubt that the Marlow crew are “The Marlow forwards aren’t huge guys, but a tough lot; they have to travel a long way to their they’re very mobile, so the interplay between the away matches - Queenstown is their closest. backs and forwards is one of the trademarks of A good measure of their stature is the Easter Marlow rugby,” says coach Paul de Koker. Festival at KES. Playing on foreign territory, they nickname trounced both Florida and Westville Boys’ High. Archrival But their most impressive achievement was prob- They don’t really have one. It used to be The Wolramme. Not only ably getting within one point of the hosts on the Cradock High School, but they’ve given because sheep farming is a big first day. Not bad for a country agricultural college. up the fight. The Classic Clash against part of the school’s syllabus, Then again, we all know farmers make the best Oakdale is being set up as the big one but also because it’s Marlow rugby players… just ask Os! now, but in truth the fixture is only a few years old. spelt backwards.

52 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED NOVEMBER 2009 2009 schools rugby KING EDWARD VII SCHOOL

ugby at KES began at, of all places, Future Bok? Station. Or, at least, on the KES inside centre Jared Meyer made weird kes site where the station now stands. That’s R a big impression at the school this fact where the first practices were held ahead of the season with his all-round footballing school’s first rugby season in 1932. The first team has special skills. He’s quick, defends well and Interestingly, it was the Transvaal cardinal-red jerseys. The has a great feel for the game. that helped construct the first field on school rest of the school’s teams grounds – an investment that’s still paying off for play in red, white and the Lions today, as KES continues to supply a steady Game of the Year green. The only excep- tion came during the sec- stream of players to the provincial union. A big win away at Maritzburg College ond world war, when red The 2009 results show why the Lions do so well was the highlight, as everything went cloth wasn’t available. to keep an eye on the place. KES lost only one the way of KES and the team clicked game this season, by two points away to Pretoria better than in any other fixture. Boys’ High. Westville Boys’ nearly upset the Joburg giants, but had to make do with a 27-all draw. But beating St Stithians, Jeppe and St John’s Rugby Philosophy comfortably were other 2009 highlights for KES, “We don’t have big, bruising forwards like some the school that gave us Bryan Habana. The institu- other schools, so we encourage a free, open tion has attracted a significant amount of talent game,” says coach Carl Spilhaus. “We emphasize from other parts of SA, which shows just how seri- developing the skills of the players.” ously they take their rugby. Nobody can say KES leaves stones unturned in its pursuit of success. Eastern Cape arrival Siyabonga Ntubeni earned Archrival nickname an SA Schools call-up this year, and seven KES play- ers were picked for the Lions Craven Week side. Although St John’s is closer to home, The Teddy Bears – in hon- KES, which hosts an annual Easter rugby festival, is the biggest KES fixture of the year has our of King Edward VII of now the place for rugby talent in Joburg. always been against Jeppe. England’s nickname. HOËRSKOOL WATERKLOOF

aterkloof is proof that your school Game of the Year weird doesn’t need to date from the days waterkloof W before TV in order to excel at rugby. Beating Paarl Gim is a highlight for Compared to the other schools in the top ten, any school, and Waterkloof’s 17-12 fact Waterkloof is pretty much a child. The co-ed home win over the Cape side in April Pretoria school dates back no further than 1979, was no exception. Before the school opened and its first team didn’t win a game until ’81, but its doors in ’79, a R10 it still wields a mighty reputation on the rugger Rugby Philosophy prize was offered for field. It’s worth noting that Waterkloof is absolutely the person who could “This year half of our backline were Craven Week come up with the best massive in terms of numbers – having well over players, so we had the speed and ability to play 2000 pupils makes it more like a little university name for the new school. an open 15-man game and spread the ball wide,” Other options included than a school. says Head of Sport Henry Verster. Wikus van Heerden and are among Hoërskool op die Kruin the Springboks to have emerged from Waterkloof, and Hoërskool Pretoria- which is situated in an upmarket part of Pretoria Oos, but Waterkloof and close to the famous air force base of the same Archrival presumably had a better name. Given that Waterkloof was the first school to Affies. Waterkloof’s win against them ring to it. develop a rugby academy, it’s no wonder its rugby in 1992 was a coming-of-age for remains constantly on the up. their rugby, and the rivalry has only become more intense since. A more local rival Future Bok? (and also the school’s televised Classic Clash) is How about Van Heerden’s younger Garsfontein, but this year’s 48-0 result shows brother, Schalk? He’s an aggressive that this one is a bit one-sided. lock in the mould, and he’s an equally hard worker. He’s still nickname in Grade 11, and so can look forward to another year in the first team. Klofies For Rugby action at its best keep watching SuperSport 54 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED NOVEMBER 2009