Ancient Match at SACS

Before anybody starts heckling, football was way back then the generic terms for ball games which were in unique wherever they were play. So Eton had its game, Charterhouse had its gamer, Winchester its game and so on, and before that there were games in Britain, France, Italy, the Roman Empire, Greece, China and Japan. And the game played in the Cape was a unique game, organised first by George Ogilvie  of Bishops in 1861, before the organisation was formed that regulated a game now often referred to as soccer.

Bishops started it at the Cape and probably first played outside opponents at SACS, for in those days there were no clubs. The first certain date of a match between the two is 1873, two years before the first club was founded at the Cape – Hamiltons.

They were great rivals in the days when both had university classes and played in the Grand Challenge. Then when Cape Town University was formed they became schools, rivals still – SACS in town, Bishops out in the country. Now Bishops are still in Rondebosch while SACS are in their beautiful property in the nextdoor suburb of Newlands.

In many ways they are the same sort of school, though Bishops is private and SACS state. They are both boys' schools, partly boarding with the same sort of parents, strong old boys' unions  and the same fort of staff.

All of that makes for long-lasting rivalry. It is an ancient and pleasant rivalry.

Season so Far

SACS is having a better season than Bishops. They have played three schools on the FNB Top 20, drawing with Selborne and losing by a few points to Boland Landbou and Paarl Gim, the latter by four points and a disallowed try.

Bishops have also played three schools on the FNB Top 20. Grey PE beat them 44-0 – unusual as it is for Bishops to get nil – Paarl Boys' High beat them 58-12 and Jeppe beat them 38-24. But the biggest shock was their defeat by Windhoek High School on Monday.

Higher Honours

Academy Week

SACS: Liam Larkin

Bishops: Labelo Scott,  JP Smith who is in the 2nd XV on Saturday and a reserve for the 1st XV match.

Grant Khomo Week

SACS: Vusile Dlepha

1st XVs

Bishops: 15 Brandon van der Westhuizen, 14 Tristan Hermans, 13 Lubelo Scott, 12 Rob Lancefield, 11 Ross Goodwin, 10 James Macdonald, 9 Harry Makin, 8 Jean Pienaar (captain), 7 Callum Diem, 6 Seb Prentice, 5 Byron Cranswick, 4  Luke Viljoen, 3 Mukisa Mujuliza, 2 Jason Hofmeyer, 1  Zico Oaker        

Reserves: 16 Daniel van der Valk, 17 Clyde de Beer, 18 J-P Smith, 19 Rob Macdonald, 20 Aydan Labuschagne, 21  Matt Norton, 22 Alistair Jewson

SACS: 15 Michael Abrahams, 14 Zolani Masembathe, 13 Jordy Hop, 12 Nick Redelinghuys, 11 Michael Ravenscroft, 10 David Hayes, 9 Lucky Dlepu, 8 Alex Halvorsen, 7 Liam Larkan, 6 Thomas Robinson, 5 James Brewer (captain), 4 Cameron Laurenson, 3 Duncan Ferguson, 2 Lance Steytler, 1 Connor O'Reilly

Reserves: R Sharp, J Hay, T Robinson, S Wishart, N Thomson, J Bendeman, C van der Loo

Date: Saturday, 7 May 2016

1st XV kick-off: 12.00

Venue: Memorial A Field at SACS

Expected weather conditions: Partly cloudy with no rain expected and a high of 24°C, dropping to 13°C

Rugby Programme – 7 May 2016

Memorial A

09.30: 3rd XV    

10.45: 2nd XV    

12.00: 1st XV    

Memorial B        

08.00: Under-16B     

09.10: Under-15A     

10.15: Under-16A     

Spencer Smith

08.00: 6th XV     

09.15: 5th XV     

10.30: 4th XV     

Junior School A

09.00: Under-16D     

10.15: Under-16C     

Junior Schools B

08.00: Under-15D     

09.10: Under-15C     

De Villiers

08.00: Under-15B     

09.00: Under-14B     

10.10: Under-14A     

De Villiers B    

08.00: Under-14D     

10.10: Under-14C

SACS vs Bishops

Results Down the Years

There is little record of early matches and at the time when the records start both the South African College and the Diocesan College had university classes. In those days both institutions were a mixture of school and university with all the boys eligible for any team, as were the masters. The second principal of Bishops played for the 2nd XV. boys were chosen on ability regardless of age.

That all stopped after 1910 when Bishops ceased its university classes and its students and the university students of SACS joined to form the University of Cape Town. From then on the results here are those between schools.

In the early matches there were no points; only goals counted. Points would vary. A try, for example, went from 1 to 3 to 4 to 5.

1873: SACS won 2 goals to nil

1874: SACS won the first one & the second match 1 goal to nil.

1876: Bishops won goals to nil and 1 goal to nil

1877: Draw

1879: Draw 0-0 & Bishops won 5 goals to nil.

1882: SACS won

1883: SACS won

1885: Bishops won 11-0

1886: SACS won 11-0

1887: SACS won 4-1

1888: Draw 0-0 & SACS won 1-0

1889: SACS won 3-1

1890: Draw 2-2 & SACS won 2-1

1891: Bishops won 4-0 and 11-0

1892: Bishops won 8-0, 24-2 & 20-7

1893: Bishops won 17-0

1894: Bishops won 19-0 & 17-0

1895: Bishops won 11-0 & 11-0

1896: Draw 0-0 & Bishops won 6-0

1897: SACS won 16-7 & 6-0

1898: SACS won 8-0

1899: Draw 3-3, SACS won 10-3 & 5-0

1900: Draw 0-0, SACS won 7-0 & Bishops won 6-0

1901: Bishops won 10-0, SACS won 11-5 & Bishops won 13-0

1902: SACS won 6-5 & 19-6

1903: SACS won 9-0

1904: SACS won 12-0 & 11-3

1905: SACS won 10-3 & Bishops won 7-0

1906: Bishops won 6-5 & SACS won 5-3

1907: Bishops won 9-4 & 10-0 & SACS won 8-5 & 13-3

1908: Bishops won 8-3

1909: SACS won 19-3, 9-3 & 14-3

1910: SACS won 12-4 & 15-5

From now on the competition is between school teams.

1911: SACS won 6-5

1912: Draw 3-3 & Bishops won 19-5 & 10-0

1913:  Bishops won 21-0 & 6-0 & SACS won 6-3

1914: Bishops won 11-8 & SACS won 3-0

1915: Draw 0-0, SACS won 12-9 & 3-0 & Bishops won 9-4 & 11-5

1916: Bishops won 13-0 & 8-0

1917: SACS won 25-0

1918: SACS won 14-0

1920: SACS won 11-0

1921: Draw 12-12

1922: Draw 8-8

1923: SACS won 9-8

1924: Bishops won 10-3 & 19-5 & SACS won 10-0

1925: Bishops won 16-3 & 16-6

1926: Draw 3-3 & SACS won 19-5

1927: Bishops won 18-3

1928: Bishops won 8-3

1929: Bishops won 14-0

1930: SACS won 8-3 & Bishops won 13-0

1931: Bishops won 23-6 & SACS won 8-6

1932: Draw 13-13, Bishops won 12-7

1933: SACS won 12-0

1934: Bishops won 24-9 & SACS won 25-3 & 29-7

1935: Bishops won 16-6 & 26-3

1936: Bishops won 16-0 & SACS won 15-7

1937: SACS 12-11 & 11-9

1938: Bishops won 12-3

1939: Bishops won 11-0 & 36-3

1940: Bishops won 31-8 & 6-3

1941: Bishops won 19-3

1942: Bishops won 20-5 & 12-0

1943: Bishops won 13-0 & 3-0

1944: Draw 3-3 & Bishops won 14-6

1945: Bishops won 9-3 & 3-0

1946: Bishops won 37-0 & 6-3

1947: SACS won 12-11& Bishops won 9-0

1948: Bishops won 32-3 & 22-11

1949: Bishops won 57-0

1950: SACS won 14-8 & Bishops won 11-5

1951: Bishops won 17-3 & 8-0

1952: Bishops won 18-3 & 13-11

1953: Bishops won 32-0 & 15-3

1954: Bishops won 17-3 & 6-0

1955: Bishops won 20-3

1956: SACS won 8-5 & 10-6

1957: Bishops won 9-0 & SACS won 12-3

1958: Bishops won 11-0 & 19-3

1958: Bishops won 16-6 & 18-0

1960: Bishops won 11-0 & 12-3

1962: SACS won 11-0

1963: Bishops won 9-0 & 11-3

1964: Bishops won 26-3 & 6-5

1965: Bishops won 29-3 & 18-0

1966: Bishops won 17-15 & SACS won 6-3

1967: Draw 6-6 & SACS won 8-6

1968: Bishops won 8-3 & 6-3

1969: SACS won 12-6

1970: Bishops won 18-9 & 16-6

1971: SACS won 15-13

1972: SACS won 8-4 & 3-0

1973: SACS won 11-6 & 29-0

1980: Bishops won 14-0 & SACS won 9-0

1975: Bishops won 4-3 & SACS won 8-7

1976: SACS won 9-7 & Bishops won 12-8

1977: Bishops won 37-6 & 23-6

1978: Bishops won  26-9  & SACS won 18-13

1979: Bishops won 15-0 & 23-12

1980: Bishops won 34-7 & 19-9

1981: Bishops won 12-10 & 21-10

1982: Bishops won 23-6

1983: Bishops won 14-3 & 20-7

1984: Draw 10-10 & Bishops won 24-4

1985: Bishops won 29-3 & 34-0

1986: Bishops won 40-3 & 15-3

1987: Bishops won 46-3 & 26-4

1988: Bishops won 36-6 & 31-9

1989: Bishops won 12-7 & 38-3

1990: SACS won 12-10 & Bishops won 16-10

1991: Bishops won 41-6 & 35-3

1992: Bishops won 35-6 & 13-6

1993: Bishops won 64-3 & 20-9

1994: Bishops won 29-19 & 27-11

1995: Bishops won 9-3 & 10-7

1996: Bishops won 6-3 & SACS won 25-8

1997: Bishops won 44-17 & 26-15

1998: Bishops won 29-7 & 34-12

1999: Bishops won 20-19 & 27-15

2000: Bishops won

2001: Bishops won  

2002: Bishops won 32-19 & SACS won 15-13

2003: Bishops won 43-12 & 22-14

2004: Bishops won 10-0 & SACS won 32-3

2005: Bishops won 50-3 & 26-7

2006: Bishops won 26-14 & 20-10

2007: Draw 22-22 & Bishops won 41-17

2008: Bishops won 56-19 & 40-27

2009: Bishops won 27-0

2010: Bishops won 43-18 & 46-17

2011: Bishops won 68-27 & SACS won 20-13

2012: SACS won 34-3 & 21-8

2013: SACS won 22-5 & 21-16

2014: Bishops won 26-12 & 80-5

2015: SACS won 26-17