Diamonds target big scalp of Monnas

PREVIEW: Diamantveld face an early test in the shape of Monument while several leading Eastern Cape teams will feature at the Ooskus Gym festival this weekend, writes Jon Cardinelli.

Schools from around the country will commence their 2026 schedules in the coming days, after leading teams from the central region kicked off the South African season in Bloemfontein last
week.

Having shaken off the rust at the President Steyn Sports Day, Grey College and Welkom Gym will meet in Bloem this Saturday.

Elsewhere, Diamantveld tackle Monument in Kimberley, St Charles host Michaelhouse, while Witteberg battle a Helpmekaar side that pushed some of the leading teams close in 2025.

Ookus Gymnasium will stage their annual two-day festival in East London, where Dale College will tackle Victoria Park on Friday, and Brandwag will battle Stirling later in the day.

The hosts will face Queens College – one of the leading teams in the region last season – on Saturday.

Down in Groot Brak, Grey High will line up against Boland Landbou in a trial match.

The pre-season matches staged at Drostdy this weekend will follow a 20-minute half format, with Oakdale among the big teams on show.

Rugby365 looks ahead to some of the fixtures scheduled for Saturday.

DIAMANTVELD V MONUMENT

The Diamantveld First XV has been among the most consistent teams in South Africa over the past two seasons – winning 80 percent of their matches in 2024 and 2025.

Reports from Kimberley suggest that the Diamonds are looking to take things forward in 2026, and the opening fixture against Monument should be viewed as an opportunity to do so.

While Diamantveld won 16 of their 20 fixtures last season, their four losses came against some notable opponents from outside the region, namely Affies, Rustenburg, Pretoria Boys and Waterkloof.

Their pack will be put to the test against the Monument juggernaut, which is currently coached by former Springbok tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis.

Monument struggled last season, winning just six of their 19 matches overall, and failing to mount a challenge in the local Noordvaal Cup.

A win against Diamantveld in Kimberley would signify a step in the right direction as they build towards the big fixture against Grey College in Bloemfontein on March 21.

GREY COLLEGE V WELKOM GYM

Both teams managed to start their respective campaigns with a victory last week.

Grey racked up 38 points against Trio, while Welkom Gym were made to fight for a 12-10 win against Fichardtpark.

Both games were heavily influenced by wet conditions.

It will be interesting to see how the Northern Free Staters manage the challenge this weekend.

Having lost 17-60 to Grey in Welkom last season, they may be hard-pressed to keep the score down in Bloem this Saturday.

Grey will be looking to build some momentum ahead of next week’s clash in Riversdale, where they’ll face an Oakdale side that beat some of the better teams in 2025.

OUTENIQUA V WORCESTER GYM

The Kwaggas are coming off a relatively impressive 2025 campaign that included victories against Boland Landbou, Monument and Stellenberg.

While they went down to Grey College at home, they pushed the Free State giants close, eventually losing 18-29.

They would expect to start their 2026 schedule against Worcester Gym with a victory, given that they beat the same side 45-13 in George last year.

Outeniqua will face Nico Malan next week, before travelling to Paarl on March 21 for one of the toughest clashes of the season against Boishaai.

SELECTED FIXTURES MARCH 6-7

Dale v Victoria Park
Brandwag v Stirling
Drostdy v Oakdale (20 minutes a half)
Potch Gym v Noord-Kaap
Ooskus Gym v Queen’s College
Hudson Park v Brandwag
Outeniqua v Worcester Gym
Grey High v Boland Landbou (trial match)
Witteberg v Helpmekaar
Diamantveld v Monument
Grey College v Welkom Gym
Trio v Rustenburg
St Charles v Michaelhouse