Focus shifts to Winelands for epic schools double-header
Paul Roos tackle Paarl Gym this Saturday, while Paarl Boys host Grey College in one of the most significant rounds of the 2025 schoolboy rugby season.
The major schoolboy rugby festivals are done and dusted, and the 2025 leaderboard is starting to take shape.
Gimmies moved into the top spot after their monumental win against Grey College in Bloemfontein. More recently, they thrashed DHS 47-20 at the Wilderklawer Festival.
Gimmies are the only side in the unofficial top 10 that is yet to lose a match in 2025, although they drew with Affies earlier this season.
Meanwhile, Grey College bounced back from the defeat to Gimmies to claim convincing wins against Helpmekaar and Garsfontein at the recent in Kimberley.
Affies made a big statement when they handed Paul Roos their first loss in a regular season game since 2023, while Boishaai thumped Noordheuwel and Monument.
Results from the next set of matches will certainly fuel the fiery debate over the top 10 rankings.
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Rugby365com takes a closer look at some of the bigger matches scheduled for this Saturday.
PAARL BOYS v GREY COLLEGE
A young Boishaai side struggled to keep up with the other top dogs in 2024.
This year, they are among the nation’s leading teams, with a seven wins in eight matches – a run that includes a victory over Affies and a 85-0 hammering of Monnas.
The next game will reveal whether they are contenders for the 2025 crown or not.
Boishaai have suffered one loss to date – a 26-28 defeat against Oakdale in Riversdale – but all will be forgiven if they slay the Grey juggernaut in Paarl this weekend.
Some in the schoolboy rugby community have already handed Grey the underdog tag for this match. That seems premature, considering the Free Staters have won nine of their 10 matches this season.
But if Grey lose to Boishaai and Affies in the coming weeks, there will be reason for the concern.
GARSFONTEIN v WATERKLOOF
Now that the festivals are over, the Noordvaal Cup will gather momentum. Garsfontein are gunning for their third-straight title this year.
Overall, Garsies have lost to some of the biggest teams in South Africa this season – Paul Roos, Affies and Grey College – and drawn with Oakdale.
They should be desperate to make a statement against another Pretoria outfit in Waterkloof this Saturday.
After recording some consistent results in 2024, Klofies have been less impressive in 2025. They’ve lost to Boishaai and Boland Landbou, and drawn with Menlopark.
Their Noordvaal Cup campaign got off the worst possible start when they went down 24-31 to Nelspruit.
PAUL ROOS v PAARL GYM
Paul Roos emerged as the kings of the Winelands and indeed the No. 1 team in South Africa after winning every match in 2024.
They’ve been less dominant in 2025, which is to be expected after losing so many players, but have still managed to win seven out of eight matches.
It’s fair to say that Paul Roos will reclaim the No. 1 position if they beat Gimmies in Stellenbosch this weekend.
That is easier said than done, as Gimmies have been on fire in recent weeks.
Pieter Rossouw’s charges have played eight matches, won six, and drawn two, although the 15-15 result came in a truncated fixture against Rondebosch at the start of the season.
They certainly made a statement when they thrashed KES 102-0 and Monument 66-16 at the North-South tournament in Stellenbosch.
After drawing with Affies, they handed Grey College their first loss in Bloem since 2017.
More recently, Gimmies dismantled the best of the Durban teams – Northwood and DHS – at the Wildeklawer Festival.
The last time Paul Roos and Gimmies met, the former prevailed 23-17 at the JA Kriel Field in Paarl.
One gets the feeling that Gimmies will have their revenge when they visit the Markotter Stadium this weekend.
SELECTED FIXTURES (MAY 10)
Jeppe v Northwood
Monument v EG Jansen
Garsfontein v Waterkloof
Noordheuwel v Helpmekaar
Kearsney v Michaelhouse
Graeme v St Andrews
Grey High v Wynberg
Dale College v Queen’s
Paarl Boys v Grey College
Bishops v SACS
Oakdale v Durbanville
Paul Roos v Paarl Gim
Rondebosch v Stellenberg
WILDEKLAWER FESTIVAL RESULTS
Wednesday 30 April
Marlow 25 Welkom Gim 22
Nico Malan 41 Glenwood 39
Diamantveld 24 Waterkloof 54
Affies 20 Paul Roos 18
Thursday, 1 May
EG Jansen 20 Drostdy HTS 10
Boland Landbou 64 Framesby 5
DHS 26 Stellenberg 19
Outeniqua 21 Monument 20
Garsfontein 30 Oakdale 30
Paarl Gim 46 Northwood 20
Rustenburg 33 Voortrekker Bethlehem 7
Paarl Boys’ 42 Noordheuwel 14
Jeppe 36 Maritzburg College 24
Grey College 56 Helpmekaar 14
Saturday, 3 May
Waterkloof 17-17 Stellenberg
Noordheuwel 35-32 Outeniqua
Rustenburg 33-0 Welkom Gim
Monnas 0-85 Paarl Boys’
Framesby 7-62 Helpmekaar
Diamantveld 38-31 Maritzburg College
Barbarian South 48-0 Voortrekker Bethlehem
Northwood 14-12 Drostdy HTS
Affies 74-14 Boland Landbou
Marlow 8-6 Glenwood
Jeppe 25-47 Oakdale
Nico Malan 6-14 Barbarian North
EG Jansen 17-46 Paul Roos
Garsfontein 29-45 Grey College
DHS 20-47 Paarl Gim
SPOTLIGHT: Will there be a Van der Merwe in Farrell’s squad?https://t.co/iPHIw3mR0e
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) May 8, 2025
