Gimmies vs Affies This Weekend

Two of South Africa’s most powerful rugby schools, Paarl Gimnasium and Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool, meet in a Premier Interschools match in Paarl on Saturday. It will be a match worth watching.

It will be better at the ground even if it is a bit damp. Otherwise it will be broadcast live on channel 2011.

There seem great differences between the two schools and yet what is common to both of them is telling.

To start there is distance. They are about 1 500 kilometres apart. Affies is up on the Highveld, Paarl down near the cost with its temperate climate, koppies vs mountains, mealies vs grapes. Paarl Gim is co-ed, Affies boys only. Affies is only a high school whereas Gim goes from the very beginning of school to matric. Affies has many more boys to choose from – some 1 300 versus the 550 in Gim’s senior school.

The difference in numbers will not deter Gim from matching Affies, team for team. There will be 23 matches between the two schools. Affies will fly down – at roughly R2 000 per ticket – and be accommodated by Paarl Gim families. It is a big undertaking.

The two schools both have a contribution to Afrikaans in common. When Affies was founded in 1920, it was the first Afrikaans-medium school in South Africa.

Gim, over 60 years older than Affies, played an important part in the acceptance of Afrikaans. Eight men started the movement for Afrikaans – Die Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners. Two of them had close connections with Paarl Gim – Arnoldus Pannevis, a teacher, and SG du Toit, a former pupil.

On the rugby field, both schools are happy to take on the best and they reap rewards.

There is no doubt that these are both top South African rugby-playing schools. Last year Gimmies were ranked fourth on the Top 20, Affies 13th.

In the last 11 matches, when the schools have played each other more regularly, Gimmies have won six times, Affies three time and there have been two draws.

Season So Far

Gim has won all of its matches by handsome margins. They beat Durbanville 32-0, Menlopark 38-23, Monument 43-29, Hartpury College of England 41-12 and, just last Saturday, Bishops 31-0.

At the World Rugby Festival in Stellenbosch, Affies scored seven points right at the end of the match to draw 31-all with Christchurch Boys’ High of New Zealand but they beat Diamantveld 52-25, Outeniqua 27-20, Stellenberg 28-21 and, most recently, Helpmekaar 52-17.

Rugby Programme – 13 April 2019

JA Kriel-veld

08.30: 4th XV
09.40: 3rd XV
10.50: 2nd XV
12.15: 1st XV

Stoffberg
08.00: Under-14A
09.00: Under-15A
10.00: Under-16A
11.10: 5th XV

Oukraal
08.00: 8th XV
09.10: 6th XV
10.20: 7th XV

Lemoenkloof
08.00: Under-16B
09.10: Under-15D
10.10: Under-15B
11.10: Under-16E

Fonteintjie
10.10: Under-16C
09.00: Under-16D
08.00: Under-15C
11.20: Under-15E

Dammetjie
08.00: Under-14E
09.00: Under-14D
10.00: Under-14B
11.00: Under-14C

Teams

Of the Paarl Gim side, left wing Stravino Jacobs played for South African Schools in 2018, and he and Bobby Alexander played for Western Province at the 2018 Craven Week. The starting team for this match is the same as the one that beat Bishops last Saturday.

The Affies’ locks were both at Carven Week last year – Christian Kamffer and Adolf Visser. David Crafford was also at Craven Week.

Paarl Gim: 15 Tiaan Swanepoel, 14 Curwin Gertse, 13 Ethan James, 12 Stephan du Toit, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Johan Smal, 9 Bobby Alexander, 8 Juan Wilson, 7 Pierich Siebert, 6 Louw Nel, 5 Marco van Rhyn (captain), 4 Reynhardt Crous, 3 Jovan Bekker, 2 Liam Compion, 1 Gerhard van Niekerk
Replacements: 16 Delarey Nel, 17 Louwtjie Marais, 18 Danté Booyens, 19 Johan van Rhyn, 20 Eric Basson, 21 Bradley Davids, 22 Jandré Burger, 23 Prevann Isaacs
Coaches: Pieter Rossouw, Helmut Lehmann

Affies: 15 Dieter Crafford, 14 Christiaan du Toit, 13 Gerrard Botha, 12 Johan du Toit, 11 Kyle Liebenberg, 10 Terblanche van Lill, 9 Michael van Aswegen, 8 George Oosthuysen, 7 Willie Potgieter, 6 MJ Janse van Rensburg, 5 Adolph Visser, 4 Christian Kamffer, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Jaques-Lois du Toit (captain), 1 Ruben Windell
Coaches: Jaco Koch, Jan-Hendrik Hattingh, Janus Kruger
Manager: Pieter Cronje

Date: Saturday, 13 April 2019
1st XV kick-off: 12.10
Television broadcast: live on 2011
Venue: Paarl Gimnasium
Expected weather conditions: Rain with a high of 23°C and a low of 11°C

Paarl Gim vs Affies Down the Years

1967: Gimmies won 11-0
1972: Gimmies won 19-0
1973: Gimmies won 38-3
1976: Affies won 10-3
1979: Gimmies won 23-3
1999: Affies won 19-11
2002: Affies won 24-20
2005: Gimmies won 38-18
2006: Draw 17-17
2007: Affies won 13-8
2008: Gimmies won 21-3
2009: Gimmies won 22-16
2011: Affies won 59-6
2012: Affies won 27-20
2014: Gimmies won 40-7
2015: Draw 22-22
2017: Gimmies won 35-33
2018: Gimmies won 41-21