Hilton stick to their model in an evolving schools’ rugby landscape
EXCLUSIVE: Success for many of South Africa’s schoolboy rugby powerhouses is often measured by the number of victories per season, how many tournaments they compete in, and the number of Craven Week players produced.
This explains why schools such as Grey College, Paarl Gimnasium, Paul Roos, Paarl Boys’ High, and Affies have dominated schoolboy rugby for decades.
What the 2026 season has shown, however, is that the tide is slowly changing.
Just four months into the season, all five powerhouses have already suffered losses to unlikely opponents.
Stellenberg High School has been the talk of the town, and rightfully so, after causing several upsets on their way to becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Deservingly or not, much of schoolboy rugby’s attention and headlines often centre around the Western Cape, but this year, it has been difficult to ignore what is brewing in KwaZulu-Natal, particularly at Hilton College.
The side from the Midlands is currently unbeaten in 2026 and made it nine wins on the trot with a convincing 44-7 victory against Pretoria Boys’ High last week.
Hilton have also defeated Westville Boys’ High, Michaelhouse, Glenwood, and Bishops.
Their biggest scalp, however, was that of the Australian side, Nudgee College, at the St John’s Easter Festival last month.
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“Nudgee were an unknown coming to South Africa, and then they beat Grey College, which made a bit of a statement,” Hilton’s Director of Rugby Greg Miller told Rugby365.
“It did help us that they were battered and bruised and were sore, but they are still a quality side, and our guys were keen to make a statement.
“Head coach, Brad Macleod-Henderson, had a plan, which was very different to the way Grey played.
“We went for the kicking game under the lights, and as we saw, it unravelled them. The boys stuck to the plan, and it was a good start to the season.”
Despite thriving in their own bubble, there may be an argument that Hilton does not regularly face some of the country’s top sides or compete at the major festivals as often as other schools.
However, they’ve remained committed to their own model in a schoolboy rugby landscape that is evolving and becoming increasingly professional, according to Miller.
“Our goal at Hilton is to be competitive in every game we play,” he added.
“If we go to a festival and pick up a Paarl Gim or Nudgee, we want to compete, and if we can win a couple of those games, that’s great.
“The reality is that we are a private school, and we are not geared to play those ‘test matches’ every week because of player depth.
“If we pick up three or four injuries in the first team, then we are in trouble. That’s why we have to pick our battles and work hard to keep the boys on the field.”
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As a private school, Hilton’s regular season ends in June, unlike public schools whose campaigns typically run until August.
This makes participation in festivals such as Wildeklawer difficult, if not impossible, with their calendar already stacked by then.
While there may be a temptation to alter their schedule to try and ‘fit in’, Miller insists their current programme works best for them.
“Wildeklawer falls on our biggest weekend of the year against Michaelhouse.
“So, it doesn’t suit our rugby programme to be going there, because we already have other commitments.
“For us, we’ve stuck to our line, we know what we’re trying to do, and what works best for us as a school. That doesn’t mean it will work for everyone, but our rugby season suits us.”
Barring the current season, the Midlands school has managed to remain consistent at the first-team level over the past couple of years.
Across four seasons, Hilton have lost just 12 matches between 2022 and 2025, and Miller credits their approach, which seeks to build from bottom to top.
“We’ve got a firm policy around providing a product for the first team coach,” he explained.
“This starts from U14, where we give them a good skills base, teach them about culture, and working as a team, not as individuals.
“We’re blessed to have a good coaching staff. We have Michael Horak, who’s played international rugby coaching U14. Lwazi Mvovo and Sam Mabombo coach the U15As, Cam Fraiser is in charge of U16s, and then Brad Macleod-Henderson, who’s assisted by Burger Nel in the first team.
“Our brand of rugby is very simple right through the teams, and that’s been the key to our success.”
Hilton’s first side will look to continue their unbeaten run when they face Maritzburg College at the end of May.
They will then take on Northwood School and Kearsney College before wrapping up their season with a second-leg clash against Michaelhouse on June 20.
Photo credit: Ziyaad Solomon
