Independent Schools Festival, Day 1
The eight matches of the 16th biennial Independent Rugby Schools Festival for first teams started at Penryn College in Nelspruit on Wednesday, 4 July 2012.
There are 16 teams from all over South Africa and Zimbabwe taking part. The festival moves around the subcontinent, and is hosted by the top rugby playing independent schools in the country. Criteria for hosting include a special event at a school, and the marketing of the event as a feast of running schoolboy rugby.
The first festival was held at Kingswood College in 1982. The last festival was held at Falcon College in Zimbabwe in 2010, following events at St Benedict's in Johannesburg, Kearsney in KwaZulu-Natal, St Andrew's in Bloemfontein and Michaelhouse in 2000.
The festival is always held late season, which enables coaches to have a look at the talent rising through the ranks for the following season, and how they gel with established players. It has always been played in particularly good spirit, with the schools looking after each other and what we believe is the spirit of rugby football – good flowing, ball in hand fast rugby.
In the spirit of the festival, entrance is free, and refreshments will be on sale throughout the day.
Results, Day 1:
Michaelhouse vs St Stithians, 57-13
St John's vs St Andrews (Bloem), 14-13
Uplands vs Thomas More, 24-10
Clifton vs CBC Bulawayo, 37-19
Hilton vs St Benedict's, 26-14
St Andrew's (Grahamstown) vs St David's, 42-5
Woodridge vs Penryn, 44-26
St Alban's vs Kearsney, 38-9
UPCOMING FIXTURES:
Day 2, Thursday – 5 July, 2012:
South Field
09.00: Thomas More vs St Andrew's (Bloemfontein)
10.30: Michaelhouse vs St David's
14.00: St Andrew's (Grahamstown) vs Kearsney
15.30: St Alban's vs Hilton
North Field
09.00: St John's vs Uplands
10.30: Woodridge vs Clifton
14.00: Penryn vs CBC
15.30: St Stithians vs St Benedict's
Day 3, Saturday – 7 July, 2012
South Field
08.30: CBC vs Thomas More
09.45: Michaelhouse vs St Alban's
11.00: Uplands vs Clifton
12.15: Kearsney vs St John's
North Field
08.30: Woodridge vs St David's
09.45: St Andrew's (Grahamstown) vs St Benedict's
11.00: Hilton vs St Stithians
12.15: Penryn vs St Andrew's (Bloemfontein)
