K-Day 2017
Over the years it has become known as K-Day.
The exact origins of the term "K-Day" are not known but according to the St Andrew’s College archives, the first mention of K-Day was in 1995 in an internal memo to College staff written by André Jacobs, the 1st XV rugby coach at the time.
It is interesting to note that newspaper clippings from 1995 refer to the event as a derby but that from 1996, all media coverage refers to the fixture as K-Day. It is our opinion that Mr Jacobs used this abbreviated term for convenience and it has now become part of the local vernacular.
The seeds of the long-standing rivalry between the two schools were sown as far back as 1898 when the first clash took place on the rugby field, and the over the years the importance of the derby has not diminished. Today, its reputation as one of the country's best-known school derbies remains intact. The two schools take turns in hosting the K-Day fixtures with this year being the turn of DSG and St Andrew's College.
During the week, the schools (and indeed the whole town) buzz with anticipation – not only for the eagerly contested sports fixtures but also for the many visitors and Old Boys and Girls who arrive in Grahamstown where they renew friendships forged on the sports field during their school days. Parents from as far afield as Zambia, Kenya, Namibia and even overseas will also come to Grahamstown for the weekend to support their sons and daughters and be part of the prevailing festive atmosphere.
The final game – the 1st XV rugby match – is expected to be watched by about 8000 people.
So what is K-Day?
It comprises:
* up to 80 matches of various sporting codes played over four days
* more than 1000 school pupils ranging in age from 8 – 19 taking part
* hundreds of visiting parents and alumni of the schools (many of whom return for reunions during the K-Day weekend)
* Old DSG, Old Andrean and Old Kingswoodian sports fixtures
* Lots of sportsmanship and friendship.
While K-Day – Saturday 17 June 2017 – will culminate in the rugby clash between the 1st XVs of St Andrew’s College and Kingswood, the day is about so much more than rugby.
K-Day officially starts on the preceding Tuesday, with a combined music concert in the evening that sets the tone for the events that follow: while all the sport is taken seriously and the competition is intense, ultimately, the schools have a relationship of collegiality and cooperation.
There are a number of K-Day traditions that are dear to the schools, the quaintest of which is when the schools challenge each other across the sleepy hollow of Grahamstown with their respective war cries on the Friday evening.
The sounds of passionate pupils cheering for their respective schools can be heard echoing into the night air. Another tradition is that of the Grade 8 girls from each school performing a dance before the girls’ 1st XI hockey matches: the girls spend hours practising their routines to make sure they are perfect on the day.
The K-Day fixtures kick off on Wednesday 14 June with the senior boys’ hockey which takes place on the Webster astroturf. This fixture is played on the Wednesday because the boys who play both rugby and hockey in the winter season need to have sufficient time to prepare for the rugby fixtures that will be played on Saturday.
The rest of the netball, hockey and rugby matches start on Friday and continue to Saturday with the girls’ 1st XI hockey taking place on Saturday before the match between the 1st XVs at 15.30, the 140th meeting of these two teams.
At a time when school sport has become ultra-competitive and players are sometimes driven to extreme measures to enhance their performance, we trust that all those involved in this long-standing annual derby between kindred schools in the same town – participants, coaches, staff, Old Boys and Old Girls and parents – will recognise the meaning of the day and will retain all the camaraderie, atmosphere and genuine fun that were intended when it started back in 1898!
From St Andrew's
