Kearsney Launches Easter Festival 2018
The launch was held at Kearsney on Wednesday, 7 February 2018 with school leaders, sponsors, renowned Old Boys and Etienne Fynn of the Sharks Academy present.
The schools taking part this year are Glenwood High School, Durban High School and hosts Kearsney of Kwa-Zulu Natal, HTS Middelburg of Mpumalanga, Welkom Gimnasium of Northern Free State, Pretoria Boys High of Gauteng and Noord-Kaap of Kimberley, HTS Drostdy of Worcester in the Western Cape and a large Eastern Cape contingent – Dale of King William’s Town, Queen’s of Queenstown, Selborne of East London and Framesby of Port Elizabeth.
The festival organiser Mouton Bezuidenhout, said he was delighted with the strength and quality of teams taking part this year, ensuring that the festival continued as an important event for supporters of top-class schoolboy rugby, whilst also providing the obvious benefits to the game in the province. "This is schoolboy rugby at its very best."
The festival takes place over three play days: Maundy Thursday 29 March, Holy Saturday 31 March and Easter Monday 2 April.
Etienne Fynn, a former Springbok who enjoyed his schooling at Kearsney and St Charles, is now the head of the Sharks Academy, was at the launch. He said: "The Sharks Academy is proud to be associated with the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival. The length of our involvement is testament to its on-going high standards and continued focus on the camaraderie and ethos of the game. Only at these festivals is the weekly grind of school derbies removed, and players can be allowed the freedom to play the game without that very obvious pressure,” he said.
“We have had many players come through the festival and go onto play at the highest levels of the game. Once again, we will be offering three bursaries for 2019 which we hope will serve as motivation for these young men to play to the best of their abilities at the festival.”
Fynn said that talent scouts from The Sharks and Sharks Academy would be on the lookout during the three play days of exciting fast-paced action.
Kicking off play each day will be a match between primary school teams. Participating sides are Highbury Preparatory, Hillcrest Senior Primary, Umhlali Prep and the Under-13 KZN Ibutho/Mark Godefroy development team.
Fixtures
Maundy Thursday
08.30: Primary School tbc vs KZN Ibutho / Mark Godefroy Under-13 Development Team
09.30: Kearsney vs HTS Middelburg
10.45: Queen’s vs Pretoria Boys High
12.00: Glenwood vs Drostdy
13.15: Dale vs Framesby
14.30: Selborne vs Durban High School
15.45: Welkom Gimnasium vs Noord-Kaap
Holy Saturday
08.30: Primary School tbc vs KZN Ibutho / Mark Godefroy Under-13 Development Team
09.30: Framesby vs Pretoria Boys High
10.45: Durban High School vs Queen’s
12.00: Kearsney vs Noord-Kaap
13.15: Glenwood vs Dale
14.30: Drostdy vs Welkom Gimnasium
15.45: Selborne vs HTS Middelburg
Eastern Monday
08.30: Highbury Preparatory vs KZN Ibutho / Mark Godefroy Under-13 Development Team
09.30: Glenwood vs Welkom Gimnasium
10.45: Noord-Kaap vs Framesby
12.00: HTS Middelburg vs Queen’s
13.15: Durban High School vs Dale
14.30: Drostdy vs Selborne
15.45: Kearsney vs Pretoria Boys High
Photo: By Tracey van den Aardweg
Etienne Fynn, Kearsney director of sport Keith Thompson and Kearsney Old Boy, Springbok Jean-Luc du Preez
