KZN schools lay down marker at Easter festivals
Hilton, Maritzburg and Michaelhouse claimed statement wins over the weekend, while DHS and Westville finished the Kearsney Festival with three victories apiece.
It's been a dramatic fortnight for South African schoolboy rugby, with the North-South tournament and the subsequent Easter festivals serving up a series of upsets.
While Stellenberg and Garsfontein made a statement at the North-South tournament, the leading teams from KwaZulu-Natal have hogged most of the headlines over the Easter weekend.
Westville – who finished the 2025 season unbeaten to become the top side in the region – powered their way to three wins at the Kearsney Festival, with the 33-17 result against Helpmekaar standing out.
Durban High School – arguably the most consistent side in the East over a period of three seasons – beat three teams from Gauteng at Kearsney, namely Zwartkop, Rustenburg and Helpmekaar.
Overall, it was an Easter weekend to remember for many of the leading schools from the KZN region.
After a disappointing couple of seasons, Kearsney are starting to show signs of progress, beating Glenwood last month before downing Rustenburg, Transvalia and Zwartkop at the recent festival staged on home soil.
Glenwood bounced back from earlier defeats to Helpmekaar and Framesby to beat Noordvaal Cup contenders EG Jansen 14-12 on Monday.
Northwood overpowered Marlow and St Andrews at the tournament staged at KES, while Maritzburg College beat Jeppe and SACS at Pretoria Boys.
Hilton and Michaelhouse have made a big impression after claiming two of the biggest upsets of the Easter festival schedule.
St Joseph's Nudgee College from Australia beat Grey College on the first day of the tournament at St Johns, only to lose 12-17 to Hilton on Saturday. Hilton thrashed Nelspruit 65-14 earlier in the competition.
Michaelhouse hung on for a 29-27 win against Affies at Pretoria Boys on Saturday, before beating another Gauteng side in Jeppe (40-36) on Monday.
As recent results suggest, the teams from the Midlands are a lot stronger this year, and the KZN region as a whole is catching up with Gauteng and the Western Cape.
A couple of the Eastern Cape teams will also bear watching in the coming months, given their recent success.
Queens College beat Noordheuwel at the KES Festival on Saturday, before going down 13-33 to the hosts in the main game on Monday.
Graeme College put 57 points past St Benedicts at St Johns on Thursday, before beating Bishops on Saturday – and it's worth noting that Bishops have made some progress after a disappointing
2025 season.
Monument scored a victory for South Africa when they beat Westlake from New Zealand, while Middelburg edged Hartpury College form England.
Pearson beat Cranbrook, another touring team from Australia, 26-14 at KES on Monday.
Rondebosch were one of the better Western Cape teams on show, racking up 57 points against Selborne, before beating the hosts 43-20 in the main game staged at Pretoria Boys on Monday.
While the Easter festivals have concluded, the schoolboy rugby action will continue around the country this coming weekend.
Affies will host Paarl Gimnasium in what could be one of the games of the season.
Jeppe will tackle KES in the first instalment of the local derby series, while Oakdale will travel to Paarl Boys in search of a big scalp.
‘Festival Season’ is not over yet, though.
The Wildeklawer Tournament kicks off on April 24, while Grey High will host a festival in Gqeberha later this month.
SELECTED EASTER RESULTS APRIL 2-6
KEARSNEY FESTIVAL
THURSDAY
Glenwood 5-24 Helpmekaar
Transvalia 26-5 Peterhouse (Zimbabwe)
Westville 83-0 Framesby
Kearsney 43-14 Rustenburg
Milnerton 20-27 EG Jansen
DHS 31-14 Zwartkop
SATURDAY
Milnerton 23-29 Peterhouse
DHS 38-7 Rustenburg
EG Jansen 32-41 Zwartkop
Glenwood 14-15 Framesby
Kearsney 33-13 Transvalia
Westville 33-17 Helpmekaar
MONDAY
Transvalia 7-10 Framesby
Glenwood 14-12 EG Jansen
Rustenburg 26-17 Peterhouse
Westville 41-3 Milnerton
DHS 39-27 Helpmekaar
Kearsney 22-19 Zwartkop
KES FESTIVAL
SATURDAY
Hudson Park 37-10 Worcester Gim
Eldoraigne 14-56 Pearson
Northwood 47-7 Marlow
Dale 24-29 Cranbrook (Australia)
Noordheuwel 7-13 Queens
KES 45-12 St Andrews
MONDAY
Eldoraigne 17-17 Hudson Park
Dale 15-7 Worcester Gim
Pearson 26-14 Cranbrook
Marlow 5-29 Noordheuwel
Northwood 52-21 St Andrews
KES 33-13 Queens
ST JOHNS FESTIVAL
THURSDAY
St Benedicts 5-57 Graeme
Kingswood 40-5 St Davids
Monument 56-35 Westlake (NZ)
Nudgee (Australia) 29-26 Grey College
Hilton 65-14 Nelspruit
Bishops 24-7 St Johns
SATURDAY
St Davids 28-26 Randburg
Nelspruit 24-21 St Albans
Welkom Gim 26-36 Westlake
Graeme 39-26 Bishops
Monument 43-27 Kingswood
St Johns 24-19 Golden Lions Invitational XV
Hilton 17-12 Nudgee
MONDAY
Westlake 42-8 Randburg
ST STITHIANS FESTIVAL
THURSDAY
St Charles 7 Northcliff 18
Kempton Park 27-15 Pietersburg
Hartpury (England) 14-21 Middelburg
Wynberg 84-0 Garsfontein Inv XV
St Stithians 21-24 St Johns (Harare)
SATURDAY
St Charles 24-17 Kempton Park
St Johns (Zim) 22-18 Clifton
Windhoek (Namibia) 35-39 Northcliff
Hartpury 47-18 Garsfontein Inv XV
Pietersburg 27-14 Middelburg
St Stithians 12-28 Wynberg
MONDAY
Windhoek High 47-35 Mzwandile Mali XV
Hartpury 54-20 Northcliff
Garsfontein Inv XV 17-38 Kempton Park
Pietersburg 38-18 St Johns (Zim)
PRETORIA BOYS 125TH FESTIVAL
SATURDAY
Grey High 40-18 Parktown
Rondebosch 17-57 Selborne
Affies 27-29 Michaelhouse
Jeppe 12-35 Maritzburg College
Pretoria Boys 35-34 SACS
MONDAY
Selborne 26-5 Parktown
Maritzburg College 24-7 SACS
Affies 66-19 Grey High
Jeppe 36-40 Michaelhouse
Pretoria Boys 20-43 Rondebosch
