Oakdale Festival First Day Fixtures
The fixtures for Saturday 29 March 2014, the first day of the Mutual and Federal Agri Oakdale Rugby Festival, have finally been announced.
The delay in the release of this information, caused by the very late withdrawal of Hoër Landbouskool Jacobsdal, has necessitated the incorporation in the programme of an invitation team consisting of players taken from the participants’ reserves.
To anyone, be it a player or a parent, who has ever enjoyed the privilege to visit Oakdale’s stunningly beautiful campus just outside Riversdale, this hiccup will be little more than a tiny blip on an otherwise lush green radar screen.
The guest list means that there is plenty of potential for some enthralling match-ups throughout the three days – the festival continues on Monday 31 March and Wednesday 2 April.
In fact, the opening day already throws up several enticing clashes, starting with the opener between WP B league Strand and Kimberley big guns Diamantveld, now coached by Jean Stemmet.
The Helderberg school has produced several redoubtable sides in recent years, but are sure to find their work cut out against the Diamonds, who will be determined to make it known that Griqua schools rugby doesn't begin and end with Noord-Kaap.
Later in the day Brackenfell, one of the largest high schools in the Western Cape, will face a Hermanus team eager to build on their excellent showings in the last few years, the climax of which was the selection of centre Tyrone Zass for the 2014 SA Schools squad.
Just as the pulses are settling after that encounter, Hugenote of Wellington take the field against Sentraal of Bloemfontein, who will doubtless be brimming with confidence, having downed Noord-Kaap on 1 March.
It is common cause in the peninsula that Bellville have had a very strong squad moving up through the age groups. Well, hopefully the nursery has produced some strong trees. they do battle with mighty Kempton Park in the main curtain-raiser after supper.
All this sets the scene for the Oakdale faithful to welcome their heroes onto the field for the match of the day against Voortrekker from Bethlehem, the pride of the Eastern Free State.
Hopefully the Bulle will go into this one on a high after a home win in their season-opener against Uitenhage’s HTS Daniël Pienaar on Friday 21 March, because these lads are confidently expected to give perennial South Western Districts glamour boys Outeniqua a run for their money this year.
Mmm, the programme looks so mouth-watering I'm almost tempted to give the Tony Stoops Rugby Festival a miss for a day and head up the Garden Route!
The full programme for Saturday 29 March 2014 .
Populierbos Field
11.05: Overberg vs Monument Park
14.00: Knysna vs De Aar
15.10: Augsburg Gym vs Bredasdorp
16.20: M and F Agri Invitation XV vs Stellenbosch
De Eike Field
08.45: Strand vs Diamantveld
09.55: Vredendal vs Aliwal North
11.05: Durbanville vs Ligbron
12.15: Montagu vs Upington
14.00: Hermanus vs Brackenfell
15.10: Hugenote vs Sentraal (Free State)
16.30: Die Brandwag (EP) vs Pietersburg
18.00: Bellville vs Kempton Park
19.10: Oakdale vs Voortrekker (Beth)
By Tony Stoops
