Paarl Gim's Pieter Rossouw: SA's pool of top schools has grown
EXCLUSIVE: Paarl Gim coach Pieter Rossouw has marked the rise of South Africa’s burgeoning rugby schools and believes that the 2026 season may be the most competitive yet.
Paarl Boys beat Paarl Gim 35-33 in the annual derby last year, and in doing so, finished the season as the best performing First XV in South Africa.
Gimmies have been among the most consistent teams in the country over the past few years, as have Affies and Grey College, while Paul Roos finished with a perfect record in 2024 after winning 15 games in a row.
At a glance, it may seem as if these top dogs are streets ahead of the chasing pack.
A closer look at the overall results, however, suggests that these teams haven’t had everything their own way against other less-fancied sides in recent seasons.
The chasing pack has grown larger, and some of the bolder challengers are starting to nip at the heels of the traditional powerhouses.
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The likes of Oakdale and Durban High School have made an impression within their regions and nationally. Garsfontein and Helpmekaar are on the rise, as are Noordheuwel, Stellenberg and Wynberg, to name a few.
It’s a great situation for South African rugby, with more schools investing in their respective rugby programmes and developing players with the potential to graduate to provincial and Test rugby.
On the other hand, it does present the respective coaches with a significantly tougher challenge from week to week.
“It’s not just about the top four or five schools,” Rossouw, the Paarl Gim coach, told Rugby365.
“Oakdale had an unbelievable team last year [who managed to beat Boishaai and Paul Roos]. They will be very good again this year.
“Garsfontein are always in the mix, Helpmekaar will have a strong team again this year, while DHS are one of the leading schools at the moment, and we are playing them more regularly.
“The media may not see these teams as ‘top five schools’, but they are proper rugby teams and results against them are never guaranteed.
“Five years ago, maybe they weren’t as well known in this context, but they’ve improved their rugby programmes in recent times,” the former Bok winger added.
“The margins are so small these days. Look at Paul Roos, who had a good side last year and still lost five games. Other teams are catching up.”
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#SchoolsWrap: Grey College put Welkom Gym to the sword 👇#SouthAfrica #Schoolsrugby https://t.co/3jhrDba6lA
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Paarl Gim will begin their 2026 season with an away clash against Stellenberg this Saturday.
Stellenberg held their own in a 17-39 loss to Gimmies in Paarl last season, and in a 19-26 defeat to DHS at the Wildeklawer Festival in Kimberley.
The team from Cape Town’s northern suburbs went on to beat Wynberg, SACS, Rondebosch, Bishops and Boland Landbou – and finished the season with nine wins, a draw and nine losses.
Gimmies were more dominant in terms of results – winning 13, drawing two, and losing one.
But as Rossouw confirms, they will have everything to prove in the first game of the new season.
“We are starting all over again,” he said.
“Last year was a very special year, and it was a bit of a surprise to see how well the team did, given that the group didn’t get the same results when they were playing at lower age group levels.
“It all came together in 2025, and while it can sometimes be a challenge to get the Grade 11 and 12 years to work as one, it really went down well last season.
“We’re going into this season with the mindset of one game at a time. It’s easy to say we want to be No.1 in the country, but in reality, we must focus on the task at hand.”
Gimmies will have to adapt after losing a number of players to graduation – including captain Markus Muller, who has gone on to represent the Junior Boks and trained with the senior side at a national alignment camp last week.
“Right now, it’s about making sure the boys have a clear idea of what’s required,” Rossouw said.
“We are fortunate that some of the players who featured last year are still with us, so the knowledge is there.
“Stellenberg have a strong Grade 11 and 12 group, including a couple of SA Schools players, and their coaching staff has created a competitive environment.
“We certainly won’t be taking them lightly.”
