Save the date: Biggest schools clashes of 2026

SPOTLIGHT: Rugby365 highlights the biggest derbies, festivals, and tournaments of the upcoming South African schoolboy rugby season.

The South African schools season kicks off later this month, with Grey College and several other teams shaking off the rust at the President Steyn Sports Day in Bloemfontein.

Pretoria-based Affies will host the North-South tournament in late March, while St. John’s, St Stithians, Kearsney, and KES stage festivals over an action-packed Easter period.

In the last week of April, South Africa’s leading schools will converge on Diamantveld in Kimberley for the annual Wildeklawer Series.

Grey High in Gqeberha will host the U18 Craven Week tournament in July, as well as the annual match between SA Schools and SA Schools A.

The schoolboy rugby season concludes in August, with the climax of the Noordvaal Cup series and other local derbies among the highlights.

Paarl Boys beat Paarl Gym last season to claim bragging rights as well as the unofficial South African schools title.

Gimmies may feel they have a point to prove when the teams next meet at Faure Street Stadium on 1 August.

Rugby365 has highlighted other notable fixtures below.

SELECT SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS FIXTURES 2026

FEBRUARY
28 – Grey College v Trio (President Steyn Sports Day in Bloemfontein)

MARCH
7 – Grey High v Boland Landbou
10 – EG Jansen v Kempton Park (NWU Skolesport series)
14 – Helpmekaar v Affies, Oakdale v Grey College
21 – Graeme v Marlow (Graeme College Festival), Grey College v Monument, Paul Roos v Affies
27 – KES v Outeniqua, Jeppe v Paarl Boys, Paul Roos v Monument (North-South tournament, Affies)
28 – Menlopark v Boland Landbou, Grey College v Helpmekaar, Affies v Oakdale (North-South tournament, Affies)
30 – EG Jansen v Framesby, Waterkloof v Outeniqua, Garsfontein v Paarl Boys (North-South tournament, Affies)
31 – Helpmekaar v Boland Landbou, Noordheuwel v Oakdale, Menlopark v Paarl Gym (North- South tournament, Affies)

APRIL
2 – Monument v Westlake (NZ), Nudgee (Australia) v Grey College, Bishops v St Johns (St Johns Easter Festival)
St Stithians v St Johns (Zimbabwe), Hartpury (England) v Middelburg (St Stithians Easter Festival), Kearsney v Rustenburg, DHS v Verona (Italy), Framesby v Peterhouse (Zimbabwe), Westville v CUS (Ireland) (Kearsney Easter festival)
3 – Welkom Gym v Westlake (NZ), Hilton v Nudgee (Australia), Graeme v Bishops (St Johns Easter Festival)
Kearsney v CUS (Ireland), EG Jansen v Verona (Italy), Milnerton v Peterhouse (Zimbabwe), Westville v Helpmekaar (Kearsney Easter festival)
4 – St Stithians v Wynberg (St Stithians Easter Festival), Dale v Cranbrook (Australia), Noordheuwel v Queens College, KES v St Andrews (KES Easter Festival)
Kearsney v Verona (Italy), DHS v CUS (Ireland), Rustenburg v Peterhouse (Zimbabwe) (Kearsney Easter festival)
Pretoria Boys v SACS, Jeppe v Maritzburg College, Selborne v Rondebosch (Pretoria Boys High 125th Rugby Festival)
6 – Westlake (NZ) v Randburg (St Johns Easter Festival), Hartpury (England) v Northcliff, Pietersberg v St Johns (Zimbabwe) (St Stithians Easter Festival), Pearson v Cranbrook (Australia), KES v Queens College (KES Easter Festival), Pretoria Boys v Rondebosch, Affies v Grey High, SACS v Maritzburg College (Pretoria Boys High 125th Rugby Festival)
11 – Affies v Paarl Gym, Jeppe v KES, Duineveld v Diamantveld, Westville v Northwood, Wynberg v Rondebosch, Paarl Boys v Oakdale
18 – Garsfontein v Affies, KES v Noordheuwel, Northwood v DHS, Queens v Dale, Selborne v Graeme, Paarl Gym v Grey College
24 – Diamantveld v Queens, Paul Roos v Garsfontein, (Wildeklawer Festival at Diamantveld)
25 – Monument v DHS, Westville v Oakdale, Paarl Boys v Northwood, Grey College v Noordheuwel, Paarl Gym v Helpmekaar (Wildeklawer Festival, Diamantveld), Graeme v Kearsney, SACS v Selborne, Grey High v Michaelhouse (Grey High Festival)
27 – Northwood v Garsfontein, Paul Roos v Oakdale, DHS v Paarl Gym, Grey College v Jeppe, Affies v Paarl Boys (Wildeklawer Festival, Diamantveld), Kearsney v SACS, Rondebosch v KES, Grey High v Pretoria Boys (Grey High Festival)

MAY
2 – Garsfontein v Helpmekaar (Noordvaal Cup), Hilton v Michaelhouse
9 – Waterkloof v Garsfontein (Noordvaal Cup), Grey College v Paarl Boys, DHS v Maritzburg (Sharks Rugby Day), Bishops v Wynberg, Boland Landbou v Paarl Gym
16 – Affies v Grey College, Helpmekaar v EG Jansen (Noordvaal Cup), Westville v KES, Selborne v Queens, Oakdale v Outeniqua, Rondebosch v Paul Roos, Wynberg v Grey High
23 – Noordheuwel v EG Jansen (Noordvaal Cup), Northwood v Jeppe, Paul Roos v Paarl Boys, Wynberg v Paarl Gym
30 – Affies v Noordheuwel, Monument v Menlopark (Noordvaal Cup), DHS v Westville, Selborne v Grey College, Paarl Gym v Oakdale, Paul Roos v Bishops

JUNE
6 – Monument v Garsfontein (Noordvaal Cup), Westville v Michaelhouse, Paarl Gym v Paul Roos, Boland Landbou v Paarl Boys
13 – Waterkloof v Noordheuwel (Noordvaal Cup), Marizburg College v Michaelhouse, Bishops v Rondebosch
20 – Michaelhouse v Hilton, Graeme v Union, St Andrews v Dale

JULY
29-3 – U13 Craven Week (Grey College), U16 Grant Khomo Week and U16 Girls Week (Kearsney)
9 – Kingswood v Eton (England)
6-11 – U18 Craven Week and U18 Girls Week (Grey High)
16 – SA Schools match (Grey High)
25 – EG Jansen v Waterkloof (Noordvaal Cup), Grey College v Harrow (England), Paarl Gym v Rondebosch, Boland Landbou v Wynberg

AUGUST
1 – Waterkloof v Helpmekaar (Noordvaal Cup), Grey College v Grey High, DHS v Northwood, Queens v Selborne, Boland Landbou v Paul Roos Paarl, Boys v Paarl Gym (Interschools at Faure Street Stadium, Paarl)
8 – KES v DHS, Monument v Waterkloof (Noordvaal Cup), Boland Landbou v Oakdale
15 – Noordvaal Cup semi-finals (TBC), Dale v Queens, Rondebosch v Wynberg, Paul Roos v Grey College
22 – Noordvaal Cup final (TBC), Rondebosch v Bishops, SACS v Wynberg