Schools rankings - June 1

OPINION: Oh boy, what a nail-biting, nerve-racking weekend of the schoolboy game it was!

Our Game of the Weekend was certainly the clash between Jeppe and Affies.

I imagine the Jeppe supporters are still asking themselves: “How on earth did we lose that one?”

Jeppe’s flyhalf nailed a drop-goal to put them ahead 36–35 with just enough time left for one more kickoff.

But then disaster struck.

Jeppe knocked on at the restart, and an offside Jeppe player picked up the ball, handing Affies a penalty in the corner. The Affies flyhalf, cool as ice, slotted the penalty with ease to secure a dramatic 38–36 victory.

The two Paarl giants once again showed why they are undoubtedly the top two rugby schools in the country at Under-18 First XV level for 2025.

Paarl Gim had a convincing 29–9 win over the powerhouse farm boys from Riversdale. Stellenberg, however, put in a gutsy performance against “Boishaai.” While the final score wasn’t an accurate reflection of the contest, Paarl Boys managed to pull ahead in the final quarter. They simply know how to win – and that’s why they’re ranked number two.

We also welcome the boys from Grey College back into the top 3 after delivering one of the finest displays of schoolboy rugby skills we’ve seen in a very long time. The score – 103–14 against Selborne – says it all.

Up North, in the Noordvaal Cup, it would be unfair not to mention Transvalia! The boys from the Vaal Triangle are steadily climbing the rankings, following a convincing win over Menlopark yesterday.

This is their first year competing in the Cup competition, and it’s clear they’re here to stay. All of their teams are performing well, and it seems their rugby program is truly paying off.

Rankings are just rankings – they’re opinions.

We’ve got seven or eight different ranking systems in South Africa. It’ll never be perfect. That said, we do our research.

At @rugby365com, we read your comments, took your feedback seriously, and went back to the drawing board.

We analyzed all the data – home-ground advantage, injuries, playing conditions, and winning and losing margins.

We considered everything for all schools in our ‘Top 60’.

We evaluated the entire season and every result to compile what we believe is the most accurate and comprehensive ranking possible.

As mentioned before, there’s no doubt about the top five – they are clear-cut.

Ranking positions One through 20 are relatively easier to determine.

But from 20 to 50, it’s incredibly close. Some teams ranked in the low 40s have managed to beat those in the 20s and 30s.

That’s why we looked at the entire season’s body of work to determine the final rankings.

We love hearing from you, so keep the feedback coming! But if you disagree and want to criticize our rankings, please be fair – tell us who you would rank higher or lower, and why. Back up your argument.

It’s just like choosing a Springbok team around a braai with 10 friends – you’ll end up with 10 different teams. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

The next rankings will be released on June 8th. As the legendary Oom Zanberg Jansen used to say: “Nag, ou grote.”

@rugby365com