Schools Rankings - June 14
OPINION: With the school holidays fast approaching, only a handful of matches were played this weekend, but there were still several surprising results and a few notable changes in our Top 30 rankings.
These will be our final rankings before the mid-year break.
At the end of June, we will publish a feature on the elite schools that have occupied positions in our Top 5 rankings throughout the season, followed by an article highlighting the schools that have broken into the Top 10 but narrowly missed out on a place in the Top 5.
KwaZulu-Natal continues to be one of the most fiercely contested rugby provinces in the country, with very little separating the leading schools.
One of South Africa’s most iconic schoolboy rugby derbies took place on Saturday at Meadows, where the Maritzburg College boys travelled to face their arch-rivals.
The home side from the Midlands produced an outstanding performance to claim a well-deserved 24–17 victory, bouncing back impressively after last week’s disappointing defeat to Westville.
Hilton College was also pushed all the way by a determined Kearsney side before securing a hard-fought 31–27 win.
Our early-season rankings leaders, Stellenberg, continued their impressive campaign with a convincing 48–24 victory over Boland Landbou.
In Cape Town, Rondebosch claimed the honours in another highly anticipated derby, defeating Bishops 29–24, while Wynberg produced a strong performance to overcome SACS 26–15.
North of the Vaal, Noordheuwel caused one of the biggest upsets of the weekend with a 24–12 victory over Waterkloof.
As a result of Waterkloof’s defeat, coupled with Maritzburg College’s loss to Michaelhouse, both schools drop out of our Top 10 rankings.
Outeniqua therefore returns to the Top 10 for the first time since April 21.
Continues below…
Results: Saturday, June 13
Eastern Cape
Cambridge 10–36 Selborne
St Andrew’s 10–29 Kingswood
KwaZulu-Natal
Hilton 31–27 Kearsney
Maritzburg College 17–24 Michaelhouse
VirSeker Noordvaal Cup
Helpmekaar 52–17 Middelburg
Noordheuwel 24–12 Waterkloof
VirSeker Noordvaal Shield
Ben Vorster 12–22 Heidelberg Volkies
Ligbron 23–29 Pietersburg
Marais Viljoen 45–12 Lichtenburg
Piet Retief 11–3 Secunda
Wesvalia 23–22 Klerksdorp
Centurion 47–28 Dinamika
Midstream 17–7 Ermelo
Potchefstroom Gimnasium 48–17 Merensky
Potchefstroom Volkskool 29–12 Brandwag
Hugenote Springs 24–22 Jeugland
Bergsig Akademie 33–21 Die Anker
Gauteng Derby
Pretoria Boys High 68–20 St Alban’s
Western & Southern Cape
Bishops 24–29 Rondebosch
Boland Landbou 24–48 Stellenberg
Brackenfell 53–24 Bosmansdam
Wynberg 26–15 SACS
As always, these rankings remain an informed opinion rather than an exact science. They are based on careful analysis of the strength of opposition, consistency of performances, recent form, and head-to-head results.
Healthy debate is part of what makes South African schoolboy rugby so special, and we welcome your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.
Best wishes to all the teams over the school holidays. Recover well, stay fit, and we look forward to another exciting chapter of South African schoolboy rugby when the season resumes.
As the late Zanberg Jansen so famously said:
“Nag, ou Grote.”
— In memory of Paul Dobson
