Stellenberg, Garsfontein score stunning upsets at North-South tournament
ROUND TWO WRAP: Garsfontein shocked top-ranked Paarl Boys while Stellenberg beat Grey College in a dramatic second round of the North-South tournament.
The 2026 North-South tournament reached a powerful climax Tuesday night.
Following an early-season loss to Paul Roos in Stellenbosch, Affies set out to prove a point at the North-South event staged on home soil.
The Wit Bulle made a statement when they beat Oakdale 28-17 on Friday, and when they downed another Western Cape side in Durbanville 24-13 on Tuesday night.
While there were several upsets over the course of the five-day competition at Affies, two particular results stand out.
Garsfontein rocked the South African schoolboy rugby scene when they claimed a 31-28 win against Paarl Boys on Monday.
Few would have seen that result coming.
Boishaai finished 2025 as the leading team in South Africa, and beat Jeppe in the first game of their 2026 North-South campaign.
However, when the two teams met on Monday, Garsies outplayed Boishaai for much of the contest, and in spite of a spirited fightback by the boys from Paarl, the local team hung on for a 31-28 victory.
On Tuesday night, the game between Grey College and Stellenberg was delayed by more than an hour due to a problem with the lights at the venue.
When play eventually got underway, the plucky side from the northern suburbs of Cape Town took the fight to the juggernauts from Bloemfontein, and went on to secure a historic 26-21 win.
While the Jade Brigade fell short in their previous fixture against Garsfontein, they did manage to beat Paarl Gim earlier this month.
Having claimed the scalps of Gimmies and Grey, Stellenberg have proved they are a force to be reckoned with, and there’s reason to believe they will challenge other top sides in the coming months.
All that said, it was a successful tournament for the likes of Paarl Gim and Paul Roos.
Gimmies scored 134 points across wins against Noordheuwel and Menlopark, while Paul Roos edged Monument on Friday before powering their way to an emphatic 45-14 win against Pretoria Boys on Monday.
As it stands, Paul Roos are the only one of the so-called top dogs – a leading pack that includes the Paarl heavyweights, Grey, Affies and Oakdale – who are yet to lose a match this season.
Whisper it, but Stellenberg may join that pack before the end of the season.
Drostdy will be thrilled with their 46-26 win over EG Jansen in the first round, and less pleased with their 14-75 loss to Monument in the second.
Outeniqua beat KES 30-17 on the opening day, and went on to snatch a late score that earned them a 24-24 draw with Waterkloof on Monday.
Grey College impressed in their 51-19 hammering of Helpmekaar on Saturday, but were overpowered by a more physical and determined Stellenberg side on Tuesday night.
Oakdale were competitive in the 17-28 loss to Affies, and their pack received a lot of plaudits after they dominated the hosts’ scrum.
The Riversdale outfit ended their North-South campaign on a high, when they beat Noordheuwel 27-19 on Tuesday.
SELECTED RESULTS MARCH 27-31
FRIDAY
Nelspruit 29-19 Framesby
Waterkloof 45-7 Diamantveld
EG Jansen 26-46 Drostdy
KES 17-30 Outeniqua
Garsfontein 21-20 Stellenberg
Jeppe 10-37 Paarl Boys
Paul Roos 21-17 Monument
SATURDAY
HTS Middelburg 25-27 v Trio
Welkom Gym 54-43 Nico Malan
Middelburg 38-41 Witteberg
Rustenburg 7-25 Durbanville
Menlopark 46-28 Boland Landbou
Noordheuwel 10-61 Paarl Gim
Grey College 51-19 Helpmekaar
Affies 28-17 Oakdale
MONDAY
EG Jansen 31-37 Framesby
Nelspruit 42-22 Bethlehem Voortrekker
Waterkloof 24-24 Outeniqua
Jeppe 34-28 Diamantveld
Monument 75-41 Drostdy
Pretoria Boys 14-45 Paul Roos
Garsfontein 31-28 Paarl Boys
TUESDAY
HTS Middelburg 31-28 Nico Malan
Rustenburg 47-8 Welkom Gym
Helpmekaar 50-22 Boland Landbou
Noordheuwel 19-27 Oakdale
Menlopark 17-73 Paarl Gim
Grey College 21-26 Stellenberg
Affies 24-13 Durbanville
