The Battle for Paarl bragging rights
Paarl is a beautiful place – combining the best of country and town, a restful place of old buildings and a long, sedate main road that includes a vineyard and a stately church. It is a peaceful place – except for the week of Interschools.
But this week, the week of Interschools, Paarl becomes an increasingly excited town and, not altogether pleasingly, an increasingly divided town. The lines are clear. You are Boys' High and blue, or Gim and green, yellow and red.
In the week there will be functions – all separate, either Boys' High functions at their chosen venues or Gim functions at their venues, and there is no olive branch wafting above them. After the match, there will again be separate functions.
The seating on the stand at Faure Street will be separate, programmes either blue or green.
The only coming together is in the heat of battle on the field of play, and there it is tense and hard but fair.
There is singing, coloured balloons drift into the air, players portraits are carried on. There is a lot of tradition and a lot of excitement.
And at the final whistle, a tsunami of emotion will flood the ground.
The 1st XV match is being played at the same time as the Super Rugby Final. But such is the nature of this Interschools that again a crowd of well over 20 000 is expected.
Season so Far
Paarl Boys' High are unbeaten. For over 50 matches in South Africa, they have not lost. Their only defeat in three seasons so far has been by a couple of points in New Zealand. And joining them in a succession of victories is their second team.
They have played and won 14 matches in South Africa this year. Paarl Gim has won nine of their 13 matches.
Paarl Boys' High are top of our famous Schools Top 20, Paarl Gim sixth, a powerful position given the number of strong rugby schools in South Africa.
Results against Common Opponents:
Bishops: Paarl Gim won 44-24; Paarl Boys' High won 25-0
SACS: Paarl Gim lost 22-19; Paarl Boys' High won 37-17
Paul Roos: Paarl Gim won 20-19; Paarl Boys' High won 21-9
Wynberg: Paarl Gim won 103-12; Paarl Boys' High won 67-25
Rondebosch: Paarl Gim won 43-21; Paarl Boys' High won 73-7
Oakdale: Paarl Gim won 31-27; Paarl Boys' High won 36-31
Grey College of Bloemfontein: Paarl Gim lost 31-19; Paarl Boys' High won 46-31
Affies: Paarl Gim won 35-33; Paarl Boys' High won 14-10
Boland Landbou: Paarl Gim lost 24-15; Paarl Boys' High won 38-33
Achievers
Both schools' players are eligible for Western Province.
Craven Week
Paarl Gim: Muller du Plessis, Dawid Kellerman, Henco Martens, Hugo Pienaar, Chris Rossouw,
Paarl Boys' High: Thaakir Abrahams, Francke Horn, Vian Fourie, Adriaan Alberts, Joshua du Preez
Academy Week
Paarl Gim: Stravino Jacobs, Adriaan Staples, Juan Beukes, Reuben Scholtz
Paarl Boys' High: MJ Strauss
SA Schools
Paarl Gim: Joachim Martins, Muller du Plessis
Teams:
Paarl Gim: 15 Muller du Plessis (captain), 14 Daniël Beukes, 13 Dawid Kellerman, 12 Francois Marais, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Ruben Scholtz, 9 Hanco Hanekom, 8 Henco Martins, 7 Corné Uys, 6 Dean Nieuwoudt, 5 Ryno Beukes, 4 Adriaan Ludick, 3 Adriaan Staples, 2 Chris Rossouw, 1 Hugo Pienaar.
Replacements: 16 Dedrich Glas, 17 Daniël Wessels, 18 Francois Staples, 19 Dré Engelbrecht, 20 Juan Beukes, 21 Jan-Daniël Neethling, 22 Janke du Toit, 23 Hanro Geldenhuys.
Paarl Boys' High: 15 Thaakir Abrahams (captain), 14 Stuart Tait, 13 Divan Enslin, 12 Le Roux Malan, 11 Luka Ferreria, 10 Abner van Reenen, 9 Eric Myburgh, 8 Cornell Kotze, 7 Louwan Horn, 6 Vian Fourie, 5 Adrian Alberts, 4 Armandt Conradie, 3 Josh du Preez, 2 Cullen van der Merwe, 1 MJ Strauss.
Replacements: 16 Kennett Sinclair, 17 De Wet Wolhuter, 18 Roubert Bester, 19 Pierre Pretorius, 20 Friedrich du Toit, 21 JG de Bruin, 22 Seon Mouton, 23 Simon Carstens.
Date: August 5
First XV kick-off: 16.00
Expected weather conditions: Partly cloudy with a high of 20°and a low of 6°
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge (Western Province Referees' Society)
Rugby Programme
Thursday 3 August 2017
Oudekraal
16.00: 7th XV
Lemoenkloof
15.30: Under-16 E
Fonteintjie
15.30: Under-15E
Dammetjie
15.30: Under-14E
Friday, 4 August 2017
JA Kriel
14.00: 4th XV
16.15: 3rd XV
Stofberg
14.00: Under-16B
15.00: 6th XV
16.20: 5th XV
Lemoenkloof
15.00: Under-16D
16.10: Under-16C
Oudekraal
14.00: Under-15C
15.00: Under-15B
16.00: Under-15D
JA Kriel
15.10: Under-14A
Fonteintjie
14.00: Under-14B
15.00: Under-14C
16.00: Under-14D
Saturday, 5 August 2017
Faure Street
12.05: Under-15A
13.15: Under-16A
14.35: 2nd XV
16.00: 1st XV
Results Down the Years
1915: Boys' High won 10-0
1916: Gim won 7-5
1917: Gim won 3-0
1918: Gim won 3-0
1919: Gim won 9-0
1920: Gim won 20-0
1921: Draw 6-6
1922: Draw 3-3
1923: Boys' High won 3-0
1924: Boys' High won 13-5
1925: Boys' High won 7-3
1926: Boys' High won 6-5
1927: Gim won 5-3
1928: No match
1929: Draw 3-3
1930: Boys' High won 5-3
1931: Gim won 6-0
1932: Gim won 7-3
1933: Boys' High won 3-0
1934: Boys' High won 5-4
1935: Draw 0-0
1936: Gim won 11-6
1937: Gim won 5-3
1938: Gim won 5-3
1939: Gim won 9-8
1940: Draw 3-3
1941: Gim won 6-0
1942: Draw 0-0
1943: Gim won 9-6
1944: Boys' High won 6-0
1945: Boys' High won 14-6
1946: Draw 3-3
1947: Boys' High won 8-3
1948: Draw 3-3
1949: Gim won 9-3
1950: Boys' High won 6-3
1951: Boys' High won 6-0
1952: Boys' High won 11-0
1953: Boys' High won 6-5
1956: Gim won 6-3
1957: Gim won 5-3
1958: Gim won 11-0
1959: Boys' High won 11-3
1960: Gim won 9-3
1961: Boys' High won 6-0
1962: Boys' High won 6-0
1963: Boys' High won 8-0
1964: Gim won 9-8
1965: Gim won 11-0
1966: Gim won 8-0
1967: Gim won 8-6
1968: Gim won 3-0
1969: Boys' High won 8-5
1970: Gim won 19-8
1971: Boys' High won 11-6
1972: Boys' High won 6-3
1973: Boys' High won 19-6
1974: Gim won 9-3
1975: Boys' High won 3-0
1976: Gim won 8-6
1977: Boys' High won 15-6
1978: Gim won 13-10
1979: Gim won 12-6
1980: Gim won 9-3
1981: Gim won 12-0
1982: Boys' High won 16-15
1983: Gim won 15-6
1984: Gim won 10-4
1985: Boys' High won 16-6
1986: Draw 0-0
1987: Boys' High won 15-7
1988: Draw 6-6
1989: Gim won 15-4
1990: Boys' High won 10-6
1991: Boys' High won 8-4
1992: Gim won 20-15
1993: Boys' High won 19-17
1994: Boys' High won 11-6
1995: Boys' High won 17-3
1996: Gim won 18-16
1997: Gim won 13-10
1998: Boys' High won 16-5
1999: Gim won 13-6
2000: Boys' High won 15-7
2001: Boys' High won 12-3
2002: Gim won 15-0
2003: Boys' High won 25-6
2004: Gim won 13-3
2005: Gim won 22-10
2006: Gim won 23-17
2007: Gim won 10-0
2008: Gim won 35-8
2009: Boys' High won 24-12
2010: Draw 19-19
2011: Gim won 22-19
2012: Gim won 16-9
2013: Gim won 37-26
2014: Gim won 16-15
2015: Boys' High won 16-10
2016: Boys' High won 26-25
