The five biggest clashes at the North-South tournament
SPOTLIGHT: Rugby365 looks ahead to the more intriguing match-ups at the North-South tournament staged at Affies in Pretoria over the next five days.
The North-South tournament – the first major interprovincial schoolboy rugby festival of the season – will be staged at Affies between 27 and 31 March.
Following the first round of fixtures, there will be a rest day on Sunday. Nevertheless, the respective coaches will need to manage their resources carefully to ensure that their players are relatively fresh for the second round of matches on Monday and Tuesday.
Some of the teams competing at this tournament will also compete at one of the big Easter festivals next week.
Also read: De Villiers: SA schools rugby stronger than ever
Given that rotation is likely over the next week or so, even the best teams may struggle to win all of their fixtures – and a few upsets may be in the offing.
While the North-South tournament will be in the spotlight, Glenwood and Oakdale will also stage festivals this weekend, in Durban and Riversdale, respectively.
Rugby365 looks ahead to some of the biggest North-South fixtures scheduled for the long weekend.
PAUL ROOS V MONUMENT
Several tasty matches are scheduled for the first day of the tournament, and don’t be surprised if Stellenberg – who recently beat Paarl Gim – upset Garsfontein – or a rampant Outeniqua outfit tears into KES.
Jeppe will be out to rattle Paarl Boys – the No.1 team in the country last season – as the latter side may be saving their bullets for the second fixture against Garsfontein.
Paul Roos will look to build on their impressive 45-28 victory against Affies in Stellenbosch last week, when they tackle Monument in the “main match” on Friday night.
Corné Uys’ charges have been building nicely over the past three weeks, and count the likes of Drostdy and Wynberg among their victims.
While they weren’t at their best in the big win against Affies, and discipline was certainly an issue, the Maroon Machine will be favourites to beat Monument and Pretoria Boys at this North-South event.
Monnas have struggled in recent seasons, and it remains to be seen whether they will be among the leading teams in Gauteng this year, let alone among the top 10 nationwide.
That said, they have been competitive in their early matches, losing by one point to Diamantveld in Kimberley, and showing some fight in the recent 15-31 defeat to Grey College in Bloemfontein.
NOORDHEUWEL V PAARL GIM
Paarl Gim’s 19-20 loss to Stellenberg earlier this month was a massive upset, given how well Gimmies have performed in recent seasons.
Since then, Pieter Rossouw’s charges have beaten SACS 30-5 and Durbanville 45-12. While both of those teams have made improvements over the past 12 months, they are hardly among the top teams in the country.
Noordheuwel have been threatening to break into the top tier for a season or two, and may view the clash against Gimmies on Saturday as an opportunity to make a statement.
The Gauteng outfit is coming off a 3-41 loss to Garsfontein, however, and will need to make a step up if they’re going to live with a Gimmies team that will also have a point to prove.
In the second round, Noordheuwel face another significant challenge in the shape of Oakdale, while Gimmies tackle Noordvaal Cup regulars Menlopark.
AFFIES V OAKDALE
This was always going to be one of the games of the 2026 North-South tournament – given the size and physicality of the respective packs, and the fact that both Affies and Oakdale are among the leading teams in the country.
Recent events, of course, will shape the performances of both teams.
Oakdale may still be smarting from the early-season loss to Grey College in Riversdale.
While it was always going to be a big ask, the 7-38 scoreline as well as the manner of defeat came as something of a surprise.
Was it just a case of early-season rust, and will Oakdale be a force at this North-South tournament – and in the months to come?
The recent 50-0 hammering of Upington may be seen as a step in the right direction, but Oakdale will know that a win against Affies this Saturday will serve as a massive statement – in the context of their 2026 season and in terms of their quest to become one of South Africa’s powerhouses.
Also Read: The brains behind Affies’ quest for top status
For all the talk of Affies’ power, they were cut to shreds by Paul Roos in Stellenbosch last week, and at one stage, they were in danger of conceding 50 points.
The Wit Bulle are under pressure to bounce back this weekend, against Oakdale on Saturday, and then against Durbanville on Tuesday.
Like Oakdale, Affies haven’t played a lot of competitive rugby this season – they beat Waterkloof 34-20 on March 14.
The players may be a lot sharper this week, now that they have two games under their belts.
GARSFONTEIN V PAARL BOYS
Garsfontein won their third-consecutive Noordvaal Cup last season, and as a result, many felt that they may be a greater force across the schedule in 2026.
Garsies began their season on the worst possible note, however, when they lost 26-29 to Jeppe, before bouncing back against Noordheuwel last week.
How will they fare against Paarl Boys, the leading team in the country, on Monday?
Boishaai started their 2026 campaign later than most, and went on to claim a 20-5 win over Rondebosch at the WP Schools Day as well as a 26-22 victory against Outeniqua at home.
They are yet to hit their stride, and a trip to the Highveld for two matches in neutral territory represents an early test for Sean Erasmus’ charges.
There’s no chance of taking Jeppe lightly, of course, following the recent result at Garsfontein.
And yet, Erasmus will need to manage his squad carefully over the two matches to ensure that Boishaai come away with two victories.
GREY COLLEGE V STELLENBERG
Grey College may have mixed feelings about the North-South tournament, given their shock loss to Jeppe at this event in 2024.
They haven’t been at their consistent best in recent seasons, and the defeat to Gimmies in Bloem in 2025 marked their first loss at home in eight years.
Jannie Geldenhuys’ team has ticked all the boxes in the early stages of the 2026 campaign, scoring more than 150 points across the first two fixtures against Trio and Welkom Gym, before going on to make a statement against Oakdale, who have proved especially tough to beat “on the farm” in Riversdale.
Grey didn’t have everything their own way against Monument last week, and will want to set things straight at the North-South tournament in Pretoria.
The fixture against Helpmekaar on Saturday is a big one, given that the Joburg side has been on the rise for the past few seasons, and recently beat Maritzburg College 31-19 away.
How will Geldenhuys approach that first game, and what kind of toll will an inevitably physical clash take on his charges?
The answers to those questions may shape the flow as well as the result of Grey’s next fixture against Stellenberg on Tuesday.
Also Read: How Stellenberg used Bok blueprint to become schoolboy giant slayers
Like Helpmekaar, the plucky side from Cape Town’s northern suburbs has been building steadily over the past few seasons.
Last year, Stellenberg completed a clean sweep of the southern suburbs elite – Bishops, Rondebosch, SACS and Wynberg – and also beat Boland Landbou.
The recent win against Gimmies, of course, proved that the Jade Brigade can go toe to toe with top dogs and claim a major result.
If they play their cards right at this North-South tournament, they may claim another big scalp.
Stellenberg face Garsfontein on Friday, and while that game appears more winnable than the latter showdown with Grey, they could also target the second fixture.
SELECTED NORTH-SOUTH FIXTURES – MARCH 27-31
FRIDAY:
Nelspruit v Framesby
Waterkloof v Diamantveld
EG Jansen v Drostdy
KES v Outeniqua
Garsfontein v Stellenberg
Jeppe v Paarl Boys
Paul Roos v Monument
SATURDAY
HTS Middelburg v Trio
Welkom Gim v Nico Malan
Rustenburg v Durbanville
Menlopark v Boland Landbou
Noordheuwel v Paarl Gim
Grey College v Helpmekaar
Affies v Oakdale
MONDAY
EG Jansen v Framesby
Nelspruit v Bethlehem Voortrekker
Waterkloof v Outeniqua
Jeppe v Diamantveld
Monument v Drostdy
Pretoria Boys v Paul Roos
Garsfontein v Paarl Boys
TUESDAY
HTS Middelburg v Nico Malan
Rustenburg v Welkom Gim
Helpmekaar v Boland Landbou
Noordheuwel v Oakdale
Menlopark v Paarl Gim
Grey College v Stellenberg
Affies v Durbanville
