Schools Rankings - June 7
SPOTLIGHT: What a weekend of outstanding schoolboy rugby, with clinical performances across the country.
The headline fixture undoubtedly took place in the Western Cape, where South Africa’s two rugby giants of 2026 met in a clash that had the entire schoolboy rugby fraternity talking.
In the build-up to the derby, the discussion centred around the battle between the nation’s top two sides. Could Paul Roos dethrone Paarl Gimnasium and claim the No.1 ranking?
This 2026 Paarl Gimnasium side is arguably one of the finest schoolboy teams ever produced.
Although they will not complete the season unbeaten—having suffered a narrow one-point defeat earlier this year to an exceptional Jade Brigade outfit – and still having to negotiate a derby against their neighbours where anything can happen, their performances against top opposition have been extraordinary.
The Junior Bok squad revealed. https://t.co/YzujyWfF78
— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) June 7, 2026
The margins by which they have defeated some of the country’s strongest teams speak volumes. This is a professionally coached, exceptionally well-drilled side that operates with ruthless precision.
On Saturday, the Maroon Machine proved to be its own worst enemy.
Playing Paarl Gim on their home turf is a daunting challenge at the best of times, but ill-discipline and costly mistakes allowed the hosts to capitalise at every opportunity.
At halftime, Gim held what seemed a manageable 21-17 advantage, but after the break, they shifted into another gear.
Once the floodgates opened, there was simply no stopping them as they stormed to a commanding 68-22 victory, sending a clear message that, at present, they have no equal in South African schoolboy rugby.
North of the Vaal, Gauteng’s two traditional powerhouses, Garsfontein and Monument’s Wit Bulle, met at the Ras. Monnas are always a formidable proposition at home, and they came out firing, dominating possession and setting the pace to take a deserved 24-21 lead into half-time.
However, the second half belonged entirely to Garsfontein. Their powerful forward pack laid the platform for dominance, allowing their dangerous backline to exploit every opportunity.
After the opening 15 minutes of the second half, the visitors took complete control. Monnas’ line-out struggles and handling errors only added to their problems as Garsfontein powered away to an emphatic and somewhat unexpected 61-32 victory.
In KwaZulu-Natal, Maritzburg College had to dig deep to secure a hard-fought 24-22 victory over a determined Kearsney side, while Hilton showed signs of returning to their early-season form with an impressive 43-31 win over Northwood.
Elsewhere, Pretoria Boys High recorded an unexpected 39-33 victory over Jeppe, while the Jade Brigade once again demonstrated their class with a dominant 59-5 win over Bishops.
Paarl Boys’ High produced another convincing display, overpowering Boland Landbou 49-21 on the farm. In the Eastern Cape, Hudson Park claimed a surprise 27-26 victory over Dale College, while Kingswood, Queen’s College, Selborne College and Daniel Pienaar all recorded valuable victories.
Other Notable Results
Stellenberg 59-5 Boland Landbou
Paarl Boys’ High 49-21 Boland Landbou
Rondebosch 63-7 Milnerton
Durbanville 71-0 Melkbosstrand
Wynberg 38-17 Bellville
Graeme College 43-7 Stirling
Daniel Pienaar 30-28 Pearson
Selborne College 24-21 St Andrew’s
Hudson Park 27-26 Dale College
Nelspruit 28-15 Wesvalia
EG Jansen 18-11 Middelburg
Transvalia 21-18 HTS Middelburg
Pietersburg 39-14 Ben Vorster
Pretoria Boys High 39-33 Jeppe
Zwartkop 42-18 Oos-Moot
Noordheuwel 55-33 Rustenburg
Piet Retief 35-34 Marais Viljoen
This week’s results have brought notable movement within the Top 10 rankings. Garsfontein climb to the No.2 position following their remarkable victory over Monument. Paul Roos dropped to third after their heavy defeat to Paarl Gim, despite having defeated Garsfontein earlier this season.
From this week onwards, we have expanded our rankings to a Top 40, which will continue through to mid-August. At the conclusion of the season, we will publish our final Top 50 rankings.
As always, these rankings remain an informed opinion rather than an exact science. They are based on careful analysis of strength of opposition, consistency of performances, recent form, and head-to-head results.
Healthy debate is part of what makes schoolboy rugby so special, so we welcome your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.
Best of luck to all the teams for the week ahead. Recover well, stay fit, and we look forward to another thrilling weekend of South African schoolboy rugby.
As the late Zanberg Jansen so famously said:
“Nag, ou Grote.”
— In memory of Paul Dobson —
Photo credit: Paarl Gimnasium Facebook
