School Boy Rugby!
For many years (yes, even since the days I went to school on an ox-cart) our schoolboy rugby and other sport players have been targeted and poached by other wealthier provinces – the list is endless and the sports myriad.
Locally the Southern Kings Franchise is no more, Eastern Province Rugby Administrators are fighting over the crumbs and YET schoolboy rugby is hot, very hot in Gqeberha.
Our traditional rugby playing schools have developed a free flowing game that is pleasing to the eye and loaded with excitement.
Off the back of a successful Rugby Weekend at the Grey High School this weekend offers a humdinger of a clash between Grey High School and Paul Roos Gymnasium on Saturday 9 April 2022.
Grey High School boasts 14 Springbok Players v Paul Roos Gymnasium’s 54 Springbok Rugby players. Both schools are steeped in Rugby tradition but the pressure is on Gey as the present Springbok Captain, Siya Kolisi is a recent graduate and strong supporter of his old school.
Gqeberha will host the first encounter of the 2022 Premier Interschools season when Grey High School welcome Stellenbosch juggernauts, Paul Roos Gymnasium. The last time these two sides met Paul Roos got the upperhand and claimed a 24-18 victory, in 2019, in Stellenbosch. Due to the national lockdown the sides did not meet in the last two years (2020 and 2021). This time, however, Paul Roos are fielding a relatively young side in Gqeberha, due to several injuries within their squad. Results have been evenly distributed over the last ten matches, since 2010, with Grey High School winning four games which includes a three-match winning streak between 2012 – 2014, with their fourth win being recorded when they narrowly edged Paul Roos 20-22 at the Markötter Stadium in 2017. Despite having the better historical stats in this match-up, Paul Roos will have their work cut out if they are to record a seventh win.
Last 10 Matches Results
| Date | Paul Roos | Grey High |
| 2010/04/17 | 43 | 37 |
| 2011/04/16 | 22 | 18 |
| 2012/04/21 | 19 | 23 |
| 2013/04/20 | 18 | 23 |
| 2014/04/12 | 26 | 27 |
| 2015/04/18 | 34 | 3 |
| 2016/04/09 | 34 | 21 |
| 2017/05/06 | 20 | 22 |
| 2018/04/21 | 43 | 8 |
| 2019/04/13 | 24 | 18 |
Grey High School 2022 Season
With schoolboy rugby back on the calendar, Grey High School have already participated in two festivals and have played three games. Their first game was at the Graeme College festival in Makhanda on Saturday 19 March where they faced fellow Eastern Cape side, Die Brandwag. In a tough encounter, Grey outsmarted their neighbours from Kariega, 31-27, clinching the game right at the end. The following week they hosted their own tournament and won both games against good opposition – SACS and KES. The three from three record so far will bode well for Grey High heading into this match when they will face a very spirited and talented Paul Roos side.
Results so far:
| Date | Opponents | For | Against |
| 2022/03/19 | Die Brandwag | 31 | 27 |
| 2022/03/31 | SACS | 41 | 9 |
| 2022/04/02 | KES | 22 | 15 |
Paul Roos Gymnasium 2022 Season
In strong contrast to Grey High’s start to their season, Paul Roos have not been enjoying their best starts to a season. They competed in the Noord/Suid tournament hosted in Pretoria but they lost both of their matches against Affies and Helpmekaar. They have been hit by an alarming high number of pre-season injuries and have yet to field their first choice team. This does, however, make Paul Roos even more dangerous heading into a game where they are mathematically the underdogs. They recorded a narrow loss against a very strong Affies team while the match against Helpmekaar also went down to the wire with mistakes on the side of the Stellenbosch side proving to be costly.
| Date | Opp | For | Against |
| 2022/03/26 | Affies | 18 | 24 |
| 2022/03/29 | Helpmekaar | 23 | 30 |
Rugby at Grey High School
Grey has a proud rugby tradition and record which dates to the 19th century. Traditional schools they compete against, on an annual basis, are Dale College, Graeme College, Grey College, Queen’s College, Selborne College, St. Andrew’s College, Wynberg High and of late Paul Roos Gymnasium.
The first rugby match was played on the 16 September 1893 against Muir College of Uitenhage. During the years 1919 to 1923 Grey played four internationals against Dale, Gill, Kingswood and St Andrew’s. Money for the main field was donated by an Old Grey, Arthur Phillip in 1938 and thus the main field is “The Phillip Field”.
Players who represented the Springboks through the years, Fred Smollan, Fred Turner, Bunny Reid, Peter Allen, Giepie Wentzel (Master), Roy Dryburgh, Mickey Gerber, Wilf Rosenberg, Iain Kirkpatrick, Sean Povey, Luke Watson and most recently Siya Kolisi, JJ Engelbrecht and Curwin Bosch.
Well known television commentators and outstanding players, like Gavin Cowley and Andrew Patterson also graced the Phillip field.
Michael Catt, Rory Duncan and Luke Watson captained England, Free State and Western Province Currie Cup sides respectively in 2007.
Special mention must be made of Springbok Captain Siya Kolisi who lead the Boks to their 3rd World Cup title in 2019 in Japan. Siya is a very proud old boy from Grey High School and often goes back to his alma mater to educate and assist with their rugby program.
Rugby at Paul Roos
The words Paul Roos and rugby are synonymous as the great man was the originator of the now famous Springbok emblem and name for the South African national team. He is seen by many as the “father” of South African rugby, and it is fitting that the school that carries his name is such a powerhouse in South African schools’ rugby.
Paul Roos has to date produced the most South African players to represent their country on a rugby field with Juandre Kruger becoming their 50th player when he played against England at Kingspark on June 9, 2012. Their latest Springbok is scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies who became Springbok no 913 in 2019 and Paul Roos’s 54th player to represent his country.
Willie le Roux, Schalk Britz, Steven Kitshoff, Damian Willemse and Herschel Jantjies were also part of the 2019 Springbok rugby squad that won the world cup in Japan in 2019.
The following players from Paul Roos represented South Africa on the rugby field:
Arthur Nicholas de Kock (1891), Jacob Stephanus (Japie) Louw (1891), James Alexander (Jim) McKendrick (1891), Robert (Bob) Shand, Paul Johannes de Waal (1896), Japie Krige (1896), Bob Loubser (1896), Pieter Albertus Ryno Otto (PO) Nel (1903), Paul Johannes Roos (1903), Koei Brink (1906), Henry John (Pinkie) Daneel (1906), Boy de Villiers (1906), Freddie Luyt (1910), Dick Luyt (1910), Koot Reynecke (1910), Gideon Daniël Roos (1910), Wakkie Krige (1912), John Douglas Luyt (1912), Tom van Vuuren (1912), Nic du Plessis (1921), Theuns Kruger (1921), Charlé Meyer (1921), Mannetjies Michau (1921), Phil Mostert (1921), Tokkie Scholtz (1921), Jackie Tindall(1921), Attie van Heerder (1921), PK Albertyn (1924), Nico Bosman (1924), Daunce Devine (1924), Kenny Starke (1924), George Murray Daneel (1928), Manus de Jongh (1928), AF du Toit (1928), PK Morkel (1928), Boet Prinsloo (1928), Ferdie Bergh (1931), George Lionell van Reenen (1937), Ballie Wahl (1949), Tjol Lategan (1949), Jannie Engelbrecht (1960), Gertjie Brynard (1965), Hempies du Toit (1980), Cabous van der Westhuizen (1994), Justin Swart (1996), Cobus Visagie (1999), Andries Bekker (2008), Schalk Brits (2008), Francois Hougaard (2009), Juandre Kruger (2012),Willie Le Roux (2013), Steven Kitshoff (2016), Damian Willemse (2018), Herschel Jantjies (2019).
The game will be broadcast live on Saturday, 9 April from 13h55 on SuperSport Variety 4
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