Four under-17 teams - St Andrew’s School, Michaelhouse, St John’s College and St Stithians College will go into the final day of the 2026 Independent Schools Rugby Festival, brought to you by Absa, on Wednesday with two wins out of two.
Michaelhouse have racked up two big wins - 45-10 over the English visitors, Eton College, on day one; and 57-10 vs the Hosts St Davdi’s on Monday - and they have looked very impressive. They take on one of the other unbeaten sides, St Stithians, on Wednesday.
Saints produced what was possibly the upset of the festival when they edged Bishops 16-14 on Monday after beating Somerset College 35-5 on day one.
St Andrew’s of Bloemfontein has also been impressive. They beat the powerful St Charles side 28-24 on Saturday, and then beat Kingswood 28-19 on Monday. They are the only school that has won all its games - U14, U15 and U19 - so far.
St John’s beat Kingswood 35-7 on Saturday and hammered CBC Boksburg 73-14 on Monday. They meet struggling Somerset College on Wednesday, while St Andrew’s play St Benedict’s.
The festival for the U13 prep schools ended on Monday. Woodridge notched up three 40-plus scorelines and have lookedina class of their own at the festival. Bishops Prep School also had three wins out of three, showing the edge that prep schools with a full rugby programme have at an event like this.
In the U14 and U15 age groups, St Andrew’s, as already mentioned, have been impressive with four good wins out of four, while the St Charles sides have run up big scores in all their outings. They have some big forwards and pacy backs, and look like a school to watch in KwaZulu-Natal circles in the years to come.
The action starts at 8 am on Wednesday, with an early finish, so the teams can hit the long road home.
Day two results
Under 13
WP Prep 22-17 St Stithians
Bishops 24-19 Waterkloof House
Woodridge 40-10 St Peter’s
Highbury 43-00 The Ridge
St David’s 26-17 St John’s
Under 14
St David’s Blue 49-02 Kingswood
St Andrew’s 45-00 St Stithians
St John’s 45-10 CBC Boksburg
St Benedict’s 22-19 Cornwall Hill
St Charles 35-00 St Alban’s
Under 15
St Charles 31-00 St John’s
St David’s 36-00 Somerset College
Alex Wolves 98-10 Lions XV
Michaelhouse 54-17 Kingswood
St Andrew’s 29-24 St Benedict’s
Under 17
St Charles 73-14 Cornwall Hill
St Andrew’s 28-19 Kingswood
St Benedict’s 17-12 Cornwall Hill
St Alban’s 21-19 Lions XV
St John’s 35-07 Kingswood
St Stithians 16-14 Bishops
Michaelhouse 57-20 St David’s
Lions XV 21-09 Eton
St John’s 78-00 CBC Boksburg
St David’s II 14-19 St Andrew’s Barbarians
St Benedict’s 49-07 Eton II
Somerset College 19-14 St Alban’s
