Is it too early to predict the top 1stXV team in South Africa for 2026? Most of the pundits will say yes; however, taking into account the current form of the candidates for the top 10, it is not an art to predict the best ten 1stXV’s currently.
It must be taken into account that to end in the Top 10 at the end of the year, it will take consistency, playing the top contenders often mixed with a lot of luck and little to no injuries. 2026 is going to be a roller coaster ride with several surprises, biased referees making several obvious mistakes. Enjoy the ride.
1. On current form, Paul Roos must be the best team currently. They hit the ground running and dismissed challenges of Drostdy HTS (24-07) and Wynberg (15-06). Their dismantling of Affies (45-28) had to create some sort of panic in the opponents they still have to play. Paul Roos plays a fifteen-man running rugby that is similar to some of the top senior rugby teams in the world, and they have the patience to absorb the pressure of the opposing team's attack and then start to dismantle their opposition with speed and precision. Brilliance this early in the season is unheard of.
2. Grey College was my favourite until they played Monnas (31-15). Monnas managed to unsettle the confidence of this brilliant team, especially the two tries they leaked, which can only be attributed to a lack of commitment on defence. Their fixture list must be one of the most demanding of 2026, and they will be tested to the maximum. Maybe their clash with Paul Roos on 15 August will determine the number one 1stXV of 2026, or maybe the coaches of Helpmekaar, Stellenberg, Paarl Gim, Jeppe, Boishaai, Affies and Outeniqua went mmmm after their match against Monnas. Too many superstars in a team do not guarantee success?
3. Many are writing off Paarl Gimnasium following their 19-20 loss to Stellenberg. They beat SACS (30-05) and demolished Durbanville (45-12) during the past weekend. Paarl Gimnasium have the players and staff to be crowned number one; however, they are not as dominant as in 2025, and the loss against Stellenberg will harm their chances when the calculators are taken out by the clever boys. An unbeaten rest of the season can even see them, deservedly, being crowned champions of 2026, which will not be that big a surprise at all.
4. Despite Paarl Boishaai's slow and unimpressive start to the season, I believe that Sean Erasmus is still working on his masterplan, and if they can go unbeaten against Jeppe and Garsfontein at Noord/Suid, they will be contenders to regain their 2025 crown as the best 1stXV in South Africa; however, against Outeniqua, they were outmuscled up front and were lucky that Outeniqua did not keep the ball upfront.
5. My selection at five will raise many eyebrows; however, I believe that the only “dream team” of 2026 that will deliver the goods will be Stellenberg. Stellenberg already got the well-deserved scalp of Paarl Gim in the bag and is set to “surprise” many more hopefuls in the coming weeks. They already showed that they have the players as well as the “in your face” attitude to face their more famed opponents and beat them. However, and this is where it will become interesting, if they suffer two or three injuries to their stars, their dreams could end up in a nightmare and see them slip into the lower positions of the top twenty.
6. The next two positions will be determined when Oakdale and Affies clash at the Noord/Suid. I do think that Oakdale will bully Affies up front and do enough at the back to open up several cracks in Affies’ defence, which Paul Roos pointed out to them, to secure a close win.
7. Affies do have a young team and are well coached; however, with half of the team being U17, they will be tested to the max by several of their opponents scheduled for 2026. Many asked if the difference between U17 and U18 is really that big, it is only one year? Unfortunately, yes, it is especially at the back where a brilliant U17 player will most likely lack the ability to lead and direct the other players next to him. A brilliant playmaker at this level is vital for success, and unfortunately, brilliance can not be coached, but definately can be developed.
8. Jeppe must be the best English medium school in the country, and as they increase their exposure to the top schools, their rankings will increase, and I expect “once off” wins will become more and more expected, with the chance to create history with first wins will become less and less likely. Expect Jeppe to become a regular top 10 school in the near future, and even break into the top 5 in a brilliant year.
9. Durban High School was the top rugby school in KwaZulu-Natal in 2026, despite Westville ending the 2025 season unbeaten. The schools in KwaZulu-Natal need to understand that being unbeaten in a small village does not guarantee them a place at the table of the big boys. Unfortunately, the interschools between DHS and Hilton were cancelled. The question will always be asked who was the best in 2026; however, DHS's opposition schedule makes them the only candidate for a possible top 10 placing.
10. I have not seen the “Undercover” Garsfontein in 2026 yet, as none of their matches was shown on TV and their match against Stellenberg will be their first “public” appearance, but I have good inside information which claim that Garsfontein has once again have a brilliant pack of forwards, however at the back they seem to lack effort on the defence as Jeppe has shown in their come-back 29-26 win over Garsfontein.
Bubbling Under - Monnas, Outeniqua, Hilton College, Helpmekaar, Drostdy HTS, Noordheuwel, Durbanville, Westville, Waterkloof and Grey High.