Who is the most accomplished player to have passed through the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (KERF)? The answer must be Handrè Pollard, and it's not difficult to justify.
He represented Paarl Gimnasium at KERF in 2011 and 2012, and in that second year, the future Springbok flyhalf wore the number 10 jersey for South Africa in a Junior World Championship-winning campaign. He also captained South African Schools in 2011 and 2012.
Pollard has since been part of two Rugby World Cup-winning teams, in 2019 and 2023. He was the tournament's leading points' scorer in 2019, which included scoring 22 points in the 32-12 win over England in the final.
Due to injury, Pollard was not initially included in the 2023 squad, but he was called up during the tournament to replace Malcolm Marx, who suffered a knee injury. Pollard subsequently played in the knockout stages of the competition and landed all 13 of his kicks at goal, which was pivotal to the Springboks' title win; they beat France, England, and New Zealand, all by one point, to claim the Webb Ellis Trophy for a historic fourth time.
Since the inaugural festival in 2008, KERF has always provided an ideal platform for lovers of schoolboy rugby to spot the cream of upcoming talent. This year’s festival kicks off on Thursday (2nd April), with two other play days on Saturday 4 and Monday 6.
Widely regarded as one of the country’s most entertaining and successful school rugby events, KERF 2026 features an impressive field of 12 top-level 1st XV teams from across the country and Zimbabwe; as well as four girls’ teams during lunchtime slots, and 12 primary school teams on an adjacent field.
Another player who ran out at KERF in 2012, Affies' lock, RG Snyman, like Pollard, was also a member of the Rugby World Cup-winning teams of 2019 and 2023. Jaden Hendrikse, who played for Glenwood at KERF in 2017 and 2018 - the Green Machine went unbeaten in the latter season - also made it onto the winner's podium in Paris.
Interestingly, one of the players who played for New Zealand in the RWC final in Paris, Damien McKenzie, was part of KERF in 2011, when he represented Christ's College.
While those four players all played on rugby's biggest stage in 2023, there are a good number of players who have gone through KERF who have made their mark in Sevens. They include Nico Malan's Selvyn Davids, who captained South Africa at the Paris Olympics in 2024, where SA won the bronze medal. In March 2026, he was named the HSBC Sevens Player of the Final as South Africa won the New York SVNS, edging out Fiji 10-7 to snatch the overall series title from the islanders.
Another member of that title-winning team was Paarl Gim's Ryan Oosthuizen, who participated at KERF in 2013 and made his Blitzboks' debut in 2017. He's been a regular member of the line-up ever since. Outeniqua's Dewald Human also visited Botha's Hill in 2013, and was in the side that won in New York.
It's worth mentioning that former Sharks' captain, Tera Mtembu, who turned out for Dale College at Kearsney in 2008 and 2009, is now part of the hosts' 1st XV coaching staff, and he has also represented the Blitzboks in the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
Turning to more recent participants at KERF, Monument's Ceano Everson, the Player of the Tournament in 2023, helped the SA u20 side win the World Rugby u20 Championship in 2025. Also in that squad was Westville Boys' High speedster, Siyabonga Ndlozi, who ran out for SA’s Sevens side at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago in 2023, helping them to the bronze medal.
Glenwood's Jaco Williams, who made his Sharks' URC debut in 2024/25, and was included in the Springboks' Alignment Camp in February 2026, was also part of the title-lifting World Rugby u20 Championship team. That side also featured DHS front-ranker, Simphiwe Ngobese, who represented the Horseflies at KERF in 2023.
Over the years, Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival spectators have been fortunate to have seen enthralling and inspiring play from many other youngsters who went on to attain international status; including Allan Dell, Scotland (Queen's College), Wynston Cameron-Dow, Germany (DHS), Johan Goosen, South Africa (Grey College), Paul Willemse, France (Monument), Jan Serfontein, South Africa (Grey College), Robert du Preez, South Africa (Kearsney College), Damien McKenzie, New Zealand (Christ's College), Daniel du Preez, South Africa (Kearsney College), Jean-Luc du Preez, South Africa (Kearsney College) Handrè Pollard, South Africa (Paarl Gimnasium), Jaco van der Walt, Scotland (Monument), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, South Africa (Affies), Pierre Schoeman, Scotland (Affies), Ivan van Zyl, South Africa (Affies), RG Snyman, South Africa (Affies), Ayron Schramm, Germany (Kearsney College), Duhan van der Merwe, Scotland (Outeniqua), Warrick Gelant, South Africa (Outeniqua), Luhandré Luus, Italy (Paarl Gimnasium), Aphelele Fassi, South Africa (Dale College), Dylan Richardson, Scotland (Kearsney College), Jaden Hendrikse, South Africa (Glenwood), Jordan Hendrikse, South Africa (Glenwood), Willie du Plessis, The Netherlands (Affies) and Mike Andrade, Portugal (Grey).
Adding to this year’s ambience at KERF, there will be numerous food outlets and a refreshment tent, a fun KidZone for little ones, and ample parking to ensure spectators can fully enjoy the weekend’s sporting entertainment.
To avoid the queues, tickets can be purchased online at Quicket.co.za
For those unable to attend the festival, games will be live-streamed on the SuperSport Schools app. Additional festival information, results, match reports and action photographs will be available on www.kearsney.com during the festival.
Fixtures
Day One, Thursday 2 April
08:00 Helpmekaar Kollege vs Glenwood High; 09:20 Hoērskool Transvalia vs Peterhouse Boys; 10:40 Westville Boys vs Hoērskool Framesby; 13:00 Kearsney College vs Hoērskool Rustenburg; 14:20 Milnerton High vs Dr EG Jansen; 15:40 Durban High School vs Hoērskool Zwartkop
Day Two, Saturday 4 April
08:00 Peterhouse Boys vs Milnerton High; 09:20 Durban High School vs Hoērskool Rustenburg; 10:40 Hoērskool Zwartkop vs Dr EG Jansen; 13:00 Glenwood High vs Hoērskool Framesby; 14:20 Kearsney College vs Hoērskool Transvalia; 15:40 Westville Boys vs Helpmekaar Kollege
Day Three, Monday 6 April
08:00 Hoērskool Transvalia vs Hoērskool Framesby; 09:20 Glenwood High vs Dr EG Jansen; 10:40 Peterhouse Boys vs Hoērskool Rustenburg; 12:50 Closing ceremony; 13:00 Westville Boys vs Milnerton High; 14:20 Durban High School vs Helpmekaar Kollege; 15:40 Kearsney College vs Hoērskool Zwartkop