Durban High School 31-14 Zwartkop
Durban High School (DHS), unbeaten in the previous two Kearsney Easter Rugby Festivals, faced newcomers, Hoërskool Zwartkop, in the final game of the opening day of the event in Botha’s Hill on Friday.
Zwarries, beaten only once in 20 matches in 2025, returned 12 players. A humdinger was on the cards.
The Horseflies were the first onto the attack after a superb 50-22 from fullback Cilermo Carolus, but Zwartkop passed their first defensive test. Carolus then sparked a second DHS attack with a massive side-step and made it into the Pretoria school’s 22, but his pass was dropped. Zwartkop breathed a sigh of relief.
Zwarries worked their way into the DHS half and tested School with long passes covering the width of the field. After winning a kickable penalty, they opted to set up a lineout rather than take a kick at goal, and that paid off.
Hooker Regan Blignaut charged over from close range and scored just to the left of the uprights, leaving flyhalf Tilon Baron with a simple conversion kick.
DHS returned the favour when they won a kickable penalty, but chose to kick to the corner, resulting in left-wing Richard Gyamfi ducking under an attempted tackle to score in the left-hand corner. Tanwil Onkers was wide with the attempted conversion, but DHS soon grabbed the lead.
A counterattack down the left flank exposed Zwarries after inside centre Byron Klaasen broke a tackle before putting Gyamfi away for his second five-pointer.
Zwartkop fought back well and put DHS under pressure, but a loose pass in the Horseflies’ 22 was intercepted, and a kick ahead resulted in Zwarries having to carry the ball over their try line, which gave DHS an attacking five-metre scrum.
That was a tough blow to stomach, and it hurt even more when outside centre Nathan Aneke sliced through for a try after a strong DHS shove.
Onkers slotted the conversion to put the Durban boys 10 points clear at 17-7.
Early in the second half, Zwartkop laid siege to the DHS try line, maintaining possession and launching wave after wave of attacks. With typical grit, School resisted stubbornly. Their efforts brought reward when Zwarries spilt a pass under threat of an interception, and DHS won a put-in.
A brilliant break by SA Schools centre Nathan Aneke then shredded Zwartkops’ defence, but Zwarries’ desperate scrambling forced Aneke to run a weaving line, and a last-gasp tackle saw Aneke’s pass go forward to prevent a try being scored.
DHS, though, crossed for a try with seven minutes to play when 8th-man Daniel Kazambo burst away off a scrum inside the Zwartkop 22, beating two defenders with the speed of his attack before splitting two others to power over for five points.
Onkers was on target with the conversion to put DHS 24-7 ahead.
Zwartkop was not done. They showed their character by mauling their way over with loosehead prop Matthew Smith taking the ball to ground. Baron’s conversion was successful.
It took until the last play of the game for DHS to reply. Jose Lottering burst over from a scrum near the Zwartkop posts, and Tanwil Onkers converted to make it 31-14 at the final whistle.
Scorers
Durban High School 31 (17) - Tries: Richard Gyamfi (2), Nathan Aneke, Daniel Kazambo, Jose Lottering. Conversions: Tanwil Onkers (3).
Zwartkop 14 (7) - Tries: Regan Blignaut, Matthew Smith. Conversion: Tilon Baron (2).
Milnerton High 20-27 EG Jansen
In game five of the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, Dr EG Jansen snatched an early lead against Milnerton High in a mid-afternoon clash on Stott Field.
Right-wing Werner Breydenbach broke through a would-be tackler on the tryline to give Jansies a 5-0 advantage after some good ball retention, but Milnerton replied with a scything counterattack, which was finished by flyhalf Chadlin Sellidon, who wrong-footed the cover defence with a couple of sharp side-steps before crossing in the right-hand corner.
Up front, the advantage in the set scrums belonged to Dr EG Jansen. They had Millies in reverse, which led to some poor-quality ball, and that paid off when they turned over possession from a Milnerton scrum feed. Ewan Pretorius grabbed the ball and forced his way over the whitewash from close range to make it 10-5.
Then, with nine minutes to play in the first half, Jaco Engelbrecht intercepted a Milnerton pass and raced away from the scrambling defence to bag EG Jansen’s third five-pointer.
When play loosened up, that favoured Milnerton, and they made ground deep into EG Jansen’s half.
They spilt a chance to score with the tryline beckoning, but were instead awarded a penalty, which they ran. In an untidy spell, possession changed hands a couple of times. Eventually, though, it favoured the Capetonians, and flank Yenga Moangeli made Jansies pay with a try.
Just before halftime, Milnerton was over again, with tighthead prop Kyle Janse van Rensburg scoring in the right-hand corner. Sellidon’s conversion attempt hit the left-hand upright and bounced over the crossbar - the first successful kick of the game - to give Milnerton a 17-15 lead at the break.
EG Jansen took back the lead 10 minutes into the second stanza when, after a concerted period of pressure, inside centre Dian Botha ran onto a short pass and crashed over the try line, beneath the uprights. He banged over the conversion, too.
Credit to Milnerton, they sucked it up and took the game to Jansies. It almost brought them a spectacular length-of-the-field try, and they kept pressing, but EG Jansen stubbornly held on. When Millies coughed up possession, Jansies cleared out of the 22 with a searing counterattack from a set scrum.
Milnerton had a chance to cut the deficit to two points when they were awarded a penalty on the EG Jansen 10-metre line. Sellidon’s successful kick at posts was also the first successful penalty kick of the day, in the fifth game, and it made the score 22-20.
The final say belonged to EG Jansen, however, with Liam Hector stepping off his left foot to dot down in the left-hand corner to make it 27-20 with four minutes to play.
Dian Botha could have made it a 10-point game, but his penalty kick, the last play of the game, was wide to the left of the uprights.
Scorers
Milnerton High 20 (17) – Tries: Chadlin Sellidon, Yenga Moangeli, Kyle Janse van Rensburg. Conversions: Chadlin Sellidon. Penalty: Chadlin Sellidon.
Dr EG Jansen 27 (15) – Tries: Werner Breydenbach, Ewan Pretorius, Jaco Engelbrecht, Dian Botha, Liam Hector. Conversion: Dian Botha.
Kearsney College 43-14 Rustenburg
A big roar greeted the home side, Kearsney College, when they opened the afternoon’s action on Stott Field against Hoërskool Rustenburg in Thursday’s fourth game of KERF in Botha’s Hill.
Straight from the kick-off, the One-Stripe forced their way deep into Rusties’ half, winning a penalty in the 22, from which they set up a lineout five metres from the try line. Rustenburg escaped that threat, but Kearsney kept control of the territorial battle.
When Rustenburg finally got out of their half, Kearsney suddenly turned defence into attack, outflanking the opposition down the left flank, which put 8th-man and captain Nhlanhla Ndlovu in the clear. He cut inside and showed Rusties a clean pair of heels, to go over for the first try of the contest within the first five minutes. Daniel Miskey knocked over the simple conversion, and Kearsney enjoyed an early 7-0 advantage.
Rustenburg responded well and pinned Kearsney in their half, winning a five-metre lineout, but Kearsney grabbed the throw-in to stop the danger. Still, the North West boys kept Kearsney on the back foot.
They were rewarded for good ball retention when hooker Dandré Graham powered over in the 17th minute and flyhalf Aldin Baaitjies converted to level the scores.
For a while, the competition was even, with the game being contested in the middle of the park. Rustenburg had an opportunity to take the lead, but a long-range penalty attempt was wide of the mark.
With eight minutes left in the half, the momentum swung firmly in Kearsney’s favour.
It began with a loose clearance kick, which cost Rusties dearly. Captain Ndlovu made a chaser miss with a swivel of his hips, and that created a three-man overlap on the left flank. He made ground before making Lwandle Mkhize the beneficiary of his largesse, with the final pass giving the wing a simple run-in for five points.
Rustenburg responded well and regained momentum, working their way deep into Kearsney’s half, but the One-Stripe turned defence into attack with a stunning counterattack.
It began in the right-hand corner with right-wing Luke Grobbelaar. He put Oliver Ludwig into space, and the flank drew the last defender, fullback CJ Plaaitjies, before setting Fynn Verbaan free to score the try. Daniel Miskey converted to make it 19-7.
Once again, Rustenburg forced Kearsney back, but Grobbelaar hurt them once more, pulling off an interception to race clear and dot down just before halftime. Miskey’s conversion made it 26-7 at the interval.
Two minutes into the second half, Lwandle Mkhize started and finished a superb counterattack. He combined with fullback Lwazi Mbebe and his skipper, Nhlanhla Ndlovu, before pulling off a couple of vicious sidesteps to cross for Kearsney’s fifth try.
The home side’s good support play and pop passes in the tackle were paying rich dividends. Some of the passing was delightful as they stretched the Rusties’ defensive line to its limit.
Hooker Mcebisi Zulu was introduced into the game early in the second half when Kearsney substituted their front row and was on the field for only a couple of minutes before he made it onto the scoresheet.
More sharp Kearsney passing almost had them in for another try, but good cover defence knocked Luke Grobbelaar over the touchline, five metres out. A missed Rustenburg throw-in fell kindly for Zulu, though, and he dived over for the home side’s sixth try.
With a big lead, Kearsney was able to send on more substitutes. That led to the hosts losing some of the fluency that had caused Rustenburg so many problems, and Rusties took advantage of the slight respite to gain more possession and play the game in Kearsney’s half.
Their perseverance was rewarded late in the game when Wicus Arnold burrowed over for his side’s second try. Flyhalf Aldin Baaitjies nailed the conversion to make it 36-14, which felt like a fairer reward for the visitors’ never-say-die efforts.
There was a final sting in the tale, though, with Sibusiso Khuzwayo snatching a spilled ball out of the air to hare over for the last try of the game, which was converted by Daniel Miskey, leaving Kearsney the winners by a handsome 43-14 margin.
Scorers:
Kearsney 43 (26): Tries: Lwandle Mkhize (2), Nhlanhla Ndlovu, Fynn Verbaan, Luke Grobbelaar, Mcebisi Zulu, Sibusiso Khuzwayo. Conversions: Daniel Miskey (4)
Rustenburg 14 (7): Tries: Dandré Graham, Wicus Arnold. Conversions: Aldin Baaitjies (2)
Westville Boys’ High 83-00 Framesby
Westville Boys’ High showed their intent early in their clash against Framesby in Thursday’s third match of KERF, when the jet-shoed Avumile Lisa sped clear for a long-range try to put the Griffins up 5-0 within the first few minutes. It was the start of an astonishing performance from the local side.
Unbeaten at KERF in 2025, they were full of running and quickly began punching holes in the Gqeberha side’s defensive line.
A fantastic counterattack opened space on the right and fullback Lisa, with excellent vision, grubbered inside for lock Warren Murray, who gratefully accepted a kind bounce to cross for Westville’s second try within the first 10 minutes. Jade-Will Koopman converted to make it 12-0.
Westville was full of running and playing with intensity. The cohesion between their backs and forwards was impressive, and their speed caused Framesby problems.
To their credit, Framesby almost caught out Westville, but the race for a ball that had been stabbed across the goal line ended in it being knocked on.
Something that quickly became clear, though, was that Westville had the upper hand in the scrums. Framesby found themselves being forced into reverse on their put-ins.
With two minutes to go to the break, inside centre, Curtis Fenton, powered over from close range for Westville’s third to make it 17-0.
Coach Zander Erasmus’ boys began the second half the way they began the first, scoring an early try, with Ezra Karolisin scrambling back to his feet after not being held in a tackle and touching down in the right-hand corner.
Flyhalf Koopman slotted the difficult kick, bisecting the uprights to extend the Griffins’ advantage by another two points.
Shortly after the kick-off, Westville was over again, with 8th-man Lwandle Makhanya making a storming run, which created space out wide for SA Schools’ flyer Jadrian Afrikaner to round off. Another accurate Koopman kick made it 31-0.
Avumile Lisa cantered over for his second try after smooth handling by the backline, and Koopman had an easy conversion as Westville’s intensity took its toll on Framesby.
Karosilin then broke a tackle and made good yards before setting up Lwandle Makhanya for another five-pointer.
Jadrian Afrikaner crossed the whitewash shortly after, playing a nice one-two pass to put himself clear on the right after he had made the initial break. That took the KZN side to 50 points.
Soon, Afrikaner had a hat-trick as Westville’s sharp passing cut Framesby to shreds. He dotted down under the poles to make the conversion easy for Koopman.
Framesby couldn’t contain the Griffins and Lisa Sijadu continued the rout, scoring under the posts. Koopman converted again to make it 64-0.
Westville showed that their forwards could do it, too, when they drove over from a 50-22 lineout, with hooker Rorke Stirk bagging the five points. That meant Westville had topped a half-century in the second half.
When Framesby finally forced their way up to the Westville try line, they were struck by a hammer blow. Seeing a big gap in front of him, Levi Allan broke their line and pinned his ears back. Chased by two defenders, he lost his footing inside the Gqeberha side’s 22, but Lisa was on hand to take a pop pass and go over for his third try. Koopman slotted the kick.
With time almost up, Sijadu scored under the uprights, Koopman converted, and a one-sided contest ended 83-0. After a tight first half, Westville let loose. Framesby couldn’t hang with their speed, precision and execution.
Scorers
Westville Boys’ High 83 (17): Tries: Jadrian Afrikaner (3), Avumile Lisa (3), Lisa Sijadu (2), Lwandle Makhanya, Warren Murray, Curtis Fenton, Ezra Karosilin, Rorke Stirk. Conversions: Jade-Will Koopman (9)
Framesby 0 (0)
Transvalia 26-06 Peterhouse Zimbabwe
With the morning dew being burned away by the sun, handling improved, and Hoërskool Transvalia and Peterhouse delivered a well-contested clash in the second game of the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival on Thursday morning. ‘Valia made the early running, but they were stung when Zimbabwe’s Peterhouse struck first.
Forced onto the defensive, the Marondera school turned over possession and thrilled the growing crowd with a breakaway try from deep inside their 22. Left-wing Munashe Masamha made the running down the left-hand flank before putting outside centre Russell Musekiwa away for the opening score of the contest. Having scored, Peterhouse began to enjoy a better share of the territory, and they continued to ask questions of Transvalia by getting the ball out wide quickly.
‘Valia regrouped, though, and replied from close range, driving hooker Aldo Fourie over from a lineout to open their account. Flyhalf Chester MacCamel gave the Vanderbijlpark boys the lead with a sweetly struck conversion.
They added to their advantage two minutes from the break when, after a period of sustained pressure, lock Jeanré Barnard crashed over just to the left of the uprights. The conversion kick attempt struck an upright, and Transvalia took a 12-5 lead into halftime. With only five minutes remaining in the contest, an overthrow at a lineout five metres from Peterhouse’s try line worked out well for Transvalia. The ball found tighthead prop Damian van Heerden in space, and he drove towards the try line. With a long stretch and a couple of tacklers trying to stop him, he dotted down to give his side some breathing room. Jaydee Maree added the extras. Having broken through, Transvalia struck quickly again. Flyhalf MacCamel produced one of the highlights of the match, first fending off a defender before cutting inside and rounding off next to the uprights after a crazy run. Maree was again on target, and Transvalia went on to a 26-5 victory.
Scorers
Peterhouse: Tries: Russell Musekiwa.
Transvalia: Tries: Aldo Fourie, Jeanré Barnard, Damian van Heerden, Chester McCamel; Conversions: Jaydee Maree (2), Chester MacCamel.
Helpmekaar Kollege 24-05 Glenwood
On a beautiful day in Botha’s Hill, Helpmekaar Kollege scored the first points of the 2026 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival on the lush Stott field, crossing for the first try of the festival only two minutes into the opening game against Glenwood High.
A sharp counterattack, led by fullback Xander van Niekerk, took Helpmekaar deep into Glenwood territory before they were bundled over the sideline. After forcing the Green Machine to dot down behind their try line off the subsequent lineout, Helpies went over through inside centre Ethan Lourens, who split the Glenwood defence with a direct hard run line. Flyhalf Ethan Kruger added the extras. Both teams struggled somewhat with their handling in the slippery early morning conditions, but Helpmekaar enjoyed slightly the better of the territorial battle.
They added to their advantage in the 10th minute when their big number 8 Ruan Bester burst over after a turnover deep in Glenwood territory. Ethan Kruger goaled the five-pointer to turn it into a seven-point play.
Left-wing Zuan Krige then made himself available out wide on the right and sped over for Helpies’ third while Glenwood’s disjointed play continued.
Down by 19 points, the Durban school finally built up some momentum and forced their way into the Helpmekaar 22, but the Johannesburg side stood firm and kept their try line intact after Glenwood won a five-metre scrum. Right on the halftime whistle, though, Rosco Williams tore a hole in the Helpmekaar defence just inside the Joburg boys’ half. He then put through a chip kick, which he reached first, but the bounce of the ball prevented the exciting fullback from opening Glenwood’s account. A physical, error-strewn battle continued in the second half, with Helpmekaar fullback Xander van Niekerk continuing to ask questions of the Glenwood defenders, but all too often both sides found their attacking intent undone by handling errors. Helpmekaar came within a metre of adding to their total with 12 minutes left in the second stanza, but Glenwood forced a turnover to stop the danger.
Eventually, though, in the 22nd minute, Helpies’ pressure paid dividends, and Shaye Lourens crashed over from close range to make it 24-0.
With just three minutes remaining, the Green Machine broke their duck. At last, they found some momentum, taking the ball through eight phases before outside centre, Cade Isaacs, spotted a gap and forced his way over to make sure Glenwood didn’t finish the contest empty-handed.
Scorers
Helpmekaar Kollege 24 (19): Tries: Xander van Niekerk, Ruan Bester, Zuan Krige, Shaye Lourens. Conversions: Ethan Kruger (2).
Glenwood High: 5 (0) Try: Cade Isaacs.