The 2026 ABSA Wildeklawer will start off with a bang on Friday afternoon with the main fixture between Paul Roos Gymnasium (PRG) and Hoërskool Garsfontein at 19:00 (SA Time) set to entertain the capacity crowd with speed, flair and brutal assaults.
Paul Roos, who had an unbeaten season before going down 20-10 to Stellenberg two weeks ago, has bounced back impressively with a 28-15 win against Grey High School. On display against Grey High was Paul Roos’ brilliant rhythm on the attack and the defence, and given the opportunity, they will test the defence of Garsfontein. Garsfontein arrived in Kimberley with significant momentum after a "stellar" performance at the Noord-Suid tournament, which included a narrow 31–28 victory over Paarl Boys' High; however, their second half against Affies was nothing to get excited about, especially their defence out wide. The crowd will be treated to a game that will be played at a high tempo with the pack of forwards of Garsfontein creating space for the backs to run amok; however, the defence of Paul Roos has been rock solid, apart from the final ten minutes against Stellenberg and should be able to defend anything that Garsfontein can throw at them. Both teams have shown their strengths and weaknesses, and the difference will be in the game plans that the coaches will be looking at to secure the win. Paul Roos is apart from Stellenberg, the best team that Garsfontein has faced at this stage of the season, and it will be interesting to see their response to a completely new type op threat.
Nico Malan did not have the best start to their season, but “turned” their season around following the Noord/Suid Rugby Festival with two good wins against Muir College (31-24) and Framesby (35-34), while EG Jansen will be looking for their fourth win in their tenth match. Both teams are known for their exciting game plans, with their back three stealing the show often. High score and a crowd pleaser await?
Queen’s College are having a “good” season with their most impressive performance of the season, their losses toNico Malan (19-24) and Dale College (29-31), while their 13-33loss to KES at the KES Easter Rugby Festival puts their true “strength” into perspective. Diamantveld had an impressive start to the season, beating Monnas (36-35) at the start of the season, whereafter, the seamed to have faded a bit; however, the loss to Jeppe (28-34) followed by wins against Duineveld (36-00) and Upington (31-05) ave their supporters believe that 2026 could still be one of their best. Diamantveld should win following a big fight in the first fifty minutes, causing a buzz in the beer tent until the early hours on Saturday morning.
Friday 24 April 2026
Diamanveld A Field
14:15 Nico Malan vs EG Jansen
15:45 Diamantveld vs Queen’s College
17:30 Opening Ceremony
19:00 Paul Roos vs Garsfontein
