Photo by Jorina Raath/Speedshots.co.za
Hoërskool Monument, affectionately known as Monnas is pleased to announce the Monnas Centenary Rugby Festival 2021 that will be part of their centenary celebrations next year.
Next year’s festival, which will be one of the highlights of the centenary celebrations at Monnas and will take place from Tuesday 23 March 2021 with the final fixtures to be played on Monday 05 April 2021.
All games during the festival will be made available live on several platforms by SchoolSportsLive(SSL) to ensure that the festival will be available to schoolboy rugby supporters worldwide.
The major attraction of the festival will be a 1stXV festival with ten of the top rugby playing schools in South Africa to test themselves against ten of the top rugby playing schools from around the world. Games will be played on Thursday 01 April 2021, Saturday 03 April and Monday 05 April 2021 with the teams to play two games each.
An u/13 festival with some of the top u/13 teams from South Africa to be invited will be played on Tuesday 30 March 2021, Wednesday 31 March 2021 and Thursday 01 April 2020. The two top teams will be playing in the final as the main curtain-raiser for the 1stXV festival's main game on Thursday.
The festival will be responsible for several firsts. All profits from the festival will be re-invested into South African schoolboy rugby while the secondary aim of the festival will be to support local businesses during the hosting of the festival. Hopefully, the festival can help to soften the financial hardships suffered by the Krugersdorp community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first meeting of the organising committee was attended by Hoërskool Monument's principal, Mr Johann Calitz together with Tjaart vd Walt (Head of Rugby), Bart Schoeman (Chairman SA Schools Challenge Trust), Sean Erasmus and Chris Vorster (Group CEO of Stadio Holding/trustee of SA Schools Challenge Trust).
Hoërskool Monument's Principal Johann Calitz said that they are excited to welcome the world's top rugby schools at Monnas. "We want to share with the world the school’s unique rugby traditions and achievements of the past 100 years. We want them to experience the true vibrant rugby atmosphere Monnas is known for".
Mr Bart Schoeman Chairman of the SA Schools Challenge Trust confirmed that the main purpose of the trust is to ensure that the South African rugby playing schools are the only beneficiaries of all activities the Trust participate in. "The income derived from the Monnas festival will be shared on an equal basis between Monnas and the SA Schools Challenge Trust".
Mr Tjaart vd Walt head of rugby at Monnas said that the "new" concept of the festival will ensure that the South African schools will be tested to the maximum. "We aim to only invite the best schools in the world with the emphasis on "best" and "schools. There will be no easy game for any of the South African schools in 2021".
Mr Sean Erasmus, "father of the idea to the host an international schoolboy rugby festival" is the surprise member of the organising committee. "The dream of the first festival hosted in 2018 was having the best schoolboy rugby on display". Mr Erasmus said he is excited that the Monnas Centenary Rugby Festival will return to the "initial" dream and are excited to assist wherever he can.
Mr Chris Vorster, group CEO of Stadio Holdings and a schoolboy rugby fanatic said that the fact that the festival's secondary aim is to support local business during the hosting of the tournament is exciting and special. "The expected influx of spectators and supporters will help a lot in softening the effect of the pandemic on our community".