Monnas was and still is not a school that tries to hide from the other top rugby playing schools in South Africa. For 2022 they added matches against Pretoria Boys High and Grey College in an already extremely tough and busy fixture list.
A fixture list that can see their 1stXV team play 26 matches with one or two "soft" games during the season. The only fixture that is still missing from this impressive/"mad" list is that of Affies. We can only hope.
With an early start, Monnas travel to Tzaneen to play Ben Vorster who was promoted to the VirSeker Plate competition. Thereafter Welkom Gimnasium will give them a proper test at home before the start of the Noord/Suid Festival.
It is clear that all the NoordVaal schools have planned their season to not be again surprised by the schools from the South. At the Noord/Suid Festival Paarl Gim and Oakdale awaits the Wit Bulle.
Jeppe Boys High was thrown in the mix as preparation for the Kearsney Easter Festival where the fixture list is still to be finalised.
Nelspruit again "thrown in" for preparation for the Wildeklawer Festival where Paarl Boishaai and Outeniqua must be faced with only one day of rest between these two battles.
Thereafter the VirSeker Cup competition starts with no easy match week after week. After taking on Waterkloof, Garsfontein and Middelburg HTS, Monnas will travel to Bloemfontein for their biggest test against the mighty Grey College whereafter they will host Glenwood.
Pretoria Boys High did not test the Witbulle in 2021 but rest assured that Paul Anthony would have made the necessary notes and will test Monnas after their tester against EG Jansen.
Thereafter again big matches against Helpmekaar, Menlopark and Noordheuwel before the VirSeker Cup playoffs start.
Some will say that Monnas are mad exposing their boys to this much of rugby, however, I am sure that their planning was done properly with top coaching structures in place to face this fixture list with success. Add to that the scouting of Wynand Moolman and the water from the West Rand, then we can all expect Monnas in the finals of most of the VirSeker Cup age groups.
1stXV Provisional Fixtures (Home team 1st)
05/03/2022 Ben Vorster vs Monnas
12/03/2022 Monnas vs Welkom Gim
26/03/2022 Monnas vs Paarl Gim (Noord/Suid)
29/03/2022 Monnas vs Oakdale (Noord/Suid)
06/04/2022 Monnas vs Jeppe
14/04/2022 Kearsney Festival
16/04/2022 Kearsney Festival
18/04/2022 Kearsney Festival
23/04/2022 Nelspruit vs Monnas
30/04/2022 Monnas vs Outeniqua (Wildeklawer)
02/05/2022 Paarl Boishaai vs Monnas (Wildeklawe)
07/05/2022 Monnas vs Waterkloof (VirSeker Cup)
14/05/2022 Monnas vs Garsfontein (VirSeker Cup)
21/05/2022 Middelburg HTS vs Monnas (VirSeker Cup)
28/05/2022 Grey College vs Monnas
04/06/2022 Monnas vs Glenwood
11/06/2022 EG Jansen vs Monnas
19/07/2022 Monnas vs Pretoria Boys High
23/07/2022 Marais Viljoen vs Monnas
30/07/2022 Helpmekaar vs Monnas
06/08/2022 Monnas vs Menlopark
13/08/2022 Monnas vs Noordheuwel
20/08/2022 VirSeker Cup Semi-finals
27/08/2022 VirSeker Cup Final
Other important dates:
22-26/03/2022 Hansie Week 14B/C+15B/C+16B/C
22-26/03/2022 Naboomspruit 3/4de span
25-30/03/2022 u/16A Jean de Villiers Festival (Paarl Gim)
25-30/03/2022 u/15A Paarl Boishaai Week
25-30/03/2022 u/14A Kwagga Week (Outeniqua)