Paarl Gimnasium has released its fixtures for the 2024 season. Although Paarl Gimnasium ended the 2023 season ranked 3rd (1stXV) after losing to Grey College (12-33) and drawing against Outeniqua (10-10).
What is expected from Paarl Gim? - Paarl Gim will always be one of the top rugby schools in South Africa and ending outside the Top 5 is unthinkable.
What will be interesting is their interpretation of the new tackling laws which will speed up play, if we are to believe the lawmakers. Paarl Gimnasium "usually" first used their powerful pack to suffocate their opponents with some of the best flyhalves in South Africa tactically dominating the game. Then only do they spread the ball wide for their exciting backs to run the best defensive systems to pieces.
Paarl Gimnasium 1stXV will play 16 games in 2024, starting their season against a difficult Stellenberg and ending their season against Paarl Boishaai. Exciting news was the new interschool fixture against Grey College at home in 2024 which resulted in their annual fixture against Outeniqua being cancelled.
A bit "worrying" was the losses their u/16 group suffered against Grey College, Wynberg, Affies and Oakdale in 2022, however, I am 100% sure that any shortcomings were fixed in 2023.
Can Paarl Gim improve its rankings in 2024? As with most of the "pretenders" a win against Grey College at home is a must while the travelling to Pretoria to face Affies could just be the speedbumps they do not need in a testing season. Then Boishaai? Sean Erasmus and his charges will be more than ready. Three losses could just see them ending outside of the Top 5, which as I said before is unthinkable.
Fixtures:
16/03/2024 - Stellenberg vs Paarl Gimnasium
23/03/2024 - Monnas vs Paarl Gimnasium @ Noord/Suid
26/03/2024 - Paarl Gim vs Pretoria Boys High @ Noord/Suid
06/04/2024 - Boland Landbou vs Paarl Gimnasium
13/04/2024 - Affies vs Paarl Gimnasium
20/04/2024 - Paarl Gimnasium vs Grey College
27/04/2024 - Paarl Gimnasium vs SACS
02/05/2024 - Paarl Gim vs EG Jansen @ Wildeklawer
04/05/2024 - Paarl Gim vs Helpmekaar @ Wildeklawer
11/05/2024 - Rondebosch vs Paarl Gimnasium
18/05/2024 - Paarl Gimnasium vs Paul Roos
25/05/2024 - Oakdale vs Paarl Gimnasium
13/07/2024 - Paarl Gimnasium vs Bishops
20/07/2024 - Wynberg vs Paarl Gimnasium
27/07/2024 - Paarl Gimnasium vs Durbanville
03/08/2024 - Paarl Boishaai vs Paarl Gimnasium