Latest news with #PaarlGimnasium
The South African
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The South African
Schoolboy rugby: The unofficial 'official' Top 20 rankings
Any attempt at ranking South Africa's First XV rugby schools is guaranteed to upset as many readers as it will please. The simple fact of the matter is that there is NO possible way of accurately determining a definitive list. Many lists are to be found floating around the internet – none of which are in fact 'official'. While it's true that thanks to an increase in the number of schoolboy rugby festivals around the country more schools are playing schools they previously wouldn't have faced, no school plays every other school both home and away during the season. Hence, every list should be taken with a pinch of salt and is subjective at best. Having said that, with the second term now finished and with provinces preparing for the upcoming U18 Craven Week, here is the unofficial 'official' First XV Top 20 rankings list. NOTE: This year's U18 Craven Week will take place from 7 to 12 July at Middelburg Hoërskool in Mpumalanga. Ranking School Province 1 Paarl Gimnasium * Western Cape 2 Paarl Boys' High * Western Cape 3 Grey College Free State 4 Affies Gauteng 5 Paul Roos Western Cape 6 Oakdale Western Cape 7 Garsfontein Gauteng 8 Westville KwaZulu-Natal 9 DHS KwaZulu-Natal 10 Wynberg Western Cape 11 Rondebosch Western Cape 12 Helpmekaar Gauteng 13 Northwood KwaZulu-Natal 14 Noordheuwel Gauteng 15 Outeniqua Western Cape 16 Hilton College KwaZulu-Natal 17 Grey High School Eastern Cape 18 Jeppe Gauteng 19 Stellenberg Western Cape 20 KES Gauteng *It's a pointless exercise debating whether Paarl Gimnasium should be No 1 or whether in fact Paarl Boys' High boast a stronger case for top spot. Both sides have had stellar first-halves to the season, they haven't played the same opponents, and, most crucial of all, they haven't faced one another. So, instead of wasting time debating the merits of who may be better, get out your calendar and circle Saturday, 2 August in your diary. Because that's when the two sides will come face-to-face to determine South Africa's No 1-ranked First XV school. And that's official … Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
29-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Stormers secure strong contingent of SA schoolboy stars for next season
Stormers director of rugby John Dobson is pleased with the crop of schoolboy players who committed their futures to the Cape side ahead of next season. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix The Stormers have moved to secure the cream of local schoolboy rugby talent in the Western Cape ahead of the next season. A strong group of juniors have committed their futures to the Cape side for 2026 and beyond as they transition from school rugby into the more professional side of game. The recruitment is led by the Paarl Gimnasium duo of centre Markus Muller and loose forward Quintin Potgieter, who will be joined by Rondebosch Boys' loose forward Alutha Wesi, centre Randall-John Davids, and Paul Roos stalwarts wing Jordan Steenkamp, hooker Altus Rabe and loose forward Gert Kemp. Additional signings include Wynberg Boys' flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed, Boland Landbou scrumhalf Jayden Brits and Grey College lock AJ Meyer. There is especially excitement about the future of Muller, captain of Paarl Gim's first XV, and how he has excelled in the outside-centre jersey for the school. Another promising young player is flyhalf Ahmed. He has been outstanding in the Wynberg jersey with his overall skills. It's expected that Ahmed will form part of the SA Schools team again this year after starring for the team during last season's Under-18 International Series, while Muller is expected to make the step up from the SA Schools A side. John Dobson, the director of rugby at the Stormers, said they are excited about the strong influx of local talent, which aligns with their commitment to nurturing players from the community. 'This speaks to our aim as an organisation of harnessing the talent we have on our doorstep and strengthening the connection with our fans by contracting players from their communities to take our team forward,' Dobson said. The decision to prioritise local talent is a critical component of Stormers Rugby's strategy. It enhances their pathway system, which has already borne fruit, as evidenced by the success of the Western Province Under-21s, claiming consecutive national title victories in the last couple of seasons. Many of these players have subsequently stepped into the ranks of the Stormers during the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup, showcasing the effectiveness of the organisation's development approach. 'Of course, we still keep an eye on the most promising players from around the country, and will make strategic acquisitions from outside the region if we feel they will make a big difference,' Dobson added.
IOL News
29-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Stormers secure strong contingent of schoolboy stars for upcoming season
Stormers director of rugby John Dobson is pleased with the crop of schoolboy players who committed their futures to Stormers Rugby ahead of next season. Image: Backpagepix The Stormers have moved to secure the cream of local schoolboy rugby talent in the Western Cape ahead of the next season. A strong group of juniors have committed their futures to the Cape side for 2026 and beyond as they transition from school rugby into the more professional side of game. The recruitment is led by the Paarl Gimnasium duo of centre Markus Muller and loose forward Quintin Potgieter, who will be joined by Rondebosch Boys' loose forward Alutha Wesi, centre Randall-John Davids, and Paul Roos stalwarts wing Jordan Steenkamp, hooker Altus Rabe, and loose forward Gert Kemp. Additional signings include Wynberg Boys' flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed, Boland Landbou scrumhalf Jayden Brits, and Grey College lock AJ Meyer. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ There is especially excitement about the future of Muller, captain of Paarl Gim's first XV, and how he has excelled in the outside-centre jersey for the school. Another promising young player is flyhalf Ahmed. He has been outstanding in the Wynberg jersey with his overall skills. It's expected that Ahmed will form part of the SA Schools team again this year after starring for the team during last season's Under-18 International Series, while Muller is expected to make the step up from the SA Schools A side. John Dobson, the director of rugby at the Stormers, said they are excited about the strong influx of local talent, which aligns with their commitment to nurturing players from the community. 'This speaks to our aim as an organisation of harnessing the talent we have on our doorstep and strengthening the connection with our fans by contracting players from their communities to take our team forward,' Dobson said. A strong group of junior players have committed their futures to Stormers Rugby for 2026 and beyond. Full story #wpjoulekkerding — DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) May 28, 2025 The decision to prioritise local talent is a critical component of Stormers Rugby's strategy. It enhances their pathway system, which has already borne fruit, as evidenced by the success of the Western Province U21s, claiming consecutive national title victories in the last couple of seasons. Many of these players have subsequently stepped into the ranks of the Stormers during the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup, showcasing the effectiveness of the organisation's development approach. 'Of course, we still keep an eye on the most promising players from around the country and will make strategic acquisitions from outside the region if we feel they will make a big difference,' Dobson added.
The Citizen
29-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Stormers announce signing of schoolboy stars, Adams on way to Lions?
The Cape-based union have opted to invest in a number of local players. The Stormers have announced the signing of a number of promising schoolboy rugby players. The Paarl Gimnasium duo of centre Markus Muller and loose forward Quintin Potgieter, Rondebosch Boys High loose forward Alutha Wesi, centre Randall-John Davids and prop Matt van der Merwe, wing Jordan Steenkamp, hooker Altus Rabe and loose forward Gert Kemp from Paul Roos, Wynberg Boys flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed, Boland Landbou scrumhalf Jayden Brits and Grey College lock AJ Meyer have all agreed to join the Stormers next year. Director of Rugby John Dobson said that the contracting model is to look at local talent from the region first as a way to keep strengthening the pathway system which has seen the Western Province U21 team win two consecutive national titles, with many of those players going on to feature for the Stormers as well. 'This speaks to our aim as an organisation of harnessing the talent we have on our doorstep and strengthening the connection with our fans by contracting players from their communities to take our team forward,' said Dobson in a statement. Success stories 'We will still keep an eye on the most promising players from around the country and will make strategic acquisitions from outside the region if we feel they will make a big difference,' he added. Dobson said that this strong intake of local talent is extremely encouraging as the Stormers look to build significant depth by drawing on the best that the schools in the Western Cape have to offer. 'We have seen a few big success stories in recent years, with the likes of Damian Willemse, Salmaan Moerat, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, JD Schickerling and Suleiman Hartzenberg all coming through our system to become household names.' Ethan Adams of Grey College. Picture: Marnus Prinsloo Meanwhile, Grey College star centre Ethan Adams, who played for the SA Schools team last year and is considered one of the biggest talents in junior rugby in South Africa, is rumoured to be on his way to the Lions. The Joburg-based team have, however, yet to announce the signing.
