Daily News KZN Schools Rugby digimag

KWAZULU-NATAL SCHOOLS RUGBY

FIXTURES

MICHAELHOUSE

GLENWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

MARITZBURG COLLEGE

NORTHWOOD

WESTVILLE BOYS’ HIGH

HILTON COLLEGE

KEARSNEY COLLEGE

DURBAN’S most popular people’s paper welcomes you to our first edition of the Daily News KZN Schools Rugby supplement. From my days as a “youngin”, playing under 10 to first team rugby

kicked off in another year that

“WE’RE ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY”

CAMERON BELLING

Head of Marketing

Bluff Meat Supply is a familyowned business. We are all about community, and what better way to link up with the community than to grow with the youth by supporting their schools?

It goes beyond the advertising medium. It is about growing relationships with schools that have been part of the community for many decades.

As the schools’ communities have grown over the years, with an ever-increasing number of Old Boys entering the workforce, Bluff Meat Supply has grown, too. In fact, the business is undergoing a growth spurt.

Last year, we opened six stores across KZN. Right now, we have 23 stores. When I started with the group two-and-a-half years ago, there were 16 stores. We’ve added quite a few since. This year, there are another three or four on the cards.

PROXIMITY TO THE SCHOOLS

Bluff Meat Supply has also engaged with Northwood, Glenwood and Westville because they have three stores, relatively new, close to the schools.

If the Griffins are in your blood, and Bowden’s is your home, you’ll find Bluff Meat Supply there, including as a sponsor of the match officials.

In Durban North, there is the MacKeurtan Store, which is a neighbour to Northwood.

So, what better way than to build that partnership with someone that is right on your doorstep.

In Westville, there was a new store that opened up. Westville Boys is a dominant school in the area, with great swimming and great rugby.

We look forward to building stronger partnerships out there, and looking over towards Glenwood, our Berea store is also fairly new with lots to choose from. It has been around for a year-and-a-half and it has been an amazing experience building up that relationship with Glenwood.

promises to be action-packed with unbelievable talent and nail-biting finishes to some of the biggest rivalries.

Our special KZN Schools Rugby supplement has all the fixtures, results and a behind-the-scenes look at KZN’s top rugby schools – Northwood School, Westville Boys High School, Glenwood High School, Durban High School, Hilton College, Michaelhouse, Kearsney College, Maritzburg College, Clifton and many more.

I would like to thank our sponsor Bluff Meat Supply for making this initiative a reality.

Sport is something that we are very passionate about at the Independent Media family and I look forward to future collaborations on other sporting codes.

The Daily News is continuing to transcend boundaries through our print and digital platforms and there is no doubt that through our partnerships and local business communities, the windows of opportunity will continue to unveil themselves.

MATCH PREVIEWS

NORTHWOOD KNIGHTS READY FOR BATTLE

DURBAN’S Northwood Knights have sent a strong message to their local rivals ahead of the winter rugby season, after comprehensive wins in their last two games. The Knights, as they are known, will hope for a big season as they cele brate their 75th Jubilee Year.

Director of Rugby and head coach Jacques Deen said: “The milestone of Northwood’s 75th anniversary holds immense significance. Being part of this history inspires pride, motivation for the players, school boys, staff and coaching staff. It’s a reminder of the school’s legacy and the responsibility to uphold its rugby tradition.”

Northwood are coming off a 50-0 and 40-8 wins over Benoni’s

AS

against Hilton College, where they won a close contest 10-7.

Deen said the strong start can be attributed to multiple factors that include effective coaching and hard work.

“We believe in each other and we work as a unit. Coaches and players together make a winning team. We analyse and work hard to ensure that in every game we are mentally and physically prepared. Our players have a lot to prove and work for this year,” Deen said.

the day. “It was phenomenal. We are aiming to grow every team, not just our first team. Northwood’s goal is to grow each team and each player to be their best and uphold the new ‘gees’ we are developing,” he said.

Regarding the KES Festival, he said their results demonstrate their early-season form and preparation. He acknowledges that they have a lot of work to do and will approach every game with a fresh start and won’t carry any ego from previous wins.

The Blue Typhoon – as DHS is known – lived up to their name and blew the opposition apart

the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (KERF), emerging as 21-0, 45-0 and 38-7 victors over Humansdorp’s Nico Malan, Hoerskool Rustenburg and Pearson High School (Gqeberha) respectively. They hosted Westville Boys High School (WBHS) and won 19-9 on Saturday.

DHS head coach Peter Engledow spoke of his side’s monumental feat during the festival.

“It’s my third festival and this is the first time we’ve won all three games. We’ve always enjoyed this festival. We are delighted with the first two results – where we didn’t concede.”

Engledow said he wasn’t

shocked that they did so well due to their preparation and emphasis on team-building, which allowed for the team to express themselves. He said there was no pressure added, but he wanted the side to perform well, which wasn’t dependent on the final result.

“We had a job to do against Westville. We were recovering from the festival, but we were ready for them. It was a tough encounter because we played in unfamiliar conditions, but tactically we were good.” He said it felt good winning again, especially after winning on their Founder’s Day last year.

Engledow praised the Westville forwards for their physicality against traditional powerhouse school Monument High School and the physicality they brought to this particular game.

He said they focused primarily on their forwards due to

the conditions, and played in the right areas. “We look at the season game by game and the success of our season is when we look back and the boys have enjoyed the challenge, put in lots of effort and aren’t focused on winning and losing. It’s about the brand of rugby we play.”

After Saturday’s game, 1st XV manager Jacques du Plessis praised his side’s victory despite the wet weather.

“We managed to seal a convincing win through the superb defensive effort and han dling displayed by the for wards and backs. The DHS team made an immense effort in wet weather to contain the ball and convert opportunities to points.”

coaching team emphasises consist ency, discipline, trust, hard work and continuous improvement.

Ahead of their first home game against Durban High School (DHS), he said they were also coming off a successful festival – Kearsney Easter Festival – and that presented a tough challenge.

“Their impressive performance, winning all their games, indicates their quality. Northwood will need to be well-prepared to face such a formidable opponent.”

Following their successes at

agement made a decision to rest, which would be beneficial for the players in preparation for a big game at home against DHS. He said it would help with extra time for recovery, analysis and targeted preparation.

“We are ready and looking forward to hosting DHS. This game will help show our skills and hard work we have done in the off-season. Starting strong at home is crucial because it sets the tone for the season.

Their season objective is to end in the top 20 of the national rankings. To achieve this, consistency, continuous improvement and teamwork are key priorities, Deen said.

Regarding the rest of the season, he said: “If they play well and consistently, the scoreboard

He said their focus is to be disciplined tactically to execute their plans and to stick to the processes that contribute to per-

WBHS captain Chris Cloete said that because of the tough conditions, it was difficult for both sides to implement their usual game plan. “As a team, we put our bodies on the line and this could be considered one of our strongest attributes throughout the game. It was a well-met game on both sides but I think in the heat of the moment, we played in the wrong areas and made a lot of errors, which DHS

Despite the defeat, he praised DHS for remaining disciplined

THE winter sport fixtures fully get underway, Durban High School is building on their recent results during the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (KERF).

during

DHS v WESTVILLE: WESTVILLE BLOWN AWAY BY BLUE TYPHOON

MATCH

DHS v WESTVILLE

1ST XV 19 – 9 2ND XV 13 – 13 3RD XV 18 – 8

4TH XV 17 – 17 D 5TH XV 18 – 10 6TH XV 27 – 14 L 16A 20-10

GLENWOOD v MARITZBURG

1ST XV 7-18 2ND XV 17-17 3RD XV 10-22 4TH XV 0-10 5TH XV 0-34 6TH XV 0-39 7TH XV 14-38

GAME DAY

GLENWOOD v MARITZBURG COLLEGE

SATURDAY, 6 APRIL

JAMES DWYER CUP

Edward Dwyer,

colleagues,

He joined the British Army in July 2003, and the 29th Commando Regiment in June 2004, the latter unit being the Plymouth-based regiment that serves as the Close Support Artillery Regiment to 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines. He was described as a “professionally outstanding soldier” and was imbued with an “infectious sense of humour”.

Lance-Bombardier Dwyer, who was extremely popular with the regiment, was the first South African soldier serving in

the British Armed Forces to be killed in Afghanistan when his vehicle hit an anti-tank mine during a mission in the desert, south of Garmsir, on December 27, 2006. His service is commemorated on the 29 Commando Memorial at the Royal Citadel in Plymouth, England.

Dwyer’s family donated the cup and

named it after him: the James Dwyer Cup. The cup will honour his memory by having Glenwood High School hosting Maritzburg College on their home turf. “He was very sporty. We did it to honour James and to bring the two schools closer together because they have a history of 100 years of playing rugby together,” said Ian Dwyer, Dwyer’s uncle.

MARITZBURG College First XV captain Phiwayinkosi Kubheka holds the trophy following their victory, with Glenwood Boys’ High School headmaster Pierre Jacobs, front left, and Glenwood head of the Old Boys’ Association Ian Dwyer, left, and Maritzburg College headmaster Chris Luman, right.

JAMES

known as “Doobs” to his friends and

was a Glenwood old boy who played in the 1st team squash and for Glenwood athletics and cross-country teams.

SEEN AT THE MATCH

NANDI Ngcobo, Yandani Myeza and Mpume Mpanza.

Boys marketing officer Bodeane Joubert with band members Caleb Hendrikse, Gabriel Pellow-Jarman, Jordan Nash and bandmaster Akhail Singh. Independent Newspapers

SCOREBOARD keepers Ayabonga Magwaza, Caleb Potgieter and Damion Houston.

KAYDEN Williams, strength and conditioning coach Ben van Zyl and Sambulo Zondo.

SUPPORTERS Andiswa, Lungile and Delani Ndlovu and Owethu Mhlongo.

Burden, Jessica Behn and Gayle Gotte.

DYLAN Rensburg and GLenwood’s Grasshopper mascot Kevin SUPPORTERS Brendan and Hannah Bowers.

DIRECTORS CORNER

GROWING COVERAGE OF SCHOOLBOY RUGBY

THE Daily News recently covered rugby games across the city as the schoolboy rugby fixtures for the term commenced. The publication aimed to cover all these games to continue the growth of school rugby in the province.

Maritzburg College director of rugby Hendre Marnitz praised the newspaper’s coverage on the game and emphasised that media coverage of school sports is essential to establish future sporting greats.

“I don’t think we can survive without newspapers and all the broadcasting and publicity that the young athletes receive. They love the game and when the brand of schoolboy rugby keeps building due to this publicity, it leads to some of the boys becoming household names. They become easily recognised.

“We are very grateful to the Daily News for this coverage and for helping to grow schoolboy rugby,” Marnitz said.

With school games now being televised and given the large number of people that attended the recent Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, it is clear that school rugby is growing at an extremely high rate, he said.

Glenwood High School director of rugby Derek Heiberg echoed Marnitz’s sentiments about the growth of the game and the publicity it’s receiving.

“I think it’s amazing that publications like Daily News, Premier Interschools and Mutual & Federal cover these games because schoolboy rugby in this country is incredibly strong.

“I think it’s among the strongest in the world, and there’s a lot of exposure on it. You can see by the derby between Paarl Gimnasium and Paarl Boys – it receives more attendance and publicity than some the Currie Cup games – which is more senior.

“To give these boys national exposure and for them to see their faces on television and print throughout the week before their Saturday fixture is morale-boosting for both the team and the individual.”

NORTHWOOD KNIGHTS 75TH JUBILEE

DURBAN’S Northwood Knights will aim to celebrate their 75th Jubilee with a first home game against Durban High School on Saturday. First XV captain Vuyo Gwiji said he’s prepared for the clash and is proud to lead the school on such a monumental year.

“It’s quite a big honour to be a part of the 75th year as it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“We’ve had a strong preseason and we will take things game by game as we prepare for our first home game.”

The loose-forward, who can play Number 6, 7 or 8, added that they won’t necessarily focus on DHS’s game plan too much. They will focus on their own plan and ability.

“If we stick to our plans and fulfil our potential, then the onus is on them to see if they can stop us,” Vuyo said. He added that despite taking a week off – where DHS play Westville – rugby is all about recovery and focus on fixing missed opportunities and analysis.

Heiberg said his side will bounce back from narrow losses and take lessons from them.

Durban High School head

Coach Peter Engledow said: “I think schoolboy rugby and the joy it brings to players, parents, supporters and staff is incredible, but we need to be careful of the ‘win at all cost’ approach because it could be very unhealthy.

“You need to have the right coaches and staff behind the boys. For me, rugby is a platform to help the boys grow and develop for future life and life outside school as it can teach you good life lessons. This is what we try to do here at DHS with our boys.”

Engledow said it’s great that the Daily News is covering school games. He said that as well as increasing the number of followers of the school sport, it also assists with keeping former pupils informed as they witness their former school’s development.

“It’s always great when your community assists with showcasing schoolboy rugby and school sport in general, so I’d like to thank the Daily News for covering the local fixtures.”

Engledow added that it was a great weekend to include this initiative as they began the term with a successful showing against Westville Boys High School –winning 13 out of 19; losing four and drawing two.

The Knights CEO Dave Ward said it’s important to celebrate a historic year and that their old boys association will ensure the

history and prestige of the school remains.

Ward is an old boy himself,

having matriculated in 1980.

“When I was here, it was called Northlands Boys High School

and there was a separate high school down the road called Beachwood Boys High School. The two schools merged in the 1990s to form Northwood.

“Their school colours were blue and ours were brown, hence the combination in the current uniform.”

Ward said celebrating the school’s history helps to build a good culture.

He said the culmination of the 75th Jubilee will take place on their Reunion Day.

There will be a number of other events that week. “On Thursday (April 23) we have a Golf Day. On Friday, we have an Old Boys Assembly. Later that evening, there will be a reunion dinner and we expect at least 350 old boys. The weekend will conclude with our sports fixtures against Maritzburg College.”

Ward commended the Daily News for celebrating schoolboy rugby.

“I think more mileage for schoolboy rugby and school sports in general is fantastic, so hats off to the Daily News team.”

DIRECTOR of rugby Jacques Deen, 1st XV captain Vuyo Gwiji and Knights CEO Dave Ward.

GLENWOOD High School director of rugby Derek Heiberg.

1st XV manager Jacques du Plessis, left, and DHS First XV head coach Peter Engledow, front.

OLD BOYS CORNER

ITINERARY

Thursday 23 May 2024

GOLF DAY

R2800 per Fourball

Royal Durban Golf Club

Friday 24 May 2024

SPECIAL ASSEMBLY AND BREAKFAST

R240 per person 7:45am to 9:45am

Friday 24 May 2024

REUNION DINNER

R360 per person 6:30pm

Saturday 25 May

OLD BOYS DAY

All day

DHS ANNOUNCEMENTS

DURBAN High School Foundation CEO Andrew Shedlock shared the importance of print media and said that the initiatie by the Daily News to cover school activity is beneficial to the older generation who rely on print media.

“It is very important. There is a lot of emphasis placed on school rugby nationwide.

“The Daily News is helping keep people in the know and informed. Through this coverage, I hope for more camaraderie between the schools and for stronger relationships,” Shedlock said.

Shedlock was named CEO of the DHS Foundation in 2019, and since then, has witnessed multiple changes within the school.

We look forward to welcoming Old Boys from across South Africa and internationally as we celebrate our 75th Anniversary with Reunion Weekend activities.

A 3-day itinerary is planned offering a Golf Day, Breakfast and Special Assembly, as well as our traditional Reunion Dinner on the Friday evening before match day on Saturday, 25 May 2024.

BOOKINGS

reunion@nwood.co.za (031) 563 6501 Knights Office

Please email your proof of payment along with your name, year and event choices, using REUN and your surname as reference.

Bank Details: Northwood School FNB; Acc: 50791003665, Branch Code: 250655

He said that this was largely due to the role played by Old Boys.

“DHS is quite unique regarding the changes made. In my time as CEO, the school has established a hockey astroturf, has extended one of the departments by adding another floor to it, and added a Cambridge facility for extended academic programming, a new Old Boys’ pavilion and a high-performance gym.

“Regarding the gym, we were fortunate to have the Springboks utilise the facility as a warm-up before they played Argentina last year.”

Shedlock said this year’s Founders Day is special beause it takes place on the exact date when the school was built: June 1. This year marks the school’s 158th birthday.

“We are expecting hundreds of boys to attend the various activities during the reunion week. On Thursday, we are expecting about 100 boys to partake in Golf Day.

“This will include Old Boys from as early as 1964.

“The next day, there will be an Old Boy Assembly, where 200 boys are expected. The assembly will be led by the 1994 headboy.

“Later that night, around 300 boys will assemble for reunion dinners. For some, it will be a great opportunity to connect with fellow brothers as we will celebrate those who matriculated all the way back to the 1970s.

“It will give different generations of Old Boys a chance to learn from each other.

“The weekend concludes with rugby and hockey against Michaelhouse,” he said.