Premier Interschools 2018 – preview

2018 PREVIEW compliments of Premier Interschools

Premier Interschools is again featuring some of the top schoolboy teams in the country in 12 matches stretching from the 24^th March to the 25^th August 2018. Some of the oldest and fiercest rivalry will be on show over the span of 23 weeks to come with some 15 different schools on show. This season sees Outeniqua making their debut on Premier Interschools and featuring in no less than 3 matches while we also look forward to the return of the highly popular Monument High versus Waterkloof derby.

Besides the teams mentioned above, the No 1 rugby school for the past three years Paarl Boys High will again be showcased in 3 games.. Other teams that will also be showcased are Paul Roos (3 Games) , Paarl Gymnasium (2 Games), Oakdale (2 Games), Grey High (2 Games), while the likes of Grey College, Maritzburg College, Glenwood, Boland Landbou, Bishops and Rondebosch will each appear in one game.

The planned fixtures for the year are as follows:

Maritzburg College vs Glenwood High School – 24/03/2018: Goldstones, Maritzburg College, Pietermaritzburg @ 13h55 on SS10.

The first game of the season sees the two giants from KZN going head to head in the sleepy hollow and the start of the season kick off with a bang. This fixture makes a return to the Premier Interschools schedule after an absence of 2 years The first match between the two schools was played in 1921 at Glenwood, which was won 5-0 by Glenwood. College dominated the earlier exchanges and has their current winning margin thanks to great teams during the 50’s, 60’s 70’s and 80’s. Since the 90’s Glenwood has developed into a real rugby powerhouse and have been so dominant the last 10 years and having played 15 games, that College could only manage one win and 2 draws. The biggest victory for College over Glenwood was 61-13 at College in 1995. While the biggest victory for Glenwood over College was 57-12 at Kings Park in 2015.

Outeniqua vs Paarl Boys High – 14/04/2018: Outeniqua High School, George @ 13h55 on SS10

Another first for Premier Interschools is showcasing the derby between Outeniqua and Paarl Boys High. This being the Paarl School’s 150 year celebration, every game will have that little extra pressure to ensure the team does well. Although Paarl have been dominating this fixture for 10 years with the boys from George only getting one win in 2013, this derby have always been a close fought affair. The exciting brand of running rugby that Outeniqua brings against the disciplined and structured play from Paarl always sees this match ebb and flow with the result usually only decided in the last minute of play.

Paul Roos vs Grey High School – 21/04/2018: Markotter Fields, Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch @ 12h55 on SS10

The party moves to Stellenbosch next when the Maroon Machine takes on Grey High School in their annual interschools fixture. Honours being even between these two sides, Paul Roos will look to exact revenge for their 2 point loss in PE last year. They are rumoured to have one of their best sides the last 10 years having more than half of the team retained from last year and we can’t wait to see what the boys from Stellenbosch will bring to the table in 2018. Grey High have also a few returning players and will know what to expect from the boys in maroon.

Paarl Gymnasium vs Paul Roos – 05/05/2018: JA Kriel Field, Paarl Gymnasium, Paarl @ 13h55 on SS10

Paul Roos makes it two in a row on the TV when they return for our next match when they are up against Paarl Gymnasium in Paarl. This have been a tough encounter for the boys from Stellenbosch the last few years as they have only managed 2 wins in the last 10 years. Paarl Gim will be hoping that the winter rains comes early so that they can use their forwards and thus eliminate the threat of the Paul Roos backs on a hard quick outfield. This might yet prove to be futile hope as the maroon machine seems to have all the blocks ticked in the forwards department as well.

Monument High vs Waterkloof High – 12/05/2018: Monument High School, Krugersdorp @ 13h55 on SS10

The popular Northvaal derby returns in May to the Premier Interschools menu and promises to deliver a brand of exciting running rugby. Both schools are renowned for their love to give the ball some air which always makes for a spectacular encounter. Waterkloof have not been having the best of the results against Monument of late with their last win coming in 2012. Monument is another side that is rumoured to be very strong in 2018 and possible contenders for the highly rated Beeld trophy at the end of the season. Waterkloof have steadily been building the last couple of years and the results of their junior teams in previous seasons have given hope that the 2018 crop will once again be amongst the top teams in the country.

Paul Roos vs Paarl Boys High – 19/05/2018: Markotter Fields, Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch @ 12h10 on SS10

Once again Premier Interschools returns to the Winelands to broadcast the battle of the giants of Western Province rugby when Paul Roos hosts their neighbour from Paarl. These two boys’ schools have a great relationship and friendly rivalry that goes back 150 years. Paul Roos will hope to return the compliment by beating Paarl Boys in the latter’s 150^th year celebration and spoil the party as the boys from Paarl did to Paul Roos in 2015. The blue brigade will have to cope with some extra pressures during their 150^th season but with seasoned coach Sean Erasmus at the helm, it will help to steady the ship and bring about the best from the team.

Oakdale vs Outeniqua – 26/05/2018: Oakdale Agricultural School, Riversdale @ 12h10 on SS10

Brand new on the Premier Interschools menu is the big South Western Districts derby between Oakdale and Outeniqua. This match usually decides who can claim the bragging rights as top dog in the region. The matches have been very evenly contested with no particular team getting more wins than the other. Oakdale had a 3 year winning streak from 2014 to 2016, but came up short in George last year by a measly 4 points. Outeniqua will look to extend their win of last year and make sure the farmers from Riversdale do not claim top honours in 2018. This match also closes the first half of the season for Premier Interschools.

Paarl Gymnasium vs Outeniqua – 21/07/2018: JA Kriel Field, Paarl Gymnasium, Paarl @ 13h55 on SS10

The second half of the season kicks off with Outeniqua in action again. This time it is against their other rivals from Paarl. This fixture has the knack to produce the unexpected and the last 10 games have been very closely matched with Outeniqua winning 5, Paarl Gim 4 and one draw. The Paarl side tend to have one eye on their Interschools with rival Paarl Boys coming up and might not be as focused as they should be, thus the somewhat surprising success rate of Outeniqua against these rugby giants.

Grey High School vs Grey College – 28/07/2018: Grey High School, Port Elizabeth @ 12h55 on SS10

The two brother schools will line each other up at end of July in Port Elizabeth. The two teams will by then have established themselves well on the hierarchy of SA Schools for the 2018 season. The Bloemfontein outfit having the better of their opponents from PE will try and retain that record while the other would desperately like a win as they have only recoded 1 win in the last 10 outings. This match always has a special vibe about it because of the history between the schools as they share the same benefactor and founder in Sir George Grey.

Paarl Gimnasium vs Paarl Boys – 04/08/2018: Faure Street Stadium, Paarl @ 15h55 on SS10

August sees the start of the great tradional “Interskole” games and to kick off this month of madness Premier Interschools televises the biggest of them all. The Bloedworse vs The Galpille…Northern Paarl vs Southern Paarl…Twenty odd thousand old boys, old girls, moms, dads and fans will pack Faure stadium to the rafters to watch the famous derby between these two great schools. There is no neutral ground on this day; you are blue and white or green, gold and red. You sit on the North side or on the south side. Tough, hard and no compromises, blood sweat and tears, all will be on show in this match that captures the essence of schoolboy rugby and enthrals a whole community

A Rivalry that exists for more than 100 years culminates in the main rugby match on the Saturday and Premier Interschools will be there.. This is the last match for Paarl Boys in their 150^th celebration and they would want to end on a high note while their northern neighbours would like nothing more than to spoil the party.

Boland Landbou vs Oakdale – 18/08/2018: Boland Landbou, Paarl @12h10 on SS10

Our second last match of the season features the two agricultural rivals of the Western Cape. These two schools regularly produce teams of outstanding quality from a very small player pool. This all comes down to the commitment of these players to their team and to their school. They are rarely out of the top 20 rankings and have produced numerous Craven week players for their two provinces. Their Interschools is usually a very close affair with neither team having a clear upper hand. Last year Oakdale won in a very close game again in Riversdale by only 2 points. This is a interschools derby of note and the winning margin will not be more than 5 points on the day.

Bishops vs Rondebosch Boys High – 25/08/2018: Piley Rees, Diocesan College, Rondebosch Cape Town @12h10 on SS10

The last game of the season for Premier Interschools is the old Cape derby between Bishops and Rondebosch. One of the oldest rivalries in SA and one of the most well attended ones as well. Old Boys come from all over the world to attend the weekend festivities with the Saturday rugby match as the highlight.

Bishops is on a 5 match losing streak and is still looking for that elusive 100^th win against their old rivals. This match will be weather permitting, full of running rugby and a feast for the schoolboy rugby lover. A perfect way to end the season.