Now that the Kings are established as a new Super Rugby franchise it brings about new opportunities. One such initiative undertaken is to build better ties with the schools within its system in the hopes of developing a feeder system and thereby fulfilling the promise of developing players from the region into fully fledged home grown professional rugby players one day. As a result Grey High School of Port Elizabeth and Kingswood from Grahamstown are being lined up as a possible curtain raiser to the Kings versus Chiefs match on Saturday 15 March at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The official confirmation is set to be made tomorrow.
For Grey High it’s the start of a challenging season. If one had to think of the school with the hardest schedule in any given year off the top of the head Grey College from Bloemfontein comes to mind. Grey Bloem strives to test themselves against the best schools in the country year in year out and now has traditional inter-schools fixtures against HJS, Affies and Paul Roos on an annual basis, not to mention that they have squared off against Monnas and Gimmies more often than not in recent seasons. However in 2013 the record will show that their Port Elizabeth counterparts, named after the same Governor of the Cape, Sir George Grey, has to work through just as tough a list of opponents.
When asked if Grey PE will be using this year as a building year for 2014 when they are expected to field a really hot side, head coach and former provincial lock for the Cheetahs and EP Kings Rory Duncan had this to say: “Every year is important to us, we’re not targeting any specific year. We strive to be consistent year in and year out. This year is no different, we’ll be pushing for a top position. The fixtures this year are amongst the toughest that I have known the school to play and the boys are excited about the challenges ahead. They realise that if you want to be the best, you have to compete against the best.”
Kingswood is also very excited about the season ahead. It’s never easy for a school of just 220 boys to hold their own against formidable opponents who often work of a player base twice the size if not more. The private school knows what it’s like to punch a few divisions above their weight though. In 2010 they completed an excellent Top 25 national finish. Two dull years followed but it seems like Kingswood is optimistic about their chances on the rugby field again this season. An expanded programme sees them not only meeting regional powerhouse Grey PE but they also have a tough assignment against Marlow at the Graeme Rugby Day and welcome Queens back to the City Lords this year after a long absence.
2013 fixtures for the respective schools:
(note that the Grey High’s 3 Cape Schools Week opponents are yet to be finalised)
| Grey High | School | Kingswood | College | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Home | Away | Date | Home | Away | |
| 15-Mar | Kingswood | Grey PE | 12-Mar | Kingswood | Ukhanyo | |
| 21-Mar | Grey HS | Westville | 15-Mar | Kingswood | Grey PE | |
| 30-Mar | M.College | Grey High | 21-Mar | Kingswood | Marlow | |
| 01-Apr | Affies | Grey High | 29-Mar | Kingswood | Union Fest Oppo | |
| 03-Apr | Grey High | DHS | 27-Apr | Kingswood | Kirkwood | |
| 13-Apr | Nico Malan | Grey HS | 04-May | Hudson Park | Kingswood | |
| 20-Apr | Grey HS | Paul Roos | 11-May | Port Rex | Kingswood | |
| 27-Apr | Wynberg | Grey HS | 18-May | Kingswood | Queens | |
| 02-May | Diamantveld | Grey High | 25-May | Dale | Kingswood | |
| 04-May | Grey High | Outeniqua | 01-Jun | Kingswood | Stirling | |
| 11-May | Grey HS | Queens | 08-Jun | Kingswood | Muir | |
| 17-May | Grey HS | Graeme | 15-Jun | St Andrews | Kingswood | |
| 25-May | St Andrews | Grey HS | 13-Jul | Kingswood | Woodridge | |
| 01-Jun | Dale | Grey HS | 20-Jul | Kingswood | Framesby | |
| 08-Jun | Brandwag | Grey HS | 27-Jul | Kingswood | Graeme | |
| 21-Jun | Cape Schools Wk | @ Paarl Gym | ||||
| 20-Jul | Grey HS | Daniel Pienaar | ||||
| 27-Jul | Grey College | Grey HS | ||||
| 03-Aug | Framesby | Grey HS | ||||
| 09-Aug | Grey HS | Selborne |
.tableizer-table th {
background-color: #104E8B;
color: #FFF;
font-weight: bold;
}
–>
@Rugbykyker: I would take it he meant Paul Roos as they did not play Affies
@badboy: Affies didn’t play Dale last year?
@rugbyfan: Should read Portuguese above. How many agricultural projects could you show them in the Transkei(or anything else for that matter) that have succeeded? I know the answer and if they dont fall for your presentation, refer them to me. For a small fee of $ 1 m and 5 minutes of their time, I would be more than happy to advise them, in Portuguese what to do with their money. In a nutshell- RUN and run FAST! Muinto Rapido!
@BOG: trying to get them to throw money at a dam project in the Transkei and mind the pun “throw money” as everything there always fails but they dont know that.
@rugbyfan: Que falar Portuguse?
Chaps Super rugby to real and truely under way this weekend.
Come on “Sharks”
@QC86: Ye i know but had a chap from Brazil with me so was pushed for time will do that next time.
@rugbyfan: hey you were suposed to call on at the shop
Player: I went past the Dale fields yesterday afternoon on my way back at there was a squad training must have been the 1st team as i reconized the one boy from last year i just hope the forwards had the day off because if they were part of that group Dale are in for along hard season
@badboy: Out sizing or out spending?
@kcman: Have seen Grey PE training and you right there some big kids(or men) there.
@badboy: I will agree with you partly size is most likly 60% of the change and the other has been demo grahic,s look at Queens/Dale deomgrahics is responsible for 80% of the change there these days they in the Top 20 one year out the next were they would have likly always being in the Top 10
Was at the Kersney festival last year and the size difference in some games was huge like the Affies vs Dale game although Dale pulled off a draw it makes you wonder what would happen if the forwards were the same size.
I would go as far as saying the ermergence of certain school as rugby powerhouse is solley due to them being able to out size other schools
@kcman: I wonder were the size story will end was interesting to read the other day that the Queens pack this year is really small but is big if put against school packs of 30 years ago.
This could be the same old story were size goes before anything and we wonder why the Boks look like complete ametuers when it come to ball handling skills against NZ
@rugbyfan: I don’t think they are going to be known as “Panzies” this season because they have a monster pack which is very mobile as well. Grey have a massive fixture list but this year they do have reasonably good depth in most positions which will help them going forward.
@Queenian: Ye if you count Bantu Holimisa as royality.
Give Grey PE there due they might be the “Panzies” of the rugby world but they have one heleva fixture list this year if they come through this with say 2 losses they would have really done well.
@kcman: Sounds good welcoming the Queen back to the City of Lords makes it sound like the royality actually live in Queenstown.
@kcman: Could you imagine Kingswood beating Grey PE at the staduim would be another kick up the butt for “Cheeky Watson”
@BOG: Hiehiehie
Skerp Bog
@BOG: At least people will not see the Chiefs score from the kick off and from every kick off after that. Maybe Grey and Kingswood combined can play them.
@BOG:
@beet: Do you no who Queens is playing
@BOG:
That could be a marketing coup……hahaha!!!
@kcman: From a marketing perspective, the Kings should rather play in the curtain raiser
@kcman: @kcman: Thanks
@beet: Kingswood’s opponents at Union Festival will be 2 of Union High, Volksool and Gill College.
@beet: Kingswood are playing Queens on 18 May in Gtown and Dale on 25 May in KWT.
I’ve heard that Grey High could be up against Gimmies, Boland Landbou and Rondebosch when the Cape Schools Week fixtures come out.