The Paarl Gim junior teams have been withdrawn from the Absa Wildeklawer tournament for 2025, with rising costs for parents cited as the main reason.
The escalating expenses associated with travel have become a growing concern as schools face the challenge of allocating substantial funds to sports tours. Parents are often left to cover a significant portion of these costs, which is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.
Traditionally, the school’s junior teams toured every second year. In years when they played Affies at home, they participated in the Absa Wildeklawer tournament. However, with the addition of the Grey College fixture, their focus has shifted to the March festivals and the Affies/Grey trips. Organising their own tours is no longer a priority due to the prohibitive costs.
Although I understand the rationale, disappointed for the DHS junior teams who were going to play Paarl Gim at Wildeklawer. I am sure they would have enjoyed testing themselves against a perennial top 5 rugby school.