News out of KERF 2025

1 Durban HS (12)
DHS completed a three-match clean sweep at KERF for the third time in the festival’s history – a testament to the cohesion and quality of this well-oiled machine. Ranked as a Top 10 school nationally in 2024, all signs suggest that this year’s side is more than capable of matching that remarkable achievement, with a strong push for back-to-back KZN titles also firmly on the cards.

The players have a strong sense of their roles and responsibilities, especially within the forward pack, where the work rate is so evenly shared it’s often hard to single out individual standouts. Among the backs, Zingce Simka has continued to make a compelling case as a front-runner for KZN Player of the Season – his current form marks him as one of the most effective players in the country. He’s been ably supported by the impressive Jordan van Wyk and the dynamic Nathan Aneke, both of whom have played key roles in DHS’s success.

2 Westville (13)
Westville’s 1st XV are unbeaten and widely tipped to challenge for the top spot in KZN — something they haven’t done since their standout 2013 season. Sport in general is thriving at Ville, and one parent credited their Director of Sport, Pam Hayward. Appointed in mid-2021, she became the first woman to hold the role at the Highways boys’ school — a real trailblazer.

As I said at the Grey Festival 2025, and I’ll say it again at KERF — Zek Siyaya is the most talented player at the festival. He’s in that rare class of KERF’s Hall of Fame schoolboy rugby greats who’ve lit up the fullback position. Think EW Viljoen (Grey College), Damian McKenzie (Christ’s College, NZ), and Aphelele Fassi (Dale). The term generational talent definitely comes to mind.

3 Glenwood (17)
Glenwood arrived at KERF without their head coach, Derek Heiberg, who was away attending to personal matters. Despite his absence, it turned out to be a solid festival for the Green Machine. While their handling may not have been as slick as usual, they certainly made up for it with physicality – bringing real aggression and heart to the contact areas.

With this year’s results, Glenwood have now won 30 of their 41 matches at KERF, along with two draws – making them the most successful school in the festival’s history. A proud record that speaks volumes about their consistency over the years.

4 Durbanville (19)
Durbies continue to make steady progress in their quest to establish themselves as a consistent presence on the national schools rugby circuit — no easy feat, especially given their B-league status in the Western Province. Like many Cape schools, player retention remains a major challenge. Recently, they lost a promising u16 halfback pairing to Paarl Boys’ High, where both players now find themselves in the B-team setup.There’s talk that Boishaai are looking to challenge the WPRU regulation that currently prevents the duo from being eligible for youth week selection this year — a move that could stir some debate in local rugby circles.

5 Monument (30)
The Witbulle travelled to KERF under new leadership for the first time in yonks. Reinhard Gerber has taken over as head coach, while Dr Jannie du Plessis continues to be a talking point in his role as director. With one of SA schoolboy rugby’s biggest brand names struggling to live up to its reputation, questions remain — is he the right man for the job? Certainly the yellow card he received after allegedly manhandling a referee on Saturday casts doubt on this.

Monnas’ win against Millies ensured they did not leave Botha’s Hill empty-handed. The last time the Lions region powerhouse failed to register a win at KERF was their dismal 2012 season, when they finished ranked 33rd. To be fair, their losses that year came against heavyweights Grey College and Paul Roos. From 2014, Monnas remained unbeaten at KERF until their final game in 2024 against Westville.

One shining light in the current setup is their u17 flyhalf, Jaydon Viljoen — this youngster is pure class. Definitely one to keep an eye on!

6 Rustenburg (36)
The last major story out of Rustenburg was the future of their highly successful u14A team, winners of the Noordvaal Cup. As expected, there was plenty of speculation, with the usual suspect schools rumoured to be waving their chequebooks in an attempt to lure away Rusties’ top talent. In the end, Paarl Gim was the only prominent school linked with interest in four of the boys — but Rustenburg has managed to retain all four.

7 Milnerton (48)
Millies are in a really good space when it comes to school spirit, and they’re clearly a rugby school on the rise. They’ve expressed sincere appreciation for the exposure that comes with a KERF invitation – a big opportunity for a team gaining serious momentum.

Let’s not forget their two thrilling comeback efforts against Rondebosch and Bishops in 2024, which really caught the eye. At KERF 2025, they delivered two more gutsy performances that showcased their resilience – fighting back from 29-0 down to 29-24 against Glenwood, and from 19-0 to 19-21 against Monnas. While those weren’t wins, they were full of heart and character – and further proof of their growing reputation.

Unfortunately, head coach Bobby Martin – who made a name for himself as the SA Schools A head coach in 2024 – couldn’t travel to Botha’s Hill due to health complications. Wishing Bobby all the very best for a smooth recovery.

8 EG Jansen (53)
EG Jansen are going through a tough 1st XV season after two standout campaigns. One of the rumours doing the rounds suggested that money was a bit tight in Boksburg, but those claims appear to be unfounded — the funds are very much in place to support their successful rugby programme. The Jansies will have to weather the storm in a season where there’s a lot on the line in the Noordvaal Cup Premier Division, especially with relegation looming. There’s no shortage of rugby talent in the Oosrand, but these days the rugby-rich region draws plenty of attention from well-resourced schools based in neighbouring areas.

9 Kearsney (54)
Following their 50-point interschools loss to Hilton, Kearsney’s festival season offered something of a tranquil interlude – a calm between storms. Supporters were treated to an enjoyable spell of front-foot rugby, with the team playing positive, attacking rugby and scoring points. Two wins from three matches made for a respectable return, but the intensity is set to ramp up once more as the KZN season resumes in earnest with a clash against Glenwood next weekend.

On a more reflective note, festival director Divesh Sookdeo – whose name and image were noticeably absent the official programme – will be stepping down. His departure signals a change for 2026 which may prove to be the festival’s most challenging organising year yet, as the expanding and very popular Noord-Suid Festival is set to take place a week apart from KERF. It may finally be time for KERF to downsize to a two-match day festival.

10 Framesby (60)
It comes as a big surprise that Framesby are short on front-row forwards this year — and it’s clearly having an impact in what’s been a rather underwhelming 1st XV season for the Gqeberha day school. In years gone by, the “fatties” were their bread and butter. Head coach Louis Gerber and his excellent assistant Konrad de Villiers have fond memories of the good old days when they consistently converted junior back-rowers into dependable front-rankers — a testament to the strength of the school’s renowned development programme.

11 Dale (61)
Some excellent news out of Qonce (formerly King William’s Town) — the brand-new high-performance sports facility is just about ready to go! This is a massive boost for the region and could be a real game-changer for local talent development.

12 Peterhouse (ZIM)
The alma mater of Springbok prop Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira is located in Marondera about 75km East of Harare in Zimbabwe. They are surprisingly more competitive than expected. Their outside centre Andrew Maringa is a very good player and would probably make the starting XV of most schools in SA.