09 May 2025 UPDATE: Hilton College will now host the Sharks Rugby Day which has been moved one day forward to Friday, 16 May 2025 to overcome road closures set to commence that weekend after being postponed. There is also a change in the fixture list.
UPDATE: ST CHARLES ARE NO LONGER HOSTING THE EVENT AND DO NOT WANT TO PLAY NORTHWOOD, WHO THEY ORIGINALLY AGREED TO PLAY
02 May 2025. Here’s a feel-good story to warm the hearts of school rugby fans. St Charles College, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2025, was originally set to mark the occasion with a modest rugby event — the low-profile Independent Schools Rugby Festival for stayers during the June/July school holidays. While respectable, it’s a relatively subdued affair.
In a welcome twist of fortune, however, the Pietermaritzburg-based private school has landed the opportunity to host a far more prestigious event — Sharks Rugby Day — a celebration truly fitting for such a significant milestone.
The event takes place on Saturday, 17 May 2025, and promises to be a blockbuster. The A-teams from all eight other KwaZulu-Natal tier-one rugby schools, plus Clifton College, will be in attendance. If the weather plays its part, the SCC campus will be packed to the rafters, buzzing with energy from morning to evening.
But it’s not just a festival of rugby for spectators. The day carries serious weight: KZN provincial selectors will be watching closely, using the opportunity to assess talent across various age groups ahead of youth week selections.
Perhaps most excitingly, in a ground-breaking move from South Africa’s most innovative youth selection committee, four Sharks U14 teams will be selected for the first time ever. These squads are set to face off against the Bulls later in the season — a fantastic new chapter in junior provincial rugby.
It’s shaping up to be a landmark day for St Charles College and a celebration worthy of 150 years of tradition and pride.
Fixture order and kick-off times to be confirmed
| SHARKS RUGBY DAY @ ST CHARLES | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KZN | Maritzburg College | vs | Westville | KZN | |
| KZN | Durban HS | vs | Kearsney | KZN | |
| KZN | Northwood | vs | St Charles | KZN | |
| KZN | Hilton | vs | Clifton | KZN | |
| KZN | Glenwood | vs | Michaelhouse | KZN | |
@Bush (Comment #26)
They are in Umdoni Point and not happy, bored stiff! And the nothing works in the area….
@Grasshopper (Comment #25)
No man, hold onto their property. Half of HC have beach cottages in Pennington. GW lekker school, they will adapt. 2 3 House, Lekker Green Machine
@Bush (Comment #23)
No mud here boet, balmly beautiful days braaing. Not sweatbox KZN levels though. In-laws seriously considering selling up in Pennington and heading to Hermanus, they say it’s super kak on the south coast. Enjoy the trip to Hotel Hilton, tough boarding life up there, as Derek Crookes said. Bumped into old Bob Skinstad in London recently, without mud island he wouldn’t be so rich. Lekker when you have 500+ boarders to call on for rugby, gov schools like Glenwood, Westville, DHS and Northwood have 250 or less…..day dogs barely play now OR play basketball and football (aka soccer) instead. Hilton should play Glenwood, Westville, DHS etc at football….
@Grasshopper (Comment #21)
She sends her love😘😘😘😘😘
@star (Comment #22)
Lekker Star, I missed that game. Buying Biltong and arranging dogs for the trip to HC. If we got 50 points, I think it’s a money problem and we just can’t compete against these rich, professional government schools. We going to have to consider our future and maybe move to Tier 2. Hopper must stay there in England as part of the English immigration structure. Soon he will be mayor of Mud Island.
@Bush (Comment #18)
Also regarding Siyaya it is amazing that he is still able to impress with all the attention and plans in place to nullify his threat. I don’t think there are lucky winners just a team that has become more mature and resolute. What happened to House? Did they take 50 from NW? I have also read that the mid South Coast is looking to explode although they better start looking at the infrastructure. Grassy must keep hold of his ticket 
Hi Bushwacker I think the no 12 better change plans as he faces Simca next week
@Bush (Comment #20)
My mother-in-law lives in Pennington, it’s a dump! Pat Symcox does try his best to paint a great picture for obvious reasons, he runs the local estate agents. Sorry buddy, money talks (as it does in all sport) and getting the best from all the private prep schools around the country counts, no matter what you say. Please say hi to my sister from me…
@Grasshopper (Comment #19)
Don’t believe everything you hear from your Pommie friends. South Coast is apparently going to be the next best place to the Cape, Toti going to be the new Hermanus. GW weren’t great today nothing to do with money.
Glenwood pomped by Hilton, almost lucky to not play House. Money talks, we are left in the dust forever. Sad times for the once great Green Machine! Money in the modern game and everyone semigrating to the Cape, I knew it would happen. Having driven through Glenwood (aka Lagos ghettos) recently the writing was on the wall……..the Mansfield of the modern era……can’t compete with Pinhead and the SAAD-MILLIONS….
@star (Comment #16)
Was a great game, College were unlucky making Westville the lucky winners😬😬😬😬. Stop go had quite a bit to with ref. Man your Nr15 is a game changer. Felt that Nr12 played too close to the fringes and had he moved wider into midfield would have cut huge gaps. He’s a beast. Lovely day at HC💪💪💪💪
T@star (Comment #16)
Thanks Star. 1 point, wow. The games I saw today did seem to be rather stop start affairs with a lot of errors. Yes the game against Westville will be huge. Two very similar sides, the clash of the forwards will be epic. Hilton also look to be coming into form. Every game in KZN is a huge match up these days, the sides are all very evenly matched – every weekend is like a Test Match.
@Henkies (Comment #15)
I think Westville scrapped home 22 21. It is now the chance of DHS to lower the Westville colors next weekend . Can’t wait. I will then be attending the DHS reunion day where they play my other team. (Hilton). I am looking for the double
Does anyone know the College v Westville score ? Didnt seem to have coverage on the Supersportschools App
@Kaya 85 (Comment #11)
Pionier in Vryheid has been the strongest Afrikaans school in KZN in recent times I think.
@Grasshopper (Comment #12)
Suid Natal still exists. And I’d say the strongest Tier 2 Rugby school in KZN right now.
@Kaya 85 (Comment #11)
Yep, so many gone. Dirkie Uys & Andries Pretorius on the Bluff used to be huge & strong in the B league. Afrikaans Hoerskool Durban Noord (AHDN) beat Glenwood in 1996, a very low year. Suid Natal not sure if it still exists. I read somewhere recently Afrikaans as a language turned 100 this week, amazing. The only Germanic/Dutch language developed outside of Europe & the 3rd biggest spoken language in SA. 30m speakers globally, yet hardly any schools in KZN, maybe reflecting demographics.
Port Natal, Werda, Gelofte, Voortrekker PMB all seem to have gone the way of FH Odendaal, CR Swart etc, Jan de Klerk etc. …so sad.
@Grasshopper (Comment #9)
Is there no Afrikaans schools in KZN?
@vonke_44 (Comment #8)
Agreed mate, yes 2013 was the horror year we lost to George Campbell, 12-13. Clifton got pumped by the House 2nd team, so any 1st team in the Top 8 might go to 80+ BUT I know the Clifton team is young and they might have some good years ahead if they can keep their best. Clifton is more seen as a waterpolo and hockey school now. KZN definitely needs a B-league, St Charles and Clifton would be top of that. Maybe it includes the Top 8 2nd teams. Surely Kloof and Hillcrest have decent teams now? Throw in Pinetown?
@Grasshopper (Comment #6)
I think your comment kind of alludes to the problem which has been spoken about on the blog in another well written article this week, which is the growing gap between A and B league schools. To answer your question (and I speak very much under correction, this is just my personal take) – Crawford and Ashton etc have not caught up and replaced George Campbell, Port Natal etc. At the same time though, Porties and GC have gotten worse I think. Where there once was a B league with schools that were relatively competitive and could challenge an A league school on their day, there is not anymore. I’m pretty sure Port Shepstone and Port Natal had CW/AW players in the few years before Covid? Was it 12 years ago when George Campbell beat Glenwood on Dixons? None of that stuff would ever happen today. This is where I kind of empathise for St Charles and Clifton, who find themselves in a weird kind of middle zone. They are definitely far too good for Porties, Ashton, Crawford etc but are seemingly too weak for the top 8 as well. These are obviously generalisations and St Charles/Clifton will have stronger teams some years, but I think overall my point still stands. Maybe they need to venture further from Durban for a few competitive fixtures. I imagine the likes of Pionier/Sarel Cilliers in northern KZN would be at a similar level to them.
@Slam (Comment #5)
Ah right ok. Well should be a good match up
@Skywalker (Comment #4)
Certainly am with Glenwood vs Hilton, bit now we lose the House fixture, which is a pity too. Clifton vs St Charles a much better match up, Northwood would have done damage and Clifton would have taken 70+ vs Hilton. What’s happened to George Campbell. Porties, Gelofte and Voortrekker, sure they are the B league schools that should attend? OR have the new-age schools like Ashton and Crawford improved enough?
HC VS GLENWOOD
Unfortunate for SCC. Now they not even hosting at their school. Anyway the change is good from a match ups pov. Not sure what this means for Northwood though as now we dont face SC and play Michaelhouse twice. Does the match count? @Grasshopper though will be excited to see Glenwood take on Hilton now. First time since 2014…?!
@Pamos (Comment #2)
It might be better if Clifton could combine with a few promising players from Northern Natal and Zululand to form an invitation XV
Clifton and St Charles must be dreading this day, especially if this is the trials for Sharks. Hitlon and Northwood are looking at this day and thinking they will get most of the Craven Week and Academy week players after they beat the teams by 50 points respectively.
GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR SCC... BUT WHY?
For the Sharks trials not to be at The Tank or a normal school game I fail to understand why? A trip to play at the The Tank is something schoolboys look forward to as a memory. Second best must be to play in front of Your own juniors and school peers. Way further down the wish list, to play at a neutral ground that has little or no meaning to the schoolboys.
Wishing SCC success on the day. Put on a great show, give the boys a memory and prove me wrong please.