Many schools rugby officials within the Western Province Premier League (WPPL) are increasingly resistant to traditional trial matches — and for good reason.
The prevailing view is that trials are outdated. With the significant advancements in technology — including access to detailed match footage and player performance data — there are now far more effective ways to identify key players. These tools allow for more accurate assessments, while also minimising the need for excessive trial game time.
Adding to the frustration is the poor timing of these trials. For many schools, the designated trial period clashes with one of the busiest stretches of the rugby season. Player welfare often takes a back seat, with little regard for the toll on young athletes. Most players are juggling demanding academic schedules and other extracurricular commitments, making effective time management a real challenge.
As for the provincial squad list below, it is an opinion, not fact, it’s still early days, and any constructive input is welcomed.
One area of concern already being discussed is depth at prop. Western Province may find themselves in a position where, in order to meet squad balance targets, difficult selection decisions will need to be made.
WP will once again name two teams for Craven Week after being crowned the 2024 winners of the event.
| # | POS | NAME | SCHOOL | TARGET |
| 1 | 1 | Jordan Jooste | HJS Paarl BH | POC |
| 2 | 1 | Derik du Preez | Boland Landbou | W |
| 3 | 1 | Eli Pedro | Durbanville | POC |
| 4 | 1 | Bulela Mbala | Rondebosch | POC |
| 5 | 1 | Qawe Sawuka | SACS | POC |
| 6 | 2 | Ismaeel Conrad | Rondebosch | POC |
| 7 | 2 | Charles Whitehead | Paarl Gim | W |
| 8 | 2 | Altus Rade | Paul Roos | W |
| 9 | 2 | Daniel van den Heever | Bishops | W |
| 10 | 2 | Sango Zangqa | SACS | POC |
| 11 | 3 | Matthew vd Merwe | Rondebosch | W |
| 12 | 3 | Adriaan vd Lingen | Paarl Gim | W |
| 13 | 3 | Henry Rudder | Boland Landbou | W |
| 14 | 3 | Qiraan Hermans | SACS | POC |
| 15 | 3 | Luchwayito Mbaliswana | Paul Roos | POC |
| 16 | 4 | Jaythen Orange | Wynberg | POC |
| 17 | 4 | Gershom Pieters | HJS Paarl BH | W |
| 18 | 4 | Migael Turner | Paarl Gim | W |
| 19 | 5 | Jayden Joubert | HJS Paarl BH | W |
| 20 | 5 | Chad Meintjies | Boland Landbou | W |
| 21 | 5 | Juvan Burden | Stellenberg | W |
| 22 | 6 | Steph vd Merwe | HJS Paarl BH | W |
| 23 | 6 | Briint Davids | Milnerton | POC |
| 24 | 7 | Hendre van Zyl | Paul Gim | W |
| 25 | 7 | Tjeripo Karuhumba | Wynberg | POC |
| 26 | 7 | Josh Neill | Rondebosch | W |
| 27 | 7 | Luke Kent | Paul Roos | W |
| 28 | 7 | Joshua Vomberg | Milnerton | W |
| 29 | 8 | Quintin Potgieter | Paarl Gim | W |
| 30 | 8 | Gert Kemp | Paul Roos | W |
| 31 | 9 | Morne Noble | Wynberg | POC |
| 32 | 9 | Liam de Villiers | HJS Paarl BH | W |
| 33 | 9 | Mickyle Booise | Paarl Gim | POC |
| 34 | 9 | Liam de Silva | Paul Roos | POC |
| 35 | 9 | Jayden Brits | Boland Landbou | W |
| 36 | 10 | Francois vd Merwe | HJS Paarl BH | W |
| 37 | 10 | Travis Pheiffer | Paul Roos | W |
| 38 | 10 | Ethan van Biljon | Stellenberg | W |
| 39 | 10 | Chadwin Sellidon | Milnerton | POC |
| 40 | 10 | Pieter Bergh | Boland Landbou | W |
| 41 | 11 | Kunene Gadu | Wynberg | POC |
| 42 | 11 | Jordan Steenkamp | Paul Roos | W |
| 43 | 11 | Jadon Ocks | Boland Landbou | POC |
| 44 | 12 | Randall-John Davids | Rondebosch | POC |
| 45 | 12 | Dante Christians | Boland Landbou | POC |
| 46 | 12 | Rynhard Gordon | Bishops | W |
| 47 | 13 | Albert Lourens | Wynberg | POC |
| 48 | 13 | Tristan Joubert | HJS Paarl BH | W |
| 49 | 13 | Markus Muller | Paarl Gim | W |
| 50 | 13 | Matt Kleyn | Paul Roos | W |
| 51 | 13 | Jason Ocks | Boland Landbou | POC |
| 52 | 13 | Eljaron Geduld | Bishops | POC |
| 53 | 14 | David Kadima | Rondebosch | POC |
| 54 | 14 | Jeraahno Jagers | Paarl Gim | POC |
| 55 | 14 | Tiaan Basson | Paul Roos | W |
| 56 | 15 | Jeneal Davids | HJS Paarl BH | POC |
| 57 | 15 | Gehano van Bo | Boland Landbou | POC |
| 58 | 15 | Quewinn Lackay | SACS | POC |
| 59 | 15 | Chadlin Sellidon | Milnerton | POC |
| 60 | 15 | Sydney Blaauw | Boland Landbou | POC |
@Smallies (Comment #39)
Ek is bang hy is selfs te klein vir dit. Tannie Google se vir my dat die kortste URC speler is n goeie 10cm langer as hy
@Snelvuur (Comment #38)
He can play scrummy
@beet (Comment #37)
Stoffels is a magic little player but, at 155cm, he’s just too short to make it professionally. I wish he could get 15cm from somewhere because he has so much skill and so much heart. Lamprecht is lightning fast and another big boy (probably around 188cm and 90kgs).
@Snelvuur (Comment #36)
Some interesting changes. Will be good to see. Keen to see Christiaan le Roux get an extended run – vs Affies was too little time to notice him if one was not watching live.
I think Lambrecht was the wing who got injured right at the start of last season. Might have been the reason Stoffels played wing with Seymore coming in at fullback.
Stoffels quite interesting. Can’t be too many players who have played an entire season in one position, the whole of the next season in a different position and then returned to the initial position in the final season.
@beet (Comment #33)
Starting for the first team this afternoon. Lots of rotation:
1. Sian van Heerden (GK 2024)
2. Lehan Barnard
3. Mbaliswana
4. Van Leeuwen
5. Winter
6. Le Roux
7. Stef de Villiers
8. Kemp
9. De Silva
10. Seymore
11. Steenkamp
12. Basson
13. Kleyn
14. Lamprecht
15. Stoffels
@Snelvuur (Comment #32)
This point talks to a lot of players fortune. Always easier when playing in a winning team. It give confidence and exposure and a seemingly avareage game can happen without negative expsure.
Real character shows when the scrum goes backwards and Your team is figting upwards.
@beet (Comment #33)
Starts for the second side and benches for the first team. Not sure what caused the drop off.
@Snelvuur (Comment #32)
What’s become of Luchwayito Mbaliswana. Was a PRG starter when 2024 kicked off. Then Gerrit van Vuuren moved above him before Henry du Plessis returned, he disappeared from the A-team and has not resurfaced
@beet (Comment #31)
Quality player all the same! Like a young Gio Aplon. Excited to see him in a better team – at the moment he has to make everything happen for SACS. In a better team he would be able to be more selective with his moments, which I think will suit his game.
@Snelvuur (Comment #30)
My bad Lackay not Abrahams. Not sure where the latter came from and I’ve watched SACS vs BL and Stellies of late to make matters worse
@beet (Comment #29)
Yeah, it’s difficult to know which guys to leave out in order to make the squad compliant with the regulations. I’d probably look to pick the 11 white players I feel I cannot leave out first, and then fill the rest of the team from the POCs (and there are some really wonderful POC players in the WC – don’t get me wrong!).
So my 11 would be:
1. Muller (13)
2. Rabe (2)
3. Burden (4/5)
4. Neill (7)
5. Potgieter (8)
6. Kemp (8)
7. Brits (9)
8. Rudder (3)
9. Turner (4)
10. Van Biljon (10)
11. Du Preez (1)
So that gives me a spine of:
1.
2. Rabe
3. Rudder
4. Turner
5. Burden
6.
7. Neill
8. Kemp/Potgieter
9. Brits
10. Van Biljon
11.
12.
13. Muller
14.
15.
16.
17. Du Preez
18.
19.
20. Kemp/Potgieter
21.
22.
23.
And then you just fill in the rest:
1. Jooste
6. Briint Davids
11. Steenkamp
12. RJ Davids/Christians
14. Ocks/Jagers
15. Quewinn Lackay (not Abrahams) of SACS
16. Zangqa/Conrad
18. Hermans
19. Orange/Karuhumba
21. Noble/Booise
22. Chadwin Sellidon
23. RJ Davids/Christians
Given that they have a game-breaking POC option at 10 in Sellidon, I think they might only pick one between Van Biljon and Pheiffer, with the other one starting for the WP XV. Certainly helps to get the team balanced from a targets perspective.
Not so easy creating a mock team. In the recent past the WP selectors have considered a white scrumhalf a bit of a luxury. Brits is too good to ignore tho and he is a goal-kicker so they may have to use him as a backup flyhalf as well. If they go with Brits it means a choice between Pfeiffer and van Biljon is almost certainly on the cards. The only alternative is the backrow where they may look at Wynberg’s Namibian standout Tjeripo Karuhumba who doubles as a lock.
Also not sure what happens at second choice for loosehead. As normal plenty of options in the backline. Went for Christians based on potential but he needs more confidence and a better form in the weeks to come to seal a spot as a wing who can play centre.
My team below does not meet the target requirement BTW.
1) 1 Jordan Jooste HJS Paarl BH
2) 1 ???
3) 2 Ismaeel Conrad Rondebosch
4) 2 Altus Rade Paul Roos
5) 3 Matthew vd Merwe Rondebosch
6) 3 Henry Rudder Boland Landbou
7) 4 Jaythen Orange Wynberg
8) 5 Jayden Joubert HJS Paarl BH
9) 5 Juvan Burden Stellenberg
10) 6 Briint Davids Milnerton
11) 7 Josh Neill Rondebosch
12) 8 Quintin Potgieter Paarl Gim
13) 8 Gert Kemp Paul Roos
14) 9 Jayden Brits Boland Landbou
15) 9 Morne Noble Wynberg
16) 10 Ethan van Biljon Stellenberg
17) 10 Travis Pheiffer Paul Roos
18) 11 Jordan Steenkamp Paul Roos
19) 12 Randall-John Davids Rondebosch
20) 13 Albert Lourens Wynberg
21) 13 Markus Muller Paarl Gim
22) 14 Dante Christians Boland Landbou
23) 15 Quewinn Lackay SACS
@Ploegskaar (Comment #11)
Yeah what a pity about Kody Nell’s injury. He was good last year already at lock for BL. Started 2025 like a house on fire in the 8-jumper.
Someone mentioned Milnerton’s Morgan Lodewyk – good player but u19 this year.
@Smallies (Comment #20)
I think the only two regions where there are pure merit selections are Border and KZN.
There’s no doubt that Western Province has an abundance of talent. But with a larger talent pool comes a significantly higher minimum standard — and that’s a key reason they dominate Craven Week year after year. When you apply the Western Province benchmark, players who would walk into Craven Week teams in other regions often fall just short in comparison.
UNDER THE RADAR
@Snelvuur (Comment #23)
Well Eben was from Tygerberg, B-league, they should consider him……
@Grasshopper (Comment #22)
Joshua Vomberg, or something like that. I liked him too, but so much competition at 7!
Who is the blonde loosie from Milnerton, he impressed me at KERF…?
@Snelvuur (Comment #19)
Yes my mistake. I would have Christians of Boland at 22. Tall, fast, strong, athletic. Draws comparisons to Moodie
WP is the one province where political agendas should not have any bearing on team make up ,FUCKIT how I hate this crap…pick the best player irrespective of color…
@Buthelezi2 (Comment #60)
Not sure they’d go Pheiffer and Vd Merwe on the bench. You need someone who can cover centre and wing too.
@Snelvuur (Comment #46)
3. Rudder
6. Briint Davids
12. RJ Davids
20. Kemp/Potgieter
23. Francois vd Merwe
Landbou have 2 walk-ins who are unfortunately injured in Nell and Bezuidenhout.
@Bungee (Comment #57)
Ek stem saam daarmee, maar dan moet daar twee veranderinge in die reëls kom, na my sin:
1. Streng polisiëring van hoe skrumskakels die bal in die skrum in voer. Skeidsregters blaas dit glad nie meer nie, en dit maak die skrum nie rerig ‘n contest om die bal nie – net of ‘n strafskop gewen kan word. In meeste groot pakke deesdae hak die hakers nie eers meer die bal nie – ek scheme jy kan maklik drie stutte in die voorry kies en net skrum. Affies se skrumskakel se heupe was nou die aand amper loodreg met die bek van die skrum soos hy die bal amper onder die slotte se voete ingooi (hy’s net ‘n ekstreme voorbeeld wat baie maklik geblaas kon word, maar alle spanne (op skoolvlak en professioneel) doen dit).
2. Spanne mag nie die bal by die agsteman se voete hou om te skrum vir ‘n strafskop nie. Die skrum is ‘n contest vir balbesit: as die bal beskikbaar is, moet hy gespeel word. Maak dieselfde reëls as agter ‘n losskrum: 3 sekondes na die skeidsregter use it geroep het moet hy loop, anders is dit ‘n vryskop anderkant toe.
@Bungee (Comment #57)
Ek stem saam met jou
@Snelvuur (Comment #55)
Die 1.5m reel maak dit regtig moeilik om die stutte te beoordeel. Verstaan dit nog (tot ‘n mate) tot o/16 vlak en laer spanne op o19 (soos 5de span en onder toe), maar o19A, laat die manne stoot
@Snelvuur (Comment #46)
Ek wil steeds vir Muller op 12 sien. Andersins, Randall van Rondebosch dalk?
@Ploegskaar (Comment #53)
Ja, ek dink hulle altwee is baie goed. Ek het baie vraagtekens by die stutte gelos, want ek weet gans te min oor skrum en skrumtegniek om werklik te kan sê wie nou eintlik die beste is (Stilbaai surfer en Jooste uitgesluit).
@Snelvuur (Comment #52)
Glo nie daar is genoeg tyd die jaar nie, maar as hy gesond bly, het hy ‘n paar games om die geheues te verfris
@Snelvuur (Comment #46)
Landbou stutte Rudder en Du Preez sal erens gate vul. Akademie en XV onderskeidelik verlede jaar gespeel. 4 Chad Meintjies behoort ook erens in ‘n jeugspan plek te kry, yster. Jammer Kody Nel het ‘n langtermyn besering, hy sou beslis gedruk het vir ‘n plek erens as ‘n 5, 7 of 8. Nog ‘n speler met ‘n hoë plafon in my opinie
@Ploegskaar (Comment #49)
Sal definitief ‘n ogie uithou! As hy eers in Junie terug is, mag hierdie jaar se CW dalk net te gou wees vir hom om sy saak te stel?
@Kaya 85 (Comment #48)
I’m hoping he cracks a nod for the second side at the CW. If not, he’ll definitely play AW. Briint Davids of Millies will probably also be in the mix for the CW side (actually forgot about him, tbh). Morgan Lodewyk (12) will also make one of the sides. Justin Fomburgh (7) (not sure of the spelling) has been quietly one of their best players too – wouldn’t be surprised to see him in one of the WP sides.
@Snelvuur (Comment #42)
Landbou 2 Heinrich Bezuidenhoud het nognie ‘n minuut die jaar gespeel nie. Dalk terug in Junie. Het in my opinie die hoogste plafon van die huidige jaargroep hakers in SA. As hy beseringsvry bly, sal hy deel van die gesprek wees vorentoe
@Snelvuur (Comment #46)
Sellidon (Milnerton) might have a chance at 10.
@Bungee (Comment #43)
Ja, ek dink as ek op hierdie stadium WP se span moet voorspel (en dis moeilik, omdat dit WP is), dink ek dat dit soos volg gaan lyk (vraagtekens by die posisies wat ek dink moeilik is om te roep):
1. Jooste (HJS)
2. Rabe (PRG)
3. ?
4. Burden (Stellenberg)
5. Turner (Gim)
6. Kemp (PRG) (laasjaar vir ‘n kwartaal 6 gespeel)
7. Neill (Rondebosch)
8. Potgieter (Gim)
9. Brits (Landbou)
10. Van Biljon (Stellenberg)
11. Steenkamp (PRG)
12. ?
13. Muller (Gim)
14. Ocks (Landbou)
15. Lackay (SACS)
16. Zangca (SACS)
17. ?
18. ?
19. Joubert (HJS)
20. ?
21. De Villiers (HJS)
22. Pheiffer (PRG)
23. ?
@Snelvuur (Comment #42)
Ek rate hom hoog
@Snelvuur (Comment #42)
Dink die coach en gamestyle gaan maar groot bepaler wees vir beide WP en SA skole op n paar posisies
@Smallies (Comment #41)
Rabe se groot X-faktor is hoe vinnig en rats hy is vir ‘n haker. Hy het laasjaar teen Grey vir Felix gemerk en hom basies in elke beweging half-disnis geduik. Ek glo hy sal seker so 10 kilos moet optel na skool, en ek hoop nie dit belemmer wat tans sy sterkpunte is nie.
Daar is egter soveel goeie hakers, selfs net in die WP. Whitehead van Gim is goed, Rondebosch se haker is goed, SACS se haker het laasjaar bo Rabe gespeel en HJS s’n is ook nie sleg nie. Dan is daar boonop nog Blom van Garsies en Agu van Noordheuwel ook. Al die kompetisie is gesond!
@Snelvuur (Comment #35)
As Rabe nie gekies word nie ,weet ek nie so mooi nie ,wat ek al gesien het van hom is baie goed
@JongMatie (Comment #34)
Ja, ek wonder nogal wie in die running vir SA Skole sal wees. Ek dink die volgende ouens het ‘n kans (nog baie water om in die see te loop): Rabe (2), Kemp (7/8), Pheiffer (10), Steenkamp (11) en Basson (12/13). Ek kan nie rerig sien dat daar enige ander ouens is wat die jaar ‘n kans het nie. As Winter aanhou ontwikkel het hy ‘n kans volgende jaar, so ook Le Roux en Barnard.