The NMI Toyota Noord-Suid and Absa Wildeklawer festivals are widely regarded as the two premier 1st XV tournaments on the South African schoolboy rugby calendar. Both boast top-tier competition, exceptional organisation, and passionate support. While each has its own loyal following, few take the time to weigh up which of the two stands out as the superior event. In truth, when considering the respective strengths and shortcomings, the pros and cons of each tend to balance each other out, making them equally valuable showcases of elite schoolboy rugby.
| Category | Noord-Suid | Wildeklawer |
| Location | Pretoria (usually hosted at Affies) | Kimberley (Diamantveld) |
| Travel Cost Impact | Lower for Noordvaal schools | Balanced for both Noordvaal and Western Cape schools |
| Team Allowances | Teams pay their own way | Teams receive financial allowances to offset costs |
| Match Scheduling | Extra rest day between matches | Standard 3-day schedule for most schools translates to lower costs |
| Player Welfare | Better due to additional rest day | Standard, less recovery time |
| Squad Management | Includes 2nd XV tournament — no need to rotate 1st XV players | No 2nd XV, need to give reserves game time; junior A-team tournaments included to add entertainment value |
| Field Allocation | All key matches played on the A-field | Matches split between A and B fields |
In 2025, the Absa Wildeklawer festival appears to have edged ahead of its northern counterpart in terms of marquee matchups. With several high-profile clashes involving traditional powerhouses and top-ranked sides on the card, Wildeklawer has captured the spotlight — at least for this season. Here are some comparative stats from the first two match days of the two premier tournament in 2025:
| Noord-Suid | Wildeklawer | |
| Matches | 14 | 17 |
| Winner-Loser Total Point Difference | 567 | 245 |
| Winner-Loser Average Point Difference | 33.35 | 17.5 |
| One-Score Matches | 3 | 6 |
| Two-Score Matches | 2 | 2 |
| 15-50 Point Difference | 8 | 5 |
| Over 50 Point Difference | 3 | 1 |
| Over 100 Point Difference | 1 | 0 |
Thanks for the stats Beet, very interesting. As far as the scheduling of matches goes, which festival gets first pick of drafting their fixture list? I’m sure there are many matches that aren’t annual derbies which both festivals would love to host, eg PRG v Affies and HJS v Affies