KZN’s mid-table battles take centre stage this weekend – 07/06/25

KZN rugby shifts focus to the middle of the table this weekend with two enticing encounters lined up: Northwood hosts Hilton, while Michaelhouse welcomes Maritzburg College to Balgowan in what promises to be another memorable clash on Meadows. In the other major fixture, table-toppers Westville remain in control of their own destiny.

Westville celebrates Old Boys’ Day

The Griffins—founded in 1955 and celebrating 70 years this season—host local Highway rivals Kearsney on Old Boys’ Day. Despite their current lowly position, Kearsney impressed with some enterprising play against Maritzburg College last Saturday and will be looking to build on that momentum. They’ll need to step it up, though, with a passionate Westville home crowd expected to make things even tougher. The home team is boosted by the expected return of X-factor fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya. Ville had to dig a bit deep to beat a resilient Glenwood 42-25 on Bowden’s last Saturday.

Northwood vs Hilton – Knights eye back-to-back wins

Northwood edged Hilton away from home last season, but on their own Reece-Edwards Field in Durban North, history hasn’t been kind to the Knights in recent years. Since their last home win over Hilton in 2014, they’ve gone down in each of the following fixtures by an average score of 10-27. That said, Northwood are enjoying a strong 2025 campaign and will start as favourites to secure consecutive wins over SA’s most expensive school. It won’t be straightforward, though. Hilton showed their potential in a gritty 18-26 loss to a highly ranked DHS side last time out.

Michaelhouse vs Maritzburg College – Midlands classic reloaded

Maritzburg College makes the trip to Balgowan boosted by two late Craven Week call-ups. The unfortunate injury to DHS tighthead Josef Udo-Idung—surely on the SA Schools selectors’ radar—along with a knee injury to Westville’s consistent loosie Wandile Simelane, has opened the door for College duo Alande Ngubane (3) and Cyril Cherayi (6) to represent at the premier U18 youth tournament in Middelburg.

The Michaelhouse vs College clash on Meadows has become a must-watch in recent years. Always competitive, the average score across recent matchups hovers around the 50-point mark, with margins of 1, 10, 4, and 7 points in the last four Midlands derbies. The balance of talent and the attacking brand both schools play suggests this one could be another classic. Michaelhouse were more in control than their 31-24 win over Pretoria Boys’ High suggested, while College’s 35-20 win against Kearsney required a fair bit more effort than the scoreline let on.

KZN Table