After two difficult seasons in 2024 and 2025, there is a renewed sense of direction at Hoërskool Monument.
The dip in performance at 1st XV level was evident, with last year’s matric group regarded as relatively modest by Monnas standards. Yet, beneath the surface, there were encouraging signs. Performances improved as the season progressed and, importantly, 16 players from that squad return in 2026. Among them are several provincial representatives who have featured for the Golden Lions at U16 and U17 level — a core that offers both quality and continuity. Their progress will be tested immediately, with a demanding encounter against Diamantveld awaiting as their first major challenge of the season — a fixture that should provide an early indication of just how far this group has come.
Pre-season preparations have been excellent. The conditioning base has been laid; however, a congested schedule — with athletics commitments on Wednesdays and trials on Thursdays — has limited valuable match practice. That lack of game time may present an early challenge, but the physical groundwork appears solid.
Crucially, the 1st XV coaching staff remains unchanged, bringing much-needed stability after a baptism-of-fire introduction for Head Coach Jannie du Plessis. Hardworking hands on Director of Rugby Reinhard Gerber assists him, along with a good coaching team. There have been a few structural adjustments from U14 level upwards, aimed at strengthening alignment within the system. The prospect of a new, highly motivated headmaster who understands the Monnas culture well also adds optimism and clarity of vision.
There is a clear sense that Monument are back on the right track. With a more settled environment and a promising group coming through, the task now is less about rebuilding and more about reinforcing standards and restoring the culture that has long defined Monnas rugby.
| YEAR | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | WIN% |
| 2023 | 19 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 656 | 414 | 242 | 53% |
| 2024 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 702 | 588 | 114 | 47% |
| 2025 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 509 | 706 | 207 | 32% |
Voltyd: Diamantveld 36-35 Monument
There are many possible reasons that Monnas rugby has shown recently to have gone backwards…I will mention a possible 3.
Personally I first of all think that their thinking and or philosophy of “we are a rugby school” as claimed and said by many I heard for many many years is the first possible reason. Because we are one thing will mean that we do a lot for that one thing but way less for other things. The moment a school does less for other sports and puts much more into one sport that is the moment the school starts going backwards. Because you lose the athletes as their are better options or other schools that put much more into their athletics for example. And you also lose the hockey players and netball players and so on for the same reasons. Furthermore many of those top athletes are also good rugby players, many of those top hockey players or netball players have brothers that are good rugby players. I mean let’s pretend for a moment my daughter (13) going to Grade 8 next year and my son Grade 6 and my daughter is a great netball player and my son a great rugby player and the other school I am considering does much more for netball and as much for rugby then the choice is obvious. My daughter will go to the school that does as much for both sports. So you lose both children as my son would end up going to the same school when he goes to Grade 8. If that keeps happening over many years eventually the athletics is poor, hockey poor, netball poor, acedemics poor, and finally it will affect the rugby as well and even the rugby will become poor. Because if you keep losing great sports people for the reasons I mentioned above eventually even your rugby suffers. And your…”we are a rugby school” dies a quick death. Value all sports in the school the same. Put as much into all sports, none more than any other and start winning at something….start with spirit, it costs nothing then work on the other long term so that your school can eventually be known as a school that wins at everything or at least cares to try and win at everything as everything important. People, kids, parents love to be part of a winning school.
Secondly…. coaching
Results is what matters so whoever the coaches are, their success and how good they are is measured by first understanding and establishing the quality or talent that they have available. And being honest about it. Then making sure they performing at that level and sometimes even punching above their weight, those are the good coaches and performance no lower than their potential with the results backing it up. Did the first team of Monnas perform last year or in the last 3 years according to their potential? Many I heard say no, many say they performed way below their potential. But watch us this year 2026…. I also heard. The results decide how good the coaches and the team are not the players they have available even though it helps. My point is, if a team is a 8 out of ten according to their potential you can’t play at a 2 for the season and then blame the players. Many coaches do that all the time. A great coach blames himself when things go wrong, ask Rassie, he recently took full responsibility for the Boks…in his own words I…we as the coaches got it wrong against the All Blacks. That’s what you call a great coach! A poor coach always blames the players or anything else they can think of…
Lastly…the coaches I believe have changed. Tjaart left for Helpmekaar and there are new coaches now. Second year in charge I believe. So the new coaches results last year wasn’t great in their first year. What will it be this year. We will see…starting on Saturday with a big one against Diamantveld.
@SB Rugby (Comment #6)
Jy klink na n kenner maar ek weet nie van een skool binne n raduis van 2000 km vanaf die Wesrand wat net home grown spelers het op 1ste en 2 de span vlak.
Dalk kan jy my inlig.
@HSBR (Comment #5)
Ek weet, sal verkies om nie name tenoem op die platform nie.
@Mate (Comment #4)
Geregtig tot jou opinie, miskien moet Ek meer spesifiek wees op 1st/2de span vlak glad nie gewoont om tewerk met spelers wat hulle het nie. Dit kan dalk nou verander maar gaan heel moontlik n jaar or twee vat.
@SB Rugby (Comment #3)
Wie het almal Helpmekaar toegeskuif, weet jy dalk…. Daai 0/16 het nog elke keer die Noordvaal in hulle groep gewen en daar was baie opgewondenheid oor hulle wat oop spanne toe gaan
@SB Rugby (Comment #3)
Daai wat jy tussen hakies geskryf is nou n klomp tjol
@OudAffie (Comment #2)
Jy’s reg Noordheuwel se opkoms speel beslis n rol, asook geld en beurse(Beslis nie gewoont om tewerk met spelers wat hulle het nie). Laat ons nie uitlaat die die 2025 0/16 spelers wat helpmekaar kollege toe geskuif het nie, dai is intresant
Hoe groot ‘n rol speel Noordheuwel se opkoms in skolerugby in daai streek ten opsigte van Monument se laaste 3 sukkeljare? Of is daar ander redes vir sukkel van Monument se rugbyprogram? Geld, Beurse, Politiek, Ligging? Dood opregte vraag, probeer nie neerhalig wees nie, net probeer verstaan hoekom Monument teruggesak het.
Ek twyfel