Glenwood versus KES in 2014?
It wasn’t scripted but the Gauteng English-medium schools somehow managed to defeat the KZN schools 7 games to 6 and win the inaugural Grogper Cup in 2013.(http://blog.schoolboyrugby.co.za/?p=4986)
Anyway this year does contain that unlucky 13 prefix to the 20, so moving on to better times ahead, in 2014 the Cup is naturally expected to return to what is talked up to be it’s permanent home aka KwaZulu-Natal. I’m not even sure it’s worth opening up the comments below for anyone to along the E-toll highways to debate this fact in the making.
Jokes! The truth is there are many exciting game that make up the series and nothing should be taken for granted by the supporters of either province simply because it is a full package that requires the schools from top to bottom of their respective leagues to deliver when it counts in these popular cross-border games.
Glenwood, the one big KZN school that was missing from the Grogper Cup is expected to make their debut in the competition down at the Grey High Festival in Port Elizabeth. Pencilled in for now as part of the festival’s provisional fixture list is a match-up with improving Jeppe.
However the Grogper Cup borrows it’s name from Grasshopper of Glenwood and Roger of KES and given the history of these two, the most fitting game, the so-called Ultimate Grogper Cup match, would off course be Glenwood vs KES. For now it is looking unlikely that the game will take place in 2014 but there is a remote chance that it could still happen. Maybe at Wildeklawer, depending on what the final decision is about Grey College vs Monnas (a game that has also been scheduled for the Kearsney Easter Festival) or at Grey PE, where the organisers wait on the a final decision from a third Western Cape side (SACS is joining the party with Bishops confirmed a while back) and with Westville listed to play KES (already an annual inter-schools fixture)- reshuffles are on the cards before fixtures are finalised.
Please remember these are not the final fixtures for Grey PE, just provisional one. Once finalised the official fixtures will be posted under the Grey High Festival 2014 blog:
Provisional fixtures
| Field | Date,Time | School | School | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 29-Mar | |||||
| Phillip | 08h30 | Pearson | Hudson Park | ||
| Phillip | 09h45 | Jeppe | Marlow | ||
| Phillip | 11h00 | Pretoria BH | DHS | ||
| Phillip | 12h15 | Glenwood | Bishop’s | ||
| Phillip | 13h30 | Queen’s | Michaelhouse | ||
| Phillip | 14h45 | Selborne | KES | ||
| Phillip | 16h00 | Grey HS | Kearsney | ||
| Pollock | 09h45 | Kingswood | Louis Botha | ||
| Pollock | 11h00 | Daniel Pienaar | Westville | ||
| Pollock | 12h15 | Windhoek Gym | Dale | ||
| Pollock | 13h30 | Itembilihle | Parktown | ||
| Pollock | 14h45 | La Plata (Arg) | Nico Malan | ||
| Mon, 31-Mar | |||||
| Phillip | 08h30 | Daniel Pienaar | Windhoek Gim | ||
| Phillip | 09h45 | Queen’s | DHS | ||
| Phillip | 11h00 | Dale | Parktown | ||
| Phillip | 12h15 | KES | Westville | ||
| Phillip | 13h30 | Kingswood | Bishops | ||
| Phillip | 14h45 | Kearsney | Pretoria BH | ||
| Phillip | 16h00 | Grey HS | Nico Malan | ||
| Pollock | 08h30 | Marlow | Hudson Park | ||
| Pollock | 09h45 | Graeme | Michaelhouse | ||
| Pollock | 11h00 | Pearson | Selborne | ||
| Pollock | 12h15 | Glenwood | Jeppe | ||
| Pollock | 13h30 | SACS | Louis Botha | ||
| Pollock | 14h45 | Muir | Ithembelihle | ||
| Wed, 02-Apr | |||||
| Phillip | 08h30 | Louis Botha | Pretoria BH | ||
| Phillip | 09h45 | Daniel Pienaar | Parktown | ||
| Phillip | 11h00 | Itembilihle | Graeme | ||
| Phillip | 12h15 | Westville | Jeppe | ||
| Phillip | 13h30 | Grey High | Michaelhouse | ||
| Pollock | 09h45 | Hudson Park | Muir | ||
| Pollock | 11h00 | SACS | DHS | ||
| Pollock | 12h15 | Windhoek Gim | Muir |
@ McCulleys- back from the Wilderness. Knowledge can sometimes be indirect. Big old family
@star: sounds like you did them all!
@ Gungets- 100 % my brother. And trust me when I say I know the whole spectrum.
@Gungets Tuft: boet I agree with you, remember all my pro gov school debates. I’m not saying that is my opinion, it’s an opinion I’ve heard a lot from wealthy friends and family.
@Grasshopper: “just saying that locals in Houghton are 9 out of 10 times going to look for private”
Why. I bet there are a great many KES Old Boys living in Houghton who will be grateful for the start their school gave them, and confident that the school can do the same for their kids.
My dad could never afford a private school for me, I was lucky enough to get into College, I can afford it, to a large extent because of what College taught me. My son is there out of choice, and I am willing to bet his son will go there too, if my sons is still living in SA when that time comes.
@Gungets Tuft: I’m not saying that at all, just saying that locals in Houghton are 9 out of 10 times going to look for private. I wouldn’t exclude gov from my list if my child had good enough reason, this is now my girl is only one so who knows in 12 years….maybe a matric pass will by 5% by then….
@Grasshopper: I still can’t understand you saying that. The implication is that the more expensive it is, the better it is. Do you seriously think that is the case, or do statements like that slip out without you thinking about it.
I can think of many reasons why someone who could afford House, Hilton, Bishops, might send their son to a “gov school like KES”, or Glenwood, Westville, College. I could afford House or Hilton (the benefit of realising, when I started working, that I might have kids and starting to save for it back then), I can spout my reasons for offering my son College (and House, Hilton, Kearsney, Clifton), and the few reasons that he offered when he chose College. Care to hear them .. the ones you have not heard yet – they are very well thought out, for a 13 year old boy.
@Roger: There are some very wealthy people in Upper Glenwood, but probably not quite as wealthy as Houghton. Those Houghton residents won’t be sending their kids to a gov school like KES, more likely Michaelhouse, Hilton or Bishops…
@Grasshopper: come now – surely you are not comparing upper Glenwood to Houuughton (said with a hot potatoe in the mouth). The St Jooohhns (same hot potatoe) excutive would be most upset – it is, after all, where Madiba resides
@Roger: Walking time to Manning Road and upper Glenwood is about 30 seconds too…
@Grasshopper: walking time to Houghton is about 30 seconds – go out the main gate and turn left (or right)
Glenwood High should more appropriately be called Maydon Wharf High, Dockside High or Harbour High!
Just for fun did a Google search for walking time from KES to Hillbrow, 8 minutes and from Glenwood High to Umbilo, 43 minutes…..just saying…
@Roger: Scumbilo High vs Hillbrow High would be awesome! The ultimate below the board match-up! ;-)
kearsney got 2 tough ones. A good test for the season to follow.
my moneys on Jeppepe
Kes vs Durban Tech – never gonna happen
we prefer to limit our KZN involvement to above board institutions
Do SACS still play rugby?
@beet: I wouldn’t mind a Glenwood vs SACS game, would be great! Although Glenwood vs KES is the ultimate win or lose. Grogper should be top 10 from each league not every school, otherwise Bryanston vs Grosvenor will count…
@Mike: Yeah I wasn’t even sure it was worth putting up.
Nice to see SACS there as well.
In the past some not all SACS folks have talked a big game and have even tried to play down the quality of KZN SBR, so it would be nice if one or two of our KZN tier-1 schools we could play against SACS who are often at or near the bottom of the WPPL.
@Deon: Hahahaha!You’re gonna get me into trouble here.
Just noted that Westville play Nico Malan at KERF. Not so easy with all the festivals to get it right. Maybe Selborne can play Jeppe and Westville Pearson on day 2 which will release GW to play KES. We need to get this match out of the way.
@Star. Just make sure KES pitches and do not pull an Affies, like they did against Gim. Ask Playa, it is an old Gauteng approach to games you are sure to loose.
It is actually quite simple . On day 2 let Westville play Nico Malan, Grey High play Jeppe and GW play KES.
Selborne v Pearson…mismatch (on paper) of note!
I have a feeling these fixtures will change quite a bit.