In terms of overall record, Maritzburg College is by a considerable distance the best performing rugby school in KwaZulu-Natal. With the help of the excellent records kept by former teacher Tony Wiblin, below are some stats per decade dating back to the 1940’s.
|
DECADE |
1940’s |
1950’s |
1960’s |
1970’s |
1980’s |
1990’s |
2000’s |
2010-13 |
|
PLAYED |
138 |
145 |
155 |
145 |
164 |
192 |
183 |
72 |
|
WON |
68 |
113 |
125 |
120 |
146 |
147 |
119 |
37 |
|
DRAW |
27 |
13 |
14 |
12 |
5 |
7 |
5 |
8 |
|
LOST |
43 |
19 |
16 |
13 |
13 |
38 |
59 |
27 |
|
RESULT% |
59% |
82% |
85% |
87% |
91% |
78% |
66% |
57% |
The 1980’s were College’s most outstanding period. They peaked during this decade, achieved a favourable result rating of over 90%.
1947 was a key year in College’s history. It marked the start of the 1st XV coaching career of Skonk Nicholson, a legend who played a huge part in turning College into one of the top rugby schools in the country.
Here are the Maritzburg College rugby records per year:
(please note that the ranking in the extreme righthand column is based purely on the favourable results percentage)
|
YEAR |
P |
W |
D |
L |
Results% |
PF |
PA |
PD |
PD/game |
Rank |
|
2013 |
18 |
7 |
2 |
9 |
44.4% |
434 |
467 |
-33 |
-2 |
70 |
|
2012 |
18 |
9 |
3 |
6 |
58.3% |
603 |
431 |
172 |
10 |
63 |
|
2011 |
23 |
13 |
2 |
8 |
60.9% |
311 |
227 |
84 |
4 |
61 |
|
2010 |
13 |
8 |
1 |
4 |
65.4% |
349 |
224 |
125 |
10 |
54 |
|
2009 |
16 |
7 |
0 |
9 |
43.8% |
294 |
324 |
-30 |
-2 |
71 |
|
2008 |
20 |
7 |
1 |
12 |
37.5% |
366 |
520 |
-154 |
-8 |
74 |
|
2007 |
17 |
11 |
1 |
5 |
67.6% |
369 |
275 |
94 |
6 |
47 |
|
2006 |
19 |
11 |
0 |
8 |
57.9% |
388 |
302 |
86 |
5 |
64 |
|
2005 |
18 |
12 |
0 |
6 |
66.7% |
312 |
295 |
17 |
1 |
48 |
|
2004 |
18 |
9 |
1 |
8 |
52.8% |
381 |
278 |
103 |
6 |
67 |
|
2003 |
18 |
13 |
1 |
4 |
75.0% |
419 |
201 |
218 |
12 |
42 |
|
2002 |
20 |
18 |
0 |
2 |
90.0% |
600 |
191 |
409 |
20 |
20 |
|
2001 |
17 |
14 |
1 |
2 |
85.3% |
402 |
204 |
198 |
12 |
33 |
|
2000 |
20 |
17 |
0 |
3 |
85.0% |
602 |
185 |
417 |
21 |
34 |
|
1999 |
17 |
11 |
0 |
6 |
64.7% |
308 |
218 |
90 |
5 |
55 |
|
1998 |
15 |
8 |
0 |
7 |
53.3% |
257 |
277 |
-20 |
-1 |
65 |
|
1997 |
23 |
21 |
0 |
2 |
91.3% |
701 |
164 |
537 |
23 |
19 |
|
1996 |
18 |
12 |
1 |
5 |
69.4% |
353 |
190 |
163 |
9 |
46 |
|
1995 |
16 |
15 |
1 |
0 |
96.9% |
533 |
163 |
370 |
23 |
6 |
|
1994 |
20 |
18 |
0 |
2 |
90.0% |
610 |
172 |
438 |
22 |
20 |
|
1993 |
19 |
11 |
3 |
5 |
65.8% |
483 |
264 |
219 |
12 |
51 |
|
1992 |
27 |
24 |
0 |
3 |
88.9% |
692 |
266 |
426 |
16 |
27 |
|
1991 |
19 |
11 |
1 |
7 |
60.5% |
275 |
210 |
65 |
3 |
62 |
|
1990 |
18 |
16 |
1 |
1 |
91.7% |
319 |
119 |
200 |
11 |
17 |
|
1989 |
19 |
17 |
1 |
1 |
92.1% |
488 |
103 |
385 |
20 |
16 |
|
1988 |
15 |
15 |
0 |
0 |
100.0% |
348 |
106 |
242 |
16 |
1 |
|
1987 |
18 |
16 |
0 |
2 |
88.9% |
407 |
201 |
206 |
11 |
27 |
|
1986 |
17 |
14 |
0 |
3 |
82.4% |
442 |
125 |
317 |
19 |
37 |
|
1985 |
18 |
18 |
0 |
0 |
100.0% |
609 |
96 |
513 |
29 |
1 |
|
1984 |
14 |
13 |
0 |
1 |
92.9% |
354 |
103 |
251 |
18 |
13 |
|
1983 |
17 |
16 |
0 |
1 |
94.1% |
382 |
114 |
268 |
16 |
11 |
|
1982 |
14 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
96.4% |
329 |
78 |
251 |
18 |
8 |
|
1981 |
16 |
14 |
2 |
0 |
93.8% |
215 |
103 |
112 |
7 |
12 |
|
1980 |
16 |
10 |
1 |
5 |
65.6% |
367 |
189 |
178 |
11 |
52 |
|
1979 |
13 |
11 |
1 |
1 |
88.5% |
267 |
127 |
140 |
11 |
29 |
|
1978 |
13 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
100.0% |
412 |
70 |
342 |
26 |
1 |
|
1977 |
13 |
12 |
0 |
1 |
92.3% |
326 |
77 |
249 |
19 |
15 |
|
1976 |
14 |
10 |
2 |
2 |
78.6% |
276 |
113 |
163 |
12 |
40 |
|
1975 |
13 |
7 |
2 |
4 |
61.5% |
192 |
107 |
85 |
7 |
59 |
|
1974 |
15 |
14 |
1 |
0 |
96.7% |
319 |
96 |
223 |
15 |
7 |
|
1973 |
16 |
13 |
2 |
1 |
87.5% |
347 |
109 |
238 |
15 |
31 |
|
1972 |
19 |
16 |
2 |
1 |
89.5% |
547 |
93 |
454 |
24 |
25 |
|
1971 |
14 |
11 |
1 |
2 |
82.1% |
195 |
104 |
91 |
7 |
39 |
|
1970 |
15 |
13 |
1 |
1 |
90.0% |
318 |
80 |
238 |
16 |
20 |
|
1969 |
19 |
16 |
2 |
1 |
89.5% |
416 |
146 |
270 |
14 |
25 |
|
1968 |
15 |
13 |
0 |
2 |
86.7% |
216 |
83 |
133 |
9 |
32 |
|
1967 |
15 |
11 |
3 |
1 |
83.3% |
214 |
65 |
149 |
10 |
35 |
|
1966 |
16 |
9 |
3 |
4 |
65.6% |
186 |
95 |
91 |
6 |
52 |
|
1965 |
12 |
7 |
1 |
4 |
62.5% |
162 |
94 |
68 |
6 |
58 |
|
1964 |
14 |
13 |
0 |
1 |
92.9% |
346 |
57 |
289 |
21 |
13 |
|
1963 |
17 |
16 |
1 |
0 |
97.1% |
427 |
60 |
367 |
22 |
4 |
|
1962 |
15 |
12 |
3 |
0 |
90.0% |
178 |
62 |
116 |
8 |
20 |
|
1961 |
17 |
15 |
0 |
2 |
88.2% |
240 |
61 |
179 |
11 |
30 |
|
1960 |
15 |
13 |
1 |
1 |
90.0% |
213 |
45 |
168 |
11 |
20 |
|
1959 |
17 |
16 |
1 |
0 |
97.1% |
322 |
58 |
264 |
16 |
4 |
|
1958 |
12 |
8 |
0 |
4 |
66.7% |
138 |
99 |
39 |
3 |
48 |
|
1957 |
12 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
70.8% |
104 |
54 |
50 |
4 |
45 |
|
1956 |
19 |
18 |
0 |
1 |
94.7% |
304 |
61 |
243 |
13 |
10 |
|
1955 |
12 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
91.7% |
182 |
53 |
129 |
11 |
17 |
|
1954 |
13 |
12 |
1 |
0 |
96.2% |
259 |
46 |
213 |
16 |
9 |
|
1953 |
14 |
8 |
2 |
4 |
64.3% |
114 |
91 |
23 |
2 |
56 |
|
1952 |
16 |
12 |
0 |
4 |
75.0% |
189 |
82 |
107 |
7 |
42 |
|
1951 |
17 |
13 |
2 |
2 |
82.4% |
157 |
46 |
111 |
7 |
37 |
|
1950 |
13 |
10 |
0 |
3 |
76.9% |
136 |
62 |
74 |
6 |
41 |
|
1949 |
15 |
10 |
5 |
0 |
83.3% |
178 |
60 |
118 |
8 |
35 |
|
1948 |
14 |
9 |
3 |
2 |
75.0% |
155 |
59 |
96 |
7 |
42 |
|
1947 |
16 |
7 |
2 |
7 |
50.0% |
114 |
128 |
-14 |
-1 |
68 |
|
1946 |
11 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
50.0% |
84 |
84 |
0 |
0 |
68 |
|
1945 |
13 |
5 |
6 |
2 |
61.5% |
109 |
79 |
30 |
2 |
59 |
|
1944 |
15 |
9 |
1 |
5 |
63.3% |
190 |
98 |
92 |
6 |
57 |
|
1943 |
12 |
7 |
2 |
3 |
66.7% |
92 |
59 |
33 |
3 |
48 |
|
1942 |
12 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
41.7% |
125 |
90 |
35 |
3 |
73 |
|
1941 |
15 |
7 |
2 |
6 |
53.3% |
140 |
65 |
75 |
5 |
65 |
|
1940 |
15 |
6 |
1 |
8 |
43.3% |
108 |
127 |
-19 |
-1 |
72 |
Very interesting – the greatest number of losses ever for College in a season (9) was the year they had 11 reps in the KZN teams (including almost 25% of the KZN CW team)!
Provincial selections 2013:
KZN Craven Week: K Elder, N Gumede, T Zuma, BJ Ngwenya, M Coetzee
KZN Academy A: S Buthelezi, M Mazwi, V Khatide, J Conradie
KZN Academy B: L Booysen , J Koekemoer
Hopper – I know this theme is Colleges performance against Kzn teams but I have to throw this one in – remember 3 years ago when we played the USA All American U18 School team @ GWD when we won ? There was a huge fight with 10 Mins to go – most of the boys AND the Usa coach got stuck in and a yellow carded yank ran 80 meters from under the poles to get stuck too – The Usa team were getting frustrated ’cause a High school was beating a whole country team – Ref called the game and we won 18-14 or something close to that – My Video battery died 5 mins before the fight – I’m going to post some of the clips on to you tube for bloggers who are bored waiting for SBR to start ……..
@Grasshopper: There were certainly quite a few guys around who were 19 or so at a time when the “normal” age for finishing school was 17. It would be interesting to see the ages of a SA Schools team selected around that time. I suspect that most of the players would have been at least 18 or 19.
Even the great Danie Gerber, who All black refers to above, was 19 in ’77 in his 3rd and final year at Craven Week and SA Schools. Danie at least was so talented that he made both at the age of 17.
@Grasshopper: Correct. House against College in the 30’s – Played 16, House won 10, lost 6, no draws.
@meadows: Crafford played full back at Craven week in Oudtshoorn. Remember him well. His goal kicking was brilliant. Same year that Danie Gerber emerged for EP. They won Craven Week going away.
@meadows: Yeah, certainly different times. When being 22 in the 1st team was normal ;-)….
Glenwood lost to Grosvenor 3 times, 1966, 1969 and 1983….dark days! Also, lost to Port Natal 5 times in the early 70’s and 4 times in the 80’s…..tough games those. They would have been big ‘Boer-war’ derbies…..now the boers have joined us ;-)
@meadows: The 30’s were seriously Michaelhouse’s
Glenwood vs Michaelhouse
1933 – L 3 – 6
1934 – L 3 – 41
1935 – L 4 – 35 (A)
W 16 – 6 (A)
1936 – L 3 – 42 (A)
L 6 – 7 (H)
1937 – L 11 – 17 (A)
L 0 – 13 (H)
1938 – L 11 – 20 (H)
1939 – L 3 – 9 (A)
L 9 – 14 (H)
@Grasshopper: I remember there being quite a few Port Natal guys in the Craven Week sides around ’77/78. They had a flyhalf and centre who played for 2 or 3 years – flyhalf’s name was Crafford if memory serves.
Natal sides of the 70’s were largely home grown and tended to come from a spread of schools including many of those smaller and now defunct ones. I’m sure Tubby Hannaford went to Grosvenor, Tim Cocks was a Westville OB (Westville were much less of a rugby force in the 70’s than now) and there was a big group of Mansfield OB’s – Stan Holmes, Malcolm Swanby, Terry Basson, Bennie de Klerk and Snowy Suter – who ran the show at Collegians.
A different era.
@Grasshopper: I’m told on good authority that the 1930’s were MHS’s golden era
@meadows: In terms of best KZN sides since rugby began in the province, this is the sequence;
1) College – by miles
2) DHS
3) Michaelhouse
4) Hilton
5) Glenwood
6) Kearsney
7) Westville
8) Northwood/Northlands
9) Voortrekker
10) Port Natal
Funny correlation between age of the school and success.
@meadows: Yep, agree totally. Port Natal was pretty strong too, also Mansfield, Grosvenor, Gelofte, Kuswag etc….sad scenario the demise of some of these schools as the bigger schools gobble up the kids.
@Grasshopper: It is easy to forget that 30-40 years ago DHS were probably College’s most consistent challengers in Natal. Voortrekker in Maritzburg were also formidable opposition in those days.
In general the same could be said of many schools around the country. In the 70’s and 80’s schools like Oos Moot (Pretoria), HTS Sasolburg, Helpmekaar, Randburg, Lichtenburg, Kempton Park, Hugenote (Springs), Nelspruit and Hoer Volkskool Potch all won the Administrators trophy along with Affies and Monnas,
@Roger: That ’85 Sandringham side was actually very good and so was the Highlands North side. Unfortunately, we had our worst 1st team in a decade at exactly the same time as KES had their worst team in a decade…so no win for us in ’85. We had a better team than KES in ’84, but Macfaland resorted to 5 man scrums (as our pack was killing KES’s pack) and we got frustrated and gave away numerous penalties, which Druian slotted from his own half. 5 man scrums were banned the following year.
@Gungets Tuft: I think that the ’85 side was much better than the ’87 side, despite the greater CW representation in ’87. I watched the ’85 side hammer a very good Bishops side by 44 to 0 at Saints, but also watched the ’87 side get hammered by Bishops by 41 to 9 at the Piley Rees…if memory serves. I remember Catterall being a lot bigger than the rest of the team.
I think that the excellent 8th man in ’85 was DG Ross.
@Vleis: T’was a good year indeed.
KZN reps were AT Arntzen, SR Glover, KL O’Connor, DG Ross, KLL Smith
JT Stransky (Capt. SA Schools was just Glover that year.
87 was a bigger represenative year, with BW Catterall (capt), AJ Godfrey, UH Goedeke, DAG Reed, ID Vynne, WG Wilson picked for KZN and then BW Catterall (Capt), UH Goedeke, DAG Reed, WG Wilson for SA Schools.
Glory days, little wistful, we are hopeful …..
1983 the Glenwood loss must have been College’s only loss of the season :-)
Glenwood KZN Schools reps early 80’s, seems they were up against some serious competition with College players then…
1981 C.E. Muller
1983 D.B. Baronet
1984 F.H. Swanepoel (c)
1984 D.B. Baronet
1984 B.C. Smith
1985 D.B. Baronet (SA Schools)
1985 B.C. Smith
1986 T.L. Labuschange
1987 T.L. Labuschange
1987 B.W. Aigner
1987 W.M. Williams
Hmmm, the early 80’s seemed an exciting era for schoolboy rugby. Glenwood had some tussles with College then too, 85 were relatively heavy losses in those days…
1981 – lost 7-9 & 10-19
1982 – lost 6-15 & 18-19
1983 – won 15-9 & lost 6-24
1984 – lost 4-20 & 6-13
1985 – lost 3-25 & 6-22
@Vleis: The ’84 Queens side beat Grey 26-9, one of two games that Grey lost that year – the other being to Grey High 18-10.
In 1985 they again lost to Queens 14-3 and also lost to Maritzburg College 10-4.
@Vleis: College gave KES a klap at the 85 Saints Festival. Only consolation is that the 85 KES side were rather ordinary, losing to Jeppe, PBHS, Highlands North and
Sandringham 
– can you Adam and Eve it. I think they just managed to win 50% of their fixtures that year.
87 was College’s best year for no of Natal schools reps, something like 11 or 12 and the only chose about 18 then. The Glenwood 1965 side was our best ever with 8 KZN reps, amazing side with K Sclanders and go. Probably too long ago for most of us. 64 and 79 also very good, but not in any Grey Bloem league!
@QC86: I’ve heard that the ’84 Queens side (with Cullinan et al) was one of SA’s best ever SBR teams – didn’t they hammer GCB away? My mates who attended Queens in that era bang on about it enough anyway!
@Gungets Tuft: Likewise, the ’85 College side was fearsome, with many top players including Stransky at flyhalf, Jeremy Thomson at centre and an excellent #8. I spoke to Stransky a few years ago and he said (if I remember correctly) that the #8 got injured soon after and didn’t play again. I watched that College side demolish all before them at the ’85 Saints festival. I was very disappointed that my school had not been invited to the festival, but slightly less so after watching College play!
@Gungets Tuft: Glenwood’s past decade results vs KZN opposition is over 70% win ratio…not bad…
@Gungets Tuft: I agree, records vs local opposition will be far better than looking at a season as a whole, due to festivals and outside of the province fixtures, which are far harder due to travel. Here is Glenwood’s results vs local opposition; https://www.dropbox.com/s/l6inx1tozv4rypa/GlenwoodRugby19102013.pdf
@Gungets Tuft: I think that inter-provincial travel is a trend that’s gained momentum in the last few decades.
Even a school like Grey Bloem whose fixture list nowadays is predominantly inter-provincial did far less travel back in the 80’s. The excellent 1981 Grey side only played Grey High and Queens in that year and none of what have now become regular fixtures against Affies, Paarl Boys, Paul Roos etc.
Of course the school landscape has changed significantly since the 70’s and early 80’s and some schools that were very strong then are barely recognisable today.
@star: Hahhahhha .. touche. Hoisted with my own petard ….
“I must say that in the last 10 years to have an average winning % of 56% for one of the top Tier 1 schools is not quite what the doctor ordered.” …. Star.
“Since 2004 there has been a slight slump or the likes of Westville, Glenwood and Kearsney have caught up.” … Grassy.
Quite correct, both of you, but I would like to see how College compares with the other KZN schools over the time. Part of it has to do with the fact that College have started (more) regularly playing out of the province during those years, although they haven’t been afraid to travel in the past. So have other KZN schools …
I would expect House and Hilton to fare better on that front, since I believe they confine themselves locally. An apples with apples comparison within KZN would probably have to exclude opposition outside KZN, but if you want to compare yourself with the best, then include all the results – no point hiding away.
@ Gungets- I honestly did not think it was a contest. The thread is about the ” best performing rugby school in KZN” since 1940. I am not sure Westville’s current stats mitigate against that. Surely I am entitled to comment on a trend which is evident in the figures presented. The ten years before the last decade had a winning % of 80%. That means a fall off of some 30%. Some might consider that material. You have gone on at length about the new vision at College which will quickly be followed by results. While we all look forward to that, it does not change the history of things. But you have raised quite an interesting point about the last 10 years. Which school rules the roost? You would have to back GW. In 2013 Westville had an 80 % return while Kearsney only lost one game.
@Gungets Tuft: Jeeez! Cambridge must have had a killer side that year. Dale was smashed 23-7 by College in ’82 on Goldstones.
I was floating around in my mother’s womb in Mbali, Pietermaritzburg at that time.
@beet: Alright cool, understood.
I’ll email you Dale’s records. It wont anything as impressive as College’s or GCB.
Just had it pointed out that the 1982 draws were Cambridge and Linpark (not Voortrekker). Apparently Linpark just arrived at Goldstones full of vinegar and slotted a penalty in injury time to draw the match.
@star: College have shown you their’s, send the Westville results to ou Beet so he can work his magic. It’s not a contest till everyone gets measured – yes?
@CRC: it was so sweet,thought the score was 14 -10 tho,not important
@star: I’m sure 2014 will be better than 56%, although they have added the mighty Grey Bloem away…..good luck with that one..
@ Oldschool- College boys do not lie or else they become ex College boys
Maybe prone to a bit of exaggeration as the memory fades and the glory days take hold. I must say that in the last 10 years to have an average winning % of 56% for one of the top Tier 1 schools is not quite what the doctor ordered. But as Gungets says things they are a changing. You cannot keep a good dog down for too long. 
looking at these stats , I have come to realise that most of my College mates are liars !!!
ask any college old boy whom was there in the 80s or 90s and they seem to recall many more unbeaten seasons ….going as far to say that during there time at college they only ever recall college losing once or twice during there entire schooling carreer !!!
Selective memory at its best !!
@QC86: Unfortunately remember that all to well. 13-15 to Queens to spoil a 100 % record.
@Playa: I was merely trying to pick up the Top 10 in terms of the ranking used.
I think the College exercise proves that although going through a season unbeaten is quite an achievement, there are those seasons when a team loses a game or maybe two to other brilliant teams but is just as good as any of the unbeaten teams from other seasons.
@Playa: 1982 – 2 Draws, against Cambridge and Voortrekker!!
55 – draws to House and DHS
62 – Draws to DHS, Parktown and Voortrekker. Clearly Voories a liot more competitive in those days. They certainly matches the physicality – it was against them that I had my first and only fight on the rugby field.
@Playa: and 62 and 55? Draws maybe…
@QC86:
NICE!
Beet – Looks like the 1981 side was also unbeaten. Any reason why it isn’t highlighted?
Queens cost college their unbeaten record in 84
In my day, 99 – 2001, College were without doubt, the strongest English Speaking Rugby School around.
When we played College, we always knew that our bodies would be battered and bruised after the game.
Very different to the Grey Bloem teams, who would simply run us off our feet, despite not being the most physical team – even Affies for that matter, just had so much gas and fitness
@Playa: *My Standard 5 year was in 1995
@Grasshopper: Hehehehehe you couldn’t help yourself couldn’t you…
This is certainly one of the most enviable records in schoolboy rugby as a whole. I remember in my standard 5 year at Dale Junior, a lot of our top players were sending applications to go to College. Largely because of what the 1st team that year had done (mind you Dale had a handy team themselves that year). One boy got accepted, made the under 14 D side at College, and he was back at Dale in July and walked into our 14A side. College is a true meneer school. Much respect.
By far the best performing KZN side over time! Since 2004 there has been a slight slump or the likes of Westville, Glenwood and Kearsney have caught up. For me the 1995 and 1996 sides were the best I have seen.