Westville’s rugby fixture list for 2015 has a host of unexpected exciting surprises. Out of province schools Affies, Jeppe and Garsfontein (unconfirmed but close) have been lined up as brand new inter-schools opponents. Maritzburg College will become a home and away fixture for the first time. There are also plans to attend the special Jeppe 125th Birthday Festival over the long weekend at the end of April, which in a sense substitutes for the Grey PE Festival (being replaced by Cape Schools’ Week for 2015). The noticeable omission is that of Michaelhouse. The at times difficult to plan around private school holidays seem to have come in the way of the two schools being able to fit this match in.
With home games lined up against Affies, Jeppe, Pretoria Boys High and probably Garsfontein, Bowdens is set to attract large crowds. However this in turn will place a huge burden on Westville in 2016, when they could be expected to make 3 to 4 to Gauteng in the space of three months.
| DATE | OPPONENT | TEAM | VENUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb/March | Port Natal Night Series | 1st XV | Away |
| Feb/March | Voortrekker Night Series | 2nd XV | Away |
| 14/03/2015 | Hilton | All Age Groups | Home |
| 21/03/2015 | Northwood | All Age Groups | Away |
| 28/03/2015 | Maritzburg College | All Age Groups | Home |
| Easter Festival | Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (02-06 April 2015) | 1st XV | Away |
| Easter Festival | Vryheid Festival | 2nd XV | Away |
| Easter Festival | Jeppe Festival | u16A | Away |
| Easter Festival | Paarl Boys Festival | u15A | Away |
| Easter Festival | Outeniqua Festival | u14A | Away |
| 18/04/2015 | Affies | All Age Groups | Home |
| 25/04/2015 | Jeppe 125th Festival | 1st XV | Away |
| 27/04/2015 | Jeppe 125th Festival | 1st XV | Away |
| 01/05/2015 | Jeppe | All Age Groups | Home |
| 09/05/2015 | Kearsney | All Age Groups | Home |
| 16/05/2015 | Pretoria BH | All Age Groups | Home |
| 23/05/2015 | KES | All Age Groups | Away |
| 30/05/2015 | Glenwood (GOB Day) | All Age Groups | Away |
| 06/06/2015 | DHS (DHSOB Day) | All Age Groups | Away |
| 13/06/2015 | Garsfontein | All Age Groups | Home |
| 20/06/2015 | Maritzburg College | All Age Groups | Away |
I believe that the Garsfontein game is definitely off which will give the boys time to recover for the return fixture at College
I also believe that is the time that the KZN CW team have their practice game against the Pumas so it is well timed indeed. I read on another platform that the return fixture for College/GW has been cancelled ie they will only play each other once next year. Can anyone else confirm?
Westville should stretch to the third term now with the amount of games that they have in hand. @beet: i agree with you. maybe they can also slot us in the third term
Westville are in the process of trying to convert one of their 2015 inter-province home games into an away game. PBHS seems to be the desired change at this stage.
@Westers: The WBHS fixture list looks 1st class but it’s also a Kamikaze mission in the making. Even with good squad rotation during the Port Natal NS, it’s still about 19 games in 4.5 months without it looking like there will be any gaps or games where the boys will be able to take the foot off the pedal. I’ll make a bold prediction that 2015 is the last year that WBHS limit themselves to 2nd term rugby. Stretching things for 4 weeks into the 3rd term will allow for a bit more recovery time.
@Redblack White: On soccer, 2 guys I was at school with at Glenwood Dillon Sheppard and Ryan Botha did OK from playing soccer at school….
@Westers: True – I think a lot of guys opt for Chappies league (informal) just as a means of passing time before cricket season – so true – not much competitive coming through.
Nice to see one of your old boys has now joined Sundowns – Rheece Evans
Good bloke
@Westers: my brother-in-law is on the Westville Old Boys Committee I know exactly how much cash is slushing around….although your R200 a year membership fee seems too cheap…
@GreenBlooded: Agreed. A return fixture with Glenwood would be a better option than so many Gauteng schools. No disrespect to those schools.
Westville still need to look at rugby in the 3rd term. But much as I hate to admit it they are fielding many more soccer sides every Saturday than any of the other local schools so many boys still being kept active.
@Westers: Nice fixture list. Getting a return fixture against College is a winner all round. Now we need to have a Glenwood-Westville return match and we will have the Big 3 sorted. Nothing like having 25+ teams giving it horns on a Saturday. Good luck!!
@Grasshopper: You seem to think there is more money flying around than there really is in Westville. I am sure there is more at Glenwood with your strong old boys following and your longer standing traditions, not to mention all your Rhodes Scholars,
@Westers: just ask the old boys to dig a little deeper, they forked out for the pool, your bursaries, the old boys stand etc….to pay for a few buses is nothing….
@Redblack White: I was also disappointed to see how few teams College put out.
Really solid looking set of fixtures. Does this mean that in 2016 they will play Affies, PBHS, Jeppe and Garsfontein all away? Lot of cost involved in that and I can’t see it working out in the long run unless the school can get sponsorship for the travel costs.
Westville at PNNS…hope Glenwood and DHS will be there as well to make it more interesting
@Amalekite: @star: Not quite the forum I know, but cheese, just saw the football results MC vs ‘Ville – not a single game lost by ‘Ville and in fact only 1st, 2nd and 14a and b matches were close- so add that one to the balanced set of results you guys keep producing – well done!
Interesting to see Westville 1sts playing in the Port Natal Nite series – a welcome addition but as far as what I’ve seen in the past most of the strong 1st tier Schools eg -GWD have fielded a mix of 2nd & 3rd teams with a sprinkling of 1st team players
With ‘Ville 1sts in the mix this series takes a huge step up and if Glenwood are invited I cant see them fielding anything but a 1st team – and IMO this will mean the PN Nite series will become the the premier Kzn tournament in the future – not forgetting the Voortekker Pmb nite series though – something to savor – but I wonder if these 2 will play each other at PN
Happy that we are playing MC home and away. Vey happy we are playing GW later in the season when the sides have settled. The fact that it is their Old Boys day will just add to the occasion. Not at all happy we are not playing House for personal reasons.
I think that it is clearly a sign of the times in KZN, where the stronger schools are now faced with same situation that Grey Bloem have been in for some time already. If they want to play strength against strength, then they are going to have to travel out of the province.
4 years ago, the only full set of fixtures outside of KZN was against KES. Next year we are looking at 5 (KES, Jeppe, Affies, Garsfontein and PBHS).
It is good in some ways, but it does not come cheap.
I’m sure that the House fixture will be back though.
@Roger: Maritzburg College attending Jeppe festival.
would love to get more info on the Jeppe 125th festival – who’s invited etc
Considering who Westville may play at KERF this is a great fixture list. Certainly cannot be accused of avoiding big games. Playing College twice is a good thing as well. Will MHS only play 11 games next year?