It may not be the perfect schedule but it’s very close to one. Menlopark rugby is on the rise and their 2015 fixture list speaks volumes about their focus and ambitions to be regarded as a top rugby school.
Perhaps the one thing missing is that Menlopark who seem to fit the profile of a Tuks-Reeks are not part of the this massive Noordvaal tournament, which does seem like a bit of a closed shop, as it consisting of 16 high schools with no place for anyone new until a current member drops out. On this point though a Menlo insider stated that the school wants to play derbies and Tuks participation would prevent them from doing this. Playing in both Tuks and the Beeld also increases the chances of playing the same opponents several times during the season.
Nevertheless everything else Menlo is involved in looking pretty rosy for 2015.
The biggest door that not being part of Tuks opens, is the chance to play Grey College in March. This is the first of several powerhouse schools that Menlopark will lock horns with.
Menlo will attend the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival for the first time ever. That invitation alone provides them the chance to play against many top rated non-traditional rivals.
The Noord-Suid Tournament also kicks into overdrive in 2015. 2014’s inaugural tournament was watered down as the sponsors struggled to attract a second “Suid” school and had to settle for lowly Harrismith, who needed a 100-point start to be competitive. In 2015 hosts Menlo along with fellow Pretoria school Garsfontein will take on Western Cape’s Paarl Gymnasium and Outeniqua. These are both high quality Western Cape opponents who regularly occupy single digit national rankings in schoolboy rugby.
In spite of the drama that followed after last year’s games against Menlopark (and Garsfontein) were called off by Affies, as mentioned by the Affies headmaster the Witbulle powerhouse will play Menlo in 2015, which definitely adds further weigh to the Menlopark fixture list.
Without doubt the icing on the cake in terms of school rugby recognition is the invitation to attend Wildeklawer SuperSkole in Kimberley. Admittedly it took a few already invited schools dropping out and others declining new invitations to attend to get Menlopark in but they are there now, meaning a great deal of the hard work is done, considering that some schools are still queuing up for this opportunity. Menlo now needs to make the most of their Wildeklawer opportunity in order to persuade the organisers to make them part of the permanent arrangement, a status enjoyed by a few elite rugby schools.
| DATE | SCHOOL | SCHOOL | EVENT | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun 15 Mar | Menlopark | – | – | KES | Trials |
| 2 | Sat 21 Mar | Grey College | – | – | Menlopark | – |
| 3 | Thu 02 Apr | Menlopark | – | – | Westville | Kearsney Easter Rugby Fest |
| 4 | Sat 04 Apr | Selborne | – | – | Menlopark | Kearsney Easter Rugby Fest |
| 5 | Mon 06 Apr | Glenwood | – | – | Menlopark | Kearsney Easter Rugby Fest |
| 6 | Wed 08 Apr | Menlopark | – | – | Paarl Gim | Noord-Suid |
| 7 | Sat 11 Apr | Menlopark | – | – | Outeniqua | Noord-Suid |
| 8 | Sat 18 Apr | Diamantveld | – | – | Menlopark | – |
| 9 | Sat 25 Apr | Menlopark | – | – | Noord-Kaap | Wildeklawer |
| 10 | Mon 27 Apr | Menlopark | – | – | Boland Landbou | Wildeklawer |
| 11 | Sat 09 May | Waterkloof | – | – | Menlopark | Beeld |
| 12 | Sat 16 May | Menlopark | – | – | Glenwood | – |
| 13 | Sat 23 May | Menlopark | – | – | Garsfontein | Beeld |
| 14 | Sat 30 May | Menlopark | – | – | Rustenburg | – |
| 15 | Sat 06 Jun | Affies | – | – | Menlopark | – |
| 17 | Sat 13 Jun | Menlopark | – | – | Florida | – |
| 18 | Sat 20 Jun | Menlopark | – | – | Bye | – |
| 19 | Sat 27 Jun | Menlopark | – | – | Bye | – |
| 20 | Wed 22 Jul | Menlopark | – | – | Pretoria BH | – |
| 20 | Sat 01 Aug | Playoff | – | – | Beeld | |
| 20 | Sat 08 Aug | Quarter Final | – | – | Beeld | |
| 20 | Sat 15 Aug | Semi Final | – | – | Beeld | |
| 20 | Sat 22 Aug | Final | – | – | Beeld |
@Cappie: Dankie Cappie en Kwartlyn. Waardeer, hoop julle skole doen ook puik!
@Djou: Yeah sorry Djou. The Affies was a duplication resulting from having loaded the Affies fixture list last year.
However I have confirmation that Menlo and Glenwood will play twice this year.
Menlo voorspoed ek hou duim vas die seisoen vir julle en ja julle afrigter het my verlede jaar uitgenooi om n game of 2 by te woon en sien werklik uit daarna om van julle wedstryde te sien.
@Grasshopper: Menlo is playing Glenwood twice this year. they have a schools derby on on 16 May, and somehow they were drawn against Glenwood for the Kearsney festival. Unless they don’t change the scheduled game during the festival, they will meet twice this year.
@Vleis: You are so right. Some of the boys recruited in 2011 and 2012 did not make the grade, however, as the results of the u.16’s and 2nds of 2014 show compared to 2011. According to Menlo they have only 2 new seniors, but my sources say it is much more. Nevertheless, with such as schedule they need much more.
@Murrayfield: Voorwaar ‘n taai skedule. Daar is min tyd vir asem haal. Om wedstryd na wedstryd kompeterende oposisie te hê is nie speletjies nie. Menlo het darem verlede jaar ook ‘n redelike taai skedule gehad, maar dit is nie naastenby so taai soos hierdie ene nie. Wens julle alle voorspeod toe vir ‘n suksesvolle jaar. Julle mag maar almal wen behalwe die een op 6 Junie.
Eish! A very tough schedule indeed. Really hope Menlo can maintain themselves. If they do, the can rightly be reckoned as a top school in 2015!
@Beet: Affies vs Menlo is on twice (same day) – so is Glenwood vs Menlo (different dates)!
@Vleis: Glenwood’s new name, Glenhout
I don’t think Glenwood is playing Menlo twice, something is amiss here…
That’s a fearsome schedule.
I see Glenwood has replaced it’s two legged derby v MC with one against Menlo. Maybe their headmaster wanted such a derby against a school that speaks the same language (in more ways than one!).
I’ll be interested to see how Menlo’s 1st team fares, as exceptionally strong junior teams declined a little by the time they had reached 1st team level in the recent past. That said, I understand that the really intense recruiting started with the u14s in 2011 & 2012, which will make up this year’s 1st team.
Very tough schedule. They better have a lot of depth.
Dankie Beet!