There have been plenty of changes at the KwaZulu-Natal Tier-1 rugby schools over the last few years. Here is a list of coaches both past and present.
Head Coach movements in KwaZulu-Natal (newest to oldest appointment):
Northwood:
Donald Ngwenya (2013-
Swys de Bruyn (2012)
Barry Wilson (2009-2012)
DHS:
Christo Wilkinson (2013-
Deon Gericke (2010-2012)
St Charles:
Deon Gericke (2013-
Gareth Kuhn
Maritzburg College:
Ryan Strudwick (2012-
Steve Botha (2011)
Piet Snyman (2010)
Bruce Collocott (2008-2009)
Bryan “Beans” Bateman (2007)
Westville:
Grant Bell (2012-
Mike Vowles (2010-2011)
Hugh Reece-Edwards (2005-2009)
Hilton:
Brad MacLeod-Henderson (2011-
Deon Scheepers (2011)
Tony Richter (2001-2010)
Michaelhouse:
Michael Schwartz (2011-
Gavin Ross (2007-2010)
George Campbell:
Antonie Prinsloo (2009-
Noel Ingle (1987-2008)
Glenwood :
Sean Erasmus (2008-
Toppy Hortop (1975-1991 & 1996-2007)
Kearsney:
Barend Steyn (2001-
Kevin Smith (1991-2000)
@beet: As a ex-rugby player who has been watching the Craven Week team train I find it hard to believe that the 1st team train while the reserves stand and watch and dont take part in the training session. How do the reserves know what the game plan is if they are excluded? What happens when they are replaced they will obviously be totally lost? Please help me understand………………….
@Grasshopper: I’m sure the spring chicken awards must be the Joburg schools. With Joburg being so much younger than all the other local cities.
I think that that Glenwood even had an SA school basketball player in 2012.
@Grasshopper: Glenwood’s basketball sides have improved a lot over the past 2 years. You can expect some upsets from them sooner rather than later.
@Grasshopper: @Playa: There is some interesting stuff about the plain white and black and white rugby jerseys on the Rugby History and Rugby Museum web sites. If my memory serves me correctly, white jerseys were traditionally worn by wealthier schools because of the cost of keeping them white. It is also the reason that many schools only have white shorts for their 1st XV.
@Grasshopper: I was interested to see how many more kids are trying out for basketball and how much more enthusiastic the coaching staff is. Maybe once the much spoken about indoor courts happen, and the boys start winning more than 1 game a year, it will change.
On the history – with College 150 – it is amazing to see that since the first school’s rugby match in Natal in October 1870 – one school (College) has remained a strong proponent of the game and the other, while still playing the game has not reached the same level, but remains in education (Hermansburg).
@Horsie, Glenwood are also keen for all things as I’m sure are all the other schools. This whole focusing on one sport is utter rubbish, Glenwood is competitive in all but basketball…..
@Grasshopper:
Just very keen for all things, not just the rugby. The renovations planned and others. That would be devastating!! Just have to wait and see but our u14 and u15 results vs College will show us as they will be the grade 11 and 12 of that year
@Horsie, hahah yes you tell us every day
Let’s hope there is not too much expectation. Imagine losing on your Founders/Old Boys day…….probably against College……
@Grasshopper:
DHS very close to that 150th now… Expect big things then
Glenwood – 103 years
DHS – 147 years
Westville – 58 years
Northwood (ex Beachwood & Northlands) – 64 years
Hilton – 141 years
College – 150 years
Michaelhouse – 117 years
Kearsney – 92 years
St Charles – 138 years
St Henry’s – 84 years
Voortrekker (PMB) – 86 years
Port Natal Hoerskool – 72 years
Deutsche Schule Hermannsburg (DSH) is the oldest in KZN at 157 years. Woodlands School is 110 years.
Some spring chickens in there, so KZN are new kids on the block, especially Westville and Northwood.
@Grasshopper: There’s no link between Selborne and Hilton.Just a coincidence. Hilton adopted their colours from Rugby School in the UK (later donated to the Natal Rugby Union) – as their founding is linked to the school. Selborne on the other hand was founded by a German settler,and had no links to Rugby School
@Queenian: Muir claim to be the oldest school in the country with the official founding year being 1822.
@BOG: Sorry you hundred % correct there the whole schools thing is a bit confusing like Muir College in Uitenhage was founded in 1834 although some people only take the date from when it went from a acdemy to a school in 1859 same with SACS was also going for 30 odd years before it was actually called a school. So things are very confusing when it comes to this if it is taken from the date it started in some form or other SACS is by far the oldest and Muir would be the second oldest.
@BOG: College founded in 1863 – not sure which Wiki reference you were using. This one – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritzburg_College – is maintained by the College honourary historian and is correct. Although that also seems a year off if we are 150 this year.
KES = 111 years
Jeppe = 123 years
PBHS – 112
St Johns – 115
puppies by comparison – but then when SACS, Wynberg, Grey etc were been founded JHB and Pretoria were just rolling grasslands
@Grasshopper: Sorry, then it is SACS and Wynberg. But I know that there are discrepancies/disagreements regarding founding and opening dates. Even Grey High will have some input here. According to Wiki, Bishops too, was opened/founded in 1849 ?? and Grey College opened in 1859 ?? What I do know as a FACT is that GCB is the third oldest school in SA, the oldest north of the Gariep, that it was founded in October 1855 and that they celebrated their 150 th anniversary in 2005. They even had CW at the school that year as part of their celebrations. And I have an OG badge and other memorabilia as proof.
Both Selborne College and Hilton College are exactly the same age, 141 years and both wear black and white. Are they linked by any chance?
Paul Roos – 147 years old
Paarl Gim – 155 years old
Paarl Boys 145 years old
All, great old schools….
@Bog, what about Wynberg? 172 years old founded in 1841….
@Queenian: You have your dates confused. GCB is the 3rd oldest school in SA after SACS and Bishops- ie 158 yrs or the oldest beyond the Gariep/Orange river. They celebrated their 150 yrs in 2005 when CW was at the school. Sadly, not a good year from a rugby perspective.
@Queenian: Too good, nice to be joining such a solid club. Seems us KZN okes were just a bit slow off the mark :-)
I hear Grey PE is not going to hold their Festival this year, has ceded the time to College for the 150th tournament. That’s what I like about these old rivalries, that they go beyond the result of the last game and the rivalry of the current years game, there are bigger things that matter. It’s a good lesson for the boys we are turning out.
@Gungets Tuft: Year Grey Pe is 157 yrs Grey Bloem 155yrs and Queens 156yrs
@star: Have instructed the girl-child to just do what she loves without thinking about the money. We “boomers” (well, Star and I at least) were too concerned about the pension, medical aid and company car – all of which I threw away 10 years ago when I bought my tow-truck, and not concerned enough with milking our 3-score+10.
Thanks for the good wishes, it goes without saying that a school like College flourishes because of tradition, which is why our old traditional “rivals” are important. Part of the celebrations this year will be a rugby match against Hermannsberg – a replay of the first match College ever played – in 1870. How cool is that.
We run out against Hilton 138 years after our first match, St Charles 131, House 112, DHS 103, Glenwood 92. Boggles the mind. Drove back from PMB last night with an Old Dalian – they are 153 years old this year. Love the permanence.
Can see a lot of abandoned vehicles littering the highways this year because I will spend so much time in PMB …
If you want to know anything about marine biology my uncle Allan Connell will know, one of Durban’s best but retired now, here is some of his work;
http://www.fisheggsandlarvae.com/introductory%20notes.htm
http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/en/east-coast-radio/east-coast-radio-news?oid=1519467&sn=Detail&pid=490476&There-s-something-fishy-in-the-air
@ Gungets- One of my clients is a top marine and environmental biologist. Gets paid very well to do something she loves while at the same time making a difference to our planet. Cannae
do better than that. I would also like to congratulate College on their incredible milestone. The OBs .school boys and parents must live and breath it. It is a special time.
@BOG: I hear you, but she is an adult now and is going to have to learn balance outside of the structure of school and home. She is a great kid (she would be, to me, of course) and managed to get a pretty good matric, maintain a social life and her sport in Gr12 so I have to just trust that she will keep that up. Varsity should be a ball I reckon, but I know she will crack it, the group that she is going with is solid. She has the added incentive of a “foreign Honours year” at any university she chooses when she passes – has her eye on either Cambridge or Brisbane … I am not worried.
Smith – coelacanth indeed. Amazing that live specimens have been seen off the Zululand coast as well, tragic incident a few years ago when a diver died on the expedition which was trying to film them at extreme depths.
@Gungets Tuft: Yes, if I remember correctly, he is the one who found the Coelecanth (spelling??- the “pre-historic) fish, in the Commores, I think. Its exhibited in the EL Museum and if you have time to kill in EL, go and show it to your daughter. Not very re-assuring if told that ones daughter is about “to embark on a ball” just before you drop her off at an “institution of learning”- a place to STUDY!
@BOG: Funny your should talk about old man Smith. His son was my headmaster at Howick High School before I moved to Maritzburg College. I hadn’t made the connection yet.
@Ludz: @kcman: I trust she will. Going with about 8 friends from Durban so it will not all be new.
@Gungets Tuft: Your daughter will have an absolute ball at Rhodes.
@Gungets Tuft: best choice for biological and environmental sciences, think your daughter will thoroughly enjoy Rhodes
@Grasshopper: 15 June this year, should be a cracker.
@kcman, next time I’ll make that right turn or left turn going towards EL, maybe to watch a k-day game….
@Grasshopper: No wonder, a right turn would have put you into a new world.
@kcman, yep you maybe right. I just came off the N2 onto Beaufort Street past Victoria girls High looking for a breakfast stop and it looked so dodgy that we didn’t stop and pushed through to East London for breakfast…..
@Grasshopper: You obviously did not move through the areas of Kingswood, St Andrews and DSG or even where Graeme College is.
Grahamstown might be a mess to the south but try the north of the Cathedral next time you are there, you will be pleasantly surprised.
I do go there every weekend so I should be able to judge pretty well.
@Gungets Tuft: Looking at your options. I suppose going via JHB, Kalahari, CT and up the Garden Route, is also a possibility. And all because she wants the legacy of old man Smith. You know, if you can travel on a Sunday morning and be in Kokstad EARLY, you should be OK. Its not going to improve the condition of the road, but you will/should be through the Transkei before most wake up or have the chance to start drinking. Relish the experience- it can only prepare you for things to come. Definately NOT Port Edward Bizana- not good. Port Shepstone – Kokstad- Umthatha( Quick stop at Ultra City, just otherside ) El, Port Alfred- Grahamstown. Let us know of the experience
@BOG: @Grasshopper: I love that part of the world, the Wild Coast is one of my favourite destinations and I am equipped for the rough stuff, but in this case I am taking my daughter to Rhodes so have a shipload of stuff to take down, flying in not an option. The other possible route is Kokstad, Maclear, Queenstown – avoids all the fubar towns in Transkei. Of course the coastal road is an option but when I went to Sinangwana 2 years ago we had 3 stop-and-go’s between PSJ and the Mpande turnoff.
Via Maclear – 872km, 11.5 hours
Via Mthatha, KWT – 794, 9h 45min
Via Port Edward, East London – 858km, 10h 30min
Via Bloem, Colesberg – 1232km, 13.5h
Via Bloem, Aliwal N – 1223km, 14.5 hours
Decisions, decisions … Port E, EL looks like a nice compromise but still takes us through
Carrent like your description of Grahamstown, hope the varsity is still together otherwise it will be one year and off to somewhere else, she had her pick but wanted Grahamstown due to their standards of biological and environmental sciences
@Gungets Tuft: @Grasshopper: But having said and heard all of this, the coastal stretch Port Alfred to Port Edward is still the best in SA, but also getting dangerous. Why must a compliment always be accompanied by a warning? Sad! In stead of driving to Grahamstown via KWT and Peddie, rather drive to Port Alfred and from there up to Grahamstown- its just a hop and at least you will be taking in some scenery. The EL airport is on the right side as well- on the route to PA.
@Bog and Gungets, yep and the Transkei roads are still full of bloody potholes. My new Kia Sportage got a good work over along with my side blubber. Felt like I was going through a cement mixer. The route via Harrismith is ok, just watch out for kids crossing the road when they feel like it. I almost ended a kids life there at 120km per hr when they decided it would be fun to sprint across the road from a bush. Tolls are quite pricey too, probably about R300 all the way. Still can’t get used to SA drivers though, have they not heard of the rule keep left pass right. Inside overtaking is a nightmare. Gungets, probably safer and cheaper to fly to EL and rent a car……petrol disappears quickly. I was shocked with Grahamstown, when I was last there for festival in 1995 it was a really cool varsity town, now it seems like umtata version 2.
@Grasshopper: Unfortunately, the Eastern Cape is exporting those conditions countrywide and the momentum is picking up. The few days without electricity in PMB over December, follows Kroonstad(2 weeks) and Kimberley. The distribution network (municipalities) is in a mess and I am afraid, they are going to drop like dominoes. Keep that purple book ready. I dont know the condition of the coastal route EL to PE, but if its OK, its a much nicer road than via Grahamstown. Port Alfred , with its marina, is a lovely place. Road works in the Transkei are OK- not much can happen when you are stationery, but its when you are approaching a blind rise- you cant see what is coming at you on the wrong side of the road.
@Grasshopper: Thanks for the advice on the Transkei. Driving to Grahamstown on 31st Jan, will do Bloem rather. Will not drive past, nor visit – will bypass.
Mthata, Butterworth etc on payday Friday are like the public toilets in Hell, did it two years ago, took 20 minutes to do 2km in Idutiywa (sp), becuase the bank queues were right across the road … I kid you not. The whole Transkei needs a pull through with a roll of barbed wire …
@Bog, agreed on the visit part so may make the journey up to see Glenwood get a humping again. It was actually a Saturday. We did the Transkei up to Durban, absolute nightmare…..roadworks everywhere so were stopped for hours on end waiting for oncoming traffic to go through one way roads. Also, there is no hard shoulder and no climbing lanes so got stuck behind trucks and did not want to take too many overtaking risks. We were coming up from St Francis Bay so made sense to go via the Trankei, but took us 14 hrs from St Francis Bay to Durban with a 4 month old baby! We decided to take the safer route through Bloem, turn off at Colesberg and go via Graaf Reniet (a dump of a place). Let’s just say I can see why Eastern Cape and Border kids look for pastures greener around SA, the place has nothing but cows and townships……even Grahamstown was looking a bit worse for wear…
@Grasshopper: I suppose, any team on any given day, can be beaten, but facts also speak for themself. They did loose 3 matches, which by their standards, was disappointing. But, I do maintain that they were a much better side in the second half of the year when the coach from the U16s, I think Du Plessis, joined them. I trust that he will be with them for the whole season in 2013. Also, the talent pool seems to be deeper and wider this year. The Grey campus is not to be drived past- it needs to be VISITED – 61 hectares of it. The Museum and all the other historic buildings. But I guess it was locked over Christmas. I gather that you did not arrive in Bloem on a Sunday- its closed then. Also, the chap who asked for an escourt agency, was referred to the Ford dealership. Jokes aside, it is clean, but I have not been there for years. Afraid of taking on the Transkei?
@Grasshopper: Trevor was a year or 2 below me. Superb athlete and not too shabby at rugger either. The Baronet family certainly had the sporting genes didn’t they!!
@Greenblooded, yep we go up!
Sorry, you are right Dennis rugby and Trevor athletics. I think Trevor stills holds the 100m records in 2 age groups and they were set on grass. 10.61 for opens and 10.73 under 17…..imagine what he could have done on tartan with spikes…
@Grasshopper: Does that mean we go up to Grey in 2013 – despite our home fixture being cancelled in 2012? Not Fair (Stamping feet and throwing toys out the cot)!!!!
Dennis Baronet was the SA Schools player – not Trevor.
@Beet, I reckon it’s more than 25. Here is a quick write up on him in 1990. ‘Toppy’ Hortop has coached the 1st XV throughout the 70’s and 80’s. Toppy played his rugby at flyhalf, first at Marist Brothers (St Henry’s) and then for many years at Natal University Durban. Since his arrival at Glenwood, Toppy has been known for his total dedication to his rugby team and his great ability to motivate. His often-heard cry of ‘the green machine’ has become a catchword in the school and it is no wonder that his influence has seen our 1st XV become one of the strongest in the province. He coached Derek La Marque, arguably the best KZN schools player of the 70’s and Trevor Baronet (both SA Schools). He also coached the best Glenwood side ever in 1979. He coached the 1st XV in 1991 then was replaced by Goedeke from 1992 to 1995 (our worst period of rugby ever). In 1996 they felt Goedeke needed help so brought him back in. Since then it’s been on and off, so he is closer to 30 years in charge…..
@Bog, hahahah. Well Grey Bloem in Grey Bloem is a completely different animal to a tired team having done a 14 hr bus trip on the coast. We lost a big opportunity in 2012 to get another win, not to say we would have won but at least we had a chance against probably the weakest Grey Bloem site in a decade. I think our chances are around 1% in 2013, but we will tough it out and do our best. I actually popped into Bloem over the Christmas break, what a lovely little city. I felt as if i had been blasted back into the 80’s, perfect suburbs and no dodgy characters walking around. I stayed at Bloemstantia in Dan Pienaar, what an awesome place. Anybody looking to stop over in Bloem on their trip to Cape Town, stay there. I also managed to drive past Grey Bloem, impressive campus…..fingers crossed for no snow……
Okay according to a Glenwood knowledgeable Toppy has an incredible 25 years.
@Grasshopper: We will see on the 10th of August. Just dont rent Tiffendells snow machine for use in Van Reenens again
Looks like the legendary Skonk had 35 consecutive seasons in charge at College.
Noel Ingle had 22 seasons of unbroken service at George Campbell. Very good as well.
I wonder how many 1st team years Toppy has combined.
Would also be interesting to find out total seasons coaching Barry Wilson is on. Must be well over 30 years by now.
Picture of 3 new DHS Boys on todays Mercury… One of them( the tall one) is KZN U13A rugby. The one in the middle a golfing talent.
@Bog, not at Glenwood so maybe this is why results have got better over the past decade….
In KZN, they seem to change as often as dirty underpants
@Rugger fan: Educators still dominate but I suspect this will not be for too much longer.
All 3 Northwood, previous 2 but not current at Westville, College current & Hilton current = external coaches
College
A.S. “Madevu” Langley – 1897 – 1909
R.M. Goldstone – 1910 – 1911, 1916 – 1919, 1924, 1928
L.J. Oberle – 1912 – 1915
A.P. Naude – 1920 – 1923
C.F.S. van Rooyen – 1925 – 1927, 1929 – 1933
G.R. Dent – 1934
V.A. Titlestad – 1934 – 1937, 1944, 1946
F.H. Udal – 1938 – 1946
F.M. Fallows – 1947
J.M. “Skonk” Nicholson – 1945, 1948 – 1982
W.M. “Max” Castle – 1950 – 1952
P.G. van der Watt – 1981
D.M. “Ding” Dell – 1983 – 1987
D.M. Anderson – 1988 – 1990
All the above were educators. Ryan is the first coach to not be a teacher as well.
@Grasshopper: Mike is involved in u20 club rugby. He has been linked with a few of these coaching jobs in recent months. He also does some restaurant managing on the side by the looks of things. His former partner in crime from their Westville days, Theo vR was/is the kicking coach at the Academy. Had far better results than the Bok kicking coach in 2012. Turned Rob du Preez, Fred Zeilinga and Stefan Ungerer into very competent place kickers.
Toppy Hortop has had various spells since the 70’s, a Glenwood legend! If only he was 30 years younger, he would be my man to take charge at Glenwood. Gerry Goedeke the now headmaster at clifton also coached the 1st side in the 90’s. Does anyone know where Mike Vowles is now?
A lo of changes – I wonder how the other top schools around the country have fared? It seems like either a one of 2 year stint – or else much longer,
From interest – what is the percentage of educator (or full time staff) on the list versus a specialist coach – and if there is any correlation between this.