Stellenberg produced a dominant performance to beat Bishops 38–13 on Saturday — a result that goes down in the record books for two significant reasons.
Firstly, it marked the Jade Brigade’s first-ever victory on the famed Piley Rees Field — a ground long considered one of the spiritual homes of schoolboy rugby in the Western Cape.
Secondly, Stellenberg completed an historic Southern Suburbs Four Great Grand Slam by mid-May, defeating all four of Cape Town’s traditional Southern Suburbs giants — Bishops, Rondebosch, SACS and Wynberg — in a single season. Achieving this feat before June is unprecedented.
While the Western Province’s national powerhouse trio of Paarl Boys’ High, Paarl Gimnasium, and Paul Roos have often swept the Southern Suburbs schools, only two other teams outside that elite group have managed the clean sweep in the last decade: Grey High in 2015 and Boland Landbou in 2024.
The magnitude of coach Divan Batt’s Stellenberg’s achievement speaks to their continued rise as a force in South African schoolboy rugby — particularly impressive for a co-ed school from the Northern Suburbs.
Grey High 2015, Boland Landbou 2024 and Stellenberg 2025 successes:
| 28/03/2015 | Grey HS | 24 | 15 | Bishops | Graeme Rugby Day |
| 09/05/2015 | Wynberg | 20 | 32 | Grey HS | |
| 27/06/2015 | Grey HS | 15 | 10 | Rondebosch | Cape Schools Week |
| 01/07/2015 | Grey HS | 28 | 10 | SACS | Cape Schools Week |
| 13/04/2024 | Bishops | 10 | 52 | Boland Landbou | |
| 11/05/2024 | Wynberg | 10 | 32 | Boland Landbou | |
| 25/05/2024 | Boland Landbou | 40 | 27 | SACS | |
| 20/07/2024 | Boland Landbou | 27 | 22 | Rondebosch | |
| Sat.12Apr | Wynberg | 10 | 24 | Stellenberg | |
| Sat.26Apr | SACS | 7 | 29 | Stellenberg | |
| Sat.10May | Rondebosch | 22 | 23 | Stellenberg | |
| Sat.17May | Bishops | 13 | 38 | Stellenberg |
Beating the Winelands Four — Boland Landbou, Paarl Boys’ High, Paarl Gimnasium and Paul Roos — in a single season remains one of the most elusive achievements in South African schoolboy rugby. Over the last 10 completed seasons, no school has either had the full opportunity or succeeded in completing the sweep.
Grey College, the perennial powerhouse from Bloemfontein, has managed three “Winelands Triple Slams” in that period — victories over Paarl Boys’, Paarl Gim, and Paul Roos — but even they have never conquered all four in a single year in this time frame dating back to 2013. For most schools, even claiming one or two scalps from this elite group is considered a memorable feat in any given season.
| 1 | Grey College 2014 | 3 |
| 2 | Grey College 2019 | 3 |
| 3 | Grey College 2023 | 3 |
| 4 | Rondebosch 2022 | 3 |
| 5 | Affies 2022 | 3 |
| 6 | Monument 2023 | 2 |
| 7 | SACS 2017 | 2 |
| 8 | Outeniqua 2022 | 2 |
| 9 | Oakdale 2013 | 2 |
| 10 | Glenwood 2013 | 2 |
| 11 | Grey HS 2013 | 2 |
| 12 | Grey HS 2017 | 2 |
| 13 | Selborne 2015 | 2 |
@KatzRugga (Comment #6)
Exactly…
Start with good leadership at the school.
It is not a coincidence.
The result v Southern Suburb four is almost not even a surprise because we have seen them rising over at least …well, even before Covid.
Big Respect Jade Brigade!!
@KatzRugga (Comment #6)
I remember when I attended Noord-Suid at Garsies when it was still a newish tournament, everyone kept asking where Stellenberg was from. Their national profile has grown so much since them. The scrumhalf for that team was none other than Tricky Ricky Duarttee.
I think what makes Stellenberg rugby an even more remarkable story is that they have a Headmistress, they do not have a “koshuis” and they are a Co-ed in a competitive rugby region that is dominated by boys schools.
My opinion, the secret is they have the right people, they work hard, they work smart, they work together and they are firm believers in developing their boys properly starting at u14.
LOVELY INSIGHT BUT WHY?
But why are they so succesful?
Is it a well executed longterm vision and plan?
Is it luck?
Is it influx to Western Cape?
Is it agressive recruitment?
Is it value for money and great schooling combined with a winning culture?
Always great to know the recepie….
@Smallies (Comment #4)
@Maroon machine supporter (Comment #3)
Veral met dr Brendan se bussies wat daar voor Stellenberg stop elke dag nie 🤣🤣🤣 net n joke
Great achievement and just reward for all the effort and hard work over the last decade…it must be very difficult to keep the talented players in the Northern suburbs. Hats off to you Stellenberg!
Agree @Kantman ….great insights / research!
Great article @beet!