The 2025 edition of the Paarl Interskole takes on an added dimension. The biggest schoolboy rugby fixture on the planet will double as a title decider, with Paarl Boys’ High and Paarl Gimnasium set to clash for the crown of South Africa’s number-one ranked rugby school. Just like last year’s title decider between Paul Roos and Grey College, it’s a showdown that also happens to be both teams’ final match of the season — despite it taking place as early as the second weekend of the third term.
Over the years, this derby has written its own legend. A tactical chess match played at full pace, it’s usually decided by the finest of margins — often feeling like a coin toss.
But 2024 broke the mould. In a rare one-sided affair, Gim stormed to a dominant 30–8 win over a youthful Boishaai outfit. It was a statement victory, and a milestone for Gim’s head coach, Pieter Rossouw, who claimed his first win over Boishaai tactician Sean Erasmus.
That result now looms large over this year’s contest. Few schoolboys ever get the chance to run it back — but Boishaai might field a powerful u19A squad featuring up to 12 players who were part of that bruising defeat. Five of them anchor a fearsome front row that has powered the Galpille to near the summit of the schoolboy game in 2025. Make no mistake: they’ll be driven by the scars of 2024 and will throw everything into rewriting the script.
But standing in their way is an outstanding, unbeaten Gim side, bolstered by arguably one of the best schoolboy player of the modern era — Player of the Season, centre, captain, and try-scoring machine Markus Muller. He’ll be joined by last year’s Man of the Match, hard-working No. 8 Quintin Potgieter, as well as a squad brimming with class and balance.
Interestingly, it’s Gim who will be banking on some youthful firepower this time, with several highly rated u17 players expected to feature in their match-day squad — not quite a mirror of Boishaai’s situation last year but definitely worth noting.
The stage is set. The stakes are sky-high. And in typical Interskole fashion, the story is still waiting to be written.
Baie geluk BH. Volgende jaar is ek daar. Kan nie wag nie. Geluk ook aan Gim, daar sal nog Baie lank oor die span gepraat word.
Sjoe..een vir die boeke. Dankbaar vir die wen maar dit vat 2 spanne om n great game te maak.
Wow dis al wat ek kan se….Boishaai se pak….
Geluk aan Boishaai. Hul pak was ysters.
@Snelvuur (Comment #11)
Hy begin.
Boishaai verdien hul 2-1 wen in die laaste sekondes.
Hokkie nou op 216. No score na Q1
All roads lead to Paarl, August 2nd. Enjoy the celebration of rugby manne! Rugby football par excellence! No underdogs tomorrow. The best of the best in South Africa in the pinnacle schools game of 2025, Highest quality in both teams. It’s time to just enjoy this for what it is – the collective celebration of sport, culture, education, youth, society, life!!! All are winners, all are blessed. This is what we treasure. These young oukies, young trees growing in to giant Oaks and giant Okes. The Sun of Righteousness radiating blessings. We won’t even remember the score it’s gon be so special.
Wishing everyone taking part and watching the game(s) a great day tomorrow. It will be a dry pitch. It will be a great advertisement for schoolboy rugby.
@gimmie (Comment #17)
Ek stem saam @Snelvuur, as die veld droog is, gaan Gim gemaklik wen (nie noodwendig ver nie), daar is GEEN span wat hierdie seisoen by Gim kon kers vashou op ‘n veld wat droog is nie. As die veld nat is of dit reen sou ek sover gaan om HJS die kortkop gunsteling te maak.
KleinGim 7-47 Klein Boishaai.
@gimmie (Comment #17)
I see there’s already been loads of chatter about the reffing team – especially the one assistant ref that’s an old boy of Paarl Gim 🙈 unnecessary controversy.
INTERSCHOOLS
@Jakkals (Comment #15)
Dis n plesier. Ek sien Boishaai het die golf en skaak gewen. Vandag speel die u13s en old boys. Soos gewoonlik is die Galpille baie stil hier, maar as die score na hul kant gaan kan jy hulle verwag in hul getalle terug.
@OomPB (Comment #9)
Dankie oom
@Snelvuur (Comment #11)
Dankie meneer
I cannot see an underdog in this fight. Both teams have done exceptionally well this year. Secretly each team believe they have the edge.
I predict a draw – it’s been 15 years and points differences are always minimal.
@Snelvuur (Comment #5)
Yes Paarl Boys are the underdogs. But to have a chance, they should limit mistakes, limit the penalty count, compete in the line outs (in particular balls to the back of the line out), hope the ref allows competition at the breakdown and their locks will have to help loose forwards tackle the Paarl Gym centres with gusto to disrupt the team’s matrix.
@Jakkals (Comment #8)
Ek het verstaan dat Juan van der Merwe sy been gebreek het by Cravenweek, maar ek sien dat hy op die spanlys is. Hy het ook nie laasweek gespeel nie. Ons sal seker sien of hy fiks is om te speel, maar dit het nie by CW so gelyk nie.
Sien hulle het die 23 tal opgesit die jaar.
@Jakkals (Comment #7)
Interskole Booklet
https://issuu.com/novusmedianewspapers/docs/paarl_interschools_booklet_2025
@Snelvuur (Comment #5)
Watter voorrye van Boishaai is uit?
@Jan Kriel (Comment #6)
Dankie. Waar kan mens die spanlyste sien voor die tyd?
@Jakkals (Comment #4)
Almal wat nie beseer is nie sal beslis speel. Glo niemand gaan die seuns keer om te speel nie.
KOP OP DIE BLOK
‘n Groot deel van HJS se “edge” hierdie jaar was dat hulle twee stelle voorrye kon roteer deur die wedstryd. Weens beserings kan hulle dit nie meer doen nie. As Gim selfs min of meer hulle man kan staan voorlangs, dink ek dat daar pêrre agter gaan wees vir HJS. Ek dink glad nie HJS se agterlyn is swak nie, maar ek dink hulle kan kwesbaar wees teen ‘n agterlyn met soveel spoed soos Gim s’n – selfs teen PRG minus Steenkamp het HJS se agterlyn by tye kwesbaar gelyk.
En Gim het baie skietgoed agter. Dis amper soos die rympie van Australië tydens die Ashes jare gelede (aangepas):
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, if Muller doesn’t get you, Barker must.”
SA SKOLE SPELERS?
Interskole bly maar darem ‘n wedstryd met baie intriges verassings en kopspeletjies.
Ek het by voorbeeld opgemerk dat ses van Boishaai se eerstekeuse spelers, volgens my, nie eens in die 23 spelers op hul spanlys vir die SACS wedstryd was nie. Dit laat ‘n mens wonder of hulle beseer is of dat hulle gerus was vir Saterdag. Kan ons HJS vriende vir ons bietjie lig werp hierop.
Die moeilikste een om te voorspel in my 9 jare op die blog.Hiers te veel asse om te noem so dis op die dag. Letterlik die hop van die bal. Ek gaan met Gim. BH gaan te veel konsentreer om 13 in toom te hou en dit gaan die ander 14 briljante spelers pas.Gim met 9.
Boishaai die groot gunsteling. Baie meer spelers wat blootstelling gekry het in Craven Week spanne en die pak om Gim se agterlyn in toom te hou.