The big news came out last week: Affies and Paul Roos will square off in a historic interschools in Stellenbosch in March 2026. While that’s cause for plenty of excitement, it does come with a twist — yet another of the heavyweight festival fixtures will be scratched from the annual calendar.
That leaves NMI Toyota Noord-Suid and ABSA Wildeklawer jostling to host the last of the powerhouse test matches, with the coveted Affies–Paarl Boys’ High clash up for grabs. Noord-Suid, firmly rooted at Affies in Pretoria, is the sentimental choice, but early whispers suggest Wildeklawer may have the edge due to its practicality. The Kimberley showpiece would allow the two schools’ four A-teams to meet in the same event (on neutral soil) — as close to an official interschools as these rivals are likely to get.
Festival-goers might not cheer this next change either, but Affies’ longer-term ambitions are telling. The Pretoria Witbulle has its eye on launching an annual derby against Boishaai. Another motivation is the idea of converting its traditional Grey College interschools into a home-and-away affair if one of its other fixtures falls away.
The price tag of long-distance travel and accommodation is eye-watering, but recent history shows the popularity of these high-level schoolboy rugby matches is immense, and the commercial pull of such fixtures is equally strong, with sponsors quick to jump in and help underwrite the costs.
For now, the Paul Roos trip in 2026 is being framed as a trial run. But given the size, tradition, and competitive firepower of both schools, it’s hard not to imagine the Stellenbosch–Pretoria axis becoming a permanent fixture on the schools rugby calendar.
Last week Affies announcement:
NEW INTERSCHOOLS AGAINST PAUL ROOS GYMNASIUM IN 2026
We have been in discussions with the school management of Paul Roos Gymnasium for a few years about the possibility of an interschools between our two tradition-rich boys’ schools. It is a pleasure to inform you that the governing bodies of both schools have approved this proposal. AHS and Paul Roos will face each other for the first time in an interschools on 20 and 21 March 2026, with 28 rugby matches and 16 hockey matches scheduled. Next year’s encounter, God willing, will take place in Stellenbosch, and if all goes well, AHS will be the host in 2027.
@buitestaander (Comment #7)
Sekere skole gebruik seker skoolfonds vir “double dipping” om buite afrigters en alumni te kan bekostig en toere te finansier, maar Affies bespaar darem baie, baie geld deurdat hulle onnies afrig….o, ja onthou van die miljoene rande in die Klub 600 en Klub 100 fondse waar rente verdien ook aangewend word vir uitgawes!!
Nie heeltemal akkuraat nie. Die skool se bydra kom uit skoolfonds wat ouers betaal het. By implikasie subsidieer die ouers hulself. Die huidige tendens is dat die eerstespanne nie uitgeplaas word nie, maar as span saam iewers bly. Hoe ook al daarna gekyk word, die ouers word net meer en meer onder druk geplaas. Skole kan nie onbeperk hul aanbod van aktiwiteite net uitbrei nie. Daar is ‘n grens waar ouers nie verder gedruk kan word nie.
@buitestaander (Comment #5)
Affies betaal die helfde van hulle seuns se kostes! Borge en Ouers die res. Seuns word geplaas om by ouers aan huis te wees vir ‘n aand, so geen verblyf kostes nie
DIE KOSTEFAKTOR
@Snelvuur (Comment #3)
Ek dink jy mag dalk reg wees. Tuisvoordeel insomeer Kaap>Pretoria gaan defnitief ‘n groot rol speel in hierdie interskole. Ek wil nie voorspellings maak nie, te vroeg daarvoor. Maar dit gaan baie interessant wees om te sien 1. hoe naby die tellings is vir die wedstryde en 2. watter skool die meerderheid wedstryde gaan wen op die dag. Tensy dit nat en koud is, dink ek egter Affies se spanne gaan effe makliker aanpas by die velde in die Kaap, veral omdat die Gim interskole hulle blootgestel het daaraan. Ek dink nes Gim, gaan PRG se spanne geweldig sukkel in Pretoria. Siende dat PRG spanne slegs per spesiale geleentheid verder as Bloemfontein reis. A-Span wedstryde gaan egter nie die enigste naby wedstryde wees nie, en dit is wonderlik vir skolerugby.
@OudAffie (Comment #1)
Ja, dit is nou met reëlmaat dat PRG ver meer as helfte van die wedstryde op ‘n Saterdag wen, maak nie saak teen wie hulle speel nie. Dink nie hulle het al na Covid op enige naweek meer verloor as gewen nie. Ek dink, soos met die Grey interskole, dat die tuisveldvoordeel ook ‘n rol hier sal speel (al behoort dit in Maart nie so groot faktor te wees nie).
@OudAffie (Comment #1) Verseker.
Ek kan met redelike sekerheid sê hierdie interskole gaan bepaal watter rugbykrag die diepste diepte het. AHS en PRG baie duidelik die voorlopers as al hul spanne in ag geneem word.