Northern Hemisphere Flavour for the 2026 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival

Kearsney College is set to add a Northern Hemisphere flavour to its 2026 Easter Rugby Festival, with invitations extended to Ireland’s Catholic University School (CUS) and Italy’s Verona Rugby Club u18 team.

Catholic University School (Ireland)
While rugby ranks behind Gaelic football and soccer in Ireland’s sporting hierarchy, it takes centre stage at CUS. The Dublin-based school competes in the competitive Leinster A1 League, which includes Irish schools rugby’s big hitters such as Blackrock College and St Michael’s.

CUS, however, is a relatively small school, and that size difference inevitably influences their ability to compete with the traditional powerhouses. Unless a particularly talented group emerges in their 2025/26 season, they could find the level of intensity and physicality at Kearsney a significant challenge. Their timing may, however, work in their favour — arriving in South Africa soon after completing their domestic campaign, including the Leinster knockout cup competition, should ensure they travel as a cohesive and match-fit outfit. The longstanding exchange relationship between Kearsney and CUS also makes this invitation a natural fit.

Verona Rugby – Italy’s Modern Rugby Project
Verona Rugby’s inclusion adds an intriguing European dimension to the festival. The club’s u18 team is built around the Verona Rugby Academy, housed at the state-of-the-art Payanini Centre — a R250 million facility privately funded by a group of local entrepreneurs. It remains a 100% fully private rugby academy and stands as a remarkable investment in the nation’s rugby development.

The academy offers players a professional, all-encompassing environment where they live, study, and train. The Payanini Centre has also become a hub for elite rugby, hosting training camps for the Italian national team and even England in the build-up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

While Verona boasts world-class infrastructure, their u18s are likely to find the South African school sides a step up in speed, physicality, and overall depth. Italy’s youth systems have shown steady progress — highlighted by the competitive performances of their u20 national team — suggesting that the foundation is being built for the future. Spectators at KERF may be pleasantly surprised by the Italians’ skill and structure, but there’s little doubt they will be thoroughly tested.

Both CUS and Verona will bring colour, contrast, and an international edge to the 2026 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival. However, results are unlikely to be their main priority. The experience of facing South Africa’s high-intensity school rugby environment will be invaluable in their development.

Peterhouse Return Confirmed
Peterhouse from Zimbabwe has also been confirmed for a return to KERF in 2026, making them the third foreign school at the event. Despite an average scoreline of 50–14 across five matches on their 2025 SA tour, their performances exceeded expectations — particularly considering the limited exposure their players have to the pace and physicality typical of South African schoolboy rugby throughout their high school careers.