Grey College ready to fire in 2026

Update-Grey College teamlists Grey College, South Africa’s benchmark rugby school, will be first out of the blocks when the 2026 schoolboy rugby season gets underway at the annual sports day hosted by Hoërskool President Steyn in Bloemfontein on Saturday, 28 February 2026.

The Bloemfontein rugby powerhouse will face Hoërskool Trio of Kroonstad in the main fixture of the day, a contest that has become a familiar early-season marker for both schools.

Grey are coached by highly regarded old boy Jannie Geldenhuys, who, alongside his experienced coaching staff, guided the school to another unbeaten season in 2023. Since then, Grey have suffered only four local defeats, a record only equalled by Paarl Gimnasium amongst all the top schools in SA. Despite this consistency, 2026 will mark a third consecutive season in which Grey do not begin their campaign as favourites to top the national rankings, with that distinction also belonging to Paarl Gimnasium.

Nevertheless, Grey’s pedigree and depth suggest they will again be firmly in contention. History indicates that the Navy jerseys are rarely far from the summit and are likely to feature prominently as the season unfolds.

Grey have already enjoyed valuable preparation, having toured Spain in December as part of the expanding Global Schools Challenge. By contrast, relatively little is known about Trio at this stage of the season. What is certain, however, is that the Kroonstad side, coached by former Italian international lock and Monnas old boy Quintin Geldenhuys, will bring commitment, physicality and resolve to the encounter.

In a recent season, Grey experienced a challenge of securing early-season opposition outside their traditional major rivals. Credit must therefore go to Trio, who will face the Bloemfontein giants for the fourth consecutive year at President Steyn. They have consistently acquitted themselves well and deserve recognition for their willingness to take on such formidable opposition at the very start of the campaign.

As has become customary, the Grey squad boasts considerable talent, and 2026 appears no different. Among the players expected to make an impact this season are fullback Lamla Mgedezi (15), whose 2025 performances marked him as an attacking threat; headboy and industrious flank Alexi Tyropolis (7); powerful centre O’Ryan Kleyn; and the versatile Henru Erasmus, primarily a loose forward at six but equally effective at hooker.

Also expected to feature prominently is No 8 Niel du Randt, who is widely tipped to announce himself in 2026 as one of the leading under-17 prospects in the country.

Grey College teams to play Trio

TEAM	GREY COLLEGE		TEAM	GREY COLLEGE CHERRIES
1	Hennie Bredenhann	u18	1	Gerhard Jacobs	u18
2	AJ Hendriks	u18	2	Dylan Stassen	u17
3	JW Coetzee	u18	3	Rossouw vd Wall	u17
4	Alexi Tyropolis	u18	4	Neill Verster	u17
5	Jannes Krause	u18	5	Lucas Stopforth	u18
6	Xander de Beer	u18	6	Finn Santos	u18
7	Prestan Bennett	u18	7	Hendre Marais	u18
8	Niel du Randt	u17	8	Keaton Pottas	u18
9	Jonathan Drysdale	u18	9	Erich Hanekom	u17
10	Christoff Crous	u18	10	Samson Lackay	u18
11	JG Horn	u17	11	Wian vd Berg	u18
12	O’Ryan Kleyn	u18	12	Jaco Oosthuizen	u17
13	Emile Aucamp	u18	13	Zander vd Berg	u18
14	Johan Dormehl	u18	14	Logan Pottas	u17
15	Eddie Mabena	u18	15	Kingsley Pule	u17
16	Frans Troskie	u17	16	WJ Dippenaar	u17
17			17	Nicus de Jager	u17
18			18	Arno de Bruin	u18
19			19	Zach Walbrugh	u17
Coach	JANNIE GELDENHUYS