Wildeklawer Graeme College Rugby Festival 2026 – media release

WILDEKLAWER GRAEME COLLEGE RUGBY FESTIVAL
MEDIA RELEASE: Launch of the festival
February 23, 2026
Caption: St John’s College player Lwandile Khupe is too late to stop Graeme College’s Ayola
Mali from scoring a try in their match in the Graeme College Rugby Festival in Makhanda in
2025. This year Graeme will play Marlow Agricultural in the festival finale on March 21.
Picture: Will Morrell

Countdown has started for exciting Graeme rugby showpiece

The countdown has begun to one of the Eastern Cape’s showpiece schoolboy rugby occasions as
Graeme College prepares to host the Wildeklawer 2026 festival at the school campus in
Makhanda from March 19 to 21.
Set against the backdrop of one of South Africa’s most traditional rugby schools, the annual
gathering promises three days of high-quality action, fierce rivalries and the celebration of
schoolboy camaraderie that has become synonymous with the event.
Founded in 1873, Graeme have long been a proud contributor to Eastern Cape rugby, and the
festival has grown into a key fixture on the early-season calendar.
Each year it attracts leading rugby schools from the Eastern Cape, providing a platform for
established stars and emerging talent to test themselves against top opposition.
The 2026 edition is expected to be no different.
With schools travelling from around the region, the festival offers an invaluable opportunity for
teams to measure their pre-season preparations.
For coaches, it is a chance to fine-tune combinations and build squad depth. For players, it is an
early statement of intent in front of peers, parents and talent scouts.
Importantly, the festival is about more than just results. While the matches are fiercely contested,
the emphasis remains on sportsmanship, respect and the shared experience that defines school
rugby in South Africa.
Over the years, the event has helped forge lasting relationships between schools and created
memories that extend well beyond the final whistle.

Graeme’s own first XV will enter the event eager to make a strong impression on home soil
when they take on Marlow Agricultural in the festival finale on the Saturday.
Playing in front of a passionate Makhanda crowd always brings added expectation, but it also
provides significant motivation. The home side will be keen to set the tone early and showcase
the depth of talent coming through the ranks.
Spectators can expect a festival atmosphere throughout the weekend. With multiple fixtures
scheduled across the age-groups, there will be no shortage of action as junior and senior teams
alike take to the field.
The format ensures a steady stream of matches, allowing supporters to settle in for a full day of
rugby.
The festival also plays a vital role in the broader Eastern Cape rugby landscape. Events of this
nature contribute to the development pipeline by exposing young players to different styles of
play and higher levels of intensity. In doing so, they help prepare the next generation for
provincial and, potentially, national honours.
As anticipation builds, excitement is spreading through school corridors and rugby communities
alike.
The Wildeklawer Graeme Rugby Festival has become a marker of the season’s arrival — a
signal that long afternoons on the training field are about to give way to meaningful competition.
When the first whistle blows in 2026, it will once again usher in a celebration of schoolboy ruby
tradition, pride and passion — values that remain at the heart of Graeme College.
The first team matches will be played on the Somerset Field, while age-group games will take
place on the Marais fields.
Thursday will be taken up by an U13 Festival, with matches taking place on the Somerset and
Marais A and B fields.
The first team programme on Somerset Field is:
Friday, March 20
9am: Mzansi Academy v PJ Olivier; 10.15: Woodridge v Mary Waters; 11.30: Port Rex Tech v
Union High; 12.45: Dale v Brandwag; 2pm: Grey High v Hudson Park; 3.15: Queen’s v Nico
Malan
Saturday, March 21

8.30am: Port Alfred v Ndzondelelo; 9.45: Otto du Plessis v Muir; 11am: Daniel Pienaar v
Stirling; 12.15: Kingswood v Cambridge; 1.30: Selborne v Framesby; 2.45: St Andrew’s v
Pearson; 4pm: Graeme v Marlow Agricultural
Ends

RELEASED BY:
Neale Emslie
Email: emslien@arena.africa