Grey High are set to face another Powerhouse Five opponent with a point to prove when they take on Paul Roos in their annual derby on Kolisi Field in Gqeberha on 18 April 2026.
Much like their encounter at the Pretoria Boys High 125th Rugby Festival against Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool — who arrived wounded after a surprise defeat to Michaelhouse — Grey once again find themselves up against a traditional national top five rugby school eager to respond.
Paul Roos’ loss to Stellenberg was less about being outplayed and more about self-inflicted damage. A string of discipline lapses resulted in penalties and multiple yellow cards, ultimately costing them a match they had entered unbeaten. For a side of their pedigree, that result will have stung — and the response is likely to be emphatic.
Expect discipline to be at the top of the Stellenbosch side’s agenda this week. However, it is not the only area requiring attention. Their set-piece execution and attacking fluency both struggled to gain momentum in what became a fragmented, stop-start contest. Re-establishing rhythm and bringing their dangerous backline into the game will be a key focus for the coaching staff.
There is a layer of irony to this, given a narrative around Grey High School. While consistently boasting one of the most formidable forward packs in South African schoolboy rugby — capable of matching the very best in set-piece and tight exchanges — Grey have come under some scrutiny for a backline that lacks spark. Too often labelled as predictable, lateral and short on penetration, it remains an area where they have yet to consistently convince.
Saturday’s clash, therefore, presents a compelling subplot: a Paul Roos side desperate to rediscover its attacking identity against a Grey outfit still searching for greater creativity behind a dominant pack. Something, inevitably, will have to give.
| TEAM | GREY HS | TEAM | PAUL ROOS | ||
| 1 | Daniel Naude | 1 | Thomas Meyer | u17 | |
| 2 | Micah Wessels | 2 | Lehan Barnard | u18 | |
| 3 | Juan Potgieter | 3 | Zak Steyn | u17 | |
| 4 | Jondre van Jaarsveld | 4 | Stef de Villiers | u18 | |
| 5 | Jean Nel | 5 | Sebastian Cilliers | u18 | |
| 6 | Sibonelo Stuurman | 6 | Christian le Roux | u18 | |
| 7 | Cole Bennett | 7 | Gerard Bekker | u18 | |
| 8 | Zola Yeye | 8 | Werner de Bruin | u17 | |
| 9 | Ryan Swarbrick | 9 | Tristan Armitage | u17 | |
| 10 | Likhona Nakani | 10 | Travis Pheiffer | u18 | |
| 11 | Michael Oosthuizen | 11 | Cadynn Davids | u17 | |
| 12 | Anfred Jansen | 12 | Albert Nel | u17 | |
| 13 | Ciaran Killian | 13 | Jean Hamman | u17 | |
| 14 | Noah Mbizi | 14 | Krige le Roux | ||
| 15 | Keanu Linch | 15 | Kyle Snyers | u17 | |
| 16 | Silindezihle Ntshokoma | 16 | |||
| 17 | Adam Fourie | 17 | |||
| 18 | Nathan Trytsman | 18 | |||
| Coach | MATT KING | Coach | CORNE UYS |
@Wyvern (Comment #38) Ambitions target and its new scholars, trying to get it back to 50% boarders and 50% day boys. The school is getting a lot of traction in Mthatha,East London,Johannesburg and Lesotho so BE numbers are increasing fast. I think current grade 8 class of 130 has about 70 hostel boys which is a record we haven’t reached in a long time. In my year in the early 2010s we only had about 20 hostel boys in each grade
@RuggaFreak (Comment #37)
400+ is a lot. Are these going to be net new students or existing day scholars being moved in hostel?
@Wyvern (Comment #16)
200 boys. Recently opened a new hostel. Was around 74 pre covid but numbers are climbing post covid. Think the target is 400 +-
@Ryan (Comment #34)
Yeah those missed first half lineout opportunities into Curwin Corner in the first half were crucial in the end for the Grey 1st XV. That was where they were so clinical against Affies in the first half. Also conversions. PRG got all 4. Grey missed 3. Made a difference. Grey were good value against a good PRG team. Still not enough good memories for the backs but definitely things to smile about from 10 and 14 and 11 got that good opportunist try which showed he has wheels. Daniel Naude was great in the loose.
For Paul Roos, I love their no. Werner de Bruin. He’s my favourite player in that team. Christiaan le Roux excellent once again. Nice to see Jaeden Powell back.
@Snelvuur (Comment #33)
Moet die eerste keer in Paul Roos se hokkie geskiedenis dat hul 1ste span nie n drag flicker het nie.
Congrats to Paul Roos on a good and deserved victory. Surprisingly (at least to me) the top 3 games were much closer than I thought. Grey 3rds won, 2nd’s really should have won having been 23-7 up with 10 minutes to go and in the 1st team match Grey made things pretty uncomfortable with 10 minutes to go at 21-15 down. Same issues persist for Grey. Poor execution across the board. Botched a few line outs 5m from the try line, backline attacking shape non-existent. I remain convinced that a good or great Grey team is one that knows how to move the ball and go all out attack. If we can’t get this right we will struggle even with talented players across the team and age groups.
@OomPB (Comment #32)
Frustrerende uitslag! Ons gebrek aan ‘n betroubare dragflicker vang ons behoorlik: 80% balbesit en 7 short corners wat ons nie een in ‘n doel kon omskep nie. Grey het hulle twee kanse bitter goed gevat. Die tweede doel 3min voor die einde, veral, was uitstaande. Daardie clinical edge maak hulle welverdiende wenners vandag. Bitter hoë kwaliteit hokkie oor al die ouderdomsgroepe gespeel vandag!
Hokkie Grey High 2-1 PRG
@Vleis (Comment #23)
Agree, but rugby was also a second quarter sport, so eg the athletes could not play at Saints. Grey College at least was kind enough to fly a certain Ruben Kruger from SAA where he won the discuss to play HJS on the third day.
@Roger (Comment #29)
If memory serves, he was a flank or 8th man. I think that ’88 was his post matric year. He remembered Saints having a terrible season, largely due to the hiding against KES, but when he revisited the results a few years ago (via his school year book that his mum had kept), he realised that they were not actually that bad – e.g. the win v HJS amongst others.
@Vleis (Comment #23)
KES beat Paarl Boys High, Glenwood and SACS at the 1988 Saints Festival and gave Saints a pakslae in regular season
At the 1987 Saints festival KES lost to an outstanding Bishops side but beat Grey PE and Michaelhouse – tell me what position your mate at Saints played – I’m sure I can guess his name?!
@Vleis (Comment #26) 😉
@Palma (Comment #18)
Who funds said legal options? If I was a Selborne parent, I’d be very unhappy if school funds are being used for same!
I see that the headmaster of Selborne has fired back at Jake White and is exploring legal options.
@Mate (Comment #24)
I reckon that you are correct…because they never played each other. KDVP preferred to play the smaller tennis schools in the area – like Hoërskool Linden…of hoe?
The problems at Grey High have been evident since Covid. The reality is that as the Western Cape’s rugby quality has improved through competition and funding (and sometimes the odd former EC rugby player) the Eastern Cape has become less competitive on a national stage. 10 years ago you could bet that no matter what, Grey and Selborne would be competitive. They would beat almost every EC team,mostly be on par with KZN and southern suburbs teams and give the winelands a real go for their money. This has all changed. I’d like to know when Grey last scored a try other than from a rolling maul. It doesn’t take a genius to see that the attack is perhaps the most one dimensional in the top 50 and it is a huge shame. Fantastic talent at every age group both in the backline and forwards only to be stunted the moment they go past u16 level. This weekend Grey will fight, as they always do, but will come up massively short like they did against Affies and I hope it is a catalyst for change. The reality is that if Grey doesn’t want to continue to lose players on a yearly basis to other schools in the WC and KZN, it will need to change something like the did during the Rory Duncan/Brent James van Rensbery era which set Grey up in the top 10 where they should be.
@Vleis (Comment #23) I don’t think Greenside ever beat King David Victory Park
@Perel (Comment #22) Yes, I suspect that you are correct. My mate was in the 1st team for three years, so I picked the wrong one! My point stands that schools were much more even in the 70s/80s/90s. Greenside was unbeaten against SACS and Wynberg in ’87, Sandringham had an overall positive win record v SACS, the mighty Dale, Jeppe, etc.
@Vleis (Comment #8)
Perhaps 1988, 1987 HJS travelled 2 days in mini busses to be greeted by playing Maritzburg College, Jeppe and Grey College.
I could never understand Alan’s lack of involvement – now I do. He is a brilliant coach and human.
@Grizzly (Comment #17)
Yes…but I can’t claim any great talent spotting prowess, as I thought that he’d make it as a batsman!
@Palma (Comment #18)
@Wyvern (Comment #15)
Just seen that letter from JW now!
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I have no idea what’s happening at Selborne…but their scenario tracks closely with a few other schools when a new headmaster takes over who is (perhaps) less supportive of rugby – i.e. the first few years are still great, as he inherited the great structures, recruiting, etc of his predecessor…but then the wheels start to fall off thereafter.
@Wyvern (Comment #15)
Embarrassed but not surprised. From the sounds of things these issues have been going back as far as before Covid, during Selborne’s golden years so to speak. Old Boys are outraged. Apparently there was a crisis meeting at Selborne last night with the powers that be at the school.
@Vleis (Comment #13)
Did you see Beyers Swanepoel is in the dog house. 😂 Been waiting for him to become the first Garsies to make Protea squad but I think this won’t help his chances. Then want to post to you that you have an eye for talent as you spotted him as a 13 year old. 😂
@RuggaFreak (Comment #12)
How big is the BE at Queens? Marlow is 250
@Vleis (Comment #13)
After reading Jake White’s letter of what’s going on behind the scenes, I think this is the least of the worries for Selborne (if true)
Is Jake White still at Selborne?
@Wyvern (Comment #11)
Those figures are tiny (esp. Selborne) and are possibly a key part of the problem….and potential solution.
@Wyvern (Comment #11) So Queens has the biggest BE in the Eastern Cape public school set up? Wow.
@Vleis (Comment #10)
From what I see online, Selborne: 75 and Grey: 140
@Wyvern (Comment #3)
That is a worry. What size is the BE at Selborne and Grey?
@Vleis (Comment #8)
To add to your point: Grey PE in the 2000s had a top 5 team every 3 to 4 years or so.
https://schoolboyrugby.co.za/?p=45735
@Kaya 85 (Comment #7) There wasn’t such a thing as a PH5 in the 80s and 90s, as the talent was spread much more evenly than it is today – e.g. my mate played in an average (according to him) St Stithians 1st team in ’87…and yet they beat HJS. Thus, trying to argue whether school x, or school y was a PH5, or thereabouts, in the 80s and 90s is a mug’s game.
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That said, I think that most would agree that GCB has probably been in a the Top 5 of almost every single year since forever and a day! Furthermore, GCB did not play a significant amount of games outside of the Free State in the 80s and 90s, like they do today….and yet, they had an annual fixture against Grey High and Selborne. That tells me all I need to know about the strength of the latter schools!
@Vleis (Comment #5) no, on the contrary I’m actually thinking back before 2010…in the late 80s and 90s I think that a lot of other schools were in the Top 6 – 12 range … e.g. HTS Middelburg who where massive in the NV, also the likes of Kemptonpark, Waterkloof, Marais Viljoen, and of course e.g. Maritzburg College who really ruled the roost in KZN.
The good news is both Grey and Selborne are doing more to bridge the gap at A-team level. However they do need to play in respectable quality local leagues to remain competitive on a national level.
I think down the line, once the new bridge to KZN is opened, it might open the door for Selborne to perhaps have one or two new fixtures against KZN opponents and they could consider an annual home and away against Grey.
Grey also have an untried option of Outeniqua – I know they have to cater for their hockey as well, but for rugby Outeniqua poses a high quality challenge.
@Kaya 85 (Comment #4)
Your view is a good example of recency bias – i.e. you’re already associating Selborne and Grey with their recent mediocre results…despite said period being relatively short. That should serve as a salient warning to the powers that be…if ever there was one!
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To prove my point, have a look at the link to the rankings for the decade 2010 to 2020 below:
https://schoolboyrugby.co.za/?p=38478
I feel that Hudson Park has also consistently been strong in EL, and they are producing pro players too, the latest being the new young Lions flank who exploded on to the scene about 8 or 9 weeks back. I don’t agree with @Vleis about Grey HS and Selborne being traditionally “just” outside the PH5,I think they are fairly far from there and it’s true that Dale, maybe Queens used to be there but I put Grey and Selborne on par with the Jeppes and KESes in the Top 12 – 25 range, no disrespect. In fact big respect.
Prediction:
Grey High Gceberha 13 – 40 Paul Roos Gimnasium
PR will win the 1st Hockey
and PR will have 75% + win ratio in all games.
@Vleis (Comment #2)
If I had to guess I’d link it closely to the general economic climate in the EC (more so for EL though) and the domestic migration that comes with it. In PE, I think the rise of Pearson has also taken away from Grey and Framesby. In EL it’s compounded by the increase in boys moving over to KZN schools.
I do agree with you that the region as a whole has declined in strength over the last two decades.
The standard of rugby at most EC schools has maintained a status quo this decade…with the odd anomaly – e.g. Dale’s decline is matched by Graeme’s stellar rise. However, the region, as a whole, has nevertheless declined significantly because the two powerhouse schools have experienced such mammoth reversals of fortunes.
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Between 2010 and 2020, Grey and Selborne were almost always in the top 20 and mostly in the top 10. Indeed, they were both in a small band of schools just outside the PH5, including Monnas, Garsies, Oakdale and Outeniqua. I have no idea why this has happened, but it’s time for the old boys to sort it out before it becomes permanent.
Grey High needs a good showing this year in order to justify the continued existence of this interschools. Of the 76 rugby games played between PRG and Grey High since 2022, Grey has won 2 with a more than 30 point average differential between the teams. With Affies now on the PRG calendar and the fact that a fixture against one of the Southern Suburb schools will be sacrificed each year to accommodate Durbanville in the A-league, this game could come under threat. Financially and logistically, it would’ve made far more sense for PRG to have a fixture against Wynberg this year than to have this trip to PE.