The 29th St John’s College Easter Rugby Festival returns and kicks off on April 2 for three days of festival fun.
Games under floodlights on the first night of the festival have been popular for some years now, and there will be more night action this year. The last game on day 1 kicks off at 20:20 on April 2, meaning there will be four matches under lights. On April 4, there are games at 17:30 and 18:40.
Night games are undeniably dramatic, and full houses are expected.
Read more: KES Easter Rugby Festival returns (video)
The format has changed over the years. The first night games in festival rugby were hosted at St John’s. The U13s have been a fixture for many years, with the U16s, the stars of tomorrow, introduced in 2025.
U13 teams from 14 Primary Schools will be in action on all three days, with St John’s Preparatory playing on the Burger Field on April 2 against The Ridge School at 18:20.
There will be three U16 matches on April 6, the third day of the festival, giving players who will, in all likelihood, be back here for their 1st teams in the next year or two, a taste of the big stage.
The U19 teams are, undoubtedly, the stars of the show, and it is they who draw the crowds. The big news this year is the return to the festival of Grey College Rugby. They are perennially one of the top three sides in South Africa, and they haven’t been at a festival in these parts for several years.
Another exciting development this year is the presence of an Australian School, St Joseph’s Nudgee College of Brisbane, and Westlake Boys’ High School from Auckland, New Zealand.
They both come with the reputation of being among the best in their countries, and they will be watched with interest.
Also read: KES U16 team runs riot with 50-8 victory over Lions Invitational
Nudgee College have a tough start against Grey College at 17:10 on Thursday, while Westlake will also be tested on day one by Hoërskool Monument at 16:00. St John’s closes off the action on day 1 at 20:20 against Bishops Diocesan College, and the game preceding theirs, Hilton College vs Hoerskool Nelspruit at 19:10, should be a cracker.
The fixtures are as follows:
Thursday: April 2
Burger Field
08:00 St Stithians Boys’ Preparatory vs Cordwalles Preparatory School for Boys (U13)
08:55 St Peter’s Boys’ Prep vs Clifton Durban (U13)
10:10 Grey College 2nd XV vs Noordheuwel Hoërskool 2nd XV (U19)
11:20 Golden Lions Invitational XV vs Welkom Gimnasium (U19)
12:30 St Alban’s College vs St Joseph’s Nudgee College 2nd XV (U19)
13:40 St Benedict’s College vs Graeme College (U19)
14:50 Kingswood College vs St David’s Marist Inanda (U19)
16:00 Hoërskool Monument vs Westlake Boys’ High (U19)
17:10 St Joseph’s Nudgee College 1st XV vs Grey College 1st XV (U19)
18:20 St John’s Preparatory vs The Ridge (U13)
19:10 Hilton College vs Hoërskool Nelspruit (U19)
20:20 Bishops Diocesan College vs St John’s College (U19)
C Field
08:00 WHPS vs Clifton Nottingham Road (U13)
08:55 St David’s Preparatory vs Yeoville Boys’ Primary (U13)
09:50 Pridwin Preparatory vs Dale Junior (U13)
10:40 St John’s Preparatory vs Middelburg Primary (U13)
11:30 St Benedict’s Preparatory vs The Ridge (U13)
12:00 St Stithians Boys’ Preparatory vs WHPS (U13)
12:50 St Peter’s Boys’ Prep vs Clifton Nottingham Road (U13)
13:40 Middelburg Primary vs Cordwalles Preparatory School for Boys (U13)
14:30 Yeoville Boys’ Primary School vs Clifton Durban (U13)
15:25 St David’s Preparatory vs Dale Junior (U13)
16:15 St Benedict’s Preparatory vs Pridwin Preparatory School (U13)
For more Easter festival highlights and school action, follow #CaxtonSchools online.
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