Easter Rugby Festival time is here again

Pass the ball … backwards???

South Africans are rugby mad and this is no exception when it comes to school boy rugby.  I’m a philistine as far as this game is concerned, and I horrified my sons when I said, after 2 years of watching them play rugby, that I had only just realized that in order to move forward you had to pass the ball backwards.  As an ex hockey-player, I thought this was very illogical and really quite peculiar. They did not speak to me for weeks and I am not sure have forgiven me fully yet!

2018 Easter Rugby Festival in Joburg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So it’s with great excitement that schools around South Africa and Jozi rugby fans are looking forward to the Easter Rugby Festival hosted by Saints, St Johns and KES.

We have a very high standard of schoolboy rugby and the annual Festival is a highlight on the schoolboy rugby calendar. So best get started on planning your stay in Joburg now and book at Liz at Lancaster. We are from 9km from St Johns and KES and under 8km from St Stithians. 

Schools country-wide take part

The festival takes place over 3 days: Thursday 28^th March, Saturday 30^th March and Monday 1^st April and the programmes below show that all the major boys’ schools are included. In addition to the top rugby schools in Gauteng, there are schools from Cape Town, Eastern Cape, KZN, and Namibia. And there are 2 rugby academies taking part: Eye of the Tiger and Lions. The Eye of the Tiger Rugby Academy (EOTT) is a South African, Non Profit Organization (NPO) focusing on previously excluded communities and schools, especially from rural and townships areas. The 2018 intake include nine SA Schools players and a host of talented youngsters from mostly Gauteng based schools.  The Lions, or Lions Master Coach Rugby Factory, to give it its proper title was launched at Laerskool Kenmare in Krugersdorp inJanuary 2018.   

Sadly, some of the ‘old faces’ will be missing this year: Pretoria Boys High, Wynberg, Westville, DHS, and St Benedict’s are not taking part.  

St Stithian’s College host its 35th Sports Festival

The Saints Rugby Festival is part of the Saints Sports Festival which grew from a rugby festival in 1984 to include cross country, football, hockey, netball, squash, and tennis. In 2017, over 50 000 people attended the events which were covered on SuperSport Blitz.   

Due to the addition of the Prep schools’ festival St Stithians now refers to it is as the Saints Sports Festival to include both the Prep and College festivals. Sports include cross country, football, hockey, netball, squash, tennis, and of course, rugby. As with St. John’s the sponsor is Standard Bank. 

And families are catered for as there are food stalls, entertainment as well a children’s play area, a youth chill area, and a hospitality tent for over 18s.  Tickets are available from St Stithians College or at the gate on #SaintsFest2018 days. They cost R40.

St John’s host their 23^rd Easter Rugby Festival  

Tickets are R40 per person and R10 per car. Tickets are available at the gates. It costs  R120 per person for access to The Deck or R300 for deck access for all three days of the festival (although it is still necessary to purchase a festival ticket at the gate). Tickets to the The Deck are available to purchase from The School Shop. Email shop@stjohnscollege.co.za. Tickets are valid for entry into the St John’s College and King Edward VII School festivals on Thursday and Monday only. Saturday tickets are valid for entry into the St John’s College Easter Rugby Festival only.  The parking entry is at Rice Field in Elm St and there is wheelchair access in St Patrick Road.

KES Easter Rugby and Hockey Festival

KES or King Edward VII High School in Houghton hosted their first rugby festival in 2002 to celebrate the school’s centenary and it was such a success that it’s become part of the School’s annual calendar. 

Timetable for rubgy matches

St. Stithian’s match programme
Date	Time	School	Vs	School
29/03	9.45	Parktown		Rondebosch
	11.00	Graeme College		Clifton School
	12.15	Bishops		Grey, P.E.
	13.30	Kingswood College		St. Stithians
	14.45	St. Andrew’s College		Michaelhouse
	16.00	Maritzburg Colleges		SACS
31/03	9.45	Graeme College		Parktown
	11.00	Clifton School		St. Andrew’s College
	12.15	Rondebosch		Kingswood College
	13.30	Grey, P.E.		Maritzburg College
	14.45	SACS		Michaelhouse
	16.30	St. Stithians		Bishops
02/04	8.45	Graeme College		Northcliff High School
	10.00	Rondebosch		Maritzburg College
	11.15	Grey, P.E.		Parktown
	12.30	Clifton School		St. Stithians
	13.45	Kingswood College		SACS
	15.00	Bishops		Michaelhouse

 

St. John’s match programme
Date	Time	School	Vs	School
29/03	12.15	St. David’s Marist, Inanda		Eye of the Tiger
	13.30	Paul Roos Gym		Lions
	14.45	HTS Daniel Pienaar		Hoërskool Florida
	16.45	Windhoek Gym		St. Alban’s College
	18.00	Hilton College		Hoërskool, Nelspruit
	19.15	St. John’s College		Helpmekaar Kollege
31/03	8.45	Lions		St. Alban’s College
	10.00	Eye of the Tiger		Hoërskool Florida
	11.15	Hoërskool, Nelspruit		St. David’s Marist, Inanda
	13.30	Helpmekaar Kollege		Windhoek Gym
	14.45	HTS Daniel Pienaar		Paul Roos Gym
	16.00	St. John’s College		Hilton College
02/04	9.00	St. David’s Marist, Inanda		Hilton College
	10.15	Windhoek Gym		HTS Daniel Pienaar
	11.30	Lions		St. John’s College
	13.30	St. Alban’s College		Eye of the Tiger
	14.45	Hoërskool Florida		Helpmekaar Kollege
	16.00	Paul Roos Gym		Hoërskool, Nelspruit

  

KES  match programme
Date	Time	School	Vs	School
29/03	9.00	HS Marais Viljoen		Höer Landbouskool Marlow
	10.15	Muir College		Northwood School
	11.30	HS Noordheuwel		Wynberg BHS
	12.45	HS Eldoraigne		Hudson Park High School
	14.00	King Edward VII School		Westville Boys’ High School
	15.15	Jeppe High School for Boys		HS Ben Vorster
31/03	9.00	Muir College		HS Noordheuwel
	10.15	HS Ben Vorster		Northwood School
	11.30	HS Marais Viljoen		Hudson Park High School
	12.45	HS Eldoraigne		Westville Boys’ High School
	14.00	Jeppe High School for Boys		Höer Landbouskool Marlow
	15.15	King Edward VII School		Wynberg BHS
02/04	8.30	HS Eldoraigne		HS Marais Viljoen
	9.45	HS Noordheuwel		Westville Boys’ High School
	11.00	Wynberg BHS		Muir College
	12.15	Hudson Park High School		Jeppe High School for Boys
	13.30	Höer Landbouskool Marlow		HS Ben Vorster
	14.45	King Edward VII School		Northwood School

Sport’s enthusiasts enjoy the rugby; families have a great week-end of fun; and old boys please behave. 

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