- Glenwood to kick-off the tournament against John McGlashan
- Hosts Paul Roos to face two New Zealand sides
- Grey College and Christchurch Boys’ High School renew rivalry
The fixtures for the 2019 World Schools Festival have been released, with a host of mouth-watering matches expected to set the tournament alight at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch. The event will see ten South African teams take on ten sides from the rest of the world in a Ryder Cup-style competition, with the home schools determined to defend the crown they captured in the inaugural festival in 2018.
KwaZulu-Natal outfit Glenwood, who finished 2018 as the third-ranked side in South Africa according to www.rugby365.com, will open the tournament against New Zealanders John McGlashan College, who will be making their debut at the festival. Another debutant, SACS from Cape Town, will face a World Schools Select XV, which is a late addition to the tournament following the withdrawal of the New South Wales Cavaliers from Australia. Gloucester-based Hartpury College, who were of the most impressive teams at the 2018 event having beaten Affies, begin their campaign against Gauteng side Monument High School. The British team will then go up against local powerhouse Paarl Gimnasium on the third day of the festival.
“Last year really opened our eyes as to what the South African sides offered in terms of physicality and the way they played,” said Wayne Thompson, head coach of Hartpury College. “From what we’ve seen with Monument, they’re certainly very big boys so we know we’re going to have to up our game physically and hopefully the boys will be fully prepared for that. Paarl Gim had a tough game against the Argentine side last year, but I was very impressed by them. “
Thompson added that his side’s win over Affies last year set the tone for what Hartpury is about and that they’d be going all out to improve on their performances in 2019. “It’s going to be a tough ask as they’re two very different sides to what we played in 2018, but I think it’s going to be a great test for our boys coming down to South Africa so we’re very much looking forward to it.”
Paarl Gimnasium’s other match will be against the Africa Pacific Dragons Select XV, a staple of the World Schools Festival that will be comprised of talent from some of New Zealand’s top schools, including Kelston Boys’ High School, Wesley College and Hastings Boys’ High School.
Christchurch Boys’ High School, one of the leading sporting schools in New Zealand, return to the festival and will renew their rivalry with Grey College, a side they lost to 66-28 last year, while they will also face Affies in the penultimate match of the tournament.
Hosts Paul Roos kick-off their campaign against fellow debutants Southland Boys’ High School from New Zealand, while they face another Kiwi team in Napier Boys’ High School in the final match of the competition.
World Schools Festival Fixtures
26 March
Glenwood vs John McGlashan College
SA Invitation XV vs Zambezi Steelers
SACS vs World Schools Select XV
Monument vs Hartpury College
Paarl Gimnasium vs Africa Pacific Dragons Select XV
27 March
Affies vs Italian All-Stars
Boland Landbou vs Napier Boys’ High School
Hilton College vs USA Schools XV
Grey College vs Christchurch Boys’ High School
Paul Roos vs Southland Boys’ High School
29 March
SA Invitation XV vs World Schools Select XV
SACS vs Zambezi Steelers
Glenwood vs Africa Pacific Dragons Select XV
Paarl Gimnasium vs Hartpury College
Monument vs John McGlashan College
30 March
Boland Landbou vs USA Schools XV
Hilton College vs Italian All-Stars
Grey College vs Southland Boys’ High School
Affies vs Christchurch Boys’ High School
Paul Roos vs Napier Boys’ High School
Tickets for the World Schools Festival have already gone on sale.
Prices begin at R40.00 a day for Under 18s, while four-day passes can be purchased for just R200.00. Members of the public are urged to book their attendance sooner rather than later, as the 2018 event was sold out weeks prior to kick-off.
Tickets can be purchased through Computicket at the following link:
https://online.computicket.com/web/event/the_worlds_school_festival_19/1273289256/0/92778645
In addition to the twenty schoolboy sides taking part, the tournament will also feature a number of Old Boys teams playing on the final day of the festival, with the likes of Paul Roos, SACS, Affies, Boland Landbou, Grey College, Paarl Gimnasium and Paarl Boys’ High School having all confirmed their attendance.
World School Festival Days: 26, 27, 29, 30 March 2019
Gates Open: 09:00
Price – Adults: R60.00 per day
R200.00 per four-day pass
Price – Under 18s: R40.00 per day
Facebook: @worldschoolsfestival
Twitter: @worldschoolfest (#FutureHeroes)
Instagram: worldschoolsfestival
