After a fascinating series of schoolboy rugby battles over Easter, Grey High will present another mouth-watering programme this week when the Standard Bank Grey Rugby Festival 2023 takes place at the Gqeberha school and surrounding venues.
Classic showdowns involving some of the most exciting teams in the country will do battle on the Kolisi Field and Pollock Oval on Thursday and Friday.
In addition there will be teams from U14 to U16, as well as a few second sides, playing on the remaining fields on the Grey High campus, plus at Crusaders and Old Grey.
It will be a sporting extravaganza at the school because the Hibbert Shield hockey tournament will be held over the same period on the Rectory astro.
The Grey rugby team have not had the happiest of starts to the season but will be looking to set that right at their festival when they face SACS on Thursday and Westville in the weekend’s climax on Saturday.
Even then, they know that they will be tested because both sets of opponents will be properly motivated to lower the colours of the hosts, something that has rarely happened at the Grey Festival.
But if coach Bean van Eeden’s team can come out of those two games unscathed, it will be a boost for their confidence and give them a platform to launch some better performances in the school programme that lies ahead.
Though many supporters will be there for the main game, the festival programme is littered with some feature matches that will provide fascinating contests.
The second fixture on the Kolisi Field on the opening day between Selborne and Brandwag will be a typical Eastern Cape derby, with neither side prepared to give an inch.
The East London outfit were surprised by Pearson recently, but even in defeat they showed great spirit and coach Chase Morison will be calling for a positive attitude against Brandwag.
Brandwag have struggled to find their rhythm this season, winning just one match out of five so far, and they will need to deliver a better showing to hold the Selbornians.
The main curtain-raiser will be another cracking showdown when the high-riding Queen’s team face the formidable Johannesburg outfit, Jeppe.
Though losing to Maritzburg College in their final fixture in the St John’s Easter Festival (26-22), Jeppe showed enough in wins over Graeme College and Hilton to suggest they will be a team to watch next week.
Certainly, Queen’s will have their credentials put firmly under the spotlight.
Selborne will be similarly tested when they play Jeppe on Saturday, a day on which Queen’s will face their second demanding clash of the festival against the talented KES outfit.
Fixtures:
Thursday:
Kolisi Field: 9.10: Invitation XV v Pretoria Boys’; 10.25: Selborne v Brandwag; 11.45: Westville v Voortrekker Bethlehem; 12.55: Graeme v KES; 2.05: Queen’s v Jeppe; 3.25: Grey High v SACS
Pollock Oval: 9.10: Muir v Parktown; 10.25: Grey U16A v SACS U16A; 11.45: Nico Malan v St John’s; 12.55: Grey Unicorns v SACS 2nd; 2.05: Hudson Park v St Stithians
Saturday:
Kolisi Field: 9.10: Hudson Park v St John’s 10.25: Selborne v Jeppe; 11.45: Graeme College v Voortrekker Bethlehem; 12.55: SACS v Pretoria Boys’; 2.05: Queen’s v KES; 3.25: Grey High v Westville
Pollock Oval: 8am: Muir U16A v Voortrekker Bethlehem U16A; 9.10: Muir v St Stithians; 10.25: Queen’s 2nd v SACS 2nd; 11.45: Brandwag v Parktown; 12.55: Dale v Nico Malan; 2.05: Grey Unicorns v Despatch; 3.25: Invitation XV v Westering.
Report from Neale Emslie
