Graeme College have tweaked the format of their annual rugby festival for 2024, but the tournament organisers have still set up a series of mouth-watering clashes to herald the start of the schools season next year.
What was once the Graeme Rugby Day, played over a Saturday in mid-March, has become a multi-day festival of the sport, providing the perfect platform for Eastern Cape teams to gauge their status for the rugby season.
The 2024 festival will take place from March 14-16 in Makhanda, but the region’s first teams will only be in action on the Friday and the Saturday (March 15 and 16).
Graeme first team coach and festival organiser Jonty van der Meulen outlined the situation this week.
“Initially we planned to run the festival on the same lines as 2023 where we split the first team matches over three days, and some teams played twice,” he said.
“But it then came to light that Bishops are holding a festival to celebrate their 175th anniversary the next weekend and there is also the North-South tournament that weekend.
“That is followed by the annual Easter festivals around the country and many of the teams were a little concerned at having too heavy a workload at this stage of the season.
“So what we have done is to provide the first teams with just one game each, playing on the Friday and Saturday.
“But we will still have three days of rugby because the age-group matches (from U14-U16) will take place on the Thursday and Friday on the Somerset and Marais fields.
“We have done this because of the U13 festival on the Saturday, which will take place on the Marais fields.”
Even with a slightly abbreviated programme, the festival will still deliver an exciting start to the season, with the Eastern Cape’s top schools all in action, and a number of fascinating contests litter the programme.
As is their way, Graeme have not shied away from giving themselves a proper challenge and they will wind up the festival against the perennially powerful Selborne College outfit on the Saturday afternoon.
In fact, this is a repeat of the finale to the 2022 Rugby Day when the teams ended in a stalemate at 7-7. No doubt there will be plenty of motivation to complete unfinished business when the March date rolls around.
The first team matches on the Friday throw up some intriguing encounters, finishing off with the clash between Grey High and East London outfit Hudson Park in a repeat of this year’s programme.
On that occasion, the Gqeberha school had a clear advantage in a 27-7 win, but this is a golden opportunity for Hudson to make a statement against one of the region’s premier teams.
In the build-up to that match, Kingswood and Marlow have all the ingredients for a serious showdown, while Dale and Nico Malan are sure to demonstrate their normal brand of running rugby.
After a good 2023, Queen’s will be looking to start well against Pearson in a Saturday clash, while St Andrew’s and Brandwag should deliver a proper arm-wrestle in the main curtain-raiser.
The first team fixtures are:
March 15, Somerset Field
9am: Graeme 2nd v Port Alfred High 1s; 10.30: Port Rex v Mary Waters; 11.45: Union High v Daniel Pienaar; 1pm: Kingswood v Marlow; 2.15: Dale v Nico Malan; 3.30: Grey High v Hudson Park
March 16, Somerset Field
10.30: Cambridge v Muir; 11.45: Stirling v Framesby; 1pm: Queen’s v Pearson; 2.15: St Andrew’s v Brandwag; 3.30: Graeme v Selborne
Age-group fixtures
March 14, Somerset Field
9am: Graeme U14A v Selborne; 10am: Mary Waters U15A v Port Alfred; 11am: Graeme U15A v Selborne; 12.00: Pearson U16A v Port Rex; 1pm: Brandwag U16A v Cambridge; 2pm: Stirling U16A v Muir; 3pm: Graeme U16A v Selborne
March 14, Marais A Field
10am: Brandwag U14A v Cambridge; 11am: Stirling U14A v Muir; 12.00: Stirling U15A v Muir; 1pm: Pearson U14A v Port Rex; 2pm: Brandwag U15A v Cambridge; 3pm: Pearson U15A v Port Rex
March 15, Marais A field
9am: Nico Malan U14A v Dale; 10am: Kingswood U15A v Marlow; 11am: Nico Malan U16A v Dale; 12.00: Union High U16A v Daniel Pienaar; 1pm: Queen’s U14A v Framesby; 2pm: Queen’s U16A v Framesby
March 15, Marais B field
9am: Union High U14A v Daniel Pienaar; 10am: Nico Malan U15A v Dale; 11am: Kingswood U14A v Marlow; 12.00: Union High U15A v Daniel Pienaar; 1pm: Queen’s U15A v Framesby; 2pm: Kingswood U16A v Marlow
RELEASED BY:
Neale Emslie
Cell: 071 850 0865
Email: emslien@arena.africa
On behalf of:Graeme College