A Season of Dominance — With a Final Twist in the Fairtree First XV School Rugby Rankings.
The matter before us: Who shall rightfully wear the crown as the No.1 ranked First XV rugby team in South Africa for the 2025 season? No second chances. Just 70 minutes of high-stakes rugby between two juggernauts from the same rugby-mad town.
And in this ultimate grudge match, Paarl Boys walked away with a 35–33 victory over Paarl Gim — the previously top-ranked team.
A narrow win? Yes.
But in a court of rugby justice — it’s the smoking gun.
To understand why Paarl Boys finish as No.1 on the Fairtree school rugby rankings, we need to consider not just the head-to-head result, but the full season’s form, particularly against common opponents:
✅ Affies
- Paarl Boys: 25–17 win
- Paarl Gim: 16–16 draw
- Edge: Boishaai
✅ Monument
- Paarl Boys: 85–0 win
- Paarl Gim: 66–16 win
- Edge: Boishaai — emphatic statement
✅ Grey College
- Paarl Boys: 25–10 win
- Paarl Gim: 43–31 win
- Edge: Boishaai — slightly stronger defensively
✅ HTS Drostdy
- Paarl Boys: 55–19 win
- Paarl Gim: 92–12 win
- Edge: Gim — huge attacking margin
✅ SACS
- Paarl Boys: 51–8 win
- Paarl Gim: 82–7 win
- Edge: Comparable — both dominant
✅ Others (Bishops, Wynberg, Boland, Oakdale, Stellenberg, PRG)
Margins across these fixtures were closely matched. Paarl Gim had the edge against Oakdale (won, while Boys lost narrowly), but Paarl Boys posted stronger wins against Boland and Bishops.
Why Paarl Boys Deserve the No.1 Ranking
- ✅ They beat Paarl Gim in the final match — the ultimate tiebreaker.
- ✅ Stronger results in key fixtures such as Affies, Grey and Monument.
- ✅ Season-long consistency, with their only loss coming narrowly to Oakdale.
Paarl Gim’s campaign was spectacular and worthy of huge respect — but the draw (Affies), combined with the loss to Boys, just tilt the scale.
Final Word
Paarl Boys finish the 2025 school rugby season as the top-ranked First XV team in South Africa. Their victory over Paarl Gim wasn’t just historic — it was the final word in both teams’ season filled with elite-level performances.
With both teams having produced some of the most scintillating rugby we’ve seen in recent years, they have raised the standard of South African schoolboy rugby yet again.
There’s no more rugby to be played for these two heavyweights this season — but there’s no doubt about who stands tallest when the dust settles.
Paarl Boys: No.1….but only just.
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FAIRTREE FIRST XV RANKINGS 04 AUGUST, 2025 |
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RANK |
TEAM |
MATCHES |
AVG BONUS POINTS |
|
1 |
PAARL BOYS HIGH |
17 |
21.306 |
|
2 |
PAARL GIM |
16 |
21.300 |
|
3 |
GREY COLLEGE |
14 |
20.093 |
|
4 |
AFFIES |
15 |
19.973 |
|
5 |
PAUL ROOS GYM |
16 |
19.213 |
|
6 |
DHS |
16 |
18.138 |
|
7 |
WESTVILLE |
13 |
18.015 |
|
8 |
OAKDALE |
14 |
17.271 |
|
9 |
GARSFONTEIN |
15 |
16.680 |
|
10 |
HILTON COLLEGE |
15 |
16.220 |
|
11 |
RONDEBOSCH |
15 |
15.893 |
|
12 |
WYNBERG BH |
15 |
15.807 |
|
13 |
STELLENBERG |
17 |
15.741 |
|
14 |
GREY HIGH SCHOOL |
11 |
15.618 |
|
15 |
HELPMEKAAR |
19 |
15.358 |
|
16 |
NOORDHEUWEL |
17 |
15.353 |
|
17 |
NORTHWOOD |
16 |
15.000 |
|
18 |
QUEENS COLLEGE |
17 |
14.700 |
|
19 |
BOLAND LANDBOU |
14 |
14.107 |
|
20 |
JEPPE |
17 |
14.094 |
|
21 |
OUTENIQUA |
13 |
13.923 |
|
22 |
ST ANDREWS COLLEGE |
16 |
13.913 |
|
23 |
MARITZBURG COLLEGE |
15 |
13.667 |
|
24 |
GRAEME COLLEGE |
16 |
13.588 |
|
25 |
NICO MALAN |
13 |
13.500 |
|
26 |
MENLOPARK |
13 |
13.285 |
|
27 |
SACS |
17 |
13.276 |
|
28 |
MICHAELHOUSE |
16 |
13.150 |
|
29 |
PRETORIA BOYS HIGH |
17 |
12.929 |
|
30 |
DURBANVILLE |
15 |
12.913 |
|
31 |
KES |
15 |
12.720 |
|
32 |
ST STITHIANS |
12 |
12.625 |
|
33 |
HTS DROSTDY |
15 |
12.413 |
|
34 |
MONUMENT |
17 |
12.388 |
|
35 |
TRANSVALIA |
11 |
12.255 |
|
36 |
GLENWOOD |
13 |
12.223 |
|
37 |
MILNERTON |
16 |
12.044 |
|
38 |
HTS MIDDELBURG |
14 |
12.036 |
|
39 |
SELBORNE COLLEGE |
15 |
11.973 |
|
40 |
WATERKLOOF |
16 |
11.938 |
|
41 |
DIAMANTVELD |
17 |
11.935 |
|
42 |
KEARSNEY COLLEGE |
14 |
11.779 |
|
43 |
PEARSON |
14 |
11.764 |
|
44 |
MIDDELBURG HS |
14 |
11.607 |
|
45 |
RUSTENBURG |
17 |
11.588 |
|
46 |
EG JANSEN |
19 |
11.384 |
|
47 |
MARLOW |
15 |
11.193 |
|
48 |
BISHOPS |
17 |
11.165 |
|
49 |
KINGSWOOD COLLEGE |
13 |
11.069 |
|
50 |
ZWARTKOP |
13 |
10.923 |
|
51 |
DIE BRANDWAG |
15 |
10.807 |
|
52 |
ST CHARLES COLLEGE |
13 |
10.777 |
|
53 |
NELSPRUIT |
16 |
10.750 |
|
54 |
BRANDWAG |
17 |
10.612 |
|
55 |
ST JOHNS COLLEGE |
13 |
9.954 |
|
56 |
MONTANA PTA |
13 |
9.892 |
|
57 |
HUDSON PARK |
16 |
9.838 |
|
58 |
FRAMESBY |
15 |
9.727 |
|
59 |
KEMPTON PARK |
12 |
9.717 |
|
60 |
WESVALIA |
13 |
9.662 |
|
61 |
WELKOM GIM |
12 |
9.658 |
|
62 |
WORCESTER GYM |
11 |
9.609 |
|
63 |
TRIO |
13 |
9.523 |
|
64 |
PARKTOWN |
10 |
9.370 |
|
65 |
JIM FOUCHE |
16 |
9.369 |
|
66 |
SECUNDA |
12 |
9.258 |
|
67 |
MERENSKY |
11 |
9.173 |
|
68 |
PIETERSBURG |
14 |
9.107 |
|
69 |
POTCH GIM |
10 |
9.080 |
|
70 |
DALE COLLEGE |
17 |
9.035 |
|
71 |
BERGSIG |
10 |
8.870 |
|
72 |
POTCH VOLKSKOOL |
9 |
8.833 |
|
73 |
NORTHCLIFF |
14 |
8.821 |
|
74 |
CHARLIE HOFMEYR |
13 |
8.815 |
|
75 |
PAREL VALLEI |
11 |
8.791 |
|
76 |
WITTEBERG |
12 |
8.667 |
|
77 |
VOORTREKKER BETH |
15 |
8.640 |
|
78 |
OOS MOOT |
11 |
8.600 |
|
79 |
FRIKKIE MEYER |
7 |
8.529 |
|
80 |
HOPEFIELD |
12 |
8.492 |
|
81 |
OTTO DU PLESSIS |
16 |
8.469 |
|
82 |
BEN VORSTER |
14 |
8.371 |
|
83 |
STRAND |
13 |
8.300 |
|
84 |
MIDSTREAM |
17 |
8.241 |
|
85 |
MARAIS VILJOEN |
13 |
8.208 |
|
86 |
LICHTENBURG |
16 |
8.194 |
|
87 |
BRACKENFELL |
14 |
8.186 |
|
88 |
OVERBERG |
8 |
8.050 |
|
89 |
HANS STRIJDOM |
7 |
8.017 |
|
90 |
ST ALBANS COLLEGE |
13 |
8.015 |
|
91 |
KLERKSDORP |
12 |
7.858 |
|
92 |
PORT REX |
16 |
7.838 |
|
93 |
PORTERVILLE |
12 |
7.792 |
|
94 |
UPINGTON |
14 |
7.707 |
|
95 |
FICHARDTPARK |
10 |
7.580 |
|
96 |
JEUGLAND |
11 |
7.555 |
|
97 |
DIE ANKER |
11 |
7.518 |
|
98 |
ROBERTSON |
14 |
7.507 |
|
99 |
ELDORAIGNE |
12 |
7.375 |
|
100 |
HUGENOTE WELL |
14 |
7.257 |
|
101 |
HEIDELBERG VOLKIES |
11 |
7.191 |
|
102 |
DINAMIKA |
11 |
7.018 |
|
103 |
ERMELO |
15 |
7.007 |
|
104 |
LIGBRON |
12 |
6.958 |
|
105 |
RANDBURG |
12 |
6.892 |
|
106 |
ST DAVIDS |
11 |
6.736 |
|
107 |
DANIEL PIENAAR |
12 |
6.692 |
|
108 |
ANDREW RABIE |
18 |
6.572 |
|
109 |
OOSKUS GIM |
10 |
6.400 |
|
110 |
ROB FERREIRA |
8 |
6.388 |
|
111 |
HUGENOTE SPRINGS |
11 |
6.318 |
|
112 |
BEN VILJOEN |
10 |
6.300 |
|
113 |
CAMBRIDGE |
14 |
6.221 |
|
114 |
LINDEN |
8 |
6.143 |
|
115 |
MELKBOSSTRAND |
11 |
6.064 |
|
116 |
TOM NAUDE |
11 |
6.036 |
|
117 |
STIRLING |
13 |
6.031 |
|
118 |
VOLKSKOOL |
8 |
5.950 |
|
119 |
MUIR COLLEGE |
9 |
5.922 |
|
120 |
KALAHARI |
12 |
5.858 |
|
121 |
HERMANUS |
11 |
5.782 |
|
122 |
BERGSIG UITENHAGE |
14 |
5.764 |
|
123 |
HENTIE CILLIERS |
7 |
5.750 |
|
124 |
RANDPARK |
8 |
5.629 |
|
125 |
BELLVILLE |
12 |
5.592 |
|
126 |
MONTAGU |
15 |
5.553 |
|
127 |
SWARTLAND |
11 |
5.509 |
|
128 |
POINT |
13 |
5.485 |
|
129 |
ERASMUS |
7 |
5.457 |
|
130 |
ST ANDREWS SCHOOL |
7 |
5.440 |
|
131 |
AUGSBURG |
11 |
5.436 |
|
132 |
DUINEVELD |
12 |
5.350 |
|
133 |
PIET RETIEF |
13 |
5.346 |
|
134 |
KING DAVID |
8 |
5.343 |
|
135 |
HTS BELLVILLE |
13 |
5.338 |
|
136 |
UNION HS |
12 |
5.333 |
|
137 |
WOLMARANSSTAD |
8 |
5.263 |
|
138 |
VRYBURG |
7 |
5.250 |
|
139 |
DR MALAN |
11 |
5.236 |
|
140 |
WILGERIVIER |
8 |
5.083 |
|
141 |
WONDERBOOM |
12 |
5.058 |
|
142 |
SASOLBURG HS |
15 |
5.000 |
|
143 |
CORNWALL HILL |
13 |
4.962 |
|
145 |
ALBERTON HS |
12 |
4.908 |
|
146 |
CENTURION |
11 |
4.818 |
|
147 |
BOTHAVILLE |
13 |
4.815 |
|
148 |
CBC BOKSBURG |
9 |
4.800 |
|
149 |
SUID NATAL |
9 |
4.567 |
|
150 |
FLORIDA |
8 |
4.457 |
|
151 |
HANS MOORE |
12 |
4.400 |
|
152 |
MONUMENT PARK |
11 |
4.391 |
|
153 |
SENTRAAL |
16 |
4.381 |
|
154 |
HOOPSTAD |
10 |
4.360 |
|
155 |
ALEXANDER ROAD |
12 |
4.275 |
|
156 |
PIKETBERG |
12 |
4.150 |
|
157 |
PRETORIA NOORD |
10 |
4.140 |
|
158 |
DIE WILGERS |
8 |
4.086 |
|
159 |
BREDASDORP |
10 |
4.080 |
|
160 |
SAO BRAS |
9 |
4.067 |
|
161 |
FAIRMONT |
9 |
4.011 |
|
162 |
BERGVLAM |
6 |
3.933 |
|
163 |
LANGENHOVEN GIM |
15 |
3.907 |
|
164 |
WESTERING |
11 |
3.864 |
|
165 |
DE VILLIERS GRAAFF |
8 |
3.838 |
|
166 |
HTS WITBANK |
8 |
3.813 |
|
167 |
THOMAS MORE COLLEGE |
10 |
3.790 |
|
168 |
CURRO HILLCREST |
11 |
3.782 |
|
169 |
TRINITYHOUSE RR |
10 |
3.780 |
|
170 |
HILLCREST |
10 |
3.750 |
|
171 |
ST BENEDICTS |
12 |
3.742 |
|
172 |
UPLANDS COLLEGE |
9 |
3.722 |
|
173 |
DF MALAN |
13 |
3.615 |
|
174 |
LABORI |
13 |
3.600 |
|
175 |
LUTZVILLE |
10 |
3.550 |
|
176 |
KNYSNA |
12 |
3.525 |
|
177 |
SPRINGS |
9 |
3.511 |
|
178 |
KUSWAG |
13 |
3.377 |
|
179 |
ST DECLANS |
8 |
3.288 |
|
180 |
WAGPOS |
8 |
3.175 |
|
181 |
BERGVLIET |
10 |
3.170 |
|
182 |
KLOOF |
9 |
3.111 |
|
183 |
CURRO HAZELDEAN |
7 |
3.086 |
|
184 |
AHS GERMISTON |
12 |
2.942 |
|
185 |
JAN VAN RIEBEECK |
7 |
2.857 |
|
186 |
ST PETERS |
8 |
2.763 |
|
187 |
DRIEHOEK |
8 |
2.700 |
|
188 |
WITTEDRIFT |
9 |
2.511 |
|
189 |
GOUDVELD |
9 |
2.500 |
|
190 |
TYGERBERG |
7 |
2.400 |
|
191 |
GLENWOOD HOUSE |
7 |
2.283 |
|
192 |
CLIFTON |
7 |
2.243 |
|
193 |
POTCH BOYS |
8 |
2.163 |
|
194 |
DF MALHERBE |
11 |
2.109 |
|
195 |
BURGERDORP |
9 |
2.078 |
|
196 |
SUTHERLAND |
7 |
2.029 |
|
197 |
YORK |
10 |
2.020 |
|
198 |
LEEUWENHOF |
11 |
1.855 |
|
199 |
OUDTSHOORN |
11 |
1.609 |
|
200 |
OOSTERLIG |
11 |
1.509 |
|
201 |
DESPATCH |
9 |
1.356 |
|
202 |
PENRYN COLLEGE |
8 |
1.300 |
|
203 |
BENONI |
7 |
1.200 |
|
204 |
VREDENDAL |
8 |
1.063 |
|
205 |
EDGEMEAD |
7 |
0.943 |
|
206 |
WOODRIDGE COLLEGE |
7 |
-0.786 |
|
207 |
VICTORIA PARK |
8 |
-0.975 |
|
208 |
DIRKIE UYS |
7 |
-1.683 |
Photo by Anton Wannenburg PhotoStories @ishootstories
