SPOTLIGHT: Rugby365 runs the rule over the biggest derbies, interprovincial battles and festival match-ups that will make the 2025 schoolboy season one to remember.

MARCH

Upington host Diamantveld in a battle for Northern Cape bragging rights on 5 March.

Boland Landbou tackle Outeniqua in the Oesfees on 15 March, while Paarl Gym – one of the strongest sides in South Africa in 2024 – face Rondebosch in the WP Rugby Day on 18 March, in an early season battle between Cape Town’s northern and southern suburbs.

Graeme College will host a festival between 20 and 22 March, facing off against Brandwag in the opener.

Up in Joburg, KES will battle Jeppe on 22 March, in the first of two derbies.

The Noord Suid festival – held at Paul Roos between 28 March and 1 April – promises to be one of the events of the season, given the number of high-profile match-ups.

Paarl Gym will line up against Monument, Boishaai against Affies, Boland Landbou against Waterkloof, and SACS against KES on the Markotter fields.

Hosts Paul Roos – who claimed the unofficial national title last year after finishing the season unbeaten – will clash against Garsfontein, who won the 2024 Noordvaal Cup.

The game between Grey College and Jeppe will be of particular interest, as the Joburg side claimed a shock victory when the two teams met last season.

Over the same weekend, Grey High School will stage a tournament featuring teams from around the country.

The hosts will battle Michaelhouse on 29 March, while Michaelhouse’s second fixture against Bishops could be equally entertaining.

APRIL

Paarl Gym and Affies collide on 12 April, in a contest that will shape the race for the unofficial No.1 ranking.

In Milnerton, the hosts will be looking to claim another win against Rondebosch, after last season’s shock victory at the Tinkie Heyns Field.

Festivals will be staged at St Johns, St Stithians, KES and Kearsney over the Easter weekend (17 to 21 April).

Wynberg and Bishops will go up against Hartpury – a touring side from England – at St Stithians, KES will host Rondebosch, and the battle between DHS and Monument at Kearsney could be particularly intriguing.

A week after Easter, Grey College will host Paarl Gym in Bloemfontein, while DHS and Northwood – the top-performing sides in KwaZulu-Natal in 2024 – will meet in Durban.

Garsfontein will face Affies in the big Pretoria derby on 26 April.

MAY

The Wilderklawer festival in Kimberley will feature several heavyweight clashes between 1 and 3 May – namely Maritzburg College against Jeppe, Affies against Paul Roos, Grey College against Garsfontein, DHS against Paarl Gym and Monument against Boishaai.

The Noordvaal Cup kicks off on 10 May, and the battle between Monument and EG Jansen in Krugersdorp will be one to watch.

On the same weekend, Paul Roos will face Paarl Gym in Stellenbosch in what promises to be one of the fiercest Winelands derbies of the season.

Grey College will take on Affies on 17 May, while Wynberg will look to claim their second-consecutive win against Boishaai (after scoring their first victory in Paarl in nearly 30 years.)

Kearsney will host the Sharks Day on 17 May, and face DHS in the main game. Westville have been touted as a team to watch this season, and could give Maritzburg College a run for their money.

JUNE

Rondebosch, who dominated the Cape Town southern suburbs fixtures in 2024, will meet Wynberg on 31 May in a key clash with regards to the four-team, home-and-away min-tournament (which also includes Bishops and SACS).

Hilton will host Michaelhouse in the decisive edition of the two-part Midlands derby on 21 June, while the first episode of ‘Bish-Bosch’ will play out at Rondebosch on the same day.

JULY

Following the break for school holidays and the Craven Week tournament, Affies will host Maritzburg on 26 July, while Jeppe will tackle DHS.

The Noordvaal Cup will recommence with a key fixture between reigning champions Garsfontein and Monument.

AUGUST

Northwood will host DHS on 2 August, while Milnerton will target a second-successive win against Bishops on the same day.

Waterkloof host Affies in another big Pretoria derby, while Dale’s showdown with Graeme could be the pick of the matches staged in the Eastern Cape.

On this particular weekend, however, the Paarl derby will be the main event.

The clash between Gimmies and Boishaai never fails to draw a big crowd, and Boishaai will be looking to bounce back, following their 8-30 defeat in 2024.

Thereafter, the showdown between Grey College and Paul Roos on 16 August may well decide who finishes 2025 as the best schoolboy team in South Africa.

That said, there will be more fireworks in the subsequent weeks.

The Noordvaal Cup final is scheduled for 30 August, while the four-way battle between Bishops, Rondebosch, SACS and Wynberg will come to a head on the same weekend.

Note: Some of the schools’ fixtures have been omitted as they were yet to be confirmed at the time of writing.