Boys’ High battle in blue to win 2025’s pinnacle spectacle - Interschools Derby Match Recap

Under the picturesque Paarl mountains, with a blue sky looking on… Boishaai come from behind to win national final

A heroic showing from Boishaai’s XV sees them clinch #1 in the country - Credits https://www.instagram.com/ishootstories/

Arguably the biggest school boy rugby game in the world, this past Saturday saw time stand still in Paarl. Watched on by over 25,000 fans, the Faure Street Stadium hosted what was seen as a national final. Gim vs Boishaai, number one in the country on the line and Paarl bragging rights for the next year. The KP Derby Series as a proud platform for the players to show up when it matters. In easily their biggest game of their school career as Interschools 2025 took the country by storm. 

As the outright headline act of the weekend and year, Paarl Boys’ High and Paarl Gimnasium’s XVs were ready to steal ‘Interskole’ for their school. As for the sheer occasion, Paarl Gim’s director of rugby Pieter Rossouw said earlier in a press conference: “I think you can compare it to the journey of a World Cup tournament, where guys prepare for four years to play in the final. Similarly, boys come into school in Grade 8 dreaming of playing for the 1st XV in that particular (Interschools) game”. (https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/paarl-schoolboys-dream-about-this-game/ ). Ultimately, it serves as a celebration of rugby. Of culture and of tradition that has spanned decades. Fifty-seven total Springboks from the sides, and over 300 years of proud excellence. The game of the year was upon us. 

As 30 school boys lined up in the tunnel, about to become subjects to a wave of noise, time seemed to slow. Thousands upon thousands of bodies stood in wait, with eyes glued to screens across all nine provinces. Paarl was truly alive. Almost spotless records preceded the sides. A single loss between them in over 30 games in 2025 (Boishaai’s loss to Oakdale the only smudge), both were stacked with superstars. A total of nine Boishaai players had represented Western Province during Craven Week and prop Jordan Jooste was fresh off a SA selection. Meanwhile Gim had headliners Quintin Potgieter and captain Markus Muller leading their side. The latter, selected as SA captain for the u18 side, who venture into an international series next week in Durbanville. Muller has been lauded as one of the best ever school players, and was fresh off 35 tries in the season and 231 season points. The number 13 defying all possibilities this past year. Characters set, the sky watching in all blue, and two sets of school support loader than ever… all was set. 

Keen to avenge two consecutive Interschools losses, the Boishaai outfit immediately racked the territory numbers up in the early stages. Slowly building pressure on the Gim defense. Nonetheless, the wall of Gimnasium stood tall as the first 15 minutes of the encounter ticked on. Sides feeling each other with extreme caution and respect, the sidelines bursting to the seams with supporters. As tensions built, it was Gim who drew first blood after a breakaway from Dawid Badenhorst led to Markus Muller dotting down. Lighting the touch paper. A try ever so slightly against the run of play. Boishaai responded almost immediately. A calculated build up ending with Jeneal Davids scoring out wide. Stirring the blue side of the ground into rupture. Converted tries apiece, the game hit the 20 mark all even. Three minutes later however, Boishaai would strike. A great pick-and-go from Italy-bound Gesham Pieters after excellent Boys’ High recycling at rucks, would see the side notch their second. A second conversion from Ivan Jordaan and Boys’ High led 14-7. Time sped on, and Gim managed to find some of their rhythm. A great turnover from Potgieter leading to a Muller penalty followed by a further 35 metre penalty from the main man saw the 13 rack up all of Gim’s first half points. 14-13 at the break and more than twenty-five thousand supporters took a breath. Two tries to one in favor of Boishaai, but penalties from Muller seeing Gim stay right in it. 

The second 35 began as the first ended, intense. Soon Gim began imposing themselves with an excellent kicking game from Louis Koen. It was his deep kick that would see three Gim chasers pressure Paarl Boys’ into conceding a penalty. One that was dispatched by Muller as Paarl Gim took the lead. Spurred on by Gim gees in the stands, the holders would strike once more. A superb line taken from Hendre van der Westhuizen would see him dive over the line. Muller converted and within eight minutes after the restart Gim hit 10 unanswered points. 23-14. Something needed to happen for the blue and white hoops and quickly. Needing to score next, flanker Kobus Wilken stepped up. Try time for one of the hardest workers on the field. Jordaan added the extras as the clock neared the fifty mark. 23-21… The quality of rugby seemed to grow as storms of noise sounded from the rafters. A contestable ball minutes later would see Gim grab a penalty after Boys’ illegally played Migael ‘Miggie’ Turner in the air. Perfect Muller adding three and soon adding two more as half the stadium erupted in chaos as Jean Dreyer crashed over for Paarl Gim. 33-21 with just over fifteen minutes left. Playing against both Gim and time, mistakes began to creep into the Boishaai play. Desperate to find something that would bring them back into the contest, focus was key from the forward pack in prying open Gim’s defense. Just when the contest seemed prime for a Gim three-peat, Boishaai rose from behind. A Cole Moultrie try in front of a Boys’ High support corner combined with an excellent Jordaan conversion cut the deficit to just five

with eight on the clock. The noise rose to a new level as the air was rich in anticipation. Would Paarl Boys’? Would they come from 12 down to win or would Gim claim the country as theirs? In the end, the answer came from a number 13. As an outside centre dove across the white line. Exploding Paarl into chaos and joy. Bodies upon bodies in the crowd justled in celebration. Tristan Joubert had won it. It wasn’t the 13 we expected, but in the dying embers of a thriller it was Joubert who dotted down. In combination with another pressure conversion from Jordaan, Boishaai clinched triumph. 35-33, a game for the ages. Boishaai crowned as best of the best. 

Within seconds of the final whistle minutes later, the field was flooded in blue. Paarl Boys’ had stunned Paarl Gim. A stunning match, in stunning conditions. A stunning match to crown Boishaai. Blue, white and navy had trumped maroon, yellow and green. Tears of joy and despair juxtaposed each other in perfection. Awarded as MVP, Kobus Wilken took to the cameras as an allegory of his team’s performance. Rising from the 2nds to play in his school’s biggest game, Wilken had achieved the impossible. Just like Boys’ had done in the final stages of interschools that afternoon. Overwhelmed by immense emotion, Wilken concluded this year’s Interschool’s broadcast in his interview. Summing up the occasion to a tee: “(This) Bigger than me. You play for them… (This) Means the world to me. Such a privilege.”