Paarl Gim bully Boishaai in derby dominance while the Jade Brigade and Jeppe record high scoring victories - 1 August weekend wrap
Over 20 000 fans gathered in the picturesque Paarl for Interschools 26’ while Stellenberg and KES hosted derby-day delights
(Paarl Gim, in courtesy of standout moments from Thomas Saunders (right) and Mickyle Booise (left), claimed 2026’s pinnacle event against Paarl Boys’ High) - Picture credits: Zanelle de Jager
The King Price Derby Series shone in its biggest match of the calendar year as the Markotter stood as the arena for Paarl Gim to tackle Paarl Boys’ High. A world renown derby played once again in front of thousands of spectators. Elsewhere in the Western Cape, the Jade Brigade of Stellenberg took on Durbanville whilst in Joburg, King Edward hosted rivals Jeppe.
Beginning in Paarl, where number one ranked side this year Paarl Gim, looked for derby-day revenge for last year’s heartbreaking 35-33 defeat to Paarl Boys’. Boishaai had seen a slightly precarious season since claiming the country’s number one spot in 2025. Losses to Garsfontein, Affies, Grey College and Paul Roos meant they had slipped to 4th in the land while their bitter rivals had recorded 13 straight victories. A commanding set of results that would normally place them outright favourites in any match-up, however against Boishaai form flew out the window. At Interschools, it was anyone’s game. Anyone could become immortalized in their proud school’s history as 2026’s derby game changer. With crowds only growing by the year, the fixture is now widely regarded as the biggest school boy match in the world. In combination, the two sides have generated 48 Springboks and just over 300 Craven Week players. Sheer titans of South African rugby once again locking horns. A new chapter in the history of Interschools. A chapter in history that would ultimately turn gold, green and maroon. Gimmies would claim revenge in emphatic style. Boishaai would however begin the brighter of the two. Two successful penalties from the boot of Daniel Meisenhower would give the defending Interschools champions a 6 point lead after 20 minutes. First blood Boishaai. These kicks would spur Gimmies into action, as fellow flyhalf Louis Koen would notch 3 of his own before the first try of the afternoon would be scored by Derik Cloute. An expertly timed chip down the left wing from Louis Koen would result in a favorable Gimmies bounce and Cloute five-pointer. Lighting up the one half of the Markotter support. Louis Koen added the extra two as Paarl Gim took a 10-6 lead into the break. A relatively low scoring half in comparison to last year’s halftime score of 14-13, however this time round Gimmies had stolen a first-half lead.
With the momentum on their side, Paarl Gim would strike soon after the break as Cloute once more made use of the full width of the Markotter to score his and Gimmies’ second of the afternoon. A brutal blow for Boishaai as they fell 9 points behind. Barely five minutes had passed before the real blow came as Gimmies spread the ball wide before Thomas Saunders broke the line of the Paarl Boys’ defense and with electrifying pace scored Paarl Gim’s third of the afternoon. What would become the Suzuki game changing moment of the match and a fatal blow to Boishaai claiming back-to-back victories. A solo effort from Saunders coming from his own 10-metre line and giving his school a 20-6 lead. Determined to get back into the game, Boishaai would be bolstered by a Gimmies yellow card which would help them claw a five-pointer back through Aleit Stander. As the minutes ticked by and Boishaai slowly slipped from the contest, Mickyle Booise would add the cherry on top of a dominant second half Gimmies display. Hammering a final nail into the Paarl Boys’ coffin with a fantastic corner finish and to wrap things up, 25-11 in favour of Paarl Gim. In the end, a commanding victory which saw Gimmies clinch their 52nd derby victory. An impressive response to last year’s heartbreak as Paarl Gim cemented their spot as the best school rugby side in the country for 2026.
A side that will nonetheless challenge Paarl Gim as standout performers of the year, Stellenburg, were once more in action in the KP Derby Series on Saturday. A terrific year of performances would continue as the Jade Brigade would dismantle rivals Durbanville on Jade Park. Currently leading the pack for the ‘best of the rest’ behind Gimmies in 2nd in the country, Stellenberg would certainly prove their credentials in this affair. Three tries either side of the half time whistle would propel the hosts to 42 points, with star player Ethan van Biljon converting all six tries with some stunning kicks. Emphatically defeating 26th ranked Durbanville 42-12 in the end as the visitors managed some solace by scoring first and last in the match.
Finally, and in the only KP match outside the Western Cape this weekend, King Edward School (KES) hosted Jeppe in a mouthwatering match-up. Visiting the Reds in the mid 20s of the rugby rankings and coming off a dramatic 21-all draw with DHS, Jeppe were keen to build on an April victory (31-24) over their rivals. Despite a topsy-turvy season which included heavy losses to Affies and Westville, Jeppe had managed to claim very good results against heavy hitters Garsfontein and Boland Landbou. Victories that would be compounded by another highlight of the season on Saturday. Largely thanks to a steamrolling in the first half. Five tries from the visitors would seemingly leave KES in the dust as flyhalf Ndzalama Mbhalati would add a penalty to the haul to add with his five conversions. Giving the men from Fairview a 36-12 lead before the break. However, after a barrage of attacking intent, a swing wide from KES would eventually see them notch their third of the afternoon right before the half time whistle. Offering slight hope of a second half comeback. With a mountain to climb, KES would begin the scaling of the mountain in tremendous fashion. Two unanswered tries, notably the first coming once more from number 12 Sam Smith. The KES star scored his third of the game and lit a possible comeback fire. 36-31 the scoreboard read as the game entered the final 10 minutes of play. A stunning effort from the men in red to claw the game back to a one-try game. More importantly, the momentum and home crowd meant one had to favor an improbable comeback from occurring. That was until an inspired break away from Jeppe’s quick-footed and step-maestro Luxon Zwane would result in a match-winning try for Jeppe and a huge deflator to KES’ growing hopes. A final penalty from Ndzalama Mbhalati, an absolute massive kick bordering on 50 metres, minutes later sealed an extremely hard fought 46-31 away win for Jeppe.
Closing out another absorbing weekend, the following results read as follows: Rondebosch continued their Southern Suburb dominance as they beat SACS 36-30, Grey College made light work of Grey High 59-26, Queen’s beat Selborne 55-15 and DHS clinched a victory over Northwood 26-19.
