The Southern Suburb sun shined bright on Berg and Bosch in final derby-day weekend

In its final 2025 showpiece, the KP Derby Series traveled down South in the Western Cape as the ‘SS4’ battled it out one last time

SACS captain and deputy head boy, Sango Zangqa, leading his team out one final time -https://www.instagram.com/c_boock_photography/

With end-of-season awards and functions around the corner, teams start to look back on their 2025 season. What a season it's been in SA school rugby. Excelling to a new level with the introduction of the King Price Derby Series, which for the final time of the year hosted a double header derby-day. The highly anticipated season finale of ‘Bish-Bosch’ and Wynberg’s coronation match, sitting atop of the ‘SS4’ table, against SACS.

Under blue schools, with thousands upon thousands of bodies packed together on the Piley Rees, Bishops Diocesan College welcomed Rondebosch for the season finale. A grand 206th match-up between the two and a fixture up there in sheer anticipation and viewership with the likes of K-Day in Makhanda. The schools were set to clash with enormous bragging rights on the line. Hosts of 2025’s spectacle, Bishops were coming into this one on the back of a bitterly disappointing 18-18 draw with SACS last week, after being 18-6 up with less than 5 minutes on the clock. Further back in the term, Bish however had managed to rack up just one win (Milnerton 42-36) in their last 13 despite being unbeaten in their last 3. A form seeing them slip precariously close to the 40s in the SA school ranking. Their opposition for the afternoon had had similar woes. In the immediate past, Bosh were nursing a humbling 43-0 loss to Wynberg. However, Rondebosch had managed to end last week 13th in the country. A testament to a season with plenty of grit and grind. With eyes from around the country firmly fixed on the game, 12.30 came and Bish-Bosch kicked off. A fiery start was in order for the traveling XV, as Joshua Neill scored the game’s opener just 2 minutes in. A quick pick and go saw Bosch take a 5-0 lead before Sebastian Boshoff added the extras. However just as the clock hit the 10 minute mark, Bishops responded with their first of the afternoon. Noah Edmunds scoring for his team, as the Bishop's faithful found their voices after a wonderful solo run from the left winger.

Just five minutes later Bosh would hit back. An Alutha Wesi try-time converted by Boshoff seeing the game hit 21 points within the first quarter or so. A further Edmunds try in the 27th minute would close out the half. Brilliant work down the short side, with Edmunds closing off a trademark ‘running rugby’ Bish try. An entertainment filled one at that, as the tension and noise of the occasion seemed to lift as time went on. 14-12 in favour of Bosch it stood. In keeping with the script, the second 35' began with a bang. Daniel van den Heever crashed over to give the home support their first lead of the afternoon as things got underway. Hooker and captain of the Bishops XV, Heever once again putting in a great shift for his side. Just as it looked as if Bishops would build on this lead and turn the tide, Bosch responded once more. Bulela Mbala scored for the away side, restoring parity in favor of Bosch. 21-19. Time ticked on as both tried to score the game’s 7th try. Bishops desperately looking to take the lead once more while Bosch searched for the killer points. In the end it was the latter who struck gold. An Alutha Wesi second of the game took Rondebosch 7 points up in the lead before Boshoff completed a 100% conversion success for the afternoon. ‘Route One’ rugby after a lineout penalty had been one by the Bosch outfit. With scarcely five left to play, the away side led things 28-19. Wesi had found the moment his team craved. A late Bishop's penalty created a slight glimmer of hope, but caught no real spark. 28-22 it would end, as Rondebosch clinched a thoroughly entertaining final Bish-Bosch of the year.

Across the suburb and onto the Hawthornden Field, Wynberg hosted SACS as clear winners of this year’s ‘SS4’ pack. The previous meeting had seen Berg defeat SACS 21-10, and had added to a superb set of term 2 results. Flash forward to the end of term three, and the ‘Berg Storm’ had well and truly landed in the South. A dominant 43-0 victory over Rondebosch had sealed their crown as the ‘best of the four’. With stars like Achmat Behardien, Yaqeen Ahmed and Morne Noble headlining the XV. While on the other end of the field, the College XV had seen a difficult 2025 campaign. Zero wins from three home derbies this year and periods of the campaign racked with injuries had seen the oldest school in the country fall to consecutive disappointing seasons. All the same, as head coach Nick Maurer mentioned in the lead up to this season finale, “... it’s an emotional one. They’ll (SACS matrics in the 1st team) be out there representing their school for the last time” (https://ssschoolsplus.co.za/wynberg-prepares-for-final-battle-against-sacs/ ) A worthy occasion for any side to step up to the plate and deliver a result. So, just as the Bishops and Rondebosch matrics ran on representing their badge one more time, so did the SACS and Wynberg class of 25’. An emotional end to a wonderful five year tenure for most of them. In the end, it was indeed a final storm to send the Berg matriculants off with a final, lasting memory. Avenging their ‘Friday Nite Lights’ 8-1 demolition just 18 or so hours previously to SACS. Six tries, three apiece in each 35’, as Wynberg once again showcased their 2025 dominance. 41-10 it ended with Laeeq Davids scoring twice and setting up another as the star grabbed the King Price Man of the Match award. However, while Berg bullied in the main event, credit must be given to SACS for winning the u14a, u15a and u16a games. A flicker of a future worthwhile awaits for the mighty College, but for now the celebration belongs to Wynberg. Your 2025 Southern Suburbs champions.

With that, comes the end of a terrific rugby season. School boy rugby has truly broken barriers this past campaign, as viewership numbers grew and grew all while the sheer quality and brilliance of rugby on show doubled and tripled with each passing week. In its inaugural season, the King Price Derby Series was right there all along to build the hype and excitement for every derby-day this country had to offer. Here’s to the hundreds of internet-breaking moments, the epic, emotional battles 2025 has delivered and the dramatic derby-days that kept us all glued to our screens from start to finish.