Top schools ready for battle at Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival

The school rugby season has only just kicked off, but the country’s top teams are already preparing to make their mark at several festivals over the Easter holidays.

A talented mix of 12 top rugby-playing schools will participate at the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, including last year’s leading SA rugby school, Grey College, from Bloemfontein, along with Menlo Park and Affies, from Pretoria, and Dr EG Jansen, from Boksburg.

Other schools include HTS Middelburg, Selborne, Dale, Framesby, SACS, from Cape Town, Glenwood, Westville Boys’ High and Kearsney College.

The eighth annual Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival takes place at Botha’s Hill, in KwaZulu-Natal, from April 2 to 6.

Other rugby festivals over Easter will be held in Johannesburg — hosted by St Stithian’s, St John’s and KES — and in Port Elizabeth, hosted by Grey High School.

The Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival provides spectators with solid, exciting running rugby and an opportunity to witness some of South Africa’s fledgling talent.

Many players from previous Kearsney festivals have become household names in Super and Currie Cup rugby.

Where there is talent there are also talent scouts, and members of the KZN Rugby Union and Sharks Academy will be on the lookout for future players.

The festival has been hailed as having boosted the depth of talent entering the province’s rugby through The Sharks Academy.

Etienne Fynn, managing director of The Sharks Academy, said the festival provided a great opportunity to bring together some of the top talented schoolboy rugby players from all over the country in KZN, and to expose these players and coaches to the Sharks brand.

“Rugby has become a realistic career opportunity and the festival is an ideal springboard for players to showcase their skills and flair for the game, while also providing obvious benefits to rugby in the province,” said Fynn.

Local rugby powerhouse EG Jansen played three matches in last year’s festival, losing two and winning their last outing.

Their results were: Grey College 26-8 EG Jansen; Glenwood 31-20 EG Jansen; Kearsney 3-25 EG Jansen.

For further information go to www.kearsney.com. – @SabeloBoksburg