Pretoria is currently experiencing a particularly cold winter, but the chilly weather was forgotten when the first matches in this year’s FNB Grant Khomo schools rugby tournament kicked off on Monday morning at the St Albans College sports grounds in Lynnwood Glen, Pretoria.

The reason for this is that the rugby played by the country’s best u.16 players was red hot.

Experts around the two rugby fields at St Albans agreed that the quality of the rugby played on the first day of the 2025 FNB Grant Khomo Week once again underlined why South Africa is currently the world leader in this sport.

St Albans College’s school grounds were a colourful hive of activity with hundreds of flags fluttering in the light breeze, as well as gazebos and stalls set up everywhere to meet the needs of players, officials and spectators.

A total of 20 teams, including all of the country’s rugby provinces, as well as representative teams from Zimbabwe and Namibia and a few invitational teams from the larger provinces, gathered in Pretoria for the 2025 version of this annual tournament.

During the official opening ceremony, Willem Strauss, president of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, congratulated the 460 boys who will participate in the tournament on their achievement in being rewarded with a place in their respective teams after hard work before and during the season.

“Remember that you are here to enjoy rugby and compete to the best of your ability, but also to live out the values ​​of our beloved game. Values ​​such as teamwork, respect, discipline, resilience and good sportsmanship,” Strauss emphasized.

While the logistics surrounding such an event are of course of utmost importance, ultimately it is all about the action on the field and that is where the spectators were treated to some of the most exciting play.

* The first match of the tournament kicked off at 09:30 on St Albans College’s Moshate (B) field.

In this match, in which the teams of Zimbabwe and Border Country Districts faced each other, the boys from South Africa’s northern neighbour were too strong for the Eastern Cape team and after scoring eleven tries, Zimbabwe won 71-3.

In the main match at the Moshate field, the Griquas defeated the Iqhawe XV 50-14.

Other results on the Moshate field throughout the day were as follows:

• Valke 24; Limpopo Blue Bulls 15
• Griffons 32; Namibia 24
• Westerns Province XV 30; Pumas 27

Border and the Leopards kicked off the day’s action on the Baloyi (A) field. Eight excellent tries were scored in the match – three by each team. Border was ultimately the winner with a score of 26-22.

The home team, the Blue Bulls, were also in action on the Baloyi field. With a brilliant Dandré Brink, centre from Affies at the forefront, the young Blue Bulls ultimately won their match against Boland 32-13. Brink scored twice and was named Player of the Match.

In the very exciting main match of the day on the Baloyi field, Western Province (WP) had too much ammunition for the Free State. WP won 55-22, after scoring eight tries to the Free State’s three.

Other results on the Baloyi field throughout the day were as follows:

• South Western Districts (SWD) 27; Eastern Province (EP) 10
• Sharks 44; Lions 35

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