The 2025 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (KERF) concluded today (Monday) following three absorbing days’ play; with two schools going unbeaten during this 16^th edition of the festival. Durban High School (DHS) left Botha’s Hill with a 100% record for the second year in a row, while fellow KZN side Westville Boys’ High also managed to win all three of their matches at this year’s event. After a draw to Glenwood and defeat to DHS in their first two games, Hoërskool Monument were made to work hard for an eventual 26-21 win over Milnerton High on Day 3, having led 19-0 at halftime.

The West Cape school, who had beaten Peterhouse Boys’ High before falling to Glenwood, were one of the most exciting sides to watch over the weekend, with twins Chadlin and Chadwin Sellidon in particular sparking some delicious counter-attacking plays. Glenwood overcame a much-improved defensive performance from Dale College to claim an eventual 33-12 win in their final outing, with the Eastern Cape school having already copped losses to Hoërskool Durbanville and hosts Kearsney College. Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen pipped Hoërskool Framesby 22-20, having beaten Kearsney on Thursday before losing out to a Westville team that themselves knocked over the Gqeberha boys on the first day – though Framesby did rebound to see off Peterhouse convincingly on Day 2.

Having opened their festival campaign with a big win over Hoërskool Rustenburg, who had held off Durbanville on Day 2, DHS collected their third victory in a 33-15 result over Ivan Jooste’s charges. Westville completed their KERF grand slam thanks to a 24-17 result over Rusties, while Kearsney finished with a two from three record after beating Peterhouse 48-8 in the final game of the showpiece. Despite their losses, the Zimbabwean tourists were true crowd favourites who earned many new supporters through their positive attitudes and good sportsmanship over the weekend. In keeping with tradition, an independent panel of rugby selectors awarded the festival’s best forward player to Briint Davids from Milnerton and the best backline player Zekethelo Siyaya (Westville).

Framesby’s Wian Holtzhausen makes for the tryline with Peterhouse in pursuit

The Festival’s All Stars Team was named as 1 Eli Pedro (Durbanville), 2 Okuhle Mbanjwa (DHS), 3 Jo-seph Udo-Idung (DHS), 4 Vimbiso Kasvosve (DHS), 5 Lwandile Mlaba (Westville), 6 Briint Davids (Milnerton), 7 Sambesiwe Ndamase (Glenwood), 8 Nhlanhla Ndlovu (Kearsney), 9 Mondre van Heerden (Framesby), 10 Chadwin Sellidon (Milnerton), 11 Ruan Genip (Monument), 12 Zingce Simka (DHS), 13 Andrew Maringa (Peterhouse), 14 Zenkosi Mthiyane (DHS) and 15 Zekethelo Siyaya (Westville). +Some exciting rugby was played by all teams, but the organisers made special mention of Milnerton High for their display of running rugby, and Westville Boys’ High for having produced the most attractive rugby at the festival. Results

• Boys High Schools Festival
• Day 1 3 (Monday 21) – Hoërskool Monument 26-21 Milnerton High; Glenwood High 33-12 Dale College; Hoërskool Framesby 20-22 Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen; Durban High School 33-05 Hoërskool Durbanville; Westville Boys’ High 24-17 Hoërskool Rustenburg; Kearsney College 48-08 Peterhouse Boys’ School
•  Day 2 (Saturday 19) – Hoërskool Durbanville 22-26 Hoërskool Rustenburg; Hoërskool Framesby 45-19 Peterhouse Boys’ School; Milnerton High 34-37 Glenwood; Westville Boys 36-5 Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen; Kearsney College 34-13 Dale College; Hoërskool Monument 17-32 Durban High School
• Day 1 (Thursday 17) – Milnerton High 34-18 Peterhouse Boys’ High; Hoërskool Durbanville 66-22 Dale College; Durban High School 41-7 Hoërskool Rustenburg; Kearsney College 24-29 Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen; Hoërskool Monument 26-26 Glenwood Westville Boys’ 31-0 Hoërskool Framesby

Primary Schools Festival

• Day 3 (Monday 21) – Hillcrest Primary 15-05 Winston Park; Chelsea Prep 22—10 KZN Ibutho Development; Kloof Senior Primary 05-60 uThukela Rugby; Glenwood Prep 29-07 Westville Senior Primary; Highbury Prep 05-19 Umhlali Prep
• Day 2 (Saturday 19) – Kloof Senior Primary 0-12 Winston Park Primary; Westville Senior Primary 7-7 Hillcrest Primary; Glenwood Prep 39-0 uThukela Rugby; Highbury Prep 29-5 KZN Ibutho Development; Penzance Primary 77-0 Umhlali Prep
• Day 1 (Thursday 17) – Highbury Prep 24-7 Kloof Senior Primary; Penzance Primary 77-0 uThukela Rugby; Winston Park Primary 3-14 Westville Senior Primary; Hillcrest Primary 7-32 Chelsea Prep; Umhlali Prep 34-10 KZN Ibutho Development

Girls U16 Tournament Day 3 (Monday 21 April)

• Adams College 50-05 Grosvenor Girls High; Mowat Park High 0-05 George Campbell
• Day 2 (Saturday 19) – Mowat Park High 45-0 Grosvenor Girls High; Adams College 17-15 George Campbell
• Day1 (Thursday 17) – Mowat Park High 20-5 Adams College; George Campbell 20-10 Grosvenor Girls High

Match Reports Day 3 – Match 6 Kearsney College 48-08 Peterhouse Boys’ School

Kearsney College eased past Peterhouse Boys’ School 48-8 in the final game of KERF 2025. The One-Stripe had started slowly against Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen before outdoing Dale College on Day 2. The touring Zimbabweans, who had had no pre-season to speak of heading into the festival, finish their campaign winless after having already gone down to Milnerton High School and Hoërskool Framesby on Thursday and Saturday respectively.

After nailing a superb 50/22, flyhalf Jayden Jonsson was on hand to finish off the ensuing attack for the hosts and get them off to the best possible start. Andrew Maringa, earlier named best No 13 at the festival, nailed a drop goal for Peterhouse to get their first points on the board, but a pinpoint cross-kick by that man Jonsson moments later set up Valentino Lenge for Kearsney’s second. Lwandle Mkhize and Keanu Williamson contributed more tries as the home team took a 24-3 lead into halftime.Mkhize secured his brace in the second half, before Peterhouse finally got their first try of the afternoon through Michael Marimo. But further Kearsney five-pointers from Lwazi Mbebe, Simo Mnqokoyi and Jonsson added even more gloss to the final scoreline.

Kearsney’s Simo Mnqokoyi in the win against Peterhouse

Scores

Kearsney 

Tries: Jonsson (2), Lenge, Mkhize (2), Williamson, Mbebe, Mnqokoyi

Cons: Mbebe (4)

Peterhouse

Try: Marimo

Drop goal: Maringa

Day 3 – Match 5 Westville Boys’ High 24-17 Hoërskool Rustenburg

 Westville Boys’ High School won their third game of KERF thanks to a 24-17 defeat of Hoërskool Rustenburg in the penultimate game of the festival. Having won the award for playing the most attractive rugby at the closing ceremony earlier in the day, the KZN outfit were high on confidence and duly delivered another solid performance to match local rivals Durban High School’s (DHS) 100%-win record over the weekend. Rustenburg finish their campaign with just the solitary win they picked up on Day 2 against Hoërskool Durbanville, having started slowly in a big defeat to DHS in their first game of the festival.

Quickfire tries through Lwandle Makhanya and Avumile Lisa pushed WBHS out to a 12-0 lead early on, but Tristan Myburgh crashed over to reduce the deficit for Rusties. Ross Calvert scored his side’s third a little before the break to extend the Westville lead, and it took Rustenburg until 10 minutes into the second half to reply, when Thian Labuschagne barged his way over. With 10 minutes left on the clock, Ayden Willemse sank a penalty to level matters for the boys in green and orange, but Luxolo Sononkonkono had the last say with the winning try for Westville minutes later.

Scores

Westville  

Tries: Makhanya, Lisa, Calvert, Sononkonkono

Cons: Koopman (2)

Rustenburg

Tries: Myburgh, Labuschagne

Cons: Willemse (2)

Pen: Willemse

Day 3 – Match 4 Durban High School 33–05 Hoërskool Durbanville

 In the fourth match of Day 3, Durban High School’s (DHS) 33-5 win over Hoërskool Durbanville ensured they finished their second consecutive KERF campaign with a 100% record. Peter Engledow’s charges were boosted by tries from centres Zingce Simka (two) and hat-trick hero Nathan Aneke. They had opened their account with a 41-7 defeat of Hoërskool Rustenburg before downing Hoërskool Monument 32-17 on the final game of Day 2.

Durbanville meanwhile had followed up their big 66-22 victory over Dale College on Thursday with a disappointing 22-26 reverse against Rusties and were looking to get back to winning ways. As it happened, however, the Horseflies’ quality on both sides of the ball meant they were never really in it. The prolific Simka opened the scoring before Valrhinio Olckers showed some great acceleration to get Durbanville’s only points of the encounter.Simka bulldozed his way over for his fifth five-pointer of the festival not long thereafter, to make it 14-5 at halftime.  But his midfield buddy Aneke was about to steal the show, with the No 13 blitzing away to score first after the interval in an absolute pearler of a first phase set-play. Aneke added two more tries in the second-half as DHS cantered to victory.

Scores

DHS

Tries: Simka (2), Aneke (3)

Cons: van Wyk (4)

Milnerton’s Morgan Lodewyk in the game against Monument

Durbanville

Try: Olckers

Day 3 – Match 3 Hoërskool Framesby 20-22 Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen edged out Hoërskool Framesby 22-20 in the third day of Day 3. After a Day 1 defeat to Westville Boys’ High, the Gqeberha boys were looking to build on their victory over Peterhouse Boys’ High on the second day, while Egies were out to return to winning ways, having followed up their opening defeat of Kearsney College with a loss, also at the hands of Westville. The first half saw the lead change hands several times, with neither side enjoying a clear advantage, but as things slowed down in the second-half, EG Jansen took control and ultimately held out to seal the result.

Framesby sharpshooter Miles Feltham broke the deadlock with a penalty a few minutes in before hooker Marco Ventura replied for EG Jansen off the back of a rolling maul. A nifty Jaco George grubber and re-gather put Framesby back in front, before Jordan van der Westhuizen finished off in the corner to level matters. Feltham nudged over another three-pointer thereafter, but Ventura completed his brace after EG Jansen went back to their brutal maul game to take a 17-13 lead into halftime, with Deshean Pietersen crucially extending that lead immediately after the resumption. George scored his second with three-minutes remaining, to reduce the deficit to two points but the team from Boksburg held on to claim an important win.

Scores

Framesby 

Tries: George (2)

Cons: Feltham (2)

Pens: Feltham (2)

EG Jansen

Tries: Ventura (2), van der Westhuizen, Pietersen

Cons: van Aswegen

Day 3 – Match 2 Glenwood 33-12 Dale College Glenwood High School overcame a valiant Dale College defensive effort to claim a 33-12 victory in the second game of the final day’s play. The result ensured the KZN outfit leave Botha’s Hill unbeaten after a draw with Hoërskool Monument and narrow win over Milnerton High School on the first two days. Dale meanwhile showed huge improvement in their third outing, following earlier defeats to Hoërskool Durbanville and hosts Kearsney College, and will be proud of how they fared against their much-fancied opponents.

For all of Glenwood’s territorial dominance throughout the game, they struggled to break Dale down, with the boys from the East Cape defending their hearts out in their own half and living off scraps. Lesedi Khumalo scored first up for Glenwood before Milani Madide was on hand to finish off an 80m scorcher for the Daleians completely against the run of play. Inga Mafanga had a penalty opportunity to put his side in front with just over three minutes of the first half-hour remaining, but he pulled it wide, with the Green Machine going on to score through second rower Tylo Madaat to take a 14-5 lead into halftime. A Kungawo Jaca smash and grab brought Dale to within two points early in the second-half, but further Glenwood tries through Lizwe Mtetwa and Lian Lochner (twice) all but sealed the deal.

Scores

Glenwood

Tries: Khumalo, Madaat, Mtetwa, Lochner (2)

Cons: Kopp (4)

Dale

Tries: Madide, Jaca

Cons: Mafanga

Day 3 – Match 1

Hoërskool Monument 26-21 Milnerton High. A physical onslaught on both sides of the ball from Hoërskool Monument was enough to earn them a 26-21 win over spirited Milnerton High School in the first game of the final day.Monnas were coming off the back of a Day 1 26-all draw with Glenwood and a Day 2 17-32 defeat to Durban High School, while the Western Cape side had downed Peterhouse Boys’ 34-18 in their opener, before coming unstuck to the Green Machine in a last-minute 34-37 loss. The last time Monument had left KERF winless was in 2012, and it was clear from the outset the Krugersdorp school weren’t keen on breaking that successful streak on Monday. Much like they did against Glenwood, Milnerton staged another rousing comeback to lead at one stage, but ultimately they fell just short in the end. Juandre Ehlers broke the deadlock after he barged over early on for the team in white, with Morgan Lodewyk, otherwise his side’s best player, missing a rather straightforward penalty attempt for Milnerton minutes later. Monument went on to take control of proceedings from there and, although they couldn’t quite take all of their chances, Milnerton struggled to gain any kind of foothold in the contest.

A clever tap and go from Witbulle tighthead Juandre Marais five metres out led to their second try, before a third through blindsider Ryno van der Westhuizen made it 19-0 at the break. The introduction off the bench of the Sellidon twins, Chadlin and Chadwin, marked a huge upturn in Milnerton fortunes, with the diminutive duo pulling three excellent tries back between them in the third quarter, to edge their side into an unlikely 21-19 lead. But when Cornelius Mostert set up Ewan van der Walt to regain Monument the advantage, Milnerton were all out of answers.

Scores

Monument

Tries: Ehlers, Marais, Van der Westhuizen, Van der Walt

Cons: Viljoen (3)

Yellow card: Viljoen

Milnerton

Tries: Chadlin Sellidon (2), Chadwin Sellidon

Cons: Chadwin Sellidon (3)

Photographer: Gabrielle Swanepoel