Boishaai is the team to beat in 2026

South African schoolboy rugby currently boasts a big five – Affies, Grey College, Paul Roos Gimnasium, Paarl Gimnasium, and Paarl Boys’ High – and, at the end of the 2025 season, Boishaai sat atop that list.

After a 26-28 loss to Oakdale Landbou in Riversdal in April 2025, Boishaai was in phenomenal form and ended the season with a come-from-behind win over Paarl Gimnasium, which decided which team would end the season at number one.

Their team in 2026, however, will look very different. Head Coach Sean Erasmus said he has a fairly inexperienced, but highly talented squad of players at his disposal: “Liam de Villiers (scrumhalf for Western Province XV at Craven Week 2025), and Jeneal Davids (wing for Western Province at Craven Week 2025) are the only two players that were consistently in the 1st XV in 2025.

“There are a few 2nd XV players who also gained caps from the bench in 2025. There are also a few Grant Khomo players entering the side, and we look forward to seeing how they shape into the u19 league.”

The Paarl Boys’ High management team has undergone some changes, Erasmus told SuperSport Schools Plus. The lineup is Sean Erasmus (Head Coach), George Earle (Assistant Coach), Gerrie Visser (New Assistant Coach), Wynand Pienaar (New Assistant Coach), Lutz van der Merwe (Physio), and Ryno Rust (Strength and Conditioning).

Erasmus said rugby in the Western Cape is in a very healthy state and extremely competitive: “All our matches are exciting and all the schools we play are well coached and talented. Finishing as the top rugby school in SA has its own pressures, but we are focused on getting a new group working together and playing good rugby, promoting a team culture which makes our school and supporters proud.”

While discussing his talented squad, Erasmus also praised Boys’ High’s strong connection to its Old Boys: “We are lucky to have Old Boys who are passionate about the school and have sent their sons to follow in their footsteps,” he said. “Retired Springbok captain and flanker Corné Krige is one whose son now moves into senior rugby.”

Erasmus said his focus is not only on results. There are other vitally important longer-term goals: “We always focus on producing good men with good values, and we want to play an attractive brand of rugby.

“Our Team Culture remains our top priority as we look to strengthen Faith, Family, and Team,” he shared.

As the former world champion middleweight boxer “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler once said: “It’s tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 05:00 when you’re sleeping in silk pajamas”.

Paarl Boys’ High exhibits Hagler’s understanding of the task that lies ahead. They enter the season at the head of the pack, but that doesn’t mean they feel comfortably ensconced at number one. They know that it’s the hungriest dog who usually wins the race.

That’s their goal in 2026: to prove that they are again the top dog.

Paarl Boys’ High Fixtures 2026

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Marlowe Bloem

Marlowe is a sports & creative writer from Durban, Kwazulu-Natal. Writing mainly for rugby & cricket, Marlowe enjoys watching and taking part in a multitude of sports, from soccer to athletics. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to music of all genres, reading literary fiction, and playing sports with friends and family.

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