The first-ever Fairtree Sport Festivalguided by Stadio bursts into life on Friday, 24 April, with a strong Noordvaal contingent in attendance.
The event, which takes place on the same weekend as the ABSA WildeklawerFestival in Kimberley, provides valuable preparation for the forthcoming Virseker Noordvaal Cup, with 10 ten sides from north of the Vaal River and three – Hoërskool Tygerberg, Hoërskool Swartland, and Hoërskool Fichardtpark – visiting from the south.
Die Hoërskool Menlopark is the host of the festival and tackles Tygerberg in the opening match at 19:30 on Friday. The rest of the matches take place on Saturday and Monday, which is Freedom Day, a public holiday.
The Capetonians follow their Friday night outing with a highly anticipated fixture against Hoërskool Pietersburg on Monday.
Saturday’s 1st XV action begins at 11:50, when Hoërskool Marais Viljoen takes on Meyerton’s Dr Malan.
One of the day’s highlights will be the main match showdown between Pietersburg and Hoërskool Fichardtpark at 19:15. Another of the noteworthy clashes on Saturday is the Buffels of Hoërskool Ben Vorster squaring off against Hoërskool Dinamika.
Ben Vorster is one of two schools travelling from behind the citrus curtain in Tzaneen. The other is Merensky Landbou Akademie, who face Hoërskool Randburg on day one before a daunting Monday meeting with Hoërskool Marais Viljoen. Ben Vorster then trades places with the Plasies as they take on the challenge of Hoërskool Randburg on Monday.
Swartland travels from Malmesbury, in the Western Cape, and opens their account against Potchefstroom Volkskool. It should be a tight contest. On Monday, they’ll be challenged by Parkies. Kickoff in that match is at 11:45.
FIXTURES
Friday, 24 April
19:30 – Menlopark vs Tygerberg
Saturday, 25 April
11:50 – Marais Viljoen vs Dr Malan 13:05 – Menlopark XV vs Overvaal 14:20 – Randburg vs Merensky Landbou Akademie 15:50 – Potchefstroom Volkskool vs Swartland 17:05 – Ben Vorster vs Dinamika 19:15 – Hoërskool Pietersburg vs Fichardtpark
Monday, 27 April
08:00 – Overvaal vs Dinamika 09:15 – Menlopark XV vs Dr Malan 10:30 – Hoërskool Pietersburg vs Tygerberg 11:45 – Menlopark vs Swartland 13:00 – Potchefstroom Volkskool vs Fichardtpark 14:15 – Ben Vorster vs Randburg 15:30 – Marais Viljoen vs Merensky Landbou Akademie
Franco is a sports fanatic from Tzaneen, a small town in Limpopo. Obsessed with both cricket and rugby, he still does the sport at club level when given the chance. Combining the rush of sports with his other passion, writing, gives him the fix any sport-crazy fan needs. In his spare time, he spends quality time with family and friends, preferably around a braaivleis fire.