Historical Overview – Paarl Gimnasium vs. Paarl Boys’ High
Paarl Boys’ High will play Paarl Gimnasium at Faure Street Stadium Paarl on Saturday 3 August at 16h00, in the next Mutual & Federal Premier Interschools. The game will be broadcaston SuperSport 8 at 19h00.
Mutual & Federal Premier Interschools is a series of 12 matches, which feature the highest profile and most traditional interschool rugby rivalries, from South Africa’s top rugby schools, broadcast live on SuperSport from April to August.
Schoolboy rugby has served as one of the cornerstones of domestic rugby dating back more than a century, and true to its slogan “Honouring Heritage. Playing for the Future”,Mutual & Federal Premier Interschools is about History, Heritage and Tradition. The series, now in its second year, is expected to grow even stronger.
The Mutual & Federal Premier Interschools stories are further captured in 12 magazine shows which preview all the games and provide historical overviews of these traditional schools and highlight other academic, cultural and sporting achievements.
Paarl Gimnasium vs. Paarl Boys’ High
The big Paarl derby again commences this week culminating in the showdown of the two rugby first teams at 16h00 at the Faure Street Stadium on Saturday 3 August. In-between there will be functions and re-union get togethers and old friends and foe’s reminiscing about the days gone by. The first salvo’s on the rugby field are fired on the Wednesday evening as the two Old Boy teams lock horns in what can only be described as a friendly but fierce game.
Mannetjies Roux in the Paarl Boys’ Old Boys jersey 1968
Thursday afternoon sees the “Goffels” and “Hommels” (G and H teams) playing their own unique brand of rugby before Friday morning when it kicks into the business end of the weekend. This is the time when the two schools have their Big Brags in the school hall. Here the Rugby and Hockey warriors that will represent their respective teams on the Saturday are introduced and the first teams get capped for Interschools.
There are only four rugby matches played on the Saturday at Faure street. The games start at 12:00 with the u15A match, followed by u/16A, the Seccies and then the main match of the Firsts. On the Friday afternoon the rest of the teams will battle it out on the fields of the host who this year is Paarl Gymnasium. The two main attractions on the Friday afternoon is the u/14A match and the “main” match of the Third teams or the “Chiefs” and “Chippies” as they are known among the locals.
This is all but an appetizer for the Big One!…Arguably the biggest schoolboy match in the world! Paarl Gimnasiumvs Paarl Boys’ High!. Old Boys and supporters come from afar to witness yet again one of the toughest rugby matches a schoolboy can hope to be involved in. History shows that it is always a close game between these two rivals with the average winning margin since 1915 being only five points.
The Paarl Gim team being introduced during the 2008 Interschools
The first matches started in 1915 when masters, schoolboys and Old boys all played together. This was the format up to 1927 after which was decided that the Interschools matches should only comprise of schoolboys and the current format as we know today started officially in 1929.
The last Paarl Gim team to include Old Boys and Masters – 1927
The 2013 edition will thus be the 96th match and the 83rdInterschools game to be played between the schools. Ten of these matches were drawn with the last one being in 2010 and three of them being 0-0 draws. Very tough and hard rugby indeed.
Tough and Uncompromising – Handre Pollard tackling Johan Peens 2011
The 2013 version will not be any different it seems. Although Paarl Gimnasium is seen to be the clear favourites due to the great season they are having compared to Paarl Boys’ High, this is Interschools and the playing fields are even! Paarl Gimnasium started the season like a house on fire and first caught the eye at the Kearnsey festival where they demolished the pride of KZN schools on a canter. They seem to have no weaknesses anywhere in the team and are especially rich in the loose forward department. Here SA Schools Captain and 8th man RikusBothma and fellow SA Schools teammate, No 7 Jacques Vermeulen have been terrorising opposing teams since the 2012 season and forms a formidable trio with hardworking Gareth Cilliers. Paarl Gimnasium will miss the services of man giant JD Schickerling, their SA Schools lock, who is injured and will miss out on this match. Live wire scrumhalf Brendon Nell is key to giving the backs good quick ball where out on the wing SA Schools player Grant Hermanus will appreciate some space if given any. Hermanus is also a deadly accurate goal kicker.
The awesome sight of a Paarl Boys’ High Pack on the drive – 2011
Paarl Boys’ High is not having the greatest of seasons according to their own high standards, having already lost four games and not reaching the same heights of 2012 so far. Losses to Waterkloof, Outeniqua, Glenwood and Grey College have seen them change captain’s midway through the season. After the Glenwood loss, there was a radical change in personnel and new captain Thomas Du Toit took over the leadership role. This culminated in what looked like better cohesion within the team and they racked up some very good wins.
They showed great character in coming back from 20 points down against Grey Bloem to within a whisker of winning the game in Bloemfontein. Du Toit leading from the front with hooker Daniel du Plessis being the talisman that ignited the comeback. Both Du Toit and Du Plessis represented WP at Cravenweek and both got picked for SA Schools team. Sadly though, Du Plessis injured his ankle in the final game at Cravenweek and won’t be able to participate in Saturday’s Interschools match.
The Paarl Boys’ High team though, is a very balanced one with a good pack of forwards and a very speedy backline. They might not have the individual brilliance of some of the Paarl Gimnasium players, but as a whole this team knows how to fight and how to grind out a win from difficult positions. In Fullback, Dante van der Merwe they have a mercurial runner who can instantly change defence to attack and Paarl Gimnasium will be very aware of his running ability from the back.
The different emotions of winning an Interschools match
Results through the years:
1915: Paarl Boys’ High won 10-0
1916: Paarl Gimnasium won 7-5
1917: Paarl Gimnasium won 3-0
1918: Paarl Gimnasium won 3-0
1919: Paarl Gimnasium won 9-0
1920: Paarl Gimnasium won 20-0
1921: Draw 6-6
1922: Draw 3-3
1923: Paarl Boys’ High won 3-0
1924: Paarl Boys’ High won 13-5
1925: Paarl Boys’ High won 7-3
1926: Paarl Boys’ High won 6-5
1927: Paarl Gimnasium won 5-3
1928: No match
1929: Draw 3-3
1930: Paarl Boys’ High won 5-3
1931: Paarl Gimnasium won 6-0
1932: Paarl Gimnasium won 7-3
1933: Paarl Boys’ High won 3-0
1934: Paarl Boys’ High won 5-4
1935: Draw 0-0
1936: Paarl Gimnasium won 11-6
1937: Paarl Gimnasium won 5-3
1938: Paarl Gimnasium won 5-3
1939: Paarl Gimnasium won 9-8
1940: Draw 3-3
1941: Paarl Gymnasium won 6-0
1942: Draw 0-0
1943: Paarl Gimnasium won 9-6
1944: Paarl Boys’ High won 6-0
1945: Paarl Boys’ High won 14-6
1946: Draw 3-3
1947: Paarl Boys’ High won 8-3
1948: Draw 3-3
1949: Paarl Gimnasiumwon 9-3
1950: Paarl Boys’ High won 6-3
1951: Paarl Boys’ High won 6-0
1952: Paarl Boys’ High won 11-0
1953: Paarl Boys’ High won 6-5
1956: Paarl Gimnasiumwon 6-3
1957: Paarl Gimnasium won 5-3
1958: Paarl Gimnasium won 11-0
1959: Paarl Boys’ High won 11-3
1960: Paarl Gimnasium won 9-3
1961: Paarl Boys’ High won 6-0
1962: Paarl Boys’ High won 6-0
1963: Paarl Boys’ High won 8-0
1964: Paarl Gimnasium won 9-8
1965: Paarl Gimnasium won 11-0
1966: Paarl Gimnasium won 8-0
1967: Paarl Gimnasium won 8-6
1968: Paarl Gimnasium won 3-0
1969: Paarl Boys’ High won 8-5
1970: Paarl Gimnasiumwon 19-8
1971: Paarl Boys’ High won 11-6
1972: Paarl Boys’ High won 6-3
1973: Paarl Boys’ High won 19-6
1974: Paarl Gimnasiumwon 9-3
1975: Paarl Boys’ High won 3-0
1976: Paarl Gimnasium won 8-6
1977: Paarl Boys’ High won 15-6
1978: Paarl Gimnasium won 13-10
1979: Paarl Gimnasium won 12-6
1980: Paarl Gimnasium won 9-3
1981: Paarl Gimnasium won 12-0
1982: Paarl Boys’ High won 16-15
1983: Paarl Gimnasium won 15-6
1984 Paarl Gimnasium won 10-4
1985: Paarl Boys’ High won 16-6
1986: Draw 0-0
1987: Paarl Boys’ High won 15-7
1988: Draw 6-6
1989: Paarl Gimnasium won 15-4
1990: Paarl Boys’ High won 10-6
1991: Paarl Boys’ High won 8-4
1992: Paarl Gimnasiumwon 20-15
1993: Paarl Boys’ High won 19-17
1994: Paarl Boys’ High won 11-6
1995: Paarl Boys’ High won 17-3
1996: Paarl Gimnasium won 18-16
1997: Paarl Gimnasium won 13-10
1998: Paarl Boys’ High won 16-5
1999: Paarl Gimnasium won 13-6
2000: Paarl Boys’ High won 15-7
2001: Paarl Gimnasium won 13-6
2002: Paarl Gimnasiumwon 15-0
2003: Paarl Boys’ High won 25-6
2004: Paarl Gimnasium won 13-3
2005: Paarl Gimnasium won 22-10
2006: Paarl Gimnasium won 23-17
2007: Paarl Gimnasium won 10-0
2008: Paarl Gimnasium won 35-8
2009: Paarl Boys’ High won 24-12
2010: Draw 19-19
2011: Paarl Gimnasium won 22-19
2012: Paarl Gimnasium won 16-9
Captains of the teams, Thomas Du Toit from Paarl Boys’ High and RikusBothma from Paarl Gimnasium
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