History and pride on the line in Jeppe vs KES rivalry
The picturesque Boden AstroTurf at Jeppe High School for Boys will play host to 2026’s first edition of the Johannesburg derby between Jeppe and King Edward VII (KES) on Saturday.
It will be the 68th meeting of the sides, and the action will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools from 11:15.
Jeppe has dominated the derby over the years, recording 32 victories to the 16 wins by KES, and nine matches have ended in draws.
Last year, the boys in black and white added two wins over their rivals to the Jeppe total. In the first meeting, they won 4-2 before outplaying the Red Sticks 4-1 later in the year.
History, however, will mean very little when the two meet again, and a lot has changed since their last encounter.
Both teams have new coaches in the dugout, with Gareth Heyns taking over from Siya Sityana, who jumped ship to KES.
That sub-plot enhances an already juicy affair, especially since Sityana led Jeppe to an unbeaten season in 2025.
The hosts, under coach Heyns’s tutelage, have produced an uneven start to the season.
They began their campaign with convincing pre-season wins against Parktown Boys’ High and Trinity House in March.
Those were followed by a 3-0 win over St Benedict’s College and a 4-1 defeat of St David’s Marist Inanda before they played to a 2-2 draw with St Stithians College.
At the Nomads Hockey Festival in Pretoria, they suffered 0-1 losses against Selborne College and Wynberg Boys’ High.
After those defeats, the Cole Stanbury-led outfit demonstrated grit by bouncing back with a couple of impressive wins, beating Grey High 4-2, which ended the Gqeberha school’s unbeaten start to the season, before scoring a 2-0 win over Maritzburg College.
In midweek, they had a hit-out against Krugersdorp High School, which they won comfortably.
While Jeppe’s form has improved recently, the Red Sticks have put together an impressive run of their own.
At their KES Easter Festival, coach Sityana’s charges finished unbeaten, beating a strong Northwood team 2-1 on the second last day after a 4-1 victory over Grey College and a 1-1 draw with St Andrew’s College
They wrapped up their assignments with a solid 5-0 win over Queen’s College.
On paper, Saturday’s contest should be an evenly matched battle. Jeppe will rely on their experience, having kept the bulk of their team from last year, while KES and their skipper Matthew Bromley will bank on their recent confident form.
The battle for control of the midfield will be one of the keys to winning. Converting chances into goals will also be critical, with penalty corner defence and offence likely to be deciding factors in the outcome of the game.
Other matches
While Jeppe versus KES will be in the spotlight, there are more eye-catching matches on the schedule.
The weekend starts with a bang in Pretoria, where Affies tackles Paarl Gimnasium in a Friday Nite Lights clash.
While neither outfit has hit its peak this season, Affies have played some entertaining hockey and will back themselves to win at home.
Pretoria Boys High has made a strong start to the season – most recently, they won four and drew one at the St Stithians Easter Festival – and they will again make their way to Johannesburg for a showdown with Parktown Boys’ High on Saturday.
FIXTURES
Friday, 10 April
18:00 – Affies vs Paarl Gim
Saturday, 11 April
10:30 – Parktown Boys’ High vs Pretoria Boys High
11:15 – Jeppe vs KES
