Paarl Gim and Paul Roos set for titanic clash in King Price Derby Series clash
The JA Kriel in Paarl is almost like a second home ground for the Maroon Machine of Paul Roos Gimnasium.
In the last six encounters between Paarl Gimnasium and Paul Roos, the visitors from Stellenbosch have only been on the losing side twice. They will face each other in a King Price Derby Series match-up which commences at 14:00 on Saturday.
Paarl Gimnasium have a shot at extending their current win-streak to 12 games in succession.
Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.co.za).
On the other hand, Paul Roos Gimnasium will have opportunities to both end the hosts’ winning ways and extend their own win streak to seven consecutive matches.
Both sides have been in exceptional form this season. Each side has only lost once so far, with each defeat coming at the hands of Stellenberg, who’ve had a historic 2026 with all the upsets they’ve caused.
Ou Polla’s Boys will remember the 17-10 defeat they suffered last year in Stellenbosch, and will be wanting to get one back in the tie.
Captain and outside centre, Tiaan Basson, has recently returned from injury and displayed his running threat with a try in his side’s 68-3 triumph over Diocesan College last weekend.
Gimmies have a similar running threat in their captain and inside centre, Ethan Barker. Last weekend, he also found himself with five points on the scoresheet in his team’s 49-13 success versus Oakdale Landbou.
Both have been selected for the Western Province u18 Craven Week side. The midfield battle between them could be one of the match’s most enjoyable aspects.
Gimmies head coach and former Springbok wing Pieter Rossouw shared some of his thoughts on his side’s performances in recent times, the strength of the Maroon Machine, and the excitement of such a standout fixture, stating: “I’m very happy with the way we are playing at the moment.”
“Paul Roos is incredibly well coached. They don’t have any weaknesses.”
“It’s one of those fixtures that all the boys look forward to every year.”
This encounter could possibly decide who will end the 2026 season as South Africa’s leading schoolboy rugby team.
The teams:
Paarl Gimnasium: 15 Thomas Saunders, 14 Corné de Beer, 13 Derick Cloete, 12 Ethan Barker (captain), 11 Dewaal Vivier, 10 Louis Koen, 9 Mickyle Booise, 8 Hendré van Zyl, 7 Dirk Hugo, 6 Corné Niemand, 5 Jean Dreyer, 4 Bernhardt Schulze, 3 Sebastian Bekker, 2 Charles Whitehead, 1 Jayden Steyl.
Paul Roos Gimnasium: 15 Kyle Snyers, 14 Jean Hamman, 13 Tiaan Basson (captain), 12 Albert Nel, 11 Cadynn Samuels, 10 Travis Pheiffer, 9 Jaedon Powell, 8 Werner de Bruin, 7 Gerard Bekker, 6 Christiaan le Roux, 5 Reuben Winter, 4 Stef de Villiers, 3 Zak Steyn, 2 Lehan Bernard, 1 Thomas Meyer.
