Pink Day’s Baytopp battle adds a dash of King Price red
The annual Pink Derby Day between two of Johannesburg’s most esteemed schools, St Stithians College and St John’s College, will take on a fiery new edge on Saturday with the addition of King Price red to the mix.
Follow all the Pink Day Derby action live on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) or Channel 216.
Now in its eighth edition since its inception in 2016, the Pink Derby Day has become part of the inaugural King Price Derby Series.
Saturday’s showdown will also be Saints‘ second consecutive appearance in the series after last weekend’s heartbreaking last-minute 25-26 defeat at Kearsney College.
The rivalry between Saints and the Blues stretches back far beyond the Pink Day Derby, however. They first met in 1954, a year after the founding of St Stithians, with the u13 and u15 teams clashing. Two years later, the 1st XVs faced off for the first time.
It took 15 years before Saints registered their maiden victory, a dramatic 11–8 comeback win in 1971. In 1984, during the inaugural St Stithians Easter Festival, they recorded a crushing 39–0 win over the Blues, at a time when tries were worth only four points – one of the larger margins in the derby’s history.
In recent times, Pink Day fixtures have been tightly contested. In the inaugural Pink Day Derby, in 2016, St John’s edged out St Stithians 29–26, which came after a tight 27-22 victory the year before.
The honours have been shared over the past two years. Saints claimed victory in 2023, winning 31–19 at home. Last year, St John’s struck back, claiming a thrilling 24–20 win, which was sparked by a brilliant late counterattack from flyhalf Gerald van Wyk.
Now in his matric year, Van Wyk returns as a pivotal figure once again. Renowned for his accurate place- and tactical kicking and his attacking flair, he will be instrumental in shaping the outcome of the contest.
His opposite number, Saints’ flyhalf Oliver Wilson, heads into the derby in fine form. He delivered a composed performance against Kearsney College, where he expertly marshalled his side and scored a cracking try in the narrow defeat.
Their showdown will be central to the day’s drama, but, as always, the battle will be most likely be won or lost up front.
Towering lock Luke Thorrold, fresh off a standout performance in KwaZulu-Natal, will anchor the Saints’ pack.
On the other side, Blues’ eighthman, Mako Mandizha, who will run out for the Lions at the Academy Week, will bring serious heft to the attacking structures of the visitors.
He’ll also give the Blues some oomph in the scrums because, interestingly, he will represent the Lions at loosehead prop. St John’s captain Joshua Shannon wears the number one jersey for the Blues.
In the midfield, Allan Patu, usually a blindside flank, steps into the breach due to injuries. Despite playing out of position, he will pose a significant challenge to Sicelo Sakawuli, the Lions’ ‘ Academy Week centre, who will instead serve as the final line of defence in the St Stithians’ fullback’s jersey on Saturday.
TEAMS
St Stithians College vs St John’s College at 12:30 in Johannesburg
St Stithians College: 15 Sicelo Sakawuli, 14 Calvin Wagner, 13 Reece Hubner, 12 Tyler Maclennan, 11 Cade Elsey, 10 Oliver Wilson, 9 Rory Bezuidenhout, 8 Jonathan Caveney, 7 Ross Turner, 6 Siphosamandosi Cele, 5 Kulani Tlakula, 4 Luke Thorrold, 3 Ethan Coetzee, 2 Oliver Groves, 1 Jean-Anthony Eblen.
St John’s College: 15 Tim Hewat, 14 Lwandile Khupe, 13 Menzi Bongwe, 12 Allan Patu, 11 Tumelo Bopape, 10 Gerald van Wyk, 9 Adam Haselau, 8 Mako Mandihza, 7 Andrew Russe, 6 Cameron Shafer, 5 Cameron Coetzer, 4 Simon Mussett, 3 Stephanus Kritzinger, 2 Dimitri Campbell, 1 Joshua Shannon.
Other games:
12:30 – St Benedict’s College vs CBC Boksburg.
