SuperSport Schools Plus

Springbok breeding grounds go head-to-head in City of Roses

By Hannes Nienaber , in Featured | Main Rugby | Featured Rugby | News , at 2025-08-15 Tags: , , , , ,

Photo: Frans Lombard/Actionpix.

Outside Paarl, the biggest interschools in South Africa are probably the one between Paul Roos Gimnasium and Grey College.

This match at 14:00 in Bloemfontein on Saturday is part of the exciting King Price Derby Series. Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

Why is it so big, you may ask?

These two schools are without a doubt the two rugby factories in South Africa that has been providing the most Springboks since the country played its first test back in 1891.

Grey has produced 47 Springboks, while Paul Roos Gimnasium lay claim to 56 players who have donned the Green and Gold. Combined it is an exceptional 10.82 percent of all Springbok players ever produced.

The saying that elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers, comes to mind. It must also be noted that by this time of year in Bloemfontein, there isn’t much grass left to suffer.

“The boys have been looking forward to this occasion for probably their whole high school career. So, it is not a question about the pressure on the boys, but rather excitement amongst the boys for the opportunity to play in this game and be part of something so big,” said Jannie Geldenhuys, head coach of Grey College.

Last year, the Maroon Machine of Paul Roos handed Grey their biggest defeat ever when they comfortably won by 36-3 on a muddy Markötter Stadium in Stellenbosch.

Since the two schools’ first match back in 1967, they have played each other 39 times, with Grey coming out on top in 29 of these matches. Paul Roos has been on the winning side ten times.

The two schools will also honour former Springbok Dawie Snyman before the match. Snyman passed away this week and played for Grey in the first match between these two schools. Snyman also later coached at Paul Roos.

“Each year of schools’ rugby is unique, and this year is a new chapter. Our focus is on what we want to achieve within the match. This year’s match gives the boys within the team the opportunity to gather firewood for later in life. Each player will be collecting firewood, which they will have later in life when we look back at Saturday’s game,” said Geldenhuys.

Like every year, and as the teams and supporters have become accustomed to, a couple of boys from both sides will be missing out on this occasion due to the fact that they are on national duties for the South African u18-side in their international series.

Grey will be missing four players – Ethan Adams (outside centre), AJ Meyer (lock), JG Badenhorst (tighthead prop) and Lamla Mgedezi (fullback). On Paul Roos’ side two players, Gert Kemp (loose forward) and Altus Rabe (hooker), will be missing out on this showpiece.

So who are the favourites, the tag no team wants, for this year’s encounter?

Grey is at home, which plays a major factor in this interschools. Furthermore, the fact that three of the players who will be standing in for their team members on national duty – O’Ryan Klein (Ethan Adams), Alexi Tyropolis (AJ Meyer) and Marinus Oosthuizen (JG Badenhorst) were part of the Free State’s Craven Week team in Middelburg earlier this year.

Klein played at inside centre with Adams for most of the season, while Toriq Schambreel, who also played Craven Week, will start in Kleyn’s inside had more than a couple of starts at inside centre for the First XV. Tyropolis was playing at lock while Meyer was recovering from an injury in the early part of the season before moving to flanker.

Thristan Maree, who will be manning the fullback position in Mgedezi’s absence, has played at centre during last year’s match against Paul Roos. He also had ample playing time for his school’s pride during the season.

Paul Roos will definitely miss their captain, Altus Rabe. While their captain earlier in the season, while Rabe was recovering from an injury, Gert Kemp, will also leave a huge void in their ranks.

The teams: 

Grey College: 15 Thristan Maree, 14 Benjamin van den Berg, 13 O’Ryan Kleyn, 12 Toriq Schambreel, 11 Eddie Mabena, 10 Darius Erwee, 9 Sherwin Buys, 8 AJ Booysen, 7 Adem Nieuwoudt, 6 Xander Smit (captain), 5 Alexi Tyropolis, 4 Claude Steyn, 3 Marinus Oosthuizen, 2 Tian Fourie, 1 David Hayidakis.

Paul Roos Gimnasium: 15 Luke van Schoor, 14 Keenan Stoffels, 13 Tiaan Basson, 12 Ian Smith, 11 Jordan Steenkamp, 10 Travis Pheiffer, 9 Jan-Jan Nel, 8 Luke Kent (captain), 7 Gerhard Bekker, 6 Caleb Koeberg, 5 Manus van Leeuwen, 4 Truspe Schoeman, 3 Gerrit van Vuuren, 2 Lehan Barnard, 1 Zak Hickman.

Kick-Off: 14:00
Referee: Tiaan Engelbrecht

Previous Meetings: 

YEARnt_header_2nt_header_3nt_header_4nt_header_5CITY/TOWNREFEREE
2024Paul Roos Gimnasium36Grey College3StellenboschAimee Barrett-Theron
2023Grey College28Paul Roos Gimnasium20BloemfonteinPhillip Kotze
2022Paul Roos Gimnasium34Grey College19StellenboschRasta Rasivhenga
2019Grey College51Paul Roos Gimnasium28StellenboschNathan Swartz
2018Grey College28Paul Roos Gimnasium26BloemfonteinBen Crouse
2017Grey College30Paul Roos Gimnasium28StellenboschDivan Uys
2016Grey College34Paul Roos Gimnasium32BloemfonteinGriffin Colby
2015Paul Roos Gimnasium19Grey College12StellenboschCwengile Jadezweni
2014Grey College25Paul Roos Gimnasium20BloemfonteinTiaan Steyn
2013Grey College40Paul Roos Gimnasium8StellenboschDivan Uys
2012Grey College33Paul Roos Gimnasium23BloemfonteinJohan Wasserman
2011Grey College36Paul Roos Gimnasium35StellenboschMatt Kemp
2010Grey College41Paul Roos Gimnasium29BloemfonteinJaco Kotze
2009Paul Roos Gimnasium9Grey College3StellenboschQuinton Immelman
2008Grey College47Paul Roos Gimnasium15Bloemfontein
2007Grey College40Paul Roos Gimnasium14Stellenbosch
2006Paul Roos Gimnasium16Grey College11BloemfonteinJaco Peyper
2005Grey College16Paul Roos Gimnasium11StellenboschJohan Lourens
2004Paul Roos Gimnasium21Grey College18BloemfonteinLourens van der Merwe
2004Grey College24Paul Roos Gimnasium23
2003Grey College18Paul Roos Gimnasium17Stellenbosch
2002Grey College19Paul Roos Gimnasium8Bloemfontein
2001Grey College15Paul Roos Gimnasium6Stellenbosch
2000Grey College42Paul Roos Gimnasium13Bloemfontein
1999Grey College29Paul Roos Gimnasium26Stellenbosch
1998Grey College23Paul Roos Gimnasium15Bloemfontein
1997Paul Roos Gimnasium12Grey College8Stellenbosch
1996Grey College18Paul Roos Gimnasium10Bloemfontein
1995Grey College21Paul Roos Gimnasium10Stellenbosch
1994Paul Roos Gimnasium31Grey College29Bloemfontein
1993Paul Roos Gimnasium28Grey College8Stellenbosch
1992Grey College20Paul Roos Gimnasium6Bloemfontein
1991Paul Roos Gimnasium20Grey College3Stellenbosch
1990Grey College17Paul Roos Gimnasium9
1989Grey College28Paul Roos Gimnasium7
1988Grey College16Paul Roos Gimnasium9
1977Grey College20Paul Roos Gimnasium10
1974Grey College24Paul Roos Gimnasium0Bloemfontein
1967Grey College22Paul Roos Gimnasium3StellenboschJohnnie Meiring
Hannes Nienaber
error: Sorry ol' chap, those shenanigans are not permissible.