Westville unbeaten, Kearsney pounds Peterhouse, All Stars named
The 2025 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival concluded on Monday following three absorbing days of play, with Durban High School (DHS) and Westville Boys’ High finishing with 100 percent records – three wins from three matches – while Glenwood was unbeaten but drew with Monument.
As is the tradition on the last day, an independent panel of selectors named the festival’s best forward and best backline player, and also shared the Festival All Stars Team.
Flank Briint Davids, from Milnerton, received the forwards’ accolade, while the best backline player went the way of Westville’s fullback, Zekhethelo Siyaya.
The All Stars team:
Forwards: 1 Eli Pedro (Durbanville), 2 Okuhle Mbanjwa (DHS), 3 Joseph Udo-Idung (DHS), 4 Vimbiso Kasvosve (DHS), 5 Lwandile Mlaba (Westville), 6 Briint Davids (Milnerton), 7 Sambesiwe Ndamase (Glenwood), 8 Nhlanhla Ndlovu (Kearsney)
Backs: 9 Mondre van Heerden (Framesby), 10 Chadwin Sellidon (Milnerton), 11 Ruan Genis (Monument), 12 Zingce Simka (DHS), 13 Andrew Maringa (Peterhouse), 14 Zenkosi Mthiyane (DHS), and 15 Zekethelo Siyaya (Westville).
The organisers made special mention of Milnerton High for their entertaining running rugby and Westville Boys’ High for producing the most attractive rugby at the festival.
Westville Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Rustenburg
In the day’s second-last match, Westville won their third game on the trot, defeating a game Hoërskool Rustenburg 24-17.
Coach Zander Erasmus opted to start the contest with seven of his leading players on the bench. That was intended to challenge the other members of the Westville squad and also give those seven a little rest ahead of a showdown with Jeppe High School for Boys on Friday.
Rusties pushed the Griffin hard. Clearly, their come-from-behind 26-22 victory over Durbanville on Saturday had instilled in them the belief that they have the firepower to overcome the odds and they delivered an impressively stubborn performance.
Unfortunately for the side from the North West Province, though, they faced the two unbeaten teams, Westville and DHS, so had to settle for that solitary win over Durbies.
It looked to be business as usual for Westville when they scored quickfire tries through Lwandle Makhanya and Avumile Lisa to charge into an early 12-0 lead. Rustenburg found a response, though, through Tristan Myburgh, who crashed over from close range to reduce the deficit.
Hooker Ross Calvert scored Westville’s third a little before the break with a sharply executed lineout move that caught Rustenburg unawares to extend the local side’s advantage to 17-7 at the interval.
Ten minutes into the second half, Rustenburg replied, with Thian Labuschagne barging his way over for a five-pointer to pull the team in green to within three points.
With only 10 minutes left on the clock, Ayden Willemse nailed a penalty to level matters. By then, Westville had sent on their bomb squad and Rusties made the mistake of kicking on SA Schools’ fullback, Zekhethelo Siyaya, who, given space, sliced through the Rustenburg defence before offloading to Lux Sononkonkono, who dotted down the winning try.
Kearsney College vs Peterhouse
The Festival wrapped up with Kearsney tackling Peterhouse. The One-Stripe had gone down to Dr EG Jansen in their opener by five points after a slow first half, but their second-half performance suggested there was a lot more to come from the hosts.
They showed up well in a comfortable 34-13 win over Dale College on Saturday. On Monday, they were more clinical in a 48-8 dismantling of Peterhouse.
The touring Zimbabweans, who had had no pre-season to speak of heading into the festival, finished their campaign winless after also going down to Milnerton High School and Hoërskool Framesby.
The hosts got off to the best possible start when, after nailing a superb 50/22, flyhalf Jayden Jonsson was on hand to finish off the ensuing attack.
Andrew Maringa, earlier named best number 13 at the festival, nailed a drop goal for Peterhouse to get their first points on the board, but a pinpoint cross-kick from Jonsson moments later set up Valentino Lenge for Kearsney’s second five-pointer.
Lwandle Mkhize and Keanu Williamson also crossed the whitewash to take the home side into a handy 24-3 lead at the break.
In the second half, Mkhize made it a brace before Peterhouse, at last, grabbed their only try of the afternoon through Michael Marimo. However, more Kearsney five-pointers – from Lwazi Mbebe, Simo Mnqokoyi, and Jonsson – added even more gloss to the final score.
SCORERS
Westville Boys’ High 24 (17) – Tries: Lwandle Makhanya, Avumila Lisa, Ross Calvert, Lux Sononkonkono. Conversions: Jade-Will Koopman. Hoërskool Rustenburg 17 (7) Tries: Tristan Myburgh, Thian Labuschagne. Conversions: Ayden Willemse (2). Penalty: Willemse.
Kearsney College 48 (24) – Jayden Jonsson (2), Lwandle Mkhize (2), Valentino Lenge, Keanu Williamson, Lwazi Mbebe, Simo Mnqokoyi; Peterhouse 8 (3) – Try: Michael Marimo, Drop goal: Andrew Maringa.
