WSF2022 could bring us the first showdown between Grey College and Hamilton Boys’ High
The third edition of the World Schools Festival will kick off at the Pattana Sports Resort in Thailand tomorrow. The organisers decided to change the festival’s format into a knockout tournament for the 2022 edition.
Eight teams of which the last Odyssey XV was only confirmed a few days before the festival was to start. The other seven teams that will participate are Grey College (South Africa), Hamilton Boys’ High (New Zealand), St. Michael’s College (Ireland), Cardiff and Vale (Wales), Sedburgh School (England), Millfield School (England) and Trinity School (England).
South Africa’s Springbok factory has decided to take a u17-side to the tournament in preparation for the South African schoolboy season of 2023. The team from Bloemfontein, which produced 45 Springboks down the years, will lock horns with Trinity School in their opening match of the tournament.
Grey has produced Springboks like Frans Steyn, Bismarck du Plessis, Ruan Pienaar, Cobus Reinach, CJ van der Linde, Ruben Kruger, Heinrich Brussow, Theuns Stofberg, and Morne du Plessis to name just a few.
It would be a good bet to put money on the fact that Grey College and New Zealand’s powerhouse Hamilton Boys’ High might face each other in the final in Thailand. The boys from Hamilton bagged their fifth record-equaling national title earlier this year by defeating Napier Boys’ High by 17-15 in a dramatic final.
Their head coach, Nigel Hotham, is a seasoned campaigner and also deputy headmaster at the school. The school has produced All Blacks like Warren Gatland, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Sevu Reece, and Quinn Tupaea to name a couple.
Grey College and Hamilton Boys’ High have never met each other on the rugby field. Both schools have however managed to be crowned champions of the prestigious Sanix Festival in Japan.
The team from Bloemfontein bagged the second title back in 2001 when they defeated St. Peter’s College of New Zealand convincingly by 41-3 in the final. Hamilton Boys’ High wore the crown three times in 2010, 2011, and 2014.
Their last title came thanks to a 15-11 victory over Paarl Boys’ High. Their fullback, Payton Spencer, son of former All-Black Carlos Spencer will be one of their dangermen in Thailand.
Grey College has played in the first two editions of the World Schools Festival in Paarl and Stellenbosch respectively facing three New Zealand schools in their four matches. In their first match against Christchurch Boys’ High, they won handsomely by 66-28.
They faced the boys’ from Christchurch again in the second edition this time running riot by 73 points to 26. In their last match against opposition from New Zealand, they defeated Southland Boys’ High by 54-0.
Grey is coached by Jannie Geldenhuys with former Springbok and alumni Wian du Preez also forming part of the coaching team.
Grey College’s former first XV coach, Wessel du Plessis, will coach the Odyssey XV during the festival.
All the matches will be streamed live on RugbyPass’s YouTube Channel – https://bit.ly/WorldSchoolsFestivalDay1.
The fixtures (SA-times):
Tuesday, 13 December 2022
07:30 – Hamilton Boys’ High vs Odyssey XV
08:45 – St. Michael’s College vs Cardiff and Vale
10:00 – Sedburgh vs Millfield
11:25 – Grey College vs Trinity
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