10 April 2025
With just a week to go, anticipation is rising fast for the 2025 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (KERF), a marquee event on the South African schools’ rugby calendar.
Once again, Stott Field and Roberts Field, at Kearsney College in Botha’s Hill, will be buzzing with talent, tradition, and the unmistakable scent of a season coming alive.
This year’s festival brings together 12 high school 1st XVs, 12 primary school teams, and, in a significant step forward, four under-16 girls’ teams, who will be making their KERF debut. That inclusion underscores the growth of the game and the festival’s commitment to developing rugby across all levels and demographics.
Among the headline acts are the four KwaZulu-Natal 1st XVs – Durban High School (DHS), Westville Boys’ High, Glenwood, and the hosts, Kearsney College. Early signs are encouraging: three of the four are still unbeaten in 2025, and even Kearsney, with one blemish on their record, has shown attacking flair and character.
All eyes, though, are on DHS. The 2024 KZN kings are back and looking ominous. Five games into the season, five wins. They’re hard, structured, physical – and still, it feels like there’s another gear they haven’t quite hit.
At the recent Standard Bank Grey High Festival, they put away Kingswood (41-20) and dismantled Selborne (35-5). Add wins over Michaelhouse (28-20), Maritzburg College (29-10), and Bethlehem Voortrekker (63-8), and the early markers are clear: DHS means business.
But stiffer tests lie ahead. They open KERF against Hoërskool Rustenburg – a side they thrashed 45-0 last year in a statement performance. This year’s Rusties, though, are tougher, more resilient. They’ve picked up wins over Trio, Witteberg, and Diamantveld, and drawn with a gritty Nico Malan outfit. That said, they were well handled by Noordheuwel, and if DHS is humming, they’ll back themselves to repeat last year’s dominance.
DHS’s path gets steeper after Thursday. Saturday brings a marquee clash with Hoërskool Monument, followed by a showdown with Durbanville on Monday. Durbanville, KERF debutants, have already demonstrated their pedigree by toppling both EG Jansen and Monument this season. They’ve got a heavyweight pack and some serious zip out wide. The meeting with DHS has “festival classic” written all over it.
Kearsney’s own path begins with a clash against Dr EG Jansen, a team that handed them a tough lesson at KERF in 2024. Jansies, while not quite the juggernaut of last year, still have pedigree and power. Kearsney will look to build on the promising signs they showed in wins over Pretoria Boys High and Hudson Park. Their style -open, ball-in-hand – mirrors that of their next two opponents, Dale College and Peterhouse. Expect pace, passing, and points.
Glenwood, meanwhile, enters 2025 looking to right the wrongs of a forgettable 2024. With experience in the ranks and a strong preseason, they’ve already shown grit, shutting out St Charles and edging out HTS Middelburg. A tough test awaits in their opener against Monument. Then it’s a date with Western Cape upstarts Milnerton, before closing out against Dale College.
And speaking of Milnerton, their festival schedule is as intriguing as it is challenging. They start against Peterhouse—a perfect curtain-raiser featuring two sides that love to run the ball. From there, Glenwood and Monument await. If Milnerton gets into rhythm, the crowd’s going to be in for a treat.
One team not flying under the radar is Westville Boys’ High. Zander Erasmus has taken the helm, guiding a familiar group of players from u16 into the 1st XV with impressive early results. They’ve already overrun Selborne (45-12), outplayed Dale (28-13), and took down Hilton away from home (24-15). Their counterattacking threat, spearheaded by fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya, is electric. They kick off against Framesby, then EG Jansen and Rustenburg await.
For Framesby, a traditional KERF name, the opener against Westville is a baptism by fire. They’ll also clash with Peterhouse and EG Jansen, giving them one of the tougher slates in the tournament.
Another exciting new layer in 2025 is the addition of girls’ under-16 matches, which will include games at 12:00 daily on Stott Field. Mowat Park, Adams College, George Campbell, and Grosvenor Girls’ High make up the field, with Adams College featuring in all three spotlight games. It’s a bold and welcome step that reflects the expanding reach of the sport.
Roberts Field will once again host the primary school programme, with 12 teams in action, including two development sides and a Zimbabwean outfit, the Harare Lions.
KERF 2025 promises to be a showcase of not just high-quality schoolboy (and girl) rugby, but of the game’s heart and soul. Passion, pride, and potential – on every field, in every jersey. Let the festival begin!
BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL FIXTURES
Thursday, 17 April
08:00 – Milnerton High School vs Peterhouse
09:20 – Hoërskool Durbanville vs Dale College
10:40 – Durban High School vs Hoërskool Rustenburg
13:00 – Kearsney College vs Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen
14:20 – Hoërskool Monument vs Glenwood High School
15:40 – Westville Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Framesby
Saturday, 19 April
08:00 – Hoërskool Durbanville vs Hoërskool Rustenburg
09:20 – Hoërskool Framesby vs Peterhouse
10:40 – Milnerton High School vs Glenwood High School
13:00 – Westville Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen
14:20 – Kearsney College vs Dale College
15:40 – Hoërskool Monument vs Durban High School
Monday, 21 April
08:00 – Hoërskool Monument vs Milnerton High School
09:20 – Glenwood High School vs Dale College
10:40 – Hoërskool Framesby vs Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen
12:50 – Closing Ceremony
13:00 – Durban High School vs Hoërskool Durbanville
14:20 – Westville Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Rustenburg
15:40 – Kearsney College vs Peterhouse
GIRLS’ U16 FIXTURES
Thursday, 17 April
12:00 – Mowat Park High vs Adams College
12:00 – George Campbell vs Grosvenor Girls’ High School
Saturday, 19 April
12:00 – Adams College vs George Campbell
12:00 – Mowat Park High vs Grosvenor Girls’ High School
Monday, 21 April
11:00 – Mowat Park High vs George Campbell
12:00 – Adams College vs Grosvenor Girls’ High School
PRIMARY SCHOOL FIXTURES
Thursday, 17 April
08:00 – Highbury Prep vs Kloof Senior Primary
09:00 – Penzance Primary vs uThukela Team (Bergville)
10:00 – Winston Park Primary vs Westville Senior Primary
11:00 – Hillcrest Primary vs Chelsea Prep
13:00 – Umhlali Prep vs KZN Ibutho Development Team
14:00 – Glenwood Prep vs Harare Lions
Saturday, 19 April
08:00 – Kloof Senior Primary vs Winston Park Primary
09:00 – Chelsea Prep vs Harare Lions
10:00 – Westville Senior Primary vs Hillcrest Primary
11:00 – Glenwood Prep vs uThukela Team (Bergville)
13:00 – Highbury Prep vs KZN Ibutho Development Team
14:00 – Penzance Primary vs Umhlali Prep
Monday, 21 April
08:00 – Hillcrest Primary vs Winston Park Primary
09:00 – Kloof Senior Primary vs uThukela Team (Bergville)
10:00 – Glenwood Prep vs Westville Senior Prep
12:00 – Highburg Prep vs Umhlali Prep
13:00 – Penzance Primary vs Harare Lions
14:00 – Chelsea Prep vs KZN Ibutho Development Team
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