6 August 2025
Around South Africa, some schools had rugby derbies on their Saturday schedule while others took on the football season at full bore. Some played hockey matches. In Pietermaritzburg, attention turned to the fast-paced format of Sevens rugby and the annual St Charles Sevens.
The tournament featured competitions in the under-17 and under-15 age groups, and it was Westville Boys’ High who made the biggest impression, clinching three out of the four titles on offer.
In the u17 Pool A division, the Griffin’s A side emerged as champions, navigating a tough group that included hosts St Charles College A, Michaelhouse A, and Hilton College A. Westville hit the ground running, racking up two wins in the opening rounds. Michaelhouse and Saints registered a win apiece, while Hilton was unlucky to suffer two narrow losses.
Hilton bounced back in the third round with a commanding victory over St Charles, while Michaelhouse upset Westville. Despite the stumble, Westville had already done enough to secure a place in the final, where they would again face Michaelhouse. Hilton and Saints, meanwhile, were left to contest third place.
The placement matches confirmed earlier form. Hilton repeated their win over Saints, this time by 36-14, but Westville turned the tables on Michaelhouse with a dominant 24-5 win in the final.
In the u17 B section, Westville B and Michaelhouse B established themselves early, brushing aside St Charles B and Howick High in their first two fixtures. Their dominance meant the pool decider in the final round was a dress rehearsal for the final. In a thrilling encounter, Westville edged out Michaelhouse 14-12, while Howick picked up a 29-14 win over St Charles.
Saints bounced back in the third-place playoff, registering a comfortable 27-5 win over Howick, but the Westville B side once again outplayed Michaelhouse in the final, this time by 29-19, to take the title.
There was drama, too, in the u15 competition. St Charles made waves in Pool A by surprising Westville with a narrow five-point victory in the opening round, then running away with a 36-0 result over Michaelhouse.
Hilton, meanwhile, showed consistent form with wins over the same opposition – 33-5 against Michaelhouse and 26-12 over Westville.
The third round produced arguably the match of the day, with Hilton downing St Charles 28-22, while Westville slipped past Michaelhouse 17-15. That set up a tightly contested final between Hilton and Saints, which Hilton edged 19-14 to secure the u15A crown. Michaelhouse, meanwhile, took third with a 26-12 win over Westville.
In the u15B division, Westville made it a clean sweep for their B teams. They opened with a 15-5 win over St Charles, followed that up with a comfortable 36-5 win over Howick, and closed the group stage by beating Michaelhouse 33-12.
Saints rebounded with wins over Michaelhouse and Howick to reach the final, but they were edged out again by Westville in another nail-biter, 19-17. Michaelhouse beat Howick 32-5 for third.
RESULTS
U17 Pool A
Round 1: Westville 22-7 St Charles, Michaelhouse 13-5 Hilton
Round 2: St Charles 28-15 Michaelhouse, Westville 22-19 Hilton
Round 3: Hilton 37-7 St Charles, Michaelhouse 21-15 Westville
3rd Place Playoff: Hilton 36-14 St Charles
Final: Westville 24-5 Michaelhouse
U17 Pool B
Round 1: Westville 36-5 St Charles, Michaelhouse 54-0 Howick
Round 2: Michaelhouse 48-0 St Charles, Westville 67-0 Howick
Round 3: Westville 14-12 Michaelhouse, Howick 29-14 St Charles
3rd Place Playoff: St Charles 27- 5 Howick
Final: Westville 29- 19 Michaelhouse
U15 Pool A
Round 1: St Charles 17- 12 Westville, Hilton 33-5 Michaelhouse
Round 2: St Charles 36-0 Michaelhouse, Hilton 26-12 Westville
Round 3: Hilton 28-22 St Charles, Westville 17-15 Michaelhouse
3rd Place Playoff: Michaelhouse 26-12 Westville
Final: Hilton 19- 14 St Charles
U15 Pool B
Round 1: Westville 15-5 St Charles, Michaelhouse 5 – 0 Howick
Round 2: St Charles 10-5 Michaelhouse, Westville 36-5 Howick
Round 3: Westville 33-12 Michaelhouse, St Charles 12-7 Howick
3rd Place Playoff: Michaelhouse 32-5 Howick
Final: Westville 19-17 St Charles
[/cm
Leave a Reply