South African schoolboy derby puts English Premiership to shame for one reason
It was one of the biggest fixtures, if not the biggest, of the South African schoolboy calendar on Saturday as Paarl Boys faced Paarl Gimnasium at the Faure Street Stadium.
Paarl Gim came away 20-17 winners, causing a post match pitch invasion. But one of the most noticeable things from the match, even more than the actual play, was the support. The 5,000 capacity Faure Street Stadium was packed to the rafters, and though that is always the case for this fixture, it is all the more staggering when looking at the support teams get elsewhere in the world.
While a derby in the Gallagher Premiership would probably see a stadium packed to capacity, there were actually matches last season that fell well short of the Paarl schoolboy match last weekend. Yes, this is a huge match in South Africa, but it is still only schoolboy rugby. The fact that it is outdoing professional teams in England in the top tier is a pretty good reflection of the state of English rugby at the moment and is just another indication why English domestic rugby is in such turmoil.
Take a look at some footage from the stadium:
The attendance for Paarl Gim v Paarl Boys High this past weekend
by u/za3030 in rugbyunion
Here are the highlights of the match:
Paul Gim: 15 Tazreeq Moerat, 14 Freek de Kock, 13 Hennie Otto, 12 Kobus Blanckenberg, 11 Pieter-Nel Du Plessis, 10 Kyle Smith, 9 Dawid Kotzé, 8 Nicus Van Coller, 7 Louw Du Toit, 6 Adruan Kotze, 5 Marco Steyn, 4 Danio Botha, 3 Nicholas Crous, 2 Jannie Grobbelaar, 1 Xander Mynhardt
Paarl Boys: 1. Michael Pretorius 2. Henko Ben Odendaal 3. Alfie Holm 4. Michael Versfeld 5. Van Heerden Pretorius 6. Rubin Dames 7. Chris Nel 8. Divan Fuller 9. Juan Loots 10. Ruan van Willing 11. Jameel de Jongh 12. Daniel vd Merwe 13. Bryan Burger 14. Scott Nel 15. JC Mars
Paarl Boys’ High School and Paarl Gimnasium are two prestigious South African schools with a passionate rugby rivalry that spans over a century. Situated in the picturesque town of Paarl, Western Cape, their matches attract enormous attention and fervour. The rivalry is deeply ingrained in local culture, drawing crowds of enthusiastic supporters. The matches are fiercely contested, showcasing exceptional talent and determination on both sides. The rivalry transcends the game, embodying historical pride, community spirit, and school identity. These clashes have become iconic events, fostering sportsmanship and camaraderie, while preserving the rich tradition of South African schoolboy rugby.
