Will the Western Cape reign supreme in 2026?

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Paul Roos set the bar high when they won all 15 of their fixtures in 2024 and finished as the leading schoolboy side in South Africa.

Last season, the two Paarl heavyweights jousted for the unofficial No.1 ranking.

In the end, Paarl Boys claimed top honours after edging Paarl Gym 35-33 in the annual derby staged at the Faure Street Stadium.

Boishaai won 15 out of 16 matches over the course of the season, while Gimmies finished with a record of 13 wins, one draw, and one defeat.

Grey College and Paul Roos were among the top teams in 2025, while Affies and a plucky Oakdale outfit racked up a series of consistent results.

Affies were the Kings in the North while Garsfontein claimed their third successive Noordvaal Cup title.

Further east, Durban High School built on an outstanding 2024 campaign in 2025, but were eventually pipped by an unbeaten Westville side for the KwaZulu-Natal crown.

After Grey College, Diamantveld was the central region’s most consistent team, while Graeme and Queen’s College enjoyed successful campaigns in the Eastern Cape.

Rugby365 highlights the biggest derbies, festivals, and tournaments of the upcoming South African schoolboy rugby season.#Rugby #Schools https://t.co/Edz1IbEbBi

— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) February 5, 2026

Rugby365 highlights some of the biggest talking points and storylines ahead of an action-packed South African schoolboy rugby season.

WILL GREY COLLEGE OR AFFIES END THE CAPE’DOMINANCE?

The Cape Winelands trio of Paarl Boys, Paarl Gym and Paul Roos as well as Grey College and Affies have been the top dogs on the schoolboy scene for several seasons.

Grey College remains one of South Africa’most important rugby factories, and the First XV’s record of 27 wins in 31 matches over the past two seasons is certainly nothing to sneer at.

And yet, Grey have failed to meet their own high standards in recent times, and the 31-43 defeat to Gimmies in 2025 marked their first defeat in Bloemfontein in eight years.

Whether they have what it takes to claim successive wins against the Cape Winelands trio and Affies in 2026 is the big question.
Grey will travel to Gimmies on 18 April and host Boishaai on 9 May. A week later, they will head up to Pretoria to face Affies.

If they come through those marquee clashes with the desired results, they can look forward to a season finale against Paul Roos in Stellenbosch on August 15.

Depending on other results, that clash may double as a national Final.

Another consistent performer in Affies could have something to say about the pecking order in 2026.

The draw certainly favours the Pretoria powerhouse. Affies will host Gimmies (April 11) and Grey (May 16), and will face Boishaai on neutral soil in the Wildeklawer Series in late April.

Their first big test will come in the shape of Paul Roos in Stellenbosch on March 21, and if they win that fixture, it could set the tone for a memorable season.

DEPTH MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

To paraphrase Paarl Gym coach Pieter Rossouw, there are 20 or so schools with the potential to beat any other side on any given day.

This much was evident after Jeppe beat Grey College at the 2024 North-South tournament and when Milnerton stunned Rondebosch and Bishops a few months later.

Last season, Oakdale were the only team to beat Boishaai.
Whether every team can sustain that effort over the course of a long season is another story.

Squad depth is the key to sustained success.

In 2026, even the best schools may be hard-pressed to maintain a high standard, especially over March and April, when the major inter-provincial festivals and tournaments will be staged.

Grey College, for example, will face two much-improved sides in Helpmekaar and Stellenberg in the space of three days at the North-South tournament at Affies in late March.

Grey will head to the St John’Easter festival two days later, where they will tackle Nudgee – a touring Australian team.

A week after playing Gimmies in Paarl on 18 April, Grey will travel to Kimberley for the Wildeklawer Series, where they will face Noordheuwel and Jeppe in the space of two days.

Player welfare must be a priority – even more so at the school level.

With that in mind, there’s bound to be plenty of rotation over the course of a seven-month season, and especially during these taxing tournaments.

Knowing this, some of the so-called smaller schools may target select matches against the Cape Winelands trio, Grey College, Affies and other traditional heavyweights.

And unless those leading teams box clever in terms of their game strategy and selections, there may be a few big upsets in the offing.

TRACKING THE STARS OF TOMORROW

For the reasons listed above, it’clear why individual players cannot compete in every fixture, and why a group of 30 or more players will be needed in the quest for consistent results.

As was the case in 2024 and 2025, the school with the best squad will finish the season as the country’s leading team.

That said, there are bound to be a few individuals who capture the imagination and give the fans and media reason to wonder whether they are destined for higher honours.

Indeed, it’s been impossible to ignore some of the players who have made an impression in recent seasons, both for their schools and their respective provinces at the U18 Craven Week.

Centre Markus Muller (who scored a whopping 36 tries for Gimmies), prop Jordan Jooste (Paarl Boys), centre Ethan Adams (Grey College), loose forward Jacobus de Villiers (Oakdale) and fullback Zekhethelo Siyaya (Westville) are but a few who caught the eye in 2025.

Winger Cheswill Jooste (Noordheuwel) has gone on to represent the Junior Boks and the Bulls, while Riley Norton – who led Paul Roos to a perfect season in 2024 – captained the South African U20 side to the world title in 2025, before joining the Stormers ranks.

Last season, Jooste was invited to train with the Boks, along with South Africa U20 teammates Batho Hlekani (Graeme College) and Haashim Pead (Bishops). Head coach Rassie Erasmus, who is contracted to the Boks until 2031, is already thinking about the next World Cup cycle, which will culminate with the global tournament in the USA.

How many new names will be added to the mix in 2026?

A large number of age-group players are already on the national radar thanks to SARU’s Elite Player Development programme.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how many newcomers force their way into the SA Schools teams on the back of stellar performances for their schools and provinces.

*Photo credit: Paul Roos Gimnasium