The annual K-Day festivities came to a climax on Saturday 14 June and did not disappoint. Thousands of past parents and pupils of Grahamstown local schools made their way to Kingswood to enjoy the day’s events.
The annual K-Day festivities came to a climax on Saturday 14 June and did not disappoint. Thousands of past parents and pupils of Grahamstown local schools made their way to Kingswood to enjoy the day’s events.
Sunny skies and minimal wind greeted an eager crowd.
Many people were wearing red or blue, depending on their allegiances.
All of the sporting activities, which began as early as Wednesday, led to the ultimate attraction on City Lords field: the annual 1st XV rugby fixture between the prestigious Grahamstown High Schools, Kingswood College and St. Andrew’s College.
This fixture first took place in May 1898. The Kingswood College rugby team made the journey across the Valley to Lower Field at St. Andrews College.
This was the first meeting between the schools and it is now one of the oldest schoolboy rugby rivalries in the country and, arguably, the world.
The anticipation builds a long time before kick-off and comes to a climax minutes before in what is evidently far more than ‘just’ a rugby match.
The 2nd XV result saw St. Andrews thrashing Kingswood and the same was expected in the following match, as St. Andrews was the hot favourites for this game.
There was electricity in the air as spectators crammed together, with boerewors and beers in hand, to finally end speculation and witness the century-old battle commence.
The teams both emerged from tunnels onto the paddock. The referee blew the whistle and the game began.
The 1st half belonged to the hosts, which hit the visitors hard and did not show any fear – which St. Andrew’s seemed startled by.
The 18-8 half-time score favoured Kingswood.
This saw both schools, which were seated on opposite ends of the field, exchange impressive, traditional war-cries that consisted of deafening cheering and choreographed blazer raise and drop sequences to create messages of support to their heroes.
The second half saw St. Andrew’s producing an epic comeback , to win the match 42-28.
Plenty of running rugby and tries reminded spectators why this clash is so keenly anticipated every year.
After the game, spectators flooded the field to congratulate their boys in red or blue.
Despite the fact that the match saw both sides fight each other with every ounce of energy, strength and guts possessed, the end of the match signified what makes this fixture so special: the players and spectators came together and mingled, without incident, in a friendly and respectful fashion.
There is an air of class when this fixture takes place. It is a festival of which both schools, Grahmstown and South Africa should be proud.
Many school traditions in our country have been forgotten or extinguished.
K-Day, however, is going from strength to strength and will – hopefully – be around for many years to come.
