By Ayabonga Kosi
Another instalment of the historic K-Day event took place this past week and delivered a week of unforgettable memories from a range of events. From netball, rugby and hockey to choral music, chess and debating, it had the town in an exciting frenzy. All events delivered exciting moments for all those who attended and participated. The event was headlined on Saturday, 15 June, by both 1st team netball and the 1st team rugby fixtures.
Starting with junior rugby, in the under 7 and 8 matches, there was tremendous spirit on a relatively chilly morning whilst the under 9 from St Andrew’s Prep displayed dominance over the Kingswood team with a winning score of 45-10. This continued as Prep secured wins for the under 11 age group up to the under 13B team match. The under-13A match delivered a nail-biting back-and-forth contest with both teams showing tenacity and pride in their side. Breaking the streak, the Kingswood boys walked away victorious beating the St Andrew’s boys 24-22.
The girls’ netball did not miss a beat as they displayed immense talent and determination in their matches. From the beginning, both the Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) teams and the Kingswood Girls team showed their team spirit and hunger to win with Kingswood taking most of the victories. They encompassed this in their slogan going into the matches quoting the legendary American Football coach Vince Lombardi who said: “Winning is not everything but wanting to win is.” This quote became more evident in the first team bout between the DSG Girls 1stXV and the Kingswood Girls 1stXV. Set to the sound of their passionate supporters cheering them on, both teams put on a stellar performance. As the match progressed though, the Kingswood Girls were able to showcase their defensive strength and scoring ability, leading them to a dominant victory with the score of 32-13.
Senior boys’ rugby became the focus as the event drew to a close. A beam of sun shone through the clouds brightening the day as the time got closer to the much-anticipated battle between the St Andrew’s Boys 1stXV and the Kingswood Boys 1stXV. The matches helped in breeding that anticipation with exciting performances being put on at all levels. In a bid to include more of the schools in town in the festivities, some of the St Andrew’s senior teams faced off against PJ Olivier and Nathaniel Nyaluza. The matches showcased the love all the schools involved had for the sport and competition. Even in heated spats between competitors on the field, there was still an encouraged push for sportsmanship and camaraderie between spectators and the players. St Andrew’s displayed dominance in this sportsmanship by winning their matches from the under-14A team with the score of 36-0, to the 2ndXV matches, winning with the score of 48-22. They only suffered a loss to Kingswood’s under-14B team who won with the score of 36-14.
All of this led to an amazing final showdown at the historic Lower Field between the St Andrew’s Boys 1stXV and the Kingswood Boys 1stXV. With both being brought onto the field by their fellow students and supporters with cheers for victory, the teams ran on showing passionate excitement and enthusiasm for their encounter. Kingswood seemed to take control of the match playing at their own pace but a crucial mistake led St Andrew’s to score the first try of the match. Kingswood was able to surge a comeback that led to them leading at half-time. The fierceness of the competition continued into the second half which saw both teams struggling to convert on their scoring opportunities. This led to the almost cinematic ending which saw Kingswood leading with a one try difference. In the closing minutes, St Andrews’ mustered up an attack that led to closing the try difference and converting it, leading the game to be called a draw between the two sides with the score of 22-22.
The thrilling matches, underscored by the passion and determination of all involved, reinforced the values of teamwork and resilience. As the final whistle blew on the dramatic 1st XV rugby match, resulting in a hard-fought draw, it was clear that K-Day continues to be a beloved tradition that brings the community together, celebrating both competition and unity.
