The ninth annual Independent Schools Festival got under way at Kingswood on Wednesday 16 April. The festival kicks off the rugby season on a non-competitive note as it will have no eventual winner.
The ninth annual Independent Schools Festival got under way at Kingswood on Wednesday 16 April. The festival kicks off the rugby season on a non-competitive note as it will have no eventual winner.
“It’s not competitive because it’s early in the season and coaches are still trying to pick teams and try out new combinations,” said co-ordinator Matthew Ridgeway. “There is always good spirit amongst the kids and positive engagement,” he added.
The festival began in 2005 at Michaelhouse in the Midlands and has always been hosted during the Easter weekend as most schools are on holiday and it gives parents the opportunity to come and support their children in their first fixture of the season.
This is the first year Kingswood is hosting the festival and they will be hosting it again next year. They are proud to welcome Guildford Rugby Club from the United Kingdom and St George’s College from Zimbabwe this year as well as a number of other South African teams.
“We try to accommodate teams that don’t usually get the opportunity to play against each other,” said Ridgeway.
Teams are matched strategically so that there will be no runaway scores and each game is a fair one.
“There were few tournaments for the U15’s and I think the original conception was that this would be a festival for the ‘seniors of the juniors’ – the U15s,” said Kingswood College U15 Coach Peter Serfontein.
The festival runs from 15-19 April, but teams will take a break on Easter Friday to observe the religious holiday. Each game is only 25 minutes, allowing teams to play two matches per day and six matches, with a diversity of teams, over the weekend period.
Kingswood is excited to be hosting former All Blacks Coach John Mitchell. He will be addressing teams today over a breakfast as well as spending time with each team before they play.
Kingswood and St Andrew's are the only Grahamstown schools which will be participating in the festival.
Kingswood began play on Wednesday losing 7-0 to St David's Marist Inanda and then winning against Penryn College 26-0 in their second match.
