New dawn, fresh start, clean slate, call it what you will, but Bishops College know 2026 represents a pivotal moment in their storied rugby history. After a tough 2025 season the southern suburbs powerhouse has pressed the reset button with serious intent.
Enter Robbie Fleck. The prominent old boy and former Springbok has taken the reins as director of rugby, with Sam Mofokeng stepping up to lead the 1st XV as head coach. It is a partnership built on restoring pride, rekindling tradition, and reigniting the Bishops way of playing rugby.
Mofokeng represents a dying breed in modern schoolboy rugby: a teacher who coaches the 1st XV. In an era where specialist coaches parachute in from outside, his dual role connects him to the boys across every facet of school life, a philosophy central to Bishops’ identity.
“It’s one of the things that is good and great about Bishops – we believe that boys need to be well-rounded individuals. Academically, culturally, spiritually and on the sports field,” Mofokeng explains.
“It’s part of the ethos of the school. A teacher connects with boys on all these levels, which translates to success on the field.”
Success, for Mofokeng, is not measured purely in wins and losses though, make no mistake, results matter at an institution with Bishops’ rugby pedigree. Instead, he frames the 2026 campaign around showcasing everything the school represents.
“For us this is about representing the ethos of the school,” Mofokeng said.
“If the staff and the team can showcase everything that is good and great about Bishops, then I feel we will have had a successful season.”
That philosophy extends to how they want to play the game. Bishops boast a rich rugby tradition, but 2026 is about rediscovering their DNA: expansive, attacking rugby that puts opponents under relentless pressure.
“We believe the game should be played a certain way – we want ball in hand, running rugby that opens play, while being unbendable in defence,” Mofokeng declared.
Easier said than done when you are competing in arguably the toughest schoolboy league on the planet. The Western Province Premier A division is warfare week in, week out; Bishops routinely face three of South Africa’s top five school sides, with the rest comfortably nestled in the top 30 nationally.
It is brutal, unforgiving, and exposes any weaknesses with ruthless efficiency. Yet Mofokeng refuses to shy away from the challenge, acknowledging that Bishops must remain competitive to justify their place amongst the elite.
“We need to keep Bishops boys loving rugby. We have always played these big games, and we can’t slip into a space where we become irrelevant in terms of results,” he admitted.
Within the broader WP Premier A battle lies a cherished competition: the Southern Suburbs showdown between Bishops, Rondebosch, Wynberg and SACS. The Triple Crown, and the even more coveted Grand Slam, remain fiercely contested honours.
“If you beat all three the other teams, you win the Triple Crown. If you do it twice in a season, you win the Grand Slam. Since 2010, only three teams have won the Grand Slam,” Mofokeng said.
The history, the bragging rights, the sheer intensity of these fixtures fuel schoolboy rugby in the Cape like nowhere else. Yet, amongst these rivalries one stands above the rest: Rondebosch.
“It really is a special day, if you don’t come early you don’t watch the match,” Mofokeng said.
“The head boy from the hosting school visits the other school and speaks at the assembly to invite the school for the match.”
That tradition, that pageantry, that sense of occasion – it is what makes schoolboy rugby in the Western Cape so compelling. The Bish-Bosch fixture transcends sport; it is culture, identity and community wrapped into 70 minutes of ferocious competition.
As Bishops prepare for 2026, the challenges are obvious. But there is resolve in Mofokeng’s words, a determination to restore Bishops to their rightful place whilst staying true to their values.
