The Easter Festival may have packed up, but KwaZulu-Natal’s schoolboy rugby scene is far from quiet.
Westville versus Northwood is the headline act, a clash between two sides who have been obliterating opposition with ruthless efficiency. Meanwhile, Glenwood desperately need to arrest their slide when they welcome a resurgent Maritzburg College outfit looking to build momentum.
The Main event: Westville host Northwood
When two juggernauts collide, something has to give. Westville and Northwood arrive at this fixture with virtually unblemished records and reputations for playing, uncompromising rugby.
Westville have been on an absolute rampage, crushing all comers bar one notable exception – a powerful Hilton College side who handed them their only defeat. The response has been emphatic. They obliterated Framesby before dismantling Helpmekaar and Milnerton at the Kearsney Easter Festival, leaving a trail of bruised bodies and shattered confidence in their wake.
Zander Erasmus, Westville’s 1st XV coach, knows exactly what threat Northwood pose.
“We know they are an attacking threat, they like to drop high bombs on you with their athletic players who will chase hard. They are a well-coached team. They will be a challenge in all facets of the game. We are excited to play at home, there is nothing like playing in front of your whole school on Bowden’s. We had a tight game last year, so it will be important for us,” said Erasmus.
The aerial bombardment combined with athletic chasers is Northwood’s calling card, a tactic that requires pin-point execution and fearless commitment. Get it right and opposition back threes spend 80 minutes under siege. Get it wrong and you hand territory and momentum to quality sides who will punish you.
Northwood arrive in equally ominous form. They’ve steamrolled Glenwood, Marlow and St Andrews. Their only stumble came against Michaelhouse, the same Michaelhouse side who shocked Affies on the festival circuit, proving the defeat was no disgrace.
This fixture has all the ingredients: two unbeaten sides (barring one loss each to quality opposition), home advantage, and recent history suggesting it’ll go down to the wire. Circle this one in red pen.
Glenwood seek redemption against College
If Westville versus Northwood is the glamour tie, Glenwood versus Maritzburg College is the redemption story waiting to be written, or the crisis deepening.
Glenwood are enduring a nightmare start to their campaign. The stats make grim reading: two wins from six matches, with defeats to Kearsney, Northwood, Framesby and Helpmekaar painting a picture of a side struggling to find rhythm and confidence. Their only victories, against Milnerton and EG Jansen at the Kearsney Easter Festival, offer scant consolation when weighed against the setbacks.
Justin Hollis, Glenwood’s director of rugby, faces the unenviable task of steadying a ship listing badly. His assessment of the College challenge was brutally honest.
“They are coming off two good wins against Jeppe and SACS. They are well drilled. We are going to have to be on top of our game this weekend. The competition in KZN this year is going to be really tough,” said Hollis.
It’s the kind of candid acknowledgement that suggests Hollis knows his side are up against it. College arrive with momentum, having shaken off early-season defeats to Westville and Helpmekaar with statement victories over SACS and Jeppe, two sides who command respect on the national circuit.
If College can click into gear, they possess the firepower to inflict serious damage on a Glenwood side low on confidence. But schoolboy rugby has a beautiful habit of producing shock results when wounded teams play in front of passionate home crowds.
Kelvin Elders, Maritzburg College’s 1st XV assistant coach, struck a respectful but confident tone when previewing the clash.
“We are excited for the challenge, we’ve come off a tour where a lot of growth took place so we are looking to build on that. Glenwood is a side that shows a lot of pride at home and plays an exciting brand of rugby. We’ll manage our bodies this week as it’s a short turnaround,” said Elders.
The short turnaround between fixtures is a legitimate concern, fatigued legs and sore bodies can be the difference between executing your game plan and falling short. But the “growth” reference suggests College return from their tour with lessons learned and confidence restored.
Justin Hollis’s comment about KZN’s competition being “really tough” this year is no exaggeration. The province has long been one of South Africa’s most competitive schoolboy rugby environments, but 2026 appears to have turned the dial up even further.
