A derby-filled Saturday of schools rugby will see Affies travel to the Cape Winelands looking for back-to-back wins over Paarl Gimnasium for the first time in more than a decade.
The third Premier Interschools match of the season is a real mouth-watering derby as giants from the north and south clash for the fifth time in the televised schoolboy series. Prior to this annual fixture being introduced in 2017, the two schools did not regularly meet and only duelled on the odd occasion at festivals.
Since their first encounter in 1967, they have only clashed 20 times in 56 years with Paarl Gim winning 11, Affies seven and two draws. This year the giants of the north travel down to beautiful Paarl to challenge Paarl Gim at their fortress, the Jan Kriel Field.
Paarl Gym will look to avenge their 2022 defeat and restore dominance over their Pretoria rivals. Affies, meanwhile, are chasing the prospect of successive wins against Paarl Gim for the first time since 2012.
In other big fixtures around the country, Northwood take on Durban High and Michaelhouse face Glenwood. In the Western Cape, the surprise packages of the season, Durbanville and Outeniqua, will face off, while Bishops host Paul Roos.
There is the Johannesburg derby taking place between KES and Jeppe, while EG Jansen face Kempton Park in the final of the NWU School Sports Series.
School rugby fixtures (Saturday, 22 April):
Durban High vs Northwood
Michaelhouse vs Glenwood
St Charles vs Hilton
Westville vs Kearsney
Bishops vs Paul Roos
Rondebosch vs Boland Landbou
Paarl Gim vs Affies
Paarl Boys High vs SACS
Stellenberg vs Wynberg
Oakdale vs Framesby
Durbanville vs Outeniqua
Grey High vs Dale College
Stirling vs Pearson
Queen’s College vs Selborne
Pretoria Boys vs Maritzburg College
KES vs Jeppe
EG Jansen vs Kempton Park
Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images