SA Schools XV in History

Two South African Schools rugby teams are due to be announced soon, naming the players who are to play against Argentina, England, France and Wales next month. It is not the first time that selectors have chosen two teams after Craven Week.

The SA Schools side was first chosen in 1974, against the wishes of Danie Craven who wanted Craven Week to be a festival and not trials matches. That team beat Scottish Schools 26-9 at Ellis Park and went on to tour Italy and France. Since then a South African Schools side has been chosen each year.

Later a quota system was introduced along race lines. The concept of quotas in schools rugby started with Danie Craven's idea of a Feeder system, which started in 1986 and was applied to schools in 1988 when a Project Tournament was first held in Stellenbosch. The teams were mixed 50-50 for teams of 18 players, except for the Western Province team which was mixed 6-6-6.

The Project tournament produced a team for Craven Week and some of its players went on to play for South African Schools - Lee Feurer, Dawie Senekal, Chubby Chabana and Errol Fynn who went on to become a Springbok.

The SA Schools side mostly played internally - against University or Defence Force teams. In 1987 it first played against the equivalent of the modern SA Academy side. It was sponsored by SA Nampak XV and called the SA Nampak XV Schools XV, chosen on a 50-50 basis. The selectors were Ian Kirkpatrick and Dougie Dyers.

In 1989 the SA Nampak XV team beat SA Schools at King's Park in Durban and were close to doing so again in 1990, 1991 and 1992.

Heinrich Fuls became a Springbok in 1992, three years after playing for the SA Nampak XV XV.

With the politically acceptable unification of rugby, the Feeder System was stopped and Craven Week became for merit teams from each province from 1993, thus producing the whitest Craven Week since 1979!

The Project Tournament was revived and called the SA Academy Week. Then an SA Academy team was chosen to play the SA Schools side.

It was a match which could be remarkably tight. In 2000, for example, the SA Academy side beat the Schools side 23-20. The SA Academy was captained by Matt Stevens of Kearsney who has gone on to prop for England. In the SA Schools side was Jacques Cronjé of HTS John Vorster who played for South Africa.

SA Schools Results and International Players

**This list is incomplete. It would be great if it could be completed. If anybody has any missing information, it could be sent to paul@sportsmedia365.com, where it will be gratefully received and changes/additions made.

1974

SA Schools vs Scotland, 26-9

Tour

SA Schools vs Richard Greenwood XV in Rome, 22-15

SA Schools vs Intercontinentale in Frascati, 34-0

SA Schools vs Reggio Calabria, 56-19

SA Schools vs Italsider in Naples, 70-0

SA Schools vs CUS Genova, 58-4

SA Schools vs Nice & District, 102-6

SA Schools vs Armagnac-Bigorre Under 23, 24-3

SA Schools vs PUC Under-23, 36-4

SA Schools vs Flanders, 38-10

Springbok

SA Schools: Of that team Nick Mallett became a Springbok and achieved other fame.

1975

SA Schools vs Natal Under-20, 16-19

SA Schools vs SADF Under-19, 36-6

SA Schools vs 1974 SA Schools, 14-4

Springboks

SA Schools: Danie Gerber, David Smith, Nick Mallett

1976

SA Schools vs SAU Under-19, 20-28

Springboks

SA Schools: Danie Gerber, David Smith, De Villiers Visser

1977

Springboks

SA Schools: Danie Gerber

1978

Springboks

SA Schools: Carel du Plessis

1979

SA Schools vs SA Universities Under-19, 17-25

Springboks

SA Schools: Jaco Reinach

1980

SA Schools vs SA Universities Under-19, lost

Springboks

SA Schools: Jaco Reinach.

1981

SA Schools vs SADF Under-19, won

Springboks

SA Schools: Kobus Burger, Helgard Müller, Wahl Bartmann, Rudolf Straeuli

1982

SA Schools vs SADF Under-19 at Ellis Park on 24 July 1982

Springbok

SA Schools: Helgard Müller

1983

SA Schools vs Northern Transvaal Defence Force, 22-27 at Loftus

1983-84

Under-18 tour to Wales

SA Schools vs Bridgend-Aberavon Youth, 10-9

SA Schools vs Mid-Wales Youth in Brecon, 20-9

SA Schools vs Gwent Youth in Montmouth, 7-13

SA Schools vs West Glamorgan Youth at Pontardullais, 15-6

SA Schools vs West Wales Youth in Whitland, 12-13

SA Schools vs Welsh Youth in Llanelli, 9-6

Springboks: Hannes Strydom

1984

SA Schools vs SA Universities Under-19, 14-18

Springboks

SA Schools: Joel Stransky

1985

SADF Under-19, 13-17

1986

SA Schools vs SAU Under-19, 12-22

Springboks

SA Schools: Jeremy Thompson, Andries Truscott

1987

SA Schools vs Felbridge Juniors (English Bulldogs), 10-29

Springboks

SA Schools: James Small, Ruben Kruger, Chris Rossouw, Pieter Müller, Brendan Venter

1988

SA Schools vs South West Africa Territorial Army Under-19, 28-6

SA Schools vs Transvaal Unions, 29-13

Springboks

SA Schools: Pieter Hendriks, Ruben Kruger, Mornay Visser, Pieter Müller

1989

SA Schools vs Transvaal Unions, 32-21

SA Schools vs SA Nampak XV, 14-28 in Durban

Springboks

SA Schools: Naka Drotske

Ireland

SA Schools: Deon O'Cuinneagain

SA Nampak XV: Heinrich Fuls, Etienne Fynn

1990

SA Schools vs Transvaal Unions, 30-21

SA Schools vs SA Nampak XV, 19-22 at Newlands

Springboks

SA Schools: Etienne Fynn, Hentie Martens, James Dalton

SA Nampak XV: Etienne Fynn, Braam Els

Ireland

SA Nampak XV: Deon O'Cuinneagain

1991

SA Schools vs SA Nampak XV, 23-21

Springboks

SA Schools: Chad Alcock, Ollie le Roux, Justin Swart

France

SA Schools: Stephen Hall

SA Nampak XV: Ollie le Roux

1992

SA Schools vs SA Nampak XV, 15-13

Springboks

SA Schools: Percy Montgomery, Joe Gillingham, Robbie Kempson

SA Nampak XV: Corné Krige

1993

SA Schools vs SA Academy 40-14

Sppringboks: Louis Koen, David von Hoesslin, Corné Krige, Percy Montgomery, Hendrik Gerber

1994

SA Schools vs SA Academy 60-13

Sprinbgboks

SA Schools: Louis Koen, Bob Skinstad, Hendrik Gerber

SA Academy: Norman Jordaan

1995

SA Schools vs SA Academy

Springbok

SA Schools: Pieter Dixon

SA Academy: Victor Matfield

1996

SA Schools vs Scotland, won in Mossel Bay

Springboks: John Smit, Shawn Sowerby, Bolla Conradie, Gcobani Bobo

1997

SA Schools vs SA Academy, won

Springboks

SA Schools: Joe van Niekerk, Bolla Conradie, Conrad Jantjies

SA Academy: Lawrence Sephaka, Gcobani Bobo, Wayne Julies

1998

SA Schools vs SA Academy

Springboks

SA Schools: Joe van Niekerk, CJ van der Linde, Adrian Jacobs, Gary Botha

SA Academy: Gurthrö Steenkamp

1999

SA Schools vs SA Academy 18-11

Springboks

SA Schools: Jean de Villiers, Pedrie Wannenberg, Gary Botha

SA Academy: Enrico Januarie

Australia

SA Schools: Clyde Rathbone

2000

SA Schools vs SA Academy, 20-23

Springboks:

SA Schools: Enrico Januarie, Jacques Cronjé

SA Academy: Luke Watson

England

SA Academy: Matt Stevens

2001

SA Schools vs France, 36-15 and 23-23

Springboks

SA Schools: Luke Watson, Derick Hougaard, Bismark du Plessis

2002

SA Schools vs France, 12-3

SA Schools vs Wales, 49-0

Springboks

SA Schools: Bismark du Plessis, Peter Grant, Earl Rose, Chilliboy Ralepelle, Ruan Pienaar

France

SA Academy: Anthonie Claassen

2003

SA Schools vs SA Academy, 27-24

Springboks

SA Schools: Chilliboy Ralepelle, Jano Vermaak, Adriaan Strauss

SA Academy: Hilton Lobberts, Ashley Johnson

Ireland

SA Schools: Richardt Strauss

Romania

SA Schools: Jodie Rose

2004

SA Schools vs SA Academy, 26-25

Springboks

SA Schools: Ashley Johnson, Heinrich Brüssouw, Hilton Lobberts

2005

SA Schools vs France, 52-18

SA Schools vs SA Academy, 24-30

2006

SA Schools vs Italy, 39-13

2007

SA Schools vs SA Academy, 50-15

Springboks

SA Schools: Patrick Lambie, Rudy Paige

2008

SA Schools vs SA Academy, 19-41

Springboks

SA Schools: Siya Kolisi, Elton Jantjies, Francois Venter, Patrick Lambie

Ireland & B&I Lions

SA Schools: CJ Stander

2009

SA Schools vs Italy, 86-3

SA Schools vs England, 13-45

Springboks

SA Sschools: Frans Malherbe, Siya Kolisi, Bongi Mbonambi, Scarra Ntubeni, Nizaam Carr

2010

SA Schools vs Namibia Under-19, 92-21

Springboks

SA Schools: Johan Goossen, Sikhumbuso Notshe, Steven Kitshoff

Scotland

SA Schools: Allan Dell

2011

SA Schools vs France, 21-14

Springboks

SA Schools: Jan Serfontein, Sikhumbuso Notshe

2012

SA Schools vs France, 17-7

SA Schools vs Wales, 24-16

SA Schools vs England, 36-29

Springboks

SA Schools: Jesse Kriel, Handré Pollard, Warrick Gelant, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Dan du Preez, Jan-Luc du Preez

2013

SA Schools vs England, 19-14

SA Schools vs France, 17-13

SA Schools vs Wales, 14-13

Springboks

SA Schools: Warrick Gelant, RG Snyman, Dan du Preez, Jean-Luc du Preez, Thomas du Toit

2014

SA Schools vs France, 28-13

SA Schools vs Wales, 40-15

SA Schools vs England, 22-30

Springboks

SA Schools: Curwin Bosch

2015

SA Schools vs Wales, 42-11

SA Schools vs France, 12-5

SA Schools vs England, 23-16

Springboks

SA Schools: Curwin Bosch, Damian Willemse, Embrose Papier

2016

SA Schools vs Wales, 23-17

SA Schools vs France, 42-3

SA Schools vs England, 13-12

Springboks

SA Schools: Damian Willemse

2017

SA Schools vs Wales, 28-30

SA Schools vs France, 8-13

SA Schools vs England, 22-52

2018

SA Schools vs France, 21-28

SA Schools vs Wales 43-40

SA Schools vs England 41-22

2019

Friday, 9 August 2019 at Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch

13.00: SA Schools A vs France Under-18

14.30: England Under-18 vs Argentina Under-18

16.00: SA Schools vs Wales Under-18

Tuesday, 13 August 2019 at Paarl Gymnasium

13.00: SA Schools A vs Wales Under-18

14.30: SA Schools vs Argentina Under-18

16.00: England Under-18 vs France Under-18

Saturday, 17 August 2019 at Hugenote High School, Wellington

12.00: SA Schools A vs Argentina Under-18

13.30: France Under-18 vs Wales Under-18

15.00: SA Schools vs England Under-18