Schools Day at Newlands

Schools Day this year is on Tuesday 24 March 2015, starting at three o'clock in the afternoon.

For many years, starting in 1898 schools played for shields in various age categories. This lasted till 1931 when it was abandoned so that schools in the Western Province would play the game entirely for its own sake, without leagues, cups or shields.

But in 1932 it introduced a schools day at the end of the season for invited 1st XVs and Under-15 teams. There was a competitive edge to it and it was abandoned in 1950.

The in 2004 Western Province RFU inaugurated a schools day, making this the 12th.

The modern Schools Day is an afternoon when schools get to play on the hallowed turf, and there is nothing competitive about it, save only for the 40 minutes spent playing the shortened matches of 20 minutes a half and no kicks at goal.

It is usually a day of exciting running rugby with lots of enthusiasm and a chance for schoolboys to play on lovely Newlands which is 125 years old this year, a Test ground since 1891, which makes it third only to Lansdowne Road and Cardiff's ground as the oldest Test grounds still in use, though Cardiff has changed its name and its actual plot of ground.

Entry to the Stadium is free.

For the Southern Suburbs schools this will be their first match of the year. Bishops are not playing this year as they are on their annual visit to St Andrew's whom they first played in 1896, fixture which it is getting harder and harder to organise because of term dates.

Fixtures for Schools Day 2015

15.00:    Under-9 Mini Rugby            

15.20:    Primary Schools: Dr GJ Joubert vs Parklands

15.55:    Stellenberg vs Wynberg

16.40:    SACS vs Bellville

17.25:    Boland Landbou vs Paarl Boys' High

18.10:    Paarl Gim vs Tygerberg

18.53:    Paul Roos vs Rondebosch