Wildeklawer lures big guns again

The Wildeklawer tournament, not a part of Easter's rugby, has become the most influential of the tournaments with its ability to attract a large number of top schools. This year is no different when it takes place on 28-30 April.

A change this year will be the absence of Basjan Reinhardt who did so much of the organisation but who died last year of a heart attack on the day after his birthday.

The schools invited this year are Affies, Boland Landbou, Diamantveld, Drostdy, EG Jansen, Glenwood, Grey College (Bloem), Grey High School (PE), HTS Middelburg, KES, Maritzburg College, Monument, Noord-Kaap, Oakdale, Outeniqua, Paarl Gim, Paul Roos, SARU Invitational XV, Selborne and Waterkloof.

Of these schools several were on the final Top 20 ranking in 2013 - Paarl Gim (1), Outeniqua (2), Affies (3), Grey Bloem (4), EG Jansen (5), Waterkloof (9), Oakdale (10), Grey PE (11), HTS Middelburg (12), Monument (13) and Noord-Kaap (15). Paul Roos, who did not have as good a year as usual last year were also on the FNB Top 20 at times. This year they should enjoy the arrival of a great Under-16 team in 2013. Glenwood, Diamantveld and Drostdy, too, were there for a while, and they, Boland Landbou and Selborne were always close.

Paarl Boys' High are not there this year as they are off to Japan as South Africa's representative at the Sanix Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament. Framesby of Port Elizabeth are also not there but in come Selborne of East London, HTS Middelburg and KES of Johannesburg who missed out last year.

The venue this year reverts to Hoërskool Diamantveld in Kimberley after being hosted by Maritzburg College last year as a part of the great school's 150 birthday celebrations.

There are some interesting match-ups - Gim against Affies and Grey Bloem against Outeniqua who won last year's encounter. But the truth is that every match has the promise of high standard excitement.

Fixtures

Monday, 28 April

Paarl Gim vs Affies

Outeniqua vs Grey Bloem

Oakdale vs Noord-Kaap

Paul Roos vs KES

Drostdy vs Selborne

Boland Landbou vs SARU Invitational XV

Monument vs EG Jansen

Grey PE vs Maritzburg College

Diamantveld vs HTS Middelburg

Glenwood vs Waterkloof

Wednesday, 30 April

Oakdale vs Affies

Paarl Gim vs EG Jansen

Outeniqua vs Monument

Paul Roos vs Selborne

Drostdy vs SARU Invitation XV

Boland Landbou vs HTS Middelburg

Grey Bloem vs Glenwood

Waterkloof vs Grey PE

Maritzburg College vs Diamantveld

KES vs Noord-Kaap