Well Done, Dantรฉ

A huge ๐—ช๐—˜๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ ๐——๐—ข๐—ก๐—˜ to Grade 8 learner ๐——๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ ๐— ๐—ถ๐—น๐—น๐˜€ on being awarded his EP colours for representing the U16 Eastern Province Elephants team at the Junior National Indoor Cricket South Africa tournament this past April.

๐˜›๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ข ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ข ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ง๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ง๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ถ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ.

๐—ช๐—ฒโ€™๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚, ๐——๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ, and wish you all the best as you continue to enjoy your cricket.

Junior Rugby & Hockey Provincial Trials

This past weekend saw a proud showing from our Grade 7 learners, with ๐—š๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜ ๐— ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜† (loose forward) and ๐—ฌ๐—ผ๐—น๐—ผ ๐—ฉ๐˜‚๐˜๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ (hooker) representing us in Makhanda at the Eastern Province Rugby Unionโ€™s second round of trials for the EPPSRA U13 team.

At the same time, ๐—˜๐—บ๐—บ๐—ฎ ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ฟ and ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜†๐—น๐—ฎ ๐—ข๐˜๐˜ flew the Union flag high in Gqeberha as they took part in the second round of EP U13 hockey trials.

๐˜ž๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฃ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ช๐˜ณ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ข๐˜บ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜บ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ถ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ด๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ญ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ฉ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ข๐˜ด๐˜ฎ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ.

Senior Rugby Representative Selection

A big ๐—–๐—ข๐—ก๐—š๐—ฅ๐—”๐—ง๐—จ๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ฆ to our Union High School rugby boys on their well-deserved selection to various representative teams.

We are incredibly proud to see ๐—ž๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐˜๐—ฎ named in the U16 Grant Khomo Invitational Team, which will compete in Durban during the June holidays, as well as ๐—”๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ท๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฟ๐—ผ ๐— ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฟ and ๐—Ÿ๐˜‚๐˜†๐—ผ๐—น๐—ผ ๐—ž๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ถ (U16 Karoo) and ๐—”๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜†๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฎ ๐— ๐—ฎ๐—ต๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ, ๐—ฆ๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜„๐—ฒ ๐— ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜๐˜†๐—ฒ, ๐—ง๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐˜€๐˜„๐—ฎ ๐— ๐˜‚๐—ป๐˜‡๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฎ, ๐— ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜…๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฒ ๐—•๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜†๐—ถ, ๐—ฌ๐—ฎ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—ž๐—ฎ๐˜‡๐—ถ, ๐—ฌ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฎ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฎ and ๐—˜๐—น๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐— ๐—ฒ๐˜†๐—ฒ๐—ฟ (U18 Karoo) earning their places.

๐˜ž๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ฉ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜บ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ต ๐˜จ๐˜ฐ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ธ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜จ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ญ๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ฌ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜™๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ 2 ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜Œ๐˜— ๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ด ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜›๐˜ถ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ฅ๐˜ข๐˜บ, 5 ๐˜”๐˜ข๐˜บ.

Thank You, GBG & Xero

We were deeply grateful to receive a supply of Gilbert match balls last week, kindly sponsored by GBG Graaff-Reinet in partnership with Xero.

The handover took place during a delightful gathering on Thursday afternoon at The Coldstream Restaurant – a relaxed and meaningful occasion that brought together local schools and community partners around a shared vision: ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜…๐˜ ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป.

These match balls, along with the thoughtful goodie bags, represent far more than a generous gift. ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ ๐˜ƒ๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐˜†๐˜€, our programme and the important role that sport plays in shaping characterinstilling discipline, resilience teamwork and pride.

๐˜ž๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ข๐˜ฑ๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ช๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜จ๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ง๐˜ถ๐˜ญ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ข ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฎ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜บ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ถ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ต ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ด ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ

Rest Gently, Mr Kroon

๐˜›๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ด ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅโ€ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ด๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ง.

It is with deep sadness that we share news of the passing of ๐— ๐—ฟ ๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ž๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ป – a much-loved member of the Union family, an educator of rare dedication and a gentleman whose quiet impact will be felt for generations to come.

An ๐—ข๐—น๐—ฑ ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฒ, ๐—–๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿต๐Ÿฒ๐Ÿฐ, Roryโ€™s connection to Union was lifelong. From his own school days, through to attending his ๐Ÿฒ๐Ÿฌ๐˜๐—ต ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ท๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜๐˜„๐—ผ ๐˜†๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ด๐—ผ, he remained closely bound to his classmates and to the spirit of the school he loved so dearly.

After studying geology at Rhodes University, Rory returned to education with purpose, later completing further studies in mathematics and teaching through UNISA. In ๐—๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿต๐Ÿด๐Ÿต, he began his teaching journey at Union – one that would span over two decades and leave an indelible mark on countless young lives.

He went on to serve as ๐——๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐˜‚๐˜๐˜† ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ and during a pivotal time in the schoolโ€™s history, stepped in to act as Headmaster, leading with steadiness and integrity until the appointment of Mr Pringle. He retired at the end of 2011.

Yet, beyond the titles and years of service, it is the ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ we remember most vividly.

Rory had a remarkable way of making the complex feel possible. In his classroom, ๐˜€๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐˜€ ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ – not just as subjects, but as shared discoveries. He brought humour into the lab, patience into every explanation and a genuine care for each learnerโ€™s journey. Stories shared on social media over the past week speak of a teacher who made time, who listened, who debated and who believed deeply in fairness and understanding -๐˜ฆ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ท๐˜ช๐˜จ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜จ๐˜ถ๐˜ข๐˜จ๐˜ฆ, ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ง๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ๐˜ข๐˜ด๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ.

๐—›๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ฎ๐˜€, ๐—พ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—น๐˜†, ๐—ฎ ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ผ ๐˜€๐—ฎ๐˜„ ๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€.

Roryโ€™s legacy is also woven through his family. Together with his wife Pam, they raised four children – Margot, Ted, Steve and Kathy – all of whom matriculated from Union, continuing a proud and enduring family connection to the school.

As we reflect on his life, we are reminded that the true measure of a teacher is not found only in results or accolades, but in the ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ, ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐˜ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ. In this, Roryโ€™s legacy is extraordinary.

To the Kroon family, we extend our heartfelt condolences and hold you close in our thoughts and prayers.

For those in Graaff-Reinet, an ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฎ will be held on ๐—ง๐—ต๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜†, ๐Ÿฏ๐Ÿฌ ๐—”๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—น ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐Ÿญ๐Ÿญ:๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ at the ๐—ฆ๐˜ ๐—๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—›๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น, ๐—–๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐˜, where friends are invited to gather, share stories and celebrate Roryโ€™s life.

ย For those further afield, the family has created a space to share messages, memories and photos: ย https://forms.gle/X9kxAKKogg37C9Ah6

๐˜™๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ต ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ญ๐˜บ, ๐˜”๐˜ณ ๐˜’๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ.
๐˜ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ – ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ด, ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ต๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด ๐˜บ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ ๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ง๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ถ๐˜จ๐˜ฉ๐˜ต.

Langenhoven Gimnasium Festival – Results

Rugby Report

The team faced two tough fixtures against strong local opposition, gaining valuable experience and lessons along the way.

Match 1: Union vs Langenhoven Gimnasium (Final)
The hosts came out firing from the start, applying relentless pressure through well-executed up-and-under kicks that unsettled Unionโ€™s back three. Costly errors allowed Langenhoven to capitalize, racing to a commanding 34โ€“7 lead at halftime.

Union, however, showed immense resilience in the second half. By changing their attacking strategy, they clawed their way back to level the score at 34โ€“34. Unfortunately, fatigue set in, and two lapses in concentration led to quick tries for the hosts. The final whistle saw Union defeated 48โ€“34, but the spirited comeback highlighted the teamโ€™s adaptability and fighting spirit.

Match 2: Union vs Oudtshoorn High School
Unionโ€™s second fixture was against Oudtshoorn High, who entered the game brimming with confidence after a big win over Fish Hoek. Anticipating wide attacks, Unionโ€™s defense closed down the wings effectively, but this left gaps in midfield which Oudtshoorn exploited twice.

In the second half, Unionโ€™s reserves made a strong impact, dominating possession. However, forced errors and โ€œwhite line feverโ€ proved costly. Despite their efforts, Union went down 35โ€“12. While not the desired result, the match showcased the teamโ€™s ability to adapt defensively and highlighted areas for growth.

Positives and Highlights
Resilience & Adaptability: The ability to change attacking strategies mid-game and fight back from a large deficit.
Defensive Lessons: Exposure to varied opposition tactics will strengthen Unionโ€™s defensive responses in future fixtures.
Player of the Tournament: A special congratulations to Josh Arends, whose outstanding performances earned him this accolade.

Off-Field Experiences
The tour was not only about rugby. The team enjoyed a memorable outing to an ostrich farm, learning about different species and products, and even feeding the ostriches. Recovery sessions with compression boots and massages were a special treat, ensuring the players were well looked after.

Hockey Report

This was our first time attending the Langenhoven Gymnasium Festival. Initially, there was some disappointment around sacrificing a long weekend for only three games. However, once we arrived, the festival atmosphere quickly changed our perspective and it became clear that the girls truly needed this experience.
From the start, we established ourselves as the team to beat at the festival.
Results:
โ€ข UHS 1st Team Girls vs Langenhoven Gymnasium: UHS won 1โ€“0
Our girls dominated from the start to secure a 1โ€“0 victory. Despite some challenging decisions from the umpires throughout the game, what stood out most was the teamโ€™s composure. The girls remained calm and did not allow external factors to affect their performance. A true mark of the First teamsโ€™ class and maturity.
โ€ข UHS vs Dirkie Uys: UHS won 10โ€“0
โ€ข UHS vs King Edward High School: UHS won 8โ€“0
Across all matches, the UHS displayed excellent attacking hockey and disciplined structures.
Man of the Match Awards:
โ€ข Leigh-ann Murray (x2)
โ€ข Amy Waddelow
โ€ข Katelyn Trollip

It was especially rewarding to hear positive feedback from other coaches and spectators, who described our brand of hockey as exciting to watch. More importantly, they acknowledged the respect and humility shown by our players throughout the tournament. We are proud not only of the results, but of the manner in which our girls represented the school, playing with intensity and always upholding the school values.
Well done, girls!

๐—ข๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ก๐—œ๐—ก๐—š ๐—–๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—˜๐— ๐—ข๐—ก๐—ฌ of the 2026 Langenhoven Gimnasium Sports Fest in Oudtshoorn.

Junior Sport Vs Kroonvale – Results

Rugby

The U/11A team delivered a dominant performance to win 24โ€“0, displaying excellent teamwork and defensive discipline. The U/13A side continued the winning momentum with a strong 19โ€“0 victory, controlling the game from start to finish.

Hockey

In hockey, the U/11A team produced an outstanding performance against Kroonvaleโ€™s U/13A side, securing an emphatic 8โ€“0 win. Their attacking play and finishing were exceptional, highlighting a well-rounded team effort.

Thank You, Astron Energy Eastern Cape

๐—ฆ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—น๐˜† ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜†๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜† ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฝ ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ.

For Union High School, the enduring relationship with Astron Energy Eastern Cape and its local brand partners stands as a powerful example of what sustained community investment can achieve.

๐—™๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐˜€, ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ธ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ปโ€™๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ด๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ ๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐˜€ – the Senior Rugby & Hockey Festival, now in its 37th year, and the Anne Beagley Junior Rugby & Hockey Festival, celebrating its 24th milestone. Together, these festivals have grown into some of the most respected school sporting gatherings in the Eastern Cape, welcoming over 600 learners from across South Africa to the heart of the Karoo for days of spirited competition, camaraderie and unforgettable memories – twice a year.

๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—น๐—ผ๐˜†๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐˜† ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป. Originally established by Old Unionite Clive Berlyn during his tenure as CEO of Caltex Eastern Cape Marketers, the partnership laid the foundation for what would become a defining feature of Unionโ€™s sporting calendar. From those early days – when Caltex and College Motors first came on board – to the present, the commitment has remained unwavering, even as the brand evolved into Astron Energy in South Africa.

๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฒ ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—น๐˜† ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ณ๐˜‚๐—น ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ, ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐˜๐—ต ๐—”๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—š๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ณ-๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐˜† ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฏ๐—ผ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—”๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ โ€“ a full-circle moment that reflects both continuity and growth. Today, alongside Astron Energy Eastern Cape, the partnership is proudly strengthened by local stalwarts Astron Energy Graaff-Reinet (College Motors), represented by ๐— ๐—ฟ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜‡๐—ฎ, and Astron Energy Bothas Market Square (Bothaโ€™s Garage), represented by ๐—๐—ผ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐— ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฎ ๐—ฆ๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜.

College Motors, located on College Road, has established itself as a distinguished initial destination for travellers entering Graaff-Reinet.

Acquired by Pierre Le Grange in 1999, the business entered a new chapter in March 2024 under the ownership of his son-in-law, Stephan de Souza. With more than 20 years of industry experience, De Souzaโ€™s journey has come full circle – from starting his career under Le Grange, to refining his skills in Cape Town and ultimately returning to invest in and lead the business alongside family.

Recent upgrades, including a modernised facility and an expanded FreshStop offering, have transformed the site into a 24-hour convenience hub. With well-loved additions such as Seattle Coffee Co. and FreshStop favourites like Crispy Chicken and Grill to Go, College Motors continues to serve both locals and travellers with the same welcoming, family-oriented approach that has defined it for decades.

๐—˜๐—พ๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐˜† ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ถ๐˜€ Bothaโ€™s Garage ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐— ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐—ฆ๐—พ๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ – a true Graaff-Reinet institution. With a history stretching back more than a century, the site has long been woven into the fabric of the town. Since taking ownership in June 2024, Johan and Michaela Smit have embraced this legacy while bringing fresh energy to the business.

The recent redevelopment of the premises, including a modern retail space, coffee offering and improved facilities, reflects a thoughtful balance between heritage and progress – a commitment that mirrors the spirit of the festivals they support.

The impact of this long-standing sponsorship reaches far beyond the boundary lines of the fields. It enables Union to host large-scale, high-quality events that would otherwise not be possible – events where young sportsmen and women experience not only competition, but the warmth of Karoo hospitality and the unique charm of a town that opens its doors to them. ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ต๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐˜‚๐˜€, ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€, ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ ๐˜๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜.

For Graaff-Reinet itself, the ripple effect is significant. These festivals bring vibrancy, visitors and economic activity to the town, while showcasing the Karoo as a destination of both natural beauty and community spirit.

Quite simply, this is a partnership that has stood the test of time. The longevity of Unionโ€™s Rugby & Hockey Festivals is inseparable from the loyalty and generosity of Astron Energy Eastern Cape and its local partners. ๐˜›๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ช๐˜ณ ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ต ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ด – ๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฎ ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ ๐˜ง๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ฉ.

๐—”๐˜€ ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ณ๐˜‚๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜€, ๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐˜€๐—ผ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฑ๐—ฒ. Because behind every whistle blown and every try scored lies the quiet, steadfast support of partners who have believed in the journey from the very beginning.

Well Done, Shana!

On Saturday, 18 April, Union High School Grade 7 learner ๐—ฆ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฎ ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ป participated in an archery competition hosted at Hoรซr Volkskool.

๐˜š๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ข ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฆ๐˜น๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ด ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ค๐˜ช๐˜ฑ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ข๐˜บ.

In the Bullseye competition, she secured 1st place with a top score of 259, showing impressive consistency across both distances. She followed this up with another strong showing in the 3D event, finishing 2nd with a score of 238.

๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—น๐˜† ๐—ฎ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ฎ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฑ, Shanaโ€™s results reflect both her skill and composure and she can be very proud of a standout overall performance.

Goals For Good: Glen Harry Game Reserve

Some partnerships hold a special kind of significance – and this is one of those.

As part of our ๐—š๐—ข๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—ฆ ๐—™๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—š๐—ข๐—ข๐—— initiative, Glen Harry Game Reserve just outside Graaff-Reinet, has come on board in support of the ๐—š๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ณ-๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—”๐˜€๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป. With every goal scored by our 1st Girlsโ€™ Hockey team this season, their contribution will help provide care, comfort and practical support to those in our community facing cancer.

Glen Harry Game Reserve – one of the oldest game farm establishments in South Africa – offers a unique Karoo experience, allowing visitors to connect freely with its vast, wildlife-rich landscape. Under the management of Katjana Ott, it remains a place where nature, history and conservation meet in a truly special way.

๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ข๐˜๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—น๐˜† ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐—ต-๐—น๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜†. Daughters Layla, Alexa and Sophia are proud Union girls, while Joseph and Katjana are ever-present behind the scenes – always willing to lend a hand in the organisation of school fundraising efforts and events.

๐—•๐—ฒ๐˜†๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—น ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐˜€, they also pour enormous energy into events like Thru the Karoo and Tri the Karoo, both of which require significant planning and commitment and contribute greatly to the broader community.

Kat herself is an accomplished endurance athlete, regularly competing in triathlons, marathons and Ironman events – bringing the same passion, discipline and drive to everything she does. She also has a wonderful creative touch, often adding beauty to Union occasions through her thoughtful floral arrangements.

๐˜ž๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ ๐˜จ๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ง๐˜ถ๐˜ญ ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ฌ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜–๐˜ต๐˜ต๐˜ด, ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ ๐˜จ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ช๐˜ณ ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ, ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜จ๐˜บ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ต.

Goals for Good – where every goal makes a difference.