Union High School vs Victoria Park High School — Saturday, 23 August 2025
Union High School’s 1st XV wrapped up their 2025 rugby season with a commanding 39–24 victory over Victoria Park High School from Gqeberha on Saturday, 23 August.
The home side got off to a strong start, with Elvandre Meyer opening the scoring through a well-worked try to put Union ahead 5–0. A brilliant line break from Yaaseen Kazi soon followed, extending the lead to 10–0.
Yonela Wana impressed with a dynamic run, narrowly missing out on adding to the scoreline after a knock-on just short of the tryline. Union kept the pressure on, however, and a break from Xavier Barlow set up Liso Booi for Union’s third try, which was successfully converted to make it 17–0.
Siba Mbutye and Shaakir Kazi both crossed the line before the half-time whistle, giving Union a healthy 29–5 lead at the break. VP managed to score their first points just before half-time.
The second half began with VP capitalising on a Union error from the kickoff, quickly narrowing the gap with a try to make it 29–10. Despite a few missed opportunities and disrupted momentum from player substitutions, Union regained control when Elvandre Meyer scored his second try of the match, pushing the lead to 34–10.
Liso Booi added another try to his tally, extending Union’s advantage to 39–10. VP, however, showed resilience in the closing stages, scoring two converted tries to reduce the final margin to 39–24.
This final fixture marked Union’s 12th win in a 22-game season, capping off a year of hard work, growth, and spirited competition.
Other Match Results:
U14: Union 14 – 17 Victoria Park
U15: Union 17 – 14 Victoria Park
U16: Union 48 – 15 Victoria Park
2nd XV: Union 12 – 12 Victoria Park
A huge congratulations to Union High School, Graaff-Reinet learners (back) Sbu Jantjies, Grant Murray, Isiphile Galela, (front) Yolo Vutula, Sintayu Kaitro and Uthmaan Steele on their selection to the 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗥𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗯-𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘂/𝟭𝟮 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺!
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘗𝘗𝘚𝘙𝘈 𝘶/12 𝘚𝘶𝘣-𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘰ë𝘳 𝘝𝘰𝘭𝘬𝘴𝘬𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸, 22 𝘵𝘰 23 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵.
We are incredibly proud of them and wish them the very best as they take to the field – 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵!
On Saturday, 16 August, Union High School’s 1st XV team faced off against the Hoër Volkskool 1st XV in a much-anticipated derby that had the whole town buzzing all season.
Union dominated both territory and possession throughout the first half but struggled to convert their efforts into points, thanks to a resilient defensive display from Volkskool. The only points in the first half came from a penalty kick by Shaakir Kazi. However, a costly mistake in Union’s in goal area allowed Volkskool to score a try, giving them the lead at halftime.
In the second half, Union maintained control of the ball and territory and were eventually rewarded with a try from Makukhanye de Beer, which Shaakir Kazi successfully converted. Despite this, Volkskool proved clinical, scoring two more tries to extend their lead and secure a 21-10 victory.
It was a hard-fought match, but ultimately Volkskool came out on top in this season’s intense rivalry.
Congratulations to 𝗝𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗢𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗮𝗹 on reaching an incredible milestone – taking the field for Union High School’s 1st XV as tighthead prop for the 50th time this 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟𝗦!
Other results
U/11B lost 5-20
U/11A lost 5-38
U/13C lost 26-28
U/13B lost 5-31
U/13A won 14-5
In a tightly contested encounter, Union’s U/13A side delivered a strong and physical performance to secure a 14–5 victory. Tries were scored by Lukhona Bulembu and Liyabona Magqabi.
U14 drew 3-3
U15 lost 8-48
U16 won 39-10
2nd won 12-10
U/7B drew 15-15
U/7A won 10-5
U/9B drew 14-12
U/9A lost 7-14
UHS scores first:
U14: 17-17
U15: 28-19
U16: 36-12
2nd: 31-5
1st XV Match Report:
Union High School’s 1st XV delivered a dominant first-half performance to secure a 34-12 victory over York High School from George in their home fixture on Saturday.
Union came out strong, controlling possession for much of the first quarter, although some handling errors allowed York to briefly regain momentum. The breakthrough came when Makukhanye de Beer crossed the line for the opening try, giving Union a 5-0 lead after an unsuccessful conversion. Issy Ahmed followed up with another well-worked try, extending the lead to 12-0.
Union continued to apply pressure on York’s defence, resulting in two more tries before halftime — Makukhanye de Beer grabbing his second of the match, and Elvandre Meyer adding another. The hosts went into the break with a commanding 24-0 lead.
Facing a strong wind in the second half, Union found conditions more challenging but managed to add to their score through a try by Peter-Daniel Clegg, followed by a superb solo effort from Liam Hornabrook, who broke away from a lineout maul to score.
Despite several promising opportunities, Union struggled to convert pressure into further points due to injuries disrupting the team’s rhythm. York capitalised and managed to score two tries of their own, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.
The match ended with Union securing a well-earned 34-12 victory, showcasing strong teamwork, individual brilliance, and a solid first-half performance.
U/7A won 10-0
U/9A won 41-0
U/11A won 22-0
U/13A won 56-0
U/13A Match Report:
The boys played as a team and showed tremendous passing ability despite the wet conditions. A solid all-round performance with great teamwork on display.
Union High School had the privilege of hosting Hoërskool Middelburg on our rugby fields today. 𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗫𝗩 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂/𝟭𝟲𝗔 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, securing a 76-5 win, while a combined u/15A and u/14A team claimed a 42-12 victory. In the main fixture of the day, Union’s 1st XV rounded off the afternoon with a hard-fought 41-20 win.
𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘣𝘺.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Karoo 360 for their generous support of our u/16A rugby team and coaches.
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮-𝘶𝘱 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘫𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘺𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴, 𝘔𝘳 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘳 𝘚𝘪𝘺𝘢𝘺𝘢, 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵.
𝗔𝘁 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 – and it’s deeply encouraging to know we have partners like Karoo360 who believe in that same vision.
Thank you for seeing the value in what we do and for standing alongside us.
Hockey
U/13B won 4-0
U/13A won 1-0
U/13A Hockey Match Report:
The U/13A team dominated the game from start to finish, displaying excellent teamwork and control. Their efforts were rewarded with a well-deserved 1-0 victory.
Rugby
U/11A lost 7-28
U/13B lost 12-32
U/13A lost 24-36
U/13A Rugby Match Report:
It was a game of two halves as Lukhona Bulembu and Liya Magqabi each scored twice to give Union a 24-12 halftime lead. However, playing into the wind, the boys lost focus and eventually went down 24-36.
Union High School’s junior hockey and rugby teams enjoyed a full morning of fixtures against Woodridge College & Preparatory School on Saturday, hosted on home turf.
𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀, Union’s u/13D team secured a solid 2-0 win, while the u/13C narrowly lost 1-2. Both the u/13B and u/13A teams played to competitive 1–1 draws, reflecting closely contested games.
The U/13A girls faced a strong, hard running Woodridge team. The match was thrilling to watch with both sides attacking well and defending with big hearts. Special mention to Cayley Brunette, our grade 5 goalkeeper that made amazing saves! Despite being 1-0 down for a big part of the game the Union girls fought back with grit and determination and levelled the score with one minute left on the clock!
𝘖𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥, 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘶/11 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 27-5 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 12-5.
The u/13C and B teams gave it their all but were edged out 20-22 and 5-12 respectively. 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆, Union’s u/13A boys faced a strong Woodridge outfit.
Despite missing three key players, the team showed immense heart and commitment. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱, eventually going down 19–24 in a spirited and proud performance.
Union High School’s rugby teams took to the field against Gill College on Saturday, 26 July.
From the u/14s to the 1st XV, our players showed great determination, with 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 the u/16s (17-12), 2nd XV (24-14) and 1st team (34-24). While the u/14s (14–26) and u/15s (8–12) faced defeat, the matches were closely contested.
𝘈 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘎𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺.
1st XV Match Report
The game started slowly for Union, as the boys took some time to find their rhythm. Once they settled, they began applying pressure on the Gill defense, earning an early penalty inside kicking range. Opting not to go for the posts, Union instead pushed forward and were rewarded when Issy Ahmed crashed over the line from a maul to open the scoring. The conversion was unsuccessful, but Union had drawn first blood, 5–0.
Gill had an opportunity to respond with a penalty of their own but failed to convert. Union struck again shortly after, this time through a moment of brilliance from flyhalf Similo Mvandaba, whose pinpoint cross-kick found Liso Booi on the wing. Booi dotted down in the corner to extend Union’s lead to 10–0.
Gill fought back, gaining momentum through a midfield break which saw them enter Union’s half. Their pressure paid off with a try from a 5m lineout, narrowing the gap to 10–5. But Union responded swiftly. After a lineout, Elvandre Meyer broke through the defensive line to score under the poles. The try was converted, restoring a 12-point cushion at 17–5.
However, Gill weren’t done yet. A well-timed intercept on Union’s 10m line led to another try, bringing them back into the game at 17–12. Just before halftime, Gill capitalised on a lapse in discipline and struck again, leveling the scores at 17–17 going into the break.
Union came out firing in the second half. They regained the lead early on through a well-taken penalty, making it 20–17. The momentum continued as loosehead prop Athi Mahlati bulldozed over for a crucial try, taking the score to 27–17.
Substitute Shaakir Kazi made an immediate impact off the bench with sharp spatial awareness. His accurate cross-kick found Siba Mbutye, who finished beautifully to push Union further ahead at 34–17.
Injuries and moments of ill-discipline disrupted Union’s flow, allowing Gill to mount a late surge with a well-earned try, closing the gap to 34–24. Despite the pressure, Union held firm in the dying minutes to secure a well-deserved win.
Final Score: Union High School 34 – 24 Gill College