Category: Rugby

A solid afternoon of rugby for Union High School against Cradock, with the 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗫𝗩 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟮𝟰-𝟭𝟬 𝘄𝗶𝗻.

Union’s 1st XV delivered a commanding performance, setting the tone early with quick attacking play that saw them dominate possession and territory. Their fast start, however, led to a lapse in defensive concentration, allowing Cradock to capitalize with an easy try.

Cradock then shifted tactics, turning the game scrappy by kicking frequently and testing Union’s back three under pressure. Despite this, Union held firm and responded with a well-executed maul to regain control.

While Union were clinical in many areas, several final passes went astray. Had those passes gone to hand, the scoreline could have been far more emphatic. The focus going forward must remain on team effort—sacrificing an individual try for the sake of a well-constructed team try is key to building consistency and dominance.

Try scorers: Yasseen Kazi (1), Peter Daniel (2), Ronan Ewers (1)
Conversions: Qhama Solomon (2)

Union’s ability to adapt and maintain composure under pressure proved decisive, ensuring a solid victory.

OTHER RESULTS

There were also positive results from the U16s (26-10) and the 2nd XV, who put together a strong performance to win 43-10.

The U14s (29-32) and U15s (3-10) came up against tough opposition, but showed good effort in their respective matches.

𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺.

The rugby fixtures against Sunridge proved challenging, with our teams facing strong opposition across all age groups.

U/11A went down 19–0, while U/11B lost 39–0. In the U/13 division, U/13B suffered a 50–0 defeat and U/13A lost 43–7.

While the results were not in our favour, the fixtures highlighted key areas for development, particularly in defence, physicality, and game management. These matches will serve as valuable learning experiences as we continue to build and improve throughout the season.

This past Saturday, Union High School’s 1st XV traveled to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) to face a well-prepared Victoria Park side. The opposition had clearly studied our previous matches and executed a smart defensive plan, shutting down many of our attacking opportunities.

Despite this, Union managed to break through. Qhama Solomon calmly slotted a penalty to put us on the board, and soon after, Dwaine Koeberg produced a brilliant break, supported by excellent team play, to score the only try of the match. Although the performance was not polished, the boys showed composure under pressure—an important lesson that will serve them well later in the season. The 1st team secured a hard-fought 8 – 0 victory.

The 2nd XV also impressed, sticking to their game plan and delivering a strong performance. Their discipline and teamwork paid off with a convincing 31–7 win.

Well done to both teams on a tough but rewarding day of rugby. The grit and determination shown will undoubtedly strengthen the squad as the season progresses.

Other scores (UHS first):
U14: 7 – 20
U15: 0 – 41
U16: 14 – 43

Well done to our young Union High School, Graaff-Reinet rugby players, 𝗨𝘁𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗲, 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘆, 𝗬𝗼𝗹𝗼 𝗩𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮, 𝗜𝘀𝗶𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗹𝗮, 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝘄𝘂𝘀𝘂 and 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘆𝘂 𝗞𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗼, on their selection to the U13 Karoo Rugby Team for 2026.

This is a wonderful achievement and a proud moment for both the boys and our school.

We wish them all the very best as they represent the Karoo at the EP Rugby Sub-Union Tournament taking place on 16 and 17 April in Kariega – 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

At the start of the recent school holiday, Union High School’s U11A rugby boys and U13A hockey girls travelled to Clarendon Park Primary School in Gqeberha to take part in the 2026 Tavcor VW Alan Lones Hockey and Rugby Festival.

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀, the rugby boys showed steady improvement as they took on strong opposition across the festival. They recorded a solid win over Lillyfontein (27-5) and a draw against Clarendon Park Inv (7-7), while also gaining valuable experience in closely contested matches against Grey Inv (5-14), Charlo (12-19), Hudson Park (10-14) and a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Clarendon Park.

Excitement filled the air on Friday the 3rd April. The Boys eager to get to Bloemfontein.

Saturday 4th of April saw Union take on Hoerskool Upington. A hard fought game. Which up till the last 10 minutes could of gone either way. The end whistle went and Union ended victorious 26-15. Tries scored by Benji , Noel and two from Liyabona. Lukhona was successful with 3 of 4 conversion

Monday 6th of April Union played against Grey College C. The boys showed guts and determination going into half time with a 7-0. Second half saw Grey College fight back. They boys never gave up till the final whistle. Union lost 12-24. Tries scored by Liyabona and Lwandle. Lukhona added 1 conversion.

On the final day Union was up against Hoërskool Trio. A tough opponent again. The boys set the tone of not backing down from the start no matter size difference. Half time Union was Leading 7-5. Second half and discipline letting us down. Allowed Trio back into the game. Union ended up losing 10-15. Try Scored by Liyabona and Nathaniel added the conversion and a penalty.

Throughout the festival the boys developed confidence and self belief. They didn’t back down to larger opposition rather played smarter rugby.

The u14 would like to thank uncle Trevor and Mr Koeberg for driving and being with us on tour. Thank you to the parents who attended and supported from the sideline. A touch of home always boosts the boys.

On 27 March, we played against Monument Park and unfortunately went down 0–55. The boys showed great character and resilience, bouncing back strongly on Saturday with a well-deserved 19–5 victory over Frans Conradie. We played our final match on Monday, 30/03/2026, against Eikestad, where we lost 7–41.

Despite the mixed results, the Marlow tour was a valuable and memorable experience for the team. The boys showed growth, determination, and great team spirit throughout, and we are proud of their effort and attitude both on and off the field.

UHS U/15 and U/16 rugby teams travelled to Gqeberha over the holidays to participate in the Westering High School Junior Rugby Festival held on 27–28 March 2026.

On the opening day, both teams delivered outstanding performances against Alexander Road High School. The U/15 side secured a solid 14–0 victory, while the U/16 team followed up with an impressive 31–7 win. These results provided a strong start to the festival and boosted confidence heading into the second round of matches.

Day two presented a much tougher challenge, as both teams faced Hoërskool Otto du Plessis. The U/15 team encountered a formidable opponent and went down 0–50. The U/16 side, however, put up a spirited fight and remained competitive throughout, only to lose narrowly 15–22 in the closing minutes of the game.

Despite the mixed results, the festival provided valuable game time and important learning opportunities for both squads. The experience gained will no doubt contribute positively as the teams prepare for the upcoming season.