Category: Rugby

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 to Union High School’s u/13A rugby captain, 𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗯𝘂, on his well-deserved selection to the U13 Craven Week team.

This is a remarkable achievement and we are incredibly proud that he will be representing the Eastern Province Rugby Union at the upcoming SARU National Youth Week being hosted by Selborne College from 30 June to 4 July.

𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘣𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺!

Union High School’s senior rugby players travelled to Komani for a much-anticipated clash against Hangklip High School this past Saturday.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴, 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻.

After several missed chances, Liso Booi finally broke the deadlock with a well-earned try, confidently converted by Makukhanye de Beer, who remained flawless with the boot all game.

Hangklip quickly answered back, taking advantage of Union’s struggles to secure restarts. De Beer responded with a try of his own, only for Hangklip to once again bounce back.

A brilliant run by De Beer then opened the way for Athi Mahlati to score, 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝟮𝟭-𝟭𝟮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.

Union extended the lead after the break with a try from Xavier Barlow – again converted by the reliable De Beer – to make it 28-12. But 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 as Hangklip clawed their way back with three unanswered tries, ultimately snatching a 29-28 victory in the dying moments.

𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦:
• u/14A: Lost 10 – 38
• u/15A: Lost 17 – 29
• u/16A: Won 26 – 14
• 2nd XV: Won 14 – 10

𝘈 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 – 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴!

U/11A lost 17-19

U/13A won 50-3

U/13A Match Report

Union dominated from the start, securing a convincing 50–3 win. Lukhona Bulembu scored 3 tries and Noël Shakane scored two tries in a strong all-round team performance.

Our junior rugby boys enjoyed a spirited outing to Kingswood Junior School on Saturday, 17 May.

The 𝘂/𝟭𝟭𝗔 side delivered an impressive performance, claiming a 34-5 victory, while the 𝘂/𝟭𝟯𝗕 team followed with a strong 38-12 win.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂/𝟭𝟯𝗔 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺, who showcased outstanding teamwork to secure a commanding 50-7 triumph.

𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥.

We were excited to host Spandau Secondary School on Thursday afternoon for a round of rugby matches.

1st XV match report

From the opening whistle, it was clear this was going to be a physical and high-intensity encounter. Union set the tone early, with Shaakir Kazi crossing the line for the first try within minutes. Xavier Barlow followed up with a second try, giving Union a dream start at 14–0.

The momentum continued with tries from Peter-Daniel Clegg and Yaaseen Kazi, extending the lead to 26–0. Despite consistent pressure and control from Union, a brief lapse allowed the hosts to score just before half-time, bringing the score to 26–7 at the break.

The second half saw Union resume their dominance. The kickoff was secured and turned into immediate attacking pressure. Makukhanye de Beer added his name to the scoresheet, followed by two more tries from Yaaseen Kazi — completing a well-deserved hat-trick. Yonela Wana also impressed with two tries of his own, sealing an emphatic 53–7 victory.

A special mention goes to Yaaseen Kazi for his outstanding hat-trick performance and relentless work throughout the game.

Other Results:
(𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵)
U14: 28 – 5
U15: 12 – 0
U16: 57 – 16
2nd XV: 29 – 5
1st XV: 53 – 7

𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘶 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘣𝘺!

This past Saturday, Union High School’s rugby fields saw our players battle it out against a visiting Muir College Boys’ High School, Kariega in a series of home matches.

𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 – from the spirited effort of our youngest u/11s to the nail-biting finale of the 1st XV’s narrow 30–31 encounter, our boys gave their all on the field.

1st XV Match report

The Union side got off to a brilliant start by scoring in the first minutes of the game through a try by Shaakir Kazi. Not long after the first Union try, Muir scored a try through poor defense from the Union side. Quick thinking from scrumhalf Makukhanye de Beer lead to his name being put on the scoreboard and allowed Union to take the lead again, score now was 12-5. A lapse in concentration once again allowed Muir College to score a try. A try by Similo Mvandaba once again extended Union’s lead to 17-10. The Union boys struggled to secure the kick off from the try scored, allowing Muir College to get into our half and regaining possession which eventually lead to them scoring once again, the score now was 17-17. A penalty kick through Makukhanye de Beer allowed Union to take the lead by 20-17 going into the half-time break. 

Muir scored to quick tries at the start of the second half, immediately putting the Union boys under tremendous pressure and we were now behind by 11 points. A try by Yaaseen Kazi middle second half gave the boys some confidence and this lead us to fighting right up until the end of the game, scoring a try by Liso Booi, the conversion was unfortunately missed and this gave the victory to Muir College by 30-31.

𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳.

The results were as follows: u/11A lost 0–12, u/11B lost 26–42, 𝘂𝟭𝟯𝗔 𝘄𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝟯𝟴–𝟯𝟲, u/13B lost 14–38, u/14 lost 7–17, u/15 lost 20–33, u/16 lost 15–45, the 2nd XV lost 17–35 and the 1st team delivered an intense game, narrowly losing 30–31

The Union Schools’ 𝗝𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗥 𝗥𝗨𝗚𝗕𝗬 teams took to the field on Wednesday afternoon, 7 May 2025 in a spirited set of home fixtures against Karel Theron Primêre Skool/Primary School.

It was a proud day for our young boys, with the u/7A team securing a confident 15-0 victory, while the u/7B side gave it their all in a tough 5-20 contest.

The u/9A team impressed with a solid 19-10 win and the u/11A boys showed great determination to edge out their opponents 15-10.

Rounding off the afternoon with flair, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘂/𝟭𝟯𝗔 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟱𝟮-𝟳.

𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱!

On Saturday, 26 April 2025, the Union High School 1st XV delivered a dominant performance against Cradock High School, securing an emphatic 51–7 victory.

Union got off to a flying start, crossing the try line twice in the opening stages of the match. The early points gave the team solid momentum, which they capitalized on throughout the first half. By the break, Union had surged ahead to a commanding 36–0 lead.

The second half followed a similar script, with Union maintaining control through relentless pressure, dominating both territory and possession. Their structured gameplay and disciplined defense kept Cradock on the back foot, while the attack continued to pile on the points.

A special mention must go to Sibabalwe Mbutye, who had a standout performance by scoring a hat-trick of tries, showcasing his skill, speed, and finishing ability.

This commanding win is a testament to the team’s preparation and cohesion and bodes well for the rest of the season.

Other results:
U14: 5-25
U15: 15-17
U16: 32-5
2nd: 13-7

Union High School, Graaff-Reinet’s 𝟭𝗦𝗧 𝗫𝗩 traveled to Oudtshoorn over the Easter weekend to participate in the Langenhoven Gimnasium Sports Festival.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺, Langenhoven Gimnasium, the boys faced an early challenge as the hosts secured the first points with a try, leading 7-0.

However, Union quickly responded with a try from 𝗬𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗮 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗮, leveling the score. Union then took the lead with two penalty kicks, bringing the score to 13-7.

𝗞𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗴 further extended the lead with another try, making it 18-7. Unfortunately, a lapse in concentration allowed Langenhoven Gimnasium to narrow the gap to 18-14. 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗶’s try ensured that Union went into halftime with a comfortable 23-14 lead.

𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧, 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴. 𝘜𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 31-23.

Union’s second game was against Brighton Secondary School, also from Oudtshoorn.

Brighton struck first, scoring a try and taking a 5-0 lead. A well-executed line-out and maul set the stage for Union’s first try, scored by 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗔𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗱.

Brighton then capitalized on defensive lapses from Union, regaining the lead at 12-7. 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗾𝘂𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲 made his mark by scoring a try, which, along with a conversion by 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝘂𝗸𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗲 𝗱𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗿, put Union ahead 14-12. A penalty try pushed the score to 21-12 in favour of Union at halftime.

However, the second half mirrored earlier struggles, as costly mistakes, including a red and yellow card, allowed Brighton back into the game. They narrowed Union’s lead to 21-19 before 𝗘𝗹𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘆𝗲𝗿 scored again, bringing the tally to 28.

𝘜𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 29-28.