A good start to the season for our rugby boys, who took to the field today for their first matches at the annual ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฌ.
The ๐จ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ opened the day with a solid 26-5 win over Hoรซrskool Kirkwood, followed by the ๐จ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ who secured a steady 17-7 victory against Get Ahead College.
Our ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ซ๐ฉ added to the results with a well-earned 24-15 win over Hoรซrskool Kirkwood.
The ๐จ๐ญ๐ฑ๐ were involved in a closely contested match against Aeroville Secondary School. Despite their determined effort, they narrowly lost 24-27.
Union High Schoolโs 1st hockey team returns home today after competing in their first festival of the 2026 season – a wonderful start filled with promise for the season ahead.
They opened with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against ๐ช๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น, followed by a 4-0 victory over ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐๐บ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น. A narrow 2-1 loss to ๐ข๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ท๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ธ๐ผ๐ผ๐นโs 2nd team tested their resilience, but they finished strongly with a well-earned 2-1 win against ๐ฉ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น.
Union High School’s 2nd hockey team participated in the ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฌ on Saturday, 28 February, putting in a steady and committed performance throughout the day.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ against Templetonโs 1st team (2-0) and Adelaideโs 1st team (1-0). They faced tougher opposition in Lilyfontein’s 1st team (0-3) and Hangklip’s 1st team (0-2), but continued to compete with determination in each match.
Union High Schoolโs U11A and U13A teams enjoyed ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ผ-๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ against a visiting Muir College Boy’s Primary School side, with both age groups producing encouraging performances across the weekend.
The ๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐ showed great character on Friday after a shaky start with the bat. Liam Raath (29*) and Callan Strydom (15) rebuilt the innings maturely to post a competitive total of 78.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐, with Mark Copeman and Callan Strydom each claiming four wickets to secure a 35-run victory. On Saturday, the boys were outstanding in the field, dismissing Muir for just 22 runs. Mark led the way with superb figures of 5 for 4, well supported by Lucko Pehlo and Callan, before Unionโs openers comfortably chased down the target without losing a wicket to complete a confident 10-wicket win.
The ๐จ๐ญ๐ฏ๐ side also made the most of the two-day contest. Fridayโs match was a tightly fought encounter, with Union holding their nerve to claim a thrilling two-wicket win off the final ball.
Michael Maritz anchored the chase with a valuable 33 after the bowlers had restricted Muir to 96/6. On Saturday, ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, skittling the visitors for just 7 runs, with Edwin Holmes taking six wickets and Sintayu Kaitro adding four.
๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ and ๐ญ๐ผรซ ๐ ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ delivered commendable performances at the Eastern Cape Provincial Trials this weekend, competing against some of the strongest swimmers in the province.
๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฒ๐น impressed with his versatility, earning three 2nd place finishes in the 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke, along with third place in the 50m Backstroke and 200m Individual Medley.
He placed within the top six in all his events – a fine achievement across a demanding programme.
๐ญ๐ผรซ showed admirable consistency in her specialist stroke, securing third place in the 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke.
Well done to Grade 5 cricketer ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป on claiming an incredible 6 wickets for just 5 runs in 3 overs, including a superb hat-trick, against Willem Postma Primรชr.
There are very few people we could imagine stepping into the well-worn shoes of Mr Kingwill as Estate Manager, but in ๐ ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ we have every confidence that we have found a most worthy successor.
With a smile and what looked suspiciously like the keys to the entire kingdom in hand, Mr Kingwill officially entrusted Mr Jacobs with his new domain today.
We have no doubt that under his watchful eye, everything will remain in excellent order – ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ช๐ต ๐ฎ๐ข๐บ ๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ ๐ข ๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ช๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐ค๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐น๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ญ๐บ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐บ๐ด ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ค๐ฌ๐ด!
As this month draws to a close, so too does an extraordinary chapter in the life of our school.
With ๐ ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐๐ถ๐น๐น retiring as Estate Manager of Union High School, we paused this morning to honour a man whose quiet dedication has shaped our school for nearly three decades.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐, Mr Kingwill has been a steady and faithful presence on our campus – arriving before most, leaving long after many and tending to our grounds and facilities with pride and care.
During Assembly today, we paid a very special farewell tribute to him. There was a deep sense of gratitude in the air as we reflected on the years he has given so selflessly. Following Assembly, our staff and learners formed an ๐๐ข๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ – a corridor of appreciation – lining up to thank him in a way words alone never quite could.
In an emotional moment, Mr Kingwill was invited to ring the Centenary Bell – its clear notes echoing across the grounds he has cared for so faithfully.
Congratulations to our Union High School, Graaff-Reinet and Union Preparatory School, Graaff-Reinet swimmers who, following their excellent performances at the recent Karoo Gala, were selected to represent the Karoo Team at the ๐๐ก๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ being held at Merrifield College in East London at the beginning of March.
๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ผ Grace Kitching, Mercy Dizitiro, Liam Pienaar, Uziah Willemse, Catie Davenport, Gemma Murray, Daniel Davenport (absent), Taylor Jacobs and Lisa McEwan, as well as Ruben Bester, Blake Bezuidenhout, Alivia Palmer, Julia Walker, William Preston and AJ Venter.
This evening we had the privilege of hosting our ๐๐จ๐ก๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก and what a wonderful evening it was.
From powerful reflections on believing in yourself, to the influence of role models, to the thought-provoking question of whether happiness is a choice – ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐, ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐.
We are incredibly proud of every learner who participated. Public speaking takes bravery and our juniors rose to the occasion beautifully.
A special ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, Chantรฉ Bezuidenhout (1st place), Clea Clark and Aidan Ferreira (tied 2nd place) and Isabelle Tadesse (3rd place).
