A look at the historic Paarl Gim vs Affies rivalry

On Saturday 25 March 2017, a new era in schoolboy rugby kicks off when Paarl Gimnasium (Paarl Gim) and Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool (Affies) will play their first official Premier Interschools match. These two schools have met on and off over 50 years but have never had an annual interschool derby where all teams get to compete. This is a long outstanding encounter as both schools have been at the top of South Africa’s school’s rugby for close to a century. Since the first time they met in 1967, they have played only 16 games in 50 years against each other with Paarl Gim winning eight, Affies winning six and two draws.

Rugby at Affies

Affies is famed and regarded as one of the best rugby schools in South Africa. It has delivered many Springbok players in the past and continues to supply loads of talent in the SA Schools and SA Academy sides. Affies also have many former scholars plying their trade at all provincial levels of rugby.

Affies have a huge talent pool in the school and one that is rich in depth. There are more than ten senior teams each year, and teams as far as G-teams are filled at each age group.

Each year Affies challenge the country's leading rugby schools such as Grey College (Bloemfontein), Maritzburg College, Waterkloof, King Edward VII and many more. At these derby matches each team gets a chance to take the field for the Wit Bulle. In the last few decades Affies has produced top quality players such as Louis Schmidt, Wynand Olivier, Fourie du Preez and Pierre Spies (also an Affies choir boy) to name but a few.

Perhaps Affies' most unknown star was Francois Swart who played fly-half for Die Wit Bulle (the school's first team) alongside scrum-half Fourie du Preez. The formidable duo played for the Blue Bulls and were fast becoming the next Springbok scrum-and fly-half pair. Swart tragically died in 2004 and since then Affies hosts an under-15 rugby tournament in the Easter Holidays bearing the name of Francois Swart. The long-standing legacy of Affies rugby builds each year and upcoming stars are still being produced.

Rugby at Paarl Gim

Paarl Gimnasium is without doubt one of the Big Five rugby schools in South Africa. They have to date produced 23 Springboks of which 21 have been capped in tests for South Africa.

Rugby started at the school in 1902 and the early years no strict age-groups were defined and the schools operated as a rugby club, the staff frequently turned out in the colours of the school. The headmaster back then, FC Wahl also captained the school's 1st XV!

Their biggest rivals are Paarl Boys High situated in the Southern Paarl. Their annual Interschools have the unofficial title of “Biggest Interschools” in South Africa. In 2012, while still at school, their captain and pivot Handré Pollard represented South Africa at the u20 World Cup tournament with aplomb. Called up for the injured Johan Goosen, Pollard played a vital role in SA winning the final against New Zealand. He again represented SA u/20 in 2013 and captained the side in 2014. The young man is currently the captain of Blue Bulls Super Rugby team and in 2014 he became Paarl Gim’s 20th Springbok.

The game will be broadcast live on SuperSport Select (channel 210) and SuperSport 6 (Channel 206) from 11.50.