Springboks Rugby Fans Rave About Schoolboy Matches, 'Gets More Spectators Than Some Teams'
- Rugby fans packed school fields across South Africa over the weekend, showing huge support for schoolboy rugby
- Proteas cricket legend Kevin Pietersen and other sports figures praised the skill and depth of players at the school's levels
- Some matches had more spectators than professional games, proving schools' rugby’s widespread appeal
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Schools' rugby is a big deal in South Africa, and not just because it grooms talent that goes on to play for the Springboks. It is also hugely popular because it attracts large crowds and has a passionate fan base nationwide.
Source: Getty Images
Several schools continue to produce players who now compete in international rugby. For example, Bishops College has produced Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, while Maritzburg College in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) educated Jesse Kriel and his brother Dan Kriel.
South African schoolboy rugby draws massive crowds
Over the weekend, as is often the case, rugby fans attended school rugby matches, even though one highly anticipated derby between Hilton College and David High School, scheduled for Saturday, 21 March 2026, was cancelled due to a flu outbreak. Matches that went on still saw massive crowds.
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Former South African and England cricketer Kevin Pietersen praised South Africa’s school rugby on X, stating:
@KP24:
"I’m watching highlights of schoolboy rugby from SA yesterday, the depth in that sport in SA is off the charts. The SA schools rugby team could actually reach the semi-finals at next year’s RWC in Australia! 👀"
See the tweet below by Pietersen.
Pietersen’s tweet highlighted the quality of school rugby in South Africa. Several schoolboys have already been recruited by Irish clubs, a strong indication of the high standard of rugby being played.
Fans celebrate the popularity of school rugby
Other rugby fans echoed Pietersen's praise.
@scrumming_ten:
"South African schoolboy rugby gets more spectators than some professional teams 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦👌🏻👌🏻."
Watch a clip of the school's rugby crowd below:
@IamMangi:
"These schools make it compulsory for boys to attend, so by extension, most parents attend for both competing sides, and small cosy fields are full."
@AlastairMarti16:
"True that - I was at Bishops, and even back in my day the crowds were huge compared to UK school games."
@HaveaZiyah:
"That's more spectators than most Super Rugby Pacific attendance in Australia 😂."
@M3ta_crow:
"Because schoolboy rugby tickets are not R240 per person 🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️."
@Schoeman1964:
"Because they play much more entertaining rugby!"
See the post on X showing a schoolboy rugby crowd:
South African schoolboy rugby continues to captivate fans, proving that the sport’s appeal extends far beyond just developing future Springboks. To show his faith in the school's rugby, head coach Rassie Erasmus named two rising stars, Markus Muller and Kai Pratt, in the alignment camp squad.
Source: Getty Images
Ex-Junior Bok secures 3-year deal
Briefly News previously reported that Benetton have secured the services of Sharks fly-half Jean Smith on a three-year contract ahead of the new United Rugby Championship season, bringing the 22-year-old back to familiar surroundings in Treviso.
He previously came through the Benetton academy system while his father, Franco Smith, was based in northern Italy
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Source: Briefly News
