The first team rugby players of the home side will be under huge pressure to perform at the annual Grey High Festival.
Grey will be hosting the tournament in Gqeberha, with 66 matches being played on Saturday and Monday at five venues.
The home ground advantage will assist Grey in their two matches but it also means the expectations to win will be sky-high.
Grey has a proud record at this Festival and will be ready for a massive effort in two very interesting clashes.
The main match on Saturday will be between Grey and Michaelhouse. On Monday, the final encounter will be Grey taking on another KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) visitor, Hilton College.
The two KZN opponents have not been regulars at the festival and their appearances will create a lot of interest.
Michaelhouse and Hilton will not be the only KZN schools in action in Gqeberha. Kearsney, Durban High, Northwood and Westville will also take on Eastern Cape opponents.
Other intriguing matches on Saturday will be between Westville and Selborne College (East London) and when Hilton clashes with Graeme College (Makhanda).
Bishops (Cape Town) are known for their attacking style and their match against Michaelhouse on Monday could produce spectacular rugby.
Framesby will not be at Grey but is one of the newcomers to the popular North versus South Tournament this year.
The Gqeberha team will participate in this tournament in Stellenbosch from Saturday.
Nico Malan (Humansdorp), which clashes with Framesby in interschool matches every year, will also debut at this event. Altogether 30 schools will be represented.
Framesby will play against Duineveld (Upington) and Diamantveld (Kimberley).
The first XV fixtures at Grey are:
Saturday:
• Kolisi Field: 08:00: Queen’s v St Stithians. 09:10: Northwood v Dale. 10:25: Kearsney v Pretoria Boys’. 11:45: Graeme v Hilton. 12:55: Kingswood v DHS. 14:05: Selborne v Westville. 15:25: Grey v Michaelhouse.
• Pollock Oval: 14:05: Port Rex v St Charles. 15:25: Muir v Hudson Park.
• Crusaders: 14:05: Ithembelihle v Daniel Pienaar.
Monday:
• Kolisi Field: 08:00: Dale v Westville. 09:10: Selborne v DHS. 10:25: Hudson Park v Kearsney. 11:45: Queen’s v Pretoria Boys’. 12:55: Northwood v Kingswood. 14:05: Bishops v Michaelhouse. 15:25: Grey v Hilton.
• Pollock Oval: 11:45: Port Rex v St Stithians. 12:55: Daniel Pienaar v St Charles. 14:05: Muir v Ithembelihle.
• Crusaders: 14:15: Mali XV v Woodridge.
The recent Mzwandile Mali Tournament was won by Ndzondelelo High (Zwide) who pocketed R50 000 for their effort.
Ndzondelelo High beat Thubalethu 29-5 in the final. Ndzondelelo has now won the tournament five times in a row, eight times overall. The exciting fly half of the winning team, Sibabalwe “Mimi” Gwintsa, was named the Player of the Tournament.
After the tournament, the Mzwandile Mali XV was named. This team of talented players will be in action in some very interesting matches this year.
They start against Woodridge College on Monday at the Grey Festival.
The squad is: Mivuyo Mongelwa (Luvuyo Lenumo), Jaydrian Boucher (Uitenhage), Vuyisani Booi (Molly Blackburn), Anganathi Mphahlele (Ndzondelelo), Amahle Nangu (Molly Blackburn), Sinikithemba David (Uitenhage), Amile Mkatshwa (Tyhilulwazi), Onwabe Tanana (Ndzondelelo), Ethan Jacobs (Bonzai Kabega), Sibabalwe Gwintsa (Ndzondelelo), Matthew Goliath (Uitenhage), Someleze Mavata (Ndzondelelo), Owam Mfundisi (Mary Waters), Siphenathi April (Thubalethu), Jareth Pieterse (Newtown), Sixolise Mtikitiki (KwaMaqxaki), Denash van Sencie (Bonzai Kabega), Olwam Soya (Coselelani), Ayathandwa Blom (Thubalethu), Athenkosi Thangweni (Ithembelihle), Onika Makhonza (Molly Blackburn), Olwam Msebi (Ndzondelelo), Marchellino Mars (Uitenhage).
