For all results, fixtures, videos, photos and information visit the new Premier Interschools website at http://www.premierinterschools.co.za/

All stats provided by Nelio De Sa from www.RUGBY15.co.za

Follow Interschools on: 

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/Premierinterschools

Twitter: @PremierSchools

Historic overview

King Edward VII School v Jeppe High School for Boys

The annual Johannesburg derby between arch-rivals King Edward VII School and Jeppe High School for Boys is once again upon us. On Saturday 8 August these two schools will meet for the 84^th time on a rugby field since 1935. It is one of the oldest continuous Interschools derbies in the country, boasting a great heritage and tradition.

Jeppe just came short of achieving a rare ‘three-in-a-row’ against KES in 2014 when they drew the game 17-17. They surprised KES in 2012 with guts and glory rugby, living up to their school motto: “Nothing is too difficult for the brave”.

In 2013 KES had home ground advantage but lost a nail-biting encounter 15-12. Last year Jeppe were back on their own field and deemed to be favourites, but KES hung in there to secure an impressive draw.

Results down the years

1935: KES won 20-0

1936: KES won 26-0

1937: KES won 12-3

1938: Jeppe won 14-3

1939: KES won 9-6

1940: KES won 10-0

1941: KES won 8-3

1942: KES won 9-3

1943: KES won 11-3

1944: Jeppe won 11-9

1944: KES won 16-10

1945: Draw 3-3

1946: Jeppe won 9-3

1947: KES won 8-6

1948: Jeppe won 11-3

1949: Draw 0-0

1950: KES won 12-6

1951: Jeppe won 17-3

1952: Jeppe won 22-8

1953: Jeppe won 8-6

1954: Jeppe won 20-6

1955: Jeppe won 14-0

1956: KES won 13-3

1957: Draw 0-0

1958: KES won 16-14

1959: Jeppe won 16-8

1960: KES won 8-6

1961: KES won 12-11

1962: KES won 17-5

1963: Jeppe won 18-0

1964: KES won 22-19

1965: KES won 12-11

1966: KES won 6-0

1967: Jeppe won 16-9

1968: KES won 15-9

1969: KES won 9-3

1970: Draw 5-5

1971: KES won 12-5

1972: KES won 37-0

1973: KES won 15-10

1974: KES won 39-3

1975: KES won 28-3

1976: KES won 57-0

1977: KES won 51-3

1978: KES won 39-6

1979: KES won 22-20

1980: KES won 26-3

1981: KES won 22-10

1982: KES won 18-6

1983: Jeppe won 17-10

1984: KES won 18-15

1985: Jeppe won 18-13

1986: KES won 36-4

1987: KES won 18-10

1988: KES won 17-9

1989: KES won 21-18

1990: KES won 16-3

1990: Jeppe won 12-9

1991: Jeppe won 9-6

1992: Jeppe won 21-0

1993: KES won 22-21

1994: KES won 22-20

1995: KES won 24-22

1996: Jeppe won 12-5

1997: KES won 38-15

1998: KES won 23-3

1999: KES won 30-15

2000: KES won 27-9

2001: Draw 15-15

2002: KES won 38-3

2002: Jeppe won 20-14

2003: KES won 27-7

2004: KES won 12-0

2005: KES won 30-7

2006: KES won 12-0

2007: KES won 40-18

2008: KES won 24-14

2009: KES won 65-10

2010: Jeppe won 17-13

2011: KES won 36-15

2012: Jeppe won 28-13

2013: Jeppe won 15-12

2014: 17 – 17

Rugby at KES

Shortly after Desmond Davis, an Association Football enthusiast, retired in March 1931, plans were laid by his successor and father of all sport at King Edward, Robbie Robinson, to start rugby at the School for the 1932 season. He enlisted the help of Eric F.K. Tucker, who persuaded the Transvaal Rugby Union to level and grass an ugly, dusty slope on the school grounds to transform it into two rugby fields.

On 27 April 1932 the school’s fields were opened when the chairman of the governing body and ex-Matie, H.J. Hofmeyr, kicked the first ball. On that occasion Frank Robinson expressed his wish that King Edward boys would repay the Transvaal Rugby Union in due course by reproducing in senior rugby what they had learned at School.

As early as 1931 the school rugby colours had been decided. For the 1st XV cardinal red jerseys with white collars, white pants and red and white ringed socks. The rest of the school were to play in red, white and green ringed jerseys with dark blue pants and black stockings with red and white tops.

Bruce Macdonald, who left the School in 1939, was selected for Transvaal and is the first ex-KES boy to play in a Currie Cup final, in 1947. The 1956 side produced two provincial players in A Miller and J Faber, while A.H. Bladen was a member of the 1961 side who was selected for the Junior Springboks.

Norman Picker (later a Transvaal player) saw his 1968 side home with a 100% record over 17 games. Other names to play representative rugby include: L Barnard, G Lawless, E van der Merwe, R Keil, S Marot and D Malherbe.

Unbeaten teams down the years are immortalized in photographs in the Rob Wray Pavilion. These include:

1st Rugby XV 1974

Played 14, won 14. Points for 503, against 125.

Captain: Lee Barnard.

1st Rugby 1973

Played 13, won 13.

Captain: Lee Barnard.

1st Rugby 1978

Played 16, won 16.

Captain: Brian Hodgkinson.

1st XV Rugby 1968 

Played 17, won 17. Points for 393, against 88.

Captain: Norman Picker.

U14 Rugby Team 1960

Played 15, won 15. Points for 345, against 0.

Captain: Jimmy Punter.

South Africa internationals from KES

Henry Martin ‘Skaap’ Forrest was the first Old Boy to represent the Boks. He played seven tour matches on the 1931-32 trip to the British Isles and Ireland. He represented Transvaal before making his Springbok debut in 1931, aged 23, against Swansea. The school has memorabilia kindly donated by Mr Forrest on display in the School Museum.

Forrest actually played no rugby at the school, only 2nd team soccer (rugby began at KES in in 1931) and only took up the game at Wits Rugby Club. In his first season (1929) he was selected for Transvaal and two years later became a Springbok Tourist.

Bok 719 is Joe van Niekerk. Big Joe played 52 Tests and was SA Rugby Player of the Year in 2002. The huge, athletic loose forward also captained his country at U-21 level.

Van Niekerk represented Golden Lions (2001-2002 & 2008), Western Province (2003-2007) and capped his career off at Toulon (from 2009 to 2013). As captain of Toulon, he put in consistently strong performances, earning his accolade as the best player in the French Top 14 in 2009.

Bryan Gary Habana became Bok 766 and is only the fourth South Africa international to earn more than 100 caps. Brian has also played in France for Toulon since 2013. He previously represented Western Province (2010-2013), Blue Bulls (2005-2009) and Golden Lions (2004).

Habana’s list of achievements in the Bok Green & Gold are particularly noteworthy:

• Three-time South African Rugby Player of the Year (2012, 2007 & 2005).

• Became the first South African to reach 50 Test tries.

• He has scored the most tries in Vodacom Super Rugby of any South African.

• He passed the great Joost van der Westhuizen’s long-standing record of 38 Test tries for South Africa at the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

• Bryan was the IRB’s World Rugby Player of the Year in 2007.

South Africa schools and academy players from KES

1974 LEE BARNARD (SA SCHOOLS)

1974 S CARTY (SA SCHOOLS)

1997 M. KALI (SA ACADEMY)

1997-8 JOE VAN NIEKERK (SA SCHOOLS)

2008 W MJEKEVU (SA SCHOOLS)

2009 S NTUBENI (SA SCHOOLS)

2011 M MARX (SA ACADEMY)

2011 S MAYEKISO (SA ACADEMY)

2012 M MARX (SA SCHOOLS)

Craven Week 2015

Senzo Mkize,  Lwazi Monokali.

Under-18 Academy Week 2015

Percy Matlatle.

U-16 Grant Khomo Week

Yanga Hlalu, Travis Gordon, Keagan Glade.

U-16 Academy Week

Ricci Marussi, Tyler Hayward.

U-16 Academy XV

Golden Z Msipha.

PUK Week U-19

Micci Marussi, Manny Mbata.

Rugby at Jeppe

Jeppe High School for Boys has a proud rugby tradition, with an emphasis on sportsmanship. An unbeaten junior team is a common occurrence but the Jeppe 1st XV have only had three unbeaten sides – In 1954, 1959 and 1967, although in many years they have lost only one match.

The First XV pitch is named the Collard Field after Jack Collard, who coached the First XV from 1942 to 1960. But without doubt the most famous Jeppe Old Boy and coach is Jake White, his fame going far beyond the Collard Field to the great grounds of the world. He coached Jeppe to successful campaigns from 1989 to 1994.

White was born in Johannesburg and attended Jeppe High School for Boys where he played in the First XV. He began his coaching career as a high school rugby coach at Parktown Boys’ High School’s First XV before returning as a teacher and coach of the school’s First XV. White’s success with the school team resulted in him being appointed as provincial schools coach.

Later he coached various U-19 and U-21 sides before assisting Springbok squad preparations by doing video analysis. By this time he was well known for his technical prowess in rugby circles and he lived up to his reputation by coaching the U-21 Springbok side to glory in the 2002 U-21 World Cup.

hite was appointed as head coach of the national team in early 2004 when South African rugby was in turmoil following their poor performance at the 2003 World Cup. He coached them up to 2007, culminating in South Africa’s second World Cup win.

Some notable achievements by White:

• Winning the Tri Nations (2004).
• Winning the World Cup (2007).
• Taking South Africa from 6th on the IRB World Rankings (2003) to 1st (2007).
• IRB International Coach of the Year (2004, 2007).
• Biggest score ever by a Springbok side (134-3 against Uruguay in 2005).
• First home series win against France since 1975.
• First victory over the All Blacks at Newlands since 1976.
• Consecutive wins versus Australia and New Zealand for the first time since 1998.
• Most successful South African team at home in the history of Springbok rugby.
• First South African team to beat Australia three times in a year since 1971.
• First South African team to beat Australia in Australia since 1998.

Four Jeppe Old Boys have played for South Africa. Des Sinclair and Wilf Rosenberg, both centres and contemporaries in the Springbok team; and James Dalton and Brent Moyle, who featured together in the Jeppe front row.

Referee Rasta Rasivhenge is a Jeppe Old Boy and maths teacher, currently making a name for himself on the 7’s circuit as one of the quickest men on the field, players included.

The prominence of Jeppe is underlined by the number of players included in the Golden Lions schools teams to play warm-up matches ahead of SA Rugby’s inter-provincial youth weeks. Golden Lions teams have played against the Leopards, Blue Bulls and Valke in recent weeks and there have been Jeppe boys in action on all three occasions.

Jeppe supplied 17 players in all to the teams that met the Valke last week – second only to Hoërskool Monument, who had 34 representatives.

Jeppe’s boys were in their best form at the respective rugby weeks across the country during the winter holidays. Henry Wickens, Hacjivah Dayimani, Wandisile Simelane and Ricky Nwagbara represented the Golden Lions in the Craven Week, held in Stellenbosch from 13 to 18 July.

Five Jeppe players (Muzi Manyike, Vumile Nameka, Mpho Tjamela, James Msimango and Sipho Vagise) were part of the Golden Lions team which emerged top in the U-16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo week at the Bridgton Sports Grounds in Oudtshoorn. Tyrone Green, Martin Mangwiro, Lehlogonolo Naka and Kelvin Tubadi took part in the Coca-Cola Academy Week in Vanderbijl Park.

Andile Ngobe was selected for the U-19 Welpies, while Damian Gildenhuys, Kamohelo Chabana and Kegan Litchfield were selected for the U-16 Golden Lions side.

Head of rugby at the school, Janse van der Ryst, voiced his satisfaction with the players’ performances. “I’m very proud of our players – not just for the way they played, but also how they conducted themselves as true sportsmen,” he said.

“Our successes bear testament to the quality and depth of not only the players, but also all the coaches involved. I’d like to thank and congratulate them on all their hard work.”