Kearsney Easter Festival promises the best of schoolboy rugby

THE 16th edition of the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (KERF) gets underway this Easter long weekend and promises to be bigger and better than ever.

- MIKE GREENAWAY

This year, 28 teams will participate —12 boys’ high school teams, 12 primary school sides, and the exciting introduction of a girls’ U16 division.

The popular festival always perennially delivers fast-paced, passionate schoolboy rugby between well-matched teams.

Play days are Thursday 17, Saturday 19, and Monday 21.

There is a strong KZN representation in Durban High School, Westville Boys, Glenwood, and hosts Kearsney, while there is an international flavour in the form of Zimbabwe's Peterhouse Boys’ High, the alma mater of Springbok legend Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira.

They will be joined by powerhouse teams from Gauteng — Hoérskool Dr EG Jansen (Boksburg) and Hoérskool Monument (Krugersdorp); with the exciting Eastern Cape teams HoérskoolFramesby (Gqeberha) and Dale College (Qonce), as well as Hoérskool Rustenburg (North West). Newcomers are Hoérskool Durbanville and Milnerton High from the Western Cape.

Hosts Kearsney have had a bright start to their season, winning three of their first four match-ups, and showing great heart at the Grey High Festival in particular. The One Stripe scored a last-gasp try to edge a 28-26 result over Pretoria Boys, before putting Hudson Park away 41-31.