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2026 Kearsney Easter Rugby. Zwartkop High School joins Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival line‑up.
Kearsney College is delighted to announce that Hoërskool Zwartkop will join the 2026 Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival (KERF) line‑up next month.
Newcomers to KERF
Newcomers to KERF, Zwartkop arrive with an impressive rugby pedigree across the age groups. In 2024, their U16A side was also crowned champions of the Noordvaal Plate Division. Several of those players are now forming the backbone of the school’s 1st XV.
Zwartkop replaces Italian club Verona, which recently announced it will no longer participate as a team.
Festival organiser and Kearsney’s Director of Sport, J‑P Lubbe, said Zwartkop’s inclusion adds further quality and competitiveness to this year’s event.
“Last season, they were also ranked among the top rugby schools in Gauteng, and their progression through the age groups is evident in the strength of their current 1st XV. They are a well‑coached, physical side that plays an exciting brand of rugby, and we believe they will add real value and intensity to this year’s festival,” said Lubbe.
“We are grateful to Zwartkop for stepping in at short notice. Their willingness to be part of the festival speaks to the standing of KERF and ensures that spectators can once again look forward to a weekend of top‑quality schoolboy rugby.”
Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival is now in its 17th year. It is widely regarded as one of South Africa’s premier school rugby events. It offers spectators a unique glimpse into the styles and strengths of leading rugby schools.
Schoolboy Rugby talent
The 2026 festival promises another thrilling showcase of schoolboy rugby talent. Top teams from across South Africa and abroad are set to compete. Zwartkop will join fellow Gauteng sides Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen (Boksburg). Furthermore, Newcomers Helpmekaar College (Braamfontein), Hoërskool Rustenburg (North West), Eastern Cape’s Hoërskool Framesby (Gqeberha ), and Milnerton High School (Cape Town).
Making their KERF debut will be Catholic University School (Dublin, Ireland). Peterhouse Boys’ School from Zimbabwe also returns for its second festival. KwaZulu‑Natal will be represented by Durban High School (DHS), Westville Boys’ High, Glenwood High, and host Kearsney College.
The three play days over Easter weekend are Thursday 2 April, Saturday 4 April, and Monday 6 April.
Adding further excitement, four U16 girls’ teams will feature in lunchtime fixtures. They are Mowat Park High (Montclair), Grosvenor Girls’ High (Bluff), Ohlange High School (Inanda), and Ogwini Comprehensive Technical High School (Umlazi). Twelve primary school teams will also enjoy the thrill of festival rugby in front of large crowds. It includes Peterhouse College’s touring U13 side from Zimbabwe and the KZN Ibutho Development team, alongside local schools Ashton Ballito and Atholl.
Read more school news here: https://schoolsthatrock.co.za/
https://www.kearsney.com/college/
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