School rugby returns

Schoolboy rugby supporters in Pietermaritzburg and across KwaZulu-Natal can look forward to a thrilling season of traditional rivalries and top-class school rugby as the 2026 King Price Derby Series gets under way. Schoolboy rugby starts at most Midlands schools this weekend. This year’s series will feature 45 derby matches involving 47 leading rugby schools from across the country.

Many of the matches highlight long-standing interschool rivalries that have shaped South African rugby for generations. Among the fixtures of particular interest to Pietermaritzburg supporters is the clash between Westville Boys’ High School and Maritzburg College on March 21 — a meeting that traditionally draws large crowds and fierce competition between the two KwaZulu-Natal schools. Another major match for local rugby followers will take place on June 6, when Kearsney College hosts Maritzburg College.

Later in the season, College will face one of the country’s rugby powerhouses when they meet Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool in Pretoria on July 25. The series is regarded as one of the premier platforms for school rugby talent, with many players using the competition as a stepping stone to provincial and national honours. According to De Wet van Deventer, chief marketing officer at King Price Insurance, the initiative is about far more than sponsorship.

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The King Price Derby Series gives talented young players a national stage, whether they come from a powerhouse or smaller community school. “It is a statement about belief, opportunity and building the next generation of South African rugby,” he said. Fans will be able to follow every moment of the action as all 45 matches will be broadcast on SuperSport Schools’ linear channel 216 on DStv as well as on the SuperSport Schools App.

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