Scintillating St Charles versus St Stithians showdown lives up to expectations

1st XV rugby: Report by head coach Craig DwyerSt Charles College welcomed St Stithians College to Pietermaritzburg this past weekend for the latest chapter of a growing and highly competitive full school exchange. With perfect conditions throughout the weekend, both schools embraced the opportunity to play an exciting brand of running rugby. Friday evening provided an entertaining start to proceedings.

The mighty sixth XV fixture ended in a hard-fought 17-all draw, while the U15C side showed tremendous character to fight back from 21-0 down before narrowly losing 28-27. Saturday’s 1st XV clash certainly lived up to expectations. St Stithians struck first, but St Charles responded well in a fast-paced and physical encounter.

Outstanding defence from both teams helped set the tone for a fiercely contested match, with St Charles taking a narrow 12-10 lead into half time. The home side started the second half strongly and extended their advantage to 26-10. However, St Stithians showed great character to fight their way back into the game and took a dramatic 29-26 lead with less than two minutes remaining.

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St Charles refused to go away.Following an excellent kick-off chase and a scrum deep inside the St Stithians’ half, Bonga Nkosi eventually crashed over from close range to level the scores at 31-31. With the final kick of the match, Caleb Sharp once again showed remarkable composure to slot the conversion and secure a thrilling 33-31 victory for the boys in Blue & Gold. We wish them all the best for the remainder of their season and look forward to renewing the rivalry next year.

A final thank you must go to all our players, coaches, support staff and parents. The care, passion and commitment being invested into St Charles College Rugby continues to shine through, and the progress across the programme is a credit to everyone involved.Final Score: St Charles College 33-31 St Stithians College. 1st team hockey: Report head coach Matthew CoombesUnder the Friday night lights, St Charles College welcomed visitors St Stithians from Johannesburg for what proved to be a fiercely contested and highly physical hockey encounter.

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