Please find below a few key rugby dates in what will be a high impact 6-week finish to the 2024 season next term …

Key Term 3 rugby dates:

  • Monday 8 July – Afternoon training for all rugby players. Each team will communicate (generally 15h30 – 17h30)
  • Tuesday 9 July – Term 3 starts. U17 Colts team vs Caterham (15h30 kick-off Piley). Function for participating boys after the match – Heatlie Pavilion.
  • Saturday 13 July vs Paarl Gimnasium (Away)
  • Saturday 20 July vs Paul Roos Gimnasium (Away)
  • Friday 26 July –Normal training directly after school
  • Saturday 27 July – No league Fixture. U16A and U17 Colts vs King Grantham.
  • Morning training for all rugby players. Possible friendly matches for 14(B – D), 15(B- D) and 16(B-C)
  • Saturday 3 August – Wynberg (A)                  
  • Saturday 10 August – SACS (H)                       
  • Saturday 17 August – Rondebosch (A)

The fixtures on SOCS have been updated. Please make that your first port of call.

All boys have been given holiday training programmes specifically designed to keep them fit and strong. Conditioning is such a key cog to any rugby programme, and any drop off over the break will be hugely disruptive. We also cannot be giving up any training days, and as such will have all our coaches out for training on the afternoon of Monday the 8th, the day before Term 3 starts.

To those that attended the Rugby Forum hosted by Council chairman Crispin Sonn last week, thank you. These are indeed tough times for Bishops rugby, and in recognition thereof, we thought it important to give parents a chance to ask questions directly.

Clearly not wanting to waste a good crisis, ask you did! Pertinent questions around results, intake, style of play, skill levels, size of boys, recruitment, conditioning, injuries, management and coaching infrastructure, responsibility, and the boy’s morale.

In addressing these, the Rugby Committee spoke about both our short- and long-term plans to get Bishops rugby back on track, and it was great to see the mood in the room switch to a much more positive one. As always, context is key. But please know that no stone is being left unturned as we explore solutions to the questions asked.

In closing, a massive shout out to the revitalised Bishops Rugby Supporters Club who hosted what we hope to be an annual rugby dinner to raise funds for both Bishops rugby, and VUSA. Held at the Mitre and Woodlands, it was a fabulous affair that included a highly entertaining Q&A with Stormers coach John Dobson and the auctioning off of some amazing items. As such, the BRSC will be financing some key rugby initiatives at Bishops, something we are incredibly appreciative of, and also handing over a R25 000.00 cheque to VUSA. Just wonderful!

Bishops Rugby Managers:

U14 A/B – Wandile Nzuza: 076 513 5339 or wnzuza@bishops.org.za

U14 C/D – Philip Court: 072 774 6212 or pcourt@bishops.org.za

15 A/B – Chris Ekron: 072 630 8222 or cekron@bishops.org.za

15 C/D – Sa-eed Slamdien:  073 262 6756 or sslamdien@bishops.org.za

16 A/B – Barry Emms: 083 254 8262 or bemms@bishops.org.za

16 C – Kurt Baatjies: 071 514 6569 or kbaatjies@bishops.org.za

5/6th XV – James Swift: 083 545 6787 or jswift@bishops.or.za

4th XV – Ruan Ellis: 079 899 8694 or rellis@bishops.org.za

3rd XV – Richard Smith: 072 826 6666 or rsmith@bishops.org.za

1st and 2nd XV – Warwick Richter wrichter@bishops.org.za