Interhigh more special than a 'normal match'

School sports
On the cricket field, both schools had results to celebrate this week.
Andrew Poolman
  • 15 Hours Ago
As always, the first teams’ rugby clash at 19:00 on Saturday will bring a buzzing climax to the 2025 edition of the sports interhigh between Windhoek High School and Windhoek Gymnasium.

WHS is the host this year, with Hollard as the main sponsor.

Both the WHS Kudu Bulls and the Gymnasium Lions went on pre-season tours to South Africa, where they tasted some success, while also being handed a lesson or two by some of the neighbouring country’s bigger rugby schools.

Gymnasium attended the Paul Roos Rugby Festival in the Western Cape, where they first took on Paul Roos’ third team in a friendly match-up just shortly after completing their 26-hour bus trip. The tourist lost this one 14-29, but won against both Tygerberg’s first team (23-22) and HTS Daniel Pienaar (26-22).

The Gymnasium Lions’ head coach Mauritz Thirion says his first team contains rather few grade 12 boys. “Our team is on the younger side, but the new blood brings good energy.

“As we know, the interhigh is a big event for both schools, and is always a special privilege to be involved with.

“We’ve been trying as best we can to keep ourselves calm, as if it is just a normal rugby match, but with all the attention and full pavilions singing songs of support, we know the atmosphere will be quite special,” Thirion says.

The coach adds that three players with minor injuries on tour in South Africa have recovered sufficiently to be selected for Saturday.

Gymnasium dominated the second half of the 2024 interhigh at the Lions Den to win 35-16 – to double up on the previous year’s triumph at Vegkop Stadium (15-6).

WHS head coach Jan Dames has experienced campaigners including the flank and captain Pieter-Jan Strydom, scrumhalf Dominique Isaacs, centre and vice-captain Ethan Sinden and fullback William Beukes to steer the on-field efforts for the Kudu Bulls.

A loss to WHS was when centre Ignatius Kandowa suffered a fracture on tour in South Africa. His absence is expected to last for another three weeks or so, before he will re-join the campaign to defend WHS’ Standard Bank U19 Super League title.

The rugby first teams:



Samsung Windhoek High School Kudu Bulls: 15 William Beukes, 14 Sergio Steenkamp, 13 Ethan Sinden, 12 Luthando van Wyk, 11 Luke Saal, 10 McRein van Wyk, 9 Dominique Isaacks, 8 Keathen Klazen, 7 Lorenzo Awaseb, 6 Pieter-Jan Strydom (captain), 5 Keanan Louw, 4 Isaiaha Kazondovi, 3 Jaden Bock, 2 Xander Campbell, 1 Cashton Cloete.

Bench: 16 Xavier Louw, 17 Stephen Pretorius, 18 Dawid Ludick, 19 Praise Kamonga, 20 Delarey de Klerk, 21 Damian Klein, 22 Xavier Bampton, 23 Steven van Wyk.

King Price Windhoek Gymnasium Lions: 1 Rudolph Harmse, 2 Jayvin du Plessis, 3 Gert van Wyk, 4 Buhlem Oelofsen, 5 Adriaan Opperman, 6 Fourie Steyn, 7 Lihan Horn, 8 Vincent Scholtz (captain), 9 Jan Daniel de Villiers, 10 JD Meintjies (vice-captain), 11 Aiden Henckert, 12 JD Jankowitz, 13 Pieter-Stephan Stassen, 14 Oliver Seager, 15 Xavier van Wyk.

Bench: 16 DJ Gouws, 17 Dirk Badenhorst, 18 Jaden Ochs, 19 Curnal Beukes, 20 Janru Greeff, 21 Evan Dreyer, 22 Matthew Raubenheimer, 23 Jaydrian Jansen.

• Main interhigh fixtures and kick-off times on Sport Wrap page 2 today.



Gym wins U19 cricket match

On Wednesday, Windhoek Gymnasium’s first cricket team beat WHS by 51 runs at the United field.

Gymnasium’s winning total of 160/3 in 20 overs was built around number four Waldo Smith’s impressive 80 off 53 balls (8x4 2x6), finding support from his captain Faf du Plessis (23 off 24 balls; 2x4 1x6), while opener Michael Müller (9) was caught after hitting a six. Tiaan van der Merwe scored 15 and Aiden Feely was not out on 14.

JP Blignaut was the pick of the WHS bowlers (1/19 in 4 overs).

WHS was soon in trouble at 33/3 and 59/5, before the desperate attempts of JP Blignaut (27 off 26 balls; 1x4 1x6) and number seven Gordon Beresford (28 not out off 18 balls; 1x4 1x6) only got them to 109/6 in 20 overs.

Gymnasium’s Murray Hendriks took 2/19 in 4 overs.

• A star-studded WHS dominated the old boys’ match by seven wickets, after bowling out Gymnasium for just 81 runs.

JJ Smit’s seam bowling was too hot to handle for most, as he bowled Zacheo van Vuuren (4) and trapped Michau du Preez (2) leg-before on his way to 4/9 in 3 overs. Eben van Wyk top-scored with 16 runs.

WHS’ Zane Green hit a six off his first ball and was caught by Van Vuuren off Lu-Hendro de Waal’s next ball, but Wilhelm Schultz (15), Handre Klazinga (15), Eneill Buitendag (25*), Malan Kruger (18, retired hurt) and Dylan Finch (2*) got WHS to the target without needing its batting bug guns Gerhard Erasmus, JJ Smit or Nicolaas Scholtz.