Stellenberg are SA’s No.1 Schools First XV – The Results Say So

There are two rankings in South African schoolboy rugby. The published table and the results and right now they don’t match. Stellenberg are No 1. The results say so.

Stellenberg school rugby rankings 2026

The Western Cape’s Stellenberg have beaten Paarl Gimnasium, Grey College and Paul Roos Gymnasium in the last month.

They lost in the final minute to Garsfontein but any First XV in South African Schools who knocks over Paarl Gim, Grey College and Paul Roos in the same month gets this platform’s current No 1 ranking.

First XV rankings will never be an absolute because of the nature of the Schools fixtures, but they generally are an accurate gage of who leads the pack, who ranks among the elite, and who are movers and shakers.

Stellenberg, for some time, have been threatening to produce big results against the biggest traditional rugby schools, and in 2026 the promise of a school just 40 years old has translated into their best ever month of First XV rugby.

Stellenberg’s current First XV is the result of a decade of improvement and excellence. The results of the past month are not an overnight success story or a fluke.

Where First XV rankings have always fallen short is that they often start the new season with ‘carry over’ and historical ranking from the previous season, when, in many instances, it may as well be a different competition each year.

Many First XVs are complete overalls from the year before.

Grey College, for a decade, simply owned the No 1 spot because of such potency in depth from U14s upwards, with the Western Cape powerhouses Paarl Gim, Paarl Boys High (Boshaai) and Paul Roos Gim battling for the No 2 spot nationally.

In the Western Cape it was usually either Gim or Boshaai, with Paul Roos rejuvenated in the past five years, who led the provincial rankings.

Grey College, in the past month, have lost to Stellenberg and St Joseph’s Nudgee College, from Brisbane, Australia. It is the first time since 2017 that Grey College has lost two matches in succession.

Paarl Gim, beaten 20-19 by Stellenberg, will probably reclaim the Form No 1 in the next month, especialy after hammering Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies).

Garsfontein are enjoying a great start, with the one-point win against Stellenberg and upstaging Boshaai.

KEO 2026 FIRST XV SCHOOLS FORM RANKING
(RESULTS-BASED)

1. Stellenberg
2. Paarl Gimnasium
3. Garsfontein
4. Paarl Boys’ High
5. Paul Roos
6. Grey College
7. Affies
8. Oakdale
9. Westville
10. DHS

PUBLISHED RANKINGS 

• Paarl Gim
• Paarl Boys’ High
• Affies
• Paul Roos
• Grey College
• Garsfontein

(Source: Ruggas.co.za and SA School Sports rankings tables)

THE DIFFERENCE

The rankings reward consistency over time, which is why Stellenberg are not getting the acknowledgement of present results on the more traditional Schools Rankings platforms.

Rugby 365 have recognised Stellenberg in their rankings, although they rightly point out that the depth of the First XV could determine where they ened the season.

Schools Rugby Rankings

 

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