After playing starring roles for their unions at the U18 Craven Week tournament, several Eastern Province and Border players have been presented with golden opportunities to dazzle under the glare of the national spotlight at Grey High School on Thursday.
The next generation of Springbok stars will be desperate to make the most of one of the biggest occasions on SA’s school rugby calendar when boys and girls’ SA Schools teams take on SA A sides in showpiece matches.
The star-studded SA Schools and SA A squads for boys and girls were finalised by selection panels last week after five days of action-packed rugby in Gqeberha.
After being selected for national honours, the chosen boys and girls remained in Gqeberha this week to prepare for Thursday’s annual clash between the squads.
Thrilling running rugby is expected in the double-header, with the girls getting the action underway at 1pm. The early clash will be followed by the boys’ clash on the iconic Kolisi Field at 3pm.
An unfortunate injury has resulted in EP utility back Lucritia Magau receiving a late call-up to play for the SA A team.
The enforced move came after Olwethu Kosani (centre) was forced to withdraw from the SA Schools squad due to injury on Monday.
This resulted in Sharks teammate Anesu Kuzonyei (centre) being called up from the SA Schools A squad to take Kosani’s place, with Magau taking Kuzonyei’s berth in the A side.
Last week EP’s Luke Doyle and Erin Nelson were picked for the SA Schools boys’ team, and Akho Tonjeni and Luniko Marivate were included in the SA A side.
The sole Border representative on the SA Schools side is utility back Ncuthu Kepe.
Nelson, who was one of the standout players at Craven Week, is set to join the Emirates Lions franchise in 2027.
The hard-running Nelson will join Graeme College old boy Batho Hlekani, who is already a part of the Lions’ senior team. Nelson started playing rugby as a seven-year-old for the U9 team at PJ Olivier in Makhanda.
Ten players who were part of the two 2025 boys squads have been included in the SA Schools teams of the class of 2026.
Returning from 2025 are Lwandile Mlaba (lock), Jacobus de Villiers (loose forward) and Lamla Mgedezi (fullback), with all three included in the SA Schools squad again.
Juvan Burden (lock), Nhlahla Ndlovu (loose forward), Mickyle Booise (scrumhalf), Erin Nelson (centre), as well as Ncuthu Kepe and Ethan van Biljon (outside backs) all played for the A side in 2025 and have been promoted to the SA Schools team this year, while Nathan Aneke (centre) has been included in the A team again.
Head coach Lwazi Zangqa will be assisted by Heinrich Martin with the SA Schools team, while Flash Malinga (head coach) and Cobus van Dyk (assistant coach) will take the reins with the A squad.
Four EP players and two Border girls were named in a powerful SA Schools team for Thursday’s showdown.
In addition, five EP stars were named in the SA A team for a match between the two teams at Grey High School on Thursday.
The EP players named in the SA Schools team were Silakhe Masizana, Lisakhanya Kaptain, Chariva Visagie and Anothando Mbada
They will be up against EP teammates Lindokuhle Mkonto, Limise Njoli, Palesa Nqadini, Natalie de Vos and Charnique Brown, who were included in the SA A side for Thursday’s clash.
Border scrumhalf Imange Norayase and utility back Liyabona Kali were also included in the SA Schools team.
In addition, locks Kungawo Hlalukana, Anomtha Mamana, loose forward Liyema Ngawuliswazi, scrumhalf Elihle Sontsethe, flyhalf Zukhanye Roxa and utility back Buncwane Komani were named in the SA Schools’ A side.
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