Pieter Rossouw believes the depth of schoolboy rugby in South Africa has grown significantly.
The former Springbok wing, nicknamed “Slaptjips” for his unique running style, has been Paarl Gimnasium’s director of rugby since 2015. He says the landscape is no longer dominated by just a handful of elite schools as the chasing pack continues to close the gap.
“It’s not just about the top four or five schools anymore,” Rossouw told Rugby365 ahead of the start of the new schools season this weekend.
While established giants such as Grey College, Affies, Paul Roos and Paarl Gimnasium have remained among the most consistent performers, Rossouw pointed to a growing number of ambitious schools making their presence felt.
“Oakdale had an unbelievable team last year. They managed to beat Boishaai [Paarl Boys’ High] and Paul Roos and they will be very good again this year,” he said.
“Garsfontein are always in the mix, Helpmekaar will have a strong team again this year, while DHS [Durban High School] are one of the leading schools at the moment and we are playing them more regularly.
“The media may not see these teams as ‘top five schools’, but they are proper rugby teams and results against them are never guaranteed.”
Rossouw believes the improvement reflects greater investment in schools rugby across the country.
“Five years ago maybe some of these teams weren’t as well known in this context,” he said. “But they’ve improved their rugby programmes in recent times and the margins are so small these days.
“Look at Paul Roos. They had a very good side and still lost five games. Other teams are catching up.”
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Paarl Gim kick off their 2026 campaign on Saturday with an away clash against Stellenberg High.
“We are starting all over again,” Rossouw said. “It’s easy to say you want to be No 1 in the country, but in reality you have to focus on the task at hand and take it one game at a time.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
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