FLIPPING BOOK CHRONICLE 2024

• Captain’s practices with the rest of the school doing their war cries. Touring Cape Town and Johannesburg, including a tour of Loftus Versfeld. Playing and practising with teammates, and sweating it out in many gym sessions over weeks and months in preparation for your moment to represent your school’s First XV. Rampaging runs by Aphiwe Shelembe, Robert Combrinck and Tom Baguley; massive hits by Riley Gehren and Carlyle Hawkins; runaway tries by Aya Mkhokeli, Connor McAlpine and Rourke O’Sullivan; and conversions from the corner by Luke Davidson. CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to the following for being selected to represent the Sharks’ Schools teams: • Sharks U17: Stefan Moolman, Rourke O’Sullivan, William Ridl, Dan Aissing, Alex Ardé and Oliver Davis • • • Finally, a heartfelt thank you to my assistant coaches, Dave Pachonick, Nick Tisdale and JP Olivier, for all your time and effort in developing and coaching the boys. To our team manager, Mevrou Cornelius, for all the admin and keeping control on game days, and to our strength and conditioning coach, Ross Dubazana, for preparing the team so well. We look forward to an exciting season in 2025! • Craven Week: Aphiwe Shelembe, Carlyle Hawkins and Luke Davidson

HILTON (24-23) – the win on Gilfillan was another cracker against our arch-rivals, and made it two in a row on their home ground. PRETORIA BOYS HIGH (34-27) – we came out on top on our Old Boys’ Day, despite losing our fullback to flu just before kick-off and captain to injury during the game. LEARNINGS (NOT LOSSES) We are ultimately a school and in the education business, and sometimes we must remember that it is life lessons learned that are very important. In 2018, John Smit told our then First XV that he had learned more about life and rugby from the matches he lost than from the ones he won. And we do indeed learn more from our losses, especially if we take the time to reflect and be honest with ourselves. I have learnt – or been reminded of – a few things myself, and I hope that this will make us even better in the future. Most notably: • We are not a pro team. • What you put in is not always what you get out. • Practice does not always make perfect. • There are two teams out there trying their best to win the game. • And the sun did in fact come up the next morning! MEMORIES MADE Unfortunately, the ball didn’t bounce our way in a number of games, especially towards the end of the season, but I do hope the team will remember some of the incredible performances and times they had together. • Running out on to Meadows in your first-team jerseys in front of thousands of people all heavily invested in you.

FIRST XV RESULTS

P

W

D 0

L 7

%

PF

PA

PD

14

7

50%

333

294 39

OPPOSITION

RESULT

SCORE

Helpmekaar

Lost

7-10

Westville

Won Won Lost Lost Won Won Won Won Won Lost Lost Lost Lost

25-17 37-17 24-27 23-25 34-15 24-22 34-19 24-23 17-24 34-27 10-23 15-19 25-26

Bishops

SACS

St John's (Harare)

St Andrew's

Northwood

Kearsney

Hilton

Maritzburg College

Pretoria Boys

DHS

Kearsney

Hilton

160