The 2025 Chronicle

RUGBY

SPECIAL AWARDS Brett Davidson Most Improved Player: Reese Hill Floyd Paterson Stripes Trophy: Lwandle Nzama Jonathan Shedlock Memorial Trophy: Jack Carmody

Master in Charge: Mr James Fleming First XV Head Coach: Mr James Fleming Assistants: Mr Graeme Lucas-Bull, Mr Kelton Thunder

Second XV: Mr Greg Muirhead Third XV: Mr Brendan Gittins Assistant: Mr Brad McDonald Fourth XV: Mr Thokozani Ngcobo Assistant: Mr Ronald Rutland Fifth XV: Mr Herman Visagie Assistant: Mr Justin McDougall Sixth XV: Mr Righardt Kotze Assistant: Mr Garth Quaite Seventh XV: Mr Luyanda Zondi Eight XV: Mr Sim Dubazana Ninth XV: Mr Linda Shezi U16A: Mr Grant Ball Assistant: Mr Oliver Carmody U16B: Mr Brandon Venter U16C: Mr Conrad Bubb U16D: Mr William Hodgkinson

Pat Lambie Player’s Player Trophy: William Ridl Pat Cilliers Most Valuable Player: William Ridl Kevin King U16 Most Valuable Player: Fabiano Fierro Ruan Combrinck U15 Most Valuable Player: Kyan Mokgwatsane Ross Cronje U14 Most Valuable Player: Molemo Moloi Garth Finnemore Memorial Trophy: Lwandle Dube Mark Richards Sevens MVP: Oliver Guy The 2025 season was another challenging and rewarding one for Michaelhouse rug by. The competition in KZN has continued to grow stronger year on year, with no easy games. The teams rose to the challenge, prepared well and enjoyed some great successes. Rugby has developed tremendously at Michaelhouse in the four seasons since the Covid pandemic, to the point where we regularly fielded 24 teams on a weekend, second only in the province to Maritzburg College. Despite the season involving 11 games for most teams, the energy and excitement that it brings is palpable. We pride ourselves on how well we prepare for the rigours of rugby and being able to handle and outlast our opposition. 2025 continued in this vein. We continued with the new tradition of playing Helpmekaar on our first weekend of the season. Always a bit of a rude awakening straight after the completion of the summer sports, but a brilliant way to add motivation in preseason and to kick-start our season. Our teams did well for their first hit-outs and won four of our ten games against well-pre pared and physical opponents. The next two weekends, which took us up to the Easter holi days, involved full school fixtures against two of the big state schools from Durban, Northwood and DHS. Both have be come exceptionally competitive on the sports fields of late and particularly in their top teams. Northwood were first up on their home turf. We played 17 games, winning seven and losing ten. Our standout performances of the day came from our U15 age group, who had a clean sweep. DHS brought 19 teams to Balgowan, with their A teams and first and second XVs proving very strong. We only managed a 21-21 draw in the U16As, losing the rest. Our lower-tier teams had more success, with a total of nine wins in all. Overall a competitive set of results. The First XV and age-group A teams travelled down to the East ern Cape for a three-game tour at the start of the holidays. This included the Grey Festival in Gqeberha, where we played the hosts Grey High and Bishops, and then a trip to Makhanda to play St Andrew’s. It was a fantastic way to build strength in depth and team cohesion early in the season against some strong opposition. We came away with a disappointing two

U15A: Mr Sibs Ncamani Assistant: Mr James Kiln U15B: Mr Evan Mickleburgh U15C: Mr Lydon Gruijters, Mr Sizwe Khoza U15D: Mr Mxolisi Ncane U14A: Mr Chris Felix

Assistant: Mr Thabani Mchunu U14B: Mr Hayden Hankinson Assistant: Mr Benji Siyiya U14C: Mr Peter Stevens U14D: Mr Aphiwe Mthalane First XV Captain: William Ridl

AWARDS Honours: Stefan Moolman, Rourke O’Sullivan, William Ridl Colours: Jack Carmody, Oliver Guy, Nicola Salamousas Half-Colours: Alex Jankowitz, Daniel Carr, Koketso Bopape, Luke Mitchell, Lwandle Nzama, Max Oliva, Thomas Peach, Nicholas Baker, Laird Hamilton-Brown, Fabiano Fierro, Ben Hughes, Jaydon Jubber PROVINCIAL REPRESENTATION Sharks Craven Week XV: Stefan Moolman, Rourke O’Sullivan, William Ridl Sharks U17 XV: Jack Carmody, Nicola Salamousas Sharks Academy XV: Oliver Guy Sharks U16 XV: Fabiano Fierro, Ben Hughes, Jaydon Jubber Sharks U15 XV: Mholi Phili, Mitchell Rodgers

Sharks U16 Coach: Mr Grant Ball Sharks U15: Mr Sibs Ncamani

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