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The Big One in Schoolboy Rugby – Grey vs Grey

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On Saturday 28 July Premier Interschools will broadcast a derby of epic proportions. Two schools take each other on in an Interschools that stood the test of time since its inception in 1929. Grey High and Grey College have the same benefactor in Sir George Grey, Governor of the Cape Colony from 5 December 1854 to 15 August 1861. He founded Grey College, Bloemfontein in 1855 and Grey High School in Port Elizabeth in 1856. During Grey’s first tenure as Governor of New Zealand, he was created a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (1848). Grey gave land for the establishment of Auckland Grammar School in Newmarket, Auckland in 1850. The school was officially recognised as an educational establishment in 1868 through the Auckland Grammar School Appropriation Act of the Provincial Government. Auckland Grammar school also became the school in New Zealand that produced the most All Black rugby players, much in the same mould as Grey College has become the rugby factory for Springbok rugby players in South Africa.

Grey High School first took the initiative with an inland tour in 1929 that started off with them playing St Andrews in Grahamstown and working their way up north to Bloemfontein. There they played their brother school for the first time and lost 0 -16. They invited Grey College to come down to Port Elizabeth the following year which the Bloemfontein boys dually accepted and in 1930 they undertook their first tour to Port Elizabeth. In a closely fought match the boys from Bloem again triumphed with 9-7.

The two schools took another 23 years before they played each other again. Grey High School toured to Bloemfontein again and lost 13-3 in 1953. It took another 10 years for the two Greys’ to square up again and the 1963 game was a drawn match of eight all while the 1968 game was also a draw. The 1972 match introduced the first unbroken sequence of matches that continues until this day. In all that time there was only another two draws in 1973 and 1990. Grey High School won their first match against their Bloemfontein Brothers in 1976 at the anniversary of the tenth meeting between the two teams. On a day of high drama on the Philip Field at Grey High School, Robbie Logan slotted a last minute penalty for Grey High to emerge as 13-12 winners. Since then, Grey High has only been on the winning side a further seven times with their last win coming in 2014, just showing the dominance that their counterparts from Bloemfontein have in the Derbies.

The 2018 season for school from Port Elizabeth have been somewhat up and down having lost 4 games and winning 8. They had 6 representatives for Eastern Province at the Craven Week in Corne Slabbert, Dimusa Ngcivana, Laken Gray, Joshua Oostuysen, Liyema Matyolweni and Enrique Franks.

Grey College has had a stellar season thus far. They are still unbeaten and on track to once again top the South African schools rankings. Grey again provided the bulk of the Free State Craven Week team with 15 of their players represented.

Grey High School has a proud rugby tradition and record which dates back to the 19th century. Traditional schools they compete against, on an annual basis, are Dale College, Graeme College, Grey College, Queen’s College, Selborne College, St. Andrew’s College, Wynberg High and of late Paul Roos Gymnasium.

The first rugby match was played on the 16 September 1893 against Muir College of Uitenhage. During the years 1919 to 1923 Grey played four internationals against Dale, Gill, Kingswood and St Andrew’s. Money for the main field was donated by an Old Grey, Arthur Phillip in 1938 and thus the main field is “The Phillip Field”.

Players who represented the Springboks through the years, Fred Smollan, Fred Turner, Bunny Reid, Peter Allen, Giepie Wentzel (Master), Roy Dryburgh, Mickey Gerber, Wilf Rosenberg, Iain Kirkpatrick, Sean Povey, Luke Watson and most recently Siya Kolisi , JJ Engebrecht and Curwin Bosch.

Well known television commentators and outstanding players, like Gavin Cowley and Andrew Patterson also graced the Phillip field.

Special mention must be made of Michael Catt, Rory Duncan and Luke Watson who captained the England, Free State and Western Province Currie Cup sides respectively in 2007.

Grey College has served Bloemfontein, the Free State, South Africa and the world well over the past 150 years. Grey has been able to make adjustments and remain relevant in a changing environment in which it has developed, grown and excelled. Parallel medium education, tolerance, respect for others and loyalty to the school are not only traditions, but firm foundations in a global village. Grey is structured on these foundations and it is constantly adapting to new developments. The wave of change washing over our country confirms the value of Grey’s traditions.

Grey has produced 46 Springbok rugby players. Since WW II it has produced more Springbok players than any other school in SA, their latest being centre and Cheetah captain Francois Venter.

The game will be broadcast live on Saturday 28 July on SuperSport Ten from 12h55

You can also catch the build-up Premier Interschools Magazine Show from Wednesday 25 July at 18:00 on SuperSport One featuring Siya Kolisi, Sergeal Peterson, JJ Engelbrecht, Adriaan Strauss and EW Viljoen.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.