12 February 2024
There are very few sure things in life.
For example, in the 1990 Currie Cup, Northern Transvaal, with flyhalf Naas Botha pulling the strings, beat Natal 24-9 and 28-6 in the round robin stages of the competition. Few gave Natal a chance when the teams met at Loftus Versfeld in the final on 6 October. Yet, the visitors, famously, scored an 18-12 win to claim the prestigious silverware for a first time.
Botha, afterwards, said it would take Natal another 100 years to win the competition again. Just two years later, Natal beat Transvaal 14-13 to claim the title for a second time.
Point made. Life and sports are unpredictable. But some sports’ matters are infinitely more predictable than others, like Grey College producing a standout 1st XV, and Westville Boys’ High being the best schoolboys’ swimming team in South Africa.
On Friday evening, WBHS welcomed leading teams from across KZN and Gauteng to the Chad le Clos Pool for the annual Nestor Pierides Gala. The event, which consists of relays in different strokes and different age groups, reveals the depth of a school’s swimming and the long-time standard-setters are Westville.
Just once in the past decade has the Griffin been beaten – by St Benedict’s College, in case you were wondering – but they quickly avenged that defeat and immediately began another winning streak.
On Friday, Bennies finished second, with Durban High School (DHS) continuing their impressive upwards trajectory in the sport with third place, just 10 points behind the Johannesburg school.
From fourth to seventh, only 12 points separated Grey College, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), Clifton College and St David’s Marist Inanda in the final standings.
On Saturday, the action moved to Crawford College La Lucia for the Alan Burt Gala.
Seven of the nine competing schools had been in action the previous evening, and once again Westville claimed victory. DHS performed superbly, taking second, not far off the winners.
Pretoria Boys High, 10th on Friday, finished above three teams that had placed above them a day earlier.
RESULTS
Nestor Pierides Gala
1st: Westville Boys’ High – 299
2nd: St. Benedict’s College – 246
3rd: Durban High School – 236
4th: Grey College – 194
5th: Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool – 189
6th: Clifton College – 185
7th: St. David’s Marist Inanda – 182
8th: Maritzburg College – 133
9th: Kearsney College – 128
10th: Pretoria Boys High School – 97
11th: Northwood School – 74
|12th: Glenwood High – 56
Alan Burt Gala
1st: Westville – 248
2nd: Durban High School – 229
3rd: Pretoria Boys’ High School – 176
4th: St. David’s Marist Inanda – 138
5th: Maritzburg College – 136
6th: King Edward VII – 127
7th: St. Stithians College – 115
8th: Kearsney College – 108
9th: Glenwood High – 51
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