Latest news with #PaarlGim
The South African
26-06-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Is Markus Muller South Africa's Greatest-Ever Schoolboy Rugby Talent?
Markus Muller is rewriting the standards for schoolboy rugby in South Africa – drawing comparisons to past prodigies like Handré Pollard and Frans Steyn. Like Pollard at Paarl Gim and Steyn at Grey College, Muller has combined raw physicality with on-field maturity to dominate at first-team level. Over the weekend, he scored five tries and nailed nine out of ten kicks in Paarl Gim's emphatic 80–19 win over Boland Landbou. That 43-point individual haul wasn't just another big performance – it marked a career milestone. Muller officially reached 50 tries for Paarl Gim's 1st XV, a feat that few, if any, schoolboys have matched at this level. Earlier this season, he led his side to a 43‑31 victory over Grey College, scoring two decisive tries to hand the Bloemfontein powerhouse its first home defeat since 2017. His influence extends beyond scoring; Muller regularly creates line breaks, assists tries, and marshals the midfield defence with confidence that belies his age. As he continues to rack up records and national recognition, many in the rugby world are asking the same question: is Markus Muller the greatest schoolboy talent South Africa has ever seen? Muller has amassed over 50 tries in the past two seasons alone, including a five-try-haul, four hat-tricks and three braces in 2025. With each game, he adds to a growing body of work that positions him as one of the most productive schoolboy backs in South African rugby history. At the 2024 Wildeklawer tournament, he scored twice in a commanding 31–10 win, further proving his ability to perform under pressure against top-tier opposition. His latest 43-point performance underlines the breadth of his game – blending try-scoring ability with accurate goal-kicking and tactical awareness. No longer just a standout in the midfield, Muller now performs like a complete backline general. Muller's form earned him selection for SA Schools in 2024, where he competes for the No 13 jersey with Grey College's Ethan Adams. National selectors have flagged him as a probable starter in the SA Schools team, and the Stormers have already signed him for their 2026 intake. He's expected to develop alongside Springboks Damian Willemse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, adding depth and dynamism to an already talented midfield pool. Muller also starred on the international U18 stage, scoring a crucial try in South Africa's 38‑26 win over Ireland, having helped build a 21‑12 halftime lead. He earlier represented the WP XV at Craven Week, where he impressed with both ball-in-hand and organisational play. As he prepares for the remainder of the 2025 season, one question becomes harder to ignore: are we witnessing the best schoolboy rugby player South Africa has ever produced? HAVE YOU WATCHED MARKUS MULLER PLAY YET? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
30-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
All the schoolboy rugby fixtures this weekend
There are a number of exciting matches taking place on Saturday, from Pretoria all the way down to Cape Town. Some of the final rounds of schoolboy rugby matches this second term take place this weekend before the schools break for the midyear June exams. Then during the holidays the annual rugby weeks, including the U18 Craven Week, take place across South Africa. It has been a thrilling few months of schoolboy rugby, with Paarl Gimnasium setting the tone in 2025. This weekend there is again plenty to look forward to. In the Western Cape, Paarl Gim host Oakdale, Paul Roos take on SACS and Stellenberg host Paarl Boys High. In the Eastern Cape, Hudson Park entertain Queen's, Marlow welcome Dale, and Grey High take on St Andrew's. In KZN, Maritzburg face Kearsney, DHS play Hilton and Westville clash with Glenwood. In the Noordvaal region, Pretoria Boys High face Michaelhouse, Jeppe host Affies, Garsfontein welcome Nelspruit, Monument take on Helpmekaar, EG Jansen face Noordheuwel, and Randburg play Eldoraigne. In Bloemfontein, Grey College host Selborne. Fixtures Western Cape Paul Roos v SACS Boland Landbou v HTS Bellville Paarl Gim v Oakdale Stellenberg v Paarl Boys High Tygerberg v Swartland Brackenfell v DF Malan Eastern Cape HudsonPark v Queen's Marlow v Dale Graeme v Nico Malan Framesby v Pearson Grey High v St Andrew's Free State Grey College v Selborne Witteberg v Voortrekker Diamantveld v Jim Fouche Louis Botha v Sentraal Goudveld v Welkom Gim Hentie Cilliers v Trio KZN Maritzburg v Kearsney DHS v Hilton Westville v Glenwood Noordvaal Waterkloof v Rustenburg Menlopark v Transvalia Garsfontein v Nelspruit Monument v Helpmekaar Oos-Moot v Zwartkop EG Jansen v Noordheuwel Pretoria Boys High v Michaelhouse St Stithians v St Charles Jeppe v Affies KES v St Benedict's Parktown v St John's
The Citizen
04-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Schools wrap: Paarl Gim hand DHS first loss as Wildeklawer rugby festival closes
Paarl Gimnasium beat DHS to prevail in a clash between two unbeaten teams while Diamantveld edged Martizburg College on the last day of the 2025 Wildeklawer tournament in Kimberley. Paarl Gim powered to a 21-13 half-time lead over Durban High School and flyhalf Louis Koen and hard-running No 8 Quinton Potgieter were prominent in the second half as the Cape schoolboys stretched their lead to win 47-20. The result marks DHS' first loss of 2025 while Paarl Gim improve to 6-2-0 from six wins and two draws. The try from Diamantveld tighthead prop Dian Ellis broke the deadlock while captain Jonathan Harding scored a hat-trick in a 38-31 win against Maritzburg College. Paarl Boys' High hooker Christiaan Grundlingh and flank Jayden Joubert each scored a hat-trick in a 13-try, 85-0 demolition of Monument. Noordheuwel held their nerve as flyhalf Jeandre Uithaler kicked a long-range penalty to edge Outeniqua 35-32 in a roller-coaster match that saw the lead change hands multiple times. Waterkloof and Stellenberg played to a 17-17 stalemate as centre Armand Potgieter mustered the boys from Bellville to fight back in the second half with Waterkloof defending for their lives at the death. Despite their best efforts, Boland Landbou had no answer for the raw firepower of Affies as the boys from Pretoria ran at will to win 74-14. Two late tries from Jeppe salvaged some respect in a match dominated by Oakdale who converted a 14-6 half-time lead into a 47-25 victory. Paul Roos Gymasium came back from an early deficit with a second-quarter surge that saw them jog off at the break with a 24-7 advantage over EG Jansen. The second half was a closer contest but the class of Paul Roos shone through in a 46-17 victory. Fullback Lamla Mgedezi scored a brace while centre Darius Erwee chipped in with a try and nine points from the boot as Grey College ran in six tries to beat Garsfontein 45-29. 2025 Wildeklawer rugby festival results Wednesday: Marlow 25-22 Welkom Gim Nico Malan 41-39 Glenwood Diamantveld 24-54 Waterkloof Affies 20-18 Paul Roos Thursday: EG Jansen 20-10 Drostdy HTS Boland Landbou 64-5 Framesby DHS 26-19 Stellenberg Outeniqua 21-20 Monument Garsfontein 30-30 Oakdale Barbarian North 23-15 Barbarian South Paarl Gim 46-20 Northwood Rustenburg 33-7 Voortrekker Bethlehem Paarl Boys' 42-14 Noordheuwel Jeppe 36-24 Maritzburg College Grey College 56-14 Helpmekaar Saturday: Waterkloof 17-17 Stellenberg Noordheuwel 35-32 Outeniqua Rustenburg 33-0 Welkom Gim Monnas 0-85 Paarl Boys' Framesby 7-62 Helpmekaar Diamantveld 38-31 Maritzburg College Barbarian South 48-0 Voortrekker Bethlehem Northwood 14-12 Drostdy HTS Affies 74-14 Boland Landbou Marlow 8-6 Glenwood Jeppe 25-47 Oakdale Nico Malan 6-14 Barbarian North EG Jansen 17-46 Paul Roos Garsfontein 29-45 Grey College DHS 20-47 Paarl Gim The post Schools wrap: Paarl Gim dent DHS appeared first on SA Rugby Magazine.
