The biggest school sports derby in South Africa

Every year, the Western Cape town of Paarl becomes a cauldron of colour and noise as two of South Africa’s rugby powerhouses — Paarl Boys’ High and Paarl Gimnasium — face off in the country’s most celebrated school sports derby.

Not only does it obsess both schools, but it also shuts down the entire town of Paarl until the festivities have ended, dividing residents into North and South camps for the week.

The face-off between each team’s First XV has also been called the largest schoolboy rugby derby in the world, drawing crowds of between 20,000 and 25,000 people annually.

These games tend to be incredibly evenly matched, with only one of the past ten fixtures ending in a points difference of more than five.

This was evident in the most recent contest between the two sides, which ended in a victory for Paarl Boys’ High School (Boishaai) after a significant comeback in the final ten minutes, with the game ending 35–33.

While the schools were founded several decades earlier — Boishaai in 1868 and Paarl Gimnasium (Gimmies) in 1858 — the derby took place for the first time in 1915, when it comprised learners, teachers, and old boys all playing together.

This tradition remained in place for the next 13 years until it was decided that only schoolboys would participate in the contest from 1929.

Since 1915, the two sides of Paarl have only failed to meet three times: in 1928, 2020, and 2021 due to Covid-19 regulations.

Of the 107 games that have been played, Gimmies have won 52, Boishaai have won 44, and eleven have resulted in draws.

Three of the draws have ended without the teams scoring any points, the last of these taking place in 1986.

The games are played on neutral ground at Faure Street Stadium, instead of alternating between each school’s home turf.

The first match of the week is on Wednesday afternoon, when the two Old Boys’ teams face off in a friendly yet incredibly competitive fixture, continuing a tradition that dates back to the very first encounter.

Then on Thursday afternoon, the U19 G and H teams play one another, which officially marks the start of the derby.

The major matches on Friday include the U14A match and the fixture between the schools’ third teams, known as the “Chiefs versus Chippies.”

Then, on Saturday, the U15A, U16A, Second XV and First XV battle it out for bragging rights, which last until the sides meet at Faure Street Stadium again the following year.

Paarl: a rugby powerhouse

Both Boishaai and Gimmies are considered to be two of the top rugby schools in South Africa, with their First XVs having ranked first and second, respectively, following the 2025 season.

They have both made their fair share of contributions to the Springbok squads over the years, with a combined 58 players between the two schools.

Gimmies has produced the most players who have gone on to represent their country, at 32. Notable names include Handré Pollard, Grant Williams, Schalk Burger, and Jean de Villiers.

Boishaai, on the other hand, have produced 26, including Frans Malherbe, Evan Roos, Thomas du Toit, and Salmaan Moerat.

There are also several other schools in the Drakenstein Municipality, which Paarl falls within, that have produced Springboks in the current squad.

South African winger Kurt-Lee Arendse attended Paulus Joubert Secondary School in the Klein Nederburg area of Paarl.

Similarly, Canan Moodie, who was born in Paarl, initially attended Boishaai before going to Boland Landbou, where he completed his secondary education.

Images of the Paarl rugby derby