{"id":182827,"date":"2026-04-07T14:00:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T12:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodthingsguy.com\/?p=182827"},"modified":"2026-04-07T13:29:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T11:29:19","slug":"pretoria-boys-125-years-rugby-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodthingsguy.com\/sport\/pretoria-boys-125-years-rugby-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Pretoria Boys High Celebrates 125 Years with Rugby Festival and School Pride"},"content":{"rendered":"

With rugby celebrations across the country, this milestone celebration brings together schoolboy rugby, tradition, and a deep sense of brotherhood that has defined Pretoria Boys High for generations.<\/h2>\n

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Pretoria, South Africa (07 April 2026) – <\/em>Pretoria Boys High School,<\/a> one of the oldest schools in Pretoria, is celebrating 125 years of excellence this year. What better way to mark the milestone than with a rugby festival on the hallowed Brooks Field?<\/p>\n

Across the country, rugby festivals have become a staple of the school calendar, bringing together some of the best young talent and fiercest rivalries. From one province to the next, they\u2019re about tradition, connection, and a shared love for the game. And in Pretoria, Boys High\u2019s contribution to that landscape carries a legacy of its own.<\/p>\n

As the school celebrates 125 years of excellence, its rugby festival becomes more than just a weekend of fixtures. It\u2019s a gathering of history, pride, and a brotherhood that stretches across generations.<\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: Charmaine Botes Visser<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For director of rugby Paul Anthony, the real significance lies beyond the touchline.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s like a family. The school\u2019s based on the old boys, it\u2019s like a brotherhood. The guys just stick together and go on forever. It\u2019s a massive bond.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That sense of belonging is something he knows well. Anthony himself walked these fields as a learner in the mid-1970s before returning years later as a coach.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a cycle that extends beyond him. Having coached some of the very figures who now lead the school, and with his own sons having come through the system, his connection to Pretoria Boys High runs deep.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sons were right here,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re now overseas, but they\u2019ll be watching, and by four o\u2019clock they\u2019ll be telling me what we did right and wrong. That\u2019s how invested they are.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While the festival showcases high-level competition, Anthony is quick to emphasise that schoolboy rugby should be about more than just winning.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople come for the rugby and the competition, but also to catch up with their mates. There\u2019ll be a tent full tonight, just reminiscing. That\u2019s what it\u2019s about.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As the school celebrates 125 years, Anthony is clear about the kind of legacy it hopes to leave behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe legacy should be to send well-educated, well-mannered young men into the world,\u201d he says. \u201cMen who love this country and want to make a difference.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Photo Credit: Charmaine Botes Visser<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Sources: GTG Interview\u00a0<\/em><\/h6>\n
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