Glenwood High v Monument Historic Overview
On Saturday, 3 June 2017, the sixth edition of Premier Interschools moves to Durban for the derby between Glenwood High School and Monument High from Krugersdorp. This encounter is relatively new on the calendar as both schools saw the need to exchange pleasantries over a weekend of competition to the benefit of all learners. They previously only met on festivals and on the rare occasion at the Easter Tournaments. Since 2010, however, they have played each other regularly and while Glenwood has only won once, the encounters have always been tough and uncompromising.
Results through the years
| Date | Monument | Glenwood |
| 2010/04/01 | 26 | 5 |
| 2011/04/02 | 16 | 8 |
| 2012/04/05 | 18 | 25 |
| 2013/06/01 | 26 | 20 |
| 2014/05/31 | 30 | 19 |
| 2015/06/06 | 21 | 8 |
| 2016/06/04 | 40 | 15 |
Glenwood started the 2017 season on a roll, winning six games on the trot before coming unstuck against Paarl Boys’ High at the Wildeklawer tournament in Kimberley. They returned to their winning ways in the next two games comfortably beating Kearsney College and Menlopark before narrowly losing to arch rivals Durban High School on their reunion day. This result hurt their pride and they will not want to lose another game on Dixons this year, so Monument can expect a very fired up Glenwood waiting for them.
The good form of the team resulted in 13 of their players being picked for the KwaZulu-Natal Craven Week side while another five players were picked in the Academy side. The Glenwood players who will be representing KZN are Jordan Clark, Edward Laubscher, JJ van der Mescht, Dylan Kruger, Dylan Pretorius, Rynard Jonker, Conan le Fleur, Morné van Rensburg, Siyanda Cele, De Wet Truter, Thabiso Mdletshe, Brendon Schwultz and Jaden Hendricks (all Craven Week). Lunga Ncube, George Luzolo, Joe Jonas, Rory Atwell and Jhacques Thyssen (all Academy Week)
Monument will thus have a huge task at hand coming down to Durban to virtually play a provincial side brimming with talent.
Glenwood results for 2017 so far:
| Date | Opp | For | Against |
| 2017/04/04 | Goudveld | 24 | 18 |
| 2017/04/13 | Framesby | 21 | 10 |
| 2017/04/15 | EG Jansen | 24 | 19 |
| 2017/04/17 | Noord-Kaap | 25 | 20 |
| 2017/04/22 | Westville Boys’ High | 38 | 12 |
| 2017/04/29 | Garsfontein | 38 | 12 |
| 2017/05/01 | Paarl Boys’ High | 12 | 31 |
| 2017/05/06 | Kearsney College | 59 | 7 |
| 2017/05/13 | Menlopark | 39 | 0 |
| 2017/05/27 | Durban High School | 17 | 20 |
Their opponents on the day in Monument have had a far busier season having already played 14 matches thus far. They suffered only 2 losses so far, both unexpected on the day against Eldoraigne and Boland Landbou. Their last win coming against a very good King Edward VII side that was to date unbeaten.
The “Wit Bulle” as they are affectionately known, has shown that they are a contender to be one of the top teams in the country this season and is evident in the 19 players selected for the four Lions Craven Week trial teams. At this stage, seven players are knocking very hard at the selector’s door for inclusion into the Lions Craven week team.
Hooker, Morné Brandon, Locks Christen van Niekerk and Stephan le Roux, captain and 8th man PJ (Pot) Jacobs, scrumhalf Tinus Combrinck, flanker Franco Schutte and utility back Luke Rossouw all have a very good chance of being selected for Craven Week. Also in contention is the two Dandre’s in prop Dandré Degenaar and fullback Dandré Prinsloo.
This weekend could be seen a preview to a Lions vs KZN game with all the possible provincial players on a show!
Monument results for 2017 so far:
| Date | Opp | For | Against |
| 2017/03/07 | Welkom Gimnasium | 40 | 10 |
| 2017/03/11 | Pietersburg | 85 | 13 |
| 2017/03/18 | Eldoraigne | 22 | 27 |
| 2017/03/25 | HTS Middelburg | 14 | 12 |
| 2017/04/13 | Dale College | 33 | 16 |
| 2017/04/15 | HTS Middelburg | 40 | 8 |
| 2017/04/17 | Selborne College | 19 | 12 |
| 2017/04/22 | Garsfontein | 45 | 21 |
| 2017/04/29 | Oakdale Landbou | 32 | 8 |
| 2017/05/01 | Boland Landbou | 22 | 24 |
| 2017/05/06 | EG Jansen | 50 | 13 |
| 2017/05/13 | Waterkloof | 20 | 17 |
| 2017/05/20 | Kempton Park | 50 | 13 |
| 2017/05/27 | King Edward VII | 24 | 19 |
Rugby at Monument
When the school opened in 1921 ML Brink held a meeting of boys to find out what games they wanted to play. They all opted for soccer, as was the custom on the bare fields of the Highveld at the time, and he then democratically decided that they would play rugby. The school played its first match on 1 April 1921 and drew 3-3 with Krugersdorp High School.
Since then the school has had many great sides – as in 1924, 1953, 1979, 1980, 1984 and 1993 when the team scored 143 tries in 28 matches.
Monument first won the Administrator’s Cup in 1953. It won again in 1973 and then again in 1992 and for the seven years which followed. In 2003, they were Media 24 National Schools Champions.
These are all huge achievements given the number and quality of the competing schools.
After Brink, famous coaches have been Jan Lange (1936-53), Pa Pelser, the famous Transvaal loose forward and coach, and Hans Coetzee who still has a finger in many of rugby’s pies. Hans says nobody is compelled to play rugby but the players live for the game.
In 1993, the 1st XV toured France and Britain and went unbeaten.
Monnas, as the school is usually known, has by far the largest representation of any school north of the Vaal River at Craven Week and in SA Schools.
The monument might soon have their 9th springbok with prop Ruan Dreyer being named in the 2017 squad to play France.
SPRINGBOKS
| Christo Wagenaar | |
| Brendan Venter | |
| Jaque Fourie | |
| Jorrie Muller | |
| Heinke van der Merwe | |
| Willem Alberts
Jaco Taute Julian Redelinghuys |
Rugby at Glenwood
Rugby at Glenwood is the major sporting code. It is a sport that instils values such as integrity, sportsmanship, loyalty, discipline and hard work. Glenwood’s policy of participation in extramural activities, as well as the passion shown by the boys, enables almost five hundred youngsters the opportunity of experiencing the ultimate team sport.
Glenwood fields thirty teams on a regular basis. This allows boys from all levels and ability to be part of this wonderful game. The sports department endeavours to provide games for all teams, this has allowed Glenwood to embark on tours out the province to play fixtures against some major rugby playing schools in South Africa such as Affies from Pretoria and Grey College from Bloemfontein.
The player base at other schools is diminishing at an alarming rate. Schools, educators and parents owe it to our children to provide them with an environment that will foster a healthy lifestyle and the opportunity to experience a real childhood. Perhaps instead of instilling a win at all cost attitude, we should rather emphasise the fun part of playing rugby.
The School represented South Africa at the Sanix Youth tournament in Japan in 2008 and again in 2016 and won top honours on both occasions.
The first 90 years (1910 to 2000)
Glenwood has produced some good sides and players over the years, particularly 1954, 1957, 1965, 1972, 1978, 1979, the late 90s and in the past decade. The 1965 side is still considered by most Old Boys and KZN pundits as the greatest produced by Glenwood, playing 14 and winning 14, scoring 283 points while only 50 points were scored against. Seven players represented Natal Schools that year and included great names like Kevin Sclanders (capped 3 times for Natal Schools), Hylton Aylward (capped three times for Natal Schools & Captain in 1964 & 1965), Dennis Morrissey (capped 2 times for Natal Schools), R.D Shaw, E. Sclanders, A.J Delport, A.R Wallace, D.M Lawson and C.R Chambers.
1979 saw Glenwood produce their best side since 1965. Although 2 games were lost by the narrowest of margins, there was little doubt that they were the best side in Natal. They played magnificent rugby, combining superb forward power with intelligent backline play. Their margins of victory over some of the best sides in Natal say it all, College 33-6, DHS 32-4, Westville 44-9 and Hilton 53-12. Derek La Marque was simply superb. Probably the only schoolboy to represent South Africa at water polo while still at school and captain both SA Schools rugby and water polo in one year. He was capped 3 times for KZN Schools in 1977, 1978 and 1979. He went on to have a good career with Natal and helped Natal make the 1984 Currie Cup final, playing with greats like Wynand Claasen, Craig Jamieson and Hugh Reece-Edwards.
The next great side came in 1984 where Glenwood had three boys picked for Natal Schools of which one was probably the best backline player ever to play for Glenwood, Dennis Baronet. Seldom has a schoolboy caused so much panic in an opposition backline, carving them to pieces with his speed and guile. He was rewarded in 1985 with an SA Schools cap, Glenwood’s second. >From 1985 to 1997 Glenwood produced some average sides who had some great individuals like T. Labuschange and P.Senekal.
The 1992 side could have been Glenwood’s biggest pack of all time with Leyton Pardey the 120kg loosehead prop making KZN Schools along with David Terblanche (No8). 1997 was probably the turnaround after the ‘darker’ early to mid 90’s where Glenwood lost more than they won. It heralded the rising of a rugby beast. Victor Tsewu, Nicholas Strauss and Cedric Mzolo kicked started a new generation and one that continues today.
The 2000s
Since 2000, Glenwood has produced 47 KZN Schools Craven Week A team representatives, including 5 SA Schools players (Petros Methula, Shaun Malton, Jayden Hill, Ricky Schnetler & Siyabonga Tom) and 2 SA Academy players (Nteta & Makhabela). This is probably the biggest contribution by any school in KZN with Westville and Maritzburg College 2nd and 3rd respectively.
The 2000 side played 37 and only lost 2. Unfortunately, Glenwood rise has seen a decline in the rugby standard of their biggest rival, DHS or Horseflies from the across the Berea.
In the past Glenwood have battled to beat this great Durban school but in the last decade, it’s been pretty one-sided.
Glenwood has created a great rivalry with Westville and College in the past 5 years and always seem to be fighting out with them for top honours in KZN. Glenwood has won the best performing rugby school award in KZN for the past 4 years. Many an envious parent from opposition schools has claimed Glenwood ‘buying’ players and recruiting players with bursaries.
Glenwood has been clever and promoted the school at primary school level and by having a winning 1st team has attracted the best players in the province. Having a Boarding Establishment that can house over 200 boys helps here too. With success brings demand for other provinces schools to play Glenwood.
In the last five years, Glenwood has set up home and away from traditional fixtures with Affies and Grey Bloem, two of the country’s best rugby schools without a doubt. Glenwood’s finest rugby hour came in 2006 when they beat the mighty Grey Bloem for the first time on fortress Dixons, 14-10. A great achievement and something that will be remembered for generations to come.
List of Glenwood Springboks (Test Caps Only)
| Debut Year | Player |
| 1921 | Wally Clarkson |
| 1937 | Mauritz van den Berg |
| 1938 | Roger Sherriff |
| 1964 | Don Walton |
| 1968 | Rodney Gould |
| 1993 | John Allan |
| 2014 | Warren Whiteley |
Glenwood can also be very proud of Warren Whiteley who was named the 58th Springbok captain for the 2017 test series against France, the first Glenwood old boy to have this honour bestowed upon.
The game will be broadcast live on Saturday 3 June on SuperSport Select channel 210 at 13.55
Match – Kick off 14:00 on Sel SA build up at 13:55
You can also catch the build-up Premier Interschools Magazine Show from Wednesday 31 May at 18.00 on SuperSport One featuring Julian Redelinghuys and Warren Whiteley
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