Auckland Blues regional champions, National championship finalists, Westlake Boys’ High School, and South Africa’s, Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale join theWorld Schools Festival Cup line up.
New Zealand’s Westlake Boys’ High School and Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale from South Africa join the already stellar line-up for the Cup competition at this year’s World Schools Festival (WSF). With St Michael’s College, Ireland; Hoërskool Dr. E.G. Jansen, South Africa, joining reigning Welsh national champions, Cardiff & Vale College, and defending ASC English Champions, Hartpury College already announced.
The second year of the new format for the WSF promises to build of the excitement and interest of 2022. This international event which will feature 8 top schools from across the world competing in the Cup competition, with an Open Trophy and a Girls 7s Tournament being played alongside.
The World Schools Festival will be an incredible showcase for schoolboy rugby between 12th – 17th December.
Westlake Boys’ High School will carry New Zealand hopes of taking the World Schools Festival title back, with Hamilton Boys unable to join them in Thailand to defend the Cup they won in 2022 with a dominated display defeating Grey College in the Final. Westlake were narrowly defeated in the New Zealand Schools Final, having won through against Sacred Heart in Auckland Blues 1A regional play off, and retaining they won in 2022.
They will hope to continue New Zealand dominance in the tournament after Hamilton’s success last year. Oakdale Landbou, from the Western Cape region have a long and widely respected tradition in South African rugby.Playing in the Western Cape region, considered as one of the strongest and most competitive school rugby regions in the world, they are highly regarded. They travel to Thailand at the end of the school’s 95th Anniversary year, and a season which saw them defeat Paarl Boys’ High School in their domestic season. Alongside EG Jansen, South Africa’s challenge is squarely laid down as they look to do follow the Springboks World Cup in November.
Excitement is growing for the festival on social media, after the success of the competition globally in 2023.
The Festival promises to once again embody the true spirit of rugby with 2023 and will host 24 teams and over 475 players representing 12 countries, building on the reputation as the most international schools rugby festival in the world.
*Original article by Tom Parker of RugbyPass