Great rivalry ahead in K-Day clashes
[caption id="attachment_35088" align="alignright" width="405"] ACTION TIME: DSG netball player Ally Harris in possession for her team. DSG face Kingswood in the K-Day netball showdown on Friday at 5pm[/caption]
IT was 116 years ago when some Kingswood College rugby lads took a stroll through a Grahamstown valley to challenge their St Andrew's counterparts, sparking a rivalry which has become an institution in the city.
That was in May 1898. Now it is June 2014 and the annual sporting showdown, known by everyone as K-Day, has developed into a massive celebration, and so much more than just a rugby match between the schools' first teams.
While rugby plays a central role, and it all culminates with the first-team battle on Saturday, the sporting extravaganza kicks off today, with the hockey teams fired up to give their school an early advantage in the annual scramble for bragging rights.
Since Kingswood became a co-educational school in 1974, K-Day has broadened its horizons to include DSG, giving rise to a variety of boys' and girls' sporting clashes from today until Saturday.
While the focus is on the current generation, a tremendous atmosphere exists during the K-Day celebrations, with former pupils travelling from far and wide.
The rivalry remains keen, but former Kingswood first team rugby coach Naas Ferreira probably best captures the spirit of the occasion in his comments in the schools rugby book Derby Day.
"St Andrew's have always been a bigger school than us, but the game has remained a competitive derby and always played in a good spirit," Ferreira said. "Camaraderie is built up between the schools and the sides, so that when they leave school, Old Andreans and Old Kingswoodians often tend to be good friends."
After 17 years of St Andrew's domination in rugby, Kingswood broke the pattern with a one-point win in 2011. Since then St Andrew's have reasserted themselves, but it promises to be a fascinating showdown at City Lord's on Saturday.
First, though, the focus will be on the hockey teams, with the first boys' teams clashing at 5.15 today.
DSG and Kingswood meet on the netball court on Friday at 5pm, with the first girls' hockey sides squaring off at City Lords on Saturday at 1.10pm. - Neale Emslie
The K-Day programme is:
Wednesday Boys' hockey At City Lords: U14A at 2pm, U16A at 3pm, 2nd at 4pm, 1st at 5.15pm
At Webster: 3rd at 2pm, U16C at 3pm, U16B at 4pm
At Rhodes: U14B at 2pm, U16D at 3pm, 4th at 4pm
Friday Netball At HPC: U10A at 1pm, U11A at 1.30, U12A at 2pm, U13A at 2.30, U14A at 3pm, 2nd at 3.40, U16A at 4.20, 1st at 5pm
At Wyvern 1: U12B at 1pm, U14B at 1.30, 4th at 2.10, 3rd at 2.50, KC U16B v DSG U15A at 3.30
At Kirkby 1: U13B at 1pm, KC U16E v DSG U16C at 1.30, KC U16F v DSG U16D at 2.10
At Wyvern 2: U14D at 1pm, KC U16D v DSG U15B at 1.30, KC U16C v DSG U16B at 2.10, U14C at 2.50, 5th at 3.30
At KC Junior: U8A at 12.45, U9A at 1.15, U10B at 2.15, KC U13C v DSG U13B at 2.45, U11B at 3.15
Boys' hockey At City Lords: U8B/U9B at 1pm, U8A/U9A/U9B at 1.30, KC U13C v SAP U13D at 2pm, U11A at 2.45, U13B at 3.30, U13A at 4.15
At Webster (DSG): KC U13D v SAP U13E at 1.30, U11B at 2.15, SAP U13C v Shaw Park at 3pm, SAP U13F v Port Alfred U13B at 3.45
Saturday Girls' hockey At City Lords: U8A/U9A/U10A at 7.45, U11A at 8.20, U13A at 9.10, U14A at 10am, U16A at 10.50, 2nd at 11.50, 1st at 1.10
At Webster (DSG): U13B at 8am, U16C at 8.50, U14B at 9.40, U16B at 10.30, 3rd at 11.20
At Gane 2 (KC): U8B/U10B at 8.50, U13C at 9.20
At Rhodes: U14C at 8.30, U16 D at Rhodes
Rugby At Dold A: KC U13C v SAP U13C-D at 8.30, U11A at 9.15, U13B at 10am, U13A at 10.45
At Dold B: Grades 1 and 2 at 8.30, U9A at 9.15, KC U11B v SAP U11B-C at 10am
At Knight: U16B at 8am, SAC 3rd v Ukhanyo 1st at 9.10, KC 4th v SAC 6th at 10.25, KC U14B v SAC U14C at 11.30, SAC U14B v Ukhanyo U14A at 12.40
At City Lords: KC 3rd v SAC 4th at 8.15, U14A at 9.20, U15A at 10.25, U16A at 11.30, 2nd at 2.15, 1st at 3.30
