The annual K-Day celebrations last week included the reunions of the Classes of 1984, 1994, 2004 and 2014. The weekend was spent reminiscing, laughing and celebrating Kingswood bonds.

K-Day is a wonderful week-long event that brings our broader Kingswood community together to support our pupils as they take on St Andrew’s College, St Andrew’s Preparatory School and the Diocesan School for Girls in the much-anticipated annual derby between our schools.

While K-Day culminates in the rugby clash between the 1st XV Rugby teams of Kingswood and St Andrew’s College and the 1st Girls Netball between Kingswood and DSG on the Saturday, the days preceding had Makhanda buzzing from the sporting fields (hockey, rugby, golf) to the courts (squash and netball), the debating and chess halls to the music departments.

It was a week to celebrate sportsmanship, friendships and the spirit of camaraderie and fun as the power of sport brings us all together. 

As our College Head, Leon Grové reiterated, “Great Schools need Great Rivals and nothing showcases this better than the week long derby that we have between our schools in the Makhanda community.”

K-Day also heralded the coming together of Old Boys and Girls from all three schools and at Kingswood we hosted the 10, 20, 30 and 40 year reunions as well as OK vs OA rugby  and hockey and OK vs DSG old girls hockey.

On Thursday evening, the Kingswood 1st XI hockey boys entered the titanic clash against St Andrews, with hearts filled with Kingswood pride. The game was a perfect reflection of the hard work and dedication that the team has put in to adopt their philosophy. Both teams displayed immense effort and determination, contesting fiercely throughout the match.

The clash was intense, with neither side showing any mercy. Both teams created magnificent opportunities, but unfortunately, Kingswood could not capitalize on theirs, while St Andrews managed to convert two penalty corners. Despite this setback, a positive take-away from the game was that Kingswood held their structure well, forcing their opposition to change their game plan.

The boys’ resilience and adherence to their strategy were commendable, showcasing their growth and commitment gained during the season. We would like to congratulate the Kingswood boys on their magnificent effort and sportsmanship. Their performance on the field was a testament to their dedication to the process, and they can hold their heads high despite the 2-0 result. This match serves as a stepping stone for future successes, and the team can look forward to building on this strong foundation.

The much-anticipated first team girls hockey match between Kingswood and DSG took place on Friday. The Kingswood girls, in a positive mindset, burst out of the starting blocks with a quick attack that immediately pushed DSG into their defensive half. Kingswood displayed excellent structure and discipline and were able to neutralize DSG’s offensive attempts effectively.

Throughout the first half, the determination and commitment shown by the Kingswood girls, especially during penalty corner defences, were nothing short of admirable. Their ability to run down DSG’s attempts to threaten their goal showcased their resilience . The electrifying atmosphere, combined with the unwavering support from the crowd, kept the Kingswood girls’ spirits high as they maintained their solid performance.

As the halftime whistle blew, the scores were level, setting the stage for an intense second half where the game would ultimately be decided. The tension was palpable as both teams created numerous opportunities but were unable to convert them into goals, resulting in a stalemate for most of the half.

As the game drew to a close, Kingswood College’s solid defensive efforts were finally breached, and DSG found themselves a goal down. DSG capitalized on their momentum and managed to score another goal, putting Kingswood under significant pressure. Despite this setback, Kingswood’s resolve did not waver. In the final moments of the game, they earned a penalty corner and executed it flawlessly, scoring a goal to bring the game to a 2-1 end to DSG.

The match concluded with Kingswood showing immense grit and determination, battling until the very end. Although the game ended with DSG narrowly ahead, the Kingswood girls played with true, ‘Never give up!’ attitudes and we commend their sportsmanship and resilience. Their ability to remain focused and fight back in the final moments was a testament to their passion and love they have for their team and for Kingswood, promising a bright future for the team in upcoming encounters.

With DSG celebrating their 150th this year. The decision was made to play the netball on a centre court on the main Webster Astro on Saturday instead of the Friday.

The senior netball started off with 16Es and 14Ds, and the 14D claiming the first win of the day.  KC teams played with enthusiasm and each team showed teamwork as they aimed for victory while enjoying their games.

“Winning is not everything but wanting to win is” – VINCE LOMBARDE. This is a quote that our 1st carried throughout K- Week.

The 1st team game started off slowly with KC leading the 1st quarter 8-4. The girls went back on court for the second quarter with heads held high and  supporters singing at the top of their voices. The last quarter saw Kingswood strengthening their defence and preventing DSG from scoring a single goal. Kingwood 1st team won 32-13 on the day claiming a 3- win in a row over K-day.

Kingswood Senior Netball won 12 matches from 18 played.

Well done to the girls and coaches for these outstanding results. 

After the netball everyone headed across the road to St Andrew’s College for the rugby showdown.

St Andrews opened the scoring to take a 7-0 lead, Kingswood responded with a try and conversion by Praise Matsila, SAC scored next to go 12-7 up. Praise converted a penalty next to go into the half at 12-10 down.

After half time the score remained the same for a long period of play before Kingswood’s Vizi Labase scored a try to lead 17-12 .

St Andrew’s De Kock kicked a penalty to reduce it to 17-15

Kingswood College’s Likhona Kepe scored another try at 65 mins to bring us to a healthy 22-15 lead, however Karabo Van Heerden scored another try for SAC in the final minute with De Kock converting to finish in a draw at 22-22. 

Earlier in the day the 1st XV had headed across to Prep to show their support for the u13A as they ran onto the field. The encouragement clearly helped our young team who went on to win the tightly contested  game 24-22.  It is the third year in a row that the U13A’s have won their K-Day fixture.