Soccer, the forgotten sport at SA’s top boys’ schools, has a new festival

South Africa’s top boys’ schools are turning their attention to football as the Association of Public Boys’ Schools of South Africa (APBSA) looks to give the sport a bigger platform in a landscape traditionally dominated by rugby, cricket and hockey.

The second annual APBSA Football Festival, hosted by Pretoria Boys’ High School, brought together 15 schools from across the country with organisers emphasising participation, sportsmanship and relationships over competition.

The schools include Pretoria Boys’ High School, Grey College, Kimberley Boys’ High School, Glenwood High School, Jeppe High School for Boys, Dale College, Springs Boys’ High School, King Edward VII School (KES), Parktown Boys’ High School, Wynberg Boys’ High School, Potchefstroom High School for Boys, Rondebosch Boys’ High School, St Andrew’s School, Queen’s College Boys’ High School, and Northwood School.

The festival was created after organisers identified a gap in boys’ school sport, where football players did not always receive the same opportunities and exposure as those involved in rugby, cricket, hockey and other established codes.

“The soccer boys weren’t getting a decent show,” said APBSA chief executive Tim Gordon.

He added:

The idea originated with the head of KES in Johannesburg and was later developed at the APBSA board level.

“We wanted it to be a festival, not a tournament,” Gordon said.

A key difference is the focus on inclusion.

Rolling substitutions are used to ensure every player gets time on the field, rather than only the strongest players being selected for match time.

“It wasn’t going to be the stars sitting there while the reserves got nothing out of it,” he said.

The festival does not award a winning team. Instead, referees recognise the