Top rugby schools from around the country were invited to participate in the festival.

Schools that took part included SACS Junior School, Rondebosch East Primary School, Western Province Preparatory School and Wynberg Boys’ Junior School, all from the Western Cape, Merchiston Preparatory School and Durban Preparatory High School, from Kwa-Zulu Natal, Dale College Boys Primary School, Hudson Park Primary School, Stirling Primary School, Grey Junior Boys’ School in Gqeberha, hosts Selborne Primary School and Komani’s Queen’s College Boys’ Primary School, all from the Eastern Cape.

Each school played three games during the rugby festival.

The Komani boys played Wynberg in their first game and lost 19-17. Their second game was very successful, winning 24-0 against Western Province Prep, while losing their last game 15-0 against DPHS.

Weather conditions in East London were not good, as it was raining during the Easter weekend, but Queen’s team manager, Grant Knoetze, said he was proud of the team.

“The last two matches were played in extremely tough conditions, but once again the Queen’s boys did us proud, both on and off the field,” Knoetze said.

The team played their matches in Lester Pike commemorative jerseys. Pike is the former Queen’s headmaster who passed away last year.

“This was in tribute to our headmaster. The front of the jersey had a copy Lester Pike’s signature on it and the back of the jersey has his initials on the numbers.

“We decided that we would use those jerseys during the festival, as he was not only the headmaster of Queen’s, but because he also spent 20 years of his teaching career at Selborne and had coached Selborne U13A for many years,” concluded Knoetze.

Pike’s wife, Joan, was handed a jersey by the captain of the team, Nande Tiwani and his vice-captain, Tyler von Cullwitz.