Term Dates
Principal's Weekly Update
Friends of the College
Campus News
Click here to catch up on some of our weekly newsletters or take a look at some recent highlights below.
Team of the Week
It was a special week in the Prep School, highlighted by an outstanding performance from our swimming team. Competing in the highly competitive A Gala, they secured a well-earned third-place finish. With a few key moments going their way, they could have even claimed the top spot – a testament to their dedication and talent. This remarkable achievement earns them our first Team of the Week recognition.
Another standout performance came from our U14 rugby teams, who remained unbeaten against Glenwood – an impressive feat against traditionally tough opposition. This strong start to the season bodes well for our U14 rugby programme, and we look forward to seeing these boys grow from strength to strength.
Congratulations to all the boys named in this week’s Team of the Week! – Mr Divan van Wyk (Sports Marketing)
Rugby vs Glenwood
The first winter sports Game Day of the season promised to be an exhilarating occasion as St Charles College hosted Glenwood in its milestone 150th year. The atmosphere was electric and leading up to the highly anticipated First XV match, all games were fiercely competitive. Notably, St Charles College’s U14 teams remained undefeated, setting a strong tone for the day.
Glenwood seized early momentum in the First XV match. The young and relatively inexperienced Wild Dogs struggled to settle in the opening minutes, allowing Glenwood to strike first and take control of possession. By halftime, the visitors had established a commanding 17 – 0 lead. St Charles faced additional challenges as they were reduced to 14 players for a significant portion of
the game and, at one stage, played with just 13. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Wild Dogs showed glimpses of brilliance. Raphael Ajibade broke the defensive line, coming inches short of the try line, unfortunately with no one in the wings to offload to. Another promising attacking sequence saw the team work tirelessly to breach Glenwood’s defence, only to be denied by resilient tackling from the Grasshoppers.
The second half saw a revitalised St Charles College, now donning their fresh white jerseys. Even with just 13 players on the field, the team started strongly, with PJ Dlamini breaking through the defence and nearly scoring, the support runners were unable to hold onto the ball, keeping the home side’s score at zero. Though St Charles showed greater cohesion in the second half, Glenwood capitalised on their numerical advantage, stretching the field and adding to their tally with quick, expansive play.
While the first match of the season ended in defeat, the Wild Dogs remain optimistic about the journey ahead. As the team continues to develop, there is great excitement about what they can achieve in this historic 150th year of St Charles College rugby.
Hockey vs Glenwood
After the big downpours of rain during the week, the weather cleared nicely for an entertaining game of hockey between Glenwood and St Charles College. Both teams came out pressing hard and looked to put each other under pressure, however, both teams dealt with the pressure well and didn’t give many opportunities away. Fast breaks were the main threat on either end of the turf, and both teams managed to get behind on the odd occasion and create opportunities. Towards the latter end of the first half, the home team did seem to get on top and earned a number of shorties and goalscoring opportunities, none of which were converted.
The intensity was high, and legs started to get weary. It was the Glenwood team that managed to push harder at the end and that ultimately made the difference. They managed to get a breakaway that went the full length of the field and ended in the back of the goals after the ball had struck the post and Glenwood managed to pounce on the rebound. Not long after, the exact same play happened again; St Charles looked to press high, and a turnover by Glenwood led to a full-field counter, making the score 2 – 0. The final whistle ended the game shortly after the 2nd goal.
It was one that could have gone either way, but Glenwood’s legs were too much for St Charles, and their lethal counterattacks made all the difference. Well done to both teams for an intensely fought fixture. – Mr Matthew Coombes (Head Coach)
Saints Represent
SQUASH NEWS
Congratulations to the following boys for their results at the 2025 PMB Junior Open/Growthpoint SA National Regionals: Ruvay Ramdhin won the Boys U19, Aiden McNeil won the boys U17, and Thomas Hardman came 5th in the Boys U15.
BASKETBALL NEWS
We are very excited to announce that our 1st team player Mo Mbele has been selected to the KZN Basketball U16 side set to represent the province in April at the National IPTs! The top boys selected from this tournament will go on to represent South Africa at the AUSC Region 5 Youth Games in Namibia in July.
We wish Mo all the best for this amazing opportunity! – Mr Benjamin Myburgh (Head of Basketball)
CRICKET NEWS
Making a first-class debut is a moment every cricketer dreams of – but achieving this milestone while still in Grade 12 makes it even more special! Congratulations to Rowen Rajah, who has taken his first step into the professional cricketing arena for the Tuskers with confidence and skill.
Rowen has already shown his talent at this level, picking up his first wicket, finishing with figures of 1/28 in 9 overs. His composure and impact on debut are a testament to his dedication and hard work. – Mr Divan van Wyk (Sports Marketing)
Swim Skills Demonstration in the Junior Primary
This morning’s Swimming Skills Demonstration showcased the impressive progress of our Grade 1, 2, and 3 boys, offering parents a firsthand look at the growing confidence and competence of our young swimmers. Over the past ten weeks, these dedicated boys have practiced diligently, rain or shine, refining their fundamental techniques and building vital water safety skills. It was wonderful to see parents in attendance, witnessing their son’s growth firsthand and sharing in the joy of their achievements.
Their performance during the demonstration is a true testament to their hard work, commitment, and love from our team of amazing swimming coaches. We are incredibly proud of the effort and enthusiasm displayed by our boys, and we extend our sincere thanks to the parents for their ongoing support for our ever-growing swimming program.
This event not only highlighted the importance of regular practice and skill development but also reinforced our commitment to fostering a safe and enjoyable learning environment in the water. – Mr Joel Barron (Junior Primary Sport)
Prefect Announcement
We are pleased to announce the appointment of six new prefects at St Charles College, recognising their dedication, integrity, and commitment to our school.
At St Charles College, we believe that the door to leadership is never closed – pupils mature and develop their leadership skills at different rates, and each journey is unique. What remains constant is their unwavering commitment to the College and its values, shaping them into young men of character who lead with purpose and service.
Joining the leadership team for the remainder of their senior year are: Mihir Ramjathan, James Warmington, Ryan Blackstock, Milan Latchmanan, Ethan Laight and Caleb Gladman. – Mr Darren Holcomb (Head of the Upper School)
Mixed Bag Concert
On Sunday, Azokuhle Mhlongo, Samuel Edmonds, and Kailash Govender performed at the SASMT Mixed Bag Concert, hosted at Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School.
It was a lovely afternoon of music, with solo performances from young musicians throughout the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands area.
Our Saints boys shone with lovely, confident performances. Well done! – Mr Pierre Frenzel (Head of Music)
French Celebration
With great excitement and anticipation, we celebrated la Journée Internationale de la Francophonie on Thursday, 20 March. It is an important day of celebration for over 300 million francophones around the globe who originate from rich cultural and linguistic backgrounds. It is an opportunity to showcase and acknowledge the diversity of the French language and its’ significance over five continents. The Upper School French boys organised an exceptional “goût de la francophonie” sucré et salé with traditional dishes including croque-monsieur, quiche Lorraine, mini-croissant au fromage, cake salé fromage/olives, rougail saucisses, crêpes à la confiture goyavier, gâteau patate douce et mini-tartes aux fraises.
This is an equal celebration of the cosmopolitan community of boys who attend the College, and we look forward to next year’s cuisine. A special thank you to Mme and M Beullier for their expert culinary contribution to this day.
Bonne fête à toutes et tous! – Mrs Carrissa Ortmann
Grade 11s visit Scrummies, Pre-Primary School
If you are a little Scrummies boy, a surprise visit from your big St Charles College brothers is just about the coolest thing in the world! Being part of a through-school allows for such opportunities. Both older and younger children benefit greatly from these encounters.
Our younger boys have a chance to copy and learn from their older counterparts and the spin-off for our older “brothers” is that they learn to be patient and caring role models. This morning some of our Grade 11 boys, quite a few who started their journey at Scrummies, popped
in for a play date.
Within seconds the playground was abuzz with basketball and rugby games, zipline races, bouncing on the trampoline and digging in the sandpit. Our quieter boys even found a big brother who shares their love for hot wheels and building towers. – Mrs Liesl Meter (Head of Pre-Primary)
Crazy Senso Day in Scrummies
One of our most favourite days of the year at Scrummies is CRAZY SENSO DAY! On this day we celebrate the importance of sensory play for little children with amazing and messy activities that invite them to get stuck in and explore with all their senses. There were squeals of delight and even a “yuck it’s too slimy” comment heard, as boys had the chance to fish sour worms out of chocolate pudding, cover themselves in silky soft shaving cream, dig in a slimy marsh for frogs and snakes, clang out a beat on our sound wall or climb up high to slide and splash into a pool of cool water! – Mrs Liesl Meter (Head of Pre-Primary)
