ENG 
AFR Van Riebeeckstrand Primary School Sport
Rugby
Our rugby teams are proudly known as the “Wille Honde”, a name that reflects the passion, unity, and fighting spirit with which our players take to the field. At Van Riebeeckstrand Primary, rugby is more than just a sport — it is a platform to build character, discipline, and lifelong values.
We strive to instil a genuine love for the game through quality coaching and a balanced approach that focuses on skills development, enjoyment, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Rugby is used as a powerful tool to reinforce important values such as respect, commitment, resilience, and camaraderie in all our players.
Our teams are privileged to compete annually against some of the top rugby schools in the Western Cape, giving our learners valuable exposure to high-level competition and the opportunity to test and showcase their talent. In addition, we participate in various rugby festivals and tournaments throughout the season, ensuring broad match experience and growth.
As a result of consistent performance and dedication over recent seasons, our U/13A team has been invited to the prestigious Wildeklawer Rugby Tournament in Kimberley, a significant achievement and honour.
Van Riebeeckstrand Primary is immensely proud to have produced 35 Western Province rugby players and counting, a testament to the strength of our rugby programme.
In 2019 (Cup Division) and 2024 (Plate Division), our U/12A Sevens team won the highly competitive Marius Schoeman 7’s Tournament, which attracts top schools from across South Africa.
In 2025, the same team narrowly missed out on victory in the Phillip Snyman 7’s Tournament final, once again competing against elite schools nationwide.
VRS Rugby – Passion. Pride. Commitment.
Practice times and clothing for each sport are available in the learners’ homework booklets.
Netball
We are privileged to compete against the top schools in the Western Cape. These schools include Durbanville, Bastion, Gene Louw, Eikestad, just to name a few. Most matches take place on Wednesdays, but there are regular Saturday matches as well.
Van Riebeeckstrand Primary also boasts many WP action netball players. In 2020 we had six learners who received WP colours.
Our players also participate in various tournaments every year as well as annual tours to Mossel Bay and the Overberg.
Practice times and clothing for each sport are available in the learners’ homework booklets.
Athletics
Van Riebeeckstrand Primary School has a proud tradition of athletics excellence. Each year, our annual Interhouse Athletics meeting takes place in January, showcasing the talent and competitive spirit of our learners. The top two athletes from each event qualify to represent Van Riebeeckstrand Primary on the VRS athletics team, competing at zonal competitions.
Throughout the first and fourth terms, learners participate in a variety of athletics events, including Skadu van die Berg and Top 12 Athletics, among others. These events provide valuable opportunities for development, competition, and achievement.
In 2025, our athletics programme reached an outstanding milestone, with five athletes earning Western Province colours and three athletes qualifying to compete at the South African Championships. These achievements reflect our commitment to nurturing talent, sportsmanship, and a passion for athletics.
Practice times and clothing for each sport are available in the learners’ homework booklets.
Hockey
Hockey at Van Riebeeckstrand Primary has grown tremendously over the past four years, reflecting our commitment to developing both skill and sportsmanship. We are proud to compete regularly against some of the top hockey schools in the Western Cape, including Durbanville, Paarl Gimnasium, Bastion, Gene Louw, and Eikestad, among others. These competitive fixtures provide our players with valuable match experience and the opportunity to challenge themselves at a high level. In 2025 we had the privilege to have one of our u/12 players play at provincial level and various other u/12 and u/13 players play at club level. Most matches are played on Thursdays, with additional fixtures often scheduled on Fridays.
Practice times and clothing for each sport are available in the learners’ homework booklets.
Cricket
“Since 2020, Van Riebeeckstrand’s cricket programme has improved in leaps and bounds, from the building of a strong pitch foundation, which is professionally rolled with a heavy roller for us to situate our pitch on, as well as improved boundary markings. Our cricket nets have been completely redone with new cement laid in order to ensure quality practice. Our U13A team was one game from being unbeaten in 2025, winning 25 of 26 matches, alongside being unbeaten on their tour of Knysna.
Our Gr 1, 2 and 3’s play incredibly competitive cricket and lay the foundation upon where our senior cricket is built. There are also various coaching clubs and 1 on 1 coaching opportunities that we are building in order to further advance our cricket programme. “
Practice times and clothing for each sport are available in the learners’ homework booklets.
Swimming
Swimming is one of the exciting extra-mural activities offered at our school and provides learners with the opportunity to develop confidence, fitness, and competitive skills in a supportive environment.
At the beginning of each year, we host our Junior Gala for Grade 1 and 2 learners. Swimmers participate across the width of the pool in four events: kickboard, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. This gala focuses on building water confidence and introducing young swimmers to the joy of friendly competition.
Our Senior Gala for Grades 3–7 includes 25m races in all four strokes across the various age groups (U9–U14), as well as the individual medley. This event allows swimmers to showcase their skills and compete at a higher level.
We proudly take part in an annual Interschools Gala against Lochnerhof, with the two schools alternating as hosts each year. We also participate in various individual race galas against schools such as Durbanville, Kenridge, Eversdal, and Table View. We are currently in the process of joining a Friday gala league, which will provide our swimmers with even more opportunities to compete throughout the season. In the fourth term, learners also enjoy taking part in fun relay galas.
Following our school gala at the start of the year, a swimming team is selected. These swimmers are invited to attend training sessions.
Swimming at our school encourages teamwork, perseverance, and school pride, while giving learners the opportunity to grow both in and out of the pool.
Practice times and clothing for each sport are available in the learners’ homework booklets.
Tug of War
Tug of war is the fastest-growing sport at Van Riebeeckstrand Primary. We are the largest school in the country participating in the tug of war competitions. There are four different kilogram sections in which our learners participate. For the last three years, we have won WP colours in three of those divisions and have represented WP at the South African Championships. We won our first gold medal in 2020 which makes us the best in the country in that weight category. Our other two teams both won silver medals at the South African Championship.
Practice times and clothing for each sport are available in the learners’ homework booklets.
Chess
At VRS, learners from Grade 2 to Grade 7 have the exciting opportunity to participate
in chess. We are proud to have Coach Ashley Schuller guiding and training our
players from Grade 3 to Grade 7, helping them grow in skill, strategy, and
sportsmanship.
Our team is made up of the top 5 players.
Many of our learners, including those who have taken private coaching, have gone on
to achieve Western Province (WP) colours – a testament to the strong chess
foundation we offer at VRS.
Practice times and clothing for each sport are available in the learners’ homework booklets.
Tennis
Our tennis teams proudly participate in the WP Tennis League, where our learners compete against schools across the Western Province. We are privileged to have Atlantic Tennis Academy (ATA) as our official coaching partner at Van Riebeeckstrand Primary School.
ATA provides professional coaching for both our boys’ and girls’ teams, focusing on skill development, match play, sportsmanship, and a love for the game. In addition to team coaching, private lessons are also available for learners who would like extra, individualised training to further develop their skills.
Over the years, our school has produced several WP tennis players, reflecting the strength of our tennis programme and coaching structure. We also participate in a variety of tournaments throughout the year, giving our learners valuable exposure to different levels of competition and the opportunity to grow in confidence, resilience, and competitive ex
Practice times and clothing for each sport are available in the learners’ homework booklets.
Cross Country
Cross country training starts during Term 2. Our runners participate in the WP Cross Country league.
Races are held on Friday afternoons during Term 2 as well as Term 3. All runners must preferably wear running shoes. The competition is fierce and athletes need to be reasonably fit.
The top 20 athletes (boys and girls) in each age group (u/10 to u/14) will compete in the Western Province Cross Country Championships which is normally held in Term 3. A team will then be chosen to compete in the Western Cape Championships. In recent years some of our runners have then been chosen to participate in the SA Cross Country National Championships, which is normally held during September.
Our aim with cross country is to make running fun for learners. We want to develop a love for running that will hopefully become part of their lifestyles. Increased general fitness will help with all the other sports offered at VRS. Cross country is not for the faint-hearted and requires grit and determination to succeed.
Practice times and clothing for each sport are available in the learners’ homework booklets.
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