The day has finally come. Yes, that day is known as K-day, when St Andrew’s College / DSG and Kingswood College come together to compete against each other in rugby, hockey and other sports.
The day has finally come. Yes, that day is known as K-day, when St Andrew’s College / DSG and Kingswood College come together to compete against each other in rugby, hockey and other sports.
The battle of supremacy between the two private schools will unfold tomorrow on the St Andrew's and DSG sports grounds. Some say it’s almost like a religious battle for the two rival schools – the Methodists being Kingswood and the Anglicans being St Andrew's.
Every K-day adds to the ongoing history of this day. “Because of the stature that these schools have within the town, this event naturally affects all of Grahamstown, and for this weekend there is definitely an increased sense of excitement,” Kingswood sports director Pieter Serfontein said.
Indeed, the history of this event is part of its excitement. The Kingswood/St Andrew’s clash was first played in 1898, in which Kingswood lost to St Andrew’s by 6-5.
It seems St Andrew’s began to play rugby in 1878, while Kingswood began to play in 1898. With its history, the anticipation for K-day is building up through the town – but especially at the schools.
“This will be my first K-Day as head of sport at Kingswood College,” Serfontein said. “So I am looking forward to the positive rivalry that exists between the schools and seeing how this will manifest itself in the individual matches.”
And he is not alone. On the other side of town, at St Andrew’s, sports director Pete Andrew expressed his enthusiasm for the sporting festivities. “There is a certain amount of hype generated by the kids and by everyone,” Andrew said.
“It is a wonderful day for kids to come together for exciting well-matched games.” Both directors said the preparation for K-Day had been the same as for any other sports day. “It’s a normal fixture,” Andrew said.
“We play inter-school games every weekend, and we have prepared the same way.” Serfontein said Kingswood had been trying to treat the fixture as normal as possible, so as to avoid putting pressure on the teams.
It's a big day, too, for the parents. Many of them are former pupils at the school, so it's not only their children's involvement but their own histories that feed their excitement on the sidelines. “I think the impact parents can have on their child’s expectations, outlooks and fears is vast,” Serfontein said.
He said if a parent’s attitude was positive and informed, it could be beneficial. If it was negative, and if they put unrealistic demands on the children, it would obviously be very destructive.
As the day draws near, directors of both schools encourage the positive rivalry and companionship amongst students and parents. “I hope that more children continue to be involved in this historical event and that it is always a fair and hard-fought contest for every team involved,” Serfontein said.
In a break from tradition, the two under 13A teams will not be playing against each other. At the time of going to press the reason was not clear.
See the full programme on St Andrew's College website.
Grocott's Online will publish an extensive gallery of K-Day photos on Monday 20 June.
