School rugby will always be an important integral part of rugby without which no Union would be able to exist. As early as 1914 rugby was played at schools in the Transvaal and the Transvaal Schools Sub-Union was founded in 1920. The first season was started with a U/16 league and seventeen schools participated.

In 1921 there were already two competitions U/14 and U/16 and a total of thirty-seven teams competed in the different competitions. The number of teams competing in 1922 grew to forty-three.

On 22 March 1922, a meeting was held in Pretoria to start a competition for schools. Transvaal was divided into five regions. Matches were played on a knock-out basis with the semi-finals being played in Johannesburg and Pretoria, while the finals were played in Johannesburg. The following nineteen schools were founder members: Belfast, Bethal, Christiana, Commercial (Jhb), Ermelo, Heidelberg, Helpmekaar, Houghton College, Krugersdorp, Lichtenburg, Lydenburg, Middelburg, Monument, Pietersburg, Pretoria, Standerton, Trade (Jhb) Volksrust and Voortrekker, (Boksburg).

The administrator of the time, The Honourable Mr H G Robertson, an enthusiastic supporter of the game, donated a lovely silver cup as a floating trophy for the competition. Until 1987 the competition was known as the Administrator’s Cup series. Then it became the Director’s trophy Competition and since 1995 it has been known as the Beeld Trophy Competition. In 2002 a new National Competition was started by SARSA known as the Media-24 Knock-out Competition and the schools within the Lions’ boundaries were allocated to the CATS Region and the first teams then were compelled to participate in this competition and Monument High were the proud winners of this National Competition in 2003. In 2005 the Media 24 Competition was scrapped due to USSASA being disbanded.

It is of interest to note that in 1928 already, plans were devised for an interprovincial school’s tournament. The TRFU donated a hundred pounds to cover part of the costs for such a competition and a SA High Schools Associations was formed. During 1931 the Rand High Schools Association (for English Schools) was founded. The fields of King Edward, St John’s College, Parktown High, Jeppe and Marist Brothers were made available.

After a Schools Association for all schools was founded in 1938, two separate associations for high and primary schools were founded in 1963. Mr W A Visser, was the chairman of the primary schools and Mr Piet Malan the Chairman of the High Schools. Mr Visser donated a floating trophy to be completed for by the high schools.

Schools rugby was played in previously disadvantaged areas long before the unification of school’s rugby under the jurisdiction of the GLRU. Orlando High was the dominant rugby playing school in Soweto since 1924. The GLRU Youth Club programme started in 1992. As the main focus of the GLRU Development programme. the Youth Club programme kicked off in areas like Soweto, Eldorado park, Westbury, Bosmont, Edenpark, Kagiso and Alexandra. Today rugby is gaining popularity in Township schools.

The very first Craven Week for High Schools was held in 1964 in East London and the first Craven Week for primary Schools was held in 1973 in Stellenbosch.

The GLHRA (formerly the Transvaal High Schools Rugby Sub-Union) was privileged to play host to the Craven Week in 1974 and 1989 and in 2006. We also were the inaugural host of the U/16 Grant Khomo Week in 2003 under the leadership of tournament director Mr Christo Meyer. In 2011 and 2012 with Mr Tinus Diedericks as tournament director, the GLHRA played host to the U/18 National Academy week and

the U/16 Grant Khomo week respectively. During 2017 we hosted the combined Craven and Academy week at St Stithians Boys’ College – the Cravenweek team walked away as unofficial champion upon beating Kwa-Zulu Natal in the main game. It can also be noted that Jake White, the previous Springboks Coach was a teacher at Jeppe Boys High.