Craven Week 2026 Day Four Results – Western Province XV Stun Lions as Blue Bulls, Pumas and Griffons Win
Game One – Griffons Secure Convincing Victory Over Valke
The final day of the group stage at Craven Week 2026, before Saturday’s playoff fixtures were decided, kicked off with the Griffons taking on the Valke. After a valiant effort against Western Province XV, the Griffons hoped today would finally be their day. It certainly looked that way after a hard-fought first half, with the Griffons taking a comfortable 12-point lead into the break.
The Valke didn’t manage a reply until the 45th minute, but by then the Griffons had already doubled their points tally. The final nail in the coffin came through a magical solo try from Booyse, who stretched the Griffons’ lead to 29 points and opened up a commanding 22-point advantage. A red card to Valke No.12 Botha only made matters worse. A late consolation try gave the Valke something to cheer about, but it was a comfortable afternoon for the Griffons, who secured a convincing 29-12 victory in the Craven Week 2026 results.
Game Two – Pumas Dominate Border from Start to Finish
The second game of Craven Week Day Four between the Pumas and Border quickly became one-way traffic. Despite a relatively even opening 10 minutes, once the Pumas crossed through Nyumba, who broke away from a driving maul, there was no stopping them. The Pumas piled on 27 unanswered points, leaving Border with no response before the break.
The second half saw Pumas centre Nkosi shown a yellow card, offering Border a chance to get back into the contest. However, it wasn’t to be, as Border received a yellow card of their own shortly afterwards, allowing the Pumas to take the three points before adding another converted try as they continued to squeeze Border out of the game.
It wasn’t until the hour mark that Border finally got on the scoreboard through Kabale, but by then the result was well beyond their reach. The Pumas added another 10 points, while Border replied with one more try, as the Pumas wrapped up an emphatic 47-14 victory in this South African school rugby clash.
Game Three – Blue Bulls Cruise Past Griquas in Clinical Display
Game three looked much like the second, with another one-sided affair as the Blue Bulls faced Griquas. The Blue Bulls took full advantage of a struggling Griquas side that couldn’t build any momentum or keep their handling errors under control. The Blue Bulls crossed for six tries, including one inside the opening 45 seconds, racing into a dominant 40-0 lead at half-time.
Perhaps the biggest turning point came after 20 minutes when Kuhn was shown a red card for cynical play. At that stage, Griquas trailed by only 14 points, but playing a man down for the remainder of the half proved costly as they conceded 26 points. Matters worsened when scrumhalf Makoni was also shown a yellow card.
The second half saw a much-improved Griquas outfit, who opened their account through Buys, racing onto a rolling ball after a powerful break. Although Griquas managed 19 second-half points, the Blue Bulls always had an answer. Even after the TMO ruled out one of their tries, they immediately responded, with Stumke crashing over to take his side beyond the 50-point mark.
Two more yellow cards for Griquas only added to their frustrations. Although the Blue Bulls also received a late yellow card, the result was never in doubt, and Van Niekerk put the finishing touch on a dominant 59-19 victory to strengthen their Craven Week 2026 campaign.
Game Four – Western Province XV Complete Remarkable Comeback Against Lions
The final game of the group stage at Craven Week 2026 between Western Province XV and the Lions produced the most dramatic finish of the tournament so far. For almost 80% of the match, the Lions looked to have complete control. Holding a comfortable 19-7 lead at half-time, they appeared to have one foot in victory.
However, the second half belonged entirely to Western Province XV, inspired by a sensational hat-trick from Tomas Saunders, his first of Craven Week 2026. Province slowly chipped away at the deficit before producing a remarkable final 20 minutes to completely turn the match on its head.
It was a bitterly disappointing defeat for the Lions, who let a 12-point half-time advantage slip after conceding 36 second-half points. Credit, however, must go to Western Province XV, who never stopped believing and produced one of the greatest comebacks of schoolboy rugby this week to secure a memorable victory.
Saturday’s Craven Week 2026 playoff fixtures promise to deliver another exciting day of South African school rugby action. Will we witness more dramatic comebacks, or will new champions emerge? Stay tuned for more Craven Week 2026 results, SA Schools rugby, U18 rugby and schoolboy rugby coverage.
To watch the fourth day’s highlights, visit: https://www.youtube.com/@SCHOOLOFSPORTS
