SACS versus Bishops – the 153rd year of rugby rivalry

Few schoolboy fixtures in South Africa carry the weight of history quite like SACS versus Bishops, and on Saturday 18 April 2026 the rivalry writes another chapter — its 153rd year.

What began as a contest in 1873, when SACS edged the first recorded clash by two goals, stretches even deeper into the fabric of Cape sport. Historians point to inter-collegiate encounters as early as 1862, with cricket matches between the schools dating back to 1861 — evidence that this is not just a rugby rivalry, but one rooted in the earliest traditions of organised school sport in the country.

By June 1873, the relationship had already moved beyond competition. Representatives from SACS and Bishops, alongside local clubs, helped draft the first written rules for football in South Africa — a remarkable collaboration that places both schools at the very foundation of the game locally.

Their shared history is also etched into the story of Newlands. The very first game ever hosted at the ground in April 1890 was between Bishops and SACS, staged to test whether the newly cleared surface could withstand the demands of rugby. It was a fitting choice: two schools already central to the game’s growth entrusted with ushering in a venue that would become iconic.

More than a century on, the rivalry endures — not just as a fixture on the calendar, but as a living thread through South African rugby history, where every meeting adds to a story that helped shape the game itself.