The countdown to the biggest school sport event in South Africa is to begin — the Absa Wildeklawer School Sport Tournament in Kimberley
The biggest and most spectacular sport event for both primary and secondary schools in South Africa, and probably the world, is about to begin. In less than two weeks, the city of Kimberley in the Northern Cape will be a buzz of visitors to the Absa Wildeklawer School Sport Tournament (AWSST).
The AWSST is a prestigious sport event that was held in the Paarl in 2009 for the very first time. Only 12 rugby teams participated back then. Over the past 14 years, this tournament has grown to become one of the biggest international school sport tournaments featuring rugby, netball, hockey and soccer.
In 2025, a record-breaking 232 teams, representing 126 different schools all over South Africa, will come together in Kimberley to compete. These teams comprise a total of 5 357 players and officials, creating an eclectic atmosphere of extreme competition but also camaraderie between teams and players.
The Absa Wildeklawer Invitational Tournament accommodates 44 local teams from the Northern Cape region to participate at various venues in the city. The players will compete in soccer, rugby and netball.
Cassie Carstens, manager of AWSST, says the tournament not only aims to foster healthy competition but also serves as a catalyst for promoting and expanding opportunities within the school sporting world, thanks to dedicated partnerships.
“The vision of the tournament is to ensure that we give equal opportunity not only for top schools to participate on a strength versus strength basis but also give opportunity to our local schools to participate in a tournament of this unique magnitude and play against each other to promote cohesion, friendship and sportsmanship.”
It is the mission of the AWSST to host the biggest school sport tournament in the world and to motivate youth to participate in sport at the highest level, resulting in maintaining a healthy spirit and body to the advantage of nation building.
“Absa is once again the main sponsor of the tournament which underlines their support to school sport and especially this tournament. We are very grateful for the ongoing support as nothing of this would be possible without them,” Carstens emphasizes.
The rugby and netball tournament for primary schools starts on 24 April 2025 at Newton Primary School. The tournament will kick off with an opening ceremony at the Deo Gloria Hall on Wednesday, 23 April 2025, and will end on Saturday, 26 April 2025, when the last teams will fiercely put in that last bit of effort to win their respective games.
Invitational teams, consisting of rugby, netball and soccer, will have the opportunity to take part from 28 to 30 April 2025 at various venues in the city. The under-19 senior soccer tournament will take place at the Sol Plaatje University from 1 to 3 May 2025.
This year the AWSST will also showcase some of the country’s best boys and girls hockey players from 1 to 3 May, also to be held at the Sol Plaatje University.
The junior rugby tournament for under-14, under-15 and under-16 takes place from 30 April to 3 May at Diamantveld B, Boys’ High School and Staatspresident Swart Primary School.
The senior tournament for rugby (under-19) and netball (under-16 and under-19) will kick off on Wednesday, 30 April with an opening ceremony at Diamantveld High School at 17:30. The main game after the ceremony will be between Paul Roos Gimnasium and Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool at 19:00. The tournament ends on 3 May 2025.
In 2024 a staggering 32 000 visitors attended the AWSST. Be one of the thousands that does not want to miss out on the best and biggest sport event for schools you will ever experience — right here in one place — Kimberley, the City of Diamonds.
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