Paul Roos Gymnasium

Paul Roos Gymnasium is a public dual medium (Afrikaans & English) high school for boys in the town of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape province of South Africa, which opened on 1 March 1866 as Stellenbosch Gymnasium. Described as South Africa’s Eton College by novelist Wilbur Smith, it is the 12th oldest school in the country,^[1].

Paul Roos Gymnasium
Location
1 Suidwal Rd, Krigeville Stellenbosch , Western Cape South Africa
Coordinates	33.9419°S 18.8614°E / -33.9419; 18.8614
Information
School type	All-boys public school
Motto	Semper Splendidior (Always Brighter / Always More Splendid)
Religious affiliation(s)	Christianity
Established	8 January 1866; 159 years ago (1866-01-08)
Sister school	Bloemhof High School Rhenish Girls' High School
School district	District 9
Rector	Mr André van Staden
Staff	120 full-time
Grades	8–12
Gender	Male
Age	13 to 18
Number of students	1,300 boys
Language	Afrikaans English
Schedule	07:40 - 14:20
Campus	Urban Campus
Houses	Braid Hofmeyr Murray Neethling
Colour(s)	Gold   Maroon   White
Fight song	Old Boys of Paul Roos
Nickname	The Roos The Maroon Machine PRG.
Rivals	Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool Grey College, Bloemfontein Grey High School Paarl Boys' High School Paarl Gimnasium
Accreditation	Western Cape Education Department
Publication	The Semper
Newspaper	Concipio
Website	www.paulroos.co.za

History

In 1910, the school was renamed Stellenbosch Boys' High School. In 1946 the school moved to new buildings in Krigeville and was renamed Paul Roos Gymnasium after Paul Roos, old boy and captain of the first Springbok team, was himself a teacher at the school, and was the school's rector from 1910 to 1940, after which the school was renamed in his honour.

A notable characteristic of the school is its gees (Afrikaans for spirit) and their fight song "Old boys of Paul Roos" which has the melody of "Flower of Scotland" in remembrance of the first three Scottish rectors, which they sing with their old boys.^[2]

Paul Roos Gymnasium has produced more Springbok rugby players than any other school (56). It is also the school with the most players in the 2019 Rugby World Cup including five Springboks: Schalk Brits, Willie le Roux, Steven Kitshoff, Herschel Jantjies, Damian Willemse and Braam Steyn who played for Italy.^[3][4]

Associations and facilities

Though Paul Roos Gymnasium is a school for boys from grade 8 to 12, the curriculum includes some subjects presented in conjunction with the two sister schools, Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof and Rhenish. The school is dual medium;^[5] Afrikaans- and English-speaking pupils study under one roof, but classes are largely separated according to mother tongue. The school shares sport and internet facilities with Stellenbosch University.

School facilities include a library and computer labs. Sports facilities include hockey fields, the Markötter rugby fields, a swimming pool, an Olympic Waterpolo Aquatic Centre, tennis courts, and a gymnasium.

The main residential facilities are the two school hostels (dormitories) called Prima and Prima Nova. They accommodate 245 boarders, mainly from South Africa and Namibia.

Sport

Paul Roos Gymnasium participates in the following sports:

• Archery
• Athletics
• Chess
• Cricket
• Cross country
• Equestrian
• E-Sports
• Golf
• Hockey
• Mountain biking
• Rugby
• Rugby sevens
• Soccer
• Squash
• Swimming
• Table tennis
• Tennis
• Water polo

Notable attainments

Paul Roos was classified as a 'prestige' school, being among the best-performing schools.^[6] In 2018 the University of Stellenbosch, which evolved out of this school, celebrated its centenary. In the first 100 years of its existence, 26 old boys received honorary doctorates from this university, more than any other school. Also, since the inception of the Chancellor's Medal in 1961, thirteen old boys were awarded this medal for the best final year student by Stellenbosch University.

Notable alumni

Springbok Rugby Players

1. Arthur Nicholas de Kock
2. Japie Louw
3. Jim McKendrick
4. Bob Shand
5. Paul de Waal
6. Japie Krige
7. Bob Loubser
8. PO Nel
9. Paul Roos
10. Daniël Johannes "Koei" Brink
11. Pinkie Daneel
12. Boy de Villiers
13. Frederick Luyt
14. Dick Luyt
15. Koot Reynecke
16. Gideon Daniël Roos
17. Wakkie Krige
18. John Luyt
19. Tom van Vuuren
20. Nic du Plessis
21. Theuns Kruger
22. Charlé Meyer
23. Mannetjies Michau
24. Phil Mostert
25. Tokkie Scholtz
26. Jackie Tindall
27. Attie van Heerden
28. PK Albertyn
29. Nico Bosman
30. Daunce Devine
31. Kenny Starke
32. George Daneel
33. Manus de Jongh
34. AF du Toit
35. PK Morkel
36. Boet Prinsloo
37. Ferdie Bergh
38. George van Reenen
39. Ballie Wahl
40. Tjol Lategan
41. Jannie Engelbrecht
42. Gertjie Brynard
43. Hempies du Toit
44. Cabous van der Westhuizen
45. Justin Swart
46. Cobus Visagie
47. Andries Bekker
48. Schalk Brits
49. Francois Hougaard
50. Juandré Kruger
51. Willie le Roux
52. Steven Kitshoff
53. Damian Willemse
54. Herschel Jantjies
55. Edwill van der Merwe
56. Ben-Jason Dixon

Other notable sportsmen

• Stefan de Bod, cyclist
• Dieter Eiselen, NFL player
• Justin Harding, golfer
• Garrick Higgo, Professional golfer
• Robbie Louw, rugby union player
• Josh Strauss, Scottish international rugby player
• Peter van der Merwe, South African Test cricket captain
• Dan du Plessis, professional rugby player at the Stormers
• Hanro Jacobs, professional rugby player at the Sharks
• JJ Kotze, professional rugby player at the Stormers
• Heerden Hermann, Olympic swimmer
• Bles Kemp, South African national baseball player and Olympian
• Jamie Riddle, professional triathlete
• Oubaas Markötter, legendary rugby coach and pioneer of the modern 3-4-1 scrum
• Dan Hugo, XTERRA triathlete
• Hans Neethling [Wikidata], South African national indoor hockey player
• Andrew Hobson, South African national outdoor hockey player
• Tiaan Pretorius, South African Sevens player and Olympic Bronze medalist
• Reuben Sendzul, South African national hockey player

Jurists

• John Trengove, former judge in the Appellate Division and Constitutional Court
• Pieter Andries Meyer, current judge in the Supreme Court of Appeal
• Ernest Frederick Watermeyer, Chief Justice of South Africa
• Hendrik Stephanus van Zyl, Judge President of the Cape Provincial Division
• Benjamin Tindall, judge of the Appellate Division
• John Murray, judge and Chief Justice of Southern Rhodesia
• Gerhardus Jacobus Maritz, Judge President of the Transvaal Provincial Division
• Anton Lubowski, Namibian anti-apartheid activist and advocate
• Daniël de Waal, Judge President of the Transvaal Provincial Division
• Nicolaas Jacobus de Wet, judge and Chief Justice of South Africa
• Hendrik Stephanus van Zyl, Judge President of the Cape Provincial Division

Journalists and authors

• Tom Dreyer, novelist, poet and column writer
• Etienne van Heerden, twice Hertzog Prize winner
• T.O. Honiball artist and cartoonist
• Gideon Joubert, writer and journalist
• Uys Krige, Hertzog Prize winner, writer, poet, playwright and rugby union footballer
• Pieter-Louis Myburgh, investigative journalist
• Anton van Niekerk, professor of philosophy
• Wilhelm Verwoerd, philosopher, peace-maker and writer
• Gideon Roos, founder and chair of the South African Music Rights Organisation
• Waldimar Pelser, former editor of the Rapport and current Director of Premium Channels at M-Net
• Dr Willem Botha, former chief editor and CEO of the Woordeboek vir die Afrikaanse Taal (WAT)
• Pieter du Toit, author of “The Stellenosch Mafia” and “The ANC Billionaires”
• Bun Booyens, editor of Die Burger
• Ryk van Niekerk, editor of Moneyweb
• Schalk Pienaar, former editor of Die Burger and Die Beeld, prominent Afrikaans critic of Apartheid – for which he received the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver

Businessmen and politicians

• J.B.M. Hertzog, prime minister of the Union of South Africa
• D.F. Malan, South African prime minister
• Jannie Marais, co-founder of Naspers and benefactor of the Het Jan Marais Fonds
• Johann Rupert, business executive
• Jan Smuts,^[7] South African prime minister and Field Marshal in the British Army, as well as one of the founders of the League of Nations and United Nations.
• Jannie Durand, Chief Investment Officer of Remgro
• Edwin Hertzog, former chairman of Mediclinic International
• Michael Jordaan, former CEO of First National Bank
• Riaan Stassen, co-founder of Capitec Bank
• Professor Gerhard Tötemeyer, former Namibian Director of Elections and Deputy Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development
• Dr Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs

Artists and performing arts

• Marcel van Heerden, actor
• Arnold van Wyk, composer, musicologist
• Heinz Winckler, musician
• Beer Adriaanse, actor
• Koos Kombuis, South African short-story writer, poet, novelist and cult musician
• Louis van Niekerk, actor
• Portchie, South African artist
• Armand Aucamp, actor
• Jacques Theron, actor

• Kobus van der Merwe, chef at Wolfgat

• The members of the Afrikaans band, Zinkplaat
• Nic de Jager, radio presenter inducted into the South African Radio Hall of Fame

Rhodes Scholarship

The Rhodes Scholarship was instituted in 1903. Paul Roos Gymnasium is one of four schools in South Africa entitled to award a Rhodes Scholarship annually to an ex-pupil to study at the University of Oxford.^[8]

Controversies

On 28 October 2021, a Grade 8 student at Paul Roos Gymnasium was seriously assaulted by another pupil before school hours. The victim sustained extensive facial injuries, including a broken jaw, nose, and eye socket, and required reconstructive surgery. The school suspended the alleged perpetrator and launched an internal investigation, with a disciplinary hearing to follow. The Western Cape Education Department confirmed it had been notified of the incident and expressed support for the school's response. A recommendation for expulsion was made to the Western Cape Education Department's Head of Department.^[9]