The top public school in South Africa that taught Johann Rupert, Jan Smuts, and more Springboks than any other
Paul Roos Gymnasium is one of South Africa’s oldest and most prestigious schools and has produced more Springboks than any other school.
The school was founded in 1866 as the Stellenbosch Gymnasium before its name was changed in 1940 to Paul Roos Gymnasium.
The name was changed to honour Paul Roos, a legendary former Springboks captain and rector of the school.
The school is located in Stellenbosch, in the Western Cape, close to Cape Town, and its early history is closely linked to the town’s university.
Its first headmaster was Reverend Braid, who was recruited from Scotland and took charge of the school until 1869, when he was succeeded by Reverend Anderson.
In 1874, the school opened an arts centre on its grounds, granting it college status and making the headmaster a “rector” and the teachers in the art department “professors”.
Although this part of the school was now a college, it remained under the school’s authority until 1879, when Stellenbosch College became a separate entity.
In 1885, both the school and the college moved to new locations, separating. In 1897, the College changed its name to Victoria College before finally becoming Stellenbosch University in 1918.
In 1910, Paul Roos became rector and led the school for 30 years before retiring. He was deeply involved in the school before this as a teacher and rugby coach.
He was a former pupil of the school before going on to captain the Springboks and then teaching at his alma mater.
He was a beloved rector at the school, and Paul Roos Gymnasium said on its website that “The school is honoured to bear his name.”
In 1946, the school changed its location to where it is located today, and changed its name to Paul Roos Gymnasium, with the primary and high schools separating in January 1951.
Paul Roos and the Springboks
Paul Roos Gymnasium has produced 56 Springboks in its history, more than any other school in the country.
This includes current players such as Edwill van der Merwe and Damien Willemse, as well as former players like Phil Mostert.
Paul Roos comes out ahead of several other famous South African schools, such as Grey College (49) and Bishops (43).
Along with Springboks, Paul Roos has seen an impressive number of provincial and international athletes pass through its doors.
This includes Dieter Eiselen, a National Football League player in America, and former Protea cricketer Pieter van der Merwe.
Outside of sports, the school has produced notable statesmen, artists, and businessmen across its many years of education.
This includes South African billionaire Johann Rupert, musician Koos Kombuis, and former Prime Minister of the South African Union Jan Smuts.
The school places a heavy emphasis on its sports programmes, particularly rugby, where it currently ranks as the third-best school first XV in the country.
The school also ranks first in South Africa on the combined men’s hockey leaderboard, which accounts for performance across several age categories.
For cricket, soccer, and water polo, Paul Roos also features within the top twenty schools in the country, on first-team leaderboards.
Paul Roos is a public school, and charges approximately R69,000 per annum in school fees and R76,200 per year for learners in its hostel.
The all-boys school places its attention on more than sports, with several cultural activities and impressive teaching facilities.
South African author Wilbur Smith once described Paul Roos as “South Africa’s Eton College”, comparing it to the famous British school, where several of the country’s royals and Prime Ministers were educated.
The comparison is made given Paul Roos Gymnasium’s long history in the country, its longstanding traditions, and the impressive list of alumni it has produced.
Photos of Paul Roos Gymnasium
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