# Paul Roos Gymnasium

Paul Roos Gymnasium is a leading 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, and its Old Boys have had an important, wide-ranging and notable impact on the history of South Africa.

## 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 famous 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.
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.

## 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; 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. 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

* Arthur Nicholas de Kock
* Japie Louw
* Jim McKendrick
* Bob Shand
* Paul de Waal
* Japie Krige
* Bob Loubser
* PO Nel
* Paul Roos
* Daniël Johannes "Koei" Brink
* Pinkie Daneel
* Boy de Villiers
* Frederick Luyt
* Dick Luyt
* Koot Reynecke
* Gideon Daniël Roos
* Wakkie Krige
* John Luyt
* Tom van Vuuren
* Nic du Plessis
* Theuns Kruger
* Charlé Meyer
* Mannetjies Michau
* Phil Mostert
* Tokkie Scholtz
* Jackie Tindall
* Attie van Heerden
* PK Albertyn
* Nico Bosman
* Daunce Devine
* Kenny Starke
* George Daneel
* Manus de Jongh
* AF du Toit
* PK Morkel
* Boet Prinsloo
* Ferdie Bergh
* George van Reenen
* Ballie Wahl
* Tjol Lategan
* Jannie Engelbrecht
* Gertjie Brynard
* Hempies du Toit
* Cabous van der Westhuizen
* Justin Swart
* Cobus Visagie
* Andries Bekker
* Schalk Brits
* Francois Hougaard
* Juandré Kruger
* Willie le Roux
* Steven Kitshoff
* Damian Willemse
* Herschel Jantjies
* Edwill van der Merwe
* 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
* Daniel 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

### 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, 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.