Our Senior School Prize Giving was held this week, and here is a speech delivered by Leon Mwepu, one of our Deputy Head boys.

“As we have all heard, Graeme College excelled in 2025 both culturally and academically. If academics and arts are the heart of our school, then our sporting achievements and community involvement are its roar. These aspects of our school were praised not just locally, but nationally. It’s on the fields, our assemblies on Fridays, and through our community outreach projects that we’ve shown what it really means to be a Graemian.

Take cricket at Graeme College. This year, our first team didn’t just impress locally; they captured national attention when they appeared on TV during the Schools SA20 competition. For those unfamiliar, the Schools SA20 brings together 370 schools from across the country, all competing for a single trophy. Led by Mr. Xonxa, our team showed grit, skill and determination, reaching the semi- finals. On the official Schools SA20 page, our team was praised as a group filled with courage and determination; and that’s exactly what it means to be a Graemian.

There were also many individual Graemians rewarded for their talent this year, with around 60 learners representing Eastern Province across various sports. I could stand here and tell the story of each of them but a few truly standout achievements deserve special mention. Erin Nelson featured for the SA Schools ‘A’ rugby team, competing against international sides like France and Georgia in the under-18 series, and was a standout player in both games.

In other less publicised but equally impressive sports, Ashton Burger and Joshua Danilatos showed that Graeme excels across the board. Ashton was crowned South African National U15 Squash Champion, while Joshua was selected for the South African Rock and Surf Super Pro League international fishing team…quite a mouthful. These achievements are a testament not only to individual talent but also to the culture of excellence we cultivate here at Graeme. Noah mentioned the word honours earlier, and our sportsmen certainly lived up to it.

Ayola Mali and Erin Nelson were both awarded Honours for Rugby, while Dinilesizwe Mjuku received Honours for First Aid; a true reflection of their dedication, discipline, and the spirit of excellence that defines a Graemian Speaking of first aid, a sports match legally can’t take place without first aiders on site. Mrs. Pretorius and her team can only be commended for their involvement at every match, both on our grounds and on the astro. They also raised funds for new and improved trauma boards, helping prevent life- changing injuries across all sports, this contribution will undoubtedly continue to protect Graemians and our opponents for many years to come.

Hockey at Graeme College has seen a massive resurgence.

This combination of seasoned players and emerging talent culminated in one of the best hockey seasons in the past five years. Led by Mr. Keys and Mr. Ferreira, this team travelled to Michaelhouse in KwaZulu-Natal for a tournament. Captained by Lutwe Kobese, they showed pure toil and a winning mentality, winning three out of four matches, something that seemed unheard of a few years ago.

Moving onto rugby: before our derby against St. Andrews College this year, Mr. Ralo stood up here and said, “Winners win and losers… I guess we’ll never know.” That simple phrase seemed to ignite numerous triumphs on the rugby field. From famous victories against Dale College, Queens College, and Pretoria Boys’ High, Mr. Van Der Meulen’s players created a culture of winning, always with respect, which also led to their undefeated record at the St. John’s Easter Rugby Festival this year.

This influence was seen best during Legacy Derby Week.

The second edition of this event took place from 7–9 August, with nearly every learner involved in activities against Queens College. This week could have a speech of its own, but the main takeaway is clear: Graemians embody a drive for excellence, regardless of age, sport, or team. From here I can still see people remembering the stress we all felt in those final seconds against Queens College.

If you remember from the beginning of my speech, I spoke about sports and community involvement. As head of the community outreach portfolio this year, I can report that this was another sphere in which our school excelled.

Led by Ms. White, our learners helped hundreds of lives this year. Projects included raising funds for the Sibanye Day Care Centre to build change rooms to restore the dignity of disabled children in our townships. Ekhaya Losizo also received help when a group of our learners restored their play areas by taking time out of their holiday to build sandpits and restore swing sets. Our school is also a proud member of rotary Grahamstown and similar stories like this will undoubtably continue next year and beyond, showing that it’s not just talent or skill that makes a Graemian—it’s a caring heart.

As I close: 272 days. That’s how long all these successes, highlighted by Noah and myself, spanned this year. A Google search might tell you Graeme College is a school in Makhanda with 650 boys… but those of us who stood in these classrooms, who wore this badge on our hearts, know that we were much more than a school in 2025.

We were a brotherhood.
A legacy.
An irrefutable force.

To our teachers, ground staff, sponsors, bus drivers, and parents — thank you. You made it all possible. And to every Graemian sitting here today: never forget that the standard has been set not by perfection, but by courage and toil. This has been Leon Mwepu and Noah Tabensky… and from the learner leadership group of 2025; thank you and long live the Leopard.”