Stellenbosch – Paul Roos Gymnasium has cemented its place among South Africa’s most influential public schools, with an alumni list spanning Springbok rugby, politics, business, academia and the arts.
According to BusinessTech, the Stellenbosch boys’ school has produced 56 Springboks, more than any other school in South Africa.
The figure is independently supported by Springbok Rugby History’s school rankings, which places Paul Roos first with 56 Springboks, ahead of Grey College with 49 and Bishops with 43.
Among the school’s better-known rugby alumni are current Springboks Damian Willemse and Edwill van der Merwe, as well as former internationals including Steven Kitshoff, Schalk Brits and Francois Hougaard.
The school’s own archive puts the number even higher, recording 57 rugby Springboks and noting that research is continuing into players who attended the school between 1903 and 1930.
A 160-year-old institution
Founded in 1866 as Stellenbosch Gymnasium, Paul Roos Gymnasium is one of South Africa’s oldest schools. It moved to its current site in 1946 and was renamed after former Springbok captain and rector Paul Roos.
Roos captained South Africa’s first rugby team to tour Britain in 1906 before returning to his alma mater, where he served as rector for 30 years. The school says it is “honoured to bear his name”.
Its alumni extend well beyond sport. They include billionaire businessman Johann Rupert, former prime minister Jan Smuts, former prime ministers J.B.M. Hertzog and D.F. Malan, writer and musician Koos Kombuis, and current Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber.
BusinessTech also notes that author Wilbur Smith once described Paul Roos as “South Africa’s Eton College”, a reference to its history, traditions and prominent alumni.
The school celebrated its 160th anniversary in March 2026, describing its evolution from a modest 19th-century institution into what it calls a “world-renowned demonstration of the power of quality education”.
Despite its reputation, Paul Roos remains a public school, although BusinessTech reports annual school fees of about R69,000, with hostel fees of approximately R76,200.
Its sporting legacy remains central to its identity, with rugby particularly prominent. SA Rugby continues to use the school’s Markötter Stadium for major fixtures, including the Junior Springboks’ 2026 U20 International Series, according to the Springboks website.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
