CRICKET LEINSTER RETURNS TO PRESTIGIOUS SOUTH AFRICAN FESTIVAL

Ten full years after participating in the 2014 South Africa Independent Schools Festival, a Leinster boys’ u16 squad will travel to South Africa next week to partake in the 2025 version of the prestigious 14-school cricket festival, hosted by St Stithians College in Johannesburg.

The squad, selected from seven Leinster clubs showing the depth of talent in the Union, was the core of the u15 Inter-Provincial winning squad in 2024 and will join up with some of their Transition Year teammates who are based in South Africa for the January to March period.

St Stithians are a true force in South African school's cricket with four past pupils (Wiaan Mulder, Ryan Rickelton, Kwena Maphake, and Kagiso Rabada) featuring in the Test match held in Cape Town over the New Year.

Other St Stithians past pupils currently playing in Leinster include Cameron Rowe, Sebastian D’Oliviera (Balbriggan) and Liam McCarthy (Railway Union).

St Stithians’ Head of Cricket Wim Jansen, the 1994 & 1995 Pembroke CC overseas professional, has been a long-standing supporter of Cricket Leinster, being the main contact point in establishing exchanges for several students.

Brian O’Rourke, the Leinster manager, was quick to praise Wim and St Stithians' contribution adding “It is with great pride Cricket Leinster return to St Stithians and one of South Africa’s most prestigious festivals in 2025.  Wim knows how far we have come in the past twenty years in Leinster, and this festival builds upon the 2014 trip, with all our hopes, that it will have just as great a life-changing impact on the participants.  Congratulations to all players selected, and to the seven clubs, whose passion for youth development I know will be so well represented by their players”.

Leinster’s performances on the 2014 trip impressed many at the school with David Delany, Stephen Doheny, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Harry Tector and Ben White all progressing further to gain senior Ireland caps.

St Stithians past pupil and current Ireland player Curtis Campher was delighted when informed Leinster would again be teaming up with his old school mentioning – “I remember playing against the visiting Leinster team back in 2014 and although we won the game by 3 wickets in the end, we were caused problems throughout the second innings with the quality of the Leinster bowling attack”.

St Stithians Head of Cricket Wim Jansen was quick to make contact with Cricket Leinster following the allocation of the 2025 festival to St Stithians “We are extremely proud to welcome Cricket Leinster back to the festival.  We have a very special bond, and proud to know how much our school means to so many in Ireland.  The whole school hopes that the festival will, as the 2014 event so clearly did, inspire hard work, dedication and show through embracing what unites, cricket can become your life’s adventure for all of the participants”.

Squad:

Sidharth Biju (Adamstown)

Ryan Keenan (Balbriggan)

Aadi Wankhade (Balbriggan)

Jan Dijkstra (Merrion)

Aadil Naizam (Phoenix)

Ted Hasler (Railway Union)

Gethin Kelleher (Railway Union)

Callum Armstrong (Rush)

Kyle Rock (Rush)

Hayden Clinton (The Hills)

Joe Russell (The Hills)

Max Stead (The Hills)

Manager: Brian O’Rourke

Fixtures:

Tue Feb 18^th – Warm up fixture vs St Stithians Johannesburg 5pm T20 (Day/Night)

Thur Feb 20^th – Festival fixture 1 v St David’s Johannesburg 3pm T20

Fri Feb 21^st – Festival fixture 2 vs  Helpmekaar Johannesburg 9am 50 overs

Sat Feb 22^nd – Festival fixture 3 vs St John’s Johannesburg 9am 50 overs

Sun Feb 23^rd – Festival fixture 4 vs St Albans Pretoria 9am 40 overs

Participating schools:

St Stithians, St Albans, St Johns, Helpmekaar, Hilton College, Clifton College, Leinster, St Andrew's (Grahamstown), St Davids, King Edwards School (KES), Michaelhouse & SACS.