Nashua sponsors inaugural Green Elly Girls' Rugby Festival

The inaugural Girls High School Rugby Festival is taking place at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Pieter Booysen Sports Park on 26 September 2026, backed by Nashua as the title sponsor. The event, branded as the Nashua Green Elly Rugby Festival, is the first-ever 15-a-side under-18 rugby festival in South Africa for girls at high school level.

10 teams from around KwaZulu-Natal will participate in a showcase of emerging female rugby talent. Each team will play two matches at the festival, making history in a day that will break barriers for young women in rugby as well as position Pietermaritzburg as the host for an annual celebration of resilience and grit.

A panel of qualified selectors, including Mary Zulu, Springbok Women Fly-half and SA Women 'A' Captain; Matthew Marwick, principal of Pietermaritzburg Girls' High School; Zee Ntombela, senior sports officer, University of KwaZulu-Natal and second vice-president, KwaZulu-Natal Sport Confederation; and Dyllan Kroon, Midlands Rugby Union Chairperson, will be in attendance to oversee the formation of a 15-side All Stars team.

"Our inaugural Pietermaritzburg Girls' High School Rugby Festival is more than a sporting event. It is an initiative to build the future of women's rugby in South Africa. We are proud to welcome Nashua as title sponsor, whose support underscores a shared vision: empowering young women through sport and building resilient communities," says Marwick.

Adds JP du Toit, Sales Director at Nashua Pietermaritzburg: "Nashua's sponsorship aims not only to elevate sport, but also to create a legacy of education, empowerment and community development. This aligns with our company's long-standing commitment to supporting South African sport from school level to the world stage, the development of our youth and the empowerment of girls and young women."

The "Green Elly" is a cherished emblem of Girls High School's 106-year legacy, symbolising resilience and pride. It also reflects strong ties to the Msunduzi and Umgungundlovu region.

Schools confirmed to participate:

• Pietermaritzburg Girls' High School
• Emeris (Grosvenor Girls' High School)
• Newcastle High School
• Estcourt High School
• Durban Invitational
• Queensburgh Girls' High School
• Ogwini Club
• Edendale Tech
• Mandlamthethwa School of Excellence
• Kokstad

The games will be livestreamed on the SuperSport Schools app, available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

For more information on the festival, follow Nashua on Facebook and LinkedIn.