Uplands College proudly congratulates Siphesihle and Thubelihle Marule on their selection for the 2026 Pumas U18 Craven Week Team.
Their journey has been nothing short of remarkable and serves as an inspiration to the entire Uplands community. The twins joined Uplands College in 2023 from Vutselani Primary through the KGWALE LE MOLLO (KLM) Foundation. Having never played rugby before arriving at Uplands, they embraced the sport with enthusiasm, determination and an unwavering commitment to learn.
Just one year later, both brothers earned selection for the 2024 Pumas U15 Team that competed at Rhino Week in Vanderbijlpark. Their progress continued in 2025 when they were selected for the Pumas Talent Identification (TID) Squad and went on to represent the province at the Grant Khomo Week at St Alban’s College. Strong performances against Western Province XV, Eastern Province and the Falcons saw both brothers invited to attend the prestigious SARU U16 Elite Player Development (EPD) Camp in the Western Cape.
This year, Siphesihle and Thubelihle have balanced the demands of 1st XV Rugby, their academic commitments and countless hours spent travelling across Mpumalanga to attend Craven Week training camps and trials. Their dedication and passion for the game have now been rewarded with selection for the 2026 Pumas Craven Week Team. The U18 Craven Week is South Africa’s premier schoolboy rugby tournament and is widely regarded as the highest honour a school rugby player can achieve. The tournament takes place from 5–11 July at Grey High School in Gqeberha, where the country’s top young rugby talent will be on display.
We are incredibly proud of Siphesihle and Thubelihle and look forward to watching them represent both Uplands and the Pumas on one of South African school rugby’s biggest stages.