Situated in the Northmead suburb of Benoni on the East Rand, Hoërskool Brandwag is one of Gauteng's most established Afrikaans high schools - an institution with roots that stretch back more than a century and a legacy built on academic ambition, community pride, and no small amount of rugby excellence. From Dutch Medium Roots to "Keeper of the Fire" Brandwag's story begins in 1917, when Afrikaans-speaking parents petitioned the East Rand Schools Board for a Dutch medium school for their children. The Nederlands Medium Skool opened that year under principal J.A.S. van Heerden with 215 children.

Van Heerden would go on to become Rector of the Pretoria Teachers' College - a sign of the calibre of leadership the school attracted from its earliest days. Two years after its founding, Johan Greijbe was appointed principal - a man who would later be known as the father of Afrikaans Education in the Transvaal. The school went through several name changes in its early years before the name Brandwag was formally adopted in 1929. The word translates roughly as "Keeper of the Fire" - a name that has proven apt.

By 1936 there were 1,000 learners from Grade One to Grade 10, with Grades 11 and 12 introduced in the following two years. When Greijbe eventually retired, Brandwag completed its transition into a full high school. Brandwag operates as a Christian Afrikaans public high school under the Ekurhuleni North Education District. The school positions itself as the most sought-after institution in its area and holds the distinction of being recognised as the top academic school in Ekurhuleni and Ekurhuleni-Noord.

Its badge - a peak in the Drakensberg rising above the clouds - speaks to the aspirational character the school has cultivated over generations. Brandwag's rugby programme has been one of the most consistently competitive in the Falcons region. In 1966 the school won the Administrator's Cup, now known as the Beeld Trophy, and repeated that success in both 2002 and 2003. In 2003 they went a step further and became national champions, winning the Media24 championship for Medium Schools by beating Afrikaans Hoër of Kroonstad 25-20 in the final at Ellis Park.

The school's proudest rugby sons are two full Springboks. Gerrie Germishuys finished his schooling at Brandwag before going on to make his international debut against the British and Irish Lions in 1974. A blistering winger with genuine sprinter's pace, he scored a then-record 12 tries in 20 Tests for South Africa between 1974 and 1981. The second is Johan Ackermann, the lock who earned his Springbok colours in the 1990s before going on to a distinguished coaching career with the Lions and later in European club rugby.

There is a gentle irony in Brandwag's story. Benoni's name carries no joy - in the Bible, as Rachel lay dying in childbirth, she named her son Benoni, meaning "son of my suffering." A town with that kind of origin story could do with an institution that aspires to something brighter - and for over 100 years, that is exactly what Brandwag has been.

Brandwag (FAL)