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Story audio is generated using AI The SA20 schools tournament will have added intensity with the addition of a “Derby Series”, though Graeme Smith is wary of mimicking the intensity seen in schools rugby rivalries. SA20 announced the new addition to its extensive schools competition on Wednesday, aiming to further energise an event that will go into its third year in 2027. “The Derby Series adds an element that will create a platform for kids and get families involved, hopefully. “We are focused on the whole story and not just the result, which is different to rugby,” said Smith, the league’s commissioner. The #rainSA20DerbySeries brings together 26 of South Africa's cricket schools for standalone matches. — rain Schools SA20 (@Schools_SA20) September 9, 2026 Some rooted in decades of history; others are new pairings, brought together by the strength of the cricket between them. Read more 🔗 https://t.co/fsJqmKa78S#MoreThanAMatch pic.twitter.com/JW1pvQtQEf Some of the country’s most notable institutions will face each other in local derbies, including Affies against Pretoria Boys High, Jeppe against KES and SACS against Wynberg Boys. “The school system is a pillar of a lot of sporting success in South Africa and hopefully this will do the same.” School rivalries in rugby have grown into massive events, especially in the last decade, and matches between Affies and Grey College or Paarl Boys and Paarl Gimnasium, can attract crowds of 20,000 people. Television coverage provides an additional platform. However, there are growing concerns that an increased professional element has crept into the sport at school level, as evidenced by the number of positive drug tests. “The intensity of rugby has gone to another level at school,” said Smith. “If the Derby Series builds and cricket starts to get to a level where it is uplifted, then we will be happy. There is a balance between both competitions for us; the schools SA20 is a massive event, it’s a huge investment. “That is about winning; there are three phases, [and] it shows who is the best school in the country.” Nearly 600 schools took part in last year’s tournament, and it has been one of the successes of the SA20, revitalising the game in many schools which had seen the number of pupils participating in cricket decline recently. “Schools look at the ecosystem slightly differently, there are more eyeballs, it’s a platform and it provides context,” said Smith. “We speak about the results so much, but playing sport is about the teamwork, the discipline, making sure you’re training, putting in the work or going to bed slightly earlier. Selfishly, I want to see talent coming through, if we start seeing stories about kids, who’ve come through the competition getting picked up [by] franchises at auction and playing for South Africa, that is what we want to create.” TimesLIVE