Author: asawula

If there were any doubts about the quality of the stayers’ teams on show at the St Stithians College Water Polo Invitational Tournament, those were quickly dispelled on Thursday, day one of the tournament in Johannesburg.

The much-anticipated event, which runs until Sunday, 18 October, delivered some outstanding goals and individual performances, with some of the ballyhooed teams making their presence felt.

A whopping 323 goals were scored, with only nine teams out of 20 ending the day with their unbeaten records intact.

All matches are LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

The action began bright and early with a Pool A clash between Bishops Diocesan College and Michaelhouse. Bishops, after a steady start, ran rampant in the second half and thumped their opponents 14-3.

The Jabulani Sibiya-coached side later overwhelmed King Edward VII (KES) 17-3 in their second game to occupy top spot overnight.

Joining them on maximum points was their provincial rival, Rondebosch Boys’ High, who were almost as dominant.

Led by the powerful and skilful Noah Reiback, the Cape side scored 12 against KES before thumping Pearson High 15-2 later in the day.

After their early loss, Michaelhouse made a tick in the win column after outscoring Pearson 12-2.

Pool B features two giants of schoolboy water polo, St John’s College and SACS, and thus far, it’s been an arm-wrestle between the two for the top spot in the group.

St John’s had their confidence boosted ahead of the tournament by winning the SACS Water Polo Tournament a week ago, and coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho’s outfit went about their business quietly but effectively, beating Jeppe High School for Boys 8-4 before upping the ante against Durban High School (DHS), whom they defeated 14-4.

SACS, meanwhile, dominated St Benedict’s College and shrugged off the challenge of DHS in the final game of the day.

A key showdown awaits on Friday, with St John’s and SACS meeting at 16:10.

In Pool C, the goals flowed, with a mind-boggling 82 being scored, including 21 each by Hilton College and St David’s Marist Inanda.

Those sides are undeniably the favourites to progress from the group, and both made big statements.

Hilton scored a clear-cut 13-5 win over Pretoria Boys High before holding off Cape Town’s Reddam House Constantia 8-6 later on.

St David’s, meanwhile, beat Reddam 11-7 before outplaying the newcomers, Woodridge College, in their final match of the day.

Under the guidance of coach Dean Whyte, St David’s are no longer underdogs, and the teams they’re up against will be wary of the threat the Sandton school poses.

Many teams will also be keeping an eye on the defending champions, Kearsney College, who flew under the radar before the tournament.

Coach Nick Rodda’s side last played tournament polo at the Clifton Water Polo Tournament.

They kicked off their title defence on a positive note, beating the Eastern Cape duo of Grey High 12-8 and St Andrew’s College 8-5.

Some might suggest that the Botha’s Hill boys weren’t fully extended on the opening day, but they’re sure to be put to the test when they tackle the hosts, St Stithians, on Friday.

Speaking of Saints, they picked up a win against St Andrew’s before playing out an entertaining 7-7 draw with Affies.

Their clash with Kearsney happens at 16:10 on Friday in the main pool.

RESULTS

Thursday, 16 October 

Pool A 

Bishops 14-3 Michaelhouse
Rondebosch 12-3 KES
Michaelhouse 12-2 Pearson High
Bishops 17-3 KES
Rondebosch 15-2 Pearson High

Pool B 

St John’s College 8-4 Jeppe
Jeppe 10-8 St Benedict’s College
St John’s College 14-4 DHS
SACS 16-7 St Benedict’s College
SACS 12-7 DHS

Pool C 

Hilton College 13-5 Pretoria Boys High
St David’s 11-7 Reddam House
Pretoria Boys High 8-10 Woodridge
Hilton College 8-6 Reddam House
St David’s 10-4 Woodridge

Pool D 

Kearsney 12-8 Grey High
St Stithians 4-3 St Andrew’s College
Grey High 5-9 Affies
Kearsney 8-5 St Andrew’s College
St Stithians 7-7 Affies

FIXTURES

Friday, 17 October

Pool A

07:00 – KES vs Pearson High
08:40 – Rondebosch vs Michaelhouse
11:10 – Pearson High vs Bishops
13:40 – Michaelhouse vs KES
15:20 – Rondebosch vs Bishops

Pool B

07:00 – DHS vs St Benedict’s College
09:30 – SACS vs Jeppe
11:10 – St John’s College vs St Benedict’s College
13:40 – Jeppe vs DHS
16:10 – St John’s College vs SACS

Pool C

07:00 – Reddam House vs Woodridge
09:30 – St David’s vs Pretoria Boys High
12:00 – Woodridge vs Hilton College
13:40 – Pretoria Boys High vs Reddam House
16:10 – Hilton College vs St David’s

Pool D

07:50 – St Andrew’s College vs Affies
09:30 – St Stithians vs Grey High
12:00 – Affies vs Kearsney
14:30 – Grey High vs St Andrew’s College
16:10 – St Stithians vs Kearsney

Some of the country’s best boys’ water polo-playing teams will assemble in Johannesburg this weekend for the annual St Stithians College Invitational Water Polo Tournament.

The event runs from 15 to 19 October, with the boys’ matches taking place at the school’s main pool, as well as at the Olympic North and South pools.

All matches will be streamed LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

The invitational tournament, better known as the Saints Stayers, will welcome teams from the Gauteng region, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape.

The 20 teams have been drawn in groups of five and will face each other over two days of pool matches.

Pool A features the Cape Town duo of Bishops Diocesan College and Rondebosch Boys’ High, who’ll be up against King Edward VII (KES), Michaelhouse, and Pearson High School.

Bishops was the runner-up last year, losing 14-17 to Kearsney College in the final.

They’ll have their sights set on going one step further this time around and they’ll be aiming to draw inspiration from their performances at the SACS Water Polo Tournament two weeks ago where coach Jabulani Sibiya‘s side clinched the bronze medal after edging out SACS 7-6 in the third/fourth playoff match.

Rondebosch, meanwhile, bowed out in the quarterfinals after losing to the eventual silver medallists, St David’s Marist Inanda.

The two Western Cape sides won’t have it easy, with KES eager to make waves, while Michaelhouse and Pearson are both unpredictable units on the rise.

Pool B will be interesting, and many will fancy St John’s College and SACS to dominate proceedings.

However, Jeppe High School for Boys has shown they can mix it up with the best, and they’ll be banking on wins against St Benedict’s College and Durban High School (DHS), respectively. But those games are far from gimmes.

St John’s will be considered the title favourites by some after they won the SACS Water Polo Tournament.

However, six players – Nicholas Searle, Michael van Heerden, Samuel Gomes, Luke Towell, Rupert Schonborn, and Ethan Bennett – will be missing from the team that won the trophy in Cape Town, and that’s because they are in matric.

Coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho retains the bulk of his team while introducing some youngsters, who will be chomping at the bit to show what they are made of.

Pool C would appear to have two front-runners, St David’s Marist Inanda and Hilton College, but it could be wide open. They’ll be challenged by Reddam House Constantia, Pretoria Boys High, and Woodridge College.

St David’s has enjoyed an impressive 2025 under the tutelage of head coach Dean Whyte.

They won the Vides Water Polo Tournament in February and reached the final of the SACS Water Polo Tournament, narrowly losing out to St John’s, who won a thrilling final 11-10.

Whtye’s charges will be brimming with confidence heading into the tournament, though, because they’ve hardly been impacted, losing only Erik Arwidi, to the stayers’ format.

Hilton, meanwhile, will take some stopping. Led by coach Paul Martin, the KZN side didn’t have the best of runs at SACS but knows how to play tournament polo, having won the Clifton Water Polo Tournament last month.

They’ll head to Saints with a balanced squad, although they’ll be missing four high-impact players in Trent Chubb, Thomas Taylor, Tristan Uys, and Mitchel Garreau.

The defending champion, Kearsney College, has been drawn in Pool D. In coach Nick Rodda‘s bid to lead the side to back-to-back Saints’ titles, they’ll be challenged by St Stithians, Affies, and the Eastern Cape duo of St Andrew’s College and Grey High School.

Kearsney finished in fourth place at the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, but they’re a young, very experienced side, who, if they hit their stride, will be difficult to stop.

Saints, the winners of the St Alban’s Beach Water Polo Tournament in early September, where they comprehensively outplayed St David’s Marist Inanda in the final, are formidable opponents.

Affies could spring a surprise or two. They’re solid, and St Andrew’s and Grey High are no pushovers. Grey won a bronze medal at the Woodridge Stayers last week.

GROUPS

Pool A: Bishops Diocesan College, King Edward VII, Michaelhouse, Pearson High School, Rondebosch Boys’ High.
Pool B: Durban High School, Jeppe High School for Boys, SACS, St Benedict’s College, St John’s College.
Pool C: Hilton College, Pretoria Boys High, Reddam House Constantia, St David’s Marist Inanda, Woodridge College.
Pool D: Affies, Grey High School, Kearsney College, St Andrew’s College, St Stithians College.

FIXTURES

Thursday, 16 October 

Pool A

07:00 – Bishops vs Michaelhouse
08:40 – Rondebosch vs KES
11:10 – Michaelhouse vs Pearson High
13:30 – Bishops vs KES
15:20 – Rondebosch vs Pretoria Boys High

Pool B

07:00 – St John’s College vs Jeppe
11:10 – Jeppe vs St Benedict’s College
13:40 – St John’s College vs DHS
16:10 – SACS vs St Benedict’s College
17:50 – SACS vs Affies

Pool C

07:00 – Hilton College vs Pretoria Boys High
09:30 – St David’s vs Reddam House
12:00 – Pretoria Boys High vs Woodridge
13:40 – Hilton College vs Reddam House
16:10 – St David’s vs Woodridge

Pool D

07:50 – Kearsney vs Grey High
09:30 – St Stithians vs St Andrew’s College
12:00 – Grey High vs Affies
14:30 – Kearsney vs St Andrew’s College
16:10 – St Stithians vs Affies

Friday, 17 October

Pool A

07:00 – KES vs Pearson High
08:40 – Rondebosch vs Michaelhouse
11:10 – Pearson High vs Bishops
13:40 – Michaelhouse vs KES
15:20 – Rondebosch vs Bishops

Pool B

07:00 – DHS vs St Benedict’s College
09:30 – SACS vs Jeppe
11:10 – St John’s College vs St Benedict’s College
13:40 – Jeppe vs DHS
16:10 – St John’s College vs SACS

Pool C

07:00 – Reddam House vs Woodridge
09:30 – St David’s vs Pretoria Boys High
12:00 – Woodridge vs Hilton College
13:40 – Pretoria Boys High vs Reddam House
16:10 – Hilton College vs St David’s

Pool D

07:50 – St Andrew’s College vs Affies
09:30 – St Stithians vs Grey High
12:00 – Affies vs Kearsney
14:30 – Grey High vs St Andrew’s College
16:10 – St Stithians vs Kearsney

After three years at the helm of Grey College, Stanislav Gospodinov is heading to the Eastern Cape coast to take charge of Pearson High’s water polo programme.

He takes over at the Gqeberha school in January 2026 as the Director of Water Polo.

Pearson announced the news via a social media post on Tuesday.

“We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Stanislav Gospodinov as our new Head of Water Polo,” the post read.

“Stan, as he is better known, needs no introduction to the water polo community, as he has already built up an impressive resumé with a number of remarkable achievements.”

The well-established coach will bring a wealth of experience to Pearson’s programme, which has made huge strides over the past three years.

During his playing career, he represented Bulgaria from the u14 age group through all other school age groups before going on to earn a remarkable 1 500 caps for the national team from 1988 to 2003.

His coaching career in South Africa began at Johannesburg’s St David’s Marist Inanda before successful stints in East London, where he coached at Selborne College and Clarendon.

Gospodinov also enjoyed a four-year stint, from 2018 to 2022, as Director of Water Polo at Crawford College Lonehill.

Sixteen players, both men and women, whom he has coached have gone on to represent South Africa.

“He is currently employed as the Director of Water Polo at Grey College in Bloemfontein and will be joining the Pearson family in January 2026,” Pearson’s statement continued.

“We are excited to be able to have someone of this quality leading our water polo programme and sharing his knowledge and expertise with our learners.”

After four days of highly competitive water polo, Hudson Park High and Wynberg Boys’ High were crowned girls’ and boys’ champions of the Woodridge Stayers Water Polo Tournament at Thornhill, on Sunday.

Hudson Park, in their maiden appearance, defeated Glenwood House 9-5 in the girls’ final, while Wynberg Boys’ High edged out Selborne College 4-3 to win the tournament for the first time.

Relive the action on SuperSport Schools.

The Breakdown

Girls’ Section

It was a special campaign for the Eagles, beginning with their domination of their group stage opponents. Coached by the charismatic David Carter, Hudson Park ripped through Pool A, defeating last year’s champions, DSG Makhanda, Collegiate Girls’ High, Oakhill, Merrifield College, and Woodridge College.

In the quarterfinals, they brushed aside Stirling High 7-4 before beating Kingswood College by the same scoreline in the semifinals.

In the final, they came up against an unpredictable Glenwood House side.

The girls from George had edged out Clarendon High School for Girls 2-0 in a penalty shootout after their semi-final had ended level at 5-5.

The Final

Glenwood House made a bright start and scored two early goals through Mia Gibson and the dangerous Tatum Dace.

With three minutes remaining in the first chukka, Hudson responded captain fantastic, Kara Batting, netted an incredible lob goal.

During the second chukka, coach Carter’s side came into their own and began to boss proceedings.

Kayden Glasgow quickly scored a brace to give the East London school the lead for the first time before another strike by Batting made it 4-2 in favour of Hudson Park at the halfway point.

“The ‘Batting” show continued in the third chukka, with the skipper extending her side’s lead with another two goals before Tyler-Jade Roebert joined in on the scoring action to make it seven.

Glenwood House closed the gap with two of their own back through Nellie Hansson and Dace. Heading into the final chukka, it was 7-4 to Hudson Park.

A Jessica Whitehead strike for Glenwood House reduced the gap to only two goals in the final chukka, but Glasgow soon replied for Hudson Park, netting twice to complete her hat-trick, as the East London girls went on to a historic 9-5 victory.

Boys’ Section

The journey to the final for both Wynberg and Selborne was relatively smooth. Both were drawn in Pool B, but it was Selborne who emerged from group stage games unbeaten.

They defeated Grey High‘s second-stringers, Pearson High and Wynberg, with the match against the Cape Town school ending 4-3 in Selborne’s favour.

That resulted in those two sides finishing in first and second place, respectively, in Pool B, before heading into the playoffs.

Wynberg first had to tackle Kingswood College in a cross-pool fixture to progress to the quarterfinals. Coach Kwakhona Ngwanya‘s side dismantled the Makhanda school 20-0 before edging the 2024 winners, St Andrew’s College, 6-4 in the last eight.

They went on to thump Stirling High 16-1 in a one-sided semi-final, while coach Storm Siebert‘s side edged out Grey High 6-5 in their semifinal meeting.

The Final

Many spectators around Woodridge’s main pool were expecting a high-scoring final, but it turned out to be exactly the opposite, although Wynberg opened the scoring in the first minute through Tim Belcher.

It was a fairly balanced encounter thereafter, and both goalkeepers, Christian Fox (Wynberg) and Aaron James (Selborne), had to pull off some saves to keep the score at 1-0.

It was not 20 seconds from the end of the second chukka that Wynberg doubled their advantage, with lefty, Yakub Fakir, finding space on the wing before slamming the ball past James to put his team two-up at the break.

The second half was filled with drama, controversial decisions, and game-changing moments.

In the third chukka, Selborne came out firing. They were aggressive on defence and suffocated Wynberg.

Then, Blake Abrams scored their opener before Daniel Woodin converted a five-metre penalty to level things up heading into the final quarter.

Wynberg had a golden opportunity early in the final chukka to take back the lead through a five-metre penalty, but Jack de Beer’s shot hit the post.

That mattered little, however, as Caleb Harley struck to give them the lead a few minutes later. Then, with only 29 seconds left, Selborne made it 3-3 when Woodin converted a penalty.

It appeared that the contest was headed to penalties, but Riley Clarke had other ideas. He linked up well with his teammates in midfield and created some space for himself. Then, when the ball was returned to him, he pulled off an immaculate shot to make it 4-3 just 21 seconds remaining.

Selborne staged one last attack, but Wynberg’s defence stood firm, and they won the maiden Woodridge Stayers Water Polo Tournament title for the first time.

RESULTS

Sunday

Boys

Somerset College 7-2 Oakhill (15th/16th place)
Invitational team 7-0 Kingswood College (13th/14th place)
Grey High 2nds 8-6 Merrifield College (11th/12th place)
Pearson High 5-3 Hudson (9th/10th place)
Woodridge College 9-2 Grey College (7th/8th place)
St Andrew’s College 11-2 Glenwood House (5th/6th place)
Grey High School 8-4 Stirling High (3rd/4th place)
Wynberg Boys’ High 4-3 Selborne College (1st/2nd place)

Girls

Somerset College 4-3 Oakhill (11th/12th place)
Collegiate 8-2 Merrifield College (9th/10th place)
Woodridge College 7-1 Stirling High (7th/8th place)
Pearson High 6-4 DSG Makhanda (5th/6th place)
Clarendon 7-1 Kingswood College (3rd/4th place)
Hudson Park 9-5 Glenwood House (1st/2nd place)

Selborne College will face Wynberg Boys’ High in the boys’ final of the Woodridge Stayers Water Polo Tournament, while Hudson Park High will lock horns with Glenwood House in the girls’ final on Sunday.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

Those four sides booked their places in the title-deciding fixtures after pulsating semifinals on Saturday at Woodridge College.

In the boys’ section, Selborne was favoured to go all the way after winning the event in 2023 before falling at the final hurdle in 2024.

They dominated their pool stage matches, winning all three, to score the maximum nine points.

In the quarterfinals, coach Storm Siebert’s side brushed aside Glenwood House 8-2, but they were made to work hard in the last four by Grey High.

In the all-Eastern Cape derby, the East London side was pushed to the limit, but they prevailed 6-5 to advance to the final for a third consecutive year.

Wynberg, meanwhile, stunned the defending champion, St Andrew’s College, 6-4 in the quarterfinals before thumping Stirling High 16-1 in the semis.

Sunday’s showdown will be the first time Selborne and Wynberg have met in a final. The action begins at 14:00.

GIRLS

There will be a new champion crowned in the girls’ competition, too, after DSG Makhanda bowed out in the quarterfinals.

Newcomers, Hudson Park, will be eyeing the silverware, but standing in their way will be Glenwood House.

The girls from George had to go through two penalty shootouts to book their spot in the final. Firstly, they defeated DSG 2-0 in a shootout after their quarterfinal clash finished 2-2.

Later in the day, Glenwood House got the better of Clarendon, also 2-0 in a shootout, but that game had ended 5-5 in regular time.

In Hudson Park, they’ll be up against a fiery side that has scored goals for fun.

In the last eight, they defeated their East London rivals, Stirling High, 7-4, before seeing off Kingswood College by the same scoreline in the semis.

Hudson Park heads into the final as the only unbeaten team in the girls’ competition. The title game kicks off at 13:00.

RESULTS

BOYS

Playoffs

Stirling High 7-2 Hudson Park
Glenwood House 10-6 Invitational
Pearson High 3-4 Grey College
Kingswood College 0-20 Wynberg Boys’ High

9-16

Hudson Park 6-5 Somerset College
Invitational (0) 7-7 (1) Grey High 2nds
Pearson High 6-2 Oakhill
Kingswood College 2-9 Merrifield College

Quarterfinals

Woodridge College 3-4 Stirling High
Grey High 9-2 Grey College
Selborne College 8-2 Glenwood House
Wynberg 6-4 St Andrew’s College

Semifinals

Wynberg 16-1 Stirling High
Selborne College 6-5 Grey High

GIRLS

Quarterfinals

Hudson Park 7-4 Stirling High
DSG Makhanda (0) 4-4 (2) Glenwood House
Woodridge College 3-6 Clarendon
Kingswood College 8-4 Collegiate Girls High

5-12

Merrifield College 0-14 DSG
Oakhill 1-11 Stirling High
Pearson High 7-5 Collegiate Girls High
Somerset College 2-10 Woodridge College

Semifinals

Hudson 7-4 Kingswood
Clarendon (0) 5-5 (2) Glenwood House

After a blistering start on Thursday, spectators were treated to a show on Friday at the Woodridge College Stayers Water Polo Tournament.

The annual tournament is into its third edition and runs into Sunday, with the girls’ and boys’ finals scheduled for 13:00 and 14:00, respectively.

Catch all the matches LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Day two delivered goals galore, with some of the top teams stretching their leads.

In the boys’ section, the hosts lead Pool A with nine points after convincing wins over Grey College (14-3), Kingswood College (9-1), and Somerset College (14-3).

Grey College lies second, followed by Kingswood and Somerset College, who are still searching for a first victory. 

Selborne College is out front in Pool B after scoring a whopping 25 goals in their three matches, all victories, over Wynberg Boys’ High, Pearson High and Grey High School‘s second-stringers respectively.

Grey High’s first team, meanwhile, has enjoyed a smooth run in Pool C, and they will progress to the quarterfinals after staying unbeaten throughout the pool stage matches.

The defending champions, St Andrew’s College, are also sitting comfortably after two days of action. The Grant Mackenzie-coached outfit defeated Glenwood House 8-2 on Thursday, which they followed with a 12-3 win over Hudson Park on Friday before scoring 15 goals against Merrifield College.

Only Selborne, St Andrew’s, Woodridge, and Grey High have secured their places in the quarterfinals. Their opponents will be determined after cross-pool playoff matches early on day three.

GIRLS

The smaller girls’ competition features two groups of six teams each, and competition has been keen. 

In Pool A, Hudson Park High has dominated, scoring with relative ease, and they have bagged a healthy 14 points after their five matches.

On Friday, they defeated Merrifield 10-1 and Oakhill 13-3 to assert their dominance. Those wins followed victories over DSG Makhanda and Collegiate Girls’ High on Thursday. They were, however, extended to a penalty shootout win by Woodridge.

DSG is in second place on 12 points after they defeated Collegiate 5-3 in their final game on Friday.

Hudson Park is through to the quarterfinals, along with DSG, Collegiate, and Woodridge.

In Pool B, it’s another East London school that’s laid down a marker, with Clarendon High School for Girls picking up maximum points. They have one group stage game remaining against Pearson early on Saturday.

Clarendon is through to the quarterfinals where, as things stand, they’ll be joined by Kingswood College.

Glenwood House is still in with a shout at the quarters, while Stirling High will hope that Clarendon can do them a favour by beating Pearson.

RESULTS

Thursday

Boys

Pool A

Woodridge 9-1 Kingswood College

Pool B

Pearson High 4-3 Grey High 2nds
Selborne 11-2 Grey High 2nds

Pool C

Grey High 8-2 Stirling High
Grey High 21-0 Invitational team

Pool D

St Andrew’s College 8-2 Glenwood House
Hudson 9-6 Merrifield College

Girls

Pool A

Woodridge 4-3 Merrifield College
Collegiate 15-3 Merrifield College
DSG Makhanda 6-4 Woodridge
Hudson 9-3 Collegiate

Pool B

Stirling High 11-5 Pearson High
Kingswood College 6-4 Glenwood House
Kingswood College 5-4 Pearson
Clarendon 7-4 Glenwood House

Friday

Boys

Pool A

Woodridge 14-3 Somerset College
Grey College 8-3 Kingswood College
Woodridge 14-3 Grey College
Kingswood College 5-4 Somerset College

Pool B

Wynberg 12-1 Pearson
Selborne 4-3 Wynberg
Wynberg 15-2 Grey High 2nds
Selborne 10-1 Pearson

Pool C

Stirling 10-5 Invitational team
Grey High 20-1 Oakhill
Stirling 10-6 Oakhill
Invitational team 8-5 Oakhill

Pool D

St Andrew’s College 15-1 Merrifield
Glenwood House 10-4 Merrifield
St Andrew’s College 12-3 Hudson
Glenwood House 11-4 Hudson

Girls

Pool A

DSG Makhanda 7-8 Hudson
Oakhill 6-16 Merrifield
Woodridge (0) 5-5 (1) Hudson
Collegiate 7-3 Woodridge
Woodridge 15-2 Oakhill
DSG Makhanda 13-2 Merrifield
Hudson 13-3 Oakhill
Collegiate 16-2 Oakhill
Hudson 10-1 Merrifield
DSG 5-3 Collegiate

Pool B

Kingswood 3-6 Clarendon
Pearson (2) 2-2 (1) Glenwood House
Stirling 9-1 Somerset College
Pearson 7-1 Somerset College
Kingswood 4-3 Stirling
Clarendon 13-2 Stirling
Glenwood House 4-3 Stirling
Glenwood House 9-1 Somerset College
Clarendon 13-2 Somerset College

Click HERE to see day three’s fixtures.

An exceptional performance by captain Nicholas Searle and some outstanding defensive work sealed a nervy 11-10 win for St John’s College over St David’s Marist Inanda in the final of the SACS Water Polo Tournament, in Cape Town, on Monday.

The prestigious event, held at the SACS Aquatic Centre, brought together many of the country’s top boys’ water polo-playing schools.

After three days jam-packed with all-out action, it ended in an all-Gauteng final, which entertained and kept spectators on the edge of their seats.

To book their place in the title-decider, St John’s had to overcome adversity after an underwhelming start on Saturday, which ended with their record at one win, two draws and a win over Grey High School.

The Johannesburg side suffered another defeat early on Sunday at the hands of Hilton College, but that turned out to be their last.

Visit the SuperSport Schools Plus YouTube Channel for more highlights from the SACS Water Polo Tournament

Coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho’s outfit, then, hit their straps and bagged wins over St Benedict’s College, Wynberg Boys’ High, and Northwood School.

Those nine points improved their standing in Pool A and a win over St Stithians College was enough to secure a quarterfinal spot.

“We needed to start thinking because it was a whole different format,” De Carvalho said in reference to his team’s performances on day one of the event, which features shorter format 20-minute games.

“We had to get out of the mode where we have to build into games, like we did a week ago at the Clifton Water Polo Tournament.

“It was the little mistakes that cost us, like when we allowed teams to get in front. We were also a bit lazy on defence, and that cost us a bit. I told the boys we had to concentrate and play the way we normally do.”

Once they reached the last eight, St John’s had found their way, and they produced some enterprising water polo.

Playing with a sense of freedom, they beat Paul Roos Gimnasium 8-3 before shocking the defending champions, Bishops Diocesan College. 8-7 in the semifinals.

St David’s, meanwhile, was causing havoc and eliminated the favourites, Rondebosch Boys’ High, in the quarterfinals before stunning SACS to win through to the final.

It was a game for the ages. A blistering start laid the platform for a high-scoring contest and, with only 30 seconds left in the second half, St John’s held a fragile 9-8 lead. Then, Matthew Peacock equalised for St David’s to send the game into extra time.

In an intense extra period, Searle fired in his sixth goal of the final to grab the lead again for St John’s, but St David’s levelled with an incredible lob shot by Danilo Giuricich from his own half.

Seconds later, however, Searle converted a five-metre penalty to seal the win and lead St John’s to a seventh SACS Water Polo Tournament title.

“Playing a Gauteng team in the final was just awesome for Gauteng polo,” De Carvalho said.

“We actually have not played St David’s that much, so we didn’t know them well. But that final showed that Gauteng polo is strong.

“But, for us, getting over the line was special. I’ve got to give credit to the players, in particular, Nicholas Searle. He really pushed. He wanted it as it was his last SACS tournament.

“That was probably one of the best individual performances I have seen from any player in any match.”

The St John’s win broke a finals’ hoodoo for the Johannesburg powerhouse. Last year, they contested the finals of the KES Water Polo Tournament, Clifton Water Polo Tournament, and SACS Water Polo Tournament and fell at the final hurdle in all three.

Earlier this year, they were defeated by Rondebosch Boys’ High in the SAC Shield final and lost to Hilton College at Clifton.

De Carvalho declared himself pleased after seeing his boys end that frustrating run. They’ll next turn their attention to the St Stithians College Stayers Water Polo Tournament, which kicks off on 16 October.

RESULTS

Day 3

Pool A

Hilton 8-1 St Benedict’s College
Grey High 4-3 Northwood
St Andrew’s College 7-1 Jeppe High School for Boys
St John’s College 5-4 St Stithians College
Rondebosch 4-3 Wynberg

Pool B

Selborne College 8-0 Grey College
St Alban’s 5-3 Pretoria Boys High
St David’s Marist Inanda 4-0 Paul Roos
Clifton 12-2 Parktown Boys’ High
Bishops 6-2 SACS

Quarterfinals

SACS 5-3 St Andrew’s College
St John’s 8-3 Paul Roos
St David’s 7-4 Rondebosch
Bishops 5-4 Hilton College

Semifinals

St David’s 9-6 SACS
St John’s 8-7 Bishops

Bronze medal match

Bishops 7-6 SACS

Final

St John’s 11-10 St David’s

Rondebosch Boys’ High was the only team that maintained an unbeaten record on day two of the SACS Water Polo Tournament in Cape Town.

As a result, the side led by coach Jared-Wingate Pearse finished Sunday atop Pool A, with seven victories in eight matches and 15 points to their name.

In a similar vein to the opening day, the tournament, being played at the SACS Aquatic Centre, delivered some entertaining water polo, which included some of the top players redeeming themselves after a lacklustre start.

The action concludes on Monday with the final scheduled for 14:00, while teams meet in playoff matches in the lead-up to the title game.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

The breakdown

Pool A

By reaching the final day with an unbeaten record, Rondebosch is guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals. Following them in the Pool A standings after Sunday’s matches were St Stithians College, St John’s College, and St Andrew’s College.

The Gauteng duo of Saints and St John’s made some positive strides on day two after underwhelming performances on Saturday.

St John’s lost 2-5 against Hilton College early in the day but bounced back to beat St Benedict’s College 7-1, Northwood 6-4, and Wynberg Boys’ High 3-2.

Saints, meanwhile, were narrowly beaten by ‘Bosch, going down 2-3. They quickly shrugged off that defeat, however, and downed St Andrew’s 2-1 before edging out Grey High 4-3 and thumping Bennies 9-1.

St Andrew’s College completes the top four, but Hilton is hot on their heels with eight points after their eight matches.

The boys from Makhanda will need to beat Jeppe High School for Boys to secure their quarterfinals’ spot. Only three points separate them from Wynberg, who are in eighth position, so anything could happen on Monday.

Grey High and Bennies are out of the running and will be playing for pride when they take on Northwood and Hilton, respectively.

Pool B

The defending champions, Bishops, along with SACS and Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), have dominated proceedings in Pool B.

The three Western Cape sides had a blast on Saturday and continued to shine on Sunday.

After SACS suffered their first defeat, a 1-2 loss to Selborne College, they bounced back to beat Clifton College 4-2, St David’s Marist Inanda 4-3, and PRG 8-4.

Bishops picked up four wins. Their biggest was 15-0 over Parktown Boys’ High.

While PRG tasted defeat for the first time against the hosts, they rallied to score wins over Grey College, St Alban’s, and Selborne.

St David’s completes the top four, but Selborne is right behind them, trailing by just three points.

The East London side will need to beat Grey College by a large margin, while PRG faces a daunting challenge from St David’s. They’ll need to beat the Johannesburg side to sneak into the quarterfinals.

Monday’s games kick off with the Pool B clash between Selborne and Grey College.

RESULTS

Day 2

Pool A

Hilton 5-2 St John’s College
St Stithians 2-3 Rondebosch
St Benedict’s 0-5 Northwood
St Andrew’s College 0-5 Wynberg
Jeppe 2-5 Grey High
Hilton 5-6 Rondebosch
St Andrew’s College 1-2 St Stithians
Jeppe 5-6 Northwood
St John’s 7-1 St Benedict’s
Wynberg 4-5 Grey High
Hilton 2-3 St Andrew’s
St John’s 6-4 Northwood
Rondebosch 6-3 St Benedict’s
Jeppe 7-4 Wynberg
St Andrew’s 4-1 Grey High
Hilton 4-4 Northwood
St Stithians 9-1 St Benedict’s
Rondebosch 6-2 Jeppe
St Johns 3-2 Wynberg
St Stithians 4-3 Grey High

Pool B

St Alban’s 3-5 Paul Roos
SACS 1-2 Selborne College
St David’s Marist 6-2 Pretoria Boys High
Grey College 5-0 Parktown
Bishops 6-5 Clifton
St David’s 12-0 Parktown
Selborne College 2-2 St Alban’s
Grey College 1-6 Paul Roos
SACS 4-2 Clifton
St David’s 3-6 Bishops
Pretoria Boys High 10-0 Parktown
Selborne 1-2 Paul Roos
SACS 4-3 St David’s
Clifton 5-5 St Alban’s
Pretoria Boys High 7-2 Grey College
Bishops 15-0 Parktown
SACS 8-4 Paul Roos
Clifton 7-2 Grey College
Selborne 5-2 Pretoria Boys High
Bishops 8-1 St Alban’s

FIXTURES

Day 3 – Monday, 6 October 

06:50 – Hilton vs St Benedict’s
07:10 – Grey High vs Northwood
07:30 – Selborne College vs Grey College
07:50 – Pretoria Boys vs St Alban’s
08:10 – St Andrew’s College vs Jeppe
08:30 – St Stithians vs St John’s College
08:50 – St David’s Marist vs Paul Roos
09:10 – Clifton vs Parktown
09:30 – Rondebosch vs Wynberg
09:50 – SACS vs Bishops
10:40 – 3rd Pool A vs 2nd Pool B (Quarterfinal 1)
11:00 – 2nd Pool A vs 3rd Pool B (Quarterfinal 2)
11:20 – 1st Pool A vs 4th Pool B (Quarterfinal 3)
11:40 – 4th Pool A vs 1st Pool B (Quarterfinal 4)
12:30 – Semifinal 1
13:00 – Semifinal 2
14:00 – Bronze medal playoff
14:00 – Final

There were some shock results and a bucketload of goals scored on Saturday, day one of the SACS Water Polo Tournament, in Cape Town.

The prestigious tournament features 20 of the best boys’ water polo-playing schools from across the country competing in a jam-packed schedule of 20-minute matches.

The event runs through until Monday. All of the matches are being held at the SACS Aquatic Centre and streamed LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App.

The Breakdown

Pool A

In a blistering start to the tournament, only four sides remain unbeaten after the opening day’s play.

In Pool A, Rondebosch Boys’ High picked up three wins and a 4-4 draw, which came against St John’s College in their opener.

After sharing the points in that outing, they upped the tempo and outplayed Grey High School 8-1 before shrugging off St Andrew’s College 5-3 and Northwood 5-2 later in the day.

That put ‘Bosch in pole position overnight, with Jeppe High School for Boys, Hilton College, and Wynberg Boys’ High completing the top four.

Jeppe also had an impressive run and picked up some eye-opening wins, which included shocking St Stithians College 6-4 in their opener before holding St John’s to a thrilling 4-4 draw.

The boys from Kensington went on a scoring spree against St Benedict’s College, putting 10 past their opponents, but suffered a loss to Hilton College.

Speaking of Hilton, the KwaZulu-Natal side was far from its usual best but they will be aiming to bounce back on day two.

Like Jeppe, they picked up two wins, a draw, and a loss, which they suffered at the hands of Wynberg Boys’ High.

The Paul Martin-coached side kicks off Pool A proceedings on day two with a crucial game against St John’s, who, they recently beat in the final of the Clifton Water Polo Tournament.

St Benedict’s will be hunting their first win while Grey High and Northwood will be aiming to move up the table.

Pool B

Pool B was always going to be interesting with several top guns eager to make a statement.

The hosts, SACS, produced a flawless start and won all four of their matches, beating Parktown Boys’ High 15-0, St Alban’s College 6-4, Pretoria Boys High (PBHS) 4-3, and Grey College 4-3.

They were joined on the “unbeaten train” by Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) and St David’s Marist Inanda.

PRG has found the going tough in recent tournaments, but they appeared to have turned a new leaf at the SACS Aquatic Centre.

Coach Vaughn Marlow’s boys picked up victories against PBHS, Parktown Boys, and Clifton College. Their biggest triumph on the day, however, was a 3-1 victory over the defending champions, Bishops Diocesan College.

St David’s ended the day in third place, with Bishops completing the top four.

Selborne College, St Alban’s and Clifton, are all tied on three points after four matches, while PBHS and Parktown will go in search of their first victories on day two.

The first three matches of Sunday will be Pool B fixtures, with PRG tackling St Alban’s before the hosts take on Selborne. St David’s will tackle PBHS in a Gauteng derby.

RESULTS

Day 1

Pool A

Rondebosch 4-4 St John’s College
Hilton 5-1 Grey High
St Andrew’s College 5-1 St Benedict’s
Wynberg 3-4 Northwood
St John’s College 4-4 Jeppe
Rondebosch 8-1 Grey High
Wynberg 6-3 St Benedict’s
St Andrew’s College 3-3 Northwood
Hilton 6-6 St Stithians
St John’s College 5-4 Grey High
St Andrew’s College 3-5 Rondebosch
St Stithians 5-3 Northwood
Hilton 4-5 Wynberg
Jeppe 10-2 St Benedict’s
St Andrew’s College 5-4 St John’s
St Stithians 4-4 Wynberg
St Benedict’s 3-6 Grey High
Rondebosch 5-2 Northwood

Pool B

Jeppe 6-4 St Stithians
Bishops 12-3 Grey College
Clifton 4-4 Selborne College
SACS 15-0 Parktown
St David’s Marist 4-4 St Alban’s
Pretoria Boys High 1-3 Paul Roos
Bishops 5-1 Selborne College
St David’s 10-0 Grey College
SACS 6-4 St Alban’s
Parktown 0-13 Paul Roos
Clifton 4-2 Pretoria Boys High
Grey College 5-4 St Alban’s
Bishops 1-3 Paul Roos
SACS 4-3 Pretoria Boys
St David’s Marist 6-1 Clifton
Selborne 12-1 Parktown
Clifton 0-2 Paul Roos
Hilton 6-4 Jeppe
SACS 4-3 Grey College
St David’s Marist 3-1 Selborne
St Alban’s 8-2 Parktown
Bishops 9-3 Pretoria Boys High

Fixtures

Day 2 – Sunday, 5 October

07:10 – St Alban’s vs Paul Roos
07:30 – SACS vs Selborne College
07:50 – St David’s Marist vs Pretoria Boys High
08:10 – Hilton vs St John’s College
08:30 – St Stithians vs Rondebosch
08:50 – St Benedict’s vs Northwood
09:10 – St Andrew’s College vs Wynberg
09:30 – Grey College vs Parktown
09:50 – Jeppe vs Grey High
10:10 – Hilton vs Rondebosch
10:30 – Bishops vs Clifton
10:50 – Selborne College vs St Alban’s
11:10 – St Andrew’s College vs St Stithians
11:30 – Jeppe vs Northwood
11:50 – Grey College vs Paul Roos
12:10 – SACS vs Clifton
12:30 – St John’s vs St Benedict’s
12:50 – Wynberg vs Grey High
13:10 – St Davids vs Bishops
13:30 – Pretoria Boys vs Parktown
13:50 – Hilton vs St Andrew’s College
14:10 – St John’s College vs Northwood
14:30 – Selborne College vs Paul Roos
14:50 – Rondebosch vs St Benedict’s
15:10 – Wynberg vs Jeppe
15:30 – SACS vs St David’s Marist
15:50 – Clifton vs St Alban’s
16:10 – Pretoria Boys vs Grey College
16:30 – St Andrew’s College vs Grey High
16:50 – Hilton vs Northwood
17:10 – Bishops vs Parktown
17:30 – St Stithians vs St Benedict’s
17:50 – SACS vs Paul Roos
18:10 – Rondebosch vs Jeppe
18:30 – Clifton vs Grey College
18:50 – Pretoria Boys vs Selborne College
19:10 – Bishops vs St Alban’s
19:30 – Wynberg vs St John’s College
19:50 – St Stithians vs Grey High
20:10 – St David’s vs Parktown

Day 3 – Monday, 6 October 

06:50 – Hilton vs St Benedict’s
07:10 – Grey High vs Northwood
07:30 – Selborne College vs Grey College
07:50 – Pretoria Boys vs St Alban’s
08:10 – St Andrew’s College vs Jeppe
08:30 – St Stithians vs St John’s College
08:50 – St David’s Marist vs Paul Roos
09:10 – Clifton vs Parktown
09:30 – Rondebosch vs Wynberg
09:50 – SACS vs Bishops
10:40 – 3rd Pool A vs 2nd Pool B (Quarterfinal 1)
11:00 – 2nd Pool A vs 3rd Pool B (Quarterfinal 2)
11:20 – 1st Pool A vs 4th Pool B (Quarterfinal 3)
11:40 – 4th Pool A vs 1st Pool B (Quarterfinal 4)
12:30 – Semifinal 1
13:00 – Semifinal 2
14:00 – Bronze medal playoff
14:00 – Final

Jeppe High School for Boys has appointed Gareth Heyns as the school’s first-team hockey coach for 2026.

Heyns takes over the reins from Siya Sityana, who will be joining King Edward VII (KES)).

“Mr Heyns is a well-known, respected, and highly qualified coach who comes with a wealth of experience, both as a player and as a coach,” the school said in a social media post.

“He matriculated at Jeppe in 2009, having achieved full colours as captain of the 1st XI hockey team. He represented the 1st XI in over a hundred games and won the Boden, Alan Monk, and Aitken competitions. He also represented Southern Gauteng at every age group level.”

The former Jeppe scholar offers a wealth of experience, having also played for the South African men‘s team. He also competed at the Junior Africa Cup and the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia and played hockey in the United Kingdom, Germany, and New Zealand.

It will be his second time taking charge of the first team after a previous stint in 2016 and 2017. Back then, Heyns led the school to victories in the Aitken Cup.

“Mr Heyns says he is delighted to be returning home and, together with a well-established and experienced first team staff, all of whom are fulltime educators employed at the school, he aims to continue to build on the Jeppe Hockey Legacy,” the statement continued.

“Mr Craig Templeton returns as assistant coach of the 1st team, a role he held in 2024. Mr Lydon De Boer-Smit continues in his role as the 1st team manager, together with Mr Ruben Van Zyl as the strength and conditioning coach.

“With his rich playing and coaching pedigree and his deep understanding of and love for Jeppe hockey, we have full confidence that Mr Heyns and the 1st team coaching staff will continue to build on the outstanding Jeppe Hockey legacy and tradition of success,” the statement ended.

Click HERE to read the full statement.