Author: asawula

While the 2025 hockey season has concluded for some schools around the country, the action will intensify in the Eastern Cape with local derbies on the menu this weekend.

Exciting matchups are on the cards, with intriguing clashes lined up for East London, Komani, Makhanda, and on the outskirts of the province, in George.

The meeting between local teams, Hudson Park High School and Selborne College, is, arguably, the match of the weekend in East London.

They meet for the first time this season at the Buco AstroTurf on Friday at 15:45.

Last year, Selborne recorded an emphatic 6-1 victory over their opponents, but Hudson will be keen to reverse that result.

On current form, coach KJ Friend‘s Selborne side heads into the contest as the favourite. Before the mid-year break, they had worked themselves into good form, beating Stirling High 5-1, Cambridge High 3-2, St Andrew’s College 1-0, and earning a 2-2 draw with Grey College.

Hudson, meanwhile, downed Stirling 3-1 in their last outing, and coach Sipe Matafeni will back his boys to cause some trouble for Selborne.

Speaking of Stirling, they will be in action at home against Dale College.

In the same fixture, a year ago, it was the men in green and white who edged out Dale 3-2 in Qonce, so coach Andrew Senekal‘s red and black-clad charges will be out for revenge.

In Komani, Queen’s College has a bumper weekend in store, with two matches to play.

On Friday, they face Merrifield College before welcoming Bloemfontein’s St Andrew’s School to their campus on Saturday.

Queen’s has had a topsy-turvy season. It has included losses against Grey High and St Andrew’s College, but also a 4-1 win over Hudson Park and a 4-2 win over their arch-rival Dale College. Two wins on the Chris Harker AstroTurf would be a nice boost for their record.

In Makhanda, Graeme College hosts Pearson High on Friday afternoon.

Pearson enters the contest on the back of a 1-2 loss against the touring UK side, Magdalen College, in a midweek match.

The meeting with Graeme will give coach Karl Lavender and his troops a chance to fine-tune their game before tackling Queen’s College and Parel Vallei in their last fixtures of the season.

The town of George will also be treated to some quality hockey when Grey High School visits York High.

The clash between the two has become a regular fixture over the years, and it’s Grey which has dominated and won the majority of the meetings.

In 2024, they met at the Rectory AstroTurf, in Gqeberha, and coach Andrew Beynon‘s charges romped to a 7-0 win.

It will be a different challenge this time around, though, with coach Jason Slater and York set to offer a tough challenge to the visitors.

York has been on the up this year, and they will have an upset on their minds. That clash starts at 18:30.

On Saturday, Cambridge High takes a short trip to face Merrifield College at 11:00, in East London.

EASTERN CAPE BOYS’ FIXTURES:

Friday, 25 July

15:00 – Queen’s College vs Merrifield College
15:45 – Hudson Park vs Selborne College
16:15 – Graeme College vs Pearson High
18:00 – Stirling High vs Dale College
18:30 – York High vs Grey High School

Saturday, 26 July

10:00 – Queen’s College vs St Andrew’s School
11:00 -– Merrifield College vs Cambridge High School

 There was joy for many, disappointment for others, when the 2025 SASHOC National Week concluded at Maritzburg College, in Pietermaritzburg, earlier this month.

Among those who were celebrating and basking in the glory of their child’s achievement were Freddie and Rista Brunette, the parents of Luken Brunette.

Luken, who hails from Pretoria’s Hoërskool Garsfontein, captained Northern Gauteng A to a monumental third-place finish, behind only Southern Gauteng A and the winners, Western Province A.

It was the best finish for Northerns in almost 10 years and signalled the growth of schoolboy hockey within the Pretoria region.

“I’m very proud of what we achieved at IPT. We set a goal for ourselves, which was the semifinals, and we reached it,” Brunette told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“We wanted to go further and win, but it was tough against Western Province in the semis.

“For us, it was just about making history. I think the last time Northerns made a semifinal in the A-section was 10 to 12 years ago, so we wanted to make history and medal.”

On a personal level, that was the best interprovincial tournament for Brunette, who has been involved with Northerns hockey since his junior years.

He joined Garsfontein in grade eight after a stint at Laerskool Constantiapark, where he first picked up a stick.

“I started when I was in grade two, and my brother was in grade seven,” he recalled.

“I was always joining his training sessions, picking up the stick, and loving it.

“I also liked rugby a lot, but I broke an arm in the Afsluiting (end-of-season event), and after that, I stuck with hockey from grade six and just went up from there.”

Brunette entered the gates of Garsfontein in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic and didn’t get to play as much hockey as he would’ve liked.

The tide started to turn in grade nine, and he was selected for the u16 SA Schools side for the first time at the age of 15 after an impressive IPT in Stellenbosch.

The dangerous drag flicker continued to up his game and the following year made his first team debut.

“It’s been a journey since I got to Garsies, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he reckoned.

“After the junior years, I played for the first team in grade 10, and we won the Northerns Cup and finished fifth at IPT and fourth at the Hibbert Shield.

“Grade 11 was also great. Even though we lost two matches at IPT and still finished in 10th place, I managed to make the SA u17 team, which was an achievement.

“This year, we did well at IPT and beat Grey College for the first time at the Hibbert Shield, and I made the SA u18 team. All in all, it’s been amazing.”

During his school career, the 18-year-old has played in the JHL (Johannesburg Hockey League), PSI (Pro Series Indoor) and for the TUKS 1 outfit while also training with the Tuks high-performance squad.

At first, he played centre link but was moved by former coach Nick Bérichon to centre back, a position he has excelled in over the past two seasons.

Apart from drag flicking, Brunette has worked hard on his defending.

“I think as a player you must always try and improve, and that’s something I’ve done over the years,” he said. “My distribution and defending are my best attributes. My attacking is also good, but that’s not what I do a lot in games.

“There are some techniques I learnt as a youngster from my brother, who was a good hockey player as well, and I still use those to this day.”

Brunette plans to study Actuarial Science at the University of Pretoria in 2026. Closing in on the end of his school career, he thanked some of the coaches who’ve helped him along the way and his parents, who have attended many of his matches.

“There are many coaches who played a big role, but from grades 8-10 it was Nick Bérichon, and he’s the one who converted me from centre link to centre back, and that changed my career.

“He left at the end of grade 10, and coach Steven Paulo and meneer Rihann van der Merwe took over and also had a massive influence on my hockey.

“My parents have also been there for me, and they always comfort me when I’ve had tough games.

“They make plans for me to get to where I need to be and play, so I will always be grateful for them.”

The Garsfontein skipper will lead his side for the last time at the Guschkie Top Schools Hockey Tournament, which takes place at Grey College in August.

You can catch that event LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Click HERE to follow SuperSport Schools Hockey for all the updates.

The annual SASHOC National Weeks are not only a celebration of schools’ hockey in South Africa but also a platform for players to showcase their skills.

It’s an opportunity for them to rise to the occasion and show what they’re capable of doing at the highest level of the game in the country.

At the u16 inter-provincial tournaments, played at Hilton College, St Anne’s DSG, and St John’s DSG in KwaZulu-Natal earlier this month, siblings Luc and Charly-Rose Boyall, both representing the KZN Coastal u16A teams, achieved something remarkable.

Firstly, they finished the tournament as the top goal scorers in the boys’ and girls’ A-sections with 12 goals (Luc) and nine goals (Charly-Rose), respectively.

They both also scooped the Most Valuable Striker accolades before being named in the u16 SA Schools squads.

Luc’s side finished in fifth place, while Charly-Rose and her troops won gold after beating Eastern Province 4-2 in the final.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus, the siblings reflected on their achievements with pride.

“I think it was a really good tournament, and it was fun,” said Charly-Rose.

“We played well as a team, and it showed in the final when we won the whole thing.

“I had a good run out there. I tried to go in as fresh as I could and tried to score as many goals as possible to help the team. I’m happy it turned out the way it did.”

Despite missing out on a medal, Luc and his side played some outstanding hockey throughout the week, but some lapses of concentration in crucial moments cost them.

“We wanted to win the tournament, but a couple of games didn’t go our way,” he explained.

“As a team, we could’ve played better in some matches. From my end, it was good because I wanted to help the team, and my teammates helped me score the goals I scored.”

Luc attends Northwood School, while Charly-Rose is a product of Our Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School.

Their older brother, Tristan Boyall, also represented KZN Coastal between 2022 and 2023. He made the SA u17 side and currently plays with his younger siblings at the Riverside Hockey Club.

Luc and Charly-Rose are also backed by Princess Hockey. On the field, they are versatile players who can slot into the midfield or play as strikers.

The siblings are deadly in front of the goal. Luc netted 10 field goals and two short corners at the National Week, while his sister slotted five PCs, two penalty strokes, and two field goals.

Charly-Rose admitted it was a “cool” feeling to achieve such a feat with her older brother.

“We kind of knew that both of us were getting it because Luc was far ahead from the beginning.

“I think he scored three goals on the first day, and I had to work a bit harder to get the accolade because there were players behind me with a lot of goals.

“It was cool when we got called up together, and our parents were happy.”

Luc will represent his school in their last two matches of the season against Durban High School and Glenwood High, while Charly-Rose’s season at Our Lady of Fatima is complete.

They will, however, both turn out for South Africa at the Allistar Fredericks Africa Challenge next month against Zimbabwe in Johannesburg.

That series runs from 12 to 15 August and takes place at St David’s Marist Inanda.

“We are excited to play for South Africa. It’s one of the goals we have been working towards this year, so to make that is amazing for us, especially for Charley, who’s 15,” Luc said.

“We will see what happens when we get there. We want to contribute to our teams, not play as individuals and play to the best of our abilities, and hopefully do well.

For 15-year-old Charly-Rose, it’s all about enjoying her time out on the turf and playing good hockey.

“It’s a privilege to be playing in the u16A team, and I’m excited to see how it will go,” she said. “I just want to have fun, play good hockey, and help the team as much as I can.”

The Allistar Fredericks Africa Challenge will be broadcast LIVE on SuperSport Schools and DStv channel 216.

You can also follow SuperSport Schools Hockey for all the updates.

SA u16 GIRLS HIGH PERFORMANCE TOURNAMENT TEAM
	NAME	SURNAME	REGION
1	Alecia	Louw	Eastern Province A
2	Bea	van den Berg	Western Province A
3	Buntu	Msweli	KZN Coastal A
4	Charley-Rose	Boyall	KZN Coastal A
5	Chelsey	Woolf	KZN Coastal A
6	Emihle	Mazomba	Eastern Province A
7	Giovanna	Abrahams	Southern Gauteng A
8	Heather	Kane	Western Province A
9	Iminathi	Rungqu	Eastern Province A
10	Jamie	Gall	Western Province A
11	Jo	Kerchhoff	Western Province A
12	Klara-Lea	Basson	Boland A
13	Lenique	Vogel	Northern Blues A
14	Lucy	Holderness	Eastern Province A
15	Ronewa	Tshikhudo	Southern Gauteng A
16	Salome-Rose	Oosthuizen	Eastern Province A
17	Zani	Boezaart	Boland A
18	Ziyanda	Mchunu	KZN Coastal A

SA U16A BOYS HIGH PERFORMANCE TOURNAMENT TEAM
	NAME	SURNAME	REGION
1	Arin	Spiller	Western Province
2	Maharaja	Liam	Kwa-Zulu Natal Coastal
3	Stephan	Malan	Boland
4	Jaime	Kock	Boland
5	Eben	Peters	Kwa-Zulu Natal Coastal
6	Jeandré	van Zyl	Boland
7	Kade	Lottering	Southern Gauteng
8	Sbuyisilwe Mchunu	Mchunu	Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland
9	Callum	Anderson	Western Province
10	Luke	Mason	Eastern Province
11	Kgotsofalang	Lehloenya	Southern Gauteng
12	Eichaan	Lubbe	Kwa-Zulu Natal Coastal
13	Blaine	Candy	Southern Gauteng
14	Loyiso	Mletshe	Western Province
15	Luc	Boyall	Kwa-Zulu Natal Coastal
16	Santiago	Matroos	Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland
17	Danté	Elkington	Eastern Province
18	Tshimologo	Mogale	Southern Gauteng

 

The hockey season in the Western Cape has reached its halfway point, the SASHOC National Weeks have come and gone, and the re-opening of schools means it’s time for the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament (CTIHT).

The CTIHT has featured on the province’s hockey calendar since its inception in 2003 and is hosted annually in the first week of term three.

This year’s tournament will see 60 boys’ and girls’ teams battle it out for the silverware. The action kicks off on Wednesday, 23 July, before concluding with the respective finals on Sunday, 27 July.

Six venues – the Central Hockey Club, Hartleyvale Stadium (A & B), Pinelands High School, South African College High School (SACS), the University of Cape Town (UCT), and the Western Province Cricket Club (A & B) – will host the jam-packed programme.

The playing field is dominated by local sides, with a sprinkling of schools from the United Kingdom (UK), Zimbabwe, and Namibia set to add some international spice to the event.

Adding to the intrigue is the fact that new champions will be crowned in both the girls’ and boys’ sections after Paarl Gimnasium decided not to participate. Last year, the Paarl Gim boys defeated a SACS Stayers team 2-1 in the final, while the girls thumped Somerset College 10-0 to lift the trophy.

How the tournament works

The tournament is separated into two parts, with both the boys’ and girls’ events featuring “Evolve” and “Elite” sections.

The boys have 16 teams in both sections, with the traditionally stronger sides competing in the Elite section. The girls’ competition is slightly smaller, with 16 Elite teams but only 12 Evolve sides.

Among the top challengers in the Elite section are SACS, Somerset College, Paarl Boys’ High, Reddam House Constantia, and Parel Vallei.

Pool A includes SACS, Somerset College, Windhoek Afrikaanse Private School, and St George’s Weybridge, from Surrey, in the UK.

SACS won the tournament in 2023, and they’ll be focused on making a strong start when they face Somerset College in the tournament’s opening game on Wednesday morning.

Paarl Boys’ High will battle it out in Pool B against Worcester Gimnasium and visiting sides Reed’s School, also from Surrey, and Windhoek Gimnasium.

Parel Vallei, one of the favourites, takes on Durbanville High, Millfield School, renowned for its remarkable record of producing international sportsmen and sportswomen, and Kingston Grammar, which also boasts a proud hockey tradition, in Pool C.

Pool D will be contested by Hoërskool Outeniqua, Reddam, King Edward’s School, from Birmingham, in the UK, and a Western Province Invitational side.

The girls’ Elite section is wide open, and it features a mouthwatering fixture list. Several teams will fancy their chances in the absence of Paarl Gim, including their great rivals, Paarl Girls’ High.

Coach Marc Landman‘s girls are drawn in Pool D where they’ll take on Zimbabwe’s Chisipite, Durbanville High, and Hoërskool Bellville.

Reddam House Constantia, HMS La Rochelle, and Worcester Gimnasium will tackle St Paul’s College, from Windhoek, in Pool A.

St Paul’s is one of the sides to keep an eye on after they impressed at the Belgotex Easter Hockey Tournament earlier this year.

Pool B will be contested by Hoërskool Outeniqua, Somerset College, Millfield, and Windhoek Afrikaanse Private School.

Parel Vallei shares Pool C with Curro Durbanville, Kingston Grammar, and Windhoek High School.

Past editions of the tournament have been disrupted by bad weather and heavy rain, but the forecast looks promising, and spectators should be able to witness a full week of hockey.

You can catch the action LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App and follow SuperSport Schools Hockey for all the updates.

Click HERE to see all the tournament fixtures.

The 2025 edition of the u16 SASHOC National Week is reaching its business end, which was brought into focus on Thursday when four teams secured their places in the semifinals.

The event, being hosted at Hilton College, St Anne’s DSG, and St John’s DSG, culminates with the boys’ and girls’ finals on Sunday.

The opening two days produced some thrilling action on the turf, lots of goals, and upsets, which has made for great viewing.

Heading into day three, Eastern Province (EP) A and Boland A, last year’s finalists, were in commanding positions in Pools A and B, respectively. Both were unbeaten and intent on securing their places in the last four.

EP, led by coach Keanon Geldenhuys, took on KZN Inland A and picked up from where they left off on Wednesday, powering their way to a 5-1 victory.

It was a clinical performance from the Eastern Cape boys, who led 3-0 at the break, courtesy of goals by Vuyo Mazwai, Dante Elkington, and James Chree.

Santiago Matroos pulled one back for Inland in the third chukka, but further goals from Luke Mason and Logan Meyer completed a convincing win for EP.

That victory left EP atop Pool B with the maximum haul of 12 points from their four matches, ahead of their final pool match against Southern Gauteng A on Friday morning.

Whatever happens in that game, Eastern Province’s progress to the semi-finals is assured.

Speaking of Southern Gauteng, the boys in yellow sit are in second spot behind EP, with nine points after three outings.

On Thursday, they mustered a 5-3 win over Southern Gauteng B.

On Friday, they play twice. The equation is simple for coach Siya Sityana‘s boys. They need at least one point from their remaining two matches to progress.

If Southerns lose both matches, they could still make it into the semi-finals based on goal difference, even if KZN Inland A wins their final match against Northern Gauteng A.

Inland A needs to beat Northerns by six or more goals and hope that Southerns doesn’t score in either of their games. That’s an extremely unlikely scenario.

While the situation in Pool B is mathematically not yet complete, Boland A and Western Province A, in Pool A, will head into Friday’s schedule knowing their semifinal places are secure.

Boland, after a hard-fought 4-3 victory over KZN Coastal A, leads Pool A with 12 points, with four wins from four matches, while WP, following their 2-1 defeat of Western Province B, have 10 points, also after four outings.

The table-topping neighbours square off on Friday in their final pool game. The winner of that fixture will finish in first place while also grabbing Western Cape bragging rights. Of course, a draw is possible, too.

It promises to be a thrilling day four, and all the action will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Day 3 | Results and scorers

Western Province A 2: Zach Hillman, Daniel de Wet. Western Province B 1: Troy Loots.

Boland A 4: Stephan Malan (2), Caleb Cilliers, Christiaan Fouché. KZN Coastal A 3: Dylan Forbes, Luc Boyall, Daniel Rea.

Southern Free State 3: Eben Stander, Isak van der Merwe, Kamo Mohlomi. KZN Coastal B 3: Ryan Willis (3).

Southern Gauteng A 5: Blaine Candy (2), Matthew Jung (2), Kgotsofalang Lehloenya. Southern Gauteng B 3: Mpilo Chabe, Endre Ludick, Thoriso Motsepe.

Northern Gauteng A 3: Zeann Marais, Luke Payne, Kean Cornelissen. KZN Inland B 1: Luthando Shelembe.

Eastern Province A 5: Vuyo Mazwai, Luke Mason, Logan Meyer, James Chree, Dante Elkington. KZN Inland A 1: Santiago Matroos.

KZN Coastal A 4: Matt Potgieter (2), Luc Boyall (2). Western Province B 0.

Boland A 3: Luke van der Merwe, Jamie Kock, Khumbulani Nongogo. KZN Coastal B 1: Aaron Blackburn.

CLICK HERE TO SEE DAY 4 FIXTURES.

Western Province (WP) u14A head coach, Mike Willig, said he was proud of his side’s performances after they claimed gold at the SASHOC National Week in Johannesburg.

The u14 National event ran from 4 to 7 July and was hosted at King Edward VII, St John’s College, and Parktown Boys’ High.

Playing an attractive game, WP dominated from the pool stages through to the final, where they defeated Boland 3-1.

It was a special moment for coach Willig after last year’s u14 group ended with a bronze medal at the same venue.

“I’m proud of the boys. We had a great start in terms of the pool games against Mpumalanga and Limpopo,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“We defeated Mpumalanga 4-0, and the boys got a bit comfortable because it’s different playing up in Johannesburg, with the altitude.

“Our best goal-scoring game was against Limpopo (10-0). The guys started to find each other, and we started scoring some flicks, as well, through Chai Rozendaal, which was great.”

After those comprehensive wins early on, Province went on to thump Southern Free State 5-0 before brushing off the defending champions, Southern Gauteng, 3-0 in the quarterfinals.

They met Eastern Province in the last four, and a brace by Rozendaal secured a hard-fought 2-1 win, setting up the final against Boland.

It was always going to be a tough clash against their neighbours, but WP showed up, converted their chances, and defended like their lives depended on it.

Their short-corner defence was immaculate, and up front, Rozendaal made sure he made the most of his opportunities to score a hattrick.

Konrad Gouws replied for Boland in the title-deciding match.

“We know Boland well. All of our schools in the southern suburbs played against their players, but we came in as underdogs.

“It was a challenge to get the boys up mentally, but I told them they could win and beat this side.

“We knew it would come down to PCs and managing their key players, like Konrad and Nathan Phillips up front. We did well, defended multiple PCs, and our goalkeeper, Reuben Rozendaal, made some great saves, including a penalty stroke, which gave us a massive boost.”

The SACS coach took over the u14 side after a spell as manager of the u16A side in 2024. He witnessed firsthand the talent making its way through the provincial ranks and was pleased with what he saw.

“This is a special team,” he declared. “The province is in good hands, and the leadership team is immense.

“You’ve got talented players from 1-16, and with a flicker like Rozendaal and his twin in goal, they will be massive for the province going forward.

“The captains, Macen Lesbirel and Luke Presence, are also proper and up front we have Eli Africa and Alakhe Ntoyanto, who have real striking ability, so the future looks good.”

Province finished the tournament with a whopping 27 goals. Chai Rozendaal scored eight, which tied him with Boland’s Nathan Phillips as the tournament’s top goal scorer.

Final standings

Western Province
Boland
KZN Inland
Eastern Province
Southern Gauteng
KZN Coastal
Southern Free State
Northern Gauteng
Border
Mpumalanga
Eden
Eastern Gauteng
Limpopo
Northern Cape
North West
Northern Free State

While Boland A and Southern Gauteng A recorded wins on Wednesday, the second day of the u16 SASHOC National Week, it was Eastern Province (EP) A and Western Province (WP) A who ended the day the happiest.

That’s because both sides pulled off crucial victories and finished the day atop Pools A and B, respectively.

The u16 national tournament is currently being hosted at Hilton College, St Anne’s DSG, and St John’s DSG, in KwaZulu-Natal, and concludes with the final on Sunday.

Last year’s beaten finalists, EP, opened their campaign on Tuesday with a 4-1 triumph over Southern Gauteng B.

They had a doubleheader on Wednesday against KZN Inland B and Northern Gauteng A, and two wins, worth six points, would almost guarantee them a semifinal berth.

EP was impressive once again and defeated Inland B 2-0 before scraping past Northerns 4-3 in their second outing.

Against Inland, it was Luke Manson and Callum Peltenburg who found the back of the net.

Peltenburg scored his second goal of the day against Northerns before Michael Gillies, Deanu Bezuidenhout, and captain Dante Elkington joined in the action to make it four.

As things stand, EP lead Pool B with nine points and a game in hand, in front of Southern Gauteng A, who beat KZN Inland A 4-2.

The Eastern Cape boys, led by coach Kiano Geldenhuys, will face KZN Inland A on Thursday at 14:35 at St Anne’s. Southern Gauteng, meanwhile, takes on Southern Gauteng B in a provincial derby.

While matters have started to take shape in Pool B, spectators should keep a close eye on Pool A.

Western Province A, after a win and a draw on the opening day, returned on Wednesday and made a statement with a 3-2 victory over KZN Coastal A.

Zach Hillman, Buhle Kama, and Limani Makeleni were the goal scorers for WP, while Dylan Forbes and skipper Luc Boyall scored for Coastal.

The defending champions, Boland A, also kept their unbeaten record intact with a 5-1 drubbing of Southern Free State A.

Coach Shaun McIntyre’s troops dominated the first half and led 3-0 at the halfway point, thanks to goals by Stephan Malan, Caleb Cilliers, and Christiaan Fouché.

Ethan Seager responded for Free State in the second half, but a Jamie Kock brace took the game away from the Bloemfontein boys.

Boland has a doubleheader on day three, against KZN Coastal A and B, while WP A tackles WP B on Hilton’s Mansergh’s AstroTurf at 07:30.

All the action will be LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App and SABC Plus App.

Day 2 | Results and scorers

Pool A

Western Province A 3: Zach Hillman, Buhle Kama, Limani Makeleni. KZN Coastal A 2: Dylan Forbes, Luc Boyall.

Boland A 5: Stephan Malan, Caleb Cilliers, Christiaan Fouché, Jamie Kock (2). Southern Free State A 1: Ethan Seager.

Western Province B 2: Ethan Smith (2). KZN Coastal B 1: Aaron Blackburn.

Pool B

Eastern Province A 2: Luke Manson, Callum Peltenburg. KZN Inland B 0.

Northern Gauteng A 1: Zeann Marais. Southern Gauteng B 1: Endré Ludick.

Southern Gauteng A 4: Kade Lottering (2), Jason Joiner, Blaine Candy. KZN Inland A 2: Santiago Matroos, Ntshabiseng Ntshingila.

Eastern Province 4: Michael Gillies, Callum Peltenburg, Deanu Bezuidenhout, Dante Elkington. Northern Gauteng 3: Zeann Marais, Ethan Jaftha, Rorisanga Ledwaba.

KZN Inland A 4: William Aylward, Santiago Matroos, Ntshabiseng Ntshingila, Rayhan Fitz. Southern Gauteng B 2: Letuka Katiso, Mahlatse Maapola.

CLICK HERE TO SEE DAY 3 FIXTURES.

Boland A, Southern Gauteng A, KZN Coastal A, and KZN Inland A, made their presence felt on Tuesday, day one of the u16 SASHOC National Week, being hosted at Hilton College.

Those four sides, who are among the favourites to win the tournament, delivered impressive hockey, scored goals for fun, and sent out a stern warning to their opponents in Pools A and B, respectively.

The defending champions, Boland, got their title defence off to winning start with a resounding 7-3 victory over Western Province B.

Led by coach Shaun McIntyre, Boland looked like a well-oiled machine on Hilton’s Mansergh AstroTurf.

It took them a while to get going, however. They opened the scoring in the 26th minute through dangerman Luke van der Merwe before Province B responded via a Max Fourie PC drag flick three minutes later.

Up 3-1 at halftime, Boland returned in the second stanza and ran away with the match. They netted four goals to Province’s two, and in the final chukka, added two more to complete the drubbing.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus after the match, coach McIntyre said he was pleased.

“We are happy with the start. It’s a good result against a strong Western Province B side,” he reckoned.

“We knew, based on u18 IPTs, that B sides can cause upsets, so we just wanted to start strong and get the win in our first game.

“I’m really happy that our forwards are scoring. I back them going forward, and it’s an area I’m not worried about. Moving forward, we have a game plan, and we will just approach every game as it comes.”

KZN Coastal A, who are also in Pool A, made an incredible start to their campaign, too.

Coach Keegan Hezlett‘s troops put eight past Southern Free State A in their opener and are top of the pool, ahead of Boland on goal difference.

They got off to a blistering start against Free State and led 4-0 at the halfway point.

Early in the third chukka, captain Luc Boyall sealed his hat-trick, and another hattrick from Ryan Herselman, who, like Boyall, is from Northwood, accompanied by a Daniel Rea brace, sealed a high-scoring 8-4 victory.

Coach Hezlett was pleased with the win but said there are areas his team needs to focus on.

“I was very impressed with the boys today,” he said. “We had a disrupted start with the Astro freezing and being delayed for about 45 minutes. They managed to switch on well in the first chukka, and we scored three goals.

“I was upset with the two penalty corner goals we conceded off the second phase. That was disappointing, and the other goals that went in from poor defending.

“We will have a look at the video and work on our defensive angles of approach and taking care of our man in deep zones. We also want to look at our PC defence and rectify it.”

Pool B was all about Southern Gauteng A and KZN Inland A, who both made big statements on day one.

Southerns took on Northern Gauteng A in a provincial derby, and it was the boys in yellow who came out on top, winning 6-2.

Coach Siya Sityana leads the Gauteng boys, and they gave their mentor something to smile about.

“The first box for the tournament is ticked,” Sityana said after the match.

“It was important to get the W on the first day against Northerns, especially in our tough pool.

“We played good phases of hockey, scored lots of goals, and different players scored, which was nice. The vibe is also great in the team.”

Another side that enjoyed good vibes after day one was KZN Inland A.

Coached by Jason Syce, the home team took on their second-stringers, KZN Inland B, in their opener, and ran away with it, winning 6-0.

It was the perfect start for the home side, with Santiago Matross (2), Thibedi Mogoba (2), Greg Hosking, and Anthony Crossley scoring.

“I think we came in wanting to make sure we are intentional about our outcomes,” Syce said afterwards.

“We were disciplined in our shape, and we wanted to take care of the basics. Pass and move. Tournament hockey requires discipline in the shape and execution of outcomes.

“The B team were very good in their short corner defence and absorbed the attack well. The keyword for us was to be ‘intentional’ in every moment of attack and defence.”

KZN Inland A faces Southern Gauteng A in a highly anticipated Pool B match on day two. The Inland coach understands the challenge awaiting his side.

“Southern Gauteng will always be a tough outfit to come up against. With depth and talent, they pose a threat to most teams at IPT.

“Our goal is to ensure we play our brand of hockey – we become effective in our attack and value our discipline in defence.”

In other matches on Tuesday, Eastern Province A defeated Southern Gauteng B 4-1.

Western Province A, after being held to a shock 1-1 draw by KZN Coastal B, mustered a 4-1 victory against Southern Free State in their second match of the day.

Day 1 | Results and scorers

Pool A

KZN Coastal A 8: Luc Boyall (3), Ryan Herselman (3), Daniel Rea (2). Southern Free State A 4: Jean Griessel (2), Kaden Hendersen, Keagan Wessels.

Western Province A 1: Zach Hillman. KZN Coastal B 1: Aya Njenje.

Boland A 7: Luke van der Merwe (4), Christiaan Fouche (2), Caleb Cilliers. Western Province B 3: Troy Loots, Ephram Smith, Max Fourie.

Western Province A 4: Ross Wille, Buhle Kama, Callum Anderson, Loyiso Mletshe. Southern Free State A 1: Kamo Mohlomi.

Pool B

Southern Gauteng A 6: Matthew Jung (2), Blaine Candy, Kade Lottering, Tshimologo Mogale, Rofhi Mathabi. Northern Gauteng A 2: Luke Payne, Kean Cornelissen.

Eastern Province A 4: Dante Elkington (2), Luke Manson, James Chree. Southern Gauteng B 1: Endre Ludick.

KZN Inland A 6: Santiago Matross (2), Thibedi Mogoba (2), Greg Hosking, Anthony Crossley. KZN Inland B 0.

CLICK HERE TO SEE DAY 2 FIXTURES.

When the Western Province squads for the 2025 SASHOC National Week were announced earlier this year, Milani Bekapi had mixed feelings.

The boy from Langa Township in Cape Town was disappointed because he hadn’t made the cut for the u18A team. He was, instead, selected for the u18B side for a second year running.

After representing the Western Province u18B team in 2024, he had set himself a goal of making the extraordinary u18A side in 2025.

That didn’t happen, but there was a silver lining. Instead of sulking, Bekapi relished the chance of donning his provincial colours again and immediately got down to work with his u18B teammates.

The Province B side, better known as Peninsula or Pens, arrived in Pietermaritzburg for the SASHOC National Week determined to make waves in Pool B.

Job done! They finished top of their pool, which secured them a semi-final showdown with Southern Gauteng A.

The boys from Johannesburg won that clash 3-1 and Northern Gauteng A then edged out Pens 2-1 in the bronze medal match.

Nonetheless, finishing fourth was a major achievement for the Western Province B side, and they were rewarded for that outstanding showing when three of their players, Hayden Stellenberg (Stellenberg High School), Aadam Thompson (SACS), and Bekapi (Langa Hockey Club), were included in the SA u18B side.

For Bekapi, the selection came as a shock. It’s news he’s still trying to process.

“I didn’t expect to be named in the team. I thought I would miss out again this year,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“I think I played well in our first two games, but for the rest of the tournament, I felt like I was slacking, and that’s why I wasn’t positive.

“After I heard my name called out, I was shocked but also happy because all my hard work paid off.”

Bekapi, who is better known as “Kop” within his friendship group, attends Isilimela Secondary School and is in grade 11.

He plays for the Langa Hockey Club and recalls his earliest memories of picking up a stick.

“I started playing hockey when I was nine years old through a programme called Youth for Change.

“I was a goalkeeper at first but realised that’s not the position I wanted to play.

“I took a break from the sport for a year and played some cricket, but that also didn’t work out well for me, and then I returned to hockey, and I’ve been playing ever since.”

The 18-year-old also represented Province at u16 level. In 2022 and 2023, he was named in the u16B side.

He explained how hockey has helped him view the world differently: “The sport has impacted my life in so many ways,” he said. ““I have gone to some nice places because of hockey and have had some amazing experiences.

“I have experienced playing with different players at IPTs, different teams, and structures, and those are lessons I aim to bring back to my club.”

Bekapi’s message to the young children looking up to him is simple: “Anything is possible. Don’t let where you come from put you down. Keep on going, work hard and never give up.”

One of his goals is to represent South Africa at the Olympics one day.

However, for now, he hopes his performances at the IPT can get earn a sponsorship with a brand that will assist him with gear so he can perform at the highest level.

The SA u18A and u18B sides will assemble for a high-performance camp at Kearsney College from 9 to 12 October, and Bekapi will be there.