Author: asawula

The 2025 hockey season has been a splendid one for Hoërskool Outeniqua‘s first-team girls’ side under the tutelage of head coach Niel Smit.

The girls from George have played some excellent hockey, scored tons of goals, and have put on a show for their supporters every week, whether playing at home or away.

They’ve already played a whopping 27 matches, recording 22 victories, one draw, and just four losses.

It’s a record they’ll want to bolster further when they host Gqeberha’s Hoërskool Framesby on Saturday morning ,at 11:00.

“I’m happy with the season so far,” coach Smit told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“With that said, we are in a small district, so to get top-quality hockey fixtures every weekend is a struggle. We would like to get more quality games regularly to improve our overall hockey performance.”

Smit’s side played two fixtures last weekend, against Langenhoven Gimnasium and Hoër Volkskool, from Graaff-Reinet. They were impressive in both outings, scoring 23 goals and conceding only two.

“I think we did achieve what we set out to do in those two games, and the results show it with a 7-0 win over Langenhoven and a 16-2 win against Volkskool.

“In fixtures like those, we try to set up certain goals in areas where we feel we can improve.”

The word “improvement” has certainly been at the heart of Outeniqua’s hockey programme in recent seasons.

Despite not regularly facing some of the best schools in the country, they still hold their own against the top guns and participate in big events, like the annual Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament.

It’s a work in progress, but coach Smit is optimistic they’re taking the right steps in growing the game at the school.

“Well, school hockey at this moment is growing at a fast pace, and it takes a lot of work to keep up with the high-flying teams and to get to their level,” he said.

“We try to start with the u14s and work towards our first teams, but that comes with its challenges.

“I think our basic layout of what we want and need to achieve is getting attention, but there is still a lot of work that needs to happen if we want to compete with the best.

“We are fielding a lot of teams, and the pool of players we can select from is growing, and depth plays a big part in the big picture.”

Against Framesby, the hosts will be led by skipper Mia Buxmann, who has over 100 caps to her name.

Carlien Oosthuizen has been firing in the goals up front. In midfield, Zanelle Rensburg will look to control the tempo of the game while Katelyn Roussouw is trusted to keep the opposition out at the back.

Coach Smit sees the Framesby clash as a chance for his team to further develop its systems and get the basics right.

“We would like to again set specific goals in areas where we feel we need to improve and focus on them to get it right for when we face stronger opponents.

“If we get our basics right and focus on our performance, I feel it would be a good weekend for us,” he ended.

While some of the country’s top hockey-playing schools lock horns at St Anne’s Diocesan College in the St Anne’s Cup this weekend, many Western Cape sides will be in action in local derbies.

It’s a bumper weekend of hockey action as teams aim to add more wins to their record before breaking for the mid-year exams early next month.

There are three enticing fixtures to keep an eye out for on Friday night, and it all starts in Stellenbosch where HMS Bloemhof welcomes Rustenburg Girls’ High.

Bloemhof, after taking home silver at the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival, has struggled to find the form that carried them all the way to the final in Johannesburg, but they will be confident heading into the clash against Rustenburg.

They may not be playing their best hockey currently, but a recent 2-1 victory over Reddam House Constantia, courtesy of goals by Mari Steyn and Nina Louw-Stanich, came at a much-needed time.

Coach Jenny King‘s side heads into the match as the favourites to win, but they’ll be wary of the threats posed by the Cape Town side.

Not far away from that clash, also in Stellenbosch, will be Rhenish Girls’ High taking on Paarl Girls’ High.

Rhenish, after losing in the final of the All Girls’ Festival and drawing 1-1 with Herschel Girls School, got back on track in emphatic style with a 6-2 win over St Cyprian’s School last week.

It was a clinical performance from coach Chris Gerber’s side, who used their chances, were defensively sound and looked like their old selves again.

They welcome back coach Marc Landman, who left Rhenish at the beginning of the year to take on the project at Paarl Girls’ High.

They’ve also done relatively well recently and beat La Rochelle 3-0 last week, thanks to goals from Anne Nel, Cassie Fairbairn and Halle Williams.

Girls’ High has nothing to lose, and they can be expected to throw the kitchen sink at Rhenish.

While Stellenbosch’s showdowns promise to entertain, Somerset will also be treated to a humdinger when Parel Vallei (PV) hosts Paarl Gimnasium on home turf.

Coach Wayne Coetzee’s Parel Vallei side has pulled off some outstanding results this year but getting one over the fiery and confident Gim would be quite the upset.

It won’t be easy to pull off it off because the Gim girls are playing some of their best hockey currently.

Both sides recorded 2-1 wins in their last outings, with PV beating Somerset College while Gim got by Bloemhof.

Gim, led by coach Danelle van Zyl, are well rested after a bye and will head to Somerset looking to cause havoc.

In other matches scheduled for Friday, Reddam House Constantia faces Springfield Convent School, and St Cyprian’s School tackles DF Malan in a league match.

In George, York High takes on Langenhoven Gimnasium.

There are several league fixtures on Saturday, with the Stellenberg High School versus Herschel Girls School one to watch. It promises to be a cracker.

WESTERN CAPE GIRLS’ FIXTURES

Friday, 23 May

18:10 – York High School vs Langenhoven Gimnasium
18:45 – Reddam House vs Springfield Convent School
19:00 – HMS Bloemhof vs Rustenburg Girls’ High School
19:00 – Parel Vallei vs Paarl Gimnasium
19:20 – St Cyprian’s School vs DF Malan
19:30 – Rhenish Girls’ High vs Paarl Girls’ High

Saturday, 24 May

09:30 – Durbanville vs Tygerberg High
10:00 – Fairmont High School vs Rustenburg Girls’ High
10:00 – Wynberg Girls’ High vs Curro Durbanville
10:30 – Stellenberg vs Herschel Girls School
11:00 – Outeniqua vs Framesby

In past seasons, teams in the Eastern Cape have played second fiddle to top teams from the Free State, Western Cape, and Gauteng.

However, in 2025, there has been a shift, and the Eastern Cape is home to some of the country’s best sides.

Pearson High and Collegiate Girls’ High have both upped the ante and put the province on the map.

They’ve produced outstanding hockey in 2025, and it will be on show on Friday evening when the sides clash at Pearson’s Top AstroTurf at 19:15.

It will be the second time they meet this year after facing each other in the quarterfinals of the Belgotex Sport Girls Challenge in Paarl earlier this month.

At that tournament, coach Anton Peltenburg‘s charges ran out the winners, edging out Collegiate 3-2 after trailing 0-2 in the first half.

Pearson went on to finish third, while Collegiate ended fifth after a narrow win over Hoërskool Waterkloof in their final match, taking the victory 4-3 on penalties.

Coach Michael Abrahams’ squad was rightfully disappointed by that result after they had won gold at the All Girls’ Festival by beating Rhenish Girls’ High in the final.

Since then, the girls in green have recorded a mixed bag of mixed results while Collegiate has been untouchable.

Pearson suffered a 1-2 loss against another Eastern Cape powerhouse, DSG Makhanda, before they thumped Hudson Park 5-0 last week.

Lisa de Villiers was the standout player against Hudson, scoring a hat-trick of goals before Chanelle Venter joined in on the action by sending two balls into the backboard.

Meanwhile, Collegiate has run rampant since returning from the tournaments in the Western Cape.

A 9-0 trashing of Union High School sent out a massive statement before goals by Kerrin Gillies (2), Casey Groblaar, and Kate Brennen secured a 4-0 win over Kingswood College a week ago.

There’s no question Collegiate will be out for revenge for their previous loss to Pearson, but they’ll need to be at their utmost best against a resilient side that will be banking on their home support.

DSG Makhanda welcomes Clarendon High School for Girls to the Webster AstroTurf, on Saturday. Clarendon has had a rough season, but, after a hefty 2-12 loss to Eunice High School, they bounced back last week and thumped Cambridge High 7-0.

Woodridge College faces Victoria Park, while Stirling has a Saturday morning date with Kingswood College, in East London. Hudson Park will battle their East London rivals, Merrifield College, while Cambridge faces a tough task when they take on Qonce’s Kingsridge Girls’ High.

EASTERN CAPE GIRLS’ FIXTURES

Friday, 23 May

19:15 – Pearson High vs Collegiate Girls’ High

Saturday, 24 May

10:00 – Woodridge College vs Victoria Park
10:00 – Stirling High vs Kingswood College
11:00 – Hudson Park vs Merrifield
11:00 – Cambridge High School vs Kingsridge Girls’ High
13:00 – DSG Makhanda vs Clarendon

After narrow losses against Grey College and Wynberg Boys’ High, Paarl Boys’ High returns to action this weekend with another tough assignment. They host Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG).

The sides meet on Friday at 19:15 and the match will be broadcast live on the SuperSport Schools App.

Boys’ High, famously known as Boishaai, will face PRG head-on and with no fear as they look to cause an upset for the ages in the Boland region.

Led by coach Rowan McLachlan, Boys’ High has had a decent run so far this season and fared playing particularly well at the Cape Co-Ed Festival and the Coastal Cup in March.

Since then, they’ve defeated Somerset College and DF Malan but came up short against Rondebosch Boys’ High, Grey College and Wynberg.

Despite those three losses, Boishaai has held their own whenever they’ve been confronted by top opposition and they continue to improve.

In their loss to Wynberg, they were in it for most of the game, but some lapses of concentration allowed the Cape Town side to seal a nail-biting 3-2 win.

Martin de Bruyn and Alex Lategan were on the scoresheet for Boishaai, and they’ll need to be on their game when they tackle a dangerous PRG side.

Boys’ High skipper, AJ Mostert, who played his 75th game first-team match earlier this year, will have a key role to play, along with goalkeeper Luan Bornman.

Boys’ High has provided four players to the Boland u18 teams for the SASHOC National Week, which takes place in the last week of June and beginning of July. Milani Tisana has been included in the A-team, while Mostert, Martin De Bruyn, and Da-Niell Willemse will play for the B-side.

In Paul Roos, they will come up against a side that is high in confidence and well-rested after they had a bye last week.

Before the break, PRG made a big statement by thumping Paarl Gimnasium 6-2 at the Maties AstroTurf.

It won’t be smooth sailing for coach Michael Baker and his PRG boys, especially in front of a hostile crowd in Paarl, but they’ll be confident they can get the job done.

Also on Friday night, Wynberg Boys’ High welcomes their local rivals, Bishops, to the Astro of Dreams.

That game is scheduled to start at 18:45 and promises to entertain as both teams go in search of southern suburbs’ bragging rights.

Wynberg are the favourites heading into the clash after their 3-2 win over Boys’ High last week, and especially since Bishops was stunned 1-2 by Stellenberg High School on home soil.

Both sides are in transition after bidding farewell to several influential players at the end of last season, so they should be well matched, and a cracker is on the cards.

Rondebosch Boys’ High will be in action against Fairmont High School in a league match and South African College High School (SACS) travels to DF Malan.

Durbanville takes on an on-fire Reddam House Constantia side, while there should be fireworks in Somerset West when Parel Vallei hosts Paarl Gim.

Worcester Gimnasium faces Wellington’s Hugenote, Hoërskool Outeniqua has a date with Hoërskool Framesby, and York High tests their mettle against Langenhoven Gimnasium.

FIXTURES

17:00 – Outeniqua vs Framesby
18:10 – York High School vs Langenhoven Gimnasium
18:15 – Durbanville vs Reddam House Constantia
18:45 – Wynberg Boys’ High vs Bishops Diocesan College
19:10 – Worcester Gimnasium vs Hugenote Wellington
19:15 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Paul Roos Gimnasium
19:25 – DF Malan vs SACS
19:30 – Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Fairmont High School
20:15 – Parel Vallei vs Paarl Gimnasium

After a week’s break and some time out to reboot and energise, Grey High School returns to the turf this weekend when they travel to face Queen’s College, in Komani, on Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Selborne College will face the stern examination when they take on St Andrew’s College, in Makhanda, at the Webster AstroTurf.

Earlier this month, Grey High scored a solid 3-1 victory over Wynberg Boys’ High, in Gqeberha.

Coach Andrew Beynon‘s squad went into that clash off the back of a disappointing Hibbert Shield campaign, but they put that behind them and put on a good show in front of a big Reunion Day crowd.

James Chree, Jordyn Billie, and captain Luke Tait were the names on the scoresheet on that occasion. It was, also, a special occasion for Athi Voigt and Liam Poole, who both reached 50 games for the 1st XI.

The boys in blue and white then turned their attention to a mid-week clash against Kingswood College, in Makhanda.

Grey dominated and despite failing to capitalise on many of the chances they created, they walked away with a 4-0 victory, courtesy of a brace by Tait, with Keegan le Roux and Luke Malherbe also scoring.

Over the bye weekend, Grey’s players stayed active by participating in the school’s annual Hockey Slam, a fundraising event that allows teams to play for different franchises and challenge for the title. They’ll be eager to get back on the park against a tricky Queen’s College side.

Queen’s has endured mixed fortunes over the past two weeks. Last Friday, they were on the receiving end of a hefty 1-5 loss against St Andrew’s College, while they defeated Dale College 4-2 the week before.

Playing in front of their supporters at the Chris Harker AstroTurf could just be the push coach Michael Baiden‘s side needs to pull off a major upset.

Selborne College will also be on the road this weekend as they travel to face St Andrew’s College in Makhanda.

The boys in black and white got their season back on track with an emphatic 5-1 triumph over Dale College in East London last week.

All five goals were scored by their talisman, Reid Drake, who has been in sublime form for coach KJ Friend’s side.

They won’t have it easy, though, against a tough St Andrew’s side that has proved to be a handful for many teams in the province and beyond its boundaries this season.

In May alone, they’ve overpowered Pearson High 3-1 and thumped Queen’s 5-1. Home ground advantage could further benefit the boys from Makhanda as they continue to assert themselves as one of the top sides in the Eastern Cape.

In other matches, Hudson Park, after playing to a 4-4 draw with Victoria Park and losing 0-4 against Pearson, will be chasing a bounce-back performance against Merrifield College.

For a second consecutive week, Dale travels to East London. This time, they face Cambridge High School, and Stirling welcomes Kingswood College.

EASTERN CAPE BOYS’ FIXTURES

Friday, 23 May

16:00 – Hudson Park vs Merrifield College
16:00 – Woodridge College vs Victoria Park
16:30 – Queen’s College vs Grey High School
17:30 – St Andrew’s College vs Selborne College
17:30 – Dale College vs Cambridge High
18:00 – Stirling vs Kingswood College

When Litha Kraai ran out to face Rondebosch Boys’ High at the Brewery AstroTurf on Friday, he ran into the South African College High School (SACS) history books.

The SACS star was given a heartfelt and moving guard of honour by his schoolmates as he became the first player in the school’s history to reach 100 first-team hockey matches.

After the pre-game proceedings were out of the way, Kraai and his teammates delivered a masterclass and dismantled ‘Bosch 9-1, with the man of the moment scoring five goals.

Kraai achieved the centurion milestone in about three years after making his debut in 2023 under the tutelage of former head coach Pierre Le Roux.

Since arriving on the scene, he has, arguably, been the most talked-about schoolboy hockey player in South Africa since Mustapha Cassiem.

Rightfully so, though, because Kraai has showcased his talents on the biggest stages, rising to the occasion to star for his school, club, and country.

He’s been praised by his peers, coaches, and acquaintances and someone who has been there to witness Kraai grow into the young man he is now is his grandmother, Kholiwe Kraai.

Litha grew up in front of her in KwaLanga, Cape Town, with his mother, Asanda, and father, Collen, who is heavily involved with the Langa Hockey Club.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus after her grandson achieved the rare feat, Mrs Kraai relived some of his early childhood hockey memories: “Litha grew up right in front of us and attended Thembani Primary School before getting the big opportunity to go to SACS.

“It was always hockey for him. He started playing at around six-years- old with his brother, Zenani. They would spend the whole day at the stadium, playing hockey, and come back late at night, and I always wondered what they were doing all day.”

Mrs Kraai admitted she was clueless about hockey before she first watched her grandsons in action. Immediately, though, she understood the boys’ obsession with the sport. That realisation also came at a time when Kraai was starting to make waves as a junior hockey and cricket player at the southern suburbs school.

“Everything happened fast, and when he moved to SACS, I was told he was becoming a better hockey player,” she shared.

“I was worried about him staying at the hostel, but his mom said he would be okay. He loved hockey more and more, and the support of his brother, father, and uncle encouraged him.”

Fast forward from those years to where he is now, and Kraai has become a household name in schoolboy hockey in South Africa.

Apart from representing SACS week in and week out, he’s donned Western Province colours numerous times and was part of the title-winning side at last year’s SASHOC National Week.

He’s represented South Africa at u17 and u18 level and won the Junior Africa Cup with the u21 team earlier this year.

However, the most eye-catching achievement on his hockey CV is being part of the SA Men’s Indoor Team that won the bronze medal at the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup in Croatia in February. It was a first-ever Indoor Hockey World Cup medal for South Africa, and he played an important role in the team’s success while still in school.

Now, he’s reached 100 games for SACS.

“We are so proud of him, man, and so grateful to the people who have supported him: the coaches, parents at SACS, and his friends. If it wasn’t for them, he wouldn’t be where he is now,” Mrs Kraai said.

“The most important thing we preached was for him to focus on his books and then make sure his hockey is also good.

“He has done well for himself and has put our family name on a pedestal,” she concluded.

SACS will be back in action this coming Friday when they take on DF Malan in a league fixture. That will be followed by a big showdown with Paul Roos Gimnasium at the end of the month.

Follow SuperSport Schools Plus Hockey for all the latest news, updates and scores.

Collegiate Girls’ High School, Pearson High School, and DSG Makhanda continued their dominance of Eastern Cape hockey on the weekend.

The three sides, who are undeniably the standout teams in the province, picked up convincing wins against their provincial opposition and they did it while playing entertaining hockey.

Coach Michael Abrahams’ Collegiate side took to the turf on Saturday morning to face Kingswood College.

The hosts, who defeated Rhenish Girls’ School to win the All Girls Festival earlier this month, were high in confidence after beating Union High School 9-0 a week ago.

Out of the three teams, Collegiate has been up there in terms of accuracy, finding the goal with relative ease, and remaining rock solid at the back.

They continued their fine form, outplaying Kingswood in almost all facets of the game to seal a comfortable 4-0 victory.

Kerrin Gillies, who has starred for Collegiate this season, scored twice before Casey Groblaar and Kate Brennen struck to seal the win.

Another side that won big on the weekend was DSG Makhanda, who hosted Queenstown Girls’ High and Hudson Park High School.

It was a momentous occasion for coach Geowynne Gamiet and his players as they celebrated captain Abigail Holderness reaching her 100th first-team match for the school.

Playing in front of her schoolmates and parents, Holderness rose to the occasion and marked it by netting twice against the Komani side, while her sister, Lucy, also made it onto the score sheet.

They were joined by Lauren Managé and Miké Holder, who helped DSG seal a dominant 5-2 win.

Straight after that match, DSG had a couple of hours to rest before taking on East London’s Hudson Park. Hudson, led by coach Jerry Snyman, was coming off a 0-5 loss to Pearson the previous night, and matters didn’t get any easier for them.

Skipper Holderness fired in another brace before Anna Olivier matched her contribution. Strikes by Emily Walker, Jessica Stevens, and Jocelyn Appel completed a 7-1 drubbing for the home side.

Pearson, after going down 1-2 against DSG a week ago, had Lisa de Villiers score a hat-trick and Chanelle Venter chip in with a brace in their Friday night win over Hudson Park. It was a calm and well-executed victory for coach Anton Peltenburg‘s side.

Clarendon High School for Girls romped to a 7-0 win over Cambridge High School behind four goals from Caroline Kretzmann. Captain Cara Knott scored twice and Kate Booyens brought the total to seven.

In Gqeberha, Woodridge College recorded a tight 1-0 victory over Alexander Road High School.

RESULTS

DSG Makhanda 5-2 Queenstown Girls’ High
Clarendon 7-0 Cambridge High School
DSG Makhanda 7-1 Hudson Park
Woodridge College 1-0 Alexander Road High School
Collegiate Girls’ High 4-0 Kingswood College
Pearson High 5-0 Hudson Park

After going down in the final of the All Girls’ Festival against Collegiate Girls’ High and playing out a 1-1 draw with Herschel Girls School, it might have appeared that Rhenish Girls’ High had lost their early-season momentum.

The girls from Stellenbosch countered that narrative with a dominant performance on Friday night, thumping St Cyprian’s School 6-0 in Cape Town.

The much-needed victory for coach Chris Gerber and his charges meant they returned to winning ways after some bumpy outings in recent weeks.

In their first match after the All Girls’ Festival, Rhenish drew 1-all with Herschel, with Pippa Viljoen finding the back of the net.

It was a solid outing from Rhenish. They created many opportunities against a good defensive unit, but their execution in the final third let them down.

That wasn’t the case against St Cyprian’s, who have enjoyed a good season. Gerber’s side dominated proceedings. They moved the ball well and pounced on their chances.

Skipper Leah du Plessis scored two field goals before Viljoen got in on the action with a brace of her own. Frankie Henn and Lily Newton completed the drubbing.

“The way we kept the ball and moved it impressed me a lot. I think that was the key to our success,” Gerber told SuperSport Schools Plus after the game.

“We also have a very good defensive system this year, and [it worked well] against St Cyprian’s. They came out firing in the first five minutes, and what we did well was just to calm down and play at our pace. Overall, it was a good performance.”

While Rhenish soaked up their win away from home, Herschel claimed the bragging rights in the Herschfield Derby against Springfield Convent School, despite playing away from home.

Both sides were confident heading into the clash. The week prior, Herschel had drawn with Rhenish, while Springfield had beaten La Rochelle 1-0.

It was the visitors, though, who scored a 2-0 victory, courtesy of strikes by Samantha Flint and Sophie Maurel.

Paarl Girls’ High also enjoyed a good outing on Friday night. They claimed a 3-0 win over their town rivals, La Rochelle. It was their second consecutive win in as many matches after they beat Somerset College by the same score a week ago.

This time around, Anne Nel, Cassie Fairbairn, and Halle Williams scored for coach Marc Landman’s side.

In other matches, Parel Vallei defeated Somerset College 2-1, and HMS Bloemhof was lifted to a 2-1 win over Reddam House Constantia by goals from Mari Steyn and Nina Louw-Stanich, while Emma Hibbert struck for Reddam.

Stellenberg overpowered Wynberg Girls’ High, running away to a 7-1 victory. Zanay Gerber netted a hat-trick while Bea van den Berg picked up a pair of goals, and Juane Meiring and Stella Zwiegers made it seven.

There were also wins for Westerford High School over Curro Durbanville, while Hoërskool Durbanville put four past DF Malan.

RESULTS

Herschel Girls School 2-0 Springfield Convent School
Paarl Girls’ High 3-0 La Rochelle
Rhenish Girls’ High School 6-0 St Cyprian’s School
Parel Vallei 2-1 Somerset College
HMS Bloemhof 2-1 Reddam House Constantia
Westerford 1-0 Curro Durbanville
Durbanville 4-0 DF Malan
Stellenberg 7-1 Wynberg Girls’ High

The first three months of the schoolboy hockey season in the Western Cape have been fairly routine in terms of top teams dominating and tallying up wins.

However, it was just a matter of time before hockey enthusiasts who love an underdog story were treated to a thrilling clash and a major upset.

Last year, that big shock came when Rondebosch Boys’ High defeated Paul Roos Gimnasium 1-0. No one saw that coming. 

Fast forward to 2025, and a major upset unfolded on Friday night when Stellenberg High School recorded a famous 2-1 victory over Bishops Diocesan College at the Woodlands AstroTurf, in Cape Town.

That triumph will go down as one of the best yet for Stellenberg, who in past seasons have been on the receiving end of some hefty defeats at the hands of Bishops.

The boys from Bellville meant business from the get-go and put the hosts under pressure before opening the scoring through Charl van Niekerk. The home side pulled one back, but Gerrard Matthews-Boukoua’s strike sealed a treasured win for the visitors.

Reacting after the momentous victory, head coach Kyle Esau said: “I’m still overwhelmed by the result. Coming in, I didn’t expect the result, but I expected the boys to come out and fight and give it their all. 

“The boys played their hearts out. I think we did the same against SACS, but we didn’t have the result to show for it, and then coming back against Bishops, they stepped up,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

Their first two league fixtures, against SACS and Rondebosch Boys’ High, were tough on Stellenberg. Against SACS, they suffered a 1-9 loss, and last weekend they went down 1-5 against ‘Bosch.

Despite those heavy defeats, they showed glimpses of their potential and of how dangerous they could be. To finally see that potential deliver a big result pleased Esau.

“Taking a result from any of the boys’ schools is always a special moment because it’s not often you get those results against the top four teams in our league,” he said.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, a lot of grinding, since I took over three years ago. The guys have had to adapt to my systems and my styles. It’s been a process, but now it’s coming through stronger than ever.”

Stellenberg will return to action against Wynberg Boys’ High at the end of May. Coach Esau said they’ll reset, refocus, and quickly put the Bishops’ win behind them.

“I told the guys immediately after the match that it’s done now. We’ve grabbed the points, and we need to move on.

“We have a break this coming week, and then we take on Wynberg later this month, but we will work hard and focus on fixing the mistakes we made. It’s important to reset and refocus. These are big games that we are kicking off our league with, so we have no time to relax,” he concluded.

While it was a team effort that secured the win, some of the players who stood out included Gerrard Matthews-Boukoua, Jacques van Dyk, Nicol Truter, centurion Ben Marais, Charl van Niekerk, Christopher Schoeman and Juan Joubert.

In another Western Cape clash, Wynberg Boys’ High claimed a 3-2 win over Paarl Boys’ High at the Astro of Dreams.

Chad Julius netted a brace for coach Ben Wiley’s side before Ethan Daniels got his name on the score sheet. For Paarl, it was Martin de Bruyn and Alex Lategan who replied.

Parel Vallei, meanwhile, returned to action with an impressive 4-0 victory over Somerset College. Their goals were scored by Boland u18A representatives, Luka Meets (2) and Luca Jordaan before Nathan Nissen got in on the action.

SACS were the big winners on the day, thumping Rondebosch Boys’ High 9-1 at the Brewery AstroTurf.

It was a special day for their number 10, Litha Kraai, who ran out for his 100th game in the blue and white hoops. Kraai was in top form and netted five times while further goals by Matthew Lassen, Reece Theunis, Jo Le Roux, and Adam Thompson added to the lopsided final score.

Reddam House Constantia also registered a win, outplaying DF Malan 5-1.

Skipper Joe Gitlin contributed a hat-trick,  and, in the process, scored his 100th goal for Reddam, becoming the first player in the school’s history to achieve the feat.

Mitchell Welch and Daniel Steyn chipped in with goals as Reddam continued to bolster their impressive record. 

RESULTS

Curro Durbanville 2-1 Westerford High School
Wynberg Boys’ High 3-2 Paarl Boys’ High
Stellenberg 2-1 Bishops
Worcester Gimnasium 1-0 Charlie Hofmeyr
Parel Vallei 4-0 Somerset College
SACS 9-1 Rondebosch
Reddam House Constantia 5-1 DF Malan

Selborne College’s first-team hockey side isn’t having the best of seasons in 2025, but they’ve found a silver lining in Reid Drake.

The youngster, who is in grade 10, is having a season to savour in the black-and-white hoops, and he appears to be improving with every match he plays.

On Friday night, he led Selborne to an emphatic 5-1 victory over Dale College, and all five of his goals came courtesy of pinpoint, accurate drag flicks from the top of the D.

It’s become a familiar picture for Selborne supporters, pupils, and coaches, and every time they receive a PC, it feels as if Drake will, almost certainly, power it into the back of the net.

Before the Dale clash, he had scored a hat-trick to help his side beat Queen’s College 3-2 in Komani last month.

Against Dale, he rushed to a first-half hat-trick after striking twice in the first chukka. The visitors responded through Bulela Siswana, who scored from a brilliant counterattack. That, however, was the first and last goal from the men in red and black, and Drake notched another two goals to lift Selborne into a 4-1 lead at the break.

Playing in front of their home supporters for the first time since April, Selborne was dominant. They controlled the tempo of the game and were comfortable in possession.

Thomas Caswell, in his 50th game for the school, pulled the strings in midfield and could have got his name onto the score sheet, but his finishing let him down.

After a goalless third chukka, Drake completed his five-goal haul in the fourth.

“I think the team played well, and I had a good game,” Drake told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match.

“I want to thank the boys for creating the opportunities for me to score because, without their hard work, we don’t get PCs.”

Selborne has in the past been known for having good flickers, and, surprisingly, all of them have been defenders. Last year, it was Tre’ Gilbert who led the charge, while in 2023, former captain Ben van der Merwe took on the PC responsibilities.

Drake shared his secret for his accuracy from the top of the circle. “The goal with flicking is staying low and following through and just keeping your body low and coming through with a hard shot,” he explained.

“We come out here as a PC team once a week and flick from 100 to 200 balls on a Wednesday after school. That helps a lot, and we have a good PC team that makes it easy.”

The win for Selborne came after a disappointing Hibbert Shield campaign, but they’ll take confidence from the victory ahead of their next two fixtures, challenging games against St Andrew’s College and Grey College.

Speaking of St Andrew’s, they maintained their unbeaten run in the Eastern Cape with a 5-1 drubbing of Queen’s College, in Makhanda.

Playing at the Webster AstroTurf, the side, led by coach Dean Ferreira, played with purpose and built on their impressive 3-1 win over Pearson a week ago.

Against Pearson, SA u17 star Greg Rodwell scored a hat-trick, but he didn’t feature on the score sheet this time around. Instead, Daniel Meihuizen chipped in with three goals before Luke Mason and skipper Connor McNamara sealed the win.

Another Makhanda side that enjoyed victory on Friday night was Kingswood College, who defeated Pearson High 3-0.

Hudson Park played out a high-scoring 4-4 draw with Victoria Park High, with Helio Ruiters netting three times before Kungawo Nkqayi also scored for the side from East London.

Cambridge High School and Stirling High shared a 2-2 draw. Gabriel Wilson and Dante Cannon scored for Cambridge, while Jaren Marillier and Sikelela Babi fired in for the boys in green and white.

RESULTS

Selborne College 5-1 Dale College
St Andrew’s College 5-1 Queen’s College
Kingswood College 3-0 Pearson High School
Hudson Park 4-4 Victoria Park
Cambridge High School 2-2 Stirling High School
Pearson High 4-3 Hudson Park