St Paul’s College players celebrate their semifinal victory at the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament. Photo: ES Media/Belgotex Sport
No international team has ever lifted the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament title, but St Paul’s College will have an opportunity to rewrite that script on Saturday.
The side, from Windhoek, Namibia, booked themselves a place in the girls’ final on day three when they defeated Rustenburg Girls’ High 1-0.
They’ll face Fairmont High School in the title game at 16:45 at the Hartleyvale AstroTurf in Observatory, Cape Town.
St Paul’s entered the tournament as one of the underdogs, and that played to their advantage.
Led by coaches Nevil Gora, Fortune Matawu, and Jo-Andri van Heerden, they made their presence felt on the opening day with victories over La Rochelle Girls’ High School and Langenhoven Gimnasium.
Those wins sent St Paul’s into the Cup section. There, they were seeded in Pool A alongside Stellenberg High, Peterhouse, and Pretoria’s Hoërskool Eldoraigne.
The Namibians were on fire and defeated all three teams, including a 7-1 thumping of Eldoraigne. That secured them a semi-final showdown with Rustenburg Girls’ High.
It was a tight affair that went down to the wire, but a solitary goal by Tamara Grogli proved enough to send St Paul’s through to the title decider.
They’ll face a stiff challenge in the final from a tough Fairmont High outfit.
Fairmont High will face St Paul’s College in the final of the 2025 Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament. Photo: ES Media/Belgotex Sport
The girls from the northern suburbs of Cape Town have played some top hockey under the guidance of Bryce West, Jody Lang, and manager Liza Duckitt.
They also impressed during the knockout stages and then picked up two wins in three matches in the Cup section.
They made their title ambitions clear in the semi-finals where they brushed aside Hoërskool Dr. E.G. Jansen 5-1.
Camryn Corner picked up a pair and was joined on the score sheet by Jorja Kruger, Sarah Swanepoel, and Madison Ackerman.
Fairmont finished in ninth place last year, so they have already far surpassed their achievement of 2024. Still, they’re aiming to go all the way, which is an opportunity that also lies in front of their boys’ team, which meets Stellenberg High in the boys’ final.
RESULTS
GIRLS
CUP SECTION
Pool A
St Paul’s College 2-1 Peterhouse
Stellenberg 4-0 Hoërskool Eldoraigne
Pool B
Fairmont High 3-1 Durbanville
Monument 0-0 Paarl Gimnasium Invitational
Pool C
DF Malan 1-0 Northcliff
Hoërskool Dr. E.G. Jansen 3-2 Kempton Park
Pool D
Outeniqua 3-1 Nelspruit
Rustenburg Girls’ High 3-0 Wynberg Girls’ High
Semifinals
St Paul’s College 1-0 Rustenburg Girls’ High
Fairmont High 5-1 Hoërskool Dr. E.G. Jansen
Stellenberg High School will face Fairmont High in the final of the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament. Photo: ES Media/Belgotex Sport
It will be an all-Cape affair in the boys’ final of the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament on Saturday after Fairmont High School and Stellenberg High School progressed to the championship match.
Both sides impressed from the opening day, on Wednesday, and have been rewarded with an opportunity to compete for the Cup on the final day, with the clash kicking off at 17:55 at the main Hartleyvale AstroTurf, in Cape Town.
The road to the final was pretty similar for both sides. Stellenberg, led by coach Kyle Esau, had a solid start during the phase one pool stages, where they defeated Middelburg Hoërskool and Hoërskool Linden to progress to the Cup section.
There, they were drawn against Langenhoven Gimnasium, Curro Durbanville, and Woodridge College, from the Eastern Cape.
Coach Esau’s side upped the ante, played an entertaining brand of hockey, and saw off their competition to book a spot in the last four.
The semifinal was a tough clash against a well-coached and well-drilled Hoërskool Monument side.
It was blow-for-blow early on, as both teams attempted to assert their dominance. Captain Reece Green excelled and netted a hat-trick for Monument. But Liyanda Botha, Charl van Niekerk, and a brace from Jacques van Dyk saw Stellenberg to a thrilling 4-3 win.
The Fairmont boys in a huddle at the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament. Photo: ES Media/Belgotex Sport
Fairmont High, meanwhile, was pushed by Worcester Gimnasium, last year’s beaten finalist, in their semifinal.
After remaining unbeaten in the pool stages, coach Bryce West’s team faced their toughest challenge in Worcester Gim.
After a dramatic and suspense-filled clash that ended in a 1-1 draw, a penalty shoot-out to settle matters. Ryan Groenewald scored for Fairmont while Christiaan Jacobs found the back of the net for Worcester.
In the shootout, Fairmont came away with a 5-3 win.
Worcester Gimnasium and Monument will meet in the battle for the bronze medal at 15:35.
St Alban’s College will host the 2025 edition of the Independent Schools Hockey Festival. Photo: St Alban’s College on Instagram
The last weekend of March produced some thrilling schoolboy hockey action as spectators were treated to the Nomads Hockey Festival, Founders Festival, and Belgotex Coastal Cup.
Those events kicked off an exciting season, and this weekend’s action at the Independent Schools Hockey Festival is set to match that high standard of entertaining hockey.
The annual festival takes place at St Alban’s College, in Pretoria, and runs from 5-7 April.
In action will be some of Gauteng’s top teams, who will be challenged by sides from across the country.
Gauteng’s interests are represented by St Alban’s, Trinity House Centurion, Helpmekaar Kollege, St David’s Marist Inanda, and St Benedict’s College.
St Alban’s, led by coaches Robin Jones and Guy Elliot, will look to build on the momentum they built up against top opposition at the Belgotex Sport Coastal Cup last week.
Down in KwaZulu-Natal, the Checks, as they’re affectionately known, posted mixed results, which included an upset 2-1 win over Durban High School(DHS) before they went down to Paul Roos Gimnasium, and Michaelhouse, two of the Coastal Cup’s top performers.
They played out a 2-2 draw against Westville Boys’ High, and they’ll take confidence from that result into their home event.
St Benedict’s College is another side that was in action, contesting the Nomads Hockey Festival, which was hosted by Jeppe High School for Boys last week. There, coach Owen Mvimbi‘s troops found the going tough, but they pulled off an impressive win against Selborne College.
They also took unbeaten Grey College to the trenches on the final day but succumbed to a 0-2 defeat. Those hard outings will surely stand them in good stead in Pretoria.
The remainder of the field includes teams from KZN, the Western Cape, and the Free State.
Michaelhouse and St Charles College will fly the flag for KZN, and they’ll head to the festival looking to make a big statement.
‘House has impressed early on. They were superb in a 4-3 comeback win over Parel Vallei at the Coastal Cup, scoring three times in a dramatic last chukka to overcome a 1-3 deficit. The kind of firepower and that top performance against one of the Western Cape’s top sides will make teams wary of coach Nick Bérichon’s charges.
St Andrew’s School from Bloemfontein will be on a mission to impress at the Independent Schools Hockey Festival. Photo: Shot by Shani Photography
Somerset College and Bishops [Diocesan College] are the Western Cape schools heading upcountry for the festival.
It has been a challenging start to the season for both sides, with coaches Kyran Fortuin and Ryan Julius taking on rebuilding missions.
The Cape is known for its strong competition, though, and both sides will be focused on finding their mojo.
Another interesting team that will be in action is St Andrew’s School, from Bloemfontein.
Led by coach Jason Slater, they’re a school that has produced some strong teams in past seasons, but they head into the festival as a bit of an unknown. They would like to leave it with their game better known and respected.
Day one’s action kicks off at 07:30 between Trinity House and St Andrew’s School.
FIXTURES
Day 1 – Saturday, 5 April
07:30 – Trinity House vs St Andrew’s School 08:00 – St Benedict’s College vs Reddam House Constantia @Hatfield Christian School 08:45 – Helpmekaar Kollege vs York High 10:00 – St Alban’s College vs Somerset College 11:15 – St Charles College vs Bishops 12:30 – Michaelhouse vs St David’s Marist Inanda 13:45 – St Benedict’s College vs Trinity House 15:00 – St Andrew’s School vs York High 16:15 – Reddam House Constantia vs Helpmekaar Kollege 17:30 – St Alban’s College vs St Charles College 17:30 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Somerset College @Hatfield Christian School 18:45 – Bishops vs Michaelhouse
Day 2 – Sunday, 6 April
07:30 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Reddam House Constantia 08:00 – St Charles College vs Helpmekaar Kollege @Pretoria Boys High AstroTurf 08:45 – Somerset College vs Trinity House 10:00 – St Alban’s College vs St Andrew’s School 11:15 – Bishops vs St Benedict’s College 12:30 – York High vs Michaelhouse 13:45 – Reddam House Constantia vs Trinity House 15:00 – St Charles College vs St David’s Marist Inanda 16:15 – Helpmekaar Kollege vs Somerset College 17:30 – St Alban’s College vs Bishops 17:30 – St Andrew’s School vs Michaelhouse @Pretoria Boys High AstroTurf 18:45 – York High vs St Benedict’s College
Day 3 – Monday, 7 April
07:30 – Bishops vs St David’s Marist Inanda 08:00 – Reddam House Constantia vs York High @@Pretoria Boys High AstroTurf 08:45 – Somerset College vs St Charles College 09:20 – Helpmekaar Kollege vs St Andrew’s School @Pretoria Boys High AstroTurf 10:00 – Michaelhouse vs St Benedict’s College 11:15 – St Alban’s College vs Trinity House
All other fixtures will take place at the St Alban’s College AstroTurf.
Thursday’s action at the eight venues was highlighted by a series of goals, upsets, and domination from the top teams.
After the initial pool stages, the teams were separated into different groups and are now playing strength vs. strength in the Cup, Bowl, and Shield sections.
Each section has four pools made up of four teams and acts as a round of 16 with the quarterfinals and semi-finals looming.
In the boys’ Cup section, the teams were evenly matched, with Langenhoven Gimnasium, Hoërskool Monument, and Stellenberg High being the only teams to win both of their matches on the day.
Langenhoven, from Oudtshoorn, defeated Woodridge College 2-1 and Curro Durbanville 2-0 to put themselves in a healthy position moving forward. Stellenberg, meanwhile, thumped the same opponents 5-0 and 2-0, respectively.
Pool C was dominated by Hoërskool Monument, who claimed the scalps of Hoërskool Nelspruit and Hoërskool Outeniqua.
Fairmont High School also maintained their unbeaten run at the tournament by defeating East London’s Hudson Park 3-2 before being held to a 1-1 draw by a brave Bridge House outfit.
St John’s College, from Harare, ran riot in the Shield section and scored a whopping eight goals in two matches and conceded just one. They thumped Glenwood House 4-0 and a Rondebosch Invitational side 4-1.
Kingswood College bounced back after a disappointing opening day. The side from Makhanda racked up successive wins over Durbanville and Namibia’s Windhoek Gimnasium.
GIRLS SECTION
On day two of the girls’ competition, St Paul’s College, also from Windhoek, impressed in the Cup section.
They snatched a 1-0 win over the favourites, Stellenberg High, and whipped Hoërskool Eldoraigne 7-1.
Gauteng’s Kempton Park and EG Jansen were also on-song. They dominated their pool, beating both DF Malan and Northcliff. They’ll meet on Friday. It should be an entertaining clash.
Pool D in the Cup section was always going to be an interesting one with four evenly matched sides battling each other.
Two goalless stalemates were played out between Wynberg Girls’ High and Hoërskool Nelspruit, and Rustenburg Girls’ High, and Hoërskool Outeniqua.
Outeniqua returned later in the day to beat Wynberg 2-1 while Rustenburg edged out Nelspruit 1-0.
Download the Enhanced Sports App to catch up on all the results, pool standings, and more.
RESULTS
DAY 2
BOYS’ CUP SECTION
Pool A
Worcester Gimnasium 2-1 Pro-Ed Akademie
SACS 1-1 Punt
Punt 6-0 Pro-Ed Akademie
Worcester Gimnasium 0-0 SACS
Pool B
Langenhoven Gimnasium 2-1 Woodridge College
Stellenberg High 2-0 Curro Durbanville
Langenhoven Gimnasium 2-0 Curro Durbanville
Stellenberg 5-0 Woodridge
DF Malan 1-1 Bridge House
Fairmont High 3-2 Hudson Park
Hudson Park 2-1 DF Malan
Fairmont High 1-1 Bridge House
BOYS’ SHIELD SECTION
Pool E
St John’s 4-0 Glenwood House
Rondebosch Boys’ High Invitational 1-0 Stirling High
St John’s 4-1 Rondebosch Boys’ High Invitational
Stirling High 3-0 Glenwood House
Pool F
Hoërskool Middelburg 1-0 Hoërskool Zwartkop
Ashton College 0-0 Hoërskool Middelburg
Ashton College 2-1 Stellenbosch
Hoërskool Zwartkop 3-0 Stellenbosch
Pool G
Hoërskool Upington 1-1 Strand
Kempton Park 1-0 Hoërskool Eldoraigne
Hoërskool Eldoraigne 3-0 Strand
Kempton Park 2-0 Hoërskool Upington
Pool H
Kingswood College 2-0 Durbanville
St Dunstan’s College 1-0 Windhoek Gimnasium
Kingswood College 2-0 Windhoek Gimnasium
Durbanville 6-0 St Dunstan’s College
BOYS’ BOWL SECTION
Pool I
Penryn 3-2 Charlie Hofmeyr
Hugenote 2-0 Paarl Boys High Invitational
Charlie Hofmeyr 1-0 Paarl Boys High Invitational
Hugenote 4-0 Penryn
Windhoek High School 1-1 HTS Drosdty
Oudtshoorn 3-2 Somerset College Invitational
Windhoek High School 2-0 Oudtshoorn
HTS Drosdty 7-0 Somerset College
Pool L
Paarl Gimnasium Invitational 3-2 Northcliff
Redhill School 1-0 St Dominic’s
St Dominic’s 4-1 Northcliff
Redhill School 2-1 Paarl Gimnasium
GIRLS’ CUP SECTION
Pool A
St Paul’s College 1-0 Stellenberg High
Hoërskool Eldoraigne 2-2 Peterhouse
St Paul’s College 7-1 Hoërskool Eldoraigne
Stellenberg 5-0 Peterhouse
Pool B
Fairmont High 7-1 Paarl Gimnasium Invitational
Durbanville 3-1 Hoërskool Monument
Durbanville 8-0 Paarl Gimnasium Invitational
Fairmont High 1-1 Hoërskool Monument
Pool C
Kempton Park 1-0 DF Malan
EG Jansen 4-0 Northcliff
EG Jansen 2-1 DF Malan
Kempton Park 3-2 Northcliff
Pool D
Wynberg Girls’ 0-0 Hoërskool Nelspruit
Rustenburg Girls’ High 0-0 Hoërskool Outeniqua
Hoërskool Outeniqua 2-1 Wynberg Girls’ High
Rustenburg Girls’ High 1-0 Hoërskool Nelspruit
GIRLS’ SHIELD SECTION
Pool E
Worcester Gimnasium 1-1 La Rochelle
Glenwoodhouse 1-0 Windhoek Gimnasium
La Rochelle 1-0 Glenwood House
Windhoek Gimnasium 0-0 Worcester Gimnasium
Pool F
Linden 1-1 Kingswood College
York High 6-0 Robertson
Linden 6-1 Robertson
York High 3-1 Kingswood College
Pool G
Stellenberg Invitational 1-0 Pro-Ed Akademie
Stirling High 2-0 Strand
Stirling High 1-0 Pro-Ed Akademie
Stellenberg Invitational 1-0 Strand
Pool H
Hudson Park 1-1 Woodridge College
Ashton College 1-1 Hoërskool Hermanus
Woodridge College 1-0 Hoërskool Hermanus
Ashton College 3-2 Hudson Park
GIRLS’ BOWL SECTION
Pool I
Langenhoven Gimnasium 3-0 Rustenburg Girls’ High Invitational
HTS Drosdty 2-0 Langa Hockey Club
HTS Drosdty 3-1 Langenhoven Gimnasium
Langa Hockey Club 0-0 Rustenburg Girls’ High Invitational
Pool J
Brackenfell 2-0 St Dominic’s
Punt 1-0 Hoërskool Upington
Brackenfell 1-1 Hoërskool Upington
Punt 6-0 St Dominic’s
Pool K
Durbanville Invitational 2-0 Oudtshoorn
Hugenote 2-1 Bridge House
Hugenote 5-0 Oudtshoorn
Durbanville Invitational 3-0 Bridge House
Pool L
Curro Durbanville 1-0 St Dunstan’s College
Fairmont High Invitational 1-0 Charlie Hofmeyr
Fairmont High Invitational 4-0 St Dunstan’s College
Charlie Hofmeyr 1-1 Curro Durbanville
Worcester Gimnasium was one of the standout teams on day one of the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament in Cape Town. Photo: Enhanced Sports Media/Belgotex Sport
There were goals galore, a couple of shock results, and milestones achieved on day one of the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Festival in Cape Town on Wednesday.
The annual event runs until Saturday, 5 April, and all the action will be live on the SuperSport Schools App.
One of Africa’s biggest co-ed hockey festivals, it has drawn 96 teams to the Mother City.
The opening day’s action took place at eight venues, which include the Hartleyvale A and B turfs, Western Province Cricket Club‘s two fields, Pinelands High School, Rustenburg Girls’ High, Wynberg Girls’ High, and Herschel Girls School.
Several teams in the boys’ section were impressive and put their hands up as potential successors to last year’s champions, Paarl Gimnasium, who are absent this year.
Worcester Gimnasium was on song and ended the day with wins over Penryn School and St John’s College, from Zimbabwe.
Coach Edrich Janse van Rensburg‘s side netted through Christiaan Jacobs and Jannie Vlok against their Zimbabwean counterparts, while Bhukosi Mapete found the back of the net against Penryn before Jacobs scored his second of the day.
The South African College High School (SACS) Invitational side also showed promising signs.
They played to a goalless draw with Glenwood House but did enough to qualify for the round of 16 after beating Hugenote 2-0, courtesy of goals by Brett van Rooyen and Nicholas Oscroft.
Another Cape Town outfit, Stellenberg High, made it through to the knockout stages and will face Woodridge College, Curro Durbanville, and Langenhoven Gimnasium in the last 16.
Hoërskool Nelspruit is a team to watch. The side, led by Anthony Ruschenbaum, made its presence felt on day one with a 6-0 defeat of Oudtshoorn before playing out to an entertaining goalless draw with Kempton Park.
They have been drawn in Pool C of the Cup section and will face the Paul Roos Gimnasium Invitational side, Hoërskool Outeniqua, and Hoërskool Monument. All the teams in that pool are unbeaten.
Hudson Park High School, from East London, rattled in 10 goals as coach Sipe Matafeni‘s troops defeated Windhoek Gimnasium and the Paarl Gimnasium Invitational team in their first two outings.
Against Windhoek, Helio Ruiters netted a brace and was joined on the score sheet by Nathan Kearney and Zizibele Mtongana.
Hudson will continue in the Cup section where they will meet Fairmont High, Bridge House, and DF Malan.
Only one international side qualified for the Cup section, and that was Pro-Ed Akademie, from Swakopmund, in Namibia.
Stellenberg High School fired on all cylinders on day one of the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament. Photo: Enhanced Sports Media/Belgotex Sport
GIRLS SECTION:
While the action lived up to expectations in the boys’ section, the girls also delivered some cracking performances.
One of the tournament favourites, Stellenberg High School, began their hunt for silverware in the best possible way with an impressive 7-0 win over Worcester Gimnasium.
In that clash, three of their players, Ilke van der Merwe, Minke Lourens, and Helen de Kock, celebrated 100 games for the side.
They dominated the game, scoring through Juane Meiring (2), Zanay Gerber (2), Stella Zwiegers, Bea van den Berg, and Lané Schoeman.
They upped the ante in their second clash and thumped the Rustenburg Girls’ Invitational side 13-0.
Coach Paulene de Bruin‘s side charged into the Cup knockout stages where they will take on Zimbabwe’s Peterhouse, Namibia’s St Paul’s College, and Hoërskool Eldoraigne.
Hoërskool Monument and Fairmont High were also on song on the opening day.
Fairmont ripped through Hoërskool Linden and Hoërskool Upington 3-0 and 4-0, respectively, to book themselves a spot in the playoffs.
An interesting battle in the round of 16 awaits between Hoërskool Nelspruit, Rustenburg Girls’ High, Wynberg Girls’ High, and Hoërskool Outeniqua. All four sides are in the same group after dominating their opponents on Wednesday.
Wynberg beat Charlie Hofmeyr 2-1 and Woodridge College 2-0. At the centre of their attack was skipper Jehan Abrahams, who scored in both matches.
It was a good day for Hoërskool Monument, who netted nine goals without reply, to go with the 11 their boys scored without conceding.
Day two will see the teams meeting in the Cup, Shield, and Bowl sections as the tournament intensifies.
RESULTS
DAY 1
BOYS
Pool 1
Worcester Gimnasium 2-1 Penryn School
Worcester Gimnasium 2-1 St John’s (Harare)
St John’s (Harare) 4-0 Penryn School
Pool 2
Stellenberg High 2-0 Linden
Stellenberg 3-1 Middelburg Hoërskool
Linden 1-4 Middelburg Hoërskool
Frankie Henn is part of an experienced and settled squad that will be one of the leading title contenders at the St Mary’s Festival. Photo: Rhenish Girls’ High School on Facebook.
Rhenish dominated the field at the festival in 2024 and emulated those performances, beating Clarendon High School for Girls, Bethlehem Voortrekker, Oranje Meisieskool, St Anne’s DSG, and Eunice High School.
In total, Gerber’s charges scored 21 goals and conceded only three. Despite their successes, the coach believes there’s plenty of room for improvement.
“The most important thing for us at Greg Beiling was to elevate our structure and expand on what we have already been doing,” Gerber told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“It was good to play against some of the top teams because we always want to play at the highest possible level we can. We learnt a lot. We still have development areas we need to work on as a team.”
After the tournament in East London, Rhenish had a week-long break to recover and get themselves ready for the Standard Bank St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival, an event at which they finished 11th last year.
The prestigious festival is one of the most competitive and gruelling girls’ hockey tournaments in the country.
Rhenish goalkeeper Jasmine Aitken, who has played over 150 matches for her school, will be a key performer for the Stellenbosch school at the St Mary’s Hockey Festival. Photo: Rhenish Girls’s High School on Facebook.
Rhenish has been drawn in Pool C and will face the hosts, St Mary’s Waverley, along with St Stithians Girls’ College, St Mary’s DSG, from Kloof, St Cyprian’s School, Clarendon, Pretoria High School for Girls, and debutants, Windhoek High School.
“This festival is so unique because we get to play teams from all different areas,” Gerber said. “We also get to test ourselves against teams we don’t play week in and week out.
“It will be a completely different challenge, but we are looking forward to it.”
The busy schedule features matches that last for 25 minutes of running time.
Managing players and using the wider squad will be crucial, but Gerber insisted Rhenish’s approach would be simple.
“The most important thing for us is to take it game-by-game, and we can’t look too far ahead as anything can happen in this tournament.
“We need to adapt and be in the moment for every single game.”
RHENISH SQUAD
Jasmine Aitken, Amy-Leigh Gibson, Shene du Plessis, Emma Lurie, Puck Bakker, Kathrine Sickle, Grace Hobbs, Lily Newton, Sarah-Ellen Groenewald, Leah du Plessis (c), Sarah Oscroft, Pippa Viljoen, Nicola van der Merwe, Ruby Cilliers, Frankie Henn.
Eunice will be aiming to make a run at the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival title. Photo: Monique de Gouveia
The annual St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival not only brings together some of the top girls’ teams from around the country, it also draws some renowned sporting icons.
The popular event, which runs from 3-6 April in Johannesburg, draws big crowds, including an abundance of hockey enthusiasts, supporters, and parents, from all walks of life.
A legend who will also grace the Nathan Field and Howell Hub AstroTurfs with his presence is former Springbok loose forward Andre Venter.
Venter represented South Africa on 66 occasions from 1996-2001 and, in recent years, has followed schools’ sports, and hockey in particular, with a keen eye.
He is no stranger to the fence of an Astro, and that’s due to his daughter, Anebel Venter, who plays for the first team at Eunice High School, one of the country’s traditional hockey powerhouses.
“I think school sports is very healthy in South Africa, and it doesn’t matter if it is rugby or hockey,” Venter told SuperSport Schools Plus ahead of the St Mary’s Festival. “It’s so competitive, and the amount of time and money schools and parents invest in their children is incredible.
“The facilities are top-class. If you look at the turfs at St Mary’s, it’s next level, and it seems like school sports are getting more professional. That is a good thing, but as long as we don’t take it too far because kids still need to be kids.”
Venter also attended the Synsport Greg Beling Festival last month in East London. There, he witnessed Eunice record four victories in their five matches, which included his daughter scoring some outrageous goals.
He said he was impressed with the level of hockey on show and stressed the importance of big tournaments in helping young players develop. “Greg Beling showed that the level of hockey is amazing, and it was good seeing how they play and respect the game.
“Tournaments like that help kids write their own stories, make memories at the school level, play against top schools, and be competitive. It just gets the best out of everybody.”
Eunice has made a positive start to the 2025 season. Photo: Monique de Gouveia
Venter said he’s looking forward to watching high-quality performances from teams across the country at the St Mary’s Festival. He’s also relishing the opportunity of meeting old friends, making new ones, and cheering on his daughter from the sidelines.
“I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” he said. “It’s a massive tournament and a highlight in all girls’ hockey careers during their school days. It’s also big for us as parents and for the spectators.
“It’s not just the hockey but also the camaraderie and meeting people.”
Venter’s support will be strongly behind Eunice at St Mary’s. The Bloemfontein school has started the season well and lost only against Rhenish Girls’ High School at the Greg Beling Festival in a tight contest.
In 2023, Eunice won the St Mary’s Festival, and Venter said they, as parents, are optimistic about the 2025 team’s chances but are aware it will come down to fine margins.
“We are believers and positive that the girls can do it. They have a good team, but there are many good sides, and it will depend on the day.
“When it comes to the semifinals and final, it could come down to sudden death, and there can be only one winner.
“I think it will go down to the wire but, as parents, we are just privileged for our girls to be a part of such a tournament,” he concluded.
Eunice has been drawn in Pool B and will face Bloemhof Girls’ High School, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria, St Andrew’s School for Girls, Hoërskool Garsfontein, St John’s DSG, Roedean School, and Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School.
The 2025 Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament takes place from 2-5 April. Photo: Ehanced Sport Media
This year’s edition of the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament in Cape Town will feature an astounding 96 teams and over 300 hockey matches.
The event, one of the biggest Easter hockey festivals in the country, features both boys’ and girls’ teams, and runs from Wednesday, 2 April, to Saturday, 5 April.
The tournament includes teams from South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, which ensures interesting contrasts in playing styles.
Eight venues will be used for the jam-packed programme, including the Hartleyvale A and B turfs, Western Province Cricket Club‘s two fields, Pinelands High School, Rustenburg Girls’ High, Wynberg Girls’ High, and Herschel Girls School.
“We are excited for this year’s tournament. It’s an exciting time to be hosting the event again,” tournament director Robert Goslett told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“This year is unique and different,” he explained. “We have a different pool structure, which makes the competition exciting.”
The organisers have moved away from the traditional five-teams-in-a-pool formula and have instead opted for a quicker group stage and knockout rounds.
For 2025, there are 16 boys’ and 16 girls’ pools, with only three teams in each pool, and two group matches on the opening day.
After day one, the teams will move into the Cup, Plate, Shield, Super Bowl, Bowl, and Silver sections, depending on their results.
This year, though, Somerset College will be in Johannesburg to contest the St Mary’s Hockey Festival.
The absence of both defending champions adds intrigue to the event with the knowledge that new winners will be crowned.
Some of the front runners in the boys’ section include Worcester Gimnasium, Stellenberg High School, Fairmont High School, and Namibia’s Windhoek Gimnasium.
Some of the Western Cape’s hockey powerhouses have entered invitational sides, including Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), South African College High School (SACS), Rondebosch Boys’ High, Somerset College and Paarl Boys’ High.
Newcomers, Hoërskool Upington, will also hope to make their presence felt.
The girls’ section is wide open and unpredictable. Middelburg caused shockwaves last year, but they’ll also be missing the tournament, which further opens the door for different teams to take a crack at gold.
Among the quality sides in action are Stellenberg High, La Rochelle Girls’ High School, Wynberg Girls’ High, HoërskoolDurbanville, and Fairmont High, who impressed at the York High Festival over the past weekend.
Woodridge College, Stirling High School, Kingswood College, and Hudson Park will represent Eastern Cape interests at the event.
The international teams will also bring a different dimension to the festival. Do they have the firepower to go all the way and claim top honours?
GROUPS
BOYS
Pool 1: Worcester Gimnasium, St John’s (Zimbabwe), Penryn College.
Pool 2: Stellenberg High School, Linden, Middelburg Hoerskool.
Pool 3: Upington, Nelspruit, Oudtshoorn.
Pool 4: Fairmont High, Northcliff, St Dunstan’s College.
Pool 5: Durbanville, Bridge House, St Dominic’s College.
Pool 6: Paul Roos Invitational, Windhoek, Kempton Park.
Pool 7: Ashton College, Woodridge College, Robertson.
Pool 8: SACS Invitational, Glenwood House, Hugenote.
Pool 9: Rondebosch Boys’ High Invitational, Pro-Ed Akademie, Charlie Hofmeyr.
Pool 10: Hermanus, Zwartkop, Curro Durbanville.
Pool 11: Monument, Strand, Somerset College Invitational.
Pool 12: Paarl Gimnasium Invitational, Hudson Park, Windhoek Gimnasium.
Pool 13: Kingswood College, DF Malan, Redhill School.
Pool 14: Eldoraigne, Outeniqua, HTS Drostdy.
Pool 15: Langenhoven Gimnasium, Peterhouse, Stellenbosch Hoerskool.
Pool 16: Paarl Boys’ High Invitational, Stirling High, Punt.
GIRLS
Pool 1: Stellenberg High School, Worcester Gimnasium, Rustenburg Girls’ Invitational.
Pool 2: Monument, Robertson, Brackenfell.
Pool 3: Northcliff, Strand, Durbanville Invitational.
Pool 4: Hudson Park, Nelspruit, Fairmont Invitational.
Pool 5: Rustenburg Girls’ High School, Ashton College, St Dunstan’s College.
Pool 6: Kempton Park, Bridge House, Stellenberg Invitational.
Pool 7: Fairmont High, Linden, Upington.
Pool 8: Peterhouse, Windhoek Gimnasium, Langa Hockey Club.
Pool 9: St Paul’s College, La Rochelle, Langenhoven Gimnasium.
Pool 10: York High, Durbanville, St Dominic’s College.
Pool 11: EG Jansen, Stirling High, Oudtshoorn.
Pool 12: Woodridge College, Wynberg Girls’ High, Charlie Hofmeyr.
Pool 13: Outeniqua, Hermanus, Curro Durbanville.
Pool 14: Pro-Ed Akademie, Hugenote, DF Malan.
Pool 15: Paarl Gimnasium Invitational, Kingswood College, Punt.
Pool 16: Glenwood House, Eldoraigne, HTS Drostdy.
Juan Martin netted for Jeppe in their 1-1 draw with Hilton College on day three of the Nomads Hockey Festival. Photo: Christo van Deventer
Grey College, Pretoria Boys High (PBHS), Wynberg Boys’ High, and Maritzburg College enjoyed comprehensive victories on Monday, the third and last day of the Nomads Hockey Festival, in Johannesburg.
Jeppe High School for Boys kept their unbeaten record intact, but so, too, did Hilton College, who held the hosts to a thrilling 1-1 draw.
Hilton, like Jeppe, opened their account with successive victories on the opening day before being held to a 2-2 draw by Pretoria Boys High on Sunday. They followed that with a superb 4-2 win over King Edward VII (KES) after trailing 0-2.
Monday’s showdown was a tightly contested affair it went down to the wire. Juan Martin gave Jeppe the lead from a penalty corner in the first chukka, and they led 1-0 at the break. Coach Siya Sityana’s boys created further opportunities to extend their lead but they failed to finish.
Hilton made inroads as the game progressed and fought their way back into the clash. In the final chukka, they received four short in quick succession but were unable to convert them. However, when they were awarded a penalty stroke after a superb run by Reagan Mudau, their captain Xavier Enslintook on the responsibility and sent the keeper the wrong way to level the scores.
Both teams had chances to seal the win later on, but it wasn’t to be.
While the last match of the day ended in a 1-1 draw, the first match on Monday was Wynberg Boys High against KES and it featured six goals.
Coach Ben Wiley‘s Wynberg troops had a challenging time at Nomads, but they ended their campaign with a confidence-boosting 4-2 win over the Red Sticks.
Ethan Daniels slotted a pair before Mustafa Kajee and Ethan Smith joined him on the scoring sheet.
Pretoria Boys High also bowed out in style at the festival after a win and a draw on day two. They claimed a narrow 1-0 win over Selborne College on Monday, with Ben Crew-Brown scoring the game-winner. His goal prevented Selborne, the winners of all five of their games at Nomads in 2024, from winning one in 2025.
Maritzburg College finished on a high note, beating St John’s College 1-0.
RESULTS
Wynberg Boys’ High 4-2 King Edward VII
Grey College 2-0 St Benedict’s College
Pretoria Boys High 1-0 Selborne College
Maritzburg College 1-0 St John’s College
Jeppe 1-1 Hilton College
Grey College skipper, Andrew Koupis was on song for his side on day two of the Nomads Hockey Festival. Photo: Supplied
A total of 42 goals were scored on Sunday, the second day of action at the Nomads Hockey Festival being hosted by Jeppe High School for Boys in Johannesburg.
After an entertaining start to the festival on Saturday, the 10 teams in attendance upped the ante and delivered some fine performances on the Boden AstroTurf on day two.
It was filled with drama, including lightning warnings, which halted play twice and forced the organisers to move fixtures, which resulted in a late finish.
The hosts, Jeppe, were not phased by the delay after their first game of the day against Grey College.
In that clash, coach Siya Sityana‘s boys went toe-to-toe with the Bloem side and played out a 2-2 draw, courtesy of two strikes by skipper Ethan Kapanda.
Their last game of the day pitted them against Maritzburg College. Coach Mark Sanders’ side had defeated Wynberg Boys’ High four hours earlier, so they were confident heading into the clash.
They showed character and fight but were eventually beaten 2-1 by a strong Jeppe outfit.
Hilton College and Grey College were involved in some thrillers.
Coach Damian Kimfley’s Hilton boys were tested by Pretoria Boys High and just managed to secure a 2-2 draw after scoring from a penalty corner late in the fourth chukka. They did, however, come back with a vengeance later in the day to hand King Edward VII (KES) a 4-2 defeat.
In that clash, Hilton fell two goals behind, but they showed class, composure, and maturity to get the job done.
As for Grey, coach Dalan Phillipswill be gutted his side was unable to get over the line twice on Sunday. After their draw against Jeppe, they were held to another stalemate by coach Sharmin Naidoo’s KES side.
It was, arguably, one of the most entertaining matches of the weekend, with KES showing a never-say-die attitude after falling behind twice to grab the draw. They scored through their captain, Fynn Campbell and Matthew Bromley, whereas Andrew Koupis netted twice for Grey from the penalty spot.
The final day’s action kicks off with a clash between KES and Wynberg Boys’ High. Jeppe and Hilton College will close off the festival at 12:30.
RESULTS
Jeppe 2-2 Grey College
St John’s College 3-1 Wynberg Boys’ High
Selborne College 1-3 St Benedict’s College
Hilton College 2-2 Pretoria Boys High
Grey College 2-2 KES
Maritzburg College 2-1 Wynberg Boys’ High
St John’s College 3-3 Selborne College
St Benedict’s 2-3 Pretoria Boys High
Hilton College 3-2 KES
Jeppe 2-1 Maritzburg College
FIXTURES
Monday, 31 March
07:30 – King Edward VII vs Wynberg Boys’ High 08:45 – St Benedict’s vs Grey College 10:00 – Selborne College vs Pretoria Boys 11:15 – St John’s College vs Maritzburg College 12:30 – Jeppe vs Hilton College
GIRLS SECTION
