Author: asawula

After a promising start to their season at last week’s Ooskus Gimnasium Festival, Merrifield College wants to up the ante at the Border Schools Day, which takes place at Stirling High School, in East London, on Saturday.

The side, coached by the experienced, Antonet Louw, began the 2025 season with two narrow defeats and a victory last week.

They went down 0-1 to both Stirling High and Clarendon High School for Girls but beat Ooskus 2-0. They’ll be aiming to build some momentum on Saturday.

They’ll play three matches, against Ooskus, Clarendon, and Cambridge High School at the event, which has been organised by the Border Schools Hockey Association to help sides prepare for the season.

Coach Louw outlined Merrifield’s plans for the weekend: “Our main focus this week is to strengthen team cohesion and communication, ensuring everyone understands their roles and supports each other on the field,” she told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“Fitness will be key, so we’ll work on maintaining energy and consistency throughout the matches. We’ll also fine-tune our set plays to ensure better execution under pressure.

“We want to build mental toughness, helping the team stay resilient and composed in challenging situations, which will set us up well for the Greg Beling Festival and the rest of the season.”

Many in the Border region consider Merrifield an underdog, but the school’s hockey programme has made significant strides in recent years. The 2025 season presents an opportunity for coach Louw and her team to cause some upsets.

The team is a mixture of experience and youth, with only four players in matric, while six are in Grade 10. Five players will be representing the 1st XI for the first time.

“We’re in a rebuilding phase, but it’s also about developing and harnessing the potential of these younger players,” Louw said.

“The experienced players, especially the matrics, are stepping up to guide and mentor the younger girls, while we work on building chemistry and consistency as a team.

“It’s a balancing act, focusing on growth and development but also building on the solid foundation we have. It’s an exciting time for improvement and laying the groundwork for the future.”

Saturday’s games will be the final competitive matches for Merrifield before they run out in the Greg Beling Festival next weekend.

The side will be co-captained by four experienced players: Alex Viljoen, Leilah du Plessis, Tariro Chinamasa, and Kyra Strauss.

“I’m expecting a tough challenge from the teams we’ll be facing,” Coach Louw said of Saturday’s schedule. “Most likely, they’ll bring a high level of intensity and solid tactics, so we’ll need to be prepared for strong opposition, especially with our younger players still gaining experience.

“I expect teams to test our defensive structure, put pressure on our set plays, and exploit any gaps in our game.

“It will be crucial for us to stay composed, stick to our game plan, and adapt quickly to whatever challenges come our way,” she concluded.

Players in the Merrifield side to keep an eye on include Crystal Kruger, who is adept at cracking defensive lines and creating opportunities.

Co-captain, Chinamasa’s speed on the right side will be an asset, while Ambesa Jacob‘s skills will be key in eliminating players in one-on-one situations.

In the midfield, Lexi Viljoen, Strauss, and Du Plessis will aim to control the flow of the game.

Defensively, Sarah-Jane Mouton is considered rock solid, while Taylor Emslie will protect the cage.

Merrifield’s challenge begins at 09:00 against Ooskus Gimnasium.

FIXTURES

Saturday, 15 February 

08:00 – Clarendon vs Stirling High; 08:30 – Hudson vs Cambridge High; 09:00 – Merrifield vs Ooskus Gimnasium; 09:30 – Hudson vs Stirling High; 10:00 – Clarendon vs Merrifield College; 10:30 – Cambridge High vs Ooskus Gimnasium; 11:00 – Clarendon vs Hudson; 11:30 – Stirling High vs Ooskus Gimnasium; 12:00 – Cambridge High vs Merrifield College.

After a topsy-turvy season in 2024, the Queen’s College 1st XI will enter their 2025 hockey campaign with energy and vigour. They kick off their season at the Border Schools Day at Selborne College in East London on Friday.

The side will make a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Komani to face some of the region’s fiercest opposition.

The event is a mini-festival initiated by the Border Schools Hockey Association to assist teams with preparation for the new season.

The format of matches will be two 12-minute chukkas with only a minute’s break between them.

Queen’s has three fixtures, against Hudson Park, Merrifield College, and Cambridge High School.

It will be an ideal pre-season outing for coach Michael Baiden and his players, who, according to him, have prepared diligently for the season.

“Preparations have been as good as can be. Our boys have tried very hard to put their best foot forward to improve the technical and tactical parts of their game,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“This has made working with them easier, as they are a very keen group. We are excited for the upcoming season. I’m keen to learn through the challenges and obstacles it will bring.”

Queen’ endured a tough 2024 campaign, which included defeats against Dale College, Selborne, and Grey High in the Eastern Cape. Coach Baiden is optimistic that the group has taken lessons from last season’s losses.

“Last season was a massive learning curve for both me and the players,” he shared. “Even though many results did not go our way, there were many lessons learnt that I am hoping will propel us in the right direction this year.”

Queen’s has retained most of the players that turned out for the 1st team last year, with only three having moved on. That gives them a strong and experienced base from which to work.

“Our team was filled with 16-year-olds who played at that [first-team] level for the first time,” Baiden said.

“We are hoping that last year’s experiences can help the team this year. All we want to do is try and play good and entertaining hockey.”

With 10 players – Aiden van Jaarsveld, Rowan Miles (GK), Brett Hoffmann, Yibonge Mquqwana, Mafu Mandaba, Morgan Hayes, Liso Mtalaliso, Tofiro Kagoro, Aya Maduma, and Liyema Auwa – who featured for Queen’s last year set to don the first team jersey again, hopes are high for a far better season in 2025.

Their first match on Friday is against Hudson Park at 14:00.

Other teams that will be attending the tournament include Dale College, from Qonce, Stirling High, and the hosts, Selborne.

The action starts at 13:30 with a meeting between Cambridge and Merrifield College.

FIXTURES

Friday, 14 March

13:30 – Merrifield vs Cambridge High; 14:00 – Queen’s vs Hudson; 14:30 – Dale vs Stirling High; 15:00 – Selborne vs Cambridge High; 15:30 – Queen’s vs Merrifield; 16:00 – Dale vs Hudson; 16:30 – Selborne vs Stirling High; 17:00 – Queen’s vs Cambridge High; 17:30 – Dale vs Merrifield; 18:00 – Stirling High vs Cambridge High; 18:30 – Selborne vs Hudson.

Parel Vallei’s first boys’ team is on a mission to build upon a promising 2024 season, reach new heights, and stake a claim to be one of the best teams in the hotbed of Western Cape hockey in 2025.

The boys from Somerset West kick off their season at the Parel Vallei Boys’ Hockey Festival on 14-15 March.

The two-day event will present coach Michael van Rensburg and his troops with a chance to fine-tune their systems and get combinations right before the season gets into full swing.

They’ll play three matches on their home turf against Hoërskool Hermanus, Worcester Gimnasium, and Hoërskool Outeniqua, from George.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus ahead of the festival, coach Van Rensburg said he’s satisfied with the team’s preparation: “We are in a good space and quietly optimistic regarding the season ahead,” he said.

“We have had good preparation, and I am happy with what we, as a coaching staff, have seen. The boys are conditioned, thanks to our biokineticist, Michaela Borodinsky. I think we are technically good and tactically [well] organised.”

In 2024, Parel Vallei certainly punched above their weight. They produced impressive results, among them an excellent 4-0 win over Pearson High School in their final match of the season.

Several players represented Boland at SASHOC national weeks.

Van Rensburg has retained some of his key players and will be working with a familiar squad. “We had a young side last year, with eight u16s, so we have retained a majority of the squad,” he revealed.

“We lost four matrics but we’re glad to have three of our national players, Luka Meets, Luca Jordaan, and Stephan Malan, back.”

Meets and Jordaan were influential for Boland’s u16 side at last year’s SASHOC National Week, while Malan represented South Africa at the u17 Dato Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia.

When asked which areas the team will focus on this season, Van Rensburg said: “Something that we’ve worked hard on is our passing and receiving details. Our deep defensive organisation, as well as our creativity within the circle when it comes to goal scoring, are things we have struggled with in the past.”

JP van der Walt will captain the team, and Liyema Jijana will be the vice-captain. They’ll be eager, with their team-mates, to make a good impression in front of their home supporters this weekend.

Other teams that will take to the field at the Parel Vallei Festival include Paul Roos Gimnasium, Paarl Gimnasium, Somerset College, and Reddam House Constantia.

There will also be u16 teams in attendance, and their matches will take place at the Beaumont AstroTurf.

Parel Vallei 1st XI Boys Team for 2025:

Stephan Malan, Tristan Rautenbach, Nathan Nissen, Julian Thiering, Benjamin Traut, Lukah du Toit, Paul Roux, Michael Holmes, JP van Der Walt (c), Christopher Hughes, Michael Holland-Muter, Liyema Jijana (vc), Luca Jordaan, Rhys Lochner, Luka Meets, Sashin Pillay, Andrew Moreby.

Fixtures

Friday, 14 March

16:40 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Reddam House Constantia; 17:40 – Paul Roos vs Somerset College; 18:50 – Parel Vallei vs Hermanus; 19:50 – Worcester Gimnasium vs Outeniqua.

Saturday, 15 March

10:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Hermanus; 11:10 – Parel Vallei vs Worcester Gimnasium; 12:20 – Paul Roos vs Outeniqua; 13:20 – Somerset College vs Reddam House Constantia; 16:40 – Hermanus vs Somerset College; 17:40 – Parel Vallei vs Outeniqua; 18:50 – Reddam House Constantia vs Paul Roos; 19:50 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Worcester Gimnasium.

Paarl Gimnasium‘s first girls’ hockey side will get their 2025 season underway this weekend at the Springfield Convent School Pre-Season Festival in Cape Town.

The festival, now in its second edition, runs from 14–15 March and will see seven top teams from around the Western Cape battle for supremacy on the turf.

Last weekend, Wynberg Girls’ High, Paarl Girls’ High, St Cyprian’s School, Parel Vallei, and Springfield Convent School opened their seasons at the Spar Hockey Festival.

Those five teams will return to action at Springfield, where they’ll be joined by Paarl Gim and Rustenburg Girls’ High, who played two matches against Rhenish Girls’ High School over the past weekend.

It’ll be the first time that Gim takes to the turf under the leadership of head coach Danelle van Zyl, who is working with a young squad after Gim lost seven matrics at the end of 2024.

They open their season against Parel Vallei before taking on the hosts and St Cyprian’s School in their final match of the opening day.

On Saturday, they’ll play three matches, the most important one being the last against their local rivals, Paarl Girls’ High, whom they defeated 4-0 in last year’s interschools derby.

Another team to keep an eye out for at the festival is St Cyprian’s School. Coach Natalie Esteves’s side performed superbly at the Spar Hockey Festival and scored three wins and a draw in their four outings.

Those victories included defeats of Parel Vallei and Paarl Girls’ High, teams they will face again this weekend.

Speaking of Paarl Girls’ High, they’ll be confident and eager to test themselves after a promising showing last weekend. Despite not being at their best, coach Marc Landman’s troops recorded three wins and one loss.

Landman will use the festival as a further opportunity to learn more about his team and to continue to implement his coaching philosophy.

The hosts will want to bounce back at their home festival after a rather slow start last weekend where they lost three matches but managed a comprehensive 2-0 victory over Somerset College.

Coach Ziyaad Ismail knows the importance of building momentum early in the season, and there’s no more inviting place to do that than on home soil.

Wynberg Girls and Parel Vallei also didn’t have the best of starts to the season at the Spar Hockey Festival, but the weekend’s matches present both with a chance to right their wrongs.

When they played last weekend, they shared a goalless draw. They’ll meet again on Saturday.

The festival kicks off with a clash between Rustenburg Girls’ High School and Wynberg Girls’ High at 14:15, on Friday.

FIXTURES

Friday, 14 March

14:15 – Rustenburg Girls’ High School vs Wynberg Girl’; 14:50 – Paarl Girls High vs St Cyprian’s School; 15:25 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Parel Vallei; 16:00 – Springfield Convent School vs Wynberg Girls’ High; 16:35 – Rustenburg Girls’ High School vs Paarl Girls’ High; 17:10 – Parel Vallei vs St Cyprian’s School; 17:45 – Springfield Convent School vs Paarl Gimasium; 18:20 – Wynberg Girls’ High vs Paarl Girls’ High; 18:55 – Rustenburg Girls’ High School vs Parel Vallei; 19:30 – Paarl Gimnasium vs St Cyprian’s School; 20:05 – Springfield Convent School vs Paarl Girls’ High.

Saturday, 15 March

13:00 – Wynberg Girls’ High vs Parel Vallei; 13:35 – Rustenburg Girls’ High vs Paarl Gimnasium; 14:10 – Springfield Convent School vs St Cyprian’s School; 14:45 – Parel Vallei vs Paarl Girls’ High; 15:20 – Wynberg Girls’ High vs Paarl Gimnasium; 15:55 – Springfield Convent School vs Rustenburg Girls’ High; 16:30 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Paarl Girls’ High; 17:05 – Rustenburg Girls’ High vs St Cyprian’s School; 17:40 – Springfield Convent School vs Parel Vallei; 18:15 -Wynberg Girls’ High vs St Cyprian’s School.

South Africa is recognised for producing top swimmers who compete at the highest levels of the sport.

In the past decade or so, we’ve seen world-class athletes Tatjana Smith and Chad le Clos, among others, carry the nation’s hopes at various international meets and the Olympic Games.

Smith called time on her illustrious career after the 2024 Olympic Games in France after winning a gold and silver medal for Team SA.

Le Clos, who famously beat the American legend Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly final at the London Olympics Games to win gold, has slipped from his best but is still on a mission to revive his career.

There is no cause for concern, however, that South Africa’s swimming cupboard is bare because top talents, including Chris Smith, Matthew Sates, Pieter Coetze, Jessica Thompson, and Jarden Eaton have shown that swimming in South Africa is in good shape.

While Swimming SA continues to grow its pedigree in the national and international space, the schools’ scene is as healthy as it’s been in a long time.

One of the swimmers that’s been grabbing the headlines and spotlight of late is 17-year-old Grace Morris, from Stellenbosch, in the Western Cape.

Morris is a Grade 11 pupil at Rhenish Girls’ High School and is one of the most exciting, talented, and promising athletes in the country.

She is versatile in the pool and participates in a wide range of events, including the 50m and 100m freestyle and backstroke. Morris also dabbles in the relay, but her main event is the 200m backstroke, which she’s dominated in recent years.

She looks at home in the pool and always has a cracking start, thanks to the swimming lessons she was forced to take as a young child.

“I started the sport when I was four. My parents took me to a ‘Learn to Swim’ school, and I’m told I hated it,” Morris told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“I started enjoying the sport when I was about eight. At 11, I started training with a club, and that’s really when everything kicked off.

“I come from a swimming family. My dad was a swimmer before he started playing SA Water Polo, and my mom was also a good swimmer when she was younger.”

Morris spent most of her youth in Johannesburg before her family relocated to the Western Cape in 2024.

While in Gauteng, she attended St Peter’s Prep before donning the white and red of St Mary’s Waverley for two years.

She was already committed to swimming while at St Mary’s, but her move to Rhenish at the age of 16 changed her mindset for the better.

“I always had an idea of how good of a swimmer I was,” Morris explained. “I’ve always known that swimming is my passion and talent, but I started taking it seriously in 2024 when I got to Stellenbosch.

“In previous years, I was training but not as consistently as I am now. I’ve upped the training, doing so many sessions. It’s been a massive step up.”

After only a year in the Western Cape, Morris made her presence felt at the 2024 Western Province Long Course Championships. There, she was in top shape and scooped up a whopping 10 medals (five gold in individual events, four gold in relay events, and one silver).

That event, however, came a year after she made her international debut for South Africa at the 15th edition of the African Junior Championships in Mauritius.

Morris, who was aged 16 at the time, won gold in her favoured 200m backstroke event.

She also donned the green and gold at the XVI Africa Aquatics Swimming Championships in Angola, from which she returned with six medals.

“Representing my country at such a young age wasn’t something I was expecting,” she admitted.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to make the team or not, and when I got the message, I was so happy. It was a surreal moment because my hard work was starting to pay off.

“That was also one of the things that made me start working hard and putting extra effort into my swimming.”

Morris is a member of one of the top swimming clubs in the country, Lane Leader (LL), located in Stellenbosch. She’s coached by the experienced Dr Karin Hugo and trains as part of a stacked roster.

“Lane Leader has done so much for me. It’s quite amazing to train with people who have experience and to learn from them.

“Just to be coached by Karin is an honour. She’s so experienced, and I know for sure that I am in good hands.”

The Rhenish star, who revealed that her role models are her parents, top South African swimmer Emma Chelius, and Australian Kaylee McKeown, has been through a busy season.

After helping Rhenish win another 4M swimming Gala trophy, she travelled to Gqeberha for the Grand Prix 2 Invitational meeting, which served as preparation for the African Junior Championships, which will be hosted in Cairo. Morris is waiting to learn her qualification fate.

The big event she’s aiming for in 2025, however, is the Junior World Championships, to be swum in Romania in August.

“It’s certainly going to be a busy couple of months. I’m just hoping I get selected to represent South Africa at the junior champs in Cairo. The main goal is to qualify for Junior Worlds in Romania. That would mean a lot to me.” she admitted.

When asked about her future endeavours and possibly representing Team SA at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Morris said: “It would be an absolute honour to represent my country at the Olympics. I think that’s every swimmer’s dream.

“However, my coach and I have chatted a lot, and we want to take it one season at a time.

“I’m trying not to focus my energy on the future but investing all of it into the present. We are taking things one step at a time.”

The 2024 schoolboy hockey season in South Africa produced thrilling matchups, storylines, and scintillating action on the Astroturf, and Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), from Stellenbosch, played its part in the narrative.

The boys in maroon, led by coach Michael Baker, were among the cream of the crop and played an exciting brand of hockey while taking on many of South Africa’s best teams.

It was a season to savour for PRG, especially since they had changed management after the 2023 season.

Coach Baker arrived in Stellenbosch in January 2024  and took over as the Director of Hockey and coach of the 1st XI from Ashlin Freddy.

There was a sense of optimism, suspense, and curiosity as to what Baker would deliver in such a competitive province.

He came from Durban High School (DHS), where he produced remarkable results, turning DHS from punching bags into one of the premier programmes in the country, which produced huge numbers of provincial players annually. Baker’s track record was rock-solid, but the competition in the Western Cape is fierce.

Despite his past achievements, Baker still had to gain the trust of the players, parents, and other staff in his programme. His mission to do so got off on a wobbly note when PRG suffered a shock 0-1 defeat against Rondebosch Boys’ High in April.

After that loss, calm heads were needed within the team and in PRG hockey circles. Baker and his boys used that defeat as motivation. It sparked the team to life, and matters quickly changed for the good.

PRG went on a strong unbeaten run, which included winning the Hibbert Shield after beating South African College High School (SACS) in a thriller of a final in Gqeberha.

Their only defeat thereafter came against SACS in a derby match in Cape Town.

Apart from those two losses, they showed their class against a tough line-up of opponents and recorded impressive wins against, among others, Paarl Gimnasium, Wynberg Boys’ High, and Grey College, in their last outing of the season.

“We played 26 games and lost only twice. We won the Hibbert Shield and were involved in some incredible comebacks. I would say that’s a decent season,” coach Baker told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“In this climate, with every school running great programmes, it’s getting harder and harder to have these types of seasons, especially in the Cape.

“Replacing Ash (Ashlin Freddy) left massive shoes to fill. He is a legend on the coaching circuit. So, it’s great getting this first year under the belt.”

PRG has a fairly young and hungry squad 1st team squad for 2025.

The team bade farewell to a whopping nine senior players last season, including the outstanding Reuben Sendzul.

Baker says the youngsters coming through want to make a statement.

“The start of the year is tough with any group, balancing with summer sports, and you have no idea if your team is good or not until you play that first game.

“We will have an extremely young group this year.

“We are probably not on everyone’s radar for 2025, but this is Paul Roos. This school has a huge culture of winning and excellence, so I am sure we will cause a few surprises.”

The team will be captained by the experienced Christo Swanepoel, who is on course to win his 100th cap for the school.

The most exciting thing for Michael Baker about the forthcoming season is the element of surprise that his charges will bring to the table. “Imagine a Paul Roos team arriving at a fixture with no pressure. It’s going to be so exciting to watch,” he enthused.

“However, we have the likes of Christo and a group of boys who just love the game. We will be well prepared.”

Some people pay attention to national rankings, but, said Baker, that’s not something that is neither a focus nor an interest of his.

“The ranking system is complicated, and it’s one of those when you’re on top, you talk about it. When you’re not, you moan about it,” he candidly said.

“For me, sport is simple. Whoever wins the most hockey games is the best.

“It’s not something we talk about or strive for. We just want to beat whoever we play against next.

“If you are ranked first or 39th, we will prepare in the exact same way. It’s an honour to play for this badge.”

When asked what PRG supporters can expect from the team in 2025, Baker said: “Just never write us off. We are young. We love this game and have nothing to lose.

“A PRG fixture in 2025 will always be worth watching,” he concluded.

PRG will kick off their season at the Parel Vallei Boys’ Hockey Festival on 14-15 March.

There was early season joy for St Cyprian’s School, Fairmont High School, and Paarl Girls’ High, with all three delivering solid performances at the Spar Hockey Festival in Cape Town on Sunday.

They entered the annual pre-season festival seeking to sharpen their skills, analyse combinations, and work their systems ahead of a busy 2025 season, and they came away from it satisfied with the start they had made.

They played their matches at the DF Malan AstroTurf while other games took place at Durbanville, Bellville, and Stellenberg High School.

St Cyprian’s walked away with big smiles on their faces after ending the festival as one of the unbeaten teams at DF. Coached by the experienced Natalie Esteves, the girls from Gorge Road recorded three wins from their four matches.

They opened their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Parel Vallei before beating Paarl Girls 2-0 and Bellville 3-0 later in the day. They were held to a 1-1 draw by a resilient Fairmont side in their other outing.

“I was very impressed with the team. It was our first time playing together,” coach Esteves told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“The Spar Festival is always very tough. The format is tough, and it is still very early in the season. We just wanted to build connections and make sure that we get our structures right, and we managed to do that at times, which was very good.”

St Cyprian’s will next shift their focus to the Springfield Pre-Season Festival before undertaking an overseas tour.

Coach Esteves revealed three areas of her team’s game that need improvement. “We want to work on our one-on-one in defence and attack,” she explained. “That is always a focus for us as a team and just winning the small battles.

“We need to revisit the structural stuff, like pressing in different styles, and just executing in the final third.”

Another side that went unbeaten was Fairmont High. Coach Bryce West‘s side was far from their best on Sunday but they managed to scrape through and began to find their mojo as the festival progressed.

Victories over Bellville and Wynberg Girls’ High were the highlights of their day, while they also shared draws with St Cyprian’s and Durbanville.

Paarl Girls’ High, meanwhile, hit the ground running, playing under the guidance of head coach Marc Landman for the first time.

Landman joined the Paarl side in January after saying farewell to Rhenish Girls’ High School.

It was a winning start to his tenure as Paarl Girls kicked off with a 1-0 victory over Wynberg Girls’ High.

Their only defeat came when they went down 0-2 to St Cyprian’s. They rebounded with a 1-0 win over Durbanville and followed that with a 3-1 victory over Parel Vallei in their final match of the day.

“We had some great moments as a team in this festival,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“It was important for us to get some game time under our belts. I’m still learning about the team and combinations, and I’m enjoying every moment of it. We are looking forward to the season ahead.”

Lisa Craven shone for Paarl Girls and was named the player of the day after scoring a handful of good goals. Cassie Fairbairn also looked dangerous going forward, while Nika Pretorius was solid in the midfield.

Paarl Girls, St Cyprian’s, Wynberg Girls, and Parel Vallei will all be in action at the Springfield Convent School Pre-Season tournament, which takes place on 14-15 March.

RESULTS

@DF Malan

St Cyprian’s 1-0 Parel Vallei
Paarl Girls 1-0 Wynberg
Fairmont 1-0 Bellville
Parel Vallei 0-0 Durbanville
St Cyprian’s 2-0 Paarl Girls
Fairmont 1-0 Wynberg
Durbanville 3-1 Bellville
St Cyprian’s 1-1 Fairmont
Wynberg 0-0 Parel Vallei
Paarl Girls 1-0 Durbanville
St Cyprian’s 3-0 Bellville
Paarl Girls 3-1 Parel Vallei
Durbnville 0-0 Fairmont
Wynberg 1-1 Bellville

Reddam House Constantia and Herschel Girls School made their presence felt by producing impressive and gutsy performances at the Spar Hockey Festival in Cape Town on Sunday.

Playing at the Stellenberg High School AstroTurf, both sides punched above their weight and gave their supporters reason for optimism in 2025.

Reddam played four matches, won three, and suffered just one loss. Led by coach Chris Hibbert, they beat powerhouses Springfield Convent School, DF Malan, and Somerset College. Their lone defeat was a 0-3 setback against Herschel.

Speaking after the festival, coach Hibbert said he was pleased with how his team conducted itself.

“We had a good day out. It was our first time taking part in the Spar Hockey Festival,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus. “We went in not knowing what to expect because it’s a short format, and that was difficult for the girls.

“We were a bit nervous as to how we’d play, but after our first win, the girls upped the ante. It was a good learning experience for us.”

Hibbert and his team head to the Cape Co-Ed Festival, which also takes place in Cape Town, next week as the hockey season rapidly gains momentum.

Herschel also ran out onto the turf four times, and registered ticks in the winning column thrice, losing only against HMS Bloemhof. They scored an impressive seven goals and conceded two.

They were sharp on attack and showed top-class composure in their wins over Reddam, Stellenberg, and Somerset College.

Captain Hannah Henderson said the team was happy with its performance and is looking forward to the remainder of the season.

“The Spar Festival has always been an incredible tournament and a great preparation to start the season,” Henderson told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“It is a well-organised tournament and it is so awesome to be able to get tested. We know what to improve on for the rest of the season.

“I’m excited to be a part of this year’s Herschel’s first team. We have a young and dynamic team, and I look so forward to what the season holds.”

While Reddam and Herschel impressed, HMS Bloemhof, from Stellenbosch, was also on top of their game and ended the day unbeaten.

They dominated their opponents at the same event in 2024, and they returned with a bang.

Coach Jenny King‘s side was dangerous in front of goal and resolute at the back. They scored six and conceded only one goal in wins over Herschel, Stellenberg, Springfield, and DF Malan.

After that strong showing, they’ll be feeling confident ahead of the Springfield Pre-Season Festival, which takes place on 14-15 March.

FULL RESULTS

@Stellenberg

Reddam House Constantia 1-0 Springfield
Herschel 2-0 Stellenberg
Reddam House Constantia 3-0 DF Malan
Springfield 2-0 Somerset College
HMS Bloemhof 2-1 Stellenberg
Herschel 3-0 Reddam House Constantia
DF Malan 0-0 Somerset College
HMS Bloemhof 1-0 Herschel
Stellenberg 1-0 Springfield
Reddam House Constantia 1-0 Somerset College
Stellenberg 3-1 DF Malan
HMS Bloemhof 2-0 Springfield
Herschel 2-1 Somerset College
HMS Bloemhof 1-0 DF Malan

@DF Malan

St Cyprian’s 1-0 Parel Vallei
Paarl Girls 1-0 Wynberg
Fairmont 1-0 Bellville
Parel Vallei 0-0 Durbanville
St Cyprian’s 2-0 Paarl Girls
Fairmont 1-0 Wynberg
Durbanville 3-1 Bellville
St Cyprian’s 1-1 Fairmont
Wynberg 0-0 Parel Vallei
Paarl Girls 1-0 Durbanville
St Cyprian’s 3-0 Bellville
Paarl Girls 3-1 Parel Vallei
Durbnville 0-0 Fairmont
Wynberg 1-1 Bellville

@Durbanville High School

Langenhoven 3-2 El Shaddai
Robertson 1-0 Fish Hoek
Bredasdorp 6-0 President
Fish Hoek 2-0 Langenhoven
Robertson 2-0 Bredasdorp
El Shaddai 10-0 President
Robertson 2-0 Langenhoven
EL Shaddai 4-1 Bredasdorp
Fish Hoek 15-0 President
El Shaddai 1-1 Robertson
Langenhoven 10-0 President
Fish Hoek 1-0 Bredasdorp
Stellenbosch 2-0 Milnerton
Hugenote 1-0 Melkbosstrand
Strand 1-0 Tygerberg
Stellenbosch 2-0 Melkbosstrand
Hugenote 0-0 Strand
Milnerton 0-0 Tygerberg
Stellenbosch 1-0 Hugenote
Strand 3-0 Milnterton
Melkbosstrand 0-0 Tygerberg
Milnerton 2-1 Hugenote
Strand 0-0 Melkbosstrand
Stellenbosch 1-0 Tygerberg

@Bellville High

Worcester Gimnasium 2-2 Settlers
Curro Durbanville 1-0 Charlie Hofmeyr
Hermanus 1-0 La Rochelle
HTS Drostdy 1-1 Swartland
Worcester Gimnasium 1-1 Charlie Hofmeyr
Curro Durbanville 1-0 Hermanus
La Rochelle 4-1 Swartland
Settlers 2-1 HTS Drostdy
Worcester Gimnasium 2-0 Hermanus
Curro Durbanville 1-1 Swartland
Settlers 2-1 La Rochelle
HTS Drostdy 1-1 Charlie Hofmeyr
Worcester Gimnasium 3-0 Swartland
Settlers 2-1 Curro Durbanville
Charlie Hofmeyr 1-0 La Rochelle
HTS Drostdy 0-0 Hermanus

The Buco AstroTurf, in Bunkers Hill, hosted the highly anticipated Hoërskool Ooskus Gimnasium Festival in East London on Friday and Saturday.

The annual tournament kicked off the 2025 season for girls’ sides in the Border region.

Out of the eight schools in attendance, it was Clarendon High School for Girls, Hudson Park High School, and Stirling High who finished the weekend on top.

That trio, despite not being at their best, impressed and gave spectators a tantalising taste of what’s to come in 2025.

Both Clarendon and Hudson ended the festival unbeaten after playing to a goalless draw in the final match on day two.

Coach Luaan Sedras’s Clarendon side was the best team defensively, keeping clean sheets in all four of their matches. While they were rock solid at the back, Clarendon also scored only three goals, beating Merrifield College, Stirling High, and Kingsridge High School (KHS) by 1-0 margins.

“This weekend was all about learning lessons. We wanted to figure out combinations and see how the girls gel together,” Sedras told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“We played some good opposition, but now it’s all about taking the lessons and balancing that in more competitive games.”

Execution in the final third and capitalising on the chances created is an area coach Sedras wants his charges to sharpen up before Border Schools Day.

“We are coming short with our finishing,” he admitted. “We are creating opportunities; we are getting into the D, but we’re just not finishing.

“A big focus will be on goalscoring this coming week. I’m quite happy with the structure and midfield. The finishing needs to improve.”

Hudson Park, on the other hand, played three matches, drew two, and thumped Komani’s Hangklip High School 5-1.

Coach Jerry Snyman and his troops headed into the festival wanting to prove last season’s good results were no fluke.

They were held to a goalless draw by Stirling in their opener, but the win against Hangklip gave a glimpse of how dangerous they could be this season.

“I think the fact that we missed key players in key positions showed this weekend,” coach Snyman said.

“We missed the experienced heads of Busiwe Mayekiso and Melnique Langley. Busi comes back next weekend, so that will help the girls going forward.

“Defensively, I thought we were great. I was impressed with some youngsters coming through. They stepped up nicely.”

There won’t be too many changes made by coach Snyman for Border Schools Day. “We want to just fix the small things,” he said.

“The girls must get a grip of our plan up front and in the midfield, and how to defend and receive.

“We haven’t established a ball carrier like last year, but that’s something we’ve been working on.”

Stirling High, meanwhile, fielded a team with a mixture of youth and experience for their first outing of the year.

Coach Michael Dettmer’s side was impressive on the final day and ended the festival with a commanding and dominant 3-0 victory over Lilyfontein School.

The Stirling boss was full of praise for his team afterwards. “It was a good learning curve for the new players in the team,” he enthused.

“Structure-wise, we are trying to change things this year, and it was good to try it out in a formal setting but without much pressure.

“The youngsters impressed me. Lots of them realise now that they are good enough for the first-team level. We’re very excited for the rest of the season.”

Some of the other results included Merrifield College recording a 2-0 win over Ooskus Gimnasium, while KHS took down the Hudson 2nds, and Lilyfontein edged out Greenpoint High School 2-1.

RESULTS

Day 1

Lilyfontein 1-0 Ooskus Gimnasium
Clarendon 1-0 Merrifield
Hudson 0-0 Stirling High
Hudson 2nds 7-0 Ooskus Gimnasium
Kingsridge High School 1-1 Greenpoint
Hudson 2nds 2-0 Hangklip
Merrifield 2-0 Ooskus Gimnasium.

Day 2

Ooskus Gimnasium 3-0 Hangklip
Stirling High 1-0 Merrifield
Kingsridge High School 4-0 Hudson 2nds
Lilyfontein 2-1 Greenpoint
Clarendon 1-0 Stirling High
Ooskus Gimnasium 3-3 Kingsridge High School
Hudson 2nds 1-0 Lilyfontein
Hudson 5-1 Hangklip
Clarendon 1-0 Kingsridge High School
Hangklip 2-0 Greenpoint
Stirling High 3-0 Lilyfontein
Clarendon 0-0 Hudson

Early season bragging rights will be on the line when Western Cape girls’ hockey teams square off at the Spar Hockey Festival in Cape Town on Sunday.

The annual festival, designed to assist teams with their pre-season preparations, begins on Saturday for the u16 age group, with the first team action set to take place the following day.

The event has gone from strength to strength since its inception and is the fastest-growing pre-season festival for schoolgirls in the province.

Matches will be played at four venues: DF Malan, Stellenberg High School, Durbanville, and Bellville High School, with some of the province’s powerhouses, including HMS Bloemhof, Somerset College, Springfield Convent School, Herschel Girls School, and Stellenberg, in action.

Bloemhof impressed under head coach Jenny King in 2024, and they’ll be aiming to build on the momentum they created last season. Somerset College and Stellenberg, meanwhile, are teams with points to prove this season.

Somerset, under head coach Kyran Fortuin, played some exciting and entertaining hockey at the same festival last year before going on to win the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Festival and, later, the Challenger’s Cup.

After winning the Western Province Premier League in 2024, Stellenberg is brimming with confidence. Coach Paulene de Bruin’s girls are no longer the underdogs. Instead, they have several teams breathing down their necks, wanting to take them down.

The festival will also be an opportunity for Springfield Convent School to see some action a week before they host their pre-season tournament on 14-15 March.

Other top teams in attendance include Fairmont High School, Parel Vallei (PV), Paarl Girls’ High, and Wynberg Girls’ High School.

Both Parel Vallei and Paarl Girls’ High enter new dawns under the leadership of new coaches.

PV welcomed coach Wayne Coetzee, from Grey College, this year, and he’ll take charge of his first match against St Cyprian’s at 07:30 at DF Malan.

Paarl Girls’ High also has a new face in the dugout, with Marc Landman taking over the coaching reins from Anri Keevy for the 2025 season.

Both Fairmont and Wynberg had fairly decent campaigns in 2024, but starting on a high and gaining some early confidence will be a key goal for both.

Paarl side, La Rochelle, will also be in action, along with Worcester Gimnasium, Charlie Hofmeyr, and HTS Drostdy.

In total, 68 matches will be played on Sunday. It’s an all-action, all-out start to what promises to be a cracking 2025 schoolgirls’ hockey season in the Western Cape.

FIXTURES

@DF Malan 

07:30 – Parel Vallei vs St Cyprian’s; 08:00 – Wynberg vs Paarl Girls; 08:30 – Bellville vs Fairmont; 09:00 – Parel Vallei vs Durbanville; 09:30 – Paarl

Girls vs St Cyprian’s; 10:00 – Wynberg vs Fairmont; 10:30 – Bellville vs Durbanville; 11:00 – St Cyprian’s vs Fairmont; 11:30 – Wynberg vs Parel Vallei; 12:00 – Paarl Girls vs Durbanville; 12:30 – Bellville vs St Cyprian’s; 13:00 – Parel Vallei vs Paarl Girls; 13:30 – Durbanville vs Fairmont; 14: 00 – Wynberg vs Bellville.

@Stellenberg 

07:30 – Springfield vs Reddam House Constantia; 08:00 – Herschel vs Stellenberg; 08:30 – DF Malan vs Reddam House Constantia; 09:00 – Springfield vs Somerset College; 09:30 – HMS Bloemhof vs Stellenberg; 10:00 – Herschel vs Reddam House Constantia; 10:30 – DF Malan vs Somerset College; 11:00 – HMS Bloemhof vs Herschel;  11:30 – Stellenberg vs Springfield;  12:00 – Somerset College vs Reddam House Constantia; 12:30 – DF Malan vs Stellenberg; 13:00 – Springfield vs HMS Bloemhof; 13:30 – Herschel vs Somerset College; 14: 00 – DF Malan vs HMS Bloemhof

@Durbanville High School

07:30 – Langenhoven vs El Shaddai; 08:00 – Robertson vs Fish Hoek; 08:30 – Bredasdorp vs President; 09:00 – Langenhoven vs Fish Hoek; 09:30 – Robertson vs Bredasdorp; 10:00 – El Shaddai vs President; 10:30 – Langenhoven vs Robertson; 11:00 – Bredasdorp vs EL Shaddai; 11:30 – Fish Hoek vs President; 12:00 – El Shaddai vs Robertson; 12:30 – Langenhoven vs President; 13:00 –  Bredasdorp vs Fish Hoek; 13:30 – Stellenbosch vs Milnerton; 14: 00 – Hugenote vs Melkbosstrand; 14:30 – Strand vs Tygerberg; 15:00 – Stellenbosch vs Melkbosstrand; 15:30 – Hugenote vs Strand; 16:00 – Milnerton vs Tygerberg; 16:30 – Stellenbosch vs Hugenote; 17:00 – Strand vs Milnterton; 17:30 – Melkbosstrand vs Tygerberg; 18:00 – Hugenote vs Milnerton; 18:30 – Strand vs Melkbosstrand; 19:00 – Stellenbosch vs Tygerberg.

@Bellville High 

07:30 -Worcester Gimnasium vs Settlers; 08:00 – Curro Durbanville vs Charlie Hofmeyr; 08:30 – La Rochelle vs Hermanus; 09:00 – HTS Drostdy vs Swartland; 09:30 – Worcester Gimnasium vs Charlie Hofmeyr; 10:00 – Curro Durbanville vs Hermanus; 10:30 -La Rochelle vs Swartland;  11:00 – HTS Drostdy vs Settlers; 11:30 – Worcester Gimnasium vs Hermanus;  12:00 – Curro Durbanville vs Swartland; 12:30 – La Rochelle vs Settlers; 13:00 – HTS Drostdy vs Charlie Hofmeyr; 13:30 – Worcester Gimnasium vs Swartland; 14: 00 – Curro Durbanville vs Settlers; 14:30 – La Rochelle vs Charlie Hofmeyr; 15:00 – HTS Drostdy vs Hermanus.