Author: asawula

With the 2024 schools’ hockey season in the books, the movement of coaches and directors country-wide is underway.

This week, KwaZulu-Natal’s Maritzburg College announced that their Director of Hockey Mark Sanders will assume the role of first-team coach for 2025. He takes over from Kyle Emerson, who will coach the younger age groups.

In the Eastern Cape, some moves are expected in the coming weeks. Sources close to Dale and Kingswood College have informed SuperSportSchools Plus that changes are likely.

However, Selborne College and Grey High, who enjoyed strong seasons under KJ Friend and Andrew Beynon respectively, will continue with their successful set-ups.

A notable move that has been confirmed, though, is that of Grey College‘s Head of Hockey, Wayne Coetzee, who moves from his alma mater to one of the most promising hockey programmes in the country at Parel Vallei High School in the Western Cape.

He will take on the role of the Head of Girls’ Hockey, replacing Jared Pittout, who has revealed to SuperSport Schools Plus that he will be stepping away from the game for personal reasons.

Coetzee led Grey to a very successful season in 2024, which included impressive results against some strong opposition. Captained by the dazzling Jayden Leech, they defeated Grey High School 1-0, Affies 2-1, Paarl Boys’ High 3-0, Selborne College 5-2, Outeniqua 6-0, and drew 1-1 with Paarl Gimnasium.

Coetzee also coached the Southern Free State u18A at the SASHOC National Week, where they finished sixth after going down to KZN Inland A in their last playoff match. In an interview with SuperSportSchools Plus, he said: “This was a very difficult decision to make as I care for the players and school a lot.

“Being an old boy of the school also makes it even more emotional, so the past two weeks have not been easy. Staff, players, and people around the country have supported the move with kind messages and talks.”

The move for Coetzee comes after 10 years spent building the hockey programme at Grey. He revealed some of the reasons for his departure.

“It’s for family reasons and a new challenge,” he said.

“My wife’s parents and my sister and family live in the Cape, so it has been part of the plan. When I got the opportunity with an excellent school like Parel Vallei, it felt like it was the right time and right thing to do as I will certainly be challenged and that can only improve me, and that’s what I’m seeking.

“I am truly grateful to Grey College. I was just a small piece of the big puzzle and everything that has been built and achieved is because of the hockey players, staff, and parents.”

When asked what he expected from his new gig, Coetzee said: “It’s an excellent school, with excellent values, and an excellent programme.

“The challenge will be to uphold what they have created and be the best I can be for the school and programme.”

Coetzee also had some final words for Grey and the players he’s leaving behind: “Grey College hockey, you have shaped me, and you will forever be in my heart.

“Lesson learned: always leave the jersey in a better place than you found it! The whole world will stand aside for the man who knows where he is going,” he concluded.

With the schools’ water polo season in full swing and nearing its conclusion, 28 schools – featuring 12 girls’ and 16 boys’ teams – will assemble in the small town of Thornhill, between Jeffreys Bay and Gqeberha, to contest the Woodridge College Stayers Water Polo Tournament over the weekend.

The second edition of the tournament kicks off on Thursday afternoon and concludes with the final at 14:00 on Sunday.

There’s an intriguing lineup of established sides and rising teams, and the event will also present them with an opportunity to transition and prepare for 2025.

Selborne College is the defending boys’ champion. Coached by Storm Siebert, they defeated St Andrew’s College 5-2 in last year’s final.

Behind them was Gqeberha’s Pearson High, who beat Merrifield College 5-2 to place third, while Cape Town’s Wynberg Boys’ High ended in fifth place, followed by Glenwood House, Grey High, Woodridge, Hudson Park, and Alexander Road, who completed the top 10.

Selborne heads into the tournament battle-hardened, having recently participated in two major events, the SACS and Clifton Water Polo Tournaments. At SACS,  coach Siebert’s side, after starting well, narrowly missed out on the quarterfinals, while at Clifton, they finished in ninth place. They’re in Pool D, up against Pearson High, Stirling, and Saheti.

Pool A will be interesting, with Kingswood College, Reddam House Constantia B, Hudson, and Grey High set to battle for supremacy.

St Andrew’s College has been drawn in Pool B alongside Bridgehouse, Merrifield College, and Glenwood House, while Pool C will see three Western Cape teams – Wynberg Boys’ High, Paarl Boys’ High, and Somerset College – take on the hosts, Woodridge.

The tournament has been boosted by the addition of a girls’ section, which features 12 teams. The Eastern Cape sides include DSG Makhanda, Kingswood College, Collegiate Girls’ High, Stirling, Clarendon, Merrifield, Pearson, and Woodridge.

Somerset College, Bridgehouse, and Glenwood House represent the Western Cape, and Saheti makes the trip from Johannesburg.

FIXTURES

Thursday, 10 October

Girls

13:00 – Woodridge College vs Collegiate Girls’ High; 13:40 – Pearson High vs Glenwood House; 14:20 – Kingswood College vs Stirling High; 15:00 – Merrifield College vs DSG Makhanda; 17:40 – Woodridge College vs Kingswood College; 18:20 – Clarendon vs DSG Makhanda; 19:00 – Collegiate Girls’ High vs Stirling High; 19:40 – Glenwood House vs Merrifield.

Boys

15:40 – Grey High vs Kingswood College; 16:20 – Glenwood vs Merrifield College; 17:00 – Stirling High vs Pearson High

Friday, 11 October

Pool 1

Girls

10:20 – DSG Makhanda vs Somerset College; 11:00 – Bridgehouse vs Collegiate Girls’ High; 11:40 – Kingswood College vs Saheti; 12:20 – Glenwood House vs Clarendon; 13:00 – Woodridge College vs Stirling High; 14:20 – Glenwood House vs Somerset College; 15:00 – Kingswood College vs Bridgehouse; 15:40 – Clarendon vs Merrifield College; 18:20 – Pearson vs Somerset College; 19:40 – Saheti vs Bridgehouse.

Boys 

07:00 – Kingswood College vs Reddam House Constantia B; 07:40 – Glenwood vs Bridgehouse; 08:20 – Woodridge College vs Wynberg Boys’ High; 09:00 – Somerset College vs Paarl Boys’ High; 09:40 – Stirling High vs Saheti; 13:40 – St Andrew’s College vs Glenwood; 16:20 – St Andrew’s College vs Bridgehouse; 17:00 – Somerset College vs Wynberg Boys’ High; 17:40 – Woodridge College vs Paarl Boys’ High; 19:00 – Selborne College vs Saheti; 20:20 – Hudson Park vs Reddam House Constantia B.

Pool 2

Girls

07:00 – Somerset College vs Merrifield College; 07:40 – DSG Makhanda vs Glenwood House; 08:20 – Kingswood College vs Collegiate Girls’; 09:00 – Stirling High vs Saheti; 09:40 – Woodridge College vs Bridgehouse; 10:20 – Clarendon vs Pearson High; 14:20 – DSG Makhanda vs Pearson High; 16:20 – Saheti vs Collegiate Girls’ High.

Boys

11:00 – Grey High vs Reddam Constantia B; 11:40 – Merrifield College vs St Andrew’s College; 12:20 – Woodridge College vs Somerset College; 13:00 – Wynberg Boys’ High vs Paarl Boys’ High; 13:40 – Saheti vs Pearson High; 15:00 – Kingswood College vs Hudson Park; 15:40 – Selborne College vs Stirling High; 17:00 – Selborne College vs Pearson High; 17:40 – Grey High vs Hudson; 18:20 – Merrifield vs Bridgehouse.

The Hudson Park girl’s first team water polo side ended their season in top fashion over the past weekend when they claimed top honours at the annual Clarendon Stayers Festival in East London.

Hudson defeated Gqeberha’s Pearson 10-7 in the final after edging out the hosts in a penalty shootout in the semifinal.

Their journey to the title match was characterized by grit, resilience, and the desire to overcome setbacks in the pool stages.

In the five group matches played, coach Josh Allderman’s side picked up two wins against Cape Town’s St Cyprian’s School 10-8, and an Invitational team 15-6.

Along the way, they suffered defeats to Clarendon Girls’ 5-9, the Pearson as mentioned above 8-10, and Collegiate Girls’ High 5-10.

However, they had already done enough to secure themselves a spot in the final four where they came up against the hosts and ultimately dethroned them to take a 9-8 win in a match that went to penalty shootouts.

That win for coach Allderman’s team set them up for a showdown against Pearson. In the final, Hudson remained composed, used their opportunities, and claimed the win to overturn their seventh-place finish from last year’s tournament.

Forward, Kara Batting was awarded the attacker of the tournament after inspiring her side throughout the tournament.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus after the tournament, Allderman praised his team’s performance and believes the win will put them in good stead heading into the new season in 2025.

“Winning the Clarendon Stayers tournament was a goal the team had set out for themselves at the beginning of the term,” he said.

“It was a very special win for the girls, getting their first win as a team at first team level, at a local tournament with the support of the school, family, and friends.

“It meant a lot to the girls and was great to see the belief it instilled in them. They worked so hard for it, and when it counted, they played some of their best Polo, we couldn’t be prouder of their effort and their achievement.”

Heading into the tournament, Hudson had taken part in the National Co-Ed water polo tournament a week before.

There, they blazed through the pool stages, remained unbeaten, and recorded big wins against Crawford Lonehill and St. Peters College.

They were, however, eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing to Pearson, and finished the tournament ranked in seventh place.

” We couldn’t complain about the preparation leading up to the tournament as we had the Co-Ed tournament before and were playing in competitive matches,” the coach continued.

“In terms of at the tournament, there were no real challenges to note, other than inconsistency and not being able to string together a full match performance.”

The current Hudson Park team is a fairly young one with promising players coming into the fold and raising their hands ahead of the highly anticipated season in 2025.

For now, it’s the end of the season for some players, while three members of the team, Erin Batting, Rania Khan, and Mia Smith will represent Buffalo City at this year’s Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London in December.

“As a school, we are looking forward to how they perform on the National stage and are excited for them to learn and grow through their respective IPT coaches,” Allderman added.

“From a Hudson point of view, it is unfortunate we don’t have another tournament to work towards and build on the success from this past weekend, but we do have a great standard to work from and to build on for the season that kicks off early next year,” he ended.

After helping her side to some impressive results in 2024, DSG Makhanda star Abigail Holderness will be aiming to turn it up a notch when she captains her side in the 2025 hockey season.

Holderness, who made her first team debut for the school as a grade nine pupil in 2022, has been given the responsibility to lead the team next year by head coach Geowynne Gamiet.

Apart from her leadership duties on the field, Holderness will also assume the responsibility of being the Head Day Girl and will be involved in the Sports Prefects Portfolio.

All of this comes after a stellar season during which she shone for her school and the provincial team at the annual SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein in June. She played a pivotal role in several matches, found the back of the net regularly, played alongside her sister, Lucy, and was included in the SA Schools’ u17 squad to top off a season to remember.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus, she reflected on the year that was for the DSG first side. “It was a really good season. It had its ups and downs, but I enjoyed it,” said Holderness.

“We played some of our best hockey. I do think we were unfortunate in many matches when we didn’t take our chances, but all in all, I think we did well, and I’m happy with how it went.”

The 17-year-old started playing hockey outside her home at the age of four, trying things out with a stick and ball. Growing up, she attended Junior Prep when she was of pre-primary age. Then, in grade four, she moved to DSG.

“I made my first team debut after the Covid-19 pandemic died down a bit, and it was very difficult,” Holderness said.

“It had always been a dream for me to play for DSG. I remember when I was young in Junior Prep, I used to look up to the first team girls, and I would always watch their matches sitting on the benches.

“After my first game, I never looked back, and I’ve been very happy representing my school, and helping my team in every way I can.”

In June, she represented the Eastern Province u18A side at the SASHOC National Week. Afterwards, she was named in the SA Schools’ u17 side.

Previously, Holderness had represented the province at inter-provincial tournaments in 2022 and 2023, during which time she made the SA Schools’ u16A side.

Coming from a small town like Makhanda has its challenges for hockey players. “I’ve had my ups and downs, I’ve had many challenges, and I have to remind myself all the time that great things take time – that’s a quote I reflect on,” Holderness said.

“It hasn’t always been easy. It’s been pretty difficult sometimes, but I love the journey and process of working hard to achieve my goals.

“In Makhanda, we don’t always have a lot of opportunities, and sometimes it’s a struggle to find places to play, and people to train with if, you want to get better. Many times I’ve had to work a lot on my own, and do my training with my sister and dad.”

Despite those challenges, Holderness has excelled and separated herself from the pack. Since her debut, she’s scored 82 goals for the first team, and 42 of those came this season, during which she also inspired her side to the Spar Hockey Challenge title in July.

She has also enjoyed playing in the same team with her sister, Lucy, and Abigail believes it helps to have a family member to lift her when things aren’t going her way.

Casting an eye towards next season, Holderness said she wants to lead her team honourably and to continue to contribute as much as she can.

“I have been given the opportunity to captain my team next year, and I’m looking forward to playing with my sister again, having a new team, and new goals.”

“It’s sort of a fresh start to make the most of everything. I’ve got my personal goals that I would like to achieve, but the main thing is to go out there, have fun, enjoy my matric year, help the team, and put DSG on the map,” she concluded.

The Rhenish Girls’ High School‘s first hockey side had a season to savour in 2024 after finishing the year in the best way possible by laying claim to the number-one status in schoolgirls’ hockey in South Africa.

Their season’s biggest highlight and achievement was claiming top honours at the annual Fairtree Super 12 tournament, hosted by Oranje Meisieskool, in Bloemfontein, in August.

Heading into that tournament, coach Chris Gerber‘s side was high in confidence after a strong season in the Western Cape, and they were hunting their first Super 12 title. Previously, their best finishes had been fourth in 2019 and 2023.

In Bloemfontein, they played some of their best hockey, dominating during the pool stages and managing the knockout games well before winning the final 3-1 in a penalty shootout after ending regulation time against St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) at 1-1.

“We’ve had some amazing moments during the year,” Gerber told SuperSport Schools Plus while reflecting on his team’s season.

“For the first time, we managed to beat Oranje this year and that was a big stepping stone we took, to know we can be the best team in the country. We had so many highlights but winning the Super 12 was the biggest.”

Rhenish was undeniably one of the top teams of 2024. They played 50 matches, lost only twice, and scored 37 wins, with 11 matches finishing in draws.

Their attack was on fire, scoring a whopping 160 goals, while their defence was not just rock-solid, it was miserly. They conceded only 16 goals.

Gerber credited the first team’s success to the growing hockey programme at Rhenish. “We had a lot of goals for this young team, and the first was to make sure they establish themselves as good players and understand the structures and values we have as a team,” he said.

“We believed from the outset we could be one of the best teams in the country, and we just had to make sure that the girls truly believe that and work hard to be consistent in every match they play.

“We have an amazing hockey culture at Rhenish,” he continued, “and we started this journey a few years ago.  and everyone bought into that and the girls are taking it into their stride and making a difference on all fronts. The girls are extremely motivated and determined I really believe that sets us apart from the rest.”

On their way to the impeccable season, the Stellenbosch outfit was captained by the influential Leah du Plessis, alongside her deputy Puck Bakker.

The two led the team to some memorable wins, a second-place finish at the All Girls Festival, Derby victories against the likes of Fairmont High 10-0, Parel Vallei 2-0, HMS Bloemhof 3-0, and Rustenburg Girls’ High 4-1 in their final match of the year.

“It’s always difficult to single out players as we had a team of 15 superstar players that all stepped up.”

“Our Captain Leah du Plessis has been a standout player, and to lead a young team to win the Super 12 is no easy fate. What impressed me the most about her is that she steps up in the big moments, she is one to watch for the future.”

“Her deputy Puck Bakker has been a rock in our team. She has had so many disappointments over the year where she was overlooked for a provincial team but she showed she is as good as anyone in every tournament we played in and she was a kingpin in our team.”

Rhenish will keep a bulk of their team heading into 2025, with Kaitlyn van Binsbergen being the only player who’s in Grade 12 and is leaving the school at the end of the year.

Gerber paid credit to the youngster and believes she has a bright future in whichever direction she opts to go in.

“Kaitlyn has been such a wonderful player to have in the team. Not only is she an incredible goal scorer but she has also had such an impact in the side over the years.”

“We will definitely miss her, however, we know she will be successful no matter what as she has the character, determination, and willpower to be successful in anything she takes on.”

Rhenish will enter the 2025 season with a target on their back, however, with a strong team that knows each other, they could well again cause problems for many schools in the country. Until then, we wait and see.

RHENISH FIRST GIRLS’ HOCKEY RESULTS FOR 2024
Results Summary
Date			Score		Opponent		Outcome
1-Mar	Series		3	0	Fairmont		W
2-Mar	Series		6	0	Fairmont		W
8-Mar	Friendly		18	1	Wynberg		W
9-Mar	Friendly		5	0	Springfield		W
14-Mar	Gregg B		4	1	Clarendon		W
15-Mar	Gregg B		3	0	DSG Makhanda		W
15-Mar	Gregg B		5	1	Eunice		W
16-Mar	Gregg B		4	0	Pearson		W
16-Mar	Gregg B		4	0	Affies		W
26-Mar	Friendly		2	0	WPCC		W
27-Mar	Friendly		5	0	Van Der Stel		W
4-Apr	St Mary’s		0	0	Waterkloof		D
4-Apr	St Mary’s		4	0	St John’s		W
4-Apr	St Mary’s		1	1	Garsfontein		D
5-Apr	St Mary’s		2	0	Somerset		W
5-Apr	St Mary’s		1	0	St Andrew’s		W
5-Apr	St Mary’s		1	0	Oranje		W
5-Apr	St Mary’s		4	0	Pietermaritzburg		W
6-Apr	St Mary’s		2	2	St Mary’s Kloof		D
6-Apr	St Mary’s		0	0	St Stithians		D
6-Apr	St Mary’s		0	1	Paarl Gim		L
7-Apr	St Mary’s		1	1	Affies		D
7-Apr	St Mary’s		1	0	St Annes		W
12-Apr	Derby		2	0	DF Malan		W
22-Apr	Derby		3	0	Springfield		W
25-Apr	Derby		4	0	Pearson		W
26-Apr	Derby		6	0	Woodridge		W
28-Apr	Derby		4	0	Collegiate		W
2-May	All Girls		13	0	Jeppe		W
2-May	All Girls		1	1	Bloemhof		D
2-May	All Girls		2	0	Danville Park		W
2-May	All Girls		1	0	Durban Girls HS		W
3-May	All Girls		5	0	Wynberg		W
3-May	All Girls		0	0	Oranje		D
4-May	All Girls		0	0	Affies		D
13-May	Derby		2	0	Herschel		W
17-May	Derby		10	0	Fairmont		W
24-May	Derby		2	0	Parell Vallei		W
18-Jul	Derby		2	1	Paarl Girls’ High		W
20-Jul	Derby		2	3	Paarl Gim		L
26-Jul	Derby		3	0	Bloemhof		W
1-Aug	Derby		3	0	Somerset College		W
8-Aug	Top 12		3	1	St Anne’s		W
8-Aug	Top 12		3	0	Menlo		W
8-Aug	Top 12		0	0	Eunice		D
9-Aug	Top 12		4	0	St Stithians		W
9-Aug	Top 12		1	1	Durban Girls College		D
10-Aug	Top 12		3	0	Waterkloof		W
10-Aug	Top 12		1	1	St Mary’s Kloof		D
17-Aug	Derby		4	1	Rustenburg		W
Games Played		50
Games Won		37
Games Lost		2
Games Drew		11
Goals For		160
Goals Against		17
Clean Sheets		36
PC A Goals		60
Field Goals		92
Penalty Stroke goals		6
PC Goals Against		9
Field Goals Against		8
Penalty Stroke Against		1

Bishops Diocesan College‘s first team water polo head coach, Jabulani Sibiya, and his team made history on Monday when they became the first-ever Bishops’ team to win the annual SACS Water Polo Tournament after defeating Gauteng’s St John’s College 5-2 in the final at the SACS Aquatic Centre in Cape Town.

Bishops, who led 3-1 at half-time, scored twice in the second half and restricted their opponents to only one more goal to secure the win.

The victory opened up a place for Sibiya and troops in the history books as it made them the first Bishops team to win the title since the event’s inception in 1984.

Rewatch the action on SuperSportSchools.

On their journey to the final, Sibiya’s team was in top form. They dominated Pool B, which included St Stithians College, Rondebosch Boys’ High, and Hilton College, who were also playing at a high level.

Bishops played nine pool matches, won seven of them, drew 5-5 against Saints, and lost 3-5 against ‘Bosch in their final pool match on Monday.

In Pool A, St John’s impressed from the start and was favoured by some to go all the way. Coach Vlado Trninic‘s side stacked eight wins against a single defeat in their pool outings to finish in first place in the group ahead of SACS, Wynberg Boys’ High, and Paul Roos Gimnasium.

In the quarterfinals, they took on KwaZulu-Natal’s Hilton College, and edged them 4-3, while Bishops beat the hosts and defending champions, SACS, 4-2 to set up a semifinal clash against their rivals, Rondebosch Boys’ High. It was an opportunity to avenge their earlier loss to ‘Bosch in their last Pool A clash.

Sibiya’s side, sniffing an opportunity to make history, pulled out all the stops in their second showdown with Rondebosch, recording a nervy 3-1 win. St John’s, meanwhile, beat their Johannesburg rivals, St Stithians, 8-5 in the second semifinal to set up a thrilling finale between the table-topping teams.

Getting off to a good start was important in the title decider and it was Bishops who seized the early initiative. With only a minute on the clock, Thomas Truter opened the scoring for the Cape side. But Ross Rovelli pulled one back for St John’s.

Just before half-time, Bishops upped their game to score twice through their skipper, Ross Stewart, and the dangerous Timothy Young. Then, early in the second half, Young made it a double. St John’s hit back with a goal through Nicholas Searle, which kept their title hopes alive.

Those hopes were quickly dashed by Young, however, He completed his hattrick, before some resolute defending and great shot-stopping by goalkeeper Jordan de Sousa sealed the win for Bishops.

In the third/fourth play-off, St Stithians defeated Rondebosch Boys’ High 5-2 to take home the bronze medal.

Monday’s results included Selborne College finishing strongly with a 7-1 win over St Benedict’s, while Clifton College defeated Grey High School.

Grey High, Grey College, and Parktown Boys’ High all finished without a win to their names, although both of the Greys managed draws.

DAY 3 | RESULTS 

September 23, 2024	SELBORNE vs ST BENEDICTS	7 – 1	POOL A
September 23, 2024	PARKTOWN vs ST ALBANS	0 – 4	POOL A
September 23, 2024	ST DAVIDS vs PRETORIA BOYS	4 – 3	POOL B
September 23, 2024	CLIFTON vs GREY PE	4 – 3	POOL B
September 23, 2024	ST JOHNS vs NORTHWOOD	4 – 3	POOL A
September 23, 2024	ST ANDREWS vs WYNBERG	2 – 3	POOL A
September 23, 2024	ST STITHIANS vs JEPPE	3 – 2	POOL B
September 23, 2024	HILTON vs GREY COLLEGE	6 – 0	POOL B
September 23, 2024	SACS vs PAUL ROOS	7 – 1	POOL A
September 23, 2024	BISHOPS vs RONDEBOSCH	3 – 5	POOL B
September 23, 2024	WYNBERG vs ST STITHIANS	3 – 4	QF 1
September 23, 2024	SACS vs BISHOPS	2 – 4	QF 2
September 23, 2024	ST JOHNS vs HILTON	4 – 3	QF 3
September 23, 2024	PAUL ROOS vs RONDEBOSCH	5 – 6	QF 4
September 23, 2024	ST STITHIANS vs ST JOHNS	5 – 8	SF 1
September 23, 2024	BISHOPS vs RONDEBOSCH	3 – 1	SF 2
September 23, 2024	ST STITHIANS vs RONDEBOSCH	5 – 2	Play-off
September 23, 2024	ST JOHNS vs BISHOPS	2 – 5	FINAL

Day two of the annual SACS Water Polo Tournament, proudly sponsored by Hussar Grill, delivered a number of upsets, but the favourites, who began the tournament on a high, continued their dominance ahead of the final day in the pool.

Saturday’s matches finished with four teams unbeaten after four matches each, but as fatigue crept in on day two the only team to maintain that unbeaten status was Bishops Diocesan College.

They played a further four matches on Sunday, winning three of them – 3-0 against St David’s Marist Inanda, 4-2 against Hilton College, and 5-3 against Jeppe High School for Boys.

They were, however, held to an exciting 5-5 draw by  St Stithians College. Despite that result, coach Jabulani Sibiya‘s side qualified for the quarterfinals with one pool match remaining on Monday against their great rivals, Rondebosch Boys’ High.

Speaking of ‘Bosch and Saints, both teams remain in contention for the last eight after recording impressive results on day two.

In Pool B, they sit behind Bishops, who have 15 points, with 14 and 13 points respectively, after losing one match each on Sunday. Saints went down 1-4 to Clifton, but they were on the right end of the result when they beat Rondebosch 6-1.

Hilton College, after eight matches, is in fourth place in Pool B with 10 points, following five victories and three defeats. Behind them, in fifth, on eight points, is Clifton College, who have been somewhat up and down. Third last year, they now need to rely on bottom of the pool Grey College beating Hilton on Monday to see them through to the quarterfinals. That seems unlikely.

There was plenty of drama in Pool A on Sunday, which, when it was done, left two teams fighting it out for fourth place and a spot in the last eight.

Selborne College, who enjoyed a strong opening day, find themselves in fifth place, on nine points, and at risk of missing out on the quarterfinals for a second year running.

The East London side came up a little short, facing a tough slate of games. They went 2-5 down to Wynberg Boys’ High, lost 2-3 against St John’s College, and drew 4-4 with SACS before defeating St Alban’s College 6-1.

After Sunday’s action, the top four teams in Pool A are, in order, St John’s College, with 14 points, SACS, with 13, who lead Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) on goal difference, and Wynberg Boys’ High, on 11.

St John’s continued their strong form, losing only one match on the day by a single goal against Paul Roos, while SACS and PRG, last year’s finalists, picked up crucial wins to nail down quarterfinals places with one pool match to go.

There will be 10 matches played on Monday, five in each pool, before the tournament enters its business end with the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final, which is scheduled for 14:30.

All the action will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

DAY 2 | RESULTS

September 22, 2024	GREY PE vs JEPPE	4 – 6	POOL B
September 22, 2024	BISHOPS vs ST DAVID’S	3 – 0	POOL B
September 22, 2024	ST STITHIANS vs CLIFTON	1 – 4	POOL B
September 22, 2024	SELBORNE vs WYNBERG	2 – 5	POOL A
September 22, 2024	ST ANDREW’S vs SACS	3 – 4	POOL A
September 22, 2024	ST BENEDICTS vs ST ALBANS	2 – 2	POOL A
September 22, 2024	ST JOHN’S vs PAUL ROOS	4 – 5	POOL A
September 22, 2024	PRETORIA BOYS vs GREY COLLEGE	3 – 2	POOL B
September 22, 2024	NORTHWOOD vs PARKTOWN	5 – 0	POOL A
September 22, 2024	SELBORNE vs SACS	4 – 4	POOL A
September 22, 2024	RONDEBOSCH vs HILTON	5 – 3	POOL B
September 22, 2024	ST DAVID’S vs GREY PE	5 – 3	POOL B
September 22, 2024	ST JOHN’S vs ST ANDREW’S	8 – 4	POOL A
September 22, 2024	NORTHWOOD vs ST ALBAN’S	4 – 1	POOL A
September 22, 2024	PRETORIA BOYS vs JEPPE	4 – 4	POOL B
September 22, 2024	BISHOPS vs HILTON	4 – 2	POOL B
September 22, 2024	WYNBERG vs ST BENEDICT’S	3 – 2	POOL A
September 22, 2024	PAUL ROOS vs PARKTOWN	9 – 0	POOL A
September 22, 2024	ST STITHIANS vs RONDEBOSCH	6 – 1	POOL B
September 22, 2024	CLIFTON vs GREY COLLEGE	8 – 1	POOL B
September 22, 2024	SELBORNE vs ST JOHN’S	2 – 3	POOL A
September 22, 2024	WYNBERG vs ST ALBAN’S	3 – 1	POOL A
September 22, 2024	ST DAVID’S vs JEPPE	5 – 4	POOL B
September 22, 2024	SACS vs ST BENEDICT’S	11 – 2	POOL A
September 22, 2024	PAUL ROOS vs NORTHWOOD	4 – 3	POOL A
September 22, 2024	BISHOPS vs ST STITHIANS	5 – 5	POOL B
September 22, 2024	HILTON vs GREY PE	9 – 3	POOL B
September 22, 2024	CLIFTON vs PRETORIA BOYS	8 – 4	POOL B
September 22, 2024	ST JOHN’S vs PARKTOWN	12 – 0	POOL A
September 22, 2024	SELBORNE vs ST ALBAN’S	6 – 1	POOL A
September 22, 2024	RONDEBOSCH vs GREY COLLEGE	7 – 1	POOL B
September 22, 2024	ST ANDREW’S vs ST BENEDICT’S	4 – 3	POOL A
September 22, 2024	BISHOPS vs JEPPE	5 – 3	POOL B
September 22, 2024	SACS vs NORTHWOOD	6 – 3	POOL A
September 22, 2024	HILTON vs PRETORIA BOYS	9 – 4	POOL B
September 22, 2024	CLIFTON vs ST DAVID’S	1 – 3	POOL B
September 22, 2024	RONDEBOSCH vs GREY PE	3 – 1	POOL B
September 22, 2024	PAUL ROOS vs WYNBERG	2 – 2	POOL A
September 22, 2024	ST ANDREW’S vs PARKTOWN	7 – 1	POOL A
September 22, 2024	ST STITHIAN’S vs GREY COLLEGE	9-1	POOL B

Click HERE for day three’s fixtures.

Gauteng’s St John’s College and St Stithians College, along with the Western Cape’s Bishops Diocesan College and Rondebosch Boys’ High, were the only teams to win all four of their matches on the opening day of the SACS Water Polo Tournament, proudly sponsored by Hussar Grill, in Cape Town on Saturday.

The tournament, which pits 20 of the best water polo-playing schools against each other, runs through to Monday, with the final scheduled for 14:30.

Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

The opening day, as expected, delivered fireworks as teams battled for position in their pools, while aiming to build momentum ahead of day two.

Pool A, which features last year’s champions and hosts, SACS, Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), Selborne College, and Wynberg Boys’ High, was dominated by St John’s College.

The Gauteng side, led by Jon-Marc de Carvalho and the experienced Vlado Trninic, was in top form and showed their dominance from the get-go, beating St Benedict’s College 7-1 in their opener.

They added another three wins, beating St Alban’s College 5-0, before edging out SACS, 5-4, and completing their day with a resounding 6-2 win over Wynberg Boys’ High.

Sunday sees St John’s take on Paul Roos, Parktown Boys’ High, Northwood, St Andrew’s College, and Selborne College.

There are three teams just behind St John’s in Pool A, Selborne College, SACS, and Paul Roos. They each managed three wins from their four outings.

Selborne lost 2-3 to Northwood later in the day, while PRG went down 1-4 against Selborne, and SACS lost to St John’s.

The bottom three teams on the Pool A log are Parktown Boys’ High and St Alban’s College, who are without a win, and Makhanda’s St Andrew’s College, who scored a win, a draw, and two defeats in their four outings.

Pool B has taken on a similar narrative to Pool A, although it includes three teams – Bishops, St Stithians College, and Rondebosch -with perfect records after Saturday’s heavy programme.

Coach Jabulani Sibiya‘s Bishops side is among the favourites and they didn’t disappoint, scoring four convincing victories, beating  Grey College 8-2, Grey High 7-3, Clifton College 4-1, and Pretoria Boys High 8-2.

St Stithians was also in top form. They opened their account with a 3-1 win against Grey High and followed up with a 7-0 win over Pretoria Boys’ High. Then, they sneaked a 4-3 win over Hilton College and won 5-1 against St David’s Marist Inanda.

Rondebosch also made it four wins out of four matches with a last-minute victory over Clifton College in the final match of the day.

The second day’s action at the SACS Aquatics Centre starts early on Sunday morning, with Grey High tackling Jeppe High School for Boys at 07:10.

GROUPS

Pool A: Northwood School, Parktown Boys’ High, Paul Roos Gimnasium, SACS, Selborne College, St Alban’s College, St Andrew’s College, St Benedict’s College, St John’s College, Wynberg Boys’ High.

Pool B: Bishops Diocesan College, Clifton College, Grey High School, Grey College, Hilton College, Jeppe High School for Boys, Pretoria Boys High, Rondebosch Boys’ High, St David’s Marist Inanda, St Stithians College.

DAY 1 | RESULTS

September 21, 2024	ST ANDREW’S vs NORTHWOOD	2 – 2	POOL A
September 21, 2024	SACS vs WYNBERG	4 – 3	POOL A
September 21, 2024	RONDEBOSCH vs PRETORIA BOYS	9 – 3	POOL B
September 21, 2024	HILTON vs ST DAVID’S	5 – 3	POOL B
September 21, 2024	SELBORNE vs PARKTOWN	8 – 0	POOL A
September 21, 2024	ST JOHN’S vs ST BENEDICT’S	7 – 1	POOL A
September 21, 2024	BISHOPS vs GREY COLLEGE	8 – 2	POOL B
September 21, 2024	ST STITHIANS vs GREY PE	3 – 1	POOL B
September 21, 2024	PAUL ROOS vs ST ALBAN’S	4 – 1	POOL A
September 21, 2024	WYNBERG vs NORTHWOOD	3 – 2	POOL A
September 21, 2024	CLIFTON vs JEPPE	4 – 3	POOL B
September 21, 2024	RONDEBOSCH vs ST DAVID’S	4 – 1	POOL B
September 21, 2024	SACS vs PARKTOWN	16 – 0	POOL A
September 21, 2024	PAUL ROOS vs ST BENEDICT’S	4 – 1	POOL A
September 21, 2024	ST STITHIANS vs PRETORIA BOYS	7 – 0	POOL B
September 21, 2024	BISHOPS vs GREY PE	7 – 3	POOL B
September 21, 2024	ST JOHN’S vs ST ALBAN’S	5 – 0	POOL A
September 21, 2024	SELBORNE vs ST ANDREW’S	6 – 4	POOL A
September 21, 2024	GREY COLLEGE vs JEPPE	2 – 5	POOL B
September 21, 2024	HILTON vs CLIFTON	5 – 2	POOL B
September 21, 2024	WYNBERG vs PARKTOWN	12 – 0	POOL A
September 21, 2024	ST JOHN’S vs SACS	5 – 4	POOL A
September 21, 2024	PRETORIA BOYS vs GREY PE	4 – 4	POOL B
September 21, 2024	RONDEBOSCH vs JEPPE	6 – 2	POOL B
September 21, 2024	ST ANDREW’S vs ST ALBAN’S	1 – 0	POOL A
September 21, 2024	SELBORNE vs PAUL ROOS	4 – 1	POOL A
September 21, 2024	BISHOPS vs CLIFTON	4 – 1	POOL B
September 21, 2024	ST STITHIANS vs HILTON	4 – 3	POOL B
September 21, 2024	NORTHWOOD vs ST BENEDICT’S	3 – 4	POOL A
September 21, 2024	ST JOHN’S vs WYNBERG	6 – 2	POOL A
September 21, 2024	ST DAVID’S vs GREY COLLEGE	5 – 2	POOL B
September 21, 2024	ST ANDREW’S vs PAUL ROOS	1 – 2	POOL A
September 21, 2024	HILTON vs JEPPE	8 – 3	POOL B
September 21, 2024	SELBORNE vs NORTHWOOD	2 – 3	POOL A
September 21, 2024	BISHOPS vs PRETORIA BOYS	8 – 2	POOL B
September 21, 2024	ST STITHIANS vs ST DAVID’S	5 – 1	POOL B
September 21, 2024	GREY PE vs GREY COLLEGE	4 – 4	POOL B
September 21, 2024	ST BENEDICT’S vs PARKTOWN	6 – 2	POOL A
September 21, 2024	SACS vs ST ALBAN’S	6 – 1	POOL A
September 21, 2024	RONDEBOSCH vs CLIFTON	5 – 4	POOL B

Click HERE for day two’s fixtures.

South Africa’s top 20 water polo-playing schools have assembled in the Western Cape for the highly anticipated SACS Water Polo Tournament.

The annual tournament, hosted at the SACS Aquatic Centre in the southern suburbs of Cape Town, kicks off on Saturday, 21 September, and ends on Monday, with the final scheduled for 14:30.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

The tournament promises to deliver fireworks. Almost all of the teams will feel they have a shot at top honours, while many of the coaches and players will use it to help prepare themselves for the forthcoming Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London at the end of the year.

Last year’s champions, SACS, will be aiming to win back-to-back titles for the first time in 35 years. The last time they pulled off the feat, they shared the 1989 title with Westville Boys’ High.

In last year’s tournament, coach Devon Card‘s side defeated Paul Roos Gimnasium 6-3 in the final behind four goals from the reliable Nicholas Fall, while Conor Melling-Williams and Zack Cicero also got their names onto the scoresheet.

This year, SACS has been drawn in a tough Pool A, and they will need to bring their A-game consistently if they are to claim the title again.

They’ll have to get past Northwood School, and the Gauteng quartet of St Alban’s College, St Benedict’s College, Parktown Boys’ High, and a dangerous St John’s College team.

St John’s, led by Jon-Marc de Carvalho and the experienced Vlado Trninic, will likely pose the stiffest challenge to the home side. They won the SACS Tournament in 2022.

Pool A also features last year’s beaten finalist, Paul Roos, coached by Vaughn Marlow. Also in the Pool A lineup are the Eastern Cape’s St Andrew’s College and Selborne College.

Selborne College, under coach Storm Siebert, missed out on the quarterfinals last year. In their final match of the tournament, they defeated St Benedict’s College 7-2.

Makhanda’s St Andrew’s College won the tournament in 2014. They’re returning after a two-year absence in place of Kearsney College.

The group is completed by Wynberg Boys’ High, who will be aiming to stake their claim just a few kilometres away from their home waters.

Pool B is arguably the tougher group, and the room for error will be minimal.

The clear favourites to progress are coach Jabulani Sibiya‘s Bishops Diocesan College, Grey High, Rondebosch Boys’ High, and the KwaZulu-Natal duo of Clifton College and Hilton College, who finished third and fourth respectively in 2023.

Bishops, in last year’s event, were eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing 1-3 against coach Jason Sileno‘s Hilton College side. They will be out for redemption, and aiming to start their season on a high before the Clifton Water Polo Tournament later this month.

Clifton College and Gqeberha’s Grey High School are two interesting teams not to be taken lightly. Earlier this year, Clifton won the Vides Water Polo Tournament in East London. Coach Paul Martin will hope his side hits its stride before their home tournament in KZN next weekend.

Rondebosch Boys’ High will also enter the tournament with high hopes. They proved themselves against many of the teams they will face in the SACS tournament earlier this year when they won the Standard Bank King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament in Johannesburg, defeating St John’s College 11-7 in the final.

It could be a tough weekend for the likes of Jeppe High School for Boys, Pretoria Boys High, and St David’s Marist Inanda, while St Stithians College is an underdog that could spring some surprises.

The tournament’s opening clash will see St Andrew’s College take on Northwood School at 07:10.

Click HERE for all the fixtures.

GROUPS

Pool A: Northwood School, Parktown Boys’ High, Paul Roos Gimnasium, SACS, Selborne College, St Alban’s College, St Andrew’s College, St Benedict’s College, St John’s College, Wynberg Boys’ High.

Pool B: Bishops Diocesan College, Clifton College, Grey High School, Grey College, Hilton College, Jeppe High School for Boys, Pretoria Boys High, Rondebosch Boys’ High, St David’s Marist Inanda, St Stithians College.

When SuperSport Schools Plus caught up with South African College High School’s (SACS) hockey star, Litha Kraai earlier this year, he was preparing to represent Western Province at the u18 SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein.

At that tournament, Kraai was in top form, and he played a massive role in helping his team win their third u18 inter-provincial title in a row.

He was accurate and deadly in front of goal, finding the back of the net 10 times, which saw him finish the tournament as the second-highest goal scorer behind Boland’s Reuben Sendzul (Paul Roos Gimnasium), who topped the charts with 12 goals.

At the end of the tournament, Kraai was included in the SA Schools u18A side and was later also chosen for the SA u17 team, which will visit Malaysia later this year to compete in the Mirnawan Cup.

A lot has changed for Kraai since he sat down for a chat with SuperSport Schools Plus. His talent and skills have never been in doubt, but the national coaches are presenting him with more opportunities and greater responsibilities.

Over the past week, he helped the SA u21 men‘s team win the Senior Inter-Provincial Tournament for the first time in their history. In a nail-biting final, they defeated Southern Gauteng 2-1 on penalties after regulation time had finished level at 1-1.

Only a couple of days later, he was named in the South African Indoor Hockey Men’s squad for the forthcoming Nkosi Cup, which takes place in December, and next year’s FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, which will be played in Poreč, Croatia, in February.

[In case you missed it: Litha Kraai video interview]

He’s the only uncapped player in the squad, and his selection comes after Kraai showcased his skills and impressed the coaches at a preparation camp held in Cape Town last month.

“Being named in the team feels amazing. It’s a dream come true,” he told SuperSport Schools.

“It’s such a big deal for me, something I never imagined would happen. The support from the team and coaches has been incredible, and it motivates me to keep pushing myself every day.”

Earlier in the year, he represented the Western Province Men’s Indoor team. In field hockey, he turned out for the Langa Hockey Club and SACS, for whom he played a key role in helping the team to number one status in South Africa for a second season in succession. Beyond that, he was in action for the Western Province u18 side and the SA u21 team. No doubt, 2024 has been his busiest year yet.

Despite his busy workload, motivation is not hard to come by, Kraai said.

“What has kept me going this season is the passion for the sport, the desire to improve, and the camaraderie with my teammates,” he shared.

“Even during tough times, the love for the game and the shared goals with the team keeps me motivated and focused.”

One slight drawback of his selection for the SA Men’s Indoor team is that the Nkosi Cup clashes with the Mirnawan Cup, so Kraai, who was part of the 2023 tournament in Malaysia, has withdrawn from this year’s event.

Instead, he will make his bow for the national Indoor team in the Nkosi Cup in December before the focus shifts to February’s Indoor World Cup.

“With playing in the Indoor Men’s team, my ultimate goal is to strive for excellence, to push my limits, and to contribute to the team’s success,” Kraai said.

“I want to improve my skills, learn from every experience, and hopefully, together, we can achieve great things on the court,” he concluded.

SA Indoor Hockey Mens Squad – Nkosi Cup & FIH Indoor World Cup

Name	Caps	Name	Caps
Rusten Abrahams	37	Dayaan Cassiem	36
Mustapha Cassiem	36	Cullin de Jager	3
Lerou Dithakanyane	3	Justin Domleo	60
Jethro Eustice	53	Keegan Hezlett	35
Litha Kraai	0	Dalpiarro Langford	25
Hans Neethling	3	Anton van Loggerenberg	26

Images used in this article are credited to Enhanced Sports Media (ES Media).

For more information about ES Media, contact: jonty@enhancedsports.co.za