Author: asawula

Reddam House Constantia’s girls’ senior water polo head coach Connor Whiting lauded his side’s ability to work as a team after they defeated their rivals, Herschel Girls School, 6-4 in the final of the Mackenzie Cup in Cape Town on Sunday.

The annual tournament, hosted by Reddam at the school’s Indoor Aquatics Centre, brought together 16 top teams in search of early-season silverware.

Despite the hungry opposition, it was the home side that rose to the occasion and did themselves proud in front of their home supporters.

Drawn in Pool A, they made short work of Rhenish, Pearson High, and Somerset College, dominating them on their way to the quarterfinals.

In the last eight, they came up against Rustenburg Girls’ High School. Raising their game to match the higher stakes, they scored a whopping 18 goals while conceding only four.

Olivia Geddes was in top form in that quarterfinals’ clash, netting five times, while Abigail Weatherall, Holly Strydom, and Bailey Donnachie all came away with hattricks. Captain Erin-Bella Nordgaard contributed a brace, and Abigail Bester and Summer Wain completed the drubbing.

In the semi-finals, the hosts faced their toughest test until then, Durban Girls’ College, while Herschel took on DSG Makhanda.

With expectations high, as the tournament drew towards its conclusion, Reddam didn’t disappoint their supporters and put on a show to dismantle the defending champions 11-3.

In the other semifinal, Herschel was also dominant, handing DSG a 9-2 defeat to set up an exciting All-Cape final between two of the region’s traditional powers.

The final was largely controlled by the hosts, but it was goalless after the first chukka, with Reddam staying in the contest thanks to a combination of good defending and goalkeeping from Iviwe Oduore.

When Herschel opened the scoring early in the second chukka, the hosts quickly replied through a Summer Wain penalty.

Olivia Geddes then gave Reddam the lead, scoring her side’s second goal with a superb shot from outside the box to deliver them a 2-1 advantage at the halfway mark.

The visitors responded in the third chukka and levelled matters before Holly Strydom edged Reddam ahead once more. The hosts, then, scored again through Geddes to make it 4-2 heading into the final chukka.

They didn’t look back, with Strydom striking for a second time in the contest before Geddes completed her hattrick to see the hosts to a tense 6-4 win.

“Teamwork was the big factor this weekend,” Whiting told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match.

“We were missing three of our top players, who are in China with the SA u18 team, so a lot of girls had to step up this weekend, and they did well.

“We had to work harder as a team. We’ve always had strong players, but I think we clicked well as a team for the first time in a long time, and that helped.”

Whiting said his message to his players was simple: “I just told the team to stay consistent and show teams respect, whether it’s a tough or easy game,” he revealed.

“We had to try and keep the same tempo throughout the tournament and not drop the performance, and that’s easier said than done.

“I do, however, think we did well by keeping the same tempo of performance throughout, even though we dominated the pool stages.”

Reddam will next turn their attention to the St Anne’s Water Polo Tournament, which takes place from Friday, 20 September to Sunday, 22 September.

They’re seeded in Pool D and will face the Western Cape duo of Wynberg Girls’ High School and Rhenish, as well as St Mary’s Waverley and St Mary’s DSG (Kloof).

The Rondebosch Boys’ High u15 water polo team put on a masterclass to dismantle Clifton College 10-2 in the final of the annual Ian Melliar Cup Water Polo Tournament in Cape Town on Sunday.

The tournament, which is hosted by Wynberg Boys High, returned this year for its 17^th edition, and, with a stacked line-up of the country’s best water polo-playing schools, it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Relive the action on SuperSport Schools.

On their way to the final, both Rondebosch and Clifton impressed in the pool stage.

However, it was ‘Bosch that shone from the get-go, winning their five round-robin matches against Hilton College, St Andrew’s College, Glenwood House, St David’s Marist Inanda, and Pretoria Boys High.

The side, coached by Jordan Maehler and managed by Penny Ashwell, then faced Paul Roos Gimnasium in the quarterfinals and dominated that encounter to come away with a convincing 13-7 victory.

Rondebosch’s run of tough fixtures didn’t end there. In the semis, they had to overcome last year’s winners, Bishops Diocesan College, while Clifton took on the home team, Wynberg.

Coach Maehler’s side got the job done, beating their southern suburbs rivals, 13-8. Meanwhile, in the second semi-final, Clifton did just enough to edge out Wynberg 7-6.

The final was a different story, with ‘Bosch starting strongly and dominating the first half. At half-time, they led 4-0, courtesy of goals by Dante Moore, Kiaran Bennewith, and a brace from the dangerous Zack Labuschagne.

The second half was business as usual for the Cape side, despite Clifton showing fight, through Daniel Nothard and Nabil Bejia, up front.

Rondebosch scored their fifth through Jason Warneke before Ryan Lawlor made it six. Two goals in quick succession from Lincoln Burger and Mitchel Rodgers sparked Clifton back to life, giving them hope of staging a late comeback in the fourth chukka.

It was the local side that finished strongly, however, with four more goals in the quarter. The influential Noah Reiback finally got onto the scoresheet before Lawlor, and Warneke completed their doubles to extend the ‘Bosch advantage to 9-2 with two minutes to play.

Luke Jeffrey put the final nail in the coffin in the dying seconds of the match to deliver his side to an emphatic 10-2 win in front of their home supporters.

In the third/fourth play-off match between Bishops and Wynberg, it was Bishops who reigned supreme, scoring a 10-5 win to take home bronze.

Final Standings

Rondebosch Boys’ High
Clifton College
Bishops Diocesan College
Wynberg Boys’ High
Hilton College
Kearsney College
Paul Roos
Grey High
Reddam Constantia
SACS
Affies
St Andrew’s College
St Stithians College
St John’s College
Glenwood House
St David’s Marist Inanda
Paarl Boys’ High
Pretoria Boys’ High
Cape Town Invitational
St Alban’s College
Jeppe High School for Boys
Maritzburg College
Grey College
Wynberg u15 squad

The opening day of the annual u15 Ian Melliar Cup Water Polo Tournament, hosted by Wynberg Boys’ High, produced fireworks. Eight of the 24 teams started brightly by picking up two wins apiece.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools 

The defending champions, Bishops Diocesan College were extended in both of their Group C matches but came out with hard-fought wins, defeating Clifton College 7-4 before sneaking past Reddam House Constantia 5-4.

St Stithians College, who are also in Group C, kept their record clean, too, and in emphatic fashion.

Coach Carl Germishuys’s troops thumped a Cape Town Invitational side 11-2 in their opener and, later in the day, they cruised to a 13-2 victory over Bloemfontein’s Grey College to finish Thursday atop the group.

The hosts, Wynberg Boys’ High, and Kearsney College lead Group B.

After finishing third in last year’s tournament, Wynberg has set its sights on going all the way in 2024 and they kicked off their challenge with two resounding victories. They roared to an 11-2 win over Paarl Boys’ High before making it two out of two with a 7-3 victory against Affies.

Kearsney was pushed hard in their opener, a 4-3 win over Affies, but they blanked another Pretoria side, St Alban’s College, 13-0 in their second outing.

Meanwhile, Group A features Rondebosch Boys’ High and Hilton College at the top of the standings.

‘Bosch, in their first outing, thumped Makhanda’s St Andrew’s College 9-2 before outplaying Pretoria Boys High 11-2.

Hilton, also impressed, beating Glenwood House 10-5 before downing St Andrew’s 9-4.

Group D, which is arguably the group of death, was dominated by South African College High School (SACS) and Grey High School on Friday.

SACS secured an important win over a strong Paul Roos Gimnasium team, edging that contest 6-5, before overrunning Jeppe High School for Boys 9-0. Meanwhile, Grey High handed Jeppe a 6-1 loss and then concluded their day with a 6-3 win over St John’s College.

Results | Day 1

Group A

Rondebosch Boys High 9-2 St Andrew’s College
Rondebosch Boys High 11-2 Pretoria Boys High
Hilton College 10-5 Glenwood House
Hilton College 9-4 St Andrew’s College
St David’s Marist Inanda 5-3 Pretoria Boys High
St David’s Marist Inanda 5-5 Glenwood House

Group B

Kearsney College 4-3 Affies
Kearsney College 13-0 St Alban’s College
Wynberg Boys’ High 11-2 Paarl Boys High
Wynberg Boys’ High 7-3 Affies
Paarl Boys’ High 10-0 Wynberg u15 squad
St Alban’s College 10-0 Wynberg u15 squad

Group C

St Stithians College 11-2 CT Invitational
St Stithians College 13-2 Grey College
Bishops 7-4 Clifton College
Bishops 5-4 Reddam House
Reddam House  16-2 Grey College
Clifton College 12-4 CT Invitational

Group D

SACS 6-5 Paul Roos
SACS 9-0 Jeppe
Grey High 6-1 Jeppe
Grey High 6-3 St John’s College
St John’s College 13-3 Maritzburg College
Paul Roos 10-3 Maritzburg College

One of South Africa’s premier girls’ water polo tournaments, the Mackenzie Cup, will see 16 top teams battle it out for supremacy and bragging rights in Cape Town from Friday.

The annual tournament, hosted by Reddam House Constantia, features u19 matches taking place at the school’s Indoor Aquatic Centre, while the action in the u13 section of the tournament goes down in the outdoor pool.

The event kicks off on Friday morning and concludes with the final on Sunday, 15 September, at 14:30.

Catch it LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

This year’s tournament promises to captivate water polo enthusiasts in and around the Mother City, and a new format will add extra spice to the mix.

With another two teams on board, instead of the traditional two pools of seven teams each, the organisers, led by Nick Tinkler, have changed things around, creating four groups of four teams, with a round-robin stage, quarterfinals, and the finale.

The three-day event will pit some of the best water polo-playing schools in the country against each other.

The hosts, Reddam, are in Group A and will face Gqeberha’s Pearson High School, Rhenish Girls’ High, and Somerset College, who, along with Group C’s Fish Hoek, are the new additions to the tournament.

Reddam will be hoping to emulate the form that took them to a third-place finish at the Old Petrian’s Water Polo Tournament in Johannesburg earlier this year.

They will, however, have to do it without three influential, outstanding players, Hannah Banks, Emma Catto, and Roxanne Uys, who are all on national duty at the World Championships in China.

Group B is an exciting one and will feature three Cape sides – Wynberg Girls’ High, Springfield Convent School, and a Herschel Invitation team – in action. They’ll be up against the only school from KwaZulu-Natal, Durban Girls’ College (DGC), who are also the defending champions.

DGC, after winning the title in 2023, will, undoubtedly, be among the favorites to win the event. Earlier this year, they claimed gold at the National Aquatics Festival in Durban and they’re a dangerous outfit when firing on all cylinders.

Group C will be contested by Herschel, Clarendon High School for Girls, Rustenburg Girls’ High, and Fish Hoek.

Herschel won the Old Petrian’s Water Polo Tournament earlier this year and they will be brimming with confidence, although, like Reddam, they will also be without three star players who are in the SA u18 team – Amy van Breda, Alexa de Villiers, and Emily van Heerden. Herschel won the tournament back in 2022, and they’ll be keen to get their hands on the trophy once again.

Group D, meanwhile, features a couple of challengers from the Eastern Cape in Collegiate Girls’ High, and DSG Makhanda.

They’ll face a Reddam House Invitational side and St Cyprian’s, who are not to be underestimated.

The group’s action gets underway with an Eastern Cape derby when DSG takes on Collegiate at 09:00.

FIXTURES

Friday, 13 September 

Group A

07:00 – Pearson High vs Rhenish; 09:40 – Somerset College vs Reddam House; 12:20 – Pearson High vs Reddam House; 15:00 – Somerset College vs Rhenish; 17:40 – Pearson vs Somerset College; 19: 40 – Reddam House vs Rhenish.

Group B 

07:40 – Durban Girls College vs Herschel Invitational; 10:20- Wynberg Girls’ vs Springfield Convent School; 13:00 –Springfield Convent School vs Durban Girls School; 15:40 – Herschel Invitational vs Wynberg Girls’; 18:20 – Durban Girls College vs Wynberg Girls.

Group C

08:20 – Fish Hoek vs Clarendon; 11:00 – Herschel vs Rustenburg Girls; 13:40 – Fish Hoek vs Rustenburg Girls; 16:20 – Hershel vs Clarendon; 19:00 – Herschel vs Fish Hoek.

Group D

09:00 – DSG Makhanda vs Collegiate; 11:40 – Reddam Invitational vs St Cyprians; 14:20 – DSG Makhanda vs St Cyprians; 17:00 – Reddam Invitational vs Collegiate.

Saturday, 14 September 

Group B

07:40 – Springfield Convent vs Herschel Invitational.

Group C

08:20 – Rustenburg vs Clarendon.

Group D

07:00 – DSG Makhanda vs Reddam House Invitational; 09:00- Collegiate vs. St Cyprians.

Click HERE for the round-robin stages.

The annual u15 Ian Melliar Cup Water Polo Tournament, hosted by Wynberg Boys’ High, charges into action on Thursday, with 24 teams from around the country battling it out for top honours in the Mother City.

The highly anticipated tournament, which is entering its 17th year, commences on Thursday afternoon and finishes with the final at 12:20 on Sunday.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

In last year’s event, Bishops Diocesan College took home the trophy after defeating their arch-rivals South African College High School (SACS) 6-5 in a heated final.

The defending champions have been drawn in Pool C where they will face KwaZulu-Natal’s Clifton College, Grey College, St Stithians, Reddam House Constantia, and an Invitational side.

Bishops, coached by Sam Hansen and Tom Liefeldt, will be wary of the threats posed by an unpredictable group of opponents, which includes a number of sides from established water polo powerhouses, with Clifton and St Stithians appearing to be their most likely challengers.

As for SACS, they are in group D, arguably one of the toughest groups in the tournament. They’ll be up against St John’s College, their Western Cape rivals, Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), Maritzburg College, Jeppe High School for Boys, and Grey High.

Paul Roos will present a stiff challenge. They’re coached by Cameron Laurenson, and the experienced Vaughn Marlow, who is also the head coach of the PRG first team.

Grey High heads into the tournament in high spirits after recording a couple of emphatic wins over the past weekend. They thumped Pearson High 13-0 and Woodridge College 11-3 to set themselves up nicely for a crack at the prestigious title.

In Group A, there’s no outright favorite. But that’s not to say that quality is lacking. There’s plenty of it. Rondebosch Boys’ High represents the local interest, while Hilton College will likely be among the contenders. St David’s Marist Inanda and Makhanda’s St Andrew’s College present potential potholes for ‘Bosch and Hilton, while Pretoria Boys High and Glenwood House appear to have outside shots at winning the group.

Group B is tough. It boasts a strong line-up of teams and predicting a winner is well nigh impossible.

Wynberg, who finished third last year, after beating Paul Roos 8-5 in the bronze medal match will be aiming for an even higher finish, but they’re going to have their hands full as they set out to qualify for the right to play for the title. It won’t be an easy ride for coach Kwakhona Ngwanya and his Wynberg boys, but, with the backing of the home crowd, they’ll surely be in the mix at the business end of matters. 

Kearsney College could go all the way. Earlier this year, their u15 side won the Indigo Cup, facing the top teams in the country, including Bishops, SACS, and Paul Roos. It is worth noting, too, that the top four in that tournament featured two other KZN sides, both of whom will be in action in Cape Town, Hilton College, who placed second, and Clifton College, who finished fourth. Kearsney also had Thomas Aylward and Thomas Francke named in the SA u16 water polo side in April.

Affies could upset the apple cart, along with Paarl Boys’ High, St Alban’s College, and Selborne College, who claimed the cup just two years ago in 2022. 

The first match of the tournament sees Clifton College taking on Bishops Diocesan College at 13:00 on Thursday.

Click HERE for all the fixtures.

GROUPS

Group A: Glenwood House, Hilton College, Pretoria Boys’ High, Rondebosch Boys High, St David’s Marist Inanda, St Andrew’s College.
Group B: Affies, Kearsney, Paarl Boys High, Selborne College, St Alban’s College, Wynberg Boys High.
Group C: Bishops Diocesan College, Clifton College, Grey College, St Stithians College, CT Invitational, Reddam Constantia.
Group D: St John’s College, SACS, Paul Roos Gimnasium, Maritzburg College, Jeppe Boys High, Grey High.

The South African u18 water polo girls’ team will be aiming to make good use of a rare opportunity to compete on the global stage when they contest the World Aquatics Women’s u18 Water Polo Championships in Chengdu, China, from 15 to 22 September.

The 15-member squad includes players from Central Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, and the Eastern Cape.

They’ll be under the guidance of head coach Ismaeel Essa, who will be assisted by Central Gauteng‘s Kelsey Thomson, with Kagiso Musi serving as the team’s manager.

In March, in East London, after the South African Junior Water Polo Championship was won by Thomson’s side, who defeated Western Province 11-7 in the final, the squad was announced.

Amy Smith, Mia Loizides, Simpihwe Zulu, Ogechi McMurray (GK), and Anatasia Hambikis were selected after helping Central Gauteng claim the inter-provincial crown.

Western Province, with six – Hannah Banks, Emily van Heerden, Amy van Breda, Alexa de Villiers, Roxanne Uys, and Emma Catto – has the greatest representation in the national squad.

Kate Swainston-Harrison (GK) and Inge Southey, from KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape‘s Kiyara Campbell and Tori Voke complete the squad.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus ahead of the tournament, assistant coach Kelsey Thomson said despite some difficult obstacles, the team has prepared well and the girls are raring to go.

“That’s always been a difficult thing for us as national players in South Africa, not being funded and not always able to train together,” she said.

“However, we’ve managed to put things together, and what has been possible this time around is having training camps. We’ve had three over three months and there’s one more now before we leave, so we can’t complain about preparation.”

The South African team heads into the tournament as an underdog, but they will be out to cause an upset or two. Their ranks include players who have proven themselves in the spotlight, led by the Central Gauteng contingent, who helped their team to the Inter-Provincial Tournament title in Gqeberha in December 2023 before capturing the Currie Cup in East London in March.

“I think it brings a lot of confidence to the team because there are a few members of Central Gauteng and Western Province that were in the final of the IPTs and the Currie Cup,” Thomson said. “They were evenly matched in both matches and that will bring a lot of strength to the team.

“Everyone is looking in good shape, players are growing from camp to camp, and the confidence is there to see.”

South Africa’s tough challenge in China includes facing Thailand, Croatia, and Canada in their pool. Thompson said she wants the team to compete and to be competitive.

“We have strong teams in our pool, but we are hoping to do well and advance as best as we can in the tournament, We want to make sure we’ve implemented everything that we’ve put into training,” she explained.

“Any exposure to international water polo is important and it gives the coaches, players, and referees a chance to see what other countries are doing. Exposure to playing at a high level is what we need and learning from all those elements is important.

“We’ve always said we need more game time at this level, and now we have the opportunity.”

TEAM

Kate Swainston-Harrison and Inge Southey (KZN); Hannah Banks, Emily van Heerden, Amy van Breda, Alexa de Villiers, Roxanne Uys, and Emma Catto (Western Cape); Kiyara Campbell and Tori Voke (Eastern Cape); Amy Smith, Mia Loizides, Simpihwe Zulu, Ogechi McMurray, Anatasia Hambikis (all Central Gauteng)

Non-travelling reserves

Lucy Davis and Ruby Carlson (Central Gauteng);, Isabella Tooley and Isabella Murray (Western Cape); Caitlin McMurray and Kayla Andrews (KZN).

Management

Kagiso Musi – Team Manager
Ismaeel Essa – Head Coach
Kelsey Thompson/Assistant Coach

The annual South African Hockey Senior Inter-Provincial tournament, which kicks off this coming week in Johannesburg, will see some of the country’s best battling it out for the title.

The event is being hosted at St Stithians College and it runs through until Saturday, with the final happening at 16:20.

The action will be LIVE on DSTV Channel 207 and SuperSport Schools.

Among the many talented players set to take to the turf are four schoolboys who have delivered exceptional performances this season and excited hockey enthusiasts around the country.

They are Litha Kraai, from SACS, Paul Roos Gimnasium‘s Reuben Sendzul, Lumi Matwele, from Durban High School (DHS), and Matthew De Oliveira, from Kearsney College. They’ll be representing the South African u21 team.

The quartet secured their places in the squad after impressing recently appointed head coach, Guy Elliot, and the u21 selectors at a training camp held at St Alban’s College in July.

They’re no strangers to the competitive and intense level of senior hockey, having represented their clubs from a young age.

Kraai and Sendzul, both from the Western Cape, have been two of the standout players this year and helped their teams to massive success, often garnering the spotlight despite playing on very talented squads.

Kraai, who was a member of an exceptional SACS team last season, once again helped his school finish the season as the top side in the country. He’s been in prolific goalscoring form, both from the field and at penalty corner time. He’s also an imaginative player, with the ability to make something out of nothing, capable of turning the tide in a match with his skill and finishing.

Sendzul also enjoyed a magnificent season. It started slightly slowly, but once he hit his straps he slotted plenty of goals, helping Paul Roos to once again battle SACS for the number one position in South Africa. He’s quick, strong, aggressive, never gives up, and plays with what could be described as the “mamba mentality”. Sendzul is also blessed with big match temperament (BMT), which is a valuable asset for any coach.

The two KZN boys, Matwele and De Oliveira, also enjoyed superb seasons. DHS star Matwele operates in the midfield, although he, too, can play up front. He is remarkably composed on the ball, with superb individual skills and the ability to execute difficult skills seamlessly.

He was at the forefront of another strong season from DHS, which has become the primary contributor to KZN Coastal provincial teams.

Matthew De Oliveira was selected for SA Schools for a second year in succession and captained Kearsney College to an excellent season. He’s a workhorse in the midfield, effective on both ends of the park, and his engine is second to none. De Oliveira is also a tough tackler, a good distributor, and a regular goal-scorer.

He provides good leadership, too, and captained the KZN Coastal A side to a third-place finish at the SASHOC National Week. That leadership on the field stems from the example he sets as a player.

The SA u21 men’s team has been drawn in Pool B along with Southern Gauteng, Eastern Province, and Northern Blues.

They will open their challenge in the final match on Monday when they face the hosts, Southern Gauteng, at 19:30.

Dale College is known for its famous rugby programme, which has, over the years, produced, among others, Springboks’ Keegan Daniel, Gcobani Bobo, and recently, Aphelele Fassi.

It’s a programme that attracts plenty of talent from the Border region. And while rugby is the headline grabber, Dale’s hockey programme is on the up, having made impressive strides in 2024.

After a difficult 2023, the Dale 1st XI showed grit, passion, and a deep desire to win in 2024. While the results didn’t always go their way, the effort was never lacking.

There was a new look to the school’s coaching ranks at the beginning of the season. Junior Mqingwana assumed the role of head coach, assisted by  Nazo Mlakalaka and Mvume Mqingwana, with Sibulele Zingitwa doing duty as the team’s manager.

There was plenty of work to be done after a nightmarish 2023 campaign during which Dale was uncompetitive, which led to concerns about the future of the school’s hockey programme.

That made the goal for the year a simple one: to create an element of competitiveness within the team and to get hockey enthusiasts around the province talking about Dale College once again.

There were positive signs from the start of the season, with Dale producing some strong and promising results at the Tony Godding Festival in East London. There, Mqingwana and his troops remained undefeated, beating Voortrekker Bethlehem 4-0, Westering High 2-0, and Linden 5-0, before playing to a 1-1 draw with Curro Waterstone.

If Dale was serious about rebuilding their hockey programme, they would have to test themselves against some of the country’s leading teams, and that challenge awaited them at the Founders Festival at Kearsney College.

The record shows that the Eastern Cape side went down to Kearsney, Rondebosch Boys’ High, Affies, and Parktown before battling their way to a 1-1 draw with Northwood. Despite those defeats, the fight was there, a spirit to keep pressing and working, no matter the score. Over the course of the season, Mqingwana’s boys would have to tap into that well to stay the course.

Back home, in Qonce, Dale produced mixed results during the Eastern Cape season. There was a big loss to Grey High School, who powered to a 9-0 victory away from home, but the fire still burned inside for Dale, and their never-say-die attitude was rewarded in their very next outing against their old foes, Queen’s College. Despite playing away from home, Dale hung a 3-2 defeat on Queen’s at their rivals’ reunion in Komani.

The weeks that followed produced some tougher sledding for Mqingwana and his men. They were subjected to a heavy defeat by Selborne College and a series of narrow losses followed, against St Andrew’s College, Cambridge High, Stirling, and Hudson Park.

In each of those contests, the Qonce crew was not far off of achieving a win, but a few lapses of concentration and a lack of accuracy in front of goal proved costly. They were, however, competitive, which was a far cry from the tribulations of the previous season.

Despite those setbacks, Dale ended their season trending in the right direction again, scoring a 5-3 win against Merrifield College, which they followed with a comfortable 3-0 defeat of Graeme College.

Then, in their final match of the season, Dale hosted Queen’s in the Pink Day derby and secured a hard-fought 1-0 win to end the year by completing the double over their great rivals.

“The whole season was about getting the boys to believe in the structures that we’ve put in place,” Mqingwana told SuperSport Schools Plus as he reflected on the his team’s 2024 campaign.

“We had to get them back into the mindset of winning games and I feel that we’ve achieved that. We’re winning the big games now. It’s just the small games that we need to target.

“I feel we were unlucky against Kingswood, Cambridge, Stirling, and Hudson; those matches are probably our only unticked boxes this season.”

In 2025, Dale will welcome back the majority of their 1st XI. Mqingwana believes the group will be ready to take the next step.

“Next year, we’ll have a similar team, and most of the players have had experience from this season,” he said.

“It’s going to be challenging at times, but it should be a good season where we continue to build, and pick up from where we left off.”

Dale College in 2024

Tony Godding Festival

Dale 4-0 Bethlehem Voortrekker
Dale 5-0 Linden
Dale 2-0 Westering
Dale 1-1 Curro Waterstone

Founders Festival

Dale 0-5 Kearsney
Dale 0-2 Rondebosch Boys’ High
Dale 1-2 Affies
Dale 0-6 Parktown Boys’ High
Dale 1-1 Northwood

Season

Dale 0-9 Grey High
Dale 3-2 Queen’s College
Dale 1-10 Selborne College
Dale 1-2 St Andrew’s College
Dale 0-3 Cambridge High
Dale 2-3 Stirling High
Dale 1-3 Hudson Park
Dale 0-7 Selborne College
Dale 0-1 Kingswood College
Dale 5-3 Merrifield College
Dale 3-0 Graeme College
Dale 1-0 Queen’s College

After a challenging start to their hockey season, the Wynberg Boys’ High first hockey team played themselves into form and finished off their campaign with a string of stirring victories.

During the week, coach Ben Wiley’s boys outplayed Fairmont High 6-1. Then, on Friday night, in their final outing on the Astro of Dreams, they put DF Malan to the sword, romping to a 7-0 victory over the visitors.

Putting it all together in their final outing, Ethan Lee, Ethan Daniels, and Beni Hansen all delivered goals for Wynberg, while Dayle Gertson and Zach Gibbon doubled up, bagging a brace each.

Those wins came after a disappointing 0-5 defeat against their southern suburbs rivals, South African College High School (SACS), the week before, which was a rare blip in an outstanding second half of the season.

Before that clash, Wiley’s boys had been in superb form and they had, arguably, ended 2024 as the second-best team behind SACS in the south of the city.

Their form picked up in term three when action resumed after the SASHOC National Weeks.

On the first weekend, Wynberg had a bye, but they put their time to good use and were on song in a convincing 4-0 midweek win over the UK’s Repton School.

Then, on the weekend that followed, they welcomed Paarl Gimnasium, the winners of the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament, to their home turf. Wiley’s boys hit their straps, coming away with a convincing 4-2 win, courtesy of goals from the skipper Jordan Paulsen, Seth Trantraal, Zac Gibbon, and Dayyaan Brown.

The following week, Wynberg was set an important task of trying to level their season’s series against Bishops Diocesan College. In the sides’ first meeting, it was coach Ryan Julius’s team that had claimed an impressive 3-0 win over their rivals at the Woodlands AstroTurf.

Since that defeat, however, a lot had changed and Wynberg was now playing some of its best hockey of the season. They were intent on avenging that loss against a Bishops team that had lost its way after a searing start to their 2024 campaign.

Wynberg duly reversed their earlier loss and claimed a victory they desperately sought, with Paulsen and company outscoring their opponents 3-1. Liam Kleintjies netted the opener before the captain stole the spotlight by scoring twice in the second half.

As the season wound towards its conclusion, Wynberg added another southern suburbs’ scalp, scoring a narrow 1-0 win over Rondebosch Boys’ High.

Ahead of them lay the toughest challenge of their season, a meeting with an in-form SACS team, rated by many as the best side in South Africa, at The Brewery.

When the sides had clashed earlier in the season, Wynberg had held their own, going down just 0-1. On this occasion, though, playing away from home, they were overrun, with SACS storming to a 5-0 victory.

Wynberg needed to quickly put that result behind them as their last two matches approached. They did that, scoring 13 goals and conceding only once in their last two matches.

“The boys gelled in the second half of the season and, except for the SACS result, it was very positive,” Wiley told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“The start of this week was flat due to the SACS loss, but the boys rallied nicely and put the focus on the matrics’ last games as inspiration.”

Wiley identified one of the main reasons for his side’s third-term spurt, explaining: “The guys who came back from IPT came back to school hungry and ready to work hard for the badge. They added so much more to the team environment.”

Friday’s big win over DF Malan was the last outing for Wynberg’s grade 12 learners – Dayle Gertson, Ethan Lee, Jordan Paulsen, Zach Raizenberg, Dayyaan Brown, Beni Hansen, Caleb Schilder, and Liam Kleintjies – and they made sure they signed off in style to bring the curtain down on a 2024 campaign that saw the team playing to its potential in the latter stages of the season.

South African College High School (SACS) and Bishops Diocesan College claimed wins on the final weekend of the schoolboy hockey season in the southern suburbs to conclude their campaigns on a winning note.

SACS, as they have done the whole season, dialled up the intensity and recorded an emphatic 5-0 win over Wynberg Boys’ High at the Brewery Astroturf.

Meanwhile, Bishops were made to work hard for their 3-2 win over Rondebosch Boys’ High away from home.

The four southern suburbs teams have had contrasting campaigns, with SACS claiming victory against their three rivals during the season.

In the first installment of the southern suburbs’ derbies, coach Sam Holmes’ team took home a 3-0 win against Rondebosch before edging out Wynberg 1-0 in their final term two matches.

In the second half of the season, SACS turned up the tempo and ran rampant against ‘Bosch, scoring freely in their second meeting to record an emphatic 8-2 win before beating Bishops 3-0 earlier this month at the Woodlands Astroturf.

It has been another incredible season for SACS. They’ve finished it unbeaten at home and retained the Western Province u18 Premier League title. It was important to conclude it with a victory, to ensure the gloss remained on their achievements, especially facing Wynberg at home, and with both teams bidding farewell to their grade 12 players.

After a nervy start, with the visitors applying early pressure, SACS opened the scoring against the run of play when Litha Kraai intercepted the ball near the halfway line and dribbled almost 20 metres before entering the circle. He then rounded goalkeeper Zack Raizenberg to slot the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead after the first chukka.

The home side doubled their advantage in the second quarter through a Regan Wille goal, before Kraai made it 3-0 with a penalty stroke after he was fouled inside the circle by Raizenberg.

In the third chukka, Kraai completed his hattrick by converting another penalty stroke, and Connor van der Schyff added a further goal to make it 5-0 and put a bow on another supremely impressive season for the side from Newlands.

Elsewhere in Rondebosch, Bishops Diocesan College, after a rather disappointing second half of the season, was intent on ending the season on a high away from home.

In the third term, Bishops had suffered a 1-2 loss to Paul Roos, gone down 0-3 against SACS, 1-3 against Wynberg, and 1-2 to Paarl Gimnasium. After a blazing start to the season, they had gone off the boil.

The game against ‘Bosch, though, wasn’t only an opportunity to bounce back against their fierce rivals, it also presented coach Ryan Julius’s side with an opportunity to complete a double in the Bish-Bosch clash.

Bishops did it. Despite being made to dig deep in the latter stages of the game, they held on for a 3-2 win.

Their goals were scored by Thomas Malan, Joshua Mettler, and James Grieve.