Author: asawula

In front of a jam-packed roaring crowd filled with maroon blazers, second half strikes from Reuben Sendzul and Luke Oliver secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory for Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) over Grey College in a highly anticipated inter-schools derby on Friday night on the Maties AstroTurf in Stellenbosch.

Sendzul slotted a penalty stroke in the third chukka and Olivier put the cherry on the top for the home team with a late goal in fourth chukka.

Both sides were confident ahead of the showdown after both had produced outstanding seasons.

The hosts had lost only twice all season long, going down to Rondebosch Boys’ High in April before falling to South African College High School (SACS) a month later.

However, both of those defeats were on the road. At home, coach Michael Baker’s charges owned a pristine record.

Playing in Stellenbosch, they had overrun Wynberg Boys’ High 7-1, handed Paarl Boys’ High a 4-0 loss, defeated Bishops Diocesan College 2-0, cruised to an 8-0 win over Somerset College, and played to an enthralling 2-2 draw with SACS last month.

Baker, who introduced his philosophy of “Baker Ball” at Paul Roos this year had led PRG to an impressive season in his first as head of the hockey programme at the school, but one final hurdle awaited in the form of Grey College.

The Bloemfontein boys were eager to take a shot at Paul Roos after suffering a narrow 1-2 defeat in their derby in 2023. Their form was strong. In a midweek match, they had beaten Fichardtpark 4-0 to retain their Bloemfontein league title.

Before that success, they had finished as the runners-up at the Guschkie u18 Top Schools Tournament, going down 0-1 to Northwood School in the final.

However, a 1-0 victory Grey High, a 2-1 defeat of Affies, a 5-3 win over Selborne College in East London, and a 1-1 draw with Paarl Gimnasium would’ve assured coach Wayne Coetzee’s team that they could spoil the home side’s party.

In the first half of the contest on Friday evening, Grey successfully restricted Paul Roos, with their skipper Jaydon Leech and Wian du Plooy controlling matters for the visitors at the back.

There were opportunities for the adversaries to score in the second quarter, when both were awarded a penalty corner.

For PRG, a variation between Sendzul, and Christo Swanepoel was well handled by Grey, while Beor van Reenen made a spectacular save to keep out Matthias Visser’s drag flick on the other side of the turf.

Sendzul thought he had opened the scoring early in the third chukka after a thunderous reverse stick shot found its way into the back of the net. However, the goal was disallowed.

Minutes later, a scorching run by Barend Geldenhuys near the baseline forced the visitors into committing a foul, and the umpire signalled a penalty corner.

From the set piece, Sendzul’s drag flick struck Du Plooy’s arm on the goal line, and a penalty stroke was awarded. Sendzul took on the responsibility of handling the stroke and scored despite Wildré Lloyd diving in the right direction.

With one quarter to play, PRG held a 1-0 lead, but Grey kept probing as the game opened up. However, a late strike by Oliver, with less than two minutes remaining, sealed the win for Paul Roos.

“We knew it was going to be a physical game in the opening two chukkas and we would have to remain composed,” Sendzul told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match.

“We had to stick to our game plan. We had about two weeks to prepare for this game. We analysed Grey a lot, and I think what’s important is that when we got the opportunities we converted.

“The Grey boys always come out hard, and they fought again for their school, but I’m happy for the [Paul Roos] boys.”

Sendzul is one of nine players who will bid PRG farewell at the end of the year.

He, Beor van Reenen, Hano Basson, Louan van Zyl, Daniel Lurie, Keith Siebrits, Joshua Smit, Barend Geldenhuys, and Luke Oliver won their final caps for the Stellenbosch school.

The skipper believes that after an exceptional season, the seniors have succeeded in leaving the jersey in a “better place”.

“We spoke about leaving the jersey in a better place and we set standards for ourselves at the beginning of the season,” he said.

“For us to be able to get the outcome in this game means we’ve left it in a better place.

“I’m sure it will inspire the next generation into believing that we do indeed have one of the best hockey programmes in the country,” he concluded.

Results

u19A: Paul Roos 2-0 Grey College u19A
u19B: Paul Roos 2-1 Grey College u19B
u19C: Paul Roos 0-1 Grey College u19C
u19D: Paul Roos 6-0 Grey College u19D
u19E: Paul Roos 7-0 Grey College u19E
u16A: Paul Roos 2-1 Grey College u16A
u14A: Paul Roos 3-3 Grey College u14A

(With additional reporting by Short Corner)

The 2024 schoolboy hockey season will officially conclude for many schools around the country this weekend.

One mouthwatering encounter that stands out is the clash between Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) and Bloemfontein’s Grey College.

PRG welcomes Grey to the Maties AstroTurf on Friday evening in Stellenbosch.

The action will kick off at 18:30 and it will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

The hockey rivalry between the schools began in 1999, when Grey College took the spoils 2-1. It has been a keenly contested fixture ever since then.

From 2007 to 2009, it was the side from Bloemfontein that reigned supreme, with Grey claiming victory in each of those three years. Paul Roos, meanwhile, enjoyed a run of seven straight victories between 2011 and 2017.

The hosts go into Friday’s evening’s clash with 12 previous wins over Grey, while the Bloemfontein boys have won eight times, and three matches have ended in draws. Covid-19 put paid to the fixtures in 2020 and 2021.

Since 1999, the Stellenbosch side has scored 40 goals, while Grey has netted 29 times.

SuperSport Schools Plus caught up with PRG coach, Michael Baker and Grey College coach, Wayne Coetzee, ahead of the big clash.

Baker, who will be involved in his first Paul Roos vs Grey derby, said: “From what I have heard, it should match the PRG vs SACS games in intensity, with the added atmosphere and build-up, and two schools that aren’t scared to go forward.

“It could be an end-to-end battle. As a coach, I am not sure how many more games like that one person can take but, for the neutrals, you would like them to be entertained and sell the game of hockey.”

PRG has enjoyed an impressive run this season, highlighted by their spectacular winning of the Hibbert Shield in Gqeberha, where they edged out their rivals SACS in a penalty shootout.

Baker said they Paul Roos is eager to wrap up the season on a positive note. “Winning Hibbert is the most prestigious schoolboy tournament and an incredible achievement, even more so being 3-0 down in the final,” he said.

“It’s been a season to remember. What would be great is to wrap up this great year [with a win], and for the game to demonstrate to everyone watching us for the first time how good we have been this year.

“The boys have sacrificed so much this year, and I hope the game will demonstrate that,” he ended.

Similar to PRG, Grey College, under the tutelage of Wayne Coetzee has also put together a season to savour.

They started their season well at the Tony Godding, Nomads and KES festivals, which included an unbeaten record at the latter. After that, Grey put together a series of strong results in interschools clashes.

Last weekend, they went down 0-1 to Northwood in the final of the Guschkie Tournament, so they will feel they have a point to prove against the Maroon Machine.

“I believe we are up for the task at hand. We have had a good year, and we would like to keep it like that,” Coetzee said.

“We will create more space in the game for us to work through, but Michael Baker is an experienced coach with a lot of tricks up his sleeve, so I don’t expect anything less than a great game of hockey on Friday night.

“This will be one of the games of the season for SA hockey, I believe, with the intensity that will match any games watched this year. The 2023 game won’t be a match for what is to come,” he predicted.

Previous meetings between the two teams: The results were compiled by Jacques le Roux, former PRG and SA Goalkeeper and current goalkeeper coach of the Protea Ladies Team.

YEAR	PAUL ROOS GIM	GREY COLLEGE
1999	1	2
2000	0	3
2001	1	1
2002	2	2
2003	2	3
2004	0	5
2005	1	0
2006	2	1
2007	0	1
2008	0	3
2009	1	3
2010	0	0
2011	1	0
2012	5	0
2013	3	0
2014	1	0
2015	3	0
2016	3	0
2017	3	1
2018	2	3
2019	4	0
2022	3	0
2023	2	1
Total Goals	40	29

The Bishops Diocesan College first hockey team will be on a mission to end their season on a high when they tackle Rondebosch Boys’ High in their final game of 2024 in Cape Town on Friday night.

The encounter, famously known as the Bisch/Bosch Derby, is scheduled for a 19:20 push-back at the Western Province Cricket Club (WPCC) main Astroturf.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

A key player for Bishops, who will be pulling the strings for his side, is the dangerous Joshua Mettler. He’s been an important contributor to Bishops’ successes this season. He’s scored crucial goals in big matches, created opportunities for his teammates, and has come to life when it’s mattered most, displaying a massive work rate on and off the ball.

The away fixture against Rondebosch will be his last in Bishops’ colours and, after a rather lukewarm second half of the season, he’s determined to end his schoolboy career on a positive note.

Ahead of the match, Mettler chatted with SuperSport Schools Plus hockey journalist Avuyile Sawula about his love for the game, about making a move from Curro Durbanville to Bishops in grade 11, and about the current season, which has included representing Western Province and South African Schools, and what his hockey future looks like.

The 2024 season, its ups and downs

There was a sense of optimism, rejuvenation, and a positive vibe when Bishops began their season with a long list of impressive results.

They kicked off their campaign at the Parel Vallei Boys’ Hockey Festival where they recorded wins over Somerset College, Outeniqua, and Paarl Boys’ High during the pre-season.

A week later, they hosted the 175 Bishops Hockey Festival. There, under the tutelage of the experienced Ryan Julius, they went unbeaten. They claimed a 3-1 win over Michaelhouse, a 4-0 victory against St Charles College, a 2-0 defeat of St David’s Marist Inanda, an 8-0 hammering of Bloemfontein’s St Andrew’s School, a hard-fought 2-1 victory over St Andrew’s College, and a 4-0 success against St Benedict’s.

They entered the season with their tails up. There was a slight hiccup when they were upset by Garsfontein in the quarterfinals of the Hibbert Shield, but their form in the Western Cape was strong.

However, once their coach, Ryan Julius, joined up with the national team to represent South Africa in the Paris Olympics, their form wavered.

In his absence, Bishops fell to a 1-2 loss against Paul Roos and were beaten 3-0 by SACS. Paarl Gimnasium claimed a 2-1 win over the Cape Town school and Wynberg Boys High avenged a loss earlier in the season, beating Bishops 3-1 in their rematch.

“This season has had its ups and downs,” Mettler told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“We had one of our best starts where we went unbeaten for a couple of games, and I think that quarterfinal loss at the Hibbert Shield dampened our spirits.

“This term, we also lost Ryan (Julius) and Cassa (Abdul Cassiem – assistant coach), and that’s no excuse, but not having them there has had an impact on the team.

“It’s been tough, honestly, and we want to bounce back and close off the season on a high.”

Curro to Bishops, a tough transition

Mettler’s hockey career began early in grade one at Chesterhouse Primary School.

In grade four, he moved to Curro Durbanville, and that’s where he spent the rest of his primary school days before moving on to the high school.

With swimming also in the mix, the lanky youngster was forced to choose between the pool and hockey. The AstroTurf won that battle.

He played some of his best hockey in grade 10 at Curro but, after falling out with one of the coaches, he decided on a move to greener pastures and Bishops gladly opened its doors to him.

Mettler admitted, though, that it wasn’t all smooth sailing when he first arrived at the school. “When I got to Bishops, it was tough adjusting,” he revealed. “Coming from a co-ed school, they were stricter. Stuff like coming two minutes late for class, hair not combed correctly, shirt not tucked in, all of those were taken seriously at Bishops.

“On the turf, as well, I found the going a bit hard, I won’t lie.

“At Curro, we had two training sessions a week, and here at Bishops, we have a proper programme: pre-season tours, conditioning sessions, gym sessions, practice matches with UCT. It’s just a level up and it took me some time to get used to it.

As a result of his struggles on and off the turf, Mettler said he didn’t have the best of seasons in 2023 despite making the Western Province u18A side.

“I think one of the reasons I struggled was because of the pressure,” he explained. “At Curro, only parents used to watch our games, and getting to Bishops where hundreds of schoolboys come out was kind of nerve-racking.

“I was the new kid on the block. Everyone knew I came for hockey and the pressure to perform in front of everyone got a bit too much.”

In the blue and white of Western Province

In grade seven, Mettler was selected for the u13A Western Province side that finished fourth at the Inter-Provincial Tournament. He received the “Most Valuable Striker” accolade, which set him up nicely for high school.

In grades eight and nine, he missed out on provincial selection due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In grade 10, he was selected for the Western Province u16A side.

However, it was in 2023 that the stars aligned for the youngster. After his move to Bishops, he sneaked into the Western Province u18A side. Soon after that, he was selected to represent South Africa at the u17 Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia.

This year, he made the Province side again, and he was also selected for the SA Schools u18A team.

“As a young boy, you dream of making the SA side, and I’ve been working towards it,” he said.

“When I heard my name, I was relieved that I could tick off one of my goals. It’s not that I doubted myself, but going into this year’s IPTs, I picked up an injury and I had to play with strapping around it. Sometimes it didn’t feel good.

“Overall, it was a nice experience, going back-to-back [and winning the SASHOC National Week], and topping it off with making the SA Schools team.”

Influential figures and supportive family

On his journey, Mettler has been able to turn to a number of coaches to help him improve different aspects of his game.

At Curro, coach Darryl Christians was immense in his development, and Christians even helped him with his move to Bishops.

When he arrived at the southern suburbs school, he was guided by Julius and Cassiem, who both backed him and gave him time to settle in a new environment.

“Since grade seven, Darryl Christians has been there for me. He’s played a massive role in my career,” Mettler shared. “He’s one of the guys I could go to for advice, and he’s never led me astray.

“At Bishops, Cassa and Ryan have been immense for me, especially this season. As you know, last year, I didn’t play so well, and I thought they wouldn’t back me this year. They believed in me and have backed me all the way, and I thank them so much.”

Apart from his coaches, Mettler also gave credit to his family who have been his most reliable supporters since day one.

“My mom and dad don’t know much about hockey, but they’ve helped me through the good and bad times,” he said. “They’re always there for me, always telling me when I’m wrong, and encouraging me to do better and be accountable for my actions.

“They’ve supported me throughout my whole schoolboy career, taking me to training, on long drives to the AstroTurf. They’ve played a massive role,” he concluded.

The 18-year-old also plays for Milnerton Hockey Club and plans to continue playing the sport after school.

However, before that, he hopes to play a pivotal role in helping his side secure their second win of the season over Rondebosch.

In their first meeting, Bishops romped to a 5-1 win at the Woodlands Astroturf. They’ll be eager to reprise that showing on Friday night.

The u16 Top Schools Hockey Tournament, hosted by Paarl Gimnasium, concluded on Sunday with Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) claiming top honours in the boys’ section, while it was Collegiate Girls’ High who took home gold in the girls’ competition.

PRG defeated Northwood School 4-2 in a penalty shootout after the final had ended level at 2-2.

In the girls’ final, Collegiate came from a goal down to beat Paarl Gimnasium 3-1 and take the title to the Eastern Cape.

Relive the action on SuperSport Schools

Also, visit SuperSport Schools Plus for the tournament results.

Road to the final: Paul Roos

PRG came into the tournament as one of the Western Cape favourites, along with Paarl Boys’ High, Parel Vallei and Paarl Gimnasium.

Under the leadership of coaches Keelan Tobin and Cody Schoeman, PRG has enjoyed a strong season and, despite going down 1-2 against SACS last month, they were in top form and eager to stake their claim against some of the best u16 teams in the country.

They were drawn in Pool B, along with Parel Vallei, Michaelhouse, Paarl Boys’ High, Grey College, and Menlopark.

It wasn’t plain sailing for the boys from Stellenbosch, who won three of their pool matches, drew with Boys’ High, and were beaten once, going down 0-2 against Michaelhouse.

Nonetheless, that left them in second place in their pool, which secured them a semi-final showdown with Grey High on Saturday night.

In that clash, PRG started brightly, scoring early through Luc Botha and PG Groenewald, but the boys from Gqeberha replied through Danté Elkington. Groenewald responded with a second goal to seal a 3-1 win for his side.

In the final, Paul Roos came up against Northwood School, who had defeated Parel Vallei 4-1 in the other semi-final.

Just as they had done against Grey High, PRG started well and opened the scoring through Ruben Gouws.

Northwood, however, fired back with two goals in quick succession through Hamza Amal and Mnqobi Mhlongo. PRG looked down and out as the time ticked away until Seth Paterson stunned the Durban school with a goal 14 seconds from the final whistle to rescue a 2-2 draw for PRG.

The Stellenbosch boys, then, went on to win the title 4-2 on penalties. They will next shift their focus to a big interschools clash with Grey College this coming weekend.

Road to the final: Collegiate Girls’ High

Collegiate Girls’ High entered the u16 Top Schools tournament as the only team from the Eastern Cape in the girls’ section.

Although they had put together an impressive season, they were viewed by some as slight underdogs, but they made their presence felt immediately over the course of the tournament’s first two days.

Drawn in Pool B, Collegiate finished the pool stage unbeaten, winning three and drawing two.

Those results left Collegiate atop their pool and set them up for a semi-final date with Pretoria’s Die Hoërskool Menlopark, who had finished second in Pool A behind the hosts, Paarl Gimnasium.

A Kerrin Gillies goal from a penalty corner was enough to take Collegiate to a 1-0 victory over Menlopark and book them a place in the title-decider against Paarl Gim.

In the early going of the final, the Eastern Cape side was on the back foot and found themselves 0-1 down after Annabelle Smith struck for the home side. In the second half, Collegiate came roaring back, replying with three goals, courtesy of a Jana Prinsloo brace and another goal from Gillies to lay their hands on the title.

Day 4 Boys Results

Northwood School 4-1 Parel Vallei (Semi-final 2)
Outeniqua 0-1 Paarl Gimnasium
Paarl Boys’ High (1) 1-1 (3) Michaelhouse
Grey High 2-1 Parel Vallei
Die Hoërskool Menlopark 0-3 Grey College
Fairmont 0-1 Pearson High
Paul Roos (4) 2-2 (2) Northwood School – Final

Day 4 Girls’ fixtures

Die Hoërskool Menlopark 0-1 Collegiate Girls’ High (Semi-final 2)
Our Lady Fatima 2-1 St Mary’s DSG
Waterkloof (0) 0-0 (3) Garsfontein
Reddam House Constantia 1-2 Die Hoërskool Menlopark
Rhenish (2) 1-1 (1) Affies
Oranje 0-2 Herschel
Collegiate Girls’ High 3-1 Paarl Gimnasium – Final

On Saturday, the third day of the u16 Top Schools Hockey Tournament, Paul Roos Gimnasium  (PRG) and Paarl Gimnasium’s girls booked their places in Sunday’s finals.

In the boys’ section, PRG defeated Grey High 3-1, while Paarl Gimnasium’s girls sneaked past Reddam House Constantia 2-1 to book their spot in the title-decider.

They will find out on Sunday morning who they’ll face in the finals with the remaining semi-finals scheduled for early on day four.

The annual tournament, which brings together top boys’ and girls’ teams from around South Africa, is being hosted by Paarl Gimnasium.

Follow the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

Also, visit SuperSport Schools Plus for all the results.

Boys | Results: Day 3

Pool A

Northwood School 2-0 Outeniqua
Grey High 7-0 Paarl Gimnasium (Astro B)
Fairmont High 1-2 Pearson High

Pool B

Paarl Boys’ High 2-2 Michaelhouse
Grey College 0-1 Parel Vallei (Astro B)
Paul Roos Gimnasium 3-0 Parel Vallei
Paarl Boys’ High 3-1 Grey College
Michaelhouse 3-1 Die Hoërskool Menlopark

Play-offs

Paarl Boys High (5) 3-3 (4) Pearson High School
Outeniqua (1)1 -1 (3) Die Hoërskool Menlopark
Michaelhouse 3-0 Fairmont High
Grey College 3-0 Paarl Gimnasium
Paul Roos 3-1 Grey High (Semifinal 1)

Girls | Results: Day 2

Pool A

Die Hoërskool Menlopark 0-0 Oranje
Paarl Gimnasium 0-0 Herschel Girls (Astro B)
Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria 0-1 Our Lady Fatima

Pool B

Waterkloof 5-0 Rhenish
St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) 0-1 Collegiate Girls’ High (Astro B)
Rhenish Girls’ 1-1 St Mary’s DSG (Kloof)
Waterkloof 0-1 Reddam House Constantia (Astro B)
Garsfontein 0-3 Collegiate Girls’ High

Play-offs

Waterkloof (3) 2-2 (2) Oranje
Our Lady Fatima 0-2 Rhenish Girls’ High
Herschel Girls High 0-3 Garsfontein
Affies 3-2 St Mary’’ DSG (Kloof)
Paarl Gimnasium 2-1 Reddam House Constantia (Semifinal 1)

Day 4 Boys fixtures

09:00 – Northwood School vs Parel Vallei (Semifinal 2)
09:00 – Outeniqua vs Paarl Gimnasium @ La Rochelle Astro
09:00 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Michaelhouse @Astro B
11:00 – Grey High vs TBC
11:00 – Die Hoërskool Menlopark vs Grey College
13:00 – Fairmont vs Pearson High
13:00 – Paul Roos vs TBC (Final)

Day 4 Girls fixtures

08:00 – Die Hoërskool Menlopark vs Collegiate Girls’ High (Semifinal 2)
08:00 – Our Lady Fatima vs St Mary’s DSG (Kloof)
08:00 – Waterkloof vs Garsfontein
10:00 – Reddam House Constantia vs TBC
10:00 – Rhenish vs Affies (Astro B)
12:00 – Oranje vs Herschel (Astro B)
12:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs TBC (Final)

Somerset College was regarded as one of the favourites leading into the Challengers’ Cup, and they lived up to those expectations by winning their way through to the final, where they beat St Mary’s Waverley 2-1 at La Rochelle Girls’ High on Saturday in Paarl.

The Western Cape side was made to sweat for their win but goals from Evi Benson, and Ashley Hingeston, scored at crucial moments of the game, sealed the win for coach Kyran Fortuin’s side.

Relive the action on SuperSport Schools

Somerset College started the tournament in Pool B, drawn alongside St Mary’s, Pearson High, DSG Makhanda, Paarl Girls’ High, and Fairmont. After the pool matches had been completed, they found themselves in second place behind coach Cindy Brown’s St Mary’s side.

In pool action, Somerset recorded wins over DSG, Fairmont, and Paarl Girls’ High. They suffered a shock 2-3 defeat at the hands of Pearson, before playing out a 1-1 draw with St Mary’s.

Their second-place finish earned them a semi-final showdown with Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria (Affies).

Affies were unbeaten heading into the final four game, and they had been in rich goal scoring form. Somerset, though, shut Affies out and pulled off a 2-0 win, with Caroline Morris and Siena Kontopirakis striking for the Belgotex Easter Festival champions.

In the final, Somerset College came up against a St Mary’s side that was, justifiably, brimming with confidence after winning all of their matches up until the title-decider.

Coach Fortuin’s team made an ideal start, however, with Evi Benson, after finding herself unmarked in the circle early in the first half, directing the ball into the back of the net.

At half-time, Somerset led 1-0.

In the third chukka, however, St Mary’s worked their way back into the game, with Lucy Viljoen striking after a scrappy short corner, which resulted in the ball finding its way to her stick. She gobbled up the chance.

St Mary’s joy was short-lived. Somerset College, immediately after the restart, set up camp in their opponent’s half. Then, when a ball was whipped into the circle, Ashley Hingeston deflected it goalwards, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

The Johannesburg side created a number of opportunities to draw level in the fourth chukka when they were awarded two short corners, but their execution let them down.

Reflecting on the tournament win, Somerset College head coach, Kyran Fortuin, said he was proud of his team’s performance throughout the event and happy that they managed to achieve one of their goals for the season.

“I’m immensely proud of this group. It’s probably one of the best teams I’ve had the opportunity to work with,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“There’s such good camaraderie and massive resilience, and everything we worked for this year has come to fruition at this tournament.

“Our goal was to come here and win gold. We backed ourselves, our abilities, and our systems. We knew the plans that were put in place for this team, and we needed to be disciplined, and I think that got us over the line.”

Playing for the Challengers’ Cup title marked the third time in the season that Somerset College had made it to a final.

In March, they won the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament when they defeated Hoërskool Middelburg 2-0 in the final.

Last month, matters went awry when they faced Paarl Gimnasium in the final of the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament, with Gim cruising to a 10-1 victory. Fortuin praised his team for bouncing back from that disappointing result and taking on the top traditional hockey-playing schools.

“After losing the Cape Town International Hockey tournament final, the girls were in a bad space,” he revealed.

“For them to put that behind and come here and put in clinical performances, that’s a massive achievement for us.

“We managed to take on top schools like Paarl Girls’ High, St Mary’s and Affies in the semi-final. Those are schools double our size, and to come and do well is the cherry on the cake,” he concluded.

In the third/fourth playoff match, Affies, after suffering a 0-2 defeat to Somerset, took on Rustenburg Girls’ High, who had lost 1-2 against St Mary’s earlier in the day.

It was the Cape Town side that reigned supreme, winning 1-0, courtesy of a Lisa Grey goal.

Results | Day 3

DSG Makhanda 6: Kayleigh Clayton, Abigal Holderness (2), Sarah-Jane Brits, Lucy Holderness, Jocelyn Appel. Hoërskool Middelburg 0
Parel Vallei 2: Zelda Rosenstrauch, Anmarie Grobler.  Pearson High 0.
Somerset College 2: Caroline Morris, Siena Kontopirakis. Affies 0.
St Mary’s Waverley 2: Erin Kruger (2). Rustenburg Girls’ High 1: Tasmin de Villiers.
Bethlehem Voortrekker 1: Jani Faber. Paarl Girls’ High 0.
Parel Vallei 2: Elrie Pienaar, Anmarie Grobler. DSG Makhanda 0.
Pearson High 2: Lisa De Villiers, Nyssa Slabbert. Hoërskool Middelburg 0.
Fairmont High 1: Camryn Corner. York High 0.
Rustenburg Girls’ High 1: Lisa Grey.  Affies 0.
Somerset College 2: Evi Benson, Ahsley Hingeston. St Mary’s Waverley 1: Lucy Viljoen.

Final Standings

Somerset College
St Mary’s Waverley
Rustenburg Girls’ High School
Affies
Parel Vallei
DSG Makhanda
Pearson High School
Hoërskool Middelburg
Bethlehem Voortrekker
Paarl Girls’ High School
Fairmont High School
York High School

On Friday, day two of the u16 Top Schools hockey tournament, there were surprising results as teams fought tooth and nail to secure play-off spots ahead of a jam-packed weekend of action.

The annual tournament, which brings together top boys’ and girls’ teams from all around South Africa, is being hosted by Paarl Gimnasium and runs from 8-11 August.

Follow the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

Also, visit SuperSport Schools Plus for all the results.

Boys | Results: Day 2

Pool A

Grey High School 1-1 Fairmont
Northwood School 2-0 Paarl Gimnasium
Outeniqua 0-0 Pearson High
Paarl Gimnasium 0-1 Fairmont High
Grey High 4-0 Outeniqua
Northwood School 2-2 Pearson High
Paarl Gimnasium 2-1 Outeniqua
Northwood School 3-1 Fairmont
Grey High 3-1 Pearson High

Pool B:

Grey College 1-1 Die Hoërskool Menlopark
Paul Roos 0-2 Michaelhouse
Paarl Boys’ High 0-3 Parel Vallei
Paul Roos 5-2 Grey College
Die Hoërskool Menlopark 0-2 Paarl Boys’ High
Michaelhouse 1-3 Parel Vallei
Die Hoërskool Menlopark 1-6 Paul Roos

Girls | Results: Day 2

Pool A

Paarl Gimnasium 4-1 Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria
Die Hoërskool Menlopark 2-2 Herschel Girls’ School
Oranje 1-0 Our Lady Fatima
Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria 0-0 Herschel Girls School
Paarl Gimnasium 1-0 Oranje
Die Hoërskool Menlopark 1-0 Our Lady Fatima
Oranje 0-1 Herschel Girls School
Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria 0-0 Die Hoërskool Menlopark
Paarl Gimnasium 2-1 Our Lady Fatima

Pool B

St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) 1-2 Reddam House Constantia
Rhenish Girls’ High 1-3 Collegiate
Garsfontein 0-0 Waterkloof
Rhenish Girls’ High 1-2 Reddam House Constantia
Garsfontein 1-0 St Mary’s DSG (Kloof)
Waterkloof 0-0 Collegiate
Garsfontein 2-0 Reddam House Constantia

Day 3 Boys fixtures

Pool A

10:15 – Northwood School vs Outeniqua
10:15 – Grey High vs Paarl Gimnasium (Astro B)
11:45 – Fairmont High vs Pearson High

Pool B

08:45 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Michaelhouse
08:45 – Grey College vs Parel Vallei (Astro B)
11:45 – Paul Roos Gimnasium vs Parel Vallei
13:15 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Grey College
13:15 – Michaelhouse vs Die Hoërskool Menlopark

Day 3 Girls fixtures

Pool A

09:30 – Die Hoërskool Menlopark vs Oranje
09:30 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Herschel Girls (Astro B)
12:30 – Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria vs Our Lady Fatima

Pool B

08:00 – Rhenish vs Waterkloof
08:00 – St Mary’s DSG vs Collegiate Girls High (Astro B)
11:00 – Rhenish Girls’ vs St Mary’s DSG (Kloof)
11:00 – Waterkloof vs Reddam House Constantia (Astro B)
12:30 – Garsfontein vs Collegiate Girls’ High

Graphic credits: Enhanced Sports 

St Mary’s Waverley, Rustenburg Girls’ High, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria (Affies), and Somerset College all secured semifinal spots on Friday, day two of the Challengers’ Cup, which is being held in Paarl, in the Western Cape.

The tournament, which kicked off on Thursday morning is being hosted at La Rochelle Girls’ High School and Paarl Girls’ High.

It will conclude with the final on Saturday at 13:10.

Catch it LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Heading into the second day of action, coach Cindy Brown’s St Mary’s side was in a strong position in Pool B. They looked like a potential title-winner after recording impressive results on day one.

They played three matches on Thursday, winning two and drawing the other. Then, they began day two with a comfortable 3-0 win over Gqeberha’s Pearson High School, courtesy of goals from Lucy Viljoen, Erin Kruger, and Zara Colyn.

By the time they were held to a goalless draw by DSG Makhanda in their final pool match, coach Brown’s team had already secured a place in the final four.

“I’m happy for the girls. I think we’ve played good hockey at times. We haven’t played our best, but we’ve managed to get results, so that’s a positive,” Brown told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“The one characteristic about this team is that we play well as a unit. No matter what the situation is, we dig deep. We’ve been up against it many times, and we’ve come out on top, which is pleasing.”

The Johannesburg side entered the tournament on a high after winning the Pullen Trophy last month, defeating Hoërskool Monument 2-1 in the final.

They endured a challenging start to the season but have flourished of late, and Brown believes stacking wins has added an extra spring to her players’ step.

“It was a tough beginning to the season, but I think in the past six weeks we’ve been playing some brilliant hockey,” she said.

“From the Pullen Trophy into this, there’s a sense of belief in the team that we know our capabilities. Everyone fights hard and believes in the process, and in the semifinals, we just need to continue doing what has worked.”

St Mary’s will face one of the local sides, Rustenburg Girls’ High, for a place in the final.

Coach Olu Ncukana‘s side is one of only three teams that remain unbeaten at the Challengers’ Cup.

After five matches, they’ve won three and played to draws against Affies and Bethlehem Voortrekker, two tough opponents.

Rustenburg finished second in Pool A, tied with Affies on 11 points, and separated by goal difference only.

It will be Rustenburg’s second semi-final this year. In their first one, they were beaten by Hoërskool Middelburg at the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament.

“It’s always pleasing to make it to a semi-final, but we also understand that the tournament starts now, and we have put ourselves in a position to play for a medal twice,” Ncukana told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“On the back of some inconsistent form coming into the tournament, one of our key things was togetherness and playing for each other. We want to play our brand of hockey and trust each other,” he added.

The second semi-final will see one of the favourites, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria take on Somerset College.

Affies are also unbeaten, while Somerset College beat Paarl Girls’ High 2-1 in their final pool match to sneak into the last four.

Both teams will be on the hunt for their second trophies this season.

Somerset College won the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament in March, while Affies defeated Rhenish to claim the top spot at the All Girls Festival in Potchefstroom.

Results | Day 2

Pool A

Rustenburg Girls’ High 2: Tatum Malherbe, Kate Naiker. York High 0.
Affies 1: Mia Pretorius. Bethlehem Voortrekker 0.
Parel Vallei 5: Elrie Pienaar, Michaela Birch, Zelda Rosenstrauch, Anna-Rose Cock, Grace Taylor. Hoërskool Middelburg 1: Jaden Muller.
Rustenburg Girls’ High 0. Bethlehem Voortrekker 0.
Parel Vallei 1: Skylar Bougaard. York High 0.
Hoërskool Middelburg 1: Lume Smit. Affies 1: Simone Botes.

Pool B

St Mary’s Waverley 3: Lucy Viljoen, Erin Kruger, Zara Colyn. Pearson High 0.
DSG Makhanda 2: Lucy Holderness, Alex Ovendale. Paarl Girls’ High 0.
Somerset College 3: Annabelle Hamel (2), Caroline Morris. Fairmont High 0.
DSG Makhanda 0. St Mary’s Waverley 0.
Pearson High 2: Tanna Cuff, Jody van Aardt. Fairmont High 0.
Somerset College 2: Caroline Morris, Julia Brown. Paarl Girls’ High 1: Lisa Craven.

Day 3 fixtures

08:00 – Hoërskool Middelburg vs DSG Makhanda
08:00 – Parel Vallei vs Pearson High
09:10 – Affies vs Somerset College – semifinal 1 @La Rochelle
09:10 – St Mary’s Waverley vs Rustenburg Girls High – semifinal 2 @Paarl Girls’

Play-offs

@La Rochelle

10:50 – 11^th/12^th play-off
12:00 – 3^rd/4^th play-off
13:10 – Final

@Paarl Girls’ High

10:20 – 9^th/10^th play-off
11:30 – 5^th/6^th play-off
12:40 – 7^th/8^th play-off

A whopping 50 goals were scored on the opening day of the u18 Challengers’ Cup in Paarl in the Western Cape, with four teams making strong headway ahead of a jam-packed weekend of hockey.

The tournament kicked off on Thursday morning at La Rochelle Girls’ High School and Paarl Girls’ High and it continues through to Saturday, when the final will be played at 13:10. You can catch it live on SuperSport Schools.

While many eyes were trained on Bloemfontein for the annual Fairtree Super 12 tournament, the opening day of the Challengers’ Cup produced exciting hockey and interesting results from the get-go.

Pool A kicked off proceedings with a Western Cape clash between Parel Vallei and Rustenburg Girls’ High. Coach Olu Ncukana’ Rustenburg claimed a 1-0 win over coach Jared Pitout’s side to get their title challenge off to a good start.

With each team scheduled to play in three matches on the day, Rustenburg faced Hoërskool Middelburg for a second time this season in their next game.

In March, Middies thumped the Cape side 3-0 in the semi-finals of the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament. Ncukana’s charges were eager to avenge that defeat, and they pulled it off, with Ally Goulding scoring the only goal of the game.

Rustenburg completed their day’s assignments with a goalless draw against All Girls Festival champions’ Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria (Affies).

Affies also finished their day with two wins and a draw, beating York High 4-0 in their first match and following that up with a 2-1 victory over Parel Vallei.

While they lost 0-1 against Rustenburg Girls’ High, coach Alti Nel’s Hoërskool Middelburg side scored good wins in their other matches.

Firstly, they were guided to a 2-1 victory over Bethlehem Voortrekker, courtesy of goals by Abigail Esterhuizen, and Imke Grobbelaar. Then, in their last game, they overwhelmed York High 7-0 to post the biggest victory of the day.

Abigail Esterhuizen enjoyed a phenomenal outing, scoring an incredible six times, while Lume Smit, who was a regular goal scorer at the All Girls Festival, also found the back of the net.

In Pool B, it was coach Cindy Brown’s St Mary’s Waverley team that impressed.

In their three matches, the Gauteng side registered two wins, before playing to a draw against Somerset College in their final match of the day, which was brought to a stop due to heavy rainfall.

A Grace Faber goal secured the Johannesburg school a 1-0 win against Paarl Girls’ High in their opener. Coach Brown’s side then went on to defeat another Western Cape team, Fairmont High School, by two goals to nil, with Jamey Forrester and Zara Colyn striking for St Mary’s.

Kayla Grobbelaar scored in their final match of the day, which ended in a 1-1 draw with Somerset College.

Behind St Mary’s in Pool B is Pearson High School, who started the tournament in top form before losing concentration in their final match.

They got off to a strong start, claiming a 1-0 win over Paarl Girls’ High, before shocking Somerset College 3-2.

In that clash, Nyssa Slabbert, who has been a standout all season long for the Gqeberha school, scored twice, while Chanelle Venter’s goal sealed the victory.

In their final match of the day, however, coach Anton Peltenburg‘s troops suffered a hefty 1-5 defeat at the hands of their provincial rivals, DSG Makhanda.

Abigail Holderness scored a hattrick for DSG, while Sarah-Jane Brits and Anna Olivier completed the drubbing. Pearson mustered a consolation goal through Tayla Wilson.

On day two, Pearson will be eager to get back to winning ways when they take on St Mary’s in their first match, while DSG will feel confident about grabbing a second win when they take go up against Paarl Girls’ High.

With playoff spots on the line, day two is going to be about all-out action. The first matches start at 08:00 and you can catch them LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Results | Day 1

Pool A

Rustenburg 1: Tatum Malherbe. Parel Vallei 0.
Hoërskool Middelburg 2: Abigal Esterhuizen, Imke Grobbelaar.  Bethlehem Voortrekker 1: Else Hattingh.
Affies 4: Mikela Harmse (2), Mia Pretorius, Minke van Heerden. York High 0.
Rustenburg 1: Ally Goulding.  Hoërskool Middelburg 0.
Affies 2: Minke van Heerden (2). Parel Vallei 1: Michaela Birch
Bethlehem Voortrekker 1: Carli Oosthuizen. York High 0.
Affies 0. Rustenburg 0.
Hoërskool Middelburg 7: Abigal Esterhuizen (6), Lume Smit. York High 0.
Parel Vallei 1: Eva Blaauw. Bethlehem Voortrekker 1: Else Hattingh

Pool B

Pearson High 1: Jody van Aardt. Paarl Girls’ High 0.
Somerset College 3: Ashley Hingeston, Julia Brown, Evi Benson. DSG Makhanda 1: Abigail Holderness.
St Mary’s Waverley 1: Grace Faber. Paarl Girls’ High 0.
Pearson High 3: Nyssa Slabbert (2), Chanelle Venter. Somerset College 2: Siena Kontopirakis (2).
Fairmont High 3: Leah Buckley, Camryn Corner, Kaylin Bastard. DSG Makhanda 3: Kayleigh Clayton, Lucy Holderness, Jocelyn Appel.
St Mary’s Waverley 2: Jamey Forrester, Zara Colyn. Fairmont High 0.
DSG Makhanda 5: Abigail Holderness (3), Sarah-Jane Brits, Anna Olivier. Pearson High 1: Tayla Wilson.
Paarl Girls’ High 1: Nika Pretorius. Fairmont High 0.
St Mary’s Waverley 1: Kayla Grobbelaar. Somerset College 1: Julia Brown.

Fixtures: Day 2

Pool A:

08:00- York High vs Rustenburg Girls’ High
09:00- Bethlehem Voortrekker vs Affies
10:00- Hoërskool Middelburg vs Parel Vallei
14:00- Rustenburg Girls’ High vs Bethlehem Voortrekker
15:00- Parel Vallei vs York High
16:00- Hoërskool Middelburg vs Affies

Pool B:

08:00- St Mary’s Waverely vs Pearson High
09:00- Paarl Girls’ High vs DSG Makhanda
10:00- Fairmont High vs Somerset College
14:00- DSG Makhanda vs St Mary’s Waverley
15:00- Fairmont High vs Pearson High
16:00- Paarl Girls’ High vs Somerset College

18:00- 5th Pool A vs 6th Pool B
19:00- 6th Pool A vs 5th Pool B

The highly anticipated u16 Top Schools hockey tournament kicked off in wet conditions in the Western Cape on Thursday as 24 teams began the hunt for the title.

The annual tournament is being hosted by Paarl Gimnasium and runs from 8-11 August.

Top boys’ and girls’ teams from around South Africa have assembled in Paarl to battle it out for the prestigious accolade of being crowned the u16 Top Schools champions.

Follow the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

Also, visit SuperSport Schools Plus for all the results.

Boys | Results: Day 1

Pool A

Grey High School 1-0 Northwood School
Fairmont High School 1-2 Outeniqua
Pearson High 1-1 Paarl Gimnasium

Pool B

Paarl Boys’ High 0-0 Paul Roos Gimnasium
Die Hoërskool Menlopark 0-3 Parel Vallei
Michaelhouse 2-1 Grey College

Girls | Results: Day 1

Pool A

Die Hoërskool Menlopark 2-1 Paarl Gimnasium
Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria 0-2 Meisieskool Oranje
Our Lady Fatima 0-0 Herschel Girls’

Pool B

Garsfontein 1-0 Rhenish Girls’ High
Hoërskool Waterkloof 0-0 St Mary’s DSG (Kloof)
Reddam House Constantia 2-2 Collegiate Girls’ High

Day 2 Boys fixtures

Pool A

08:45 – Grey High School vs Fairmont
10:15 – Northwood School vs Paarl Gimnasium
11:45 – Outeniqua vs Pearson High
13:15 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Fairmont High
14:45 – Grey High vs Outeniqua
16:15 – Northwood School vs Pearson High
17:45 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Outeniqua
19:15 – Northwood School vs Fairmont
20:45 – Grey High vs Pearson High

Pool B

08:45 – Grey College vs Die Hoërskool Menlopark
10:15 – Paul Roos vs Michaelhouse
11:45 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Parel Vallei
13:15 – Paul Roos vs Grey College
14:45 – Die Hoërskool Menlopark vs Paarl Boys’ High
16:15 – Michaelhouse vs Parel Vallei
17:45 – Die Hoërskool Menlopark vs Paul Roos

Day 2 Girls fixtures

Pool A

08:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria
09:30 – Die Hoërskool Menlopark vs Herschel Girls School
11:00 – Oranje vs Our Lady Fatima
12:30 – Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria vs Herschel Girls School
14:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Oranje
15:30 – Die Hoërskool Menlopark vs Our Lady Fatima
17:00 – Oranje vs Herschel Girls School
18:30 – Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria vs Die Hoërskool Menlopark
20:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Our Lady Fatima

Pool B

08:00 – St Mary’s DSG vs Reddam House Constantia
09:30 – Rhenish Girls’ High vs Collegiate
11:00 – Garsfontein vs Waterkloof
12:30 – Rhenish Girls’ High vs Reddam House Constantia
14:00 – Garsfontein vs St Mary’s DSG
15:30 – Waterkloof vs Collegiate
17:00 – Garsfontein vs Reddam House Constantia