Author: asawula

Calm, composed on the ball, humble, hardworking, and a team player are some of the terms that can be used to describe Matthew Temmis‘s character on and off the AstroTurf.

The 18-year-old, who plies his trade for Parel Vallei High School (PV), in Somerset West, has been, for several years, among the standout players for his school, and has represented Boland at various inter-provincial tournaments. Last year, he was named in the SA Schools u17 squad.

Temmis is currently in matric, and this coming Friday night he will play his final match for Parel Vallei when they host Gqeberha’s Pearson High School in their annual interschools weekend exchange.

Ahead of the highly anticipated encounter, he chatted with SuperSport Schools Plus hockey writer Avuyile Sawula about how his love for hockey began, his time at PV, representing Boland, and the future.

Accidental hockey player

In his primary school days, Temmis attended Laerskool Hendrik Louw, in Strand and, to be frank, playing hockey never crossed his mind.

He dabbled in several sporting codes from a young age and appeared to be on his way to becoming a good rugby player. Then, in grade 2, one of his best friends introduced him to hockey.

He fell in love with the game. He tried out many different positions and rugby, his first love, slowly disappeared from his radar.

“I was actually a rugby player. All of my friends played rugby in school,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“At that time, it was only my grade 2 friend who played hockey. He encouraged me to try out the sport and, since I was a kid who loved sports, I went for it. I loved it and never really looked back.”

After discovering his new passion, Temmis made the move to Parel Vallei in grade 8 and set his sights on taking his game to the next level.

It took him just two years to make his first team debut. Along the way, he was selected for the u16A Boland side, and in 2022 he was called up to the SA u16 High Performance camp.

“When I got to PV in grade 8, I didn’t know what to expect because I wanted to go to Paul Roos,” he revealed.

“I was accepted at PRG, but my dad insisted I go for PV. He knew about it and I trusted him.

“The first two years were great and in grade 10 our hockey improved, and I started enjoying it.

“I made my first team debut against Worcester Gimnasium, and I took home the man of the match accolade, so that was quite special for me.”

Representing Boland at SASHOC National Weeks

This year, Temmis was member of the Boland u18A hockey team which claimed the silver medal at the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein. In a back-and-forth final against their neighbours, Boland lost 2-3 against Western Province A.

It was his second year representing the u18A team at the inter-provincial event. In 2023, he was part of the team that finished fourth. At the conclusion of that tournament, he was named in the SA Schools u17 team.

This time around, however, he was taken out of his comfort zone. Despite preferring to play in his usual centre midfield position, he was moved to outside midfielder and, at times, right back.

The tournament, Temmis said, was a massive learning curve for him. “The tournament was good. Last year we fell out in the semi-finals and this year we went with a different mindset aiming to win,” he explained.

“It’s disappointing when you come that close, but the boys played some brilliant hockey, and I was proud to have contributed to the team.

“The experience of also being moved to other positions was nice, because I’m normally a centre midfielder.”

Influential figures, and support system

To get to where he is, Temmis, with the support of his family and the coaches at PV, has had to put in the hard yards, which have featured long hours on the Astro, in an effort to make him a better player.

From a young age, he’s been mentored and guided by the first team head coach and Head of Hockey at PV, Michael van Rensburg. Temmis credits him, and Van Rensburg’s assistant coach, Dewald Raath, for making a positive impact on his career.

“Coach Michael and Dewald have been with me for quite a long time,” he said. “They’ve continued to believe in me, motivate me constantly, and if I need anything, they are always there to help.

“I remember in grade 8, I was a centre-back, and coach Michael saw something in me that I didn’t see. He then moved me to centre-mid, and since then I’ve been playing there. All credit to him.

“It’s going to be hard saying goodbye to them, but I’m grateful for their contributions towards my hockey.

The youngster also praised his family, who, he said, have backed him from the first time he picked up a stick.

“I don’t come from the best background, but I’ve always had the goal and mindset of being a winner and becoming a professional hockey player one day,” he explained

“In my pursuit of that dream, my parents have backed me since day one, believed in me, trusted me, and they’ve been on my side.

“I remember all the early mornings my father had to wake up to take me to practices. Sometimes he’d be forced to take leave from work to drive me to tournaments. My father is my biggest supporter. He’s at almost every single game and I truly am grateful for him,” he concluded.

Temmis, who recently earned his 75th cap for the first team will, alongside his teammates, be aiming to end his season with a bang against Pearson High.

Parel Vallei enters the clash on the back of a narrow 2-3 defeat against Paarl Boys’ High last week.

The action will kick off on the PV Astroturf at 19:30.

With just over a week remaining before the annual Fairtree Super 12 Hockey Tournament, two of the qualified teams, Paarl Gimnasium and Rhenish Girls’ High, continued their impressive seasons, winning once again to keep their momentum rolling ahead of flying the Western Cape flag in Bloemfontein.

Paarl Gim picked up two wins: the first, a 2-0 defeat of Springfield Convent School in a mid-week clash, and the second a 3-1 home win over Somerset College on Friday night.

Gim entered the week on the back of a key 3-2 win over Rhenish last week.

Meanwhile, Rhenish travelled the short mile to take on their Koch Street rivals, HMS Bloemhof for their annual Winter’s Week clash and won 3-0.

Gim would have been full of confidence ahead of their match against Somerset College after they thumped their visitors 10-1 earlier this month in the final of the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament.

This time, coach Ian Naude’s side started on the back foot, conceding the first goal as the visitors’ influential skipper Julia Brown slotted a penalty corner drag flick early in the first chukka.

With the game being played at a high intensity, Minke Botha equalised for the hosts. Then, a goal from Jone’ de Winnaar put the home side into the lead for the first time.

In the second half. Gim dominated proceedings and were rewarded when Isabella Nel scored from open play to make it 3-1.

Reflecting on the win, coach Naude said he is pleased with his side’s form, with their interschools rivalry clash against Paarl Girls’ High and the Fairtree Super 12 on the horizon.

“I’m excited by how the girls are playing hockey at the moment,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“Each game we play is with the mindset of preparing ourselves for the big interschools clash and the Super 12 coming up.

“We are confident but not overconfident. Interschools has a lot of emotions. It’s a big game. The girls will be playing in front of a big crowd, and there are certain expectations to do well.

“They have shown maturity and professionalism in their approach to games, so we will go into this week with an open mindset. It will be tough – physically, mentally, and emotionally – but we are ready for it,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, coach Chris Gerber’s Rhenish side got back to winning ways at the expense of HMS Bloemhof.

Playing away from home, Rhenish won courtesy of field goals from Ruby Cilliers and Pippa Viljoen and a penalty corner goal from Puck Bakker.

In Cape Town, Herschel Girls School was also among the winners on the weekend, beating Rustenburg Girls’ High 4-1.

Mia Andrew grabbed a brace for the winners, while Gabriella du Toit and Emily van Heerden were also on the score sheet.

Meanwhile, coach Jarred Pitout’s Parel Vallei side won big against Worcester Gimnasium. They ran rampant, knocking in sevens goals without conceding.

Jessica Lavies was influential and scored a hattrick, while Skylar Bougaard struck twice, and Michaela Birch and Jordan Boer chipped in with further goals to complete the drubbing.

RESULTS

Paarl Gimnasium 3-1 Somerset College
Paarl Gimnasium 2-0 Springfield Convent School (mid-week)
Rhenish 3-0 HMS Bloemhof
Herschel 4-1 Rustenburg Girls’ High
Parel Vallei 7-0 Worcester Gimnasium
La Rochelle 0-0 HS Strand
Durbanville 1-0 DF Malan

Hoërskool Monument‘s first boys’ hockey team etched themselves into their school’s history books by capturing top honours at the Noordvaal Hockey Championships, hosted in Tzaneen, Limpopo, for a first time on the weekend.

The A Section of the annual tournament, which was held at Merensky Landbou Akademie, began on Thursday and concluded with the final on Saturday.

With the silverware up for grabs, Monnas rose to the occasion and beat the defending champions, Helpmekaar College 2-0.

In last year’s showpiece, coach Tiaan Meyer’s side played in the B Section and finished in fifth place behind Hoërskool Transvalia.

This year, they entered the tournament intent on making a bigger splash. They were drawn in Pool A, alongside Midstream College, from Pretoria, and Potchefstroom Gimnasium.

The side from Krugersdorp opened their account with a nervy 1-0 win over Midstream. Then, on day two, they defeated Potch Gim 2-0 to set themselves up nicely for the knockout stages.

With their confidence boosted, thanks to their top of the group finish, Monnas convincingly handled Hoërskool Middelburg in the quarterfinals, winning 3-0.

Later in the day, Meyer’s charges took on HTS Witbank in the first of the semi-finals. Monument kept their momentum flowing, outscoring their opponents 3-1. Helpmekaar, meanwhile, matched that scoreline in their semi-final win over Nelspruit.

Monnas kept their foot on the gas in their final day showdown against Helpmekaar, striking twice without reply to finish the tournament as the only unbeaten side.

Reflecting on their performances over the weekend, coach Meyer said he and fellow coach Jake Franklin, and Monument’s Head of Hockey, Divan Geyser, were pleased with how the team had conducted itself, and with the style of hockey that they had produced.

“The coaching staff and I are extremely delighted with the weekend we had. Words cannot describe the joy we have experienced,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“We admire the grit that these boys have shown. We are immensely proud of them, and it has been a privilege to be part of such an exceptional group of youngsters.

“This Noordvaal win marks the first time in our school’s history for the first boys’ team to progress to the semi-finals and final of this tournament, so it is a standout moment,” he added.

The tournament also marked the end of a busy season for Monument.

After a total of 46 matches played, Meyer said he was pleased with the progress of the team, adding that they would look to further build upon their encouraging season in 2025.

“We have had a fairly decent season, considering the number of games we have played,” he said.

“We are in a building phase with our current first team and have been showing improvement throughout the year. We have had the opportunity to play some top-quality sides and we are always keen to learn and improve.

“A lot has been learned and we are looking to improve next season. Fortunately, we have only three Grade 12 learners in our side this year, and that bodes well for next year, and we look forward to competing at various tournaments,” he concluded.

The school’s Head of Hockey and 1st XI assistant coach, Divan Geyser, believes winning the tournament will also encourage other learners to take up the sport.

Geyser has been at the school for nine years and told SuperSport Schools Plus that the Noordvaal Hockey Championships’ win had been in the works for quite some time.

“It’s been a long-term project to build the school’s boys hockey programme at Monnas,” he shared.

“We want more players playing the sport, so winning a tournament like this is a huge achievement for the boys, coaches, and the school.

“For our programme, it’s immense. It will encourage more learners to play the sport and that will improve the sport at the school as a whole.”

While Monnas claimed top honours in the A Section, there was also joy for Pretoria’s Hoërskool Zwartkop which won the B Section.

They defeated Hoërskool Linden 1-0 in the final, improving by two places on their third-place finish in the 2023 tournament.

U18A Noordvaal Standings

Monument
Helpmekaar College
Hoërskool Nelspruit
HTS Witbank
Hoërskool Waterkloof
Hoërskool Rustenburg
Midstream College
Hoërskool Middelburg
Hoërskool Pietersburg
Potchefstroom Gimnasium
Hoërskool Noordheuwel
Sasolburg High School

U18B Noordvaal Standings

Hoërskool Zwartkop
Hoërskool Linden
Hoërskool Evander
Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom
Montana High
Hoërskool Ben Vorster
Merensky Landbou Akademie
Dr Malan
Hoërskool Transvalia
Kempton Park
Bergsig Academy
Driehoek

After two pulsating mid-week fixtures in which Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) and South African College High School (SACS) played to a 2-2 draw, and Paarl Gimnasium defeated Bishops Diocesan College 2-1, teams in the Western Cape were back in action on the weekend.

Those four top guns all played on Friday night and produced some eye-catching results.

SACS travelled to Reddam House Constantia for their league match and did what was expected of them, thrashing the hosts.

The southern suburbs school, after producing a lukewarm performance against PRG on Wednesday, came out firing and were unrelenting.

They scored a whopping 12 times and conceded one goal at the other end. Their playmaker, Litha Kraai, after being shut down by PRG, found his groove again, netting five times.

Matthew Jones chipped in with a hattrick, while Reece Theunis scored a brace, and Regan Wille, and Connor van der Schyff both got onto the scoreboard as SACS ran wild.

Sam Holmes‘ charges will next turn their attention to a match against Rondebosch next weekend. ‘Bosch also cruised, outplaying DF Malan 7-0.

Coach Michael Baker’s Paul Roos team travelled from Stellenbosch to Cape Town to face Stellenberg High School.

It was business as usual for the Boland boys, and a free-flowing and open match saw them score with ease.

They ran out comfortable 9-2 winners, with Luke Oliver scoring his first hattrick of the season. Callum van Oudsthoorn and skipper Reuben Sendzul chipped in with doubles.

Hano Basson and Christo Swanepoel completed the Paul Roos scoring as they scored their most goals in a game this season.

Baker’s troops will be back in action at 18:35 on Thursday when they host Somerset College on the Maties Astroturf in Stellenbosch.

In another league encounter, Bishops Diocesan College thumped Curro Durbanville 8-0 at the Woodlands AstroTurf.

There were braces for Tom Ludlum, Joshua Mettler, and James Grieve while Albert Steyn and Andrew Raubenheimer also scored.

Next weekend, Bishops faces Wynberg Boys’ High. It will be a tough challenge for both teams.

Meanwhile, in Paarl, coach Jacques Grobler’s Paarl Gim side picked up another win, outscoring Somerset College 3-1.

Stephan Pieterse, who has been in a rich vein of goal-scoring form, struck with a drag flick, while skipper, LD Nel, converted a stroke, and Juan Swanepoel made it three.

In their final match of the season, Paarl Gim faces their town rivals, Paarl Boys’ High, in their annual interschools clash.

Boishaai, meanwhile, boosted their confidence ahead of that game with a 3-2 win over Parel Vallei.

RESULTS

SACS 12-1 Reddam House Constantia
Paul Roos 9-2 Stellenberg High
Bishops 8-0 Curro Durbanville
Paarl Gimnasium 3-1 Somerset College
Rondebosch Boys’ High 7-0 DF Malan
Paarl Boys’ High 3-2 Parel Vallei

Selborne College captain Tre’ Gilbert said he’s pleased with how his side has conducted itself during the second half of the schoolboy hockey season in the Eastern Cape.

His comment came after Selborne scored an emphatic win on Friday night in East London, thumping Dale College 7-0.

Gilbert led from the front, scoring four goals, including three from penalty corner drag flicks. Daniel Conroy, Daniel Sirgel, and Waeden Plaatjes also netted.

The one-sided win meant Selborne continued its unbeaten run in the Border region this season. Only once have they lost at home. That defeat came in April, against Grey College, who won 5-2 to bring an end to Selborne’s unbeaten start to the season.

Since the beginning of the third term, they’ve made light work of every opponent they’ve faced. They’ve scored freely, conceded few goals, and produced high quality hockey week in and week out.

In their first match of the term, they cantered to a 6-1 win over Hudson Park. A week later, they travelled to Komani to face Queen’s College, who had held Selborne to a 1-1 draw when the teams met in East London earlier in the season. The second time around, the East London boys ran out 6-1 winners.

Before their meeting with Dale, Selborne took on Cambridge High School during the week. They had won 6-0 when the teams met for a first time. In their second meeting, coach KJ Friend‘s side more than doubled that score, striking 14 times without reply to set themselves up nicely for their clash with Dale.

It was business as usual against the Dalians. Selborne dominated the opening two chukkas to take a comfortable 4-0 lead into halftime. Their goalkeeper Nathan Amos-Brown was a spectator for most of the match, with the action happening in the opposition’s half.

Three more goals in the second half made it 7-0. “We’ve had a great third term as a team,” Gilbert told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“Our goal-scoring ability has taken off. The past four games, we’ve scored 33 times and we’re really in a great space as a team going into our clash against Grey High.”

The highly anticipated Eastern Cape battle between Selborne and Gqeberha’s Grey High will be the last match for both teams this season.

It’ll be a showdown between two sides that have enjoyed massive success this year, and it will also be about the leading teams in the region duelling for bragging rights.

Gilbert said Selborne is expecting a tough tussle against their rivals. “We’re coming into the Grey game with some confidence, but nothing is guaranteed in schoolboy hockey.

“All we know is that we will go into the game with the perspective of playing our style of hockey.

“We have massive respect for our opponents as they are [ranked] third in the country, so we expect an exciting finale to the season,” he concluded.

Other matches

Also in East London, Stirling High School recorded two wins over the weekend, beating Cambridge High 2-1 on Friday night, before claiming the scalp of Woodridge College on Sunday, with a 3-0 victory.

Against Cambridge, a Chad Clark-Evans brace sealed the win, while Josh Williams scored twice against Woodridge, and Jaren Marillier added his name to the score sheet.

After beating Framesby 3-0 on Friday night, Hudson Park suffered a hefty 2-5 defeat to the same Woodridge College on Saturday.

Meanwhile, in Komani, Queen’s College returned to winning ways with a 3-0 defeat of Merrifield College on Saturday.

RESULTS

Merrifield 1-1 Woodridge College
Selborne College 7-0 Dale College
Stirling High School 2-1 Cambridge
Hudson Park 3-0 Framesby
Merrifield 0-3 Queen’s College
Hudson Park 2-5 Woodridge
Stirling High 3-0 Woodridge College

The spotlight in East London will focus on the best hockey team in town on Friday, Selborne College, who welcome Dale College to their fortress for an evening showdown.

The action, on Selborne’s main AstroTurf, takes place from 18:30.

Catch it LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Heading into the game, the home side is favoured, and if the Dale 1st XI is not on its game, it could be a long night for the visitors.

Coach KJ Friend’s Selborne side, after starting the season extremely well, which included winning their first 15 matches, hit a few bumps, but they have recently come on strongly.

In recent weeks, they have been among the goals, regularly capitalising on the opportunities they have created, and their defence has been sound.

When last they met Dale, in Qonce, Selborne ran rampant against coach Junior Mqingwana‘s side, scoring a mammoth 10 goals, while conceding one to record a one-sided 10-1 victory.

In that clash, it was one-way traffic, with Selborne in the ascendency from the get-go. Their skipper, Tre’ Gilbert scored four times, while Jaques van der Merwe racked up a pair. Kungothando Macanda, Daniel Conroy, Waeden Plaatjes, and Daniel Sirgel completed the drubbing.

Since then, Selborne has won every game they have played, barring a 1-1 draw with St Andrew’s College late in May.

In the third term alone, they have scored 26 goals in only three matches, with 14 of those coming against Cambridge High, while they also overran Hudson Park and Queen’s College by 6-1 margins.

Selborne possesses several goal-scoring threats, including Gilbert, who has been joined on the scoring sheet of late by Thomas Caswell, Jaques van der Merwe and Daniel Sirgel.

At stake for the East London school is its unbeaten status in the Border region this year.

Despite their big loss against Selborne, Dale’s season has raised optimism about the school’s hockey programme. The improvements over 2023 have been clear as day and they’ve employed a more attractive and effective style of play.

Under the leadership of coach Mqingwana, Dale has picked up some big wins, including beating Graeme College and handing their great rivals Queen’s a loss on the Komani school’s Reunion Day.

In recent weeks, however, they’ve found themselves on the wrong end of a number of one-goal losses. They went down 0-1 against Kingswood before losing 2-3 against Stirling and, last week, they let the game slip in the fourth chukka, losing 1-2 against St Andrew’s College in Makhanda.

The task of dethroning Selborne will be a mammoth one, but stranger things have happened in schoolboy hockey, and Dale will be upset-minded.

If they’re to pull off a shock result, they’ll need players like Sonwabiso Dyani, Gavin Walton, their skipper Sibongile Nzima, and their goalkeeper Libhongo Mgijima, to bring their A-game.

Meanwhile, Woodridge College visits East London for a weekend full of hockey, during which they will Hudson Park, Merrifield College, and Stirling High respectively.

They are scheduled to play Merrifield on Friday at 16:00 before facing Hudson Park the following day at 15:00. On Sunday, they tackle Stirling High at 10:00.

Stirling High, meanwhile, takes on Cambridge High on Friday, while Queen’s College plays Merrifield on Saturday.

FIXTURES

Friday, 26 July

15:30 – Hudson Park vs Framesby
16:00 – Merrifield vs Woodridge College
18:00 – Cambridge High vs Stirling High
18:30 – Selborne College vs Dale College

Saturday, 27 July

10:00 – Merrifield vs Queen’s College
15:00 – Hudson Park vs Woodridge College

There was nothing to separate Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) and South African College High School (SACS) as the two South African schoolboy hockey giants played to a 2-2 draw in their final meeting of the season on the Maties Astroturf in Stellenbosch on Wednesday night.

In what many viewed as the game of the season, a low conversion rate of goalscoring opportunities, ill-discipline, and moments of inconsistency, cost both teams a chance at victory.

It was a third meeting of the schools this season.

In their first game, in the Hibbert Shield final in Gqeberha, Paul Roos won 6-5 on sudden death penalties after the match ended level at 3-3. SACS exacted revenge a week later, thumping them 6-2 to tie the season’s series at 1-1.

On Wednesday evening, in front of a packed crowd at Maties, with hundreds of maroon blazers in attendance, each and every call that went the host’s way was greeted with cheers. Out on the field. the Paul Roos players responded positively, and the first chukka belonged to them.

They came out firing, full of energy, and when they were awarded a first penalty corner an electric thrill moved among their supporters, with many feeling that it would be converted. It was.

It was PRG’s dangerman, Reuben Sendzul, who opened their account, with a savage drag flick earning his side an early advantage.

SACS, after that goal, were awarded a PC of their own, but Reece Theunis‘ shot was wide of the mark.

In the early going, though, the side from Newlands appeared to be a little off their game. Their skipper Stephan Meyer looked good in the middle of the park, but their attack was tame, go forward ball was almost non-existent, and nothing seemed to click.

That changed, however, in the second chukka when the visitors pulled one back through a Regan Wille deflection off of a penalty corner variation.

Just before that goal, PRG’s Louan Van Zyl was shown his marching orders after a sharp exchange of words with an umpire, which left the home side a man down for the majority of the match.

An even battle raged on in the third chukka, with possession regularly being overturned.

A lack of discipline cost SACS their one-man advantage for a while as Theunis was shown a green card. It remained 1-1 at the teams started the fourth chukka.

Then, with only three minutes to play, it seemed that the visitors would steal a win when they went ahead. A strike from Aidan Hughes found the stick of PRG’s Keith Siebrits and the ball deflected into the back of the net to put SACS ahead for a first time in the contest.

Paul Roos has, however, demonstrated on a number of occasions during the season that they may be down, but they are never out. A minute later, they levelled through Joshua Smit. It was his second goal against SACS this season. He had scored when they met in May.

There was no more time for either team to find a winner and the home side, despite playing with a man down for the majority of the encounter, held on for a 2-2 draw.

Reflecting on the match afterwards, PRG head coach, Michael Baker lamented his side’s ill-discipline, which cost them an opportunity to fully execute their plans.

“The red card changed the game,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus. 

“Discipline let us down. It’s something we spoke about the whole week, and when you get a red card against SACS, it’s always going to be difficult.

“We also got a yellow card, and that’s when they scored their second goal, so it’s hard to play against a top team with a player down.”

The match was coach Baker’s third against SACS since he joined the Stellenbosch school at the start of the year. It’s a fixture his players relish and Baker believes the rivalry deserves all the hype it gets

“I will be honest, SACS are the best team in the country, and I want to be coaching the best team in the country, so as long as they’re the best, we want to beat them,” he said.

“We’ll make the game as big as it is and, from a neutral point of view, if the number one team plays against number two, then everyone will be drawn to that game.”

SACS’ coach Sam Holmes declared himself pleased with the hockey his side played, despite not connecting well at times.

“We went 0-1 down, but this team is no stranger to being a goal down, and the boys came out nicely with a beautiful equaliser,” he said.

“Paul Roos at Maties is a very hard fixture. I’ve been part of teams that come here, club teams, and u16s, and it’s always tough, and the first chukka always seems like a bit of a throw-away.

“All in all, I thought we played some nice hockey, but the times where we connected were too few and far between.”

Commenting on the intense rivalry between the sides, he said: “Yes, SACS versus Paul Roos is everything now. We’ve played them three times. It’s a massive fixture, and I think with every rivalry each team gets better.

“It’s a fantastic fixture for the boys and the schools, and ultimately it just leads to better teams, as a whole.”

Both sides will be in action on Friday again, with PRG taking on Stellenberg away from home at 19:45, while SACS will visit Reddam Constantia for a match that starts at 19:15.

Other matches

In other mid-week encounters, Cape Town International Hockey Tournament champions, Paarl Gimnasium, after going down 2-4 to Wynberg last weekend, redeemed themselves with a 2-1 win over Bishops Diocesan College in Paarl.

Coach Jacques Grobler’s side benefitted from two PC drag flick goals from Stephan Pieterse.

On Tuesday, Somerset College defeated DF Malan 3-2.

Action in the Western Cape resumes this weekend. You can catch it LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Much has been said about the fierce rivalry between Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), and South African College High School (SACS) this season.

Deemed by many to be the top hockey teams in the country, the Western Cape rivals have, for the most part, lived up to the pressures and expectations of those labels.

They’ve met twice already this season. In their first showdown, in the Hibbert Shield final in Gqeberha, Paul Roos came back from 0-3 down to draw 3-3, which took the game to a penalty shootout. That, then, went to sudden death, and PRG triumphed 6-5.

A week later, SACS exacted revenge, beating their opponents 6-2 at the Brewery.

This week, the two heavyweights will be presented with an opportunity to claim the bragging rights and, potentially, end the conversation about South Africa’s best in 2024.

On Wednesday night, they meet on the Maties AstroTurf in Stellenbosch, with the action starting at 18:10.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools and DStv Channel 216.

Ahead of the highly anticipated encounter, SuperSport Schools hockey writer, Avuyile Sawula, takes a deep dive into the teams’ form this season and looks at what each side will aim to execute to come out on top.

Seizing opportunities

Both coaches, Michael Baker (PRG) and Sam Holmes (SACS), will preach the importance of seizing opportunities and converting every chance created on Wednesday evening.

Past matches between the rivals have shown that it’s all about capitalising on opportunities, along with maintaining a solid defence and controlling the midfield. A perfect example of this would be the last time they met.

In that clash, SACS, despite going a goal down early on, made use of almost all of the opportunities they created on the night. They fired on all cylinders from penalty corners, put PRG under pressure in the second half, and tamed the roaring PRG lions.

Since that win, coach Holmes’ team has done a good job of turning chances into goals against their Western Cape opposition, although some may argue that they haven’t been tested and taken out of their comfort zone.

They’ll be wary of PRG, a side that has left many goals out on the park this season, but which has also, at times, scored freely.

After beginning their league season with a 0-1 defeat against Rondebosch, Paul Roos’s only other league defeat has been against SACS. Since then, they’ve been on an impeccable run despite not always playing to their full potential.

They did, however, show what they’re capable of doing when they overwhelmed Wynberg Boys High 7-1 last term. And that performance came in Stellenbosch, where they will face SACS.

Last week, they ground out a 2-0 win over a strong Bishops team, also at home, while SACS, as expected, beat Paarl Boys’ High, cruising to a 7-1 win.

The execution of penalty corners will be key. PRG, with Reuben Sendzul their primary drag flicker, had a slow start to the season with their set piece, but it has come to life in recent months.

Sendzul and his injectors – it alternates between Keith Siebrits and Callum van Oudsthoorn – along with the stoppers, will need to produce their A-game.

As for the visitors, they’ll turn to their dangermen, Litha Kraai and Reece Theunis, at PC time. Both players offer a cutting edge in open play and at the set piece.

Staying disciplined

Four quarters of hockey might appear to be quite short. However, if a team is a player or two down, it can become a long and arduous challenge.

Both sides will need to maintain their discipline and avoid putting themselves at a disadvantage. That’s easier said than done in what is likely to be a cauldron-like atmosphere.

It’s not rocket science. The team that has more players on the park for a longer duration in the game will find the scales tilted in their favour.

At crucial moments during the course of the season, both PRG and SACS have let themselves down with moments of indiscipline. Given the occasion and given the opposition, such indiscretions could be telling.

In their second meeting back in May, SACS’s SA Schools’ stars, Kraai and Theunis, were both shown yellow cards for dissension, which caused them to miss large parts of the third chukka.

Meanwhile, PRG’s Sendzul and Hano Basson were sent off for similar offenses, and goalkeeper Beor Van Reenen was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle on Kraai.

Throughout the season, country-wide, one of the most unfortunate trends has been that of players showing irritation towards umpires, questioning their decisions and backchatting them. Coaches Baker and Holmes will, no doubt, caution their players against such actions. Those could prove costly.

BMT- Big Match Temperament  

The saying “big matches, big players,” will surely be to the fore when the two loaded teams do battle.

Teamwork has been at the heart of PRG’s and SACS’s successes this season, but the ability of some individuals to elevate their games on the biggest stage could make all the difference. BMT will be required.

Paul Roos is used to dealing with pressure situations, and that could work in their favour.

In the lead-up to the Hibbert Shield, they faced Grey High School in Gqeberha. They trailed 0-2 for the majority of that match before staging a furious finish to capture a 3-2 victory.

A week later, in the Hibbert Shield final, they were 0-3 down to SACS in double-quick time. They hung tough, however, to claw their way back into the contest and even the scores. Then, the won it from the penalty spot.

SACS has not faced similar adversity this season and been taken to the gutter. That, though, may be a testament to their dominance.

In most matches in which they’ve trailed, it’s been a 0-1 deficit, and credit to them, they have quickly overturned it and outscored their opponents to run away with the match.

Two southern suburbs teams, Bishops Diocesan College and Wynberg Boys High, gave them a tough time.

They drew 1-1 with Bishops and beat Wynberg 1-0, although they never looked like losing the latter encounter.

One of the keys for SACS will be their ability to fight, and a desire to battle back from behind if that’s what’s needed.

Their response to their loss to Paul Roos in the Hibbert Shield was a good one, and it came from a strong push in the fourth quarter of their clash at the Brewery.

TEAMS

Paul Roos: Beor Van Reenen, Hano Basson, Louan van Zyl, Logan Lackay, Daniel Lurie, Christo Swanepoel, Keith Siebrits, Joshua Smit, Callum van Oudsthoorn, Barend Geldenhuys, Reuben Sendzul (c), Ruben Gouws, Seth Paterson, Luke Oliver, Ruan Strauss.

SACS: Noah Venter, Jo Le Roux, Aiden Hughes, Dave Versfeld, Nick Paxton, Kevin Oosthuizen, Stéphan Meyer (c), Zac Redfern, Litha Kraai, Reece Theunis, Cohen Williams, Regan Wille, Cole Allam, Matthew Jones, Mike Mthunzi, Matthew Lassen.

South African College High School (SACS) dangerman, Reece Theunis, is aiming to play a pivotal role for his side during the remainder of the hockey season, which concludes next month.

Theunis has been a key contributor in this year’s SACS side, thanks to his goalscoring prowess and his work off the ball.

In the winter holidays, he represented Western Province u18A at the SASHOC National Week, and along with seven of his teammates helped the team capture a third consecutive provincial title in Bloemfontein.

After the tournament, the 17-year-old was named in the SA Schools u18A side and has recently been included for a second year running in the SA u17 team, which will contest the Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia later this year.

Ahead of his side’s big showdown clash with Paul Roos Gimnasium on Wednesday, SuperSport Schools Plus hockey writer, Avuyile Sawula, interviewed the striker.

Their conversation centred around the current season, the step up from junior to senior hockey, and representing South Africa.

You’ve been at SACS from an early age. How would you say life has been at the primary and high schools?

It’s been quite special, especially on the hockey front. I came here wanting to play hockey, and since junior school it’s been a dream of mine to play for the first team.

I’m currently in that position now, and I’m just grateful to be representing the school.

How would you describe the current 2024 season so far?

Yeah, this season, so far, has been quite great, I won’t lie.

We’ve had our ups and downs, but that’s always going to happen. We lost once against Paul Roos Gimnasium in the final of the Hibbert Shield but, other than that, we’ve done well.

We’ve practiced for months and months doing the small things right and coming into the final stretch of the season, we’re looking to finish strong.

You played in the u16 team last year. How has the step up been from junior hockey to first team level?

Yeah, the move up from u16 to the first team has forced me to mature a lot on and off the field. I’ve been training much better, and the level is just different. I think I’ve managed to get used to the tempo of the game, but I’m still a work in progress.

You represented Western Province at the u16 SASHOC National Week last year, winning that title, and then went on to represent SA at the u17 Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia. How were those experiences for you?

It was amazing, you know. We went into that IPT tournament looking to do something different after we finished in third place two years ago, and to go and win it was something special.

And then going on to make the South African team was a privilege from day one. And when I got selected to play for the SA u17s in Malaysia, that was special, and I made some memories I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Who would you say inspires you to be a better player?

I think the obvious answer would be my dad.

In junior school, I wasn’t a massive hockey fan, and he insisted I play all the time.

He pushed me to train, invested in my hockey, and allowed me to go on all these tours around the country and to Malaysia, of course.

What sort of influence have your coaches had on you over the years?

Yeah, you know guys like Coach Sam [Holmes], Mr. Stu Barnard, and Mr Pevs [James Peverley] have been a big influence on how I’ve matured as a player.

They’ve pushed me since day one to always take my chances, and they’ve instilled this belief that I shouldn’t fear not scoring. They’ve also motivated me to do better because they know I’m far from reaching my full potential.

How do you feel about the second half of the season, and what do you think will be key for SACS to finish on a high?

I think the approach will be the same as last year.

After the IPTs, you sort of come back stronger because of the break, especially if it was a good break. When you get back, you’re hungrier to get on the pitch and play again.

This term we’ll face teams like Paul Roos, Wynberg, and Bishops, and all of those are top-quality teams that will give us a run for our money.

We just need to keep doing what we’re doing. It will be tough, but we are ready.

Favourite meal?

Nachos

Favourite movie/series?

Manifest

Other Sports you play?

Cricket and golf

Hobbies and interest?

Listening to music

Travelling

In a battle for supremacy between two fierce Western Cape rivals, Paarl Gimnasium and Rhenish Girls’ High, it was Paarl Gim who came out on top, claiming an impressive 3-2 win over their arch-rivals in Paarl on Saturday.

The victory means coach Ian Naudé‘s side remains unbeaten in the province, having suffered only two defeats all season long – against St Stithians and Eunice at the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Tournament in Johannesburg earlier in the year.

The fixture was the second time the teams met in 2024. In their first meeting, at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival, Gim handed Rhenish a 1-0 defeat.

Heading into the match, both teams owned flawless records within the province. Rhenish, who finished as the runners-up at the All Girls Festival in Potchefstroom, were not to be underestimated.

Gim, though, was on a superb run of form, scoring goals with ease against some of the Western Cape’s other top teams and sides from further afield, when they won the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament. They were rampant and dominated the event to win gold and finish the four-day competition unbeaten.

Chris Gerber’s Rhenish side has also enjoyed a solid season, however, and during the week, in the lead-up to the big showdown, they defeated Paarl Girls’ High 2-1. Before that, in their last outing of the second term, they beat Parel Vallei 2-0.

Friday’s clash got off to a fiery start, with the game being played at a high tempo and both teams having a good go at one another, which led to an eye-opening four goals being scored in the first chukka.

Rhenish was first onto the scoresheet, but Gimmies responded through a Marika Neethling penalty corner drag flick to make it 1-1.

Soon after, the hosts grabbed the lead after Anine Le Roux converted a penalty stroke, but, undaunted, Rhenish quickly replied to make it 2-2.

Paarl Gim enjoyed the better of the second and third chukkas, creating numerous goal scoring opportunities without finding a finish.

They had several penalty corners stopped, but they also remained strong and resolute at the back, stopping the Stellenbosch side from taking the lead.

Then, in a thrilling finish, with about a minute to play in the fourth chukka, Karea De Ridder broke the hearts of Rhenish by slotting a field goal to make it 3-2, which sealed the win for her team.

“The first 15 minutes, both teams were on fire, and it was end-to-end stuff,” Paarl Gim coach Ian Naudé told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“From there on, the game was played between the two halves, with both teams still being fresh and the legs keeping up.

“From the second half, we pressed a little bit more, and that seemed to work for us, as we managed to get counterattacks, and controlled the game.”

Gim was unable to capitalise on their opportunities, but they didn’t allow Rhenish many and kept the Stellenbosch girls from winning a penalty corner.

Naudé applauded his side’s defensive effort: “Rhenish played their socks off. It was a hard game, but I think our girls were better conditioned,” he said.

“We had some PCs that we didn’t convert, but I’m also happy that we didn’t concede any PCs and that just speaks to our discipline in defence.”

Minke Botha received the player of the match accolade, while it was a special occasion for Marli van Lierop, who played her 75^th match for Paarl Gimnasium.

Other matches

It was a busy week and weekend around the Western Cape, which included a big derby between Herschel Girls School and Springfield Convent School.

The honours went the way of the hosts, with Herschel claiming a 2-0 win, courtesy of goals from Mia Andrews and Alexa Knott.

Stellenberg was also on the winning side, beating Outeniqua 4-2, while Fairmont defeated The Settlers 3-0.

Paarl Girls’ High, after a narrow 1-2 mid-week defeat against Rhenish, bounced back to beat Durbanville 3-0.

RESULTS

Herschel Girls School 2-0 Springfield
Paarl Gimnasium 3-2 Rhenish
Stellenberg 4-2 Outeniqua
Fairmont High 3-0 The Settlers
Paarl Girls High 3-0 Durbanville
La Rochelle vs HMS Bloemhof – Postponed
Rustenburg Girls’ High vs Parel Vallei – Called off (rain)