Author: asawula

A solitary goal by Diocesan School for Girls’ (DSG) stalwart, Abigail Holderness, sealed a 1-0 victory for the Makhanda side against Pearson High School in the final of the Eastern Cape Spar Hockey Challenge on Sunday in Gqeberha.

DSG finished the tournament as the only unbeaten side, after running rampant against their opponents on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Coach Geowynnne Gamiet’s side entered the weekend as the favourites, along with Pearson High.

They had been out of action for a while, though, with their last outing being last month when they defeated Kingswood College 2-1 during the annual K-Day celebrations in Makhanda.

Nonetheless, DSG began their pursuit of top honours on a positive note, beating Pearson, with whom they had drawn 3-3 earlier in the season, 1-0 in their opening match on Saturday afternoon.

The Makhanda side, boasting quality players like the Holderness sisters, Lucy and Abigail, Mike Holder, Kayleigh Clayton, and Hannah Lowe, soon made it two wins in a row, beating Komani’s Queenstown Girls’ High 3-1.

They completed their day with a clean record after a 2-1 win over York High, and on Sunday morning handed Clarendon a 2-0 defeat before again beating York 2-1, this time in the semi-finals.

Pearson, meanwhile, went down to DSG in their opener on Saturday, and were held to a 1-1 draw by York, but still managed to secure a semi-final spot.

In the last four, they dominated Queenstown Girls’ High, winning 4-1, to set up a third meeting with DSG this season.

When the teams previously met in Makhanda, it was DSG who were forced to come from behind to draw, but in Sunday’s final they started brightly. They demonstrated positive intent and were rewarded with a penalty corner in the opening three minutes of the match.

Up stepped the dangerous Abigail Holderness, and her powerful drag flick found the back of the net to put DSG into a 1-0 lead.

Pearson fought hard to find a response in the 25-minute-long encounter, and they received two short corners, but were unable to convert either of them.

Time ran down, with very few goal-scoring opportunities having been created, but, at the end, the game opened up.

Holderness had another opportunity to score with five minutes to play and, after dancing her way through Pearson’s defence, her shot was deflected off the goalkeeper’s boots and went wide of the mark.

In the end, though, it was SA u17 star Holderness’s early strike that separated the teams.

In the bronze medal match, a Megan Prinsloo goal secured a 1-0 win for York over Queenstown Girls’ High. Clarendon High School for Girls placed fifth.

RESULTS

Day One

DSG Makhanda 1-0 Pearson High
York High 0-0 Clarendon High School for Girls
DSG Makhanda 3-1 Queenstown Girls’ High
York High 1-1 Pearson High
Queenstown Girls High 1-0 Clarendon High School for Girls
DSG Makhanda 2-1 York High
Pearson High 0-0 Clarendon High School for Girls

Day Two

Pearson High 4-1 Queenstown Girls’ High
DSG Makhanda 2-0 Clarendon High School for Girls
Queenstown Girls’ High 1-0 York High
Pearson High 4-1 Queenstown Girls’ High- Semifinal 1 
DSG Makhanda 2-1 York High – Semifinal 2
York High 1-0 Queenstown Girls’ High – Bronze medal 
DSG Makhanda 1-0 Pearson High – Final 

After heavy rainfall resulted in day two of the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament being called off, the third day of action delivered scintillating hockey in wet conditions as four Western Cape sides booked their places in the semi-finals of the tournament on Friday afternoon.

Defending champions, South African College High School (SACS), defeated Durbanville High 7-2 in their quarterfinal. Meanwhile, Parel Vallei (PV) claimed the scalp of Repton A, beating the UK side 4-1.

Both sides from the Boland area, Paarl Gimnasium and Paul Roos Gimnasium, also secured their spots in the final four, beating Repton B 5-1 and Worcester Gimnasium 8-0 respectively.

SACS will take on coach Michael van Rensburg‘s PV side in the first semi, before a clash of the rivals when Paarl Gim and Paul Roos meet in the second semi-final on Sunday morning.

Road to the last four

To reach the last four, coach Sam Holmes’ SACS side powered their way through their pool, recording four wins and scoring 27 goals without conceding.

After impressive victories on the opening day in which they beat Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool 5-0 and Bridge House 7-0, they returned on day three to put eight past Repton B, before concluding their pool obligations with a 7-0 thumping of Curro Durbanville.

Adan Thompson (2), Regan Wille (3), and Litha Kraai (3) were to the fore in their big win over Repton B, while, against Curro, Kraai and Jo le Roux both netted twice, while Aiden Hughes, Mohlodi Maseko, and Daniel Graser also got their names onto the score sheet.

In Parel Vallei, who are under the guidance of Michael van Rensburg, they come up against a team that’s hungry to cause an upset. Like their girls’ team, PV has yet to taste defeat at the tournament, and posted three wins and a draw in their four pool matches.

In their quarterfinal clash, they had to get past a gritty Repton A side, but a double from the young and exciting Luka Meets, plus further goals from Sibulele Makeleni and Tristan Rautenbach, took them to a convincing 4-1 victory.

Meanwhile, coach Michael Baker’s Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) young guns shrugged off their opening day defeat against Repton A, and on Friday played an exciting brand of hockey, which launched them to the top of Pool C.

In their first encounter of the day, they defeated Hoërskool Outeniqua 6-1, with skipper Christo Swanepoel and Callum van Oudtshoorn striking twice each. Seth Paterson and Logan Lackay completed the drubbing.

Then, a 2-1 win over Somerset College set them up for a date with Worcester Gimnasium in the last eight.

PRG started slowly, but then dialled up the intensity to power their way to an 8-0 quarterfinals’ win.

Swanepoel, who represented the Boland u18A side at the SASHOC National Week and was selected for the SA Schools u17 side, scored a hattrick. Ruben Gouws, Ruan Strauss, Charles Lombard, Tylor Carter and Van Oudtshoorn netted the other goals.

Standing in their way for a place in the title-decider is coach Jacques Grobler’s Paarl Gimnasium team.

They’ve been one of the standout sides of the tournament and finished the pool stage with an unbeaten record, scoring 18 times while conceding only twice.

Gimmies, captained by LD Nel, beat Durbanville 1-0 on Friday before ruthlessly thumping Uppingham 5-0.

Gim dangerman, Juan Swanepoel, who this week was named in the Namibia u18A side, scored three goals in the two matches.

In the quarterfinal vs Repton B, Gim trailed 0-1 early on, but a Stephan Pieterse hattrick and goals from Nel and Johann van der Merwe sealed a comfortable 5-1 win for coach Grobler’s troops.

The action resumes on Sunday in Stellenbosch with SACS, Parel Vallei, Paul Roos and Paarl Gim all eyeing a place in the final and an opportunity to claim the silverware.

RESULTS – DAY THREE

Pool A

Windhoek High School 1-1 Worcester Gymnasium
Parel Vallei 3-0 Paarl Boys High
Worcester Gymnasium 7-0 Stewart’s Melville College
Paarl Boys High 1-0 Windhoek High School
Parel Vallei 6-0 Stewart’s Melville College

Pool B

SACS 8-0 Repton B
Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool 4-0 Bridge House
SACS 7-0 Curro Durbanville
Repton B 6-1 Bridge House
Curro Durbanville 2-2 Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool

Pool C

Repton A 2-0 Reddam House Constantia
Paul Roos Gimnasium 6-1 Hoërskool Outeniqua
Somerset College 4-3 Repton A
Paul Roos Gimnasium 2-1 Somerset College
Hoërskool Outeniqua 3-3 Reddam House Constantia 

Pool D

Uppingham 3-0 Windhoek Gymnasium
Durbanville High 1-0 Western Province Invitational
Paarl Gimnasium 1-0 Durbanville High
Western Province Invitational 1-0 Windhoek Gymnasium
Paarl Gimnasium 6-0 Uppingham

Quarterfinal results

Parel Vallei 4-1 Repton A
SACS 7-2 Durbanville High
Worcester Gimnasium 0-8 Paul Roos
Paarl Gimnasium 5-1 Repton B

Semi-final fixtures

10:10 – SACS vs Parel Vallei @Maties A
10:10 – Paul Roos vs Paarl Gimnasium @Maties B
17:40 – Final @Maties A

Click the link for all the fixtures: Cape Town International Hockey Tournament

The images used in the article are credited to Ray Chaplin. For more information about Ray Chaplin, please visit: https://yourphotos.raychaplin.photography/

After the mid-year break, the Easterns Cape’s top guns, Selborne College, Grey High School, and St Andrew’s College, all return to action this weekend, determined to continue their strong seasons.

Selborne hosts their city neighbours, Hudson Park, in East London, while Grey High welcomes George’s York High, and St Andrew’s hosts a showdown with Woodridge College in Makhanda.

Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Selborne and Grey High have been the standout teams in the province this year, compiling prolific records, with St Andrew’s a half-step behind them.

This season, Grey High, coached by Andrew Beynon, has only lost three times against arguably the top two teams in the country, South African College High School (SACS), who twice beat the Gqeberha school, and Paul Roos Gimnasium.

Apart from those defeats, Grey, under the captaincy of Kian Cambier, has played some exceptional hockey, which also saw them capture the bronze medal in a very competitive Hibbert Shield.

They head into their showdown against coach Jason Slater’s side having scored four good wins before the school holidays.

Those victories came against Queen’s College (6-0), Woodridge College (6-1), Pearson High School (7-1), and St Andrew’s (2-1).

Beynon’s lineup includes nine players who represented the Eastern Province u18A side at the SASHOC National Week last month. Grey’s skipper, Cambier, was outstanding for EP in a very tough pool and earned himself selection for the SA u18A squad.

Goalkeeper Kiano Broadhurst also earned the approval of the national selectors and was included in the SA u17 squad.

Against York, Beynon will look to his national players, along with the likes of Ben Ristow, the dangerous Luke Tait, Blake Muller, and Xander Elkington, to drive Grey’s challenge.

For Selborne College, their encounter against Hudson Park will be good preparation for their final three matches of the season.

Coach KJ Friend’s team, despite a disappointing run at the Hibbert Shield in May, have enjoyed a very good season and have dominated in the Border region.

Their last outing resulted in a 6-2 win over Stirling High School.

They will be boosted by the return of their skipper, Tre Gilbert, who did duty for Border at the SASHOC National Week and earned selection for the SA Schools B team.

He’ll be joined in the black and white by Waeden Plaatjies, Daniel Conroy, Daniel Sirgel, Shane Stagg, Gray van Heerden, and Nathan Amon-Brown, all of whom represented Border in Bloemfontein. A win against coach Sipe Matafeni’s side would provide a welcome boost of confidence.

In Makhanda, coach Dean Ferreira’s St Andrew’s College boys tackle Woodridge College. They’ll have two matches remaining on their schedule after Friday’s match, against Dale College and Pearson High.

Speaking of Dale, they’ll be keen to get their season back on track when they host Stirling High in Qonce on Friday afternoon.

In their last outing, Dale went down 0-1 against Kingswood College. The week before that, they beat Graeme College 2-0 away from home.

The side, led by coach Junior Mqingwana, has shown massive improvement this season, and closing off with a bang will be a key point on their agenda.

FIXTURES

Friday, 12 July 

16:00 – Dale College vs Stirling High School
17:30 – St Andrew’s College vs Woodridge College
18:30 – Selborne College vs Hudson Park
19:20 – Grey High vs York High

Saturday, 13 July 2024:

11:00 – Merrifield College vs Cambridge High School

Makhanda’s Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), Clarendon, Pearson High, York High, and Queenstown Girls’ High will be eyeing the silverware when they contest the final of the Eastern Cape Spar Hockey Challenge in Gqeberha this weekend.

The tournament’s final round kicks off on Saturday and culminates in the title-decider being played the following day at Victoria Park High School‘s Astroturf.

You can catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

The five teams qualified for the final after winning their respective regional tournaments during the season.

DSG Makhanda booked their ticket to the final with a 3-1 win over Kingswood College back in May.

In that tournament, which was hosted by Kingswood, DSG also made light work of Volkskool Graaff-Reinet, winning 7-0, before thumping Die Brandwag 8-0. They were made to work hard by Union High, whom they beat 2-1 in the semi-finals.

They’ll enter the final week of the Spar Hockey Challenge high in confidence after finishing term two on a high with a 2-1 K-Day win over Kingswood last month.

Coach Geowynne Gamiet’s side welcomes back their Eastern Province players who participated in the SASHOC National Weeks over the holidays.

The Holderness sisters, Lucy and Abigail, who have been immense for the Makhanda side this season, shone at the provincial weeks.

Lucy inspired her u16 side to win gold and was named the Player of the Tournament, while Abigail’s performances in the u18A section secured her selection for the SA u17 squad. They’ll have a big role to play in their side’s title challenge.

For Clarendon, making the final was far from easy, and it took a sudden death penalty shootout win over Hudson Park to secure them their spot.

Aside from that tension-filled win, their 2024 season has been topsy-turvy, and coach Luaan Sedras will be looking for more consistency from his team as they aim to close the year on a high.

Their final match before the mid-year break brought them a 5-0 win over Stirling High School. Clarendon takes on Hudson Park on Friday afternoon, and a win there could be the confidence boost the team needs ahead of a demanding weekend.

Meanwhile, Pearson High School won’t be lacking in confidence when they take to the turf on the weekend.

The Gqeberha-based side is enjoying a season to remember and, despite not winning as many matches as they would’ve liked, they are playing an entertaining brand of hockey.

Before the mid-year break, they defeated Woodridge College 3-0 with SA u16 star Lisa de Villiers scoring twice, before Nyssa Slabbert added a further goal to her team’s tally.

To reach the final, coach Ignatius Malgraff‘s troops had to get past a strong Collegiate team, but they pulled off a 1-0 victory in a tightly contested affair.

They have already faced fellow finalists DSG and York this year, playing to a 3-3 draw against the Makhanda outfit, while they defeated the latter 4-1 away from home.

York High and Queenstown Girls’ High will enter the last round of competition as the underdogs.

York, led by head coach MJ Meyer, participated in the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Festival in Cape Town and punched above their weight to finish in 21^st place out of 40 teams.

Queenstown Girls’ High are also not to be taken lightly and they will aim to spring a few surprises against teams who might not be familiar with their style of play.

Day 1 | Fixtures

13:30 – DSG Makhanda vs Pearson High
14:00 – York High vs Clarendon
14:30 – DSG Makhanda vs Queenstown Girls’ High
15:00 – York High vs Pearson High
15:30 – Clarendon vs Queenstown Girls’ High
16:00 – York High vs DSG Makhanda
16:30 – Pearson High vs Clarendon

Day 2 | Fixtures

08:00 – Pearson High vs Queenstown Girls’ High
09:00 – Clarendon vs DSG Makhanda
09:30 – Queenstown Girls’ High vs York High
10:15 – Semi-final 1
10:45 – Semi-final 2
11:30 – Bronze medal match
12:00 – Final

The defending champions of the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament (CTIHT), South African College High School (SACS) got their title defence off to a smooth start by recording two emphatic victories on day one of the tournament in the Mother City on Wednesday.

SACS, in their first match of the day, thumped the Namibian outfit, Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool, 5-0, before putting seven past Bridge House in their second encounter.

The side, coached by Sam Holmes, entered the tournament as the favourites to dominate Pool B, which also features Repton School B and Curro Durbanville.

In their match against the Namibian side, Nicholas Oscroft scored a hattrick for SACS, while further goals from Matthew Lassen and Aiden Hughes completed the drubbing for the Cape Town school.

Against Bridge House, SACS kept their foot on the gas, and Lorenzo Virissimo introduced himself to the tournament with four goals, before Hughes, and Lassen again made it onto the scoresheet, and Finlay Reid also scored.

The defending champs, who are being represented by an u17 (Stayers) lineup, are top of Pool B with six points.

They had been scheduled to face Repton B and Curro Durbanville on Thursday, but a stage 8 weather warning from the South African Weather Service, which includes Cape Town and the Winelands as areas likely to be affected, has led to a cancellation of Thursday’s matches. The organisers said the fixtures would be amended.

Another Western Cape side that impressed on the opening day was coach Jacques Grobler‘s Paarl Gimnasium team.

Competing in Pool D with Durbanville High School, Uppingham, WP Invitational, and Windhoek Gymnasium, the Paarl Gim boys lit it up in the very first match of the tournament on the Woodlands Astroturf at Bishops.

They made light work of Windhoek Gymnasium, recording a 5-0 win, courtesy of goals by skipper LD Nel, Stephan Pieterse, regular goal scorer Juan Swanepoel, and a brace from Stefan Wiehahn.

They were far from done, however, and smashed seven past the Western Province Invitational side in their second outing, although their opponents mustered two goals in response.

Wiehahn and Nel both bagged doubles before Swanepoel, Stephan Pieterse, and Johann van der Merwe put the final nails in the coffin. Buhle Kama and Abongile Ntsasa pounced for consolation goals for the Invitational side.

Those big wins have left Paarl Gim comfortably atop Pool D, but some uncertainty now exists about how the semi-finalists will be decided because of the weather, with those games originally scheduled for Sunday.

The surprise of the day came in Pool C where England’s Repton A scored a 4-2 win over Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), who, like SACS, fielded an u17 team.

It’s the first time the UK side is taking part in the tournament, and they made a statement against a top side, with Zak Wedgwood scoring a hattrick before Joseph Reid sealed the win with a strike of his own.

The team, led by coach Adam Dixon, made it two wins in a row, with a 4-1 victory over Hoërskool Outeniqua in their second match.

Wedgwood was again on the scoreboard, with a brace, before Reid and Rocco Ewart-White made it 4-1. Divan Badenhorst scored for the South African team.

Repton A leads the pool standings, with coach Michael Baker’s PRG occupying second place after winning their second match 5-0 against Reddam. Somerset College are in third place after their win over Outeniqua (3-1).

Matters are tight in Pool A, with Parel Vallei and Worcester Gimnasium tied on four points each after day one. They played to a 1-1 draw and then picked up wins over Windhoek High School and Paarl Boys’ High respectively.

Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

RESULTS – DAY ONE

Pool A

Paarl Boys’ High 4-0 Stewart’s Melville College
Parel Vallei 1-1 Worcester Gimnasium
Paarl Boys’ High 0-1 Worcester Gimnasium
Parel Vallei 4-0 Windhoek High School
Windhoek High School 2-1 Stewart’s Melville College

Pool B

SACS 5-0 Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool
Repton B 5-1 Curro Durbanville
SACS 7-0 Bridge House
Bridge House 3-2 Curro Durbanville
Repton B 4-2 Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool

Pool C

Repton A 4-2 Paul Roos Gimnasium
Somerset College 3-1 Hoërskool Outeniqua
Hoërskool Outeniqua 1-4 Repton A
Reddam House Constantia 0-5 Paul Roos Gimnasium
Reddam House Constantia 0-0 Somerset College

Pool D

Paarl Gimnasium 5-0 Windhoek Gymnasium
Windhoek Gymnasium 0-5 Durbanville High
Paarl Gimnasium  7-2 WP Invitational
WP Invitational 2-2 Uppingham
Durbanville 3-0 Uppingham

The fixtures will be updated once the organisers have revised the schedule.

This week, Cape Town plays host to 64 schools, who will do battle for the silverware in the popular, highly anticipated Cape Town International Hockey Tournament, which gets underway in the Mother City on Wednesday morning.

The tournament’s opening match will see last year’s fifth-place finishers, Paarl Gimnasium, taking on Namibia’s Windhoek Gimnasium at 08:15 on the Woodlands Astroturf at Bishops Diocesan College.

Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

The annual tournament, which is entering its 19^th year, will be held at nine different venues across the city. The boys’ and girls’ finals are scheduled for Sunday, on the Maties Astroturf, in Stellenbosch.

Pool matches will be played at the South African College High School (SACS), Bishops, Rustenburg Girls’ High, Beaumont Primary School, Somerset College, Rhenish Girls’ High, Parel Vallei High School, and Maties.

When it began in 2003, the tournament was an initiative to pit South African schools against top teams from overseas, with an aim to grow the game and create much-needed exposure for it.

Now, out of the 64 teams, 25 percent are international sides, while 20 percent are South African regional teams. The bulk of the schools are from the Western Cape.

The event format splits the traditionally stronger teams into the Elite section, while the remainder of the schools compete in the Evolve section.

In last year’s tournament, in an all-UK final, Millfield Green Stripe won the girls’ Elite section, beating Kingston Grammar in a heated final at the Hartleyvale Astroturf, before SACS got one over Paarl Boys’ High to claim the top honours in the boys’ section.

In the Evolve section, St Paul’s College (girls) and Reddam House Constantia (boys) reigned supreme.

It won’t be an easy ride for any team this year, but SACS, in their title defence, appear to have a favourable draw in Pool B, where they’ll face Bridge House, Curro Durbanville, the UK’s Repton B, and Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool.

Reddam, after winning the Evolve section in 2023, has been promoted to the big league and, in Pool C, they will take on Outeniqua, Repton A (UK), Somerset College, and Paul Roos Gimnasium.

Pool A will be contested by last year’s silver medallists, Paarl Boys’ High, along with Parel Vallei, Stewart’s Melville College (Edinburgh), Windhoek High School, and Worcester Gimnasium.

Paarl Gimnasium and Durbanville High School are the favourites to make it through from Pool D, but they’ll have to go through Uppingham (Oakham, UK), Windhoek Gymnasium, and a Western Province Invitational side.

The format of the tournament is simple with the top two teams in each pool after the round-robin stages progressing to the quarterfinals on Friday night.

In the girls’ Elite section, new champions will be crowned, with Millfield Green Stripe missing from this year’s showpiece.

St Paul’s College, after winning the Evolve section last year, was also promoted and will set their sights on making the most of their time in the big league.

On a quest to add another title, they’ll face the 2024 Belgotex Easter Hockey Festival champions, Somerset College, along with Kempton Park, Durbanville High School, and AKS Lytham (St Anne’s, UK).

Pool B will see the visiting Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool and Clifton College (Bristol, UK) go up against Belville, Paarl Girls’ High, and Parel Vallei.

Curro Durbanville, after struggling in last year’s event, will be out for redemption. Their task won’t be easy, though, as they tackle Paarl Gimnasium, Windhoek High School, Worcester Gimnasium and Uppingham (Oakham, UK) in Pool C.

Springfield Convent School and Rustenburg Girls’ High will fancy their chances of progressing from Pool D. They’ll face the stern challenges of Outeniqua, Windhoek Gymnasium and Zimbabwe’s Chisipite.

Click the link for all the fixtures: Cape Town International Hockey Tournament fixtures

The annual SASHOC National Week tournaments concluded this past Wednesday when the curtains were drawn on the u16 events hosted at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.

In the A Section, the Boland u16 boys claimed the top honours, defeating Eastern Province 1-0 in a penalty shootout after regulation time in the final had ended at 2-2.

The girls’ section was won by Eastern Province A, who edged out Boland A 1-0 to claim their first national title since 2017.

A week before that, the Western Province boys and girls won the u13 titles.

Last month, the Western Province u18A boys successfully defended their title, holding off Boland 3-2 in the final, while Southern Gauteng beat Northern Gauteng 4-3 in a penalty shootout to take home gold in the girls’ section. The teams had finished level at 2-2 in regulation time.

While the action was exhilarating in the Free State, the u14 event was hosted in Johannesburg, where the Southern Gauteng boys won gold, while the girls’ title went to KZN Coastal.

It was four weeks of enthralling hockey, which brought together the best of the country’s school players.

One man who was pleased with the talent on show was South African Schools Hockey (SASHOC) Chairperson, Wendell Domingo, who attended all of the Bloemfontein events and experienced the action firsthand.

After the completion of the tournaments, he sat down for an exclusive interview with SuperSport Schools Plus hockey writer, Avuyile Sawula.

In it, he spoke about growing the game, how teams can look towards the top regions to learn lessons about preparation, and he also looked ahead to next year’s events.

2024 was a success

Domingo began by declaring the 2024 events a success.

The u14 tournament, after several years of being played on a regional basis, was re-introduced as a national tournament, with Jeppe High School for Boys and King Edward VII hosting it during the holidays.

Meanwhile, Bloemfontein hosted the u13, u16, and u18 events for a second year running.

“Our events seem to be getting better as the years unfold, and I’m quite pleased,” Domingo told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“The standard of hockey has improved from what it was two or three years ago. I’m also happy that our regions are embracing our plans for the future.

“We started eight years ago trying to transform our game and giving everyone an opportunity to participate, and the teams are happy. There’s camaraderie among the players, and it looks like our future is in safe hands.”

How teams can prepare better

In the u18 event, the Western Province boys were a cut above the rest and, despite being pushed by a resilient Boland side in their second meeting with their neighbours at the SASHOC National Week, they finished the tournament unbeaten.

That clean record was a repeat of the achievement of the 2023 Western Province team, and it was also a third gold medal in succession for Province.

Boland, who finished in fourth place in 2023, finished as the runners-up this time around, while KZN Coastal A secured the bronze medal for a second year in a row.

Those three teams were challenged by Southern Gauteng A, Northern Gauteng A, and KZN Inland A.

Meanwhile, in the girls’ section, Southern Gauteng A was unstoppable, while Northern Gauteng A and KZN Coastal A, the silver medal and bronze medal winners, were not far off the pace.

Domingo said the performances of those teams was a testament to the hard work those regions are putting in. He added that exposing players to club hockey further helps their development.

“Western Province, Boland, and a few of our top regions, seem to be getting it right,” he said.

“They start preparing their players before the end of each year, and you find, when they come back to the event, they’re better prepared and in good shape.

“I’ve also found that players that play league club hockey in their regions are much more mature compared to players that only play at school.

“You can see the difference and that’s why regions need to prepare players beforehand and not a month or two before the event.”

Taking the game to more communities

Currently, hockey in South Africa is being played at predominantly private and Model-C schools, and that’s something SASHOC wants to correct, Domingo said.

Despite the game being the fastest-growing sport in schools, there’s room for improvement, he said, and SASHOC, along with its partners, is on a mission to expose more communities to hockey.

“What we’ve done as SA Hockey in the past few years is that we’ve launched what we call the modified hockey programme,” he explained.

“The programme focuses on starting hockey in areas where the sport was never played before and having a footprint of hockey in all the districts in our country.

“Out of the 52 districts, we have [hockey in] 37 now, and the aim is to get the game out there. At the moment, the game is being played by a quarter of our schools, and out of the 23 000 schools, we’d like to see hockey grow.

“In terms of development, that must take place in schools and the club system. We, as a structure, can’t necessarily develop players. We don’t have the budget.

“We have programmes in place, and, with the help of the Department of Sport, we are trying our best to not only get more eyeballs on the game but also players picking up the stick.”

Looking ahead

For the past two years, the SASHOC National Weeks have been hosted in the cold of Bloemfontein.

Domingo hinted that a new location for the events would be on the cards because it is SASHOC’s policy to allow different regions to stage the events.

He further said that in the future SASHOC is looking at combining the u13 and u14 events at one location and doing the same for the u16 and u18s.

“We had this event in Bloemfontein, also, last year. We were always going to give a region a two-year stint to correct the mistakes of the previous year and improve,” he said.

“We have a tender system, where we send the events out, and at our annual general meeting (AGM), we will announce where the events will be for next year,” he concluded.

Composure, grit, and determination were traits displayed by the Boland u16A boys as they capped off a superb week by claiming top honours at this year’s u16 SASOC National Week in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.

Boland defeated Eastern Province A 1-0 on showdowns after the clash ended 2-2 on regular time.

Both sides entered the final as the “in-form” teams after stellar showings during the Pool stages, and semi-finals the previous day.

Drawn in the same Pool A along last year’s champions, Western Province A, Boland, and EP finished in first and second place respectively with 12 points and separated by goal difference.

In the last four, EP showed great skill, and prowess to shrug off a dangerous KZN Inland A team 4-1, while Boland left it late to record an impressive 5-2 win against KZN Coastal A.

The final between the two teams was always going to be entertaining, with great matchups and a lot riding on certain individual players to produce the goods on the big stage.

From Boland, Luka Meets was the name on everybody’s lips after his prolific goalscoring form during the week. Meanwhile, EP were to rely on the ever-present James Chree and Keegan Le Roux in front of goal.

EP were on the front foot early in the match when they took the lead in the first chukka with three minutes to play.

After winning the ball back high in Boland’s half, Mpumi Magwentshu found Keegan Le Roux in space, and he entered the circle and danced his way past Boland’s defenders to score the game’s first goal.

The Bolanders replied in the second chukka through Caleb Cilliers after a smart interlinking play between Ruben Gouws, and Seth Paterson.

Both teams kept each other at bay in the third chukka. However, it was the side from the Western Cape that made 2-1 through Luka Meets after he scored from a PC drag flick.

That goal was cancelled out by another Le Roux strike, this time from a penalty stroke to bring matters level at 2-2 with four minutes to play.

There were no goals added, and the clash went into showdowns. There, both teams struggled early on missing their opening two chances.

Boland finally scored through Luca Jordaan, and when EP’s skipper, Matthew Allibone misfired, the match ended with Boland being crowned the champions.

“It’s an amazing feel, I’m proud of the boys,” Boland’s head coach, Dewald Raath told SuperSport Schools Plus after the encounter.

“It’s also a great story because as the u16s, we were in the semi-finals for the past three years and it’s the first time we’ve won a medal and it’s gold.

“The focus this week was building team culture, and we got it right. The boys are best friends and that’s one of the many positives we can take out from this week.”

The triumph was also Raath’s first as a coach. He’s coached Boland twice in the past three years, and on both occasions missed out in the semis.

He further gave credit to some of his standout players this week, and his skipper, who helped the side clinch the title.

“Yes, there are some players who stood out but I’m just proud of the team as a whole,” he said.

“Luka was exceptional, I coach him at school (Parel Vallei) and I know he’s an absolute workhorse and plays for the team.

“Our captain, Seth, was inspirational and led the team well,” he concluded.

Luka Meets finished the tournament as the top goal scorer with 14 goals. Meanwhile, Chulumanco Mkontwana from EP and Pearson High School in Gqeberha was named the most valuable goalkeeper for his prolific shot-stopping during the week.

Boland’s Logan Lackay scooped up two accolades, Player of the Tournament, and Most Valuable Defender.

The Most Valuable Midfielder award went to KZN Coastals’ A Christopher Abrahams, and Keegan Le Roux took home the Most Valuable Striker.

In the third/fourth play-off, it was KZN Inland A that defeated KZN Coastal A 3-1 to claim the bronze medal.

Results | Day 6

KZN Inland A 3-1 KZN Coastal A
Southern Free State A 1 (2) -1 (1) KZN Inland B
Southern Gauteng B 4-0 Border A
Northern Gauteng A 0 (3)- 0(1) KZN Coastal B
Western Province A 2-0 Southern Gauteng A
Boland A 2 (1)-2(0) Eastern Province A

Full standings:

Boland A
Eastern Province A
KZN Inland A
KZN Coastal A
Western Province A
Southern Gauteng A
Northern Gauteng A
KZN Coastal B
Southern Free State A
KZN Inland B
Southern Gauteng B
Border A

New champions will be crowned at this year’s u16 SASHOC National Week.

This is after Eastern Province A, and Boland A booked their spots in the final of this year’s showpiece in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.

Playing at the University of Free State’s main astroturf, EP defeated KZN Inland A 4-1 in the first semi-final while Boland, in the later clash, thumped a strong KZN Coastal A team 5-2.

One may argue that EP are undeniably the surprise package in this year’s tournament considering they were playing in the B Section, which they won last year to gain promotion to the big league.

In this year’s tournament, they were drawn in Pool A along with last year’s champions, Western Province A, Boland A, Northern Gauteng, hosts, Southern Free State A, and Southern Gauteng B.

EP didn’t have the best of starts on the opening day and went down 0-3 against Coach Sam Holme’s Province team.

That would be their first and last defeat in the group stages as they dominated in their remaining matches scoring 19 goals in four matches and only conceding seven times.

They booked their spot in the last four after finishing level with Boland, and Province on 12 points but progressed due to their superior goal difference compared to Province’s.

In the semi-final, they came up against a strong KZN Inland A team captained by Siwaphiwe Sithembu. In their round-robin stage campaign, Inland didn’t taste defeat winning all five matches.

They were, however, shocked in the semi when Coach Michael Abrahams’ side opened the scoring in the second chukka through Logan Goddard-Ford after a brilliant counterattack move found Inland napping.

Coach Mark Sanders’ team responded two minutes later with a goal from Roy Schirge.

Schirge’s goal would be the last time Inland found the back of the net in the clash with EP’s defence standing firm, and the likes of Dale Jennings, the strong Ameer Muller, and goalkeeper Chulumanco Mkontwana keeping their calm at the back.

In front, it was the dangerous Chris Chree who continued on his goal-scoring form netting in twice for EP to take a 3-1 lead at the break.

Chree, with that brace, reached eight goals in this year’s event and currently sits second in the goalscoring chart.

It was, however, Dante Elkington’s fourth-quarter strike that sealed the 4-1 victory for the Eastern Cape side.

“It was a slow start for us, but the boys bounced back with some good performances,” Coach Abrahams’ told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match.

“After losing on day one, the conversations have been about self-belief and trusting the process. The boys showed great character after day 1 and put in the hard work.”

“Teamwork in the final will be very important. It will take all 16 players, including the management to work together to ensure a good performance can be delivered,” he concluded.

The showdown will not be any easy for EP with Boland also aiming to take the gold medal back to the Western Cape.

In their semi-final, Boland was at their usual best and scored five times to dismantle a strong KZN Coastal A 5-2.

Luka Meets, who has been in prolific form during the week was at the forefront of his team’s performance scoring a hattrick of goals while Adam Lietch and Logan Lackay contributed a goal each to the victory.

The final on Wednesday will kick off at 11:20, and you can catch it LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Day 5 | Results:

Southern Gauteng A 2(3) – 2(2) Northern Gauteng A
Western Province A 2(4) – 2(3) KZN Coastal B
Southern Free State A 2-1 Border A
Eastern Province A 4-1 KZN Inland A
KZN Inland B 3-2 Southern Gauteng B
Boland A 5-2 KZN Coastal A

Day 6 | Fixtures:

08:30-KZN Coastal A vs KZN Inland A
08:30- Southern Free State A vs KZN Inland B @Fichardtpark 
08:30- Border A vs Southern Gauteng B @Grey College 
09:40- Northern Gauteng A vs KZN Coastal B @Fichardtpark 
10:50- Southern Gauteng A vs Western Province A @Grey College
11:20- Boland A vs Eastern Province A

Day three of the u16 SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein delivered fireworks and some shocking results, which shook up the status quo ahead of the last day of pool action on Monday.

In both pools, the top two places are still up for grabs.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

After starting their campaign with a 0-3 defeat at the hands of Western Province A on Friday, Eastern Province A bounced back in emphatic fashion on Sunday to keep their hopes of a semi-final spot alive.

Competing in a tough Pool A, coach Michael Abrahams’ team caught the eye on Saturday with a 7-2 demolition of Southern Free State A. They dominated in the midfield and were accurate in front of goal as James Chree grabbed a hattrick and Keegan le Roux slotted a double.

On day three, EP carried that momentum into their double-header. In their first outing, they beat Northern Gauteng 4-1. Le Roux, once again, bagged a brace, while Chree and Dale Jennings also scored to ensure it was a convincing victory.

Later in the day, EP faced a dangerous Boland A team, which had proved just how dangerous they could be in their morning game, defeating previously unbeaten Western Province A 2-1. While Province lost their clean record, their neighbours maintained theirs.

In the big afternoon battle, Eastern Province came out firing and found the back of the net early, in the sixth minute, with Le Roux adding another goal to his impressive tally.

In the third chukka, Le Roux made it a double for a third match in succession before his partner in crime, Chree, struck from a penalty corner to make it 3-0.

Boland almost staged a dramatic comeback in the fourth chukka, though, with Ruben Gouws scoring twice in two minutes. The Eastern Cape boys, however, held on for a crucial 3-2 win.

Those two victories by Eastern Province have made matters in Pool A very interesting ahead of Monday’s last pool games. Western Province A, Boland A, and EP are level on nine points after four matches each and are separated only by goal difference.

KZN Coastal A and KZN Inland A remain in the driving seat in Pool B.

Inland, on Sunday, made it four wins in a row with a 2-1 win over Southern Gauteng A in the final match of the day.

Southerns opened the scoring through Ndyebo Pongwana in the second chukka, but Liyemikhaya Sishi levelled just before halftime.

In the final chukka, with time up, Thandanani Zuma, who has been a frequent scorer for the KZN team, converted a penalty corner to seal the win for coach Mark Sanders‘ troops.

KZN Coastal A also kept their 100 percent winning record intact with a 3-2 win over Southern Gauteng B.

Josh van Biljon, Christopher Abrahams, and Ryde Brisset scored for the winners.

The competition heads into its fourth day on Monday with four teams – Southern Free State A, Border A, KZN Inland B, and Southern Gauteng B – still searching for their first wins of the tournament.

Results | Day 3

Eastern Province 4-1 Northern Gauteng A
Boland A 2-1 Western Province A
Southern Free State A 2-2 KZN Inland B
KZN Coastal A 3-2 Southern Gauteng B
KZN Coastal B 2-1 Border A
KZN Inland A 2-1 Southern Gauteng A
Eastern Province A 2-1 Boland A

Fixtures| Day 4

08:45 – KZN Inland A vs KZN Coastal A
10:10 – Border A vs Southern Gauteng B
11:35 – Southern Gauteng A vs KZN Coastal B
13:00 – Western Province A vs Northern Gauteng A
14:25 – Boland A vs Southern Free State A
15:35 – KZN Coastal A vs Border A at Grey College
15:50 – KZN Inland B vs Eastern Province A