Author: asawula

After a blistering start to their u16 SASHOC National Week campaigns, Western Province A, Boland A, KZN Coastal A, and KZN Inland A, carried their momentum into the second day of action at the University of Free State’s Astroturf in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Catch the action live on SuperSport Schools

On the opening day, all four teams kicked off their challenges with impressive victories.

The defending champions, Western Province defeated both Eastern Province A and Southern Free State A 3-0 to get their title defence off to a smooth start.

On the tournament’s second day, coach Sam Holmes’ troops picked up from where they left off in their encounter against KZN Inland B.

Province, unlike on Friday, was quickly out of the blocks, and punished their opponents, scoring three goals in the first two chukkas, with Liyanda Binta striking once and Jacques van Dyk adding a brace to put them into a comfortable 3-0 lead at halftime.

Further goals in the fourth chukka, from Luc Dicey and Oliver Roach, and a consolation goal from Kwanga Mngwengwe for the Inlanders, made the final result 5-1.

In Pool A, another side that impressed was Boland. Coached by Dewald Raath, they produced a classy showing to beat Northern Gauteng A 5-2, which improved their record to two from two.

After falling behind 0-1 to a Victor Louw goal in the first chukka, Boland came out firing in the second chukka and scored twice, through Luke Meets and Seth Paterson, to go into halftime with a narrow lead.

Lloyd Patterson made it 3-1 in the third chukka, before Meets scored twice in the final 15 minutes to complete a hattrick. Louw was on target again for Northerns, but it was mere consolation as the Bolanders won by a three-goal margin.

On Sunday, Boland faces a very tough challenge. They play twice and take on Western Province A and Eastern Province A.

The KZN teams, Coastal A and Inland A lead Pool B, with Southern Gauteng A just behind them.

The KZN boys remained unbeaten on day two, with Inland, captained by Sebastian Laudenberg, thumping Border A 5-1, before edging out KZN Coastal B 2-1.

Thandanani Zuma and Siwaphiwe Sithembu both scored twice against Border, while Gomolemo Motswadire completed the drubbing. Inland takes on a tough Southern Gauteng A side on Sunday.

Their KZN counterparts, Coastal A, though, defeated Southern Gauteng A 3-1 on Saturday to retain their joint lead in the pool.

Josh van Biljon opened the scoring in the first chukka, but Southerns hit back with a goal from Jayden Da Silva.

Taylon Goodwin proved to be the difference after halftime, scoring once in both the third and fourth chukkas to see coach Keegan Hezlett‘s side to victory.

Eastern Province enjoyed a good day out against the hosts, Southern Free State, taking their chances well to romp to a 7-2 win.

James Chree scored a hattrick of goals, Keegan Le Roux grabbed a double, and Logan Goddard-Ford and Mpumi Magwentshu also netted, to complete a comprehensive victory.

After losing to KZN Coastal in the morning, Southern Gauteng A eked out a 1-0 win over Southern Gauteng B later in the day.

Day three’s action starts at 08:30 with a clash between Northern Gauteng A and Eastern Province A.

Results| Day 2

KZN Coastal B 2-1 Southern Gauteng B
KZN Inland A 5-1 Border A
KZN Coastal A 3-1 Southern Gauteng A
Eastern Province 7-2 Southern Free State A
Western Province A 5-1 KZN Inland B
KZN Inland A 2-1 KZN Coastal B
Boland A 5-2 Northern Gauteng A
Southern Gauteng A 1-0 Southern Gauteng B

Fixtures| Day 3

08:30 – Northern Gauteng A vs Eastern Province A
09:55 – Western Province A vs Boland A
11:20 – Southern Free State A vs KZN Inland B
12:45 -KZN Coastal A vs Southern Gauteng B
14:10 – KZN Coastal B vs Border A
15:35 – KZN Inland A vs Southern Gauteng A
15:35 – Eastern Province A vs Boland A at Grey College

The opening day of the u16 SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein produced a whopping 33 goals in eight matches as a number of teams caught the eye with their strong starts.

The A section of the tournament, just like the u18 week, is being hosted at the University of the Free State’s Astroturf and at Grey College.

The action concludes with the final on 3 July. You can catch all the tournament action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

On Friday, the defending champions, Western Province A, started their week positively by snagging two wins, over Eastern Province A, and the hosts, Southern Free State A, respectively.

In their opener, coach Sam Holmes‘s troops, despite barely getting out of first gear, carved out an impressive 3-0 victory over EP.

They opened the scoring in the first half through Jacques van Dyk. Then, in the fourth chukka, they doubled their tally through Liyanda Binta, before Province’s influential skipper, Mohlodi Maseko, made it 3-0 with a ripping drag flick.

In their second match, Southern Free State made the Capetonians work hard for their win.

Province opened the scoring with 10 minutes played, through Daniel Graser. They were kept at bay in the second chukka but a double from Liam Dammes in the third chukka proved enough to seal maximum points for Holmes and his charges.

KZN Inland A and KZN Coastal A were also the big winners on the opening day, recording impressive victories.

Inland, who are in Pool B alongside their KZN counterparts, took on Southern Gauteng B and blew them away, winning 5-0.

The side led by Maritzburg College‘s Director of Hockey, Mark Sanders, was 3-0 ahead at halftime, courtesy of a Siwaphiwe Sithembu brace and a solitary goal by Thandanani Zuma.

Zuma made it a double with another goal in the third chukka from a penalty corner, and Ethan Fabre made it 5-0 in the last quarter.

KZN Coastal A coach Keegan Hezlett will be pleased with his team’s game management against the KZN Coastal B team. Matches against very familiar opposition can often be very tricky, but his side handled it well.

The Coastal A side opened up a 2-0 halftime lead, after Jaiden Bramwell struck twice, but they were kept quiet in the third chukka. They ran rampant in the last 15 minutes, however, scoring three times.

A PC drag flick from Keegan de Jager, along with further goals from Nabil Bejia and Bo Mokoena, completed a solid win for the A side.

On Saturday morning, KZN Inland faces Border. Then, in the late afternoon, they take on KZN Coastal B. Meanwhile, Hezlett’s boys go up against Southern Gauteng A at 11:35 in a highly anticipated clash.

Boland is another team to keep an eye on, and they showed what they’re capable of doing on the opening day.

Coached by Dewald Raath, the Bolanders were smart in their approach and that took them to a 4-2 win over KZN Inland B. They scored three times in the first half through Luka Meets, Ruben Gouws, and Caleb Cilliers.

Inland B responded with two goals in the third chukka, via Elliot Springate and Kwanga Mngwengwe, but Meets netted again in the fourth chukka to grab a brace and secure the win for his side.

It was a decent day for Northern Gauteng A, too, who played a double-header.

In their opener, coach Rihann van der Merwe‘s boys downed Southern Free State 3-1, with Victor Louw scoring twice before Andrea Clerihew completed the scoring. In their second match, they were held to a 2-2 draw by KZN Inland B.

On Saturday, Northerns tackle Boland. Meanwhile, Southern Free State A, Border, and EP will go in search of their first wins of the tournament.

After the first day’s action, Western Province and Northerns sit atop Pool A with six and four points respectively.

In Pool B, it’s the two KZN sides – Inland A and Coastal A – along with Southern Gauteng A, who are tied on three points.

There is still plenty of hockey to be played and much could change over the coming days.

Results | Day 1

Boland A 4-2 KZN Inland B
Northern Gauteng A 3-1 Southern Free State A
Western Province A 3-0 Eastern Province A
KZN Coastal A 5-0 KZN Coastal B
Southern Gauteng A 3-0 Border A
Northern Gauteng A 2-2 KZN Inland B
KZN Inland A 5-0 Southern Gauteng B
Western Province A 3-0 Southern Free State A

Fixtures | Day 2

08:45 – KZN Coastal B vs Southern Gauteng B
10:10 – Border A vs KZN Inland A
11:35 – Southern Gauteng A vs KZN Coastal A
13:00 – Southern Free State A vs Eastern Province A
14:25 – KZN Inland B vs Western Province A
15:35 – KZN Inland A vs KZN Coastal B @Grey College
15:50 – Boland A vs Northern Gauteng A
17:15 – Southern Gauteng B vs Southern Gauteng A

Domination, from precision, accuracy, and top-drawer finishing were features of the Western Province u13A boys’ recent SASHOC National Week campaign in Bloemfontein.

For a second year running, the Capetonians captured gold after finishing the week atop Pool A on the University of Free State’s Astroturf.

They went into the competition eager to emulate their u18A Boys team, which had retained the national title by beating Boland 3-2.

The team was coached by Clinton Winn, assisted by Josh Dolley, and Nigel Rank managed the side.

Under their leadership, WP was in top shape and in imperious form during the pool stages where they faced Eden, Eastern Province, Boland, Southern Gauteng, Border, Northern Gauteng, and KZN Coastal for the title.

Each encounter was crucial for the defending champions because the outcome of the tournament would be based solely on where they finished in the pool. There was no knockout stage to follow. It was all about winning, points, and goals scored and conceded.

Province got their challenge off to a flyer, thumping Eden 6-0, with captain Nathan Phillips scoring a sensational five times, while Ayabonga Maqgaza completed the drubbing. Then, they edged out a tough KZN Coastal outfit 1-0 later on the opening day.

On day two, they beat Eastern Province 2-1 before running rampant against Northern Gauteng and winning 4-0.

By then, Province had already secured the maximum 12 points and only three matches remained.

After going down 0-1 in the first half against Border in their fifth game, it was that man, Phillips, who slotted a brace to see his side to a 2-1 win.

The captain wasn’t yet done. Against Boland, he scored an impressive hattrick to lead his side to a 3-1 win. That left only one more match remaining, against Southern Gauteng, always one of the title contenders.

All Province needed in that game was a draw, but Luke Presence‘s strike sealed a 1-0 victory as the Western Cape boys finished their campaign with a perfect seven wins from seven matches.

“To win an u13 Hockey IPT back-to-back is very tricky because you have a brand-new team every year,” coach Winn told SuperSport Schools Plus after their final match. “You get seven weeks to create a united team from 14 individuals.

“Luckily, we had the support of the Western Province Primary Schools’ Chairperson, who was at the tournament. The parents were amazing and gave us anything we asked for, like extra water, fruit, and medical supplies.

Winn also attributed the title success to his side’s mental toughness.

“The boys delivered consistent performances. They executed our game plan and focused on the technical fundamentals.

“The coaching staff (Nigel Rank and Josh Dolley) prepared the players well with video analysis and sports psychology.

“I am extremely proud of our boys as it was a physically and mentally tough tournament, but their mental toughness was the key factor to our success,” he concluded.

Western Province also ended the tournament as the top goal scorers, with 19 goals. Playmaker and skipper Nathan Phillips contributed a whopping 13 of those goals and finished as the event’s top goal scorer.

Province’s u13 girls were also on the money during the week, winning gold in the girls’ section.

They also topped their pool, although they did lose 0-1 to KZN Coastal. However, they did just enough to claim the title and make a big jump from last year’s fifth-place finish.

Some of their standout players were Casey Laver, Tiffany Geldenhuys and captain Lila Pienaar.

The hosts, Southern Free State, were the runners-up, while third went to KZN Coastal.

Final Standings: Boys’ u13

Western Province
Eden
Eastern Province
Southern Gauteng
Boland
Border
KZN Coastal
Northern Gauteng

Final Standings: Girls’ u13

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

KZN Coastal u18A head coach Cameron Mackay said his team should take a handful of positive lessons from the SASHOC National Week after they finished in third place at the recently concluded tournament in Bloemfontein.

Mackay’s side pulled off a hard-fought 1-0 win on the final day against Southern Gauteng A to match the bronze medal they won in 2023 at the same venue.

Their 2024 campaign was, however, a lot tougher than last year’s, despite the KZN boys finishing in the same position.

In 2023, Coastal ran rampant against their opponents in Pool B, winning all five of their round-robin matches to cruise into the semi-finals.

In the last four, they went down 3-4 on penalties against the eventual runners-up Southern Gauteng A after the teams had played to a 1-1 draw.

After that strong showing, KZN Coastal was regarded as one of the favourites to reach the semi-finals from a tough Pool B this time around, but it was far from a smooth run for the team. Their week was characterised by missed opportunities, late comebacks, 50/50 calls not going their way, and lapses of concentration when it mattered the most.

In their five pool matches, they recorded only one win, against Eastern Province A. They didn’t lose, though, drawing their other four games, which saw them into the final four by the skin of their teeth after results on the last day of pool play went their way.

They will rue three matches, in particular, where they were in command but allowed their opponents to claw back a share of the spoils.

In their opening match against the hosts, Southern Free State A, Coastal grabbed the lead through a Josh Beck goal and dominated proceedings but allowed the hosts to seal a 1-1 draw with four minutes remaining, courtesy of a Nkhahle Sematlane goal.

Against their rivals, KZN Inland A, Mackay’s side led 1-0 through a Tyrique Cloete goal, but they then ceded the lead to Inland. Trent Jessop struck four minutes from time, however, to salvage a 2-2 draw.

Then, they drew 4-4 draw against Southern Gauteng A, a result which, no doubt, was frustrating for Mackay and his coaching staff.

At half-time, Coastal, playing some enterprising hockey, led 4-2, but that lead evaporated in the second half as goals by Devin Wax and Matt Eichweber helped the Gauteng side to a draw.

After claiming third, however, Mackay put a positive spin on his charges’ efforts. “It’s always nice to end on a positive,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus. “Sometimes you can make a final and lose that, and that can become a negative, even though we would’ve loved to be in the final.

“I think the boys put in a good performance. I don’t think we started well, but we were dominant for the majority of the match, and the guys stuck to the game plan quite nicely.”

Even though KZN Coastal didn’t win as many games as they would have expected, Mackay felt the players showed character and improvement. “The team grew from game to game,” he said. “I don’t think things went our way during the week, but it was nice to, at least, have the matric guys, who some won gold in the u16s, finish off with a medal.”

One of Coastal’s big issues during the week was getting the ball into the back of the net. In 2023, they scored 14 goals. This year, that total decreased by two, with their 12 goals coming from eight field goals and four penalty corners.

Looking back on the competition, Mackay felt his side wasn’t too far behind the finalists, Western Province, and Boland. However, he suggested that schools within the Durban region, working in conjunction with the province’s high-performances structures, would need to carve out a plan to improve their forward play.

“The biggest thing for us in KZN is we’re lacking goal-scoring forwards,” he admitted. “We’ve got good forwards; they all do their jobs well. I don’t know what the answers are. I think our competition in Durban at the moment is so tight that we don’t have teams winning by 6-0, 7-0, 8-0 margins.

“It looks like our guys aren’t getting enough chances to score, but we’ve got to find how we bridge the gap with our forwards compared to the Cape schools.

“That’s been our biggest learning in the last couple of years – just looking at how we can bridge that gap and finding ways to do our HP (High Performance) a bit better.

“We’ve got a big pool of hockey players also doubling up with cricket, so maybe that’s something we have to look into,” he concluded.

While it was the Western Province u18A boys that took gold at the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein, Boland B also left the tournament with silverware after claiming first place in the B Section at the University of the Free State.

The side, coached by Matthew Smith and managed by Conroy Eiman, defeated Mpumalanga 5-3 in a heated final to secure promotion to the A Section for 2025.

During the week, Boland scored a whopping 22 goals. They shone in the pool stages, drawing once, losing once and winning the remainder of their matches.

After their opening day 2-2 draw with North West, coach Smith’s side hit their stride, winning their next three matches, beating Eastern Province B 5-4, Southern Free State B 5-0, and KZN Inland B 2-0.

They succumbed to a 1-3 defeat against Mpumalanga. However, by then, a semi-final spot had already been secured.

In the semis, Boland was pushed to the limit by a motivated Eastern Gauteng side. Nothing separated them after regulation time, which ended 2-2. But Smith’s charges scraped a tense 4-3 win on penalties.

In a second meeting against Mpumalanga, with promotion and the title on the line, Boland, after a nervous first half, upped their game and came out firing in the second half to capture a 5-3 win.

“It was quite an eventful week. We had first day jitters and then came together as a team nicely as the week progressed,” Smith told SuperSport Schools Plus after the final.

“We had exceptional midfield players, a lot of depth, and very good individuals that stepped up.

“I’m happy with how the boys jelled as a unit. They come from different schools, but we had a common goal and that’s to win gold.”

A player who had a massive influence on the team during the week was Paul Roos Gimnasium’s playmaker, Barend Geldenhuys.

Geldenhuys, who has been enjoying a season to savour for his school, was a surprise omission when the Boland A side was announced.

Despite playing in the B Section, he did the unexpected. He came to life during the week and played his best hockey, scoring often to end the tournament as the top goal scorer, with 13 goals, four of which came against Mpumalanga in the final.

His prolific performances earned him selection for the SA u18B team, making him the only player from the B Section to achieve that rare feat.

“I was kind of shocked when I heard the news [that I had missed out on selection for the Boland A team],” Geldenhuys told SuperSport Schools Plus after the final in Bloemfontein.

“Coach [Michael] Baker let me know about it and told me to keep my head up.

“I must say, I had a feeling I might not have been chosen, because I feel like I didn’t have the best start this year, but I’m glad about where I am now,” he added.

Geldenhuys, who also played a pivotal leadership role as the vice-captain of the Boland B team, alongside Hano Basson, admitted he had to quickly change his mind set and focus on what he could control.

“I had to quickly put that disappointment behind me and focus on the task ahead.

“I set my goals, and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy in the B Section, but, as a team, we were motivated and raring to go.

“I had to be the best I could be for the team and keep showing up day in and day out.

“It was a nice week, but tough. We didn’t start well, drawing the first game, and then we played our second game, and the team just got better,” he said.

Geldenhuys expressed his shock to learn he had made the SA Schools B team from the B Section, but said he was immensely proud of the achievement.

“I was talking to a few of the selectors at the start of the week, and they told me to just go for it, even though I was in the B-Section,” he revealed.

“They told me there’s a chance I could make it, and I didn’t think I would make it, but I’m just grateful.

“It’s not just about me, though. Without the team, I wouldn’t have been here. Credit must go to coach Smith, who also allowed us to express ourselves, and that got the best out of the team.”

The title means Boland B is now back in the big league, and in 2025 will play in the A Section, while Border has been relegated.

Geldenhuys still has some more matches to play in the maroon jersey of Paul Roos, before turning his attention to matric exams.

Paul Roos returns to action on 12 July when they host South African College High School (SACS) in a highly anticipated Western Cape derby on the Maties AstroTurf. Many would consider it a clash of the two best teams in the country.

Catch all that action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

The South African Schools Hockey Association (SASHOC) on Friday announced a strong-looking SA u18 boys’ squad at the conclusion of the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein.

The tournament ran from 16 June and culminated in an epic all-Western Cape final in the boys’ A Section between Western Province A and Boland A.

Province won the title for a fourth time in succession. In a hard-fought final, they edged out their neighbours and arch-rivals 3-2 in a closely contested clash.

They also finished the week as the only unbeaten side, scoring a whopping 30 times in their seven matches.

As a result of their excellence, the side from Cape Town has the largest representation in the national team with eight players.

Dayle Gertson, who couldn’t play in the final after suffering a serious injury in the semi-finals against KZN Coastal A, did just enough during the week to make the cut. He’s joined by his Wynberg Boys’ High schoolmate, Jordan Paulsen in the national team.

Bishops Diocesan College also has a healthy representation in the side, with Joshua Mettler, James Grieve, and Robert Veldtman all cracking the nod.

Litha Kraai, who was in top form in front of goal, and ended the tournament with 10 goals, was included with his SACS’ teammates, Reece Theunis and Noah Venter, who was named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament.

KZN Coastal A’s head coach, Cameron Mackay will be pleased after four of his players made it into the national side.

Lumi Matwele and Lethabo Bogacwi, who represented the SA u17 side at the Mirnawan Cup late last year, were included. Last year, Matwele was in the SA u17 squad, while Bogacwi made SA Schools.

They were joined by their Coastal skipper, Matthew Mendes de Oliveira, who made SA Schools for a second year in succession, and goalkeeper Harlee Jagga.

Reuben Sendzul and Joshua Smit were the only two players selected from Boland’s team, while Eastern Province’s Kian Cambier made the team after a stellar campaign for his side.

Sendzul, who also made the SA Schools side in 2023, was influential throughout the week, scoring 12 goals to finish as the event’s top goal scorer. He also scooped the accolades of Striker of the Tournament and Player of the Tournament.

Southern Gauteng A and Northern Gauteng A also had players named in the national side.

From coach Anthony Woodhouse’s Southerns’ side, home-schooled skipper Tyler Reed-Napier, and Juan Martin will don the green and gold, while Ruard Booysen, from Northerns, completes the lineup.

The team will undergo a four-day camp in Bloemfontein, starting on Saturday and running through until Tuesday, 25 June.

On Saturday, they’ll play a training match against the SA u17 squad, before taking on the University of the Free State on Sunday and Monday. Those matches will take place at 18:30.

Director of Hockey at Kearsney College, Keegan Pearce, was named the head coach of the South African Schools side. He’ll be assisted by St Alban’s head coach, Robin Jones, while Colin Fielding will be the goalkeeper trainer.

Albertus Van Heerden will assume the role of strength and conditioning, while Daiyaan Solomons and Liam Naidoo will be in charge of the physio and analyst’s duties.

SA u18A Squad

Lethabo Bogacwi (KZN Coastal A), Ruard Booysen (Northern Gauteng A), Kian Cambier (Eastern Province), Dayle Gertson (Western Province), James Grieve (Western Province), Harlee Jagga (KZN Coastal A), Litha Kraai (Western Province), Juan Martin (Southern Gauteng A), Lumi Matwele (KZN Coastal A), Matthew Mendes de Oliveira (KZN Coastal A), Joshua Mettler (Western Province), Jordan Paulsen (Western Province), Tyler Reed-Napier (Southern Gauteng A), Reuben Sendzul (Boland), Joshua Smit (Boland), Reece Theunis (Western Province), Robert Veldtman (Western Province), Noah Venter (Western Province).

In a highly anticipated all-Western Cape derby, it was the Western Province u18A side that reigned supreme against a highly motivated Boland A team to claim the SASHOC National Week title in Bloemfontein on Friday.

Province secured a 3-2 win to retain the title they won in 2023. They also ended their campaign unbeaten to, once again, match the feats of last year’s champions.

For Boland, the defeat means their nine-year wait for a SASHOC National Week title continues. In 2023, they finished fourth.

Relive all the action on SuperSport Schools.

The teams’ journeys to the final were quite similar. Coach Bryce West‘s Western Province and coach Jacques Grobler‘s Boland were both drawn in Pool A, along with Border A, Western Province B, Southern Gauteng B, and KZN Coastal B.

Both breezed through the pool stage, with Province beating Boland 5-0 when they met on the second day of the tournament.

That handful of goals contributed to Province’s 30 goals during the week, with 18 of those coming from the field. They also converted 11 penalty corners and a single penalty stroke, which was scored by Litha Kraai.

The final started quietly, with neither team scoring in the first chukka. In the second, though, Ethan Lee put Province ahead. 

Lee, from Wynberg Boys’ High, had a quietish tournament but he stepped up when his team needed him the most. After latching onto a scrappy ball inside the circle, he found himself with some time and space and he made no mistake, dispatching the ball into the back of the net.

Minutes later, James Grieve took the attack to Boland down the right flank. He, then, picked out Litha Kraai. The SACS’ star dribbled past a couple of players before depositing the ball into the goalbox to make it 2-0.

Boland’s Reuben Sendzul cut the deficit to one at halftime after executing a thunderbolt of a penalty corner drag flick, much to the joy of the travelling Bolanders in the stands.

The third chukka was extremely competitive as coach Grobler’s Boland team upped their challenge, with Michael Du Toit, Matthew Temmis, and Christo Swanepoel becoming more influential.

With just under 11 minutes to play in the final chukka, Boland levelled matters at 2-2 to set up a tense finish.

However, it was that man, Kraai, who once again came to his side’s rescue.

For his second of the match, he struck with a well-calculated drag flick with only four minutes remaining to put Province ahead again.

There was a dramatic ending to the clash, with Boland being awarded a penalty corner with 54 seconds to play.

Their injection was good, the stop, though, was not the best, and Sendzul’s shot went wide, causing goalkeeper Noah Venter no problems.

Province held onto the ball in the dying seconds to clinch the win.

“We went 2-0 up, and there were big moments in the game. We attacked for a long period, had to defend, and then gave a PC away, and Reuben Sendzul scored,” West told SuperSport Schools Plus after the title-decider.

“We had our opportunities in the third chukka, and if we had slotted them, we could’ve buried the game.

“But credit must go to Boland. They fought and didn’t give up. We knew they were going to fight until the end. That’s how they set up and how they play

“I’m also happy about the big character shown by my guys. We made the call at the final PC, that we had to make it count, and Litha did the job.”

Western Province’s triumph means the side from Cape Town has now won the national title four times on the trot.

West credited the pool of talent and the culture which Western Province hockey has worked hard to cultivate over the years for their successes.

“I think there’s a lot of talent around the country, but what sets us apart is the culture and the family we have in the group,” he explained.

“As Steph (captain Stephan Meyer), said, we are a family that’s known each other since 12 or 13 years old.

“Even though the boys are at opposing schools, when it comes to Province, we become one. We don’t have internal battles. We play for each other and the badge.”

Final Scorers

Western Province 3 (2): Litha Kraai (2), Ethan Lee. Boland 1 (2): Reuben Sendzul (2)

Day 6 | Results

Western Province A 3-2 Boland A (1st/2nd)
KZN Coastal A 1-0 Southern Gauteng A (3rd/4th)
KZN Inland 3-0 Southern Free State A (5th/6th)
Southern Gauteng B 1-0 KZN Coastal B (7th/8th)
Eastern Province 1-0 Northern Gauteng A (9th/10th)
Western Province B 5-4 Border A (11th/12th)

Final Standings

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

The script could hardly have been better written for the u18 SASHOC National Week final.

It will be a meeting of neighbours and rivals after Boland A and Western Province A booked their place in the title-decider, which takes place on the University of the Free State‘s main AstroTurf on Friday.

The final begins at 11:20; you can watch it LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

To secure their spots in the big game, Boland defeated a resilient Southern Gauteng A side 4-1 on Thursday morning. Then, a couple of hours later, Province was made to sweat for a 1-0 win over a highly motivated KZN Coastal A team.

The finalists, led by coaches Jacques Grobler (Boland) and Bryce West (Province) respectively, were drawn in the same Pool A for the group stage, and they comfortably claimed the top two places.

They dominated, with Western Province putting together a 100 percent winning record and scoring 28 goals in five matches, while Boland lost only once, a 0-5 defeat against Province on day three.

In their semi-final against Southerns, Boland was the better team in crucial moments, exhibiting good control and maintaining ball possession well while also winning the midfield battle.

They scored two quick goals in the first chukka through Reuben Sendzul. The first was a penalty corner (PC) drag flick, and the second came courtesy of great interplay between Matthew Temmis and Joshua Smit, who then picked out Sendzul in space. He turned quickly and fired into the back of the net.

Boland was on top in the second chukka, with their captain Michael Du Toit, Louan Van Zyl, and John Coetzee performing well as a unit.

Gauteng replied, though, with a goal from Avela Sibisi to increase the tension just before halftime.

The third chukka was goalless. However, a Sendzul drag flick, his third goal of the contest, made it 3-1 in the fourth quarter. Ethan Leonard put the nail in the Southerns’ coffin, with the last goal of the game, to ensure the Bolanders advanced to the final with a convincing 4-1 win.

“We’ve had a really good process. The players have bought into it from day one, and that just shows in our performances,” Grobler told SuperSport Schools Plus after the clash.

“We have struggled in one or two games, but those are games we were willing to struggle in, and opted to be clinical in the other games, so that was some top work from the boys.

“I think the big word from this game is ‘control’. I think we controlled large phases of the game.

“They hit us on the counterattack, and they’ve got great skill, but I feel like we controlled 70 to 80 percent of that game, and that counted in our favour.”

Grobler’s charges take on a fierce Western Province team for the title. Province cruised through their pool, but they were pushed all the way by KZN Coastal in their semi-final and managed to sneak by them by the game’s only goal.

They’ll be out to reprise their performance of 2023 in Bloemfontein, when they lifted the title. Boland, meanwhile, last won an inter-provincial tournament back in 2015. On Friday, they’ll have an opportunity to end that nine-year drought.

Province, in their semi against coach Cam Mackay’s Coastal A side, was made to grind out a win.

After taking the lead early in the first chukka through a James Grieve goal, they were held at bay, forced to play in their half, and at times looked uncomfortable on the ball.

It was not a typical Province performance, especially in light of how prolific they had been in front of goal earlier in the week.

Discipline was also an issue for the Capetonians, with Joe Gitlin, Litha Kraai, skipper Stephan Meyer, and Jo Le Roux all picking up green cards.

Coastal will rue a number of half-chances they had to get back into the match, but no player will have a more sleepless night than their outstanding captain and midfielder Matthew de Oliveira.

With time up on the clock, Oliveira was presented with an opportunity to send the contest to a shootout when his side was awarded a penalty stroke. He took on the responsibility of taking the stroke, but his effort struck a post and Province advanced.

“It was a tough encounter. Coastal came out firing and they had a good game plan. They stuck to it, as did we,” WP head coach Bryce West told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match.

“There were big moments in the game, and I think both teams stepped up in those moments and never allowed any players to get a sight of goal.

“Both short corner defences were superb. Everything was run down and the nail-biting end there at full-time, unlucky hitting the post. That’s sports, unfortunately.”

Ahead of the all-Western Cape final against Boland on Friday, West said his side would need to be more present in big moments and capitalise on the opportunities they create.

“We just have to be better in moments within the game,” he said. “When big moments come, we’ve got to step up. We certainly created opportunities today, but they didn’t result in goals as they did in the week.

“We’ll just go do video [analysis] on Boland, and also look at ourselves, where we can improve and do better, and take it as it is tomorrow,” he concluded.

Day 5| Results and scorers

KZN Inland A 2 (1): Grant Bridgeford, Ipeleng Mosupye. Southern Gauteng B 1 (1): Connor Sneddon. (Playoff 5-8)

KZN Coastal B 2 (2): Seth Simpson, Liam du Rand. Southern Free State A 2 (1): Matthias Visser, Sbusiso Ndaba (Playoff 5-8)

Boland A 4 (2): Reuben Sendzul (3), Ethan Leonard. Southern Gauteng A: 1(0): Avela Sibisi (Playoff 1-4)

Northern Gauteng A 5 (4): Dali Ndlovu (2), Marco Upton, Sukuma Shirata, Zac Richardson. Western Province B 3 (1): Charlie Naylor (2), O’Ryan Moos. (Playoff 9-12)

Western Province A 1(1): James Grieve. KZN Coastal A 0. (Playoff 1-4)

Eastern Province A 4 (1): Luke Tait, Blake Muller, Kian Cambier, Zack Willimott. Border A 1 (0): Tre’ Gilbert. (Playoff 9-12)

The Southern Gauteng A u14 boys’ team of 2024 will be remembered for their impressive showing at the u14 SASHOC National Week. In the final, they outplayed Northern Gauteng 2-0 to clinch the title in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

The event was hosted on the King Edward VII and Jeppe High School for Boys’ AstroTurfs.

Southerns went into the tournament as one of the teams to beat, along with Northerns, KZN Coastal A and Western Province.

The side was coached by Jeppe’s Head of Hockey, Bryan Hillock, who was assisted by David Grace, with Kivesh Padarath doing double duty as the manager and strength and conditioning coach.

The hosts were in Pool B along with Limpopo, Northern Free State, and KZN Coastal A, with their clash against the KZN boys set to be the crucial game in the pool.

Southerns played a ruthless and attractive brand of hockey and finished well. In their opening two matches, they scored a whopping 14 goals, beating Limpopo 5-1 and Northern Free State 9-0.

They were held to a 2-2 draw by KZN Coastal, but by then they had already secured a spot in the quarterfinals.

They made light work of KZN Inland in the quarters, beating them 3-0, with Matthew Jung, Lukho Bawuthi, and Tristan McQue scoring the goals.

In the final four, they met a strong Western Province side, who were under the stewardship of Manuel Igshaan.

It was a far tougher challenge and neither team could find a finish in regulation time, which forced the contest to a shootout.

Displaying good BMT, the hosts slotted all four of their opportunities through Tanner Napier, Santiago Matroos, Jung, and Christian Bernhardi.

That victory set up a local derby between the two Gauteng sides. Northerns was up for the challenge. However, despite showing fight and grit, coach Dario Lourenco’s side went down as Jung and Napier scored to win the title for Southerns.

The victory in the title-decider meant the hosts produced an unbeaten record and scored 21 goals while conceding only three, two of which came against KZN Coastal.

“The support of all the role players was the key to our success,” Hillock told SuperSport Schools Plus after the silverware had been secured.

“Our provincial union, mother body and schools’ body, are both hugely supportive of what we do and gave us all we asked for to ensure we could prepare adequately for the IPT.

“Our parent support was the best I have ever experienced in my two decades of being involved in the provincial schools’ setup. We are deeply indebted to all of the parents. The inter-provincial tournament and six weeks of preparation is taxing.

“They also allowed us the freedom to coach without any interference and only cheered from the side,” he said.

Another influential figure for the team was the assistant coach, David Grace.

Grace, who plies his trade at Parktown Boys’ High, said he was pleased to witness the growth and development of the team as the week progressed.

“I still remember the rush of adrenaline as the final whistle blew, signalling our team’s victory in the first-ever u14 IPT,” he said enthusiastically

“Our journey to the final was not easy. We faced stiff competition, injuries, and moments of doubt. But our team’s determination, teamwork, and sheer passion for the game propelled us forward.

“As a coach, I witnessed first-hand the growth and development of our team. We learned to communicate effectively, support each other, and trust in our strengths.

“The coaching staff’s guidance and encouragement and our parents’ support were instrumental in our success,” he added.

While goal scoring was not an issue during the course of the tournament, Gauteng was, at times, faced with injury concerns, and that’s where Kivesh Padarath proved his worth. He was responsible for taking good care of the players’ health, warm-ups and cool-downs, strapping, and recovery after each game.

“It’s always tough going to an IPT, playing six games in four days,” Padarath told SuperSport Schools Plus.

““It takes a huge toll on the players’ bodies, and I was entrusted to make sure the players were in optimal condition to perform at 100 percent each game.

“As the tournament progressed, the players kept getting better and better and played great hockey against some of the big hockey provinces.

“They showed a lot of fight in tough games to get over the line and pull off wins,” he concluded.

Southern Gauteng’s road to the final

Pool B

Southern Gauteng 5-1 Limpopo
Southern Gauteng 9-0 Northern Free State NFS
Southern Gauteng 2-2 KZN Coastal

Quarter-finals
Southern Gauteng 3-0 KZN Inland

Semifinals
Southern Gauteng 0 (4)- 0 (1) Western Province

Final
Southern Gauteng 2-0 Northern Gauteng

The fourth day of the u18 SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein produced jaw-dropping action and remarkable comebacks, and left several players rueing their missed chances, as the four semi-finalists were decided.

KZN Coastal A will take on Western Province A, while Boland A and Southern Gauteng A will go toe-to-toe in the other final four clash on Thursday at the University of the Free State.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Heading into the final day of group stage action, Pool A was already decided, with Province and Boland securing their places in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

Coach Bryce West’s Western Province team compiled a flawless record, five wins from five matches, while Boland lost only once, against Province.

Pool B is where a flurry of possibilities came into play with five teams heading into the day with a shot at securing a semi-final place.

Overnight, Southern Gauteng A and KZN Coastal A occupied the top two positions, with eight and six points respectively. But Thursday’s games could possibly upend the finishing order in the group.

Coach Anthony Woodhouse‘s Southerns’ boys were shocked early in the morning, going down 2-5 against a hungry KZN Inland A side, which was also trying to salvage their campaign.

That defeat left the pool wide open and meant Southerns would need help to progress when KZN Coastal A and Northern Gauteng met later in the day.

Northerns were also in with a shot at sneaking into the top two, but only a win would do against Coastal after they played to a couple of draws earlier in the week.

Their clash against coach Cam Mackay’s side ended in a tense 1-1 draw. Luken Brunette opened the scoring for Northerns, but Lethabo Mathobela replied for KZN Coastal.

That result meant the final match of the day between KZN Inland A and the hosts, Southern Free State, would determine which one of three teams – KZN Coastal, KZN Inland or Southern Free State – would secure a semi-final spot.

The equation was simple for coach Damian Kimfley‘s Inland side and coach Wayne Coetzee’s Free Staters: Win and you’re in. Draw and no top four.

Neither side capitalised on their opportunity. KZN Inland grabbed an early lead through a penalty corner drag flick from their captain Jarred Kitto. Free State struck back in a similar manner, with Matthias Visser rocketing a PC drag flick past Nick Holmes, in the Inland goal.

At the conclusion of the game, KZN Coastal A could breathe a sigh of relief. Their seven points left them one adrift of the table-topping Southern Gauteng A.

“I didn’t expect that to happen (for Inland to draw with Free State),” Coastal coach Cam Mackay told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match.

“I think both teams had really good results coming into that match, so a draw was not expected, even though we should expect draws because the group has been a little bit messy.

“I haven’t thought about tomorrow,” he continued, “but a goal of ours was to make the semi-finals, and I think the way we’ve played for the majority of the time, the boys deserve it.”

Coastal faces a daunting task on Thursday, taking on an on-song Western Province A in the second semi-final at 14:10.

Mackay said his team would be up for the challenge. “We will have to regroup and try to think about what we’re going to do tomorrow,” he said.

“We have a bit more recovery time, more time to think, but we don’t fear Western Province. They’re a great team and we have respect for them, but being in the semi-finals was a goal and we’ve achieved that.”

Day 4| Results and Scorers

Pool A

Boland A 2 (2): Reuben Sendzul, Ethan Leonard. KZN Coastal B 1 (1): Zach Williamson.

Border A 2 (1): Helio Ruiters, Hisharm Pillay. Southern Gauteng B 0.

Western Province A 5 (2): Litha Kraai (2), Ethan Lee, Stephan Meyer, Dayle Gertson. Western Province B 0 (1): Matthew Lassen

Pool B

KZN Inland A 5 (2): Grant Bridgeford (2), Julian Koningkramer, Banele Dlamini, Tino Hove. Southern Gauteng A 2 (2): Nashaan Matroos (2)

Southern Free State A 1 (4): Matthias Visser (3), Duane Romain. Eastern Province A 1 (1): Ben Ristow.

KZN Coastal A 1 (0): Lethabo Mathobela, Northern Gauteng A 1 (1): Luken Brunette.

KZN Inland A 1 (1): Jarred Kitto. Southern Free State A 1 (1): Matthias Visser.

Results| Section B

Pool X

KZN Inland B 2-1 Southern Free State B
Mpumalanga 3-1 Boland B
Eastern Province B 2-1 North West

Pool Y

Northern Free State 2-1 Limpopo
Eastern Gauteng 5-0 Eden
Northern Gauteng 0-0 Northern Cape
Eastern Gauteng 3-0 Northern Free State
Northern Gauteng 7-1 Limpopo

Day 5| Fixtures

08:45 – Southern Gauteng B vs KZN Inland A ((Play-off 5-8)
09:55 – KZN Coastal B vs Southern Free State A (Play-off 5-8)
11:20 – Boland A vs Southern Gauteng A (Semi-final 1)
11:35 – Western Province B vs Northern Gauteng A (Play-off 9-12)
14:10 – Western Province A vs KZN Coastal A (Semi-final 2)
14:25 – Border A vs Eastern Province A (Play-off 9-12)