Author: asawula

The fifth edition of the annual Hibbert Shield Hockey Tournament, to hosted by Grey High School in Gqeberha, will be flighted on SuperSport Schools‘ screens, with 30 matches scheduled for the four-day event, starting on Wednesday, 1 May, and concluding on Saturday evening.

Catch all the action from the Rectory Astroturf LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Out of the 12 teams in action, four are from the Western Cape, and those four will stake their claim for the Shield against some of the country’s best in the Windy City.

Each of the four – Paul Roos Gimnasium, Paarl Gimnasium, South African College High School (SACS), and Bishops Diocesan College – will be serious contenders for the prestigious title.

In 2023, the honours went to Paul Roos, who edged out SACS 3-2 to claim the silverware. That was the sole defeat suffered by an uber-talented SACS squad last year.

SuperSport School‘s hockey writer Avuyile Sawula takes a look at the quartet’s recent form and some of the players that will need to make an impact if the Hibbert Shield is to return to the Western Cape.

Paarl Gimnasium

They’re quick, hardworking, and play a smart and attractive brand of hockey, which has made them one of the deadliest sides in front of goal this season.

Coach Jacques Grobler‘s troops will surely cause teams problems in Gqeberha, and hockey enthusiasts will underestimate them at their own peril.

They kicked their season into gear by claiming silverware at the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Festival, beating Worcester Gimnasium 2-1 in the final.

Since then, the boys from Paarl have scored an impressive 12 goals in four matches, losing only once, against SACS, on the past weekend.

They have beaten Outeniqua 5-1, Affies 3-0, and drew 1-1 with Grey College.

Gim is led by LD Nel, who recently played his 75th match for the Paarl side. He is deadly in front of goal and is often the man Gim turns to at PC time.

Juan Swanepoel is another player to keep an eye on. Swanepoel took home the Player of the Tournament honours at the Belgotex Festival and has been firing in goals with regularity this season.

Johan van der Merwe is another name likely to be on commentator’s lips this week as Gim aims to bounce back from their lone loss of the season.

Paul Roos

Under the guidance of the experienced Michael Baker, Paul Roos Gimnasium is finding its feet this season.

Baker joined the side this year, after a hugely successful spell at Durban High School (DHS), and has introduced his style of play, known as “Baker Ball”, to the Stellenbosch outfit.

After an impressive outing at the Founders Festival, PRG started their season with a surprise setback, when they lost 0-1 at Rondebosch Boys’ High earlier this month.

However, that loss seemed to give Baker’s side a much-needed wake-up call, and they have been in impressive form recently.

Since that defeat at ‘Bosch, they’ve thumped Paarl Boys High 4-0 and, this past weekend, showed immense character and passion to come back from 0-2 down, to beat Grey High 3-2 in Gqeberha. On Sunday, they outplayed Pearson High 5-0 and will head into the Hibbert Shield high in confidence.

One area in which PRG has yet to fire on all cylinders is at penalty corner time. In captain Reuben Sendzul, they possess one of the most dangerous PC drag flickers, but he’s been a bit off key thus far. Beware, though, when he finds his rhythm!

Both Josh Smit and Barend Geldenhuys were impressive against Grey and were among the goal scorers in the morale-boosting 3-2 victory. They’ll be two of the standard-setters for PRG.

Ruben Gouws is another dangerous player and will cause problems if given space and time on the ball. At the back, PRG’s goalkeeper Beor van Reenen has been immense, a difficult-to-beat presence as the last line of defence for his side.

SACS

Sport is unpredictable, but some things can be predicted with reasonable certainty, or called even before they happen. SACS winning the Hibbert Shield would be one of those, but the competition is as tough as it gets and matches are won on the field not in written words on the Internet.

One would think that after ending 2023 as the top-ranked side, and with many players matriculating, the boys from Cape Town would have been due a slight regression. Instead, they’ve hit the gas and look every bit as good as their illustrious predecessors.

Coach Sam Holmes’ side dominated the playing field at the Founders Festival and has been almost untouchable in the local league in Cape Town.

Their toughest test so far this season came last weekend when they were pushed all the way before grinding out a 4-3 win over Paarl Gim in Paarl.

In that clash, SACS showed immense character to fight back after trailing for large parts of the contest. The week before that, they defeated previously unbeaten Grey High 5-2 at home, and Rondebosch Boys High 3-0 to further assert their dominance.

A player who has been on everyone’s lips is Litha Kraai. Prodigiously talented and a regular goal scorer, with one of the sweetest reverse stick shots to be found anywhere, he will need to live up to the hype if SACS is to go a step further this year than they did in 2023.

While Kraai has been influential for SACS, many other players have put their hands up, including Reece Theunis, skipper Stéphan Meyer, Josh le Roux and Nicholas Paxton.

Shot-stopper Noah Venter has also been solid. He and the SACS defence will need to be on song against the toughest field put together for a schoolboys’ hockey tournament this year.

Bishops

Something special has been brewing at the Woodlands Astroturf this season, and that’s evident from how much support the Bishops first side has enjoyed from their schoolmates.

After a topsy-turvy 2023 season, this new-look Bishops outfit has responded well to the leadership of coach and 2020 Olympian Ryan Julius.

The Bishops boys have brought intensity to the games and they appear to be men on a mission.

The southern suburbs’ side remains unbeaten in 2024 and they are definite contenders at the Hibbert Shield.

Last Friday, they defeated Wynberg Boys’ High 3-0 but will face arguably their toughest opposition in Gqeberha, where they take on Durban High School (DHS) and Selborne College in pool play.

DHS is unbeaten this season, winning all of their games, except for a draw against Northwood, while Selborne won 15 in succession before sharing a draw with Queen’s College, and then going down to Grey College last time out.

They both present Bishops with formidable obstacles, and any of the three top sides could easily find themselves third in the pool and out of contention if they’re ever so slightly off their game.

Bishops has been playing an attractive brand of hockey, which has seen them plenty of goals, and Joshua Mettler has been a top performer for the side, contributing both on attack and defence. His dangerous runs and ability to beat defenders will be one of the keys to Bishops’ success in Gqeberha.

Their skipper Robert Veldtman has been equally impressive, setting the bar for his team with his excellence. Others to look out for in the Bishops’ ranks include vice-captain Andrew Raubenheimer, Bryn Parry, and the dangerous James Grieve.

Bishops will be the first Western Cape side in action on Wednesday when they open their campaign against East London’s Selborne College at 15:45.

Pools

Pool 1: Paul Roos Gimnasium, St Stithians College, Westville Boys High|
Pool 2: Grey High, Paarl Gimnasium, Clifton College
Pool 3: Selborne College, Durban High School, Bishops
Pool 4: SACS, Pearson High, Garsfontein

Fixtures

Wednesday, 1 May

14:30 -St Stithians College vs Westville Boys’ High
15:45 – Bishops vs Selborne College
17:15 – Pearson High vs Garsfontein

Thursday, 2 May

07:30 – Paul Roos vs St Stithians College
08:45 – Grey High vs Clifton
10:15 – DHS vs Selborne College
11:30 – Pearson vs SACS
13:00 – Clifton College vs Paarl Gimnasium
14:15 – Paul Roos vs Westville Boys’ High
15:45 – Bishops vs DHS
17:00 – Grey High vs Paarl Gimnasium
18:30 – SACS vs Garsfontein

Friday, 3 May

07:30- Bottom Pool 1 vs Bottom Pool 4
08:45- Bottom Pool 2 vs Bottom Pool 3
10:15- 1^st Pool 1 vs 2^nd Pool 2 (Quarterfinal 1)
11:30- 1^st Pool 2 vs 2^nd Pool 1 (Quarterfinal 2)
13:00- 1^st Pool 3 vs 2^nd Pool 3 (Quarterfinal 3)
14:15- 1^st Pool 4 vs 2^nd Pool 4 (Quarterfinal 4)
15:45- 3^rd Pool 1 vs 3^rd Pool 3
17:00- 3^rd Pool 2 vs 3^rd Pool 4
18:30- Loser QF 1 vs Loser QF 3
19:45- Loser QF 2 vs Loser QF 4

Saturday, 4 May 2024:

07:00- 3^rd Pool 1 vs 3^rd Pool 2
08:15- Semi-final 1
09:45- Semi-final 2
11:00- 3^rd Pool 3 vs 3^rd Pool 4
12:30- Loser of Match 21 vs Loser of Match 22
13:45- Winner of Match 21 vs Winner of Match 22
15:15- u14 Final
16:30- u16 Final
18:00- 3^rd/4^th Place play-off
19:30- Final

As the schoolboy hockey season intensifies, all eyes will turn to Gqeberha this week, where Grey High School is preparing to host the fifth edition of the Hibbert Shield Hockey Tournament.

The action starts on Wednesday and runs through until Saturday evening.

It’s an opportunity to see many of South Africa’s top teams and players in action ahead of the SASHOC u18 Inter-Provincial Tournament, which takes place in Bloemfontein in June.

Catch all the action LIVE from the Rectory Astroturf on SuperSport Schools.

In last year’s Hibbert Shield, Paul Roos (PRG) reigned supreme after defeating South African College High School (SACS) 3-2 in the final. That was the only loss suffered by SACS in the 38 games they played in 2023. They won 34 of them, which included three wins over PRG.

This time, the side from Stellenbosch is drawn in Pool 1 alongside St Stithians College and KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville Boys’ High.

If recent form is anything to go on, PRG should have the upper hand against their opponents, based on their wins over Grey High (3-2), and Pearson High (5-0) on the weekend.

Saints, on the other hand, will enter the festival a bit rusty. Their last outing was on 6 April against Jeppe, and they lost that match 0-1.

Westville also went down to Jeppe this month, losing 1-3 in Johannesburg, but they will take confidence from their performance against Maritzburg College on Saturday, which saw the sides share a 3-3 draw.

Pool 2 is equally exciting, and includes the hosts, Paarl Gimnasium, and Clifton College.

Both Gim and Grey High went down on the weekend and will be eager to swiftly reverse those setbacks. Gim fell 3-4 to SACS in Paarl, having led 3-0 early in the game, while Grey let slip a 2-0 lead against PRG at home, going on to suffer a 2-3 defeat.

Selborne College, Durban High School, and Cape Town’s Bishops Diocesan College make up an electrifying Pool 3.

All three sides are playing some of their best hockey this season. DHS and Bishops are unbeaten, and over the past weekend recorded wins against St Charles College (8-0) and Wynberg Boys’ High (3-0) respectively.

Meanwhile, Selborne suffered their first defeat of the season, going down 2-5 against Grey College in East London after winning 15 and drawing one before that.

The final pool sees SACS, Garsfontein, and Pearson High battle it out for top spot.

SACS are the favourites to make it out of the pool untouched, considering the calibre of players they have, and the hockey they’ve put on show so far this season.

They haven’t lost a single match, although they experienced their toughest test on the weekend when they had to dig deep to secure a 4-3 win over Paarl Gimnasium.

Coach Steve Paulo’s Garsfontein team could consider themselves the dark horses of the tournament. They don’t often play against many of the schools that will be participating in the event, so they could spring a surprise or two.

Pearson High, who are regularly considered among the top teams in the Eastern Cape, have made a slowish start to their season. They do, however, have a younger team that’s still trying to find its feet, and there’s no better opportunity to come alive than at an event like the Hibbert Shield.

They will open their challenge against Garsfontein on day one at 17:15. Another match to keep an eye out for on the opening day will be the clash between Selborne College and Bishops in Pool 2, It’s the toughest pool of them all to call.

Day two’s action will include Grey against Clifton at 08:45, Bishops tackling DHS in a late afternoon clash, and SACS ending the day against Garsfontein.

Pools

Pool 1: Paul Roos Gimnasium, St Stithians College, Westville Boys High
Pool 2: Grey High, Paarl Gimnasium, Clifton College
Pool 3: Selborne College, Durban High School, Bishops
Pool 4: SACS, Pearson High, Garsfontein

Fixtures

Wednesday, 1 May

14:30 -St Stithians College vs Westville Boys’ High
15:45 – Bishops vs Selborne College
17:15 – Pearson High vs Garsfontein

Thursday, 2 May

07:30 – Paul Roos vs St Stithians College
08:45 – Grey High vs Clifton College
10:15 -DHS vs Selborne College
11:30 – Pearson vs SACS
13:00 – Clifton College vs Paarl Gimnasium
14:15 – Paul Roos vs Westville Boys’ High
15:45 – Bishops vs DHS
17:00 – Grey High vs Paarl Gimnasium
18:30 – SACS vs Garsfontein

Friday, 3 May 

07:30 – Bottom Pool 1 vs Bottom Pool 4
08:45 – Bottom Pool 2 vs Bottom Pool 3
10:15 – 1^st Pool 1 vs 2^nd Pool 2 (Quarterfinal 1)
11:30 – 1^st Pool 2 vs 2^nd Pool 1 (Quarterfinal 2)
13:00 – 1^st Pool 3 vs 2^nd Pool 3 (Quarterfinal 3)
14:15 – 1^st Pool 4 vs 2^nd Pool 4 (Quarterfinal 4)
15:45 – 3^rd Pool 1 vs 3^rd Pool 3
17:00 – 3^rd Pool 2 vs 3^rd Pool 4
18:30 – Loser QF 1 vs Loser QF 3
19:45 – Loser QF 2 vs Loser QF 4

Saturday, 4 May 

07:00 – 3^rd Pool 1 vs 3^rd Pool 2
08:15 – Semi-final 1
09:45 – Semi-final 2
11:00 – 3^rd Pool 3 vs 3^rd Pool 4
12:30 – Loser of Match 21 vs Loser of Match 22
13:45 – Winner of Match 21 vs Winner of Match 22
15:15 – u14 Final
16:30 – u16 Final
18:00 – 3^rd/4^th Place play-off
19:30 – Final

The image used in this article is credited to Ray Chaplin (https://www.raychaplin.photography/) 

There was an electric atmosphere, with both sets of supporters in full voice at the Rectory Astroturf when Grey High School hosted Paul Roos Gimnasium on Friday night. On the turf, the players delivered one of the most entertaining and hard-fought schoolboy hockey matches of the season thus far.

Grey entered the clash seeking a return to the win column after going down 2-5 to SACS in Cape Town last weekend.

PRG, on the other hand, was brimming with confidence after dismantling Paarl Boys’ High 4-0 in their first home match of the season.

Coach Michael Baker’s side was, however, dealt an early blow when they conceded with just 43 seconds played. Grey’s Robbie Stowe drove a quick ball into the 7m area and Luke Tait pushed it past Paul Roos’s keeper, Beor van Reenen, to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Ahead, and with their supporters in full voice, coach Andrew Beynon‘s boys upped the ante, seeking to double their advantage, and they could’ve gone up by four if it wasn’t for the acrobatic saves of Van Reenen.

 There were no more goals in the second chukka. Although the visitors created chances to open their account, they failed to convert their short corners, which is an aspect of their game they will surely target in preparation for the Hibbert Shield, which will see them making a return to Grey next week.

With just under a minute played in the third chukka, Stowe, who created the first goal for the home side, turned goal scorer, sending a low drag flick from a short corner into the PRG goalbox to make it 2-0.

The visitors had to find a quick reply if they were to get something out of the match, and the fightback began midway through the third chukka.

Barend Geldenhuys whipped in a cross from the baseline, which found Josh Smit, and he deposited the ball over the goal line to bring hope to the travelling supporters.

Heading into the final quarter, Grey led 2-1 but that was quickly changed when Geldenhuys struck from open play. He, then, stuck away a rebound for a penalty corner late in the match to snatch a 3-2 win for Paul Roos, who had looked dead and buried until their third chukka opener.

“We tried a tactic in the first chukka of a half court press and almost 30 seconds in went 0-1 down and, well, that meant things had to change quickly,” coach Baker told SuperSport Schools after the match.

“We just couldn’t settle into the game, and I think we changed shape nearly five times.

“The game was end-to-end, with a high intensity throughout. Credit must go to our conditioning team, led by Josh Raymer, because we still had the legs, and showed some character.

“We have done so much work on culture and to see it come through today was just simply incredible,” he concluded.

In other matches around the Eastern Cape, Cambridge High School downed Dale College 3-1 away from home to get their season back on track.

An Aqhama Mdlulwa brace and a solitary goal by Keathan Ruiters sealed the win for the East London side.

Grey College, after playing to a 1-1 draw against Paarl Gimnasium last weekend, returned to action against Selborne College on Friday night.

After trailing early, the boys from Bloemfontein fought their way back into the clash, and convincingly handed Selborne their first defeat of the season, beating coach KJ Friend‘s team 5-2.

On the scoreboard for Grey was Matthias Visser, with two goals, Danrich Hoffmann, Gianni Tyropolis, and Duncker Hohls.

Stirling High and Kingswood College shared a 2-2 draw and, in a mid-week fixture, St Andrew’s College downed Hudson Park 3-0.

Results

Cambridge High School 3-1 Dale College
Stirling High 2-2 Kingswood College
Grey College 5-2 Selborne College
Paul Roos 3-2 Grey High
St Andrew’s College 3-0 Hudson Park

On a weekend where upsets were expected, it was business as usual for Bishops Diocesan College and South African College High School (SACS) as they picked up crucial victories over Wynberg Boys’ High and Paarl Gimnasium respectively to keep their winning records in pristine condition.

Meanwhile, in George, it was Parel Vallei who reigned supreme, thumping Outeniqua 7-2.

Rewatch all the Hockey on SuperSport Schools.

Bishops hosted their southern suburbs’ rivals Wynberg Boys’ High at the Woodlands Astroturf. There, a potential banana skin was comfortably averted with a solid performance, which secured a convincing 3-0 win.

SACS, meanwhile, made a trip into the Boland to face Paarl Gimnasium and were made to sweat for their 4-3 win.

Heading into their clash, both Bishops and Wynberg were both unbeaten in the province and both had designs on claiming the early season bragging rights.

In their previous outings, Bishops had thumped Reddam Constantia 7-1, while Wynberg held Grey High, who have enjoyed an outstanding season, to a 2-2 draw.

In the highly anticipated clash, it was the hosts, who opened the scoring in the first chukka through Joshua Metttler after a scrappy short corner.

Soon after, Wynberg moved onto the attack, and earned themselves a PC, but Bishops’ goalkeeper Mu’aath Ganief kept the shot out to ensure his side finished the quarter 1-0 to the good.

The second chukka was largely subdued as both sides prodded and probed, with the defences ruling the roost.

Wynberg mustered two penalty corners, but coach Ben Wiley’s boys failed to hit the target and were unable to capitalise.

Bishops doubled their tally early in the third chukka through their skipper, Robert Veldtman.

Wynberg, just like in the first half of the match, responded by creating chances but couldn’t convert them.

Late in the final chukka, Ryan Julius’s charges put the final nail in the coffin when vice-captain Andrew Raubenheimer got onto the end of a scrappy ball into the circle to tap in for his team’s third of the match.

“We trained specific things this week and focused a lot on our defence, and being good on 1-vs-1, and I think the boys displayed that tonight,” coach Julius told SuperSport Schools after the match.

“I always strive for perfection; it wasn’t the perfect game.

“I think our PCs need work, and I take full responsibility for that, but the boys continued to trust in me and the changes we made.

“We must stay humble and grounded, though, because there is still a lot of work to do,” he concluded.

Bishops will next turn their attention to the Hibbert Shield, to be hosted by Grey High School in Gqeberha, from 1 May.

In Paarl, SACS scrapped their way to a 4-3 win over Paarl Gimnasium in a heated and highly contested encounter.

The hosts looked like they were cruising to a stunning victory early in the first chukka when they shocked the Cape Town school by scoring three goals, courtesy of an LD Nel brace and another from Johan van der Merwe.

SACS, however, with a never-say-die attitude, fought their way back into the encounter. It was Litha Kraai at the forefront of their attack. He struck twice, including once in the fourth chukka.

Their other goals were scored by Reece Theunis and Regan Wille, which ensured SACS’ record remains nothing but wins.

In George, Parel Vallei was dominant, delivering an emphatic 7-1 thrashing of Outeniqua.

With the win, coach Michael van Rensberg’s troops made it two wins in succession after they claimed an impressive 4-2 victory against Worcester Gimnasium last week.

Luka Meets did the majority of the damage, netting four times, while Luca Jordaan grabbed a double, and Jared Jacobs also got his name on the score sheet to complete a one-sided scoreline.

Western Cape Results

Fairmont High 1-0 Pinelands
Bishops 3-0 Wynberg
Stellenberg 3-1 DF Malan
Paarl Gimnasium 3-4 SACS
Parel Vallei 7-2 Outeniqua
Rondebosch vs Reddam House- Game called off due to lightning
Durbanville 9-2 Khayelitsha Hockey Club
Worcester Gimnasium 4-0 Brackenfell
Belville High 4-0 Westerford
Somerset College vs Strand

East London, this weekend, will play host to two massive encounters when Clarendon High School for Girls hosts Eunice High School, while Stirling High welcome Kingswood College to the coastal city on Saturday.

Catch all the hockey action live on SuperSport Schools.

Clarendon tackles the Bloemfontein side fresh off of claiming gold in the Spar Eastern Cape Hockey Challenge last Sunday.

Coach Luaan Sedras’s dominated in the round-robin stages to set up a showdown with Hudson Park for the title.

With the silverware on the line, Hudson Park forced Clarendon into a penalty shootout after the regulation 20 minutes ended with the sides deadlocked. Clarendon won it 2-1 from there.

Before their Spar Hockey Challenge outing, Clarendon also picked up an important 2-0 win over Queenstown Girls High the week before that. On Saturday, coach Sedras will be seeking a top performance from his side as they take on one of the best teams in the country.

He will be banking on players like Georgia McClure, Juliana Saffy, and Cara and Demi Knott, to rise to the challenge and keep the Bloem girls at bay.

Eunice, on the other hand, with a young and inexperienced team, started the season slowly, but they’ve settled in, hit their straps, and have made some noise.

They made it all the way to the final of the St Mary’s Festival, where they went down 2-3 to Durban Girls’ College. Coach Nika Coertzen’s charges are playing attractive hockey, and they’re now in the conversation about the top teams in the country.

A week after clinching silver at St Mary’s, Eunice faced another top team when they hosted Garsfontein in Bloemfontein. That contest ended in a hard-fought 2-2 draw.

Their last outing was against Fichardt Park in the Free State League. There, they ran rampant, scoring seven goals and conceding none, to take a 7-0 win.

They will enter their match against Clarendon, who placed 22nd out of 32 at the St Mary’s Festival, high in confidence and will be favoured to win away from home.

In another big game in East London, Stirling High will enjoy home ground advantage against Makhanda’s Kingswood College.

The two, over the years, have become accustomed to playing against each other in home and away derby matches.

Both began their respective seasons at the Greg Beling Festival, before competing in the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Festival.

There, they met for 17th place in the 40-team competition, with Kingswood claiming a 4-1 victory after a penalty shootout.

The girls in green will, however, take confidence from their recent form, which has seen them bag a 3-1 win over Union High School and a 2-1 victory against Queenstown Girls’ High.

Cambridge High School will also be back in action on Saturday morning when they face Kingsridge High School for Girls.

Another big tussle to keep an eye on will be the clash between DSG Makhanda and Hudson Park. Collegiate will battle Rhenish Girls’ High in Gqeberha after the Western Cape side recorded a 4-0 win over Pearson High on Thursday.

Fixtures

Saturday, 27 April

10:00 – Cambridge High School vs Kingsridge High School
11:00 – Clarendon vs Eunice
11:30 – Collegiate vs Rhenish
12:00 – Stirling High vs Kingswood College
12:15 – DSG Makhanda vs Hudson Park

Only four Central Gauteng boys’ team players, who claimed gold at this year’s Junior Water Polo Championships, have been included in the South African side set to participate in the World Aquatics Men’s u18 Water Polo Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The tournament kicks off on 2 July, with the final taking place a week later, on Tuesday, 9 July.

Leading up to the World Aquatics’ event, Swimming South Africa hosted the Junior Water Polo Championships, the Currie Cup, in East London, in March.

The four-day tournament provided the national selectors with an opportunity to see the country’s best juniors in action against one another before they announced the SA team.

There, Gauteng won the competition by beating KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) 8-6 in the final.

Their journey to the title deciding contest was categorised by grit, determination, and playing an attractive brand of water polo, which propelled them to victory against the top sides after some early setbacks.

Led by coach Jon-Marc de Carvalho, Gauteng had to go the long route after suffering two defeats in the round-robin stages, against Western Province (4-5), and KZN (8-12) respectively.

When it mattered most, however, they produced their best performances, with their 10-5 victory over Western Province in the semifinals arguably their best of the lot.

From there, it was on to another rematch, this time against KZN, where the Gauteng side got the better of coach Rob Ambler‘s team, snatching an 8-6 win in which Karabo Mamaregane scored a hattrick.

Mamaregane, from King Edward VII, was named in the 15-player squad along with the St John’s College duo of Gregory Pryce, and Ross Rovelli, and Ross Stuart, of St David’s Marist Inanda.

Despite an unexpectedly poor showing at the tournament, where they finished third, Western Province had seven players selected.

Attention was clearly paid to how they performed during in-season tournaments, with Province having three teams in the top four at every major event.

Western Province is represented by Bishops Diocesan College‘s Jordan De Sousa and Thomas Truter. Paul Roos provides three players, Adam October, Arkin Marais and Salahuddin Khan, and the SACS duo of Nicholas Fall and Zack Cicero was also selected.

During their tour to Argentina, the side will be led by KZN head coach, Rob Ambler, who plies his trade at Glenwood High School. He will be joined by four players who played for him during the Junior Champs in East London.

Two are from Clifton College, Ross Strauss and Oliver Ditz, while Westville Boys’ High‘s Rhees Hall and Northwood’s Matthew Lortan also cracked the nod.

Ambler will be assisted by Siyabonga Guzana, while the manager of the team is Meryke Terblanche.

SA U18 TEAM

Jordan De Sousa (Western Province, Bishops), Adam October (Western Province, Paul Roos), Nicholas Fall (Western Province, SACS), Zack Cicero (Western Province, SACS), Thomas Truter (Western Province, Bishops), Arkin Marais (Western Province, Paul Roos), Salahuddin Khan (Western Province, Paul Roos) Gregory Pryce (Central Gauteng, St John’s College), Ross Rovelli (Central Gauteng, St John’s College), Ross Stuart (Central Gauteng, St David’s Marist Inanda), Karabo Mamaregane (Central Gauteng, King Edward VII), Rhees Hall (KZN, Westville Boys’ High), Ross Strauss (KZN, Clifton College), Matthew Lortan (KZN, Northwood School), Oliver Ditz (KZN, Clifton College)

Non-travelling reserves

Judah Dos Santos (Central Gauteng, King Edward VII), Zico Williams (Central Gauteng, Reddam House Helderfontein), Marc Smith (Central Gauteng, St Stithians College), Max Scully (KZN, Westville Boys’ High), Conor Melling-Willams (Western Province, SACS).

Management

Head Coach: Rob Ambler (KZN)
Assistant Coach: Siyabonga Guzana (KZN)
Manager: Meryke Terblanche (KZN)

Grey High School versus Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) will headline a bumper weekend of hockey action in the Eastern Cape when those sides, two of the best in the country, battle it out for top honours in Gqeberha on Friday night.

The match gets underway at 19:15 and will be live from the Rectory Astroturf on SuperSport Schools.

Last weekend, when they were last in action, they experienced contrasting results.

Grey travelled to Cape Town, where they played to a 2-2 draw with Wynberg Boys High on Friday night, before going down 2-5 against SACS the following morning.

Paul Roos, meanwhile, bounced back from a 0-1 defeat against Rondebosch Boys’ High, scoring a commanding 4-0 win over Paarl Boys’ High on the Maties Astroturf.

Reuben Gouws strike twice for the Stellenbosch side, while Callum van Oudsthoorn, and Barend Geldenhuys also found the back of the net.

Despite the win, the visitors are still hard at work, trying to improve some aspects of their game that haven’t yet clicked this season.

Coach Michael Baker’s main concern is converting short corners, a worry that stood out at Rondebosch when the Stellenbosch side failed to make use of the plentiful opportunities they created.

This week, they will be banking on their skipper Ruben Sendzul to improve on his accuracy and get back to his best, which is being one of the most dangerous PC strikers in the country.

PRG’s main playmaker so far this season has been Christo Swanepoel, who has held the fort well at the back while providing quality ball distribution.

Paul Roos will be relieved that shot stopper, Beor van Reenen, who had picked up a knee injury, will be in the goalbox. He and defenders Louan van Zyl and Hanno Basson are likely to face a stiff challenge from Grey who, before last weekend, had won all of their games.

Grey will bank on Xander Elkington, Blake Muller, Jordyn Julies, and Iviwe Mazomba to challenge PRG’s midfield and defence.

The clash promises to be a terrific tussle between two sides eager to stake their claims as top contenders ahead of the Hibbert Shield early next month.

Teams

Grey High: Kiano Broadhurst, Marco Giaconi, Zac Thornton, Ben Ristow, Robbie Stow, Kian Cambier, Luke Tait, Caden Skinette, Athi Jansen, Blake Muller, Jordyn Julies, Xander Elkington, Iviwe Mazomba, Liam Poole, Caleb Humphreys

 Paul Roos Gimnasium: Beor van Reenen, Hanno Basson, Louan van Zyl, Joshua Smit, Keith Siebrits, Juan Mouton, Barend Geldenhuys, Christo Swanepoel, Lohan Lackay, Reuben Gouws, Ruben Sendzul, Dan Lurie, Seth Paterson, Charles Lombaard, Luke Oliver

 Other matches

In another clash between top teams, Selborne College will be back in action, when they host Grey College in East London on Friday.

In their last outing, a fortnight ago, Selborne was held to a 1-1 draw by Komani’s Queen’s College. They had a bye last weekend, while their opponents, Grey left it late to salvage a 1-1 draw with Paarl Gimnasium in Paarl.

Dale College, who picked up the big scalp of Queen’s at the Queen’s 166th Reunion last weekend, will also return to the turf on Friday afternoon, when they take on Cambridge High School in Qonce.

Stirling High School hosts Kingswood College, while Queen’s travels to Bloemfontein to take on St Andrew’s School and Fichardtpark, on Friday evening and Saturday morning respectively.

Fixtures

Friday, 26 April 

16:00 – Dale College vs Cambridge High School
18:00 – Stirling High School vs Kingswood College
19:00 – Selborne College vs Grey College
19:15 – Grey High vs Paul Roos
19:30 – St Andrew’s School vs Queen’s College

Saturday, 27 April 2024

11:00 – Fichardtpark vs Queen’s College

 

South African College High School (SACS) and Paarl Gimnasium will aim to keep their momentum rolling and continue their superb seasons when they face off in the match of the weekend in Paarl on Friday night.

The clash gets underway at 19:45. Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

They’ve both been performing like well-oiled machines and have already compiled an impressive list of results in 2024.

Gim won the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Festival late last month and they’ve kept the pedal to the metal ever since then, racking up one good result after another.

In the past three weeks, coach Jacques Grobler‘s side has faced some gruelling challenges, which has tested their squad depth, fitness levels, and ability to dig deep in crucial moments.

They began their Western Cape campaign with a resounding 5-1 win over Outeniqua, with captain LD Nel scoring a hattrick at home.

After that, Grobler’s charges took their talents to Pretoria, where they faced Affies in a massive inter-schools’ clash. There, they scored a comfortable 3-0 win, with Juan Swanepoel netting twice before Nel got his name on the scoreboard for a second week running.

Last weekend, they were a minute away from defeating Grey College, but the visitors scored in the final minute to snatch a 1-1 draw.

SACS, on the other hand, have been a juggernaut this season, and their run of dominance began at the Founders Festival at Kearsney College last month.

Soon after that, they began league action in the Western Cape, powering their way to one-sided wins over Fairmont High School (6-0), and Parel Vallei (7-0).

Last weekend, they further asserted their dominance against Rondebosch Boys’ High and Grey High School on successive days.

On Friday, coach Sam Holmes’s side beat ‘Bosch 3-0, before recording an emphatic 5-2 victory over Grey at the Brewery.

Blessed with quality and depth in all positions, they’re in outstanding form, with players like Litha Kraai, Stephan Meyer, Reece Theunis and Matthew Lassen having caught the eye in recent weeks.

They have reason to be confident ahead of the clash, too, after winning 6-2 against Paarl Gim in 2023. Admittedly, the SACS lineup is very different this year, but the vast majority of the team played together under Sam Holmes in the u16 ranks, where they dominated opposition from all corners of South Africa.

It promises to be an enthralling clash, but Gim goes into the game as the underdog, and it would be a big upset if they win. Given their quality, that’s not out of the question, however.

Western Cape Fixtures

Friday, 26 April 2024

18:00 – Fairmont High vs Pinelands
18:15 – Bishops vs Wynberg
18:15 – Stellenberg vs DF Malan
19:00 – Rondebosch vs Reddam House
19:30 – Paarl Gimnasium vs SACS
19:30 – Parel Vallei vs Outeniqua

Saturday, 27 April 2024

10:15 – Durbanville vs Khayelitsha Hockey Club
10:45 –Worcester Gimnasium vs Brackenfell
10:50 – Somerset College vs Strand
11:15 – Belville High vs Westerford

After securing a nerve-wracking and nail-biting 1-0 win over St Cyprian’s School last weekend, Parel Vallei, will aim to make it two wins on the trot when they take on Hoërskool Outeniqua in George on Friday night.

Kick-off is at 18:00. Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

The encounter will be PV’s third match of the regular season after they opened their campaign a fortnight ago with a 1-2 defeat at the hands of Paarl Girls’ High.

Before that, the side from Somerset West undertook an international tour to The Netherlands, which formed of their pre-season.

There, coach Jarred Pitout’s girls played five matches, winning two, losing two, and drawing once.

“I think I am blessed with a good depth of strong players, and the progress shows in our team unity on and off the field,” Pitout told SuperSport Schools ahead of their clash against Outeniqua.

“Our tour to Holland was something we have wanted to do ever since Covid-19, so it’s been in the planning for a while.

“We took 35 girls over, and I believe we can measure ourselves against those teams as our hockey in South Africa is very strong and incredibly competitive here in the Boland.”

One of the primary reason teams to tour The Netherlands was to test Parel Vallei’s hockey and measure its depth against some of the best junior hockey teams in the world.

During their time abroad, Pitout’s side was exposed to a different hockey culture, which he believes will have a positive impact on his team moving forward.

“The benefit of going overseas is exactly that, to measure yourselves against opposition that you don’t normally face,” he explained.

“It was a huge experience for our girls to see some 20 Astros in one area and the culture built around hockey on that side is something that can be experienced only by going there.”

PV has retained the bulk of their players from last year’s team, including four girls who are now in matric, and has further infused their lineup with young talent, with girls from grades 9, 10, and 11.

“This side has been working together for a while and so the cohesion is strong on and off the field,” said Pitout.

“We have a few new appointments, but we lost only three matrics last year and our u16 group last year was very strong, so some have now found their position in the first team.”

PV will be led on Friday night by their influential skipper, Jordan Boer, who was selected for the SA u16 High Performance Squad in 2023.

To secure victory, they’ll also bank on the skills of players like Eva Blaauw, who controls the midfield and is an influential attacking force, too, while Michaela Birch brings a workhorse attitude and consistency to the team.

A key to Friday’s showdown will be for Parel Vallei to finish better. They’ve scored only twice in their past two matches, so they’re due for a better outcome soon.

Parel Vallei squad
Jordan Boer, Zelda Rosenstrauch, Anmarie Grobler, Michaela Birch, Joane van Geest, Grace Millard, Elrie Pienaar, Eva Blaauw, Grace Taylor, Jodi Oostendorp, Hannah Ward, Anna Rose Cocks, Jessica Lavies, Skylar Bougaard, Lara Jales, Janae Theron, Andrea Fortuin.

Other matches

In other provincial matches this weekend, Herschel Girls High will face HMS Bloemhof in Stellenbosch on Friday night. Fairmont hosts Westerford.

Paarl Girls’ High, after a narrow 0-1 loss against Bloemfontein’s Oranje last Friday, which was followed by a 1-3 defeat against Bloemhof the following day, will look to get back to winning ways when they face Springfield Convent School on Saturday.

Durbanville will wrap up the action against St Cyprian’s School.

Fixtures

Friday, 26 April 2024

18:00- Outeniqua vs Parel Vallei
18:15- Fairmont vs Westerford
19:00- HMS Bloemhof vs Herschel Girls High

Saturday, 27 April 2024

10:40- Paarl Girls’ High vs Springfield Convent School
11:00- Durbanville vs St Cyprian’s

It promises to be a frenetic atmosphere, with the crowd buzzing, and war cries at full voice, when Wynberg Boys’ High takes a short trip to face Bishops Diocesan College at the Woodlands Astroturf on Friday night.

The southern suburbs’ meeting will be the first between the sides this year and both will be eager and highly motivated to grab the early season bragging rights.

To make matters even more interesting, both enter the clash with their unbeaten records in Western Cape competition on the line.

Bishops has been in fine form this season, winning all of their matches at the Bishops 175 Festival and following up with two one-sided victories in their opening leagues matches, outplaying DF Malan 8-0 and Reddam House Constantia 7-1.

Wynberg has been in good form, too, but were they tripped up by Maritzburg College and Jeppe at the Nomads Festival, in March.

During their in-season fixtures, they thumped Paarl Boys High 5-1 and Curro Durbanville by the same margin in their first two matches, before playing to a 2-2 draw against Gqeberha’s high-flying Grey High School at home last weekend.

“We are very happy with the start to the season. It has been a team manta so far that we are always looking to be growing as a team, on and off the field,” Wynberg head coach, Ben Wiley told SuperSport Schools ahead of the clash.

“Our pre-season was decent preparation for the Nomads tour, where we looked to refine our playing style, which has led us into a very confident start to our season.

“We are still looking to improve as we keep playing together, never the finished article, but a work in progress.”

Wynberg is one of the few sides in the province to have retained the bulk of its senior players from 2023. The infusion of junior players into the lineup, though, has left the team with a good balance between experience and youth, and coach Wiley believes that will serve the side well as the season progresses.

“We are playing a variant of the 4-4-2 this year,” he said. “It’s a bit new for the boys that stayed in the team from last year, but we only lost five matrics at the end of last year.

“We have a good group of experienced senior players to rely on, as well as a good group of juniors to learn, as the season goes on.”

In their previous two meetings, Wynberg and Bishops split the season’s series, with Wynberg winning 3-2 at home and Bishops scoring a 1-0 victory at Woodlands.

To get one over their opponents, Wiley believes Wynberg will have to be disciplined in their structures and clinical in front of goal. A complete team effort will be needed, and his leadership group will need to set a strong example.

“The belief that we can take the win away from home is real in our squad,” he said.

“We have a great leadership group of Jordan Paulsen, Ethan Lee, and Dayle Gertsen that has stepped up this year.

“Each one is showing great quality on the field and leading the team by example.

“But to just single out individuals also feels like a disservice to the team effort we are putting into every match.”

A confident Bishops team, which has performed well at home, will be a tough challenge for Wynberg.

Coach Ryan Julius has his side playing an attractive and winning brand of hockey, which they will hope to showcase on Friday evening. The action gets underway at 18:15.

TEAMS

Wynberg Boys High: Zach Raizenberg, Dayle Gertson, Daniel Rightford, Liam Kleintjies, Caleb Schilder, Jonty Albrecht, Jordan Paulsen, Ethan Lee, Seth Trantraal, James Burger, Dayyaan Brown, Ethan Daniels, Zach Alexander, Beni Hansen.

Bishops Diocesan College: Mu’aath Ganief, Robert Veldtman (c), Carl Van Wyngaarden, Tom Ludlam, Adam Diggle, James Grieve (vc), Joshua Mettler, Andrew Betty, Andrew Raubenheimer (vc), Christopher Gray, Bryn Parry, David Handley, Harry Morgan, Luc Dicey, Albert Steyn.