The u16 Junior Water Polo Championships will kick off in East London on Sunday, almost a week after the u18 campaign concluded at the Joan Harrison Swimming Pools.
The junior sides, also competing for top honours and places in the National side will be in action from Sunday, with both girls’ and boys’ finals scheduled for Tuesday morning.
In the boys section, the teams in action are Western Province, Central Gauteng, hosts Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay, Eden, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Northern Tigers.
Province, KZN, and Gauteng will enter the tournament undoubtedly as the favourites.
Coach Kwakhona Ngwanya will lead the side from Cape Town and has selected a strong line-up for the weekend.
His team includes two players high in confidence. First up is Rondebosch Boys High’s Noah Reiback, who starred for his school during the final of the KES Water Polo Tournament earlier this month.
Province will also be relying on the accuracy and composure Matthew Fenn has shown for his Bishops side this season. Fenn scored a cracking seven goals during the final of the SACS Nite Series against SACS to lead his side to a 14-11 win.
Province will kick off the action at 09:00 against Nelson Mandela Bay.
An hour later, the hosts, Buffalo City will take on Eden. However, the match of the day will be the late kick-off between KwaZulu-Natal and Central Gauteng at 16:00.
The girls’ section, structured just as the boys will feature, Central Gauteng, Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Gauteng, Eden, Western Province, KwaZulu-Natal, and Buffalo City.
The opening day’s play will see Central Gauteng take on rivals, Eastern Gauteng. Nelson Mandela Bay will be looking to hit the ground running against Eden.
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on the Western Province, and KwaZulu-Natal clash at 16:00.
All the action will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools.
Teams: Boys: Western Province, Central Gauteng, Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay, Eden, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Tigers.
Girls: Central Gauteng, Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Gauteng, Eden, Western Province, KwaZulu-Natal, Buffalo City.
Boys Fixtures:
Sunday, 24 March 2024:
09:00- Western Province vs Nelson Mandela Bay; 10:00- Buffalo City vs Eden; 11:00- Central Gauteng vs Northern Tigers; 14:00- Western Province vs Buffalo City;15:00- Nelson Mandela Bay vs Eden;16:00- KwaZulu-Natal vs Central Gauteng.
Monday, 25 March 2024:
07:00- Western Province vs Eden; 08:00- Buffalo City vs Nelson Mandela Bay;09:00- KwaZulu-Natal vs Northern Tigers 12:00- Quarterfinal 1; 13:00- Quarterfinal 2; 15:00- Position 5/6; 16:00- Semi-final 1; 17:00– Semi-final 2.
Tuesday, 26 March 2024:
08:00- Third/Fourth play-off; 10:00- FINAL
Girls Fixtures:
Sunday, 24 March 2024:
08:00- Central Gauteng vs Eastern Gauteng; 09:00- Nelson Mandela Bay vs Eden; 10:00- Western Province vs Buffalo City; 14:00- Central Gauteng vs Eden; 15:00- Nelson Mandela Bay vs Eastern Gauteng; 16:00- Western Province vs KwaZulu-Natal.
Monday, 25 March 2024:
07:00- Central Gauteng vs Nelson Mandela Bay; 08:00- Eastern Gauteng vs Eden; 09:00- KwaZulu-Natal vs Buffalo City; 12:00- Quarterfinal 1; 13:00- Quarterfinal 2; 15:00- Position 5/6; 16:00- Semi-final 1; 17:00- Semi-final 2.
Langa Hockey Club in action against Uplands College during the Bishops 175 Hockey Festival in Cape Town. Photo: Karli Coetzee (Bishops Diocesan College)
After playing to a 1-1 draw against Somerset College in their opening match of the Bishops Hockey Festival on Thursday, Langa Hockey Club returned on the second day to claim two victories at the Woodlands Astroturf in the southern suburbs to maintain their unbeaten record at the festival.
Langa entered the event as the underdogs, but they have quickly turned the tide and shown they’re made of stern stuff.
After their stalemate on day one, they came out firing on Friday against Bloemfontein’s St Andrews School and won that clash 1-0, courtesy of a solitary goal by Anda Dike.
Coach Wandile Mayekiso’s players then quickly turned their attention to their second match of the day, against Uplands College.
The team from Mpumalanga didn’t get any game time on Thursday after their match against St Andrew’s School was called off when the Bloemfontein side ran into transport problems on their way to the Mother City.
Uplands, however, started brightly, scoring the opening goal of the encounter. That turned out to be the only goal they would score in the match, however, with Langa taking control of proceedings for almost three chukkas.
Dike got his name on the score sheet once again, before Inathi Mngushelwa’s double sealed a 3-1 win for the side.
Reacting to his team’s performances, coach Mayekiso said he was pleased with the manner in which his players have applied themselves at the festival.
Photo: Karli Coetzee (Bishops Diocesan College)
“I’m quite happy with the way things are going in terms of our tactics and the structure of the team,” he told SuperSport Schools.
“The tournament will be a great help for the club in terms of preparations for the season ahead, and we are learning as a club too.”
Langa will take on a side in top form on day three, when they tackle St Andrew’s College, at 13:20, before completing their day against Michaelhouse at 18:20.
In other matches played on Friday, Bishops were also on song, winning twice to keep their record clean.
They beat KwaZulu-Natal’s St Charles College 4-0 in their first match before seeing off St David’s Marist Inanda 2-0 in their second game, with goals from Robert Veldtman and Albert Steyn.
Commenting on their win over St David’s, coach Ryan Julius said: “It was a well contested match from both teams. I think we moved the ball quite nicely and manipulated their press really well.
“I think chances were quite equal on both sides.”
Bishops face St Andrew’s School and St Andrew’s College on Saturday.
Meanwhile, St Benedict’s College continued its impressive run at the festival. They drew 1-1 with Somerset College, before claiming a 3-1 win over St Andrew’s School.
Byron Comley scored against Somerset, while Josh Grobler struck twice, and Timothy Burnham netted the other, against Saints.
St Andrew’s College kept its unbeaten record with wins over St Charles College and Uplands.
Day three will see St David’s Marist Inanda going up against St Charles in the opening match at 08:20.
St Benedict’s College faces Michaelhouse, while the final match of the day, fittingly, brings together the unbeaten Bishops and St Andrew’s College.
Day 2: Results
Langa Hockey Club 2-1 St Andrew’s School
Uplands College 1-2 St Andrew’s College
Somerset College 1-1 St Benedict’s
Bishops 4-0 St Charles College
St David’s Marist Inanda 2-2 Michaelhouse
Langa Hockey Club 3-1 Uplands College
St Benedict’s 3-1 St Andrew’s School
St Charles 0-1 St Andrew’s College
Bishops 2-0 St David’s Marist Inanda
Somerset College 3-2 Michaelhouse
Fixtures
Saturday, 23 March
08:20 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs St Charles; 09:30 – Somerset College vs Uplands; 10:40 – St Benedict’s College vs Michaelhouse; 11:50 – Bishops vs St Andrew’s School; 13:20 – Langa vs St Andrew’s College; 14:30 – Somerset College vs St David’s Marist Inanda; 15:40 – St Benedict’s College vs Uplands; 17:10 – St Charles vs St Andrew’s School; 18:20– Langa vs Michaelhouse; 19:30 – Bishops vs St Andrew’s College.
Sunday, 24 March
08:00 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Uplands; 09:10 – Michaelhouse vs St Andrew’s College; 10:20 – Langa vs St Charles; 11:30 – Somerset College vs St Andrew’s School; 12:40 – Bishops vs St Benedict’s College.
Beaten by Bishops on the opening day of the Bishops 175 Hockey Festival, Michaelhouse will seek a first win against St David’s Marist Inanda at 13:20 on Saturday.
Bishops Diocesan College, St Benedict’s College and St Andrew’s College got their Bishops 175 Hockey Festival campaigns off to winning starts at the Woodlands Astroturf in the southern suburbs on Thursday.
The festival, which is a celebration of Bishops’ 175th anniversary, continues deep into the weekend, culminating with the final matches on Sunday.
The hosts, who came into the festival high in confidence after picking up a string of positive results at the Parel Vallei Boys Hockey Festival a week ago, took on on KwaZulu-Natal’s Michaelhouse in their opener, a team that has also welcomed a new coach in Nick Bérichon.
Bishops, just as they did a week ago at Parel Vallei, asserted themselves early in the match. With the added advantage of the buzzing atmosphere and home crowd behind them, coach Ryan Julius‘s side dominated ball possession and looked dangerous from the outset.
They kept their momentum going for the full four chukkas, recording a 3-1 win, with two of the goals coming via drag flicks from the stick of Albert Steyn, while James Grieve scored with a sweetly struck reverse stick shot.
Another team that continued an impressive start to the season was coach Owen Mvimbi’s St Benedict’s side, which registered a 2-0 win over St Charles College.
Mvimbi’s troops have hit the ground running early in the new season and recorded a number of impressive victories leading up to the festival.
Before landing in Cape Town, they defeated Hoërskool Jeugland 11-0, before thumping Hoërskool Kempton Park 7-0.
They also played to a 1-1 draw against Jeppe High School for Boys, before suffering a 2-3 defeat at the hands of the defending Aitken Trophy champions, St Stithians College. Those matches meant they were not short of game time before heading to Cape Town.
They started the brighter of the two teams in the first two chukkas and dominated possession.
They won 2-0, courtesy of a Byron Comley double. They also created enough opportunities to have increased their winning margin.
That’s an aspect of their play that Bennies will seek to improve when they tackle Somerset College on day two, with that match starting at 10:40.
In other fixtures on the opening day, Langa Hockey Club shared a hard-fought 1-1 draw with the aforementioned Somerset College.
Meanwhile, St Andrew’s College, fresh off an unbeaten run at the Tony Godding Festival last weekend, scraped a 1-0 victory over Johannesburg’s St David’s Marist Inanda. The Makhanda boys left it late, scoring through a penalty in the third chukka.
The scheduled clash between St Andrew’s School and Mpumalanga’s Uplands College was called off after St Andrew’s ran into transport problems and didn’t make it on time for the fixture.
Day two of the festival sees each of the teams playing two matches.
Langa Hockey Club and St Andrew’s School get the ball rolling at 08:20, before Uplands College plays their first match against St Andrew’s College at 09:30.
Bishops takes on St Charles at 11:50. The final game of the day features Michaelhouse against Somerset College at 19:30.
Results: Day 1
Langa Hockey Club 1-1 Somerset College
St Benedict’s College 2-0 St Charles College
St Andrew’s College 1-0 St David’s Marist Inanda
Bishops 3-1 Michaelhouse
Friday, 22 March 2024
08:20 – Langa vs St Andrew’s School; 09:30 – Uplands vs St Andrew’s College; 10:40 – Somerset College vs St Benedict’s College; 11:50 – Bishops vs St Charles; 13:20 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Michaelhouse; 14:30 – Langa vs Uplands; 15:40 – St Benedict’s College vs St Andrew’s School; 17:10 – St Charles vs St Andrew’s College; 18:20 – Bishops vs St David’s Marist Inanda; 19:30 – Somerset College vs Michaelhouse.
Saturday, 23 March 2024
08:20 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs St Charles; 09:30 – Somerset College vs Uplands; 10:40 – St Benedict’s College vs Michaelhouse; 11:50 – Bishops vs St Andrew’s School; 13:20 – Langa vs St Andrew’s College; 14:30 – Somerset College vs St David’s Marist Inanda; 15:40 – St Benedict’s College vs Uplands; 17:10 – St Charles vs St Andrew’s School; 18:20– Langa vs Michaelhouse; 19:30 – Bishops vs St Andrew’s College.
Sunday, 24 March 2024
08:00 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Uplands; 09:10 – Michaelhouse vs St Andrew’s College; 10:20 – Langa vs St Charles; 11:30 – Somerset College vs St Andrew’s School; 12:40 – Bishops vs St Benedict’s College.
Bishops Diocesan hockey head coach, Ryan Julius giving out instructions to his team during the Parel Vallei Boys Hockey Festival in Cape Town. Photo: Bishops Diocesan
The Bishops Diocesan College first hockey team will be aiming to continue a spotless start to their season when they host the Bishops 175Hockey Festival in the southern suburbs of Cape Town.
The festival, which celebrates the school’s 175th anniversary, gets underway on Thursday, with the final matches scheduled for Sunday morning.
From the Western Cape, Bishops will welcome Somerset College and Langa Hockey Club for the three-day event.
Gauteng’s interests are represented by St Benedict’s College and St David’s Marist Inanda.
Meanwhile, Michaelhouse and St Charles College will fly the flag for the KwaZulu-Natal region.
Completing the lineup are St Andrew’s School, from Bloemfontein, and Makhanda’s St Andrew’s College. Both were in action at the Tony Godding Festival in East London over the past weekend, where College put together a record of five wins from five matches, including a 2-1 victory over high-flying Grey College on the last day.
All eyes will, however, be on the home side, with much expected from them after a strong 2023 and a good start to 2024 at the Parel Vallei Boys Hockey Festival last week.
There, coach Ryan Julius’s boys were a cut above the rest, dominating proceedings, and thereby announcing themselves as one of the teams to keep an eye out for in the forthcoming season.
They played three matches, against Somerset College, Outeniqua, and Paarl Boys’ High.
In their opening encounter, they calmy defused Somerset College’s challenge to claim a 2-0 win. That result was followed by an emphatic 5-0 victory over Outeniqua. Then, in their last outing, they netted seven against Paarl Boys’ High to end their weekend on a high.
Reflecting on the festival, coach Julius said he was satisfied with the results and happy to see his side take on some of the province’s best schools.
“The festival was against teams we don’t often play against, because we’re in the southern suburbs, so it was quite an interesting weekend that gave us an idea of what the rest of the teams in the Western Cape can offer,” he told SuperSport Schools in an exclusive interview.
“It also allowed us to practice certain situations that we will probably find ourselves in this season.
“We also enjoyed it because it contributed to the growth of school hockey, and at Bishops, we want to be part of the growth of schoolboys’ hockey in South Africa.”
The Bishops Diocesan first hockey side alongside head coach Ryan Julius during the side’s pre-season match against the South African Women’s Team in Cape Town. Photo: Bishops Diocesan
Coach Julius is no stranger to Bishops, having coached the first team previously.
He was at the school from the beginning of 2017, for two-and-a-half years, before he departed to take up a playing contract in The Netherlands in 2020.
He returned to the set-up last year as an assistant coach and was roped in to take the lead role for 2024.
Julius, who has also represented South Africa at the Olympic Games, is no stranger to pressure and will be urging his side to stay focussed throughout the festival, starting with their first encounter against Michaelhouse on Thursday night.
“We are looking forward to these fixtures. It’s not often we get to play against the rest of South Africa’s schools, so it’s going to be a nice challenge for us and a good indicator of how successful our pre-season has been,” he said.
“That’s something I’m looking forward to from a coaching perspective – to see what my boys have learned in terms of the tactical and technical approach that I’ve tried to bring to the school.
“More than anything, it’s the school’s 175th birthday, so it’s nice to host a festival like this at home.
“I’m sure there’s a bit of pressure on us as a school but, for me, I don’t see it as pressure, I see it as a privilege.
“We will get to showcase what our school has to offer and try and compete with what other schools around South Africa have to offer,” he concluded.
The action kicks off on Thursday with Bishops taking on Michaelhouse in the main match at 19:30.
The hosts, on day two, will face St Charles College and St David’s Marist Inanda. Day three will see Julius’s side face St Andrew’s School and St Andrew’s College, before they finish their campaign against St Benedict’s College on Sunday at 12:40.
Fixtures
Thursday, 21 March 2024
14:00 – Somerset College vs Langa; 15:10 – St Benedict’s College vs St Charles 16:40 – St Andrew’s College vs St David’s Marist Inanda; 17:50 –St Andrew’s School vs Uplands; 19:30 – Bishops vs Michaelhouse.
Friday, 22 March 2024
08:20 – Langa vs St Andrew’s School; 09:30 – Uplands vs St Andrew’s College; 10:40 – Somerset College vs St Benedict’s College; 11:50 – Bishops vs St Charles; 13:20 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Michaelhouse; 14:30 – Langa vs Uplands; 15:40 – St Benedict’s College vs St Andrew’s School; 17:10 – St Charles vs St Andrew’s College; 18:20 – Bishops vs St David’s Marist Inanda; 19:30 – Somerset College vs Michaelhouse.
Saturday, 23 March 2024
08:20 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs St Charles; 09:30 – Somerset College vs Uplands; 10:40 – St Benedict’s College vs Michaelhouse; 11:50 – Bishops vs St Andrew’s School; 13:20 – Langa vs St Andrew’s College; 14:30 – Somerset College vs St David’s Marist Inanda; 15:40 – St Benedict’s College vs Uplands; 17:10 – St Charles vs St Andrew’s School; 18:20– Langa vs Michaelhouse; 19:30 – Bishops vs St Andrew’s College.
Sunday, 24 March 2024
08:00 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Uplands; 09:10 – Michaelhouse vs St Andrew’s College; 10:20 – Langa vs St Charles; 11:30 – Somerset College vs St Andrew’s School; 12:40 – Bishops vs St Benedict’s College.
The Pearson High School first team in action against Queens College at the Tony Godding Festival in East London. Photo: Elschke (Pearson High)
The 2024 hockey season is officially up and running. The pre-season is done, and festivals now grab the spotlight.
This weekend will be no different as many of the country’s best return to action at the Nomads Hockey Festival, hosted by Maritzburg College, the Founders Festival, at Kearsney College, and the Coastal Cup, hosted by the KwaZulu-Natal High School Hockey Association at the Riverside Sports Club.
Among the teams gearing up for action will be Pearson High School, with the side from Gqeberha flying down to KwaZulu-Natal to participate in the Coastal Cup.
Pearson is the only Eastern Cape team in the lineup and is joined by KZN’s Westville Boys’ High, Durban High, Glenwood and Clifton College, the Pretoria quartet of St Alban’s College, Garsfontein, Menlopark, and Waterkloof, and Paarl Boys’ High, from the Western Cape.
Coach Dalan Phillips’s side enters the event with good game-time under their belts after participating at the Tony Godding Festival in East London over the past weekend.
There, the side achieved mixed results, winning two of their four matches against Cambridge High (5-0), and Queens College (4-0) respectively.
They further went on to draw 1-1 against Bloemfontein’s St Andrew’s School but suffered a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Grey College in their opener.
In an interview with SuperSport Schools after the tournament, Phillips admitted that his team’s performances against the Bloemfontein schools were filled with missed opportunities and inaccuracy in the final third.
“We came to the Tony Godding Festival with a fairly new team, and expectations were set from last year,” he told SuperSport Schools at the venue.
“I think, as a whole, in terms of the hockey played, I was quite happy, but unfortunately what you do in the two circles counts.
“I think defensively, we were fairly okay, but offensively, we struggled to score goals, and if you don’t score goals, you can’t win many hockey games,” he added.
Pearson High School head coach, Dalan Phillips giving out instructions during his side’s match at the Tony Godding Festival in East London. Photo: Elschke (Pearson High)
Pearson’s team this year returns a handful of experienced players, and coach Phillips has been forced to rebuild and integrate new younger players in the system.
Those players had an opportunity to taste first team action from a first time in East London, and the coach said he was happy with what he saw.
“Some of them have settled in nicely,” he said.
“I must say, I have a nice set of boys. They’ve just got a lot of learning to do.
“I have one youngster coming up from the u14s, and he’s come into the side to learn and should take that experience back with him to the u16 group and continue to grow.
“With the others, we have done nicely as a team, and like I said, we’ve defended well but haven’t been able to capitalise when attacking.”
Pearson will kick off their Coastal Cup campaign with two matches on the opening day.
First up will be a clash against Westville Boys High at 09:15, before they take on Menlopark at 15:45.
The second day will see Phillips’ side take on Paarl Boys High before they end their tour with a tussle against St Alban’s College on Sunday at 11:45.
Pearson fixtures for the Coastal Cup
Friday 22 March
09:15 – Pearson High vs Westville Boys High 15:45 – Pearson High vs Menlopark High School
KZN u18 boys during the Water Polo Currie Cup in East London. Photo: Shot by Shani Photography
Head coach of the u18 KwaZulu-Natal boys Water Polo team, Rob Ambler has urged his side to take lessons from their 8-6 defeat against Central Gauteng in the final of the Junior Water Polo Championships that were hosted in East London over the past weekend.
KZN was one of the standout teams during the weekend, winning all six of their matches leading up to the final.
It was however lapses of concentration and inaccuracy in the final match that saw them stumble to their first defeat of the tournament and in the process take home the silver medal.
Looking back at their campaign, Coach Ambler’s side was dominant in the round-robin matches, playing an appealing brand of water polo, which saw them become ruthless on the attack while minimizing the number of goals they conceded.
They beat every team that came across them and cemented the top spot when they edged out Western Province by 4-3 on penalties after the clash ended tied at 8-8 early on day two.
They followed that win with a 13-4 emphatic victory against the hosts, Buffalo City in the semi-finals to set themselves a date against Central Gauteng in the final.
The final was a hotly contested affair, with very little to separate the two sides, especially in the opening two chukkas. KZN stayed in the game courtesy of goals by James Pohl, Tristan Uys, and Oliver Ditz.
They were, however, outscored in the final two chukkas when Gauteng’s Karabo Mamaregane scored two late goals to seal an 8-6 win for the Gauteng side.
Reacting to his side’s performance from the weekend, Ambler said as much as it was disappointing losing the final, he was proud of how his side carried themselves throughout the weekend.
“I think our execution and communication was not good in the final,” he told SuperSport Schools at the venue.
“We kept pushing on the one side when the other side was our strongest side- and the better team won on the day, that’s sports, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
“The lead-up wasn’t great but the boys put in their graft, and we heard we were the underdogs so we love the underdogs tag – we will always come sneaking somewhere along the line.”
KZN’s Max Scully on the attack during his side’s 8-8 draw with Western Province at the Currie Cup in East London. Photo: Shot by Shani Photography
Despite the two-point defeat in the final, Ambler still praised his side for showing true determination, and commitment in their matches, emphasizing how they exceeded his expectations.
“If you told me we would win six from six, last Friday I would’ve laughed,” he added.
“We pushed hard, I’m chuffed for my boys, and proud of them. They put in big shifts every game and had calm heads most of the time except for the final
“Otherwise, to go through like we did, and lose one game the whole tournament I’m so happy and proud of the boys.”
The KZN side will be back in action later this year during the Inter-provincial tournament set to be hosted in the same East London.
Looking ahead, Ambler says he’s happy with the depth they’ve built over the past few years in both the young, and senior ranks in the province.
“Our trails for the Currie Cup were massive, and we could’ve brought a B-side here,” the coach said.
“There is nice depth in the KZN, in both the u18 and u16 levels at the moment.
“It’s up, and onwards from here – the guys just need to put in the work, put in the effort and the success will come,” he concluded.
KwaZulu Natal’s results from the South African Junior Water Polo Championships:
KwaZulu-Natal 14-11 Buffalo City
KwaZulu-Natal 18-10 Nelson Mandela Bay
KwaZulu-Natal 12-8 Central Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal 8(4)-8(3) Western Province
KwaZulu-Natal 22-9 Northern Tigers
KwaZulu-Natal 14-3 Buffalo City
KwaZulu-Natal 6-8 Central Gauteng
The Rhenish first team hockey girls at the Greg Belling Hockey Festival in East London. Photo: Rhenish Girls High
Rhenish Girls’ High School was one of the standout teams at the Greg Beling Hockey Festival in East London over the past weekend, picking up five convincing wins and remaining unbeaten, to set themselves up as one of the teams to watch out for this season.
After a jam-packed pre-season, Rhenish made the trip down to East London high in confidence, following three warm-up matches against Wynberg Girls, Springfield, and Fairmont High School respectively.
In the coastal city, they were pitted up against some of the country’s best. However, Coach Chris Gerber’s side defied the odds and showed grit, determination, and maturity to set themselves apart as one of the truly elite teams.
They employed an exciting attacking and attractive style of play, while remaining solid and secure at the back.
Their first match of the festival was on Thursday night against one of the hosts, Clarendon High School for Girls.
There, Rhenish took early control and comfortably picked up a 4-1 win to set themselves up nicely for the busy weekend that lay ahead.
On the second day of the festival, coach Gerber’s side faced a testing schedule, taking on DSG, from Makhanda, and Eunice, from Bloemfontein.
The Stellenbosch side, however, rolled on, attacking both matches with intent, and scoring some eye-catching team goals. Against DSG, they walked away with a 3-0 win before defusing Eunice’s challenge in an emphatic statement-making 5-1 victory, which, no doubt, made hockey enthusiasts sit up and take notice.
They concluded their campaign on Saturday by scoring nine in two matches without conceding. First up, they beat Gqeberha’s Pearson 5-0, before handing coach Nicolene Terblanche’s Affies side a 4-0 defeat.
Reacting to his side’s performances, Gerber said he was delighted with how his team had stepped up on the big stage. Of course, there is always room for improvement, he admitted.
“I am extremely proud of what the girls have achieved in such a short space of time,” he told SuperSport Schools.
“This young group has stepped up and performed exceptionally well at the Greg Beling Festival. They have shown true character and determination throughout the festival.
“Each player has applied themselves in every aspect, and the true reflection is that they are not playing for themselves but for the team. Every goal we scored was a real team effort and all the credit must go to the players for this.”
The festival, just like any other tournament, would have revealed to coaches where their teams stand in terms of fitness levels, skill sets, and combinations heading into the new season.
After working on several key focus areas during the weekend, the coach believes there’s more his team can offer in what promises to be an exhilarating season.
“We did improve after each game; however, we still have so much room for improvement and the growth that this team still can make makes me excited for what’s to come,” he added enthusiastically.
“They can achieve great things with the hard work and dedication they put in. The small gains we have made will aid us as the season goes on.
“We will reassess in the coming weeks where we are and where we would like to be going, to keep striving for excellence.”
Like some of the others top teams in the country, Rhenish lost a handful of senior players last year and was forced to regroup for 2024.
Luckily for the Stellenbosch side, they can still rely on the experience of Kaitlyn van Binsbergen and Jasmine Aitken, who recently reached 100 caps for the senior side.
Their skipper, Leah Du Plessis, will also be influential as the team attempts to build its own identity, said Gerber.
“The progress that we have made early on is to create our own identity on and off the field.
“We lost a couple of senior players last year and this is a completely new, exciting young team, so to create our own identity on and off the field is something that we will keep working on.
“We can improve on our decision-making under pressure to assist us in the long run.
“We are focused on small, simple things while working on our roles and responsibilities for us to keep on improving.”
When asked which players to look out for during the season, Gerber found it challenging to single out anyone. He preferred to give credit to the team as a unit, although he eventually did name a standout for the Greg Beling Festival.
“It’s very difficult to single out individuals as the whole team contributed to every single game, from the forwards to defenders, but there is one player that has really made a big difference.
“Lily Newton has converted from being a striker to playing as a defender, and she has excelled so much with her cool, calm, and collected approach. She really was one that stood out during the festival.”
After their dominant run in East London, the Stellenbosch girls will head to one of the country’s most prestigious events in April, the St Mary’s Hockey Festival, full of confidence that they’re equipped and ready to meet the challenges posed by the rest of South Africa’s elite teams.
Rhenish result from Greg Beling Festival: Rhenish 4-1 Clarendon Rhenish 3-0 DSG Makhanda
Rhenish 5-1 Eunice
Rhenish 4-0 Pearson High School
Rhenish 4-0 Affies Girls
Central Gauteng’s Karabo Mamaregane shooting his shot during the final of the u18 Currie Cup in East London. Photo: Shot by Shani Photography
Central Gauteng’s centre-back, and utility player, Karabo Mamaregane, netted a hattrick of goals to lead his team to a spirited 8-6 win over KwaZulu-Natal in the final of the South African Junior Water Polo Championships in East London on Saturday.
The protagonists entered the final playing some of their best water polo of the tournament.
Coach Rob Ambler’s KwaZulu-Natal outfit went unbeaten throughout the round-robin stages, which included a 12-8 win over Central Gauteng
Meanwhile, despite losing two of their round-robin matches, Gauteng was not to be denied. They showed grit and BMT in their semi-final to outplay tournament favourites, Western Province, 10-5.
In the final, Gauteng, under the guidance of coach Jon-Marc de Carvalho, trailed early on, with KZN sprinting into a 2-0 lead through goals by Tristan Uys, and James Pohl.
Gauteng quickly recovered, however, netting two of their own, through Jack Wilkins and Greg Pryce.
Regular goal scorer, Ross Stuart then gave Gauteng the lead, scoring against the run of play, to see his side 3-2 to the good after eight minutes.
The second and third chukkas were heated, with both coaches showing signs of agitation on the sidelines.
Stuart added a second before Mamaregane got in on the action to open up a 5-4 lead at the break after Oliver Ditz and Max Scully had pulled two goals back for KZN.
The third chukka looked like it would end scoreless, but James Pohl, then, struck for KZN.
Central Gauteng’s Zico Williams in action during his side’s 8-6 win in the final of the u18 Currie Cup in East London. Photo: Shot by Shani Photography.
With the scores tied at 5-5 and heading into the last eight minutes of the final, Zico Williams stepped up on the big stage, striking from a half-chance to get his name on the score sheet for a second day running, much to the delight of the travelling fans in the stands.
The final chukka was all about Mamaregane, though. Two opportunities came his way, and he calmly made them count, firing two spectacular shots into the back of the KZN net.
Try as they might, KZN were shut down as Gauteng shot-stopper, Judah Dos Santos pulled of a number of vital late saves to keep his team in front.
Reacting to the game, coach De Carvalho said he was pleased with how his side bounced back after losing round-robin matches against Western Province and KZN.
“I was really impressed with the guys. Obviously, you never want a defeat in any tournament, but as soon as we played and got beaten, we had to look at ourselves and shift the focus to Friday afternoon and Saturday morning,” he told SuperSport Schools.
“We had to do our job and business to get into the semi-finals, and from then on it was anyone’s game. We knew we were good enough to beat any team. We just really had to believe [it].
“The loss against KZN on the first day lifted the spirits in the team, and we pulled it back from there.
“It took two unbelievable performances from the guys, and they pulled it off. Also, credit to both Province and KZN. Those were hard-fought games, but I’m happy we were the ones who came out on top,” he concluded.
In the third/fourth place match, Western Provine battled hosts, Buffalo City.
Province never got out of first gear, but they delivered a well-structured and solid performance to record a 13-6 victory over coach Khanyisa Mpumlwana’s troops.
Buffalo City, meanwhile, will be happy with the strides they made in the tournament, which bodes well for the Inter-Provincial Tournament at the end of the year.
Scorers
Final
Central Gauteng 8: Karabo Mamaregane (x3), Ross Stuart (x2), Jack Wilkins, GregPryce, Zico Williams. KwaZulu-Natal 6: James Pohl (x2), Tristan Uys (x2), Max Scully, Oliver Ditz.
Third place
Western Province 13: Ross Stewart (x3), Zack Cicero (x2), Nicholas Fall (x2), Salahuddin Khan (x2), Connor Melling-Williams, Thomas Truter, Matthew De Villiers, Arkin Marais. Buffalo City: Kairon Roux (x3), Sean Audie, Armand Van Rooyen, Connor Maree.
Final Standings
Central Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal
Western Province
Buffalo City
Nelson Mandela Bay
Northern Tigers
Central Gauteng’s Emma Pelicot attempting a shot against Western Province in the final of the Currie Cup in East London. Hannah Banks is the player defending. Photo: Shot by Shani Photography
Only three months after claiming the Inter-Provincial title in Gqeberha, the Central Gauteng u18 girls’ team has captured yet another piece of silverware after defeating Western Province 11-7 to lift the South African Junior Water Polo Championship title in East London on Saturday.
Gauteng and Province entered the tournament as the favourites to go all the way.
They duly delivered on the hype and, despite both of them losing one of their round-robin matches, played an attractive brand of water polo, which propelled them into the final.
Gauteng was the high-scoring team, sound on defence, and used their combinations to good effect. Province on the other hand possessed threats of attack, with both their keepers pulling out the stops at crucial moments.
On the road to the final, both teams faced stern opposition and were forced to dig deep to secure their places in the title-decider.
Province, after a great start to the Currie Cup, suffered a shocking 4-5 defeat against Nelson Mandela Bay. Meanwhile, Gauteng were well beaten by Province in their round-robin showdown, going down 6-12.
Past results, however, count for nothing in finals, and Gauteng harboured no hangover as they made a bright start to the clash.
Coach Kelsey Thomson’s charges came out of the blocks quickly and flew into a 2-0 lead in the first chukka, courtesy of a Mia Loizides double.
It became heated in the following two chukkas, during which Gauteng enhanced the gap, scoring a further three goals while conceding two to lead 5-2 at half-time.
Province managed only two more goals in the third chukka, with Hannah Banks scoring her second, while Emily Van Heerden also got in on the scoring action.
Gauteng, meanwhile, netted a further three times, to take an 8-4 lead into the final chukka. They were pressed hard to hold onto their lead, with Province looking as if they might stage a stunning comeback with four minutes left and coach Connor Whiting‘s team scored through Alexa De Villiers, Amy Van Breda, and Isabella Tooley.
Their goals were, however cancelled, out by Ruby Carlson, a second goal for Julia Joseph, and a scorcher from Jessica Black.
The Central Gauteng girls u18 side with head coach Kelsey Thomson during the final of the Currie Cup in East London. Photo: Shot by Shani Photography
Commenting on the match afterwards, coach Kelsey Thomson said her side was thrilled to take home another trophy and she credited her team’s senior players, who had shone throughout the event.
“We feel really good. The girls did well every game to get better, and that was our concept,” she told SuperSport Schools.
“We wanted to get better with every game, and I think we just peaked in the final.”
When asked how she managed to lift her team’s spirits after losing one of their round-robin matches, she replied:
“We had an attitude of not thinking about what had happened in the previous matches.
“We understood that the final was a brand-new game, and I just told the players to believe in themselves.”
Both Gauteng teams are now Currie Cup champions after the boys’ side defeated KwaZulu-Natal 8-6. The coaches of both sides credited the systems put in place by Gauteng Water Polo to ensure their development structures are in place for those successes.
Meanwhile, in the third and fourth play-off match, Nelson Mandela Bay secured another upset of a big team, this time claiming the scalp of KwaZulu-Natal 10-6.
Goals from Teagan Harty, Amie Jenner, Elizabeth Horn, Anna Pinto, and Lucy Rutherfoord sealed the victory.
That win came in the wake of their shocking 5-4 upset of Western Province on day two.
Coach Grant Mackenzie will, no doubt, be happy with how his charges defied the odds in East London, and they will take much-needed confidence into the Inter-Provincial Tournament later this year.
Final day scorers
Nelson Mandela Bay 10: Teagan Harty (x3), Amie Jenner (x2), Lucy Rutherfoord (x2), Elizabeth Horn, Jasmine Witthuhn, Anna Pinto. KwaZulu-Natal 6: Inge Southey (x2), Caitlin McMurray, Alwande Zondi, Gemma Malherbe, Kayla Andrews.
Central Gauteng 11: Mia Loizides (x3), Julia Joseph (x2), Emma Pelicot (x2), Gina Sguazzin, Simphiwe Zulu, Ruby Carlson, Jessica Black. Western Province 7: Hannah Banks (x2), Emily Van Heerden, Alexa De Villiers, Amy Van Breda, Isabella Tooley, Roxanne Uys.
Final standings
Central Gauteng
Western Province
Nelson Mandela Bay
KwaZulu-Natal
Buffalo City
The Gauteng Boys and Girls u18 teams after making it through to the finals of the Currie Cup in East London. Photo: Joo-dee Photographs
The Central Gauteng boys and girls u18 teams will be on the hunt for silverware when they contest their respective finals at the South African Junior Water Polo Championships, taking place at the Joan Harrison Swimming Pool, in East London, on Saturday.
The Gauteng boys will face KwaZulu-Natal, and the girls will tackle Western Province, with the girls’ final scheduled for 10:00, and the boys’ for 11:00.
On the road to the title-deciders, both teams faced tough challenges, but they demonstrated grit, determination, and skill to earn themselves places in Saturday’s showpiece contests.
The boys’ side, led by head coach, Jon-Marc de Carvalho, suffered two defeats in the round-robin stages, to Western Province (4-5), and KwaZulu-Natal (8-12) respectively.
However, De Carvalho’s side reversed their fortunes in the semi-finals, when it mattered most, against Province, putting on arguably their best performance of the event.
After a slow start, Gauteng rushed into a 5-2 lead at half-time, courtesy of a brace by Nicholas Searle, and solitary goals from Marc Smith, Ross Rovelli, and the energetic Zico Williams.
Keeping their lead in the second half was going to be a challenging task for Gauteng, with the talent-laden Province lineup coming at them hard in an attempt to get themselves back into the match.
At crucial times, Gauteng were saved by their shot-stopper, Judah Dos Santos, who came alive in the second half to pull off important saves and keep his side in the lead.
Rovelli added two more goals to his tally to bag a hattrick, while Sebastian Bruinders and Greg Pryce also got in on the goal-scoring action, to leave Province out of ideas and out of the final.
Nicholas Fall and Ross Stewart both had golden opportunities late in the contest to pull Province closer to Gauteng, but their shots hit the crossbar.
Gauteng held their nerve for the win and will face a motivated KwaZulu-Natal side in the final.
KZN u18 boys team after making it through to the final of the Currie Cup in East London. Picture: Shot by Shani Photography
Coach Rob Ambler‘s KZN team is confident and playing their best water polo. They took down Province in the first match of day two and then brushed aside the Northern Tigers, before easing past the hosts, Buffalo City, in the semi-finals.
In other boys matches, Buffalo City won the Eastern Cape derby, defeating Nelson Mandela Bay, while the Northern Tigers, despite losing, showed grit against KZN, with their skipper, Benjamin Melville, Alexander Kelbrick, and Julian Olivier, putting on a show for the East London crowd.
Much like their male counterparts, the Gauteng girls’ side, had to dig deep throughout the event to secure a spot in the showdown for silverware.
They were in prolific form on Friday, crushing Buffalo City 25-5 in a surprisingly one-sided contest, with Gina Sguazzin, Mia Loizides, Amy Smith, Julia Joseph, and Ruby Carlson all picking up hattricks.
Coach Kelsey Thomson’s side wasn’t done, however, and they stuck a further 15 goals past KwaZulu-Natal, to set up a date with Nelson Mandela Bay in the second semi-final.
With a place in the final on the line, they were ruthless, bossing proceedings despite NMB showing character and taking it to the Gauteng side.
In the end, Gauteng won by eight goals, triumphing 14-6, with hattricks from Emma Pelicot and Ruby Carlson, and a brace from Mia Loizides.
The final against Province will be their toughest challenge of the week. On the opening day, they were well beaten by the Capetonians, going down 6-12. However, Gauteng will be confident because in the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincials, in December last year they beat the same opponents 12-10 in the final.
Nelson Mandela Bay will contest the third/fourth play-off with Jason Sileno’s KZN side, while in the boy’s section, it will be Western Province looking to finish on a high when they face the hosts, Buffalo City, for third place.
Day 3
Girls’ fixtures
08:00– 3rd/4th play-off; 10:00– FINAL.
Boys’ fixtures
09:00– 3rd/4th play-off; 11:00– FINAL
Day 2 scores
Western Province 8 (3): Arkin Marais (x2), Zack Cicero, Connor-Melling Williams, Salahuddin Khan, Ross Stewart, Adam October, Nicholas Fall. KwaZulu-Natal 8 (4): Tristan Uys (x3), James Pohl (x2), Oliver Ditz, Kirk Wilson, Luca Sandri,
Buffalo City 6: Liam Hansen (x3), Thomas Caswell (x2), Dante May. Central Gauteng 21: Karabo Mamaregane (x4), Ross Stuart (x4), Ross Rovelli (x3), Greg Pryce (x3), Zico Williams (x3), Nicholas Searle (x2), Marc Smith.
Norther Tigers 11: Alexander Kelbrick (x6), Kieron Potgieter (x2), Julian Olivier, Kamva Khanya Kenqu, Benjamin Melville. Nelson Mandela Bay 16: Coel Trollip (x4), Calum Emslie (x3), Nicholas Franklin (x2), Raoul Eia (x2), Zandre Botha, Luke Lightening, Camden Christian, Josh Hinks, Matthew Kruse.
Western Province 5: Thomas Truter (x2), Arkin Marias (x2), Jandro Rojo-Ross. Central Gauteng 4: Ross Stuart, Jack Wilkins, Zico Williams, Marc Smith.
Northern Tigers 9: Alexander Kelbrick (x4), Benjamin Melville (x3), Julian Olivier, Francois Hartslief. KwaZulu-Natal 22: Oliver Ditz (x5), Kirk Wilson (x4), Ethan Lyne (x3), Max Scully (x3), Meyer Malherbe (x2), Luca Sandri (x2), James Pohl (x2).
Buffalo City 11: Liam Hansen (x2), Sean Audie (x2), Dante May (x2), , Connor Maree (x2), Armand Van Rooyen, Kairon Roux, Dominic Stegmann. Nelson Mandela Bay 8: Nicholas Franklin (x2), Calum Emslie (x2), Camden Christian, Raoul Eia, Josh Hinks.
Central Gauteng 10: Ross Rovelli (x3), Nicholas Searle (x2), Marc Smith (x2), Zico Williams, Sebastian Bruinders, Greg Pryce. Western Province 5: Ross Stewart (x2), Nicholas Fall, Thomas Truter, Zack Cicero.
KwaZulu-Natal 14: Tristan Uys (x3), Oliver Ditz (x3), Meyer Malherbe (x2), Max Scully (x2), James Pohl (x2), Rhees Hall (x2). Buffalo City 3: Liam Hansen, Thomas Caswell, Connor Maree.
Girls’ scores
Central Gauteng 25: Mia Loizides (x3), Gina Sguazzin (x3), Amy Smith (x3), Julia Joseph (x3), Ruby Carlson (x3), Courtney Calenborne (x2), Emma Pelicot (x2), Jessica Black (x2), Anastasia Hambakis (x2), Simphiwe Zulu, Francesca De Villiers. Buffalo City 5: Tatum Knox (x2), Tori Voke (x2), Roxy Van Eek.
KwaZulu-Natal 5: Kayla Andrews (x3), Inge Southey (x2). Western Province 11: Hannah Banks (x3), Alexa De Villiers (x2), Amy van Breda (x2), Tayla Kreymborg, Isabella Murray, Erin-Belle Nordgaard, Roxanne Uys.
Central Gauteng 15: Gina Sguazzin (x3), Julia Joseph (x3), Amy Smith (x2), Courtney Calenborne, Emma Pelicot, Jessica Black, Francesca De Villiers, Ruby Carlson, Anastasia Hambakis, Mia Loizides. KwaZulu-Natal 3: Kayla Andrews, Amy Hargroves, Lara Mervis.
Western Province 4: Isabella Murray, Erin-Belle Nordgaard, Alexa de Villiers, Nicole Batom. Nelson Mandela Bay 5: Elizabeth Horn (2), Teagan Harty, Matipa Karimazondo, Amelia Brown.
Western Province 6: Emily Van Heerden (x2), Hannah Banks (x2), Isabella Tooley, Alexa De Villiers. KwaZulu-Natal 3: Kayla Andrews, Caitlin McMurray, Inge Southey
Nelson Mandela Bay 6: Teagan Harty (x2), Tiggy Srevens, Amie Jenner, Elizabeth Horn, Matipa Karimazondo. Central Gauteng 14: Emma Pelicot (x3), Ruby Carlson (x3), Mia Loizides (x2), Julia Joseph (x2), Courtney Calenborne, Amy Smith, Jessica Black, Francesca De Villiers,
The u16 Junior Water Polo Championships will kick off in East London on Sunday, almost a week after the u18 campaign concluded at the Joan Harrison Swimming Pools.
