Author: asawula

The Herschel Girls School senior hockey side will aim to hit the ground running when they take part in the Western Cape Spar Hockey Festival, at DF Malan on Sunday.

The festival sees the Western Cape’s top sides taking to the turf for pre-season action ahead of a jam-packed 2024 hockey schedule.

They enter the event intent on building on the foundations laid by an impressive 2023 1st side which defeated some of the country’s best teams.

They also impressed in the Western Cape League, claiming the sculps of Paarl Gimnasium (3-1), Rustenburg Girls High (3-2), Wynberg Girls (9-1), Somerset College (3-0), and Curro Durbanville (7-0).

For the Spar Festival, Herschel has been drawn in the Coral Pool alongside DF Malan, St Cyprian’s, Somerset College, Bloemhof, and Fairmont High School.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools ahead of the event, new head coach, Stacey-Lee Gedult, said her side is looking forward to the task at hand, as they seek to begin their campaign on a positive note.

“I am enthusiastic for the season with the team. I think this team has a lot of potential and I am looking forward to seeing them grow over the course of the season,” she said.

“We have been fortunate enough to be able to retain the bulk of the players from 2023 while also including young players, as we are looking to build for the upcoming season and beyond.

“We have a good balance between youth and experience.”

The festival allows teams an opportunity to evaluate their depth and a chance to work on combinations and teamwork ahead of the long list of league and tournament fixtures that lie ahead.

It will also allow Herschel a chance to sharpen their skills ahead of the prestigious St Mary’s Hockey Festival in early April, where many of the country’s best teams will be in action.

Gedult believes her side needs tough preparation to prepare her charges for a gruelling season.

“There are no easy games, and each tournament and fixture brings its own challenges,” she said.

“The Spar Hockey Festival provides us with an opportunity at the start of the year to kick off our season.

“We have had some preseason training sessions, and it has been going well. The team has been committed and working hard, so it would be great to see it all come together at the Spar Festival this weekend.”

HERSCHEL 1ST SQUAD

Elen Vermaak, Samantha Mary Flint, Zara-Leigh Oliphant, Emily Joy van Heerden, Anna Grace Ashbolt, Kate Megan Formby, Mia Grace Andrew, Hannah Henderson, Amy Elizabeth Gordon, Sarah Faith Ashbolt, Katherine Susan Featherstone, Gabrielle Maxien du Toit, Sofia Ivy Dearnaley, Emily Jane Dickinson, Ashley Erin Silberbauer.

Herschel’s fixtures at the Spar Hockey Festival

Sunday, 10 March 2024 – DF Malan Astro

07:30- Herschel vs Somerset College
09:00- Herschel vs Bloemhof
10:30- Herschel vs DF Malan
13:00- Herschel vs Fairmont

The annual Grens Festival, hosted by Hoërskool Grens, takes place in East London over the course of two days, Friday and Saturday, with teams from the region getting an early-season opportunity to test themselves against one another.

The event brings together 10 of the region’s strongest hockey-playing schools to battle it out on the Cambridge High School Astroturf.

Cambridge, Clarendon Girls and Stirling High School were the leading teams in the East London region last season, while Clarendon also took on many of the country’s top sides at the Greg Belling and St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festivals last year.

They also impressed during their in-season derbies, picking up wins against Gqeberha’s Collegiate Girls, Hudson Park, and King Williams Town’s Kingsridge Girls High.

Playing under a new head coach, Luaan Sedras, Clarendon will use the festival as an opportunity to gel and bond as a team, ahead of the Greg Belling Festival next weekend.

Cambridge and Stirling High, on the other hand, will be aiming to close the gap on Clarendon this year, and that all starts this weekend.

Cambridge faces Aliwal North on the opening day, followed by outings against Merrifield College and Stirling on Saturday.

Hudson Park will have their work cut out for them, with clashes against Merrifield College, Kingsridge and Clarendon.

Hangklip High School makes the drive from Komani to face Hoërskool Grens, Lilyfontein, Green Point, and Hudson Park’s u16 side.

Fixtures

Friday, 8 March 2024

12:00 – Hangklip High vs Hoerskool Grens
12:40 – Stirling High vs Clarendon Girls High
13:20 – Hudson Park vs Merrifield College
14:00 – Lilyfontein vs Hangklip High
14:40 –Aliwal North vs Stirling High
15:20 – Kingsridge Girls High vs Hudson Park
16:00 – Merrifield College vs Lilyfontein
16:40 – Green Point vs Hudson Park u16
17:20 – Clarendon Girls High vs Kingsridge Girls High
18:00 – Cambridge High vs Aliwal North
18:40 –Hoerskool Grens vs Green Point

Saturday, 9 March 2024

08:00 – Hudson Park vs Clarendon Girls High
08:40 – Lilyfontein vs Aliwal North
09:20 – Stirling High vs Hudson Park
10:00 – Hoerskool Grens vs Lilyfontein
10:40 – Merrifield vs Cambridge High
11:20 – Aliwal North vs Hoerskool Grens
12:00 – Hangklip High vs Hudson u16
12:40 – Cambridge High vs Stirling High
13:20 – Green Point vs Hangklip
14:00 – Clarendon Girls High vs Merrifield College
14:40 – Hoerskool Grens vs Hudson u16
15:20 – Green Point vs Cambridge High

Trio High School will be confident of a winning start when they kick off their WesGrow Series campaign against Hoërskool Sentraal in Kroonstad on Friday.

The meeting of the sides follows the start of the series last weekend, when Bethlehem Voortrekker got the better of Hoerskool Diamantveld in hot conditions in the Northern Cape.

Trio enjoyed their first action of the season when they took on EG Jansen at their sports day last week.

They dominated that encounter, scoring five goals, through Christian van der Ross, Zian Saunderson, and a hattrick by youngster, Jandré Spies, to cruise to a comfortable 5-0 win.

Trio, playing at home for a second week running, will be eager to make it back-to-back wins.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools ahead of the clash, head coach Morné van Zyl said he was satisfied with his team’s performances during their pre-season, but there is still room for improvement.

“We have played a few pre-season games, so we are ready for the first WesGrow match, and looking forward to playing good hockey,” he said.

“Last year, we did well in the Wesgrow Series and ended in third spot, just behind Jim Fouché and Fichardtpark.

“We had a great game last year against Sentraal and won 7-1. Playing against Sentraal is always a pleasure. It is clean and hard hockey, in good spirit.”

The teams enter the clash in contrasting form, with the hosts on a high and the visitors coming off defeats against Upington and Noord-Kaap at the Hoërskool Fichardtpark Sports Day.

Van Zyl’s side will seek to build further momentum while also aiming to rectify some of the errors they identified during the pre-season.

“Last weekend’s win was a good boost for the team and our team played excellent hockey. I was proud to be their coach,” Van Zyl said.

“We were pleased. We identified a few areas we could work on, and we have been busy improving on some mistakes we picked up.

“We would like to improve our communication in the circle a bit more and see how that can help us improve.”

This year, the Trio 1st XI, a balanced mix of experience and youth, will be captained by Zian Saunderson.

Amo Dumane, in defence, is one of the players to look out for, while Vusi Kumalo and Ivan de Bruyn will lead the attack from the midfield.

Up front, Jandré Spies will, no doubt, be determined to further boost his goal tally, following his hattrick last weekend.

TRIO 1ST SQUAD

Christopher Lues, JJ Verster, Stefan Esterhuizen, Amo Dumane, Orefile Tiro, Ivan De Bruyn, Vusi Kumalo, Christian van der Ross, Gift Kechane, Zian Saunderson, Katleho Mohomane, Jandre Spies, Caswell Mokoena, Jaco Kleingeld, Lesedi Matseliso, Xian Victor.

Fixtures

13:30 – Trio vs Sentraal (Boys u19B)
14:30 –Trio vs Sentraal (Boys u19A)
15:45 –Trio vs Sentraal (Boys u14)
16:45 – Trio vs Sentraal (Boys u16)

Bethlehem Voortrekker kicked off their 2024 Wesgrow Series challenge with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Diamantveld in scorching conditions in Kimberley on the weekend.

A brace by centre-forward Steven Fox was the difference between the two sides after four tightly contested quarters.

The Bethlehem boys entered the match on the back of some impressive performances during their pre-season matches at the Balling Festival in late February.

There, coach Nick Kelbrick’s side won three of their five games, beating Witteberg, Monument, and Beaulieu College.

They shared a 2-2 draw with Hoerskool Sasolburg, before going down to Bloemfontein’s Grey College.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools after the Wesgrow clash, Kelbrick said he was delighted with the fight and character shown by his team to overcome a resilient Diamonds side.

“I am proud of my team, especially for the way they played today in this extreme heat in Kimberley. It truly showed the character of the boys,” he said.

“At half-time, I just said we need to do the basics properly, and my backs need to meet the opponents outside the circle, to avoid unnecessary short corners, and clear the ball.”

While he was pleased with the victory, Kelbrick insisted there was still much for his players to improve upon ahead of the long season that lies ahead of them.

He was adamant about wanting to see his strikers leading into space, to keep defences guessing, and he wanted to see his team concentrate and deliver a complete game through all four quarters.

“My boys have come on leaps and bounds this season already,” he reflected.

“I am so proud of the effort they put in every day at practice and how they play for each other and the badge on their chests.

“We have a couple of things to work on as a team. Our strikers just need to work on their touches in the circle, although we did score a fantastic back-post deflection goal today.

“But other than that, I am excited to see what heights we can reach as a team this year.”

Voortrekker was not only successful in the boys’ section, but the girls also brushed Diamantveld aside, cruising to a 7-1 win.

Coach Kirsten Beneke’s side conceded an early goal in the first quarter but recovered well to dismantle Diamantveld in the next three quarters.

Center-forward Jani Faber, who netted once, was named the player of the match for her performance in leading the Voortrekker attack.

The other goals were scored by Carli Oosthuizen, Elsje Hattingh, Abi Arrangies, and Kelly Visage, while Daniela de Bruyn struck twice.

RESULTS

Girls

1st: Voortrekker 7-1 Diamantveld
2nd: Voortrekker 7-0 Diamantveld
u16A: Voortrekker 12-0 Diamantveld
u16B: Voortrekker 7-0 Diamantveld

Boys

1st: Voortrekker 2-0 Diamantveld
2nd: Voortrekker 8-0 Diamantveld
u16A:  Voortrekker 2-0 Diamantveld

Rondebosch Boys’ High‘s Noah Reiback scored four goals in the final of the Standard Bank King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament on Sunday to lead his side to a comfortable 11-7 win over St John’s College.

The title was Rondebosch’s second at the tournament. They previously claimed top honours in 2018.

Leading up to the showdown, the Cape side and the two-time defending champions, St John’s, were unbeaten throughout the weekend, with both playing an attractive and winning brand of water polo.

In the quarterfinals, Rondebosch eliminated Hilton College, winning 12-10, before edging out their Cape Town rivals, Bishops, 12-11, in the final four.

Coach Vlado Trninic’s St John’s side was also dominant and held off St Stithians College 12-11 in the quarterfinals before outscoring SACS 11-8 in their semi-final.

The final was heated, and it began at a high tempo. as Rondebosch opened the scoring early through a five-metre penalty, which was converted by Reiback.

He quickly rushed to his way to a first chukka hattrick, but goals from Greg Pryce and St John’s skipper, Ross Rovelli, kept the defending champions in the match as they trailed 2-3 after the first quarter.

The second chukka saw both keepers, Kamogelo Thobejane (St John’s) and Pierre Du Plessis (Rondebosch), pull off some fine saves, but Rondebosch managed to add three more goals to their tally – through Matthew Galpin, Luke Cartwright, and Reiback – to open up a 6-2 lead at the break.

Coach Jared Wingate-Pearse’s side kept its scoring form in the final two chukkas, adding five goals through Bradley Warneke, Matthew Galpin (2), Matthew De Villiers, and Luke Burger, but St John’s hit back time after time, with goals from Nicholas Searle and Simon Mussett, while the outstanding Pryce added to his tally to claim a hattrick.

The St John’s fightback was in vain, however. The second chukka proved to be the difference as Rondebosch maintained their four-goal cushion, with each side scoring only once in the final quarter.

Rondebosch could have stretched their lead, but both Luke Burger and Bradley Warneke were unsuccessful from the penalty spot.

Those missed opportunities didn’t come back to haunt ‘Bosch as they captured their second KES title six years after their first.

In the playoff for third, Bishops sneaked by SACS 3-2 on penalties. After regulation time, they had been deadlocked at 5-5.

There was also a penalty shootout win for St Stithians College over Hilton College, in the fifth-place playoff, while Paul Roos claimed seventh with a resounding 7-3 victory over the hosts.

Selborne College finished in 10^th place, and Clifton College were relegated to 12^th place after going down 4-5 to St Andrew’s College.

You can rewatch all the action on SuperSport Schools

Scorers in the final

Rondebosch Boys’ High: Noah Reiback (x4), Matthew Galpin (x2), Luke Cartwright, Harry Soboil, Luke Burger, Bradley Warneke, Matthew De Villiers. St John’s College: Gregory Pryce (x3), Ross Rovelli (x2), Nicholas Searle, Simon Mussett.

Results: Day 3

Westville Boys High 6-4 Clifton College
Selborne College 6-3 St Andrew’s College
Rondebosch 12-11 Bishops
St John’s 11-8 SACS
Jeppe 6-3 Pretoria Boys High
Northwood 5-4 Grey High
St Andrew’s College 5-4 Clifton College
Westville Boys’ High 5(3)-5(2) Selborne College
Paul Roos 7-3 King Edward VII
St Stithians 5(6)-5(5) Hilton College
Bishops 5 (3)-5(2) SACS
Rondebosch 11-7 St John’s

Full Standings

Rondebosch Boys’ High
St John’s College
Bishops Diocesan College
South African College High School
St Stithians College
Hilton College
Paul Roos
King Edward VII
Westville Boys’ High
Selborne College
St Andrew’s College
Clifton College
Northwood School
Grey High
Jeppe High for Boys
Pretoria Boys High

St John’s College’s pursuit of a third straight Standard Bank King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament title will continue when they square up against South African College High School (SACS) in one of the semi-finals at the Mark Stevens Aquatic Centre on Sunday.

The other semi-final will be a Western Cape affair between Rondebosch Boys’ High and Bishops Diocesan College.

Al four teams have impressed since the tournament started on Friday morning, with the quartet all going two-for-two on the opening day.

The defending champions were drawn in Pool D and dominated against Paul Roos, St Andrew’s College, and Northwood.

They were, however, made to work hard for a 12-11 win over their local rivals, St Stithians College, in the quarterfinals.

Ross Rovelli starred in that encounter, putting six goals past Liam Tebbut, while SA Schools’ defender Greg Pryce was also among the goal scorers, contributing a brace for his side.

SACS, on the other hand, dismantled the hosts, KES, 16-9 in their quarterfinal clash. Nicholas Fall, also selected for SA Schools in 2023, and Connor Melling-Williams were assured in front of goal, with both netting hattricks.

Devon Card’s charges will face a stern test when they go up against St John’s at 08:50 on Sunday.

Meanwhile, another side that has blown away teams at the KES Water Polo Tournament, Rondebosch Boys’ High, will be eager to take down Bishops in the first semi-final. Earlier in the week, in the semi-finals of the SACS Nite Series, Bishops, the eventual champions, sneaked by Rondebosch after a penalty shootout.

Coach Jared Wingate-Pearse’s troops also ended the pool stage with a 100 percent win record after thumping Grey High 15-6 in their final pool match.

Luke Cartwright, Jack Robinson, and Harry Soboil all got onto the scoresheet as the side from Gqeberha struggled to keep up with their tempo.

To book their spot in the last four, Rondebosch was forced to grind out a 12-10 win over Hilton College.

After that win, they’re set for another clash with the in-form Bishops at 08:00.

In one of the upsets of the day, the hosts, King Edward VII, shocked Clifton College 9-4 to knock the Durban side out of the running for the title.

Selborne College suffered a 9-14 defeat to Hilton.

In Sunday’s Plate semi-finals, Clifton tackles Westville Boys’ High in a meeting of provincial rivals, while Selborne does battle against St Andrew’s College, with Eastern Cape bragging rights on the line.

Results: Day 2

King Edward VII 9-4 Clifton College
SACS 19-4 Jeppe
Westville Boys High 18-4 Pretoria Boys High
St John’s 14-8 St Andrew’s College
Rondebosch 15-6 Grey High
Hilton College 14-9 Selborne College
Bishops 12-11 St Stithians College
Paul Roos 10-6 Northwood
Clifton College 9-1 Jeppe Boys
Selborne College 9-3 Grey High
Westville Boys’ High 5-0 Northwood
St Andrew’s 8-2 Pretoria Boys High
Rondebosch Boys’ High 12-10 Hilton College
SACS 16-9 King Edward VII
Bishops 11-5 Paul Roos
St John’s College 12-11 St Stithians College
Northwood 5-4 Jeppe Boys High
Grey High 5-3 Pretoria Boys High
Hilton 6-5 Paul Roos
St Stithians College 8-5 King Edward VII

Day 3, Sunday, 3 March

07:00 – Clifton College vs Westville Boys High (37); 07:30 – Selborne College vs St Andrew’s College (38); 08:00 – Rondebosch Boys vs Bishops (39); 08:50 –  SACS vs St John’s College (40); 09:40 – Loser 33 vs Loser 34 (41); 10:10 – Winner 33 vs Winner 34 (42); 10:40 – Loser Plate semi-final vs Loser Plate semi-final 2 (43); 11:10 – Winner Plate semi-final 1 vs Winner Plate semi-final 2 (44); 11:40 – Loser 35 vs Loser 36 (45); 12:10 – Winner 35 vs Winner 36 (46); 12:40 – Loser Cup semi-final 1 vs Loser Cup semi-final 2 (47); 13:30 – FINAL (48).

Durban Girls College (DGC) kicked off their defence of the Spar KZN Regional Hockey Challenge with a nail-biting and hard-fought 1-0 victory over Maris Stella in the final of round one at the Durban High School (DHS) Astroturf on Saturday.

The opening round of the challenge saw six teams battle it out in round-robin matches, with the two sides that topped the log after those matches progressing to the final.

DGC, just like in 2023, were emphatic in their round-robin outings, winning all five of them, while also keeping a clean sheet throughout the day.

Last year, they were crowned the Durban Central Winners. They then went on to defeat St Mary’s DSG in the Grand Final to claim the overall title for a fifth time.

DGC began this year’s campaign with a 2-0 win over Maris Stella, who were playing on the blue and gold astro they share with DHS, before running riot against Inanda and Ink (Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu) Schools.

Coach Chardinay Penniston’s side scored eight times in both of those matches before calmly defusing St Henry’s challenge by a 2-0 margin to maintain their 100 percent winning record and assure themselves of first place on the log, with 15 points.

The hosts, on the other hand, lost only to DGC on their way to the final. They also shared a goalles draw with Durban Girls’ High, but their 10 points were enough to secure them a spot in the title-decider.

There was very little to separate the two sides in a final that had a 25-minutes one-way running time. DGC threatened early, but Maris Stella’s shot-stopper, Owethu Kunene, kept her side in the contest with a couple of crucial saves in the opening exchanges.

The home side’s defence was finally breached, when Anna Holmes found the back of the net after a period of mounting pressure, which gave her side a slender lead with over 15 minutes to play.

Despite a late penalty corner scare, DGC stayed out in front, holding onto their spotless defensive record, to seal a 1-0 win and some silverware to get their season off to a winning start.

Durban Girls’ High finished third, with eight points, followed by St Henry’s Marist College, who picked up a win against Inanda.

You can rewatch all the action on SuperSport Schools.

Results:

St Henry’s 0-0 Durban Girls High
Maris Stella 4-0 Inanda
Ink Schools 0-0 St Henry’s
Durban Girls College 2-0 Maris Stella
Inanda 1-1 Ink Schools
Maris Stella 1-0 St Henry’s
Durban Girls College 8-0 Inanda
Durban Girls High 2-0 Ink Schools
Maris Stella 3-0 Ink Schools
Durban Girls College 8-0 Ink Schools
Durban Girls High 3-0 Inanda
Durban Girls College 2-0 St Henry’s
Maris Stella 0-0 Durban Girls High
St Henry’s 3-0 Inanda
Durban Girls College 2-0 Durban Girls High
Durban Girls College 1-0 Maris Stella – FINAL

Final standings:

Durban Girls College
Maris Stella
Durban Girls High School
St Henry’s Marist College
Ink Schools
Inanda

South African College High School (SACS), Bishops Diocesan College and Rondebosch Boys High all picked up two wins apiece to make impressive winning starts to their campaigns on the opening day of the Standard Bank King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament at the Mark Stevens Aquatic Centre on Friday.

The three Cape sides and the defending champions, St John’s College, were dominant, dismantling their opposition to take early command of their groups ahead of the second day’s action They each have six points.

Rondebosch Boys opened the day’s proceedings by rolling to a 10-4 win over the hosts, KES.  They next went on to take down the recent winners of the Vides Water Polo Tournament, Clifton College, in a tightly contested affair, winning 12-8.

Luke Burger was the standout player for the Cape side, scoring eight goals in their two matches, while Bradley Warneke and Noah Reiback also produced strong performances.

Bishops entered the festival on a high after beating SACS 14-11 to claim the SACS Nite Series title earlier in the week, and there were no signs of a hangover for coach Jabulani Sibiya’s men, as they powered their way past Pretoria Boys High and Westville Boys’ High, scoring a combined 29 goals in those two matches.

Matt Fenn, who netted seven goals, and was named the MVP of the Nite Series final, continued his prolific goalscoring form, netting eight times.

Bishops tackle St Stithians College in their final Pool C clash on Saturday.

Meanwhile, SACS will be breathing a sigh of relief after almost going down in their second outing of the day against Hilton College.

After beating Selborne College 15-10 earlier in the day, coach Devon Card’s side dropped the ball in their later encounter against a hungry Hilton side.

Jason Sileno’s charges went blow-for-blow with SACS, and the lead changed hands a number of times, with both Hanu Pieterse and Tristan Uys scoring hattricks to keep the KZN boys in the contest.

The experience of SACS bore fruit, however, as they pulled themselves out of a nervy situation and scraped a narrow 10-9 victory, thanks to spirited efforts from Nicholas Fall and Jandro Rojo-Ross, who also scored hattricks.

St John’s College was, by far, the best of the local teams, going about their business in a mature and effective manner.

Their wins, against Northwood and Paul Roos, have them atop Pool D, with a final pool clash against St Andrew’s College beckoning on day two.

The second day begins with a high-octane clash between KES And Clifton College at 07:00.

Selborne and Hilton College will be chasing second spot in Pool B when they meet at 11:10.

Meanwhile, Vaughn Marlow’s Paul Roos will be aiming for a win over Northwood in their last Pool D outing.

All the action is LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App, and DSTV Channel 216.

Results: Day 1

Rondebosch Boys High 10-4 King Edward VII
Hilton College 15-9 Jeppe Boys High
St Stithians 12 (3)-12(2) Westville Boys
St John’s 17-10 Northwood
SACS 15-10 Selborne College
Bishops 16-4 Pretoria Boys High
Paul Roos 12-7 St Andrew’s College
King Edward VII 12-8 Grey High
Selborne College 12-10 Jeppe Boys High
Bishops 13-11 Westville
St Andrew’s College 14-6 Northwood
Rondebosch 12-8 Clifton College
SACS 10-9 Hilton
St Stithians College 17-12 Pretoria Boys High
St John’s 10-6 Paul Roos
Clifton College 10-5 Grey High

Day 2, Saturday, 2 March

07:00 – King Edward VII vs Clifton College (17); 07:50 – SACS vs Jeppe (18); 08:40 – Pretoria Boys High vs Westville (19); 09:30 – St John’s vs St Andrews College (20); 10:20 – Rondebosch vs Grey High (21); 11:10 – Selborne vs Hilton (22); 12:00 – St Stithians vs Bishops (23); 12:50 – Paul Roos vs Northwood (24); 13:40 – 3^rd Pool 1 vs 2^nd Pool 4 (25); 14:10 – 2^nd Pool 2 vs 4^th Pool 1(26); 14:40 – 3^rd Pool 3 vs 4^th Pool 4 (27); 15:10 – 3^rd Pool 4 vs 4^th Pool 3 (28); 15:40 – 1^st Pool 1 vs 2^nd Pool 2 (29); 16:30 – 1^st Pool 2 vs 2^nd Pool 1 (30); 17:20 – 1^st Pool 3 vs 2^nd Pool 4 (31); 18:10 – 1^st Pool 4 vs 2^nd Pool 3 (32); 19:00 – Loser 25 vs Loser 27 (33); 19:30 – Loser 26 vs Loser 28 (34); 20:00 – Loser 29 vs Loser 31 (35); 20:30 – Loser 30 vs Loser 32 (36).

Day 3, Sunday, 3 March

07:00 – Winner Plate qualifier 1 vs Winner Plate qualifier 2 (37); 07:30 – Winner Plate qualifier 2 vs Winner Plate qualifier 4 (38); 08:00 – Cup Quarterfinal 1 winner vs Cup quarterfinal 3 winner (39); 08:50 – Cup quarterfinal 2 winner vs Cup quarterfinal 4 winner (40); 09:40 – Loser 33 vs Loser 34 (41); 10:10 – Winner 33 vs Winner 34 (42); 10:40 – Loser Plate semi-final vs Loser Plate semi-final 2 (43); 11:10 – Winner Plate semi-final 1 vs Winner Plate semi-final 2 (44); 11:40 – Loser 35 vs Loser 36 (45); 12:10 – Winner 35 vs Winner 36 (46); 12:40 – Loser Cup semi-final 1 vs Loser Cup semi-final 2 (47); 13:30 – FINAL (48).

The first round of the highly anticipated 2024 Wesgrow Series kicks off on Saturday in the Northern Cape when Hoërskool Diamantveld and Bethlehem Voortrekker do battle in search of early ascendency.

While the round-robin fixtures begin on Saturday, the annual league’s final round is set to take place in July, when all of the teams will be in action.

The participating hockey sides include Witteberg, Fichardtpark, Jim Fouché, Voortrekker, Goudveld, Diamantveld, Trio High School, and Hoërskool Sentraal, with rugby and netball also a part of the package.

Voortrekker claimed the top spot in the girls’ hockey section last year and, under the new leadership of Kirsten Beneke, will be eager to retain their title.

Beneke assumed control of the senior side in 2023 and has just saw the team through a busy pre-season schedule.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools ahead of her charges’ first Wesgrow match of the year, she revealed how excited the side was to be back on the turf, and identified some of the goals the school is pursuing this year.

“I started to take over last year in September and have worked very hard with a big group of girls in the pre-season,” she said.

“I have also coached many of them previously, so we all have a good understanding, and have an aligned vision for hockey for this year.

“The goals for our school include winning our league, being chosen to participate in the Top 12 tournament later this year and creating a positive hockey culture at our school.”

Beneke’s side heads into its opening match with momentum, having produced good hockey at last weekend’s Balling Hockey Festival on home soil.

Playing against some of the country’s leading teams, Voortrekker stood its ground, showing character and grit, attributes which will be needed throughout the season.

On day one, they went down to St Anne’s Diocesan College, who ended the festival unbeaten, before playing to a 1-1 draw with St John’s DSG, who also enjoyed a good run.

Despite losing to the standout team of the Festival, Oranje, the Bethlehem school’s players dusted themselves off and scored a fine win over St Stithians College, before going down 2-3 to Eunice in a nail-biting clash on the final day.

“The Balling festival was a great start to the season as we could see how we measure up to the top schools in the country,” Beneke reflected.

“These were our first games for the year and, although we made some mistakes, I feel, as a whole, the tournament is a great stepping stone and momentum builder for the season ahead.

“We know what to work on and that is our current focus, so that when we come up against those teams again, we can pull the results through.”

Retaining the Wesgrow title is one of the key challenges for Voortrekker in 2024. Apart from the series, they will also participate in the Greg Beling Festival in East London in March.

The coach believes playing against the top schools will leave Voortrekker’s hockey players in good stead as they seek to boost their programme to greater heights.

“All the players and coaches are extremely excited about our first Wesgrow game for the year,” Beneke reckoned.

“It is an exciting opportunity to introduce the new brand of hockey that BVHS is using this year and measure it against our competitors.”

The Bethlehem girls will be led by centre-back, Carli Oosthuizen, who will be a key source of control and calmness.

In a team that features a balanced mix of experience and youth, their shot-stopper, Jamie Rayner, is another player to keep an eye on.

All the action from the first weekend of the Wesgrow league will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools, including the u19A hockey broadcast.

Fixtures:

Cassandra Astro

09:00- Diamantveld vs Voortrekker (Girls u16)
10:00- Diamantveld vs Voortrekker (Boys u16)
11:15- Diamantveld vs Voortrekker (Girls u19)
12:00- Diamantveld vs Voortrekker (Boys u19)

Kelly Park CBC Astro

08:00- Diamantveld vs Voortrekker (Girls u16 B)
10:20- Diamantveld vs Voortrekker (Girls u19 B)
11:40- Diamantveld vs Voortrekker (Boys u19 B)

The Clifton College first team water polo side will, under the leadership of Oliver Ditz, be hunting their second consecutive title of the season when the King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament kicks off in Johannesburg this weekend.

Clifton has, as usual, been one of the most impressive KwaZulu-Natal teams this season, playing an exciting brand of water polo that has attracted viewers to the screens.

Under Coach Paul Martin, the side began their tournament season at the SAC Shield in Makhanda in January, where they finished seventh.

However, they bounced back well to claim top honours recently at the Vides Water Polo Tournament, hosted by Selborne College.

Their skipper, Oliver Ditz, led from the front in East London, and helped his side go on an unbeaten run, which was topped off by a win over Paul Roos Gymnasium in the final, and the title of Player of the Tournament for Ditz.

“It was amazing winning Vides. It’s been a dream of mine to win a national tournament at first team level ever since I started playing water polo,” he told SuperSport Schools in an exclusive interview.

“I think we owe it to Mr Martin and [team manager] Mev Terblanche. Their time and the effort they put into our team deserves that recognition and reward.

“It was a big honour to receive the MVP award, but I was happier to secure the goal medal.”

Ditz’s love for the sport began unexpectedly while he was still in primary school.

He recalls his first encounter with the sport came at the prestigious annual Clifton Water Polo Tournament, where his older brother played.

“I fell in love with water polo, when I was grade 2, in 2014,” he revealed. “My older brother, Noah, played water polo for Clifton and was working at the Clifton tournament. I was at the pool all day, waiting for him to get fetched, and I started running the manual scoreboard.

“I started watching all the Clifton games. The Clifton 2014 first team was one of the best years Clifton ever had, with stars like Nick Downes, Dayne Jagga, Wyatt Edwards, and Gareth May.

“Watching their chemistry, skills, and banter, led me to start playing water polo when I was eight years old, in grade 3.”

The jovial, always-smiling youngster quickly climbed the ranks in the pool when he arrived at Clifton College, in grade eight.

He was selected for the u14A side, and soon donned the green and gold of South Africa at the CANA Championships in Botswana before it was brought to an abrupt stop due to Covid-19 restrictions.

That setback didn’t stop Ditz, as a year later, in grade nine, he made the u15 side, with his performances that year sealing a spot for him in the Stayers’ team, where he eventually received his first senior cap for the school.

Now 18, he has represented KwaZulu-Natal at every age group level at the Inter-Provincial Tournament, while also eclipsing 100 caps for the Clifton first team in his grade 11 year.

“Representing SA at the CANA championships was a big boost in confidence for me,” he said.

“I also represented the country in the u16 World Championships. held in Greece in 2022. It’s also been great playing for KZN every year since grade 6, except for the Covid year.

“However, my biggest achievement and honour is captaining Clifton’s first team and reaching 100 first team caps in grade 11.”

Ditz is not the only player in the Clifton side with over 100 caps. He shares that honour with regular goal scorer, Luc O’Brien, and shot-stopper, Ross Strauss.

The trio now owns more than 120 caps each, and they, together with Head Boy, Ethan Lyne, provide leadership as the Clifton class of 2024 continues the outstanding legacy of water polo at the Durban school.

All of that experience and leadership will be required if coach Martin’s side is to go all the way at KES where they face the very best of South Africa’s water polo-playing schools.

Clifton is drawn in Pool One where they will face the hosts, high-flying Rondebosch Boys High, and Grey High, from Gqeberha.

Ditz says the team understands what’s at stake, and despite more opportunities to win silverware later this year, their focus is on KES.

“The whole team is extremely excited for KES, and our goal is gold,” he reckoned.

“The Clifton and SACS tournaments are also going to be huge this year. With such a young side, I feel, with experience and maturity, our team will only improve.

“However, we will definitely give KES a full go,” he concluded.

Clifton Fixtures at the KES Water Polo Tournament

Friday 1 March

16:10- Clifton College vs Rondebosch Boys High
19:30- Clifton College vs Grey High

Saturday 2 March

07:00- Clifton College vs King Edward VII