Author: asawula

The crowd was buzzing, the war cries were in full voice, and the SACS Aquatic Centre was at full capacity as Bishops Diocesan College defeated South African College School (SACS) 14-11 to claim the 2024 SACS Nite Series title in Cape Town on Tuesday evening.

Both sides, who had already faced one another four times this season, entered the match high in confidence after winning their semi-final clashes earlier in the day.

Bishops were, however, made to sweat for their spot in the final. Their clash against Rondebosch Boys High went down to penalties after ending 10-10 at the end of regulation time.

Coach Jabulani Sibiya‘s men managed to sneak a 2-1 win from the spot, while SACS dominated their encounter against Paul Roos to secure an 11-6 victory.

The final was, however, a different kettle of fish, with both teams going hard at each other for the better part of three chukkas.

Bishops hit the front early, when Thomas Truter and Milo Letschert gave them a two-goal advantage.

The home side turned to their talisman, Nicholas Fall, who pulled one back from a five-metre penalty before, a minute later, sneaking one past SA Schools’ goalkeeper Jordan De Sousa to level matters up at 2-2.

Bishops’ skipper, Ross Stewart, and SACS’s Jandro Rojo-Ross both found the back of the net to make it 3-3 at the completion of the first chukka.

The second chukka was much like the first in that there was little to separate the sides. But Rojo-Ross and Mac Lecuona struck to see SACS into the lead for the first time in the contest. However, Bishops stayed in the game, with Matt Fenn scoring twice to make it 5-5, before Nick Fall put SACS into a 6-5 lead at the halftime interval.

In the third chukka, Bishops looked sharper, both on attack and defence. It remained tight, however, but Sibiya’s team edged ahead, 9-8, with the final chukka to go.

In the final quarter, SACS let it slip by allowing their opponents too much time on the ball, particularly in the danger zone. That allowed the young Matt Fenn, who turned out for Western Province u15A last year, to continue his prolific scoring streak, as he punished SACS to the tune of seven goals.

Michael Voogt added to his team’s tally to stretch the lead to three (13-10) with just under three minutes remaining.

Bishops held on from there and, despite an acrobatic goal by Fall, prevailed 14-11 to lift the title after going unbeaten throughout their Nite Series campaign.

Man of the match went to Matt Fenn for his heroic seven goals.

Both sides will now turn their attention to the King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament in Johannesburg, which takes place from Friday through to Sunday.

In the fifth/sixth playoff match, Wynberg Boys High outmuscled Reddam House Constantia 9-7 to close off their series on a high.

Scorers

Bishops: Thomas Truter, Milo Letschert, Ross Stewart (x3), Matt Fenn (7), Michael Voogt (x2). SACS: Nicholas Fall (x5), Jandro Rojo-Roos (x2), Mac Lecuona (x3), Conor Melling-Williams.

Results

Bishops 10 (2)-(1) 10 Rondebosch
SACS 11-6 Paul Roos
Wynberg Boys High 9-7 Reddam House Constantia
Bishops 14-11 SACS

The 41^st edition of the Standard Bank King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament will provide St John’s College with an opportunity to win a record 10^th KES title. The action at the Mark Stevens Aquatics Centre starts early on Friday morning.

The three-day tournament will see the best water polo playing schools in the country assemble in one arena as the season draws to its conclusion, and all the action is live on SuperSport Schools.

It’s one of the biggest tournaments in the country, especially when the calibre of teams in attendance is taken into account.

The winners of the past two editions, St John’s, have been seeded in Pool D, which also includes Northwood, St Andrew’s College, and Paul Roos Gymnasium.

To claim top honours in 2023, the Johannesburg side had to take an extended route to the final after a rough start to their pool matches.

They picked themselves up and edged out Hilton College 13-12 in the semi-finals before defeating their rivals, St Stithians College, in the final.

This year’s tournament will, however, be even more challenging, with most of the teams on the roster high in confidence and playing an attractive brand of water polo.

From the Western Cape, South African College High School (SACS), and Bishops Diocesan College are two of the teams to watch out for. They met in the final of the SAC Shield at the end of January, with SACS sneaking one past their opponents, who had previously beaten them in the SACS Night Series and earlier in the SAC Shield.

SACS are drawn in Pool B, where they will take on Jeppe High, Hilton College, and Selborne College, who recently ended their Vides Tournament in third place.

SACS are also the most successful Cape Town side in the history of the tournament, having won it four times, while Rondebosch and Reddam House Constantia have won it once each.

Another side that will be looking to make its presence felt during the weekend is Clifton College.

The KwaZulu-Natal representatives enter the tournament high in confidence after dominating matters in an excellent showing at the Vides Tournament in East London a fortnight ago.

Coach Paul Martin’s side was unbeaten in the round-robin matches and then eliminated the hosts in the semi-finals before edging out Paul Roos in a penalty shootout to claim the trophy.

They’ll be attempting to win a second KES title, following in the footsteps of their 2016 side. They take on the hosts, Rondebosch Boys’ High, and Gqeberha’s Grey High School in Pool A.

St Stithians College and Pretoria Boys High will renew their rivalry in Pool C, where they’ll battle Westville Boys’ High and Bishops.

The action commences on Friday when KES takes on Rondebosch at 07:00.

SACS versus Selborne College is at 10:20, while Clifton College closes day one against Grey High at 19:30.

The Pools

Pool A: King Edward VII, Rondebosch Boys’ High, Grey High, Clifton College.
Pool B: Jeppe High, Hilton College, Selborne College, SACS.
Pool C: St Stithians College, Westville Boys’ High, Pretoria Boys High, Bishops.
Pool D: St John’s College, Northwood, St Andrew’s College, Paul Roos Gymnasium.

Fixtures

Day 1, Friday, 1 March

07:00 – King Edward VII vs Rondebosch (1); 07:50 – Jeppe vs Hilton College (2); 08:40 – St Stithians vs Westville Boys (3); 09:30 – St John’s vs Northwood (4); 10:20 – SACS vs Selborne (5); 11:10 – Pretoria Boys High vs Bishops (6); 12:00 – Paul Roos vs St Andrew’s College (7); 12:50 – King Edward VII vs Grey High (8); 13:40 – Jeppe vs Selborne College (9); 14:30 – Bishops vs Westville (10); 15:20 – St Andrew’s College vs Northwood (11); 16:10 – Rondebosch vs Clifton College (12); 17:00 – SACS vs Hilton (13); 17:50- Pretoria Boys High vs St Stithians (14); 18:40 – St John’s vs Paul Roos (15); 19:30 – Clifton College vs Grey High (16).

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).

 

One of the most decorated schools’ water polo head coaches in South Africa, Etienne Le Roux, will enjoy a last hurrah with his St Stithians College girls’ team at the Reef Cup, which takes place in Johannesburg over the weekend.

The annual tournament, hosted by Saints, will welcome 20 girls’ teams, with Le Roux’s side eager to retain the title St Stithians won in 2023, when they defeated Roedean School in the final.

Le Roux is a familiar face on the water polo scene in South Africa, having represented the national team before making a switch to coaching full-time.

Now, after almost five years at the Johannesburg school, he is set to move to Cape Town’s Rondebosch Boys’ High School.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools ahead of the tournament, he said he wasn’t dealing with too many emotions, with his team looking forward to the spectacle and task at hand.

“Not too sure about emotional. We’ve still too much to do, for now,” Le Roux said.

“The team is feeling good, especially after such an amazing showing at the Old Petrian’s Tournament, where we really came together and played at our best.”

Le Roux joined Saints in 2019, and ever since then the water polo programme at the school has been on an upward curve.

Last year, he led the girls’ side to an incredible record that saw the team set new standards and make history by winning a whopping eight tournaments during the season, which included cleaning up at the Prestige Cup, Saints Invitational, and at the National Aquatics Festival.

Deciding to leave St Stithians was a tough decision, Le Roux admitted.

“I joined Saints in 2019. It has been a wonderful experience, especially getting to work with such committed coaches and parents, who are the backbone of a programme like this.

“I’ve met some incredible people and will have lifelong relationships from my time here.

“It was not an easy decision to leave at all. I will miss the Saints’ water polo community very much,” he added.

Following on from the astonishing achievements of 2023, Saints has found 2024 to be a far more challenging season, with new young players moving into the 1st team. However, they will draw inspiration from reaching the final of the Old Petrian’s Cup this past weekend.

In that game, they went down 6-9 to Cape Town’s Herschel Girls in a thrilling contest. Le Roux said his team will bank on their confidence and the backing of their home crowd in the Reef Cup.

“It has been quite a tough season, but that is the beauty of sport,” he reckoned. “We can learn lessons every day and every season, which just helps us grow as humans and as athletes.

“For the Reef Cup, it is always nice to play at home, as you just feel more comfortable, and the support is always a nice boost.

“We proved to ourselves [at the Old Petrian’s Tournament], most importantly, that we can compete against anyone around. We need to stay focussed and confident in our abilities.”

Le Roux’s departure from Gauteng will not only be felt by Saints but also by the Gauteng Water Polo Association after his many years of service.

Over the past decade, he’s brought back eight gold medals for the Central Gauteng A side from inter-provincial tournaments.

Now, he wants to see the school and the region continue to grow the sport.

“Water polo has given me so much; my only wish is that it will give back to those involved, as well,” he said.

“There will be good times, and there will be bad times but, no matter what, the water polo family needs to stick together.

“To the girls, I would say, don’t let the world change your smile, let your smile change the world.”

St Stithians is drawn in Pool D of the Reef Cup and will take on Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool (Pretoria), Falcon College, Reddam House Umhlanga, and St Peter’s College.

Their opening clash will be against Zimbabwe’s Falcon College at 11:10 on Thursday in the main pool.

Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

The 2024 SACS Nite Series will culminate with an exhilarating final this week, with four teams still in the running for a place in the title decider after five gruelling rounds of water polo action.

The annual tournament began on 24 January. Now, just over a month later, new champions could be crowned at the SACS Aquatics Centre on Tuesday night.

SACS claimed top spot in last year’s campaign, after edging out Paul Roos 10-6 in the final.

However, they’ve found the going a lot harder this year, with their arch-rivals, Bishops Diocesan College being the team on everybody’s lips.

Coach Jabulani Sibiya’s side has been unstoppable in the series, winning all of their matches, to finish on top of the log with 15 points.

They’re followed in second place by surprise packages, Rondebosch Boys’ High, who have asserted themselves as a title contender.

Jared Wingate-Pearse’s charges were unbeaten in the first three rounds of the tournament before coming up short against Bishops and Paul Roos.

They finished with nine points, 54 goals scored and 40 conceded, which suggests they still have some work to do on their defence, still.

SACS, on the other hand, had a bumpy start to their campaign. In round one, they were thumped 11-5 by Bishops. Then Rondebosch put on an attacking masterclass to claim a 7-5 win in round two.

One could argue that SACS, under coach Devon Card‘s guidance, resurrected their season in the final three rounds of the tournament.

They scored emphatic wins over Paul Roos, Wynberg Boys’ High, and Reddam House Constantia, netting 42 goals while conceding half that number, 21.

That comeback secured the hosts side a third-place finish, and an opportunity to retain their title in front of their home supporters.

For Stellenbosch’s Paul Roos Gymnasium, winning the series would soften some of the blows they have taken in a challenging season.

They’ll enter their semi-final clash against the hosts on the back of a disappointing defeat at the hands of Clifton College in the final of the Vides Water Polo Tournament in East London earlier this month, where the title was decided from the penalty spot.

For Wynberg Boys and Reddam House, the final day of the series will be about finishing on a high note and collecting a win. Reddam are currently winless, but they will draw inspiration from their fourth-place finish at the Vides Tournament.

The action begins at 17:00, with the first of two semi-finals between Bishops and Rondebosch, while SACS and Paul Roos will battle it out for a spot in the final at 18:00.

The final starts at 20:00, and it will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Round 6 Fixtures

17:00- Bishops vs Rondebosch
18:00- SACS vs Paul Roos
19:00- Wynberg Boys High vs Reddam
20:00- FINAL

Previous rounds’ results

Round 1

Bishops 11-5 SACS
Rondebosch 14-6 Reddam House Constantia
Paul Roos 11-6 Wynberg Boys High

Round 2

Wynberg 10-8 Reddam House Constantia
Rondebosch 9-7 SACS
Bishops 16-9 Paul Roos

Round 3

Rondebosch 11-4 Wynberg Boys High
Bishops 20-6 Reddam House Constantia
SACS 13-9 Paul Roos

Round 4

SACS 17-7 Wynberg Boys High
Bishops 10-9 Rondebosch
Paul Roos 14-8 Reddam House Constantia

Round 5

Paul Roos 12-10 Rondebosch
Bishops 11-2 Wynberg Boys High
SACS 12-5 Reddam House Constantia

There were wins for Oranje, Eunice, St Anne’s and St John’s DSG on the third and final day of the Balling Hockey Festival in Bethlehem on Sunday.

The pre-season tournament was an opportunity for coaches to test their team’s depth and combinations, and build confidence, ahead of a jam-packed 2024 season.

A number of sides caught the eye, with the two unbeatens, Bloemfontein’s Oranje and St Anne’s, from Hilton, stealing the spotlight.

Both went five for five, with high-flying Oranje closing off their campaign in style with an emphatic 8-0 win over Beaulieu College.

St Anne’s, after defeating Eunice and Noordheuwel on day two, held off a resilient St Stithians team to end the event with a hard-fought 2-1 win.

St John’s DSG, after victories in both of their games on Saturday, including a win over Eunice, continued their winning ways, downing Noordheuwel 2-0.

They will return to Pietermaritzburg buoyed by their three victories. They also played to a 1-1 draw against Voortrekker on the opening day and gave Oranje their toughest game, before going down 0-3.

Nika Coertzen’s Eunice side battled their way to a win on Sunday after a rather bumpy and inconsistent weekend.

Nine players earned their first caps for Eunice in Bethlehem, which showed up on the field. They lost three of their five matches but finished strongly with a 3-2 win over Voortrekker.

Coertzen and her troops will be aiming for rapid improvement and will take many useful lessons away from the festival. Following in the footsteps of 2023’s number one ranked team, they have big shoes to fill.

In other matches on the last day, Wykeham Collegiate and St Dominic’s College scored three goals each as they recorded wins over Our Lady of Fatima and the Oranje second team respectively at the New Horizon Astro.

Union High School remained winless, suffering a 1-4 drubbing at the hands of Monument, while Witteberg put five past Potchefstroom Volkskool.

Day 3: Results

Marlé Claasen Astro | Voortrekker

Monument 4-1 Union HS
Oranje 8-0 Beaulieu College
Eunice 3-2 Voortrekker
St Anne’s 2-1 St Stithians College
St John’s DSG 2-0 Noordheuwel
Witteberg 5-0 Potchefstroom Volkskool
Epworth 1-0 Hoërskool Sasolburg

New Horizon Astro

Wykeham 3-1 Our Lady of Fatima
St Dominic’s College 3-0 Oranje II

St Anne’s Diocesan College and Bloemfontein’s Oranje remained in the driving seat after reinforcing their unbeaten records on day two of the Balling Hockey Festival in Bethlehem.

St John’s DSG also won both of their matches on Saturday, recording victories over Eunice and Beaulieu College.

After a dramatic opening day that saw St Stithians College shock Eunice 4-2, more upsets were on the cards, as teams continued to strive for early season rhythm and consistency at Voortrekker’s Marlé Claasen Astro, New Horizon College, and Hoërskool Witteberg.

St Anne’s, from Hilton in the KZN midlands, continued with the dominance they showed on day one, which had brought them six goals in wins over Voortrekker and Beaulieu College. In one of the day’s early games, on the Marlé Claasen Astro, they outplayed Noordheuwel, winning 3-0.

In their second match of the day, they faced last year’s number one ranked team in South Africa, Eunice.

Coach Nika Coertzen’s young Eunice side entered the game on the back of a disappointing loss against St Stithians on Friday, which was followed by a 2-4 setback against St John’s DSG on Saturday morning.

In their clash with St Anne’s, the two sides were neck-and-neck in the first half, with little to separate them, but St Anne’s edged in front and took a slender 2-1 lead into the break.

Just as they had done in their previous matches at the festival, St Anne’s produced a strong second half, controlling matters, both on attack and in defence.

They pulled away from Eunice, scoring three times, with their last goal coming from a penalty corner. But Eunice kept fighting and retaliated with two goals of their own, leaving St Anne’s the 5-3 winners of an entertaining match.

Meanwhile, Oranje continued to make goalscoring look easy. They had netted 13 times on the opening day of the festival, and they added another 12 goals on day two.

In their first outing, Noordheuwel was subjected to a 7-0 hammering, and then the hosts, Voortrekker, saw five goals stuck past them, although they did manage one in response.

Oranje coach Gyster van Schalkwyk will seek more of the same from his players in their final match against Beaulieu at 07:55 on Sunday morning.

In other matches on Saturday, St Stithians College struggled to replicate the form they showed on the opening day, going down to Voortrekker and Beaulieu.

There was joy for Epworth, who thumped Potchefstroom Volkskool 6-1, before Hoërskool Sasolburg sneaked a 4-3 win over Wykeham Collegiate.

Nine matches will be played on Sunday, starting at 07:00, when Union High takes on Monument.

St Anne’s tackle St Stithians College at 09:45, while Wykeham will aim to end on a high when they play Our Lady of Fatima at the New Horizon Astro at 09:45.

Results: Day 2

Marlé Claasen Astro| Voortrekker

Potchefstroom Volkskool 0-0 Union HS
Epworth 1-1 St Dominic’s College
Oranje 5-1 Voortrekker
St Anne’s 3-0 Noordheuwel
Monument 2-0 Witteberg
St John’s DSG 4-2 Eunice
Oranje 7-0 Noordheuwel
Voortrekker 1-0 St Stithians College
St Anne’s 5-3 Eunice
St John’s DSG 2-0 Beaulieu

New Horizon Astro:

Wykeham 4-2 Oranje II
Our Lady of Fatima 2-1 Hoërskool Sasolburg
Beaulieu 1-0 St Stithians College
Epworth 6-1 Potchefstroom Volkskool
Union HS 1-1 Oranje II
Hoërskool Sasolburg 4-3 Wykeham
Witteberg 3-3 Our Lady of Fatima
Monument 2-0 St Dominic’s College

Day 3

Marle Claassen Astro | Voortrekker

07:00 – Union HS vs Monument; 07:55 – Oranje vs Beaulieu; 08:50 – Eunice vs Voortrekker; 09:45 – St Anne’s vs St Stithians College; 10:40 – Noordheuwel vs St John’s DSG; 11:35 – Witteberg vs Potchefstroom Volkskool; 12:30 – Hoërskool Sasolburg vs Epworth.

New Horizon Astro

09:45 – Our Lady of Fatima vs Wykeham; 10:40 – St Dominic’s College vs Oranje II

The opening day of the 2024 Balling Hockey Festival in Bethlehem delivered upsets and goals, with teams seeking to hit their stride quickly in preparation for the new season.

The tournament is hosted at three venues, the Marlé Claasen Astro at Voortrekker, New Horizon College, and Hoërskool Witteberg.

Bloemfontein’s Oranje was quickly into the swing of things on Friday and won both of their matches.

Gyster van Schalkwyk’s side made a positive start to their season, with a convincing 3-0 win over St John’s DSG in the third match of the day at the Marlé Claasen Astro.

That match was followed by a showdown between St Stithians College and Eunice High. The Bloemfontein lasses had ended 2023 ranked number one in the country, but Saints showed character and grit to get one over their highly regarded opponents.

Coach Lance Louw’s side entered the match as the underdogs, but they soon showed they were up for the challenge. At half-time, the teams were level at 1-1.

After the break, the Johannesburg side struck three times while conceding only once to claim a significant 4-2 victory. Later, though, they ran into an assured Oranje and were well beaten.

St Anne’s also got the ball rolling in the right direction with victories over Voortrekker and Beaulieu College respectively.

There was also a win for their fellow-KZN school, Epworth, who outplayed Graaff-Reinet’s Union High 3-0. Union also went down to Hoërskool Sasolberg, and they’ll be chasing their first goals of the season on Saturday after conceding five in their two games on Thursday.

At the New Horizon College Astro, Noordheuwel and St Dominic’s College were the teams on fire.

Norries claimed wins against the Epworth and Oranje second teams, while St Dominic’s made light work of Witteberg and Potchefstroom Volkskool.

Day two begins with a clash between Potchefstroom Volkskool, and Union High at 07:00, at Voortrekker, while the Oranje second stringers take on Wykeham at the New Horizon Astro.

Results: Day 1

Marle Claassen Astro | Voortrekker

St Anne’s 3-1 Voortrekker
Hoerskool Sasolburg 2-0 Union High School
Oranje 3-0 St John’s DSG
Potchefstroom Volkskool 1-1 Oranje II
St Stithians College 4-2 Eunice
Beaulieu 1-1 Wykeham
Voortrekker 1-1 St John’s DSG
Epworth 3-0 Union High
St Anne’s 3-2 Beaulieu
Oranje 10-0 St Stithians College
Eunice 4-2 Wykeham

New Horizon Astro:

Noordheuwel 4-0 Epworth
Noordheuwel 4-3 Oranje II
Hoerskool Sasolburg 3-1 Witteberg
Monument 4-0 Our Lady Fatima
St Dominic’s College 4-0 Witteberg
St Dominic’s College 3-0 Potchefstroom Volkskool

Day 2 | Saturday, 24 February 2024

Marle Claassen Astro | Voortrekker

07:00 – Potchefstroom Volkskool vs Union HS; 07:55 – Epworth vs St Dominic’s College; 08:50 – Voortrekker vs Oranje; 10:40 – St Anne’s vs Noordheuwel; 11:35 – Monument vs Witteberg; 12:30 – St John’s DSG vs Eunice; 13:25 – Oranje vs Noordheuwel; 14:20 – Voortrekker vs St Stithians College; 15:15 – Eunice vs St Anne’s; 16:10 – Beaulieu vs St John’s DSG

New Horizon Astro

07:00 – Oranje II vs Wykeham; 07:55 – Our Lady of Fatima vs Hoërskool Sasolburg; 10:40 – Beaulieu vs St Stithians College; 11:35 – Union HS vs Oranje II; 12:30 – Potchefstroom Volkskool vs Epworth; 13:25 – Hoërskool Sasolburg vs Wykeham; 15:15 – Witteberg vs Our Lady of Fatima; 16:10 – Monument vs St Dominic’s College

 

A determined and hungry Durban Girls’ College (DGC) side will be on the hunt for their second piece of silverware this season when they contest the Old Petrian’s Water Polo Tournament at St Peter’s College over the weekend.

The annual event, recognised as one of the best girls’ water polo spectacles in the country, will see 28 schools compete for top honours, from Thursday to Sunday.

Last year’s winners, St Stithians College are seeded in an interesting Pool A with Alexander Road, Crawford, Herschel, Hudson Park, Kingswood College, and Rand Park High.

Meanwhile, DGC will contest Pool C along with the hosts, Collegiate, Pretoria Girls, Reddam House Constantia, Rustenburg, and St Dominic’s.

The Durban side heads into the tournament high in confidence after winning the National Aquatics Festival, which took place in KwaZulu-Natal earlier this month.

At that event, hosted by Maris Stella, Peter Lavett‘s side showed grit in the playoffs after finishing the pool stages unbeaten.

They held off Clarendon High 8-7 in the semi-finals before edging out St Mary’s Waverley in a thrilling title-decider.

“We were over the moon winning that tournament with such a young team, and with no Grade 12s!” Lavett revealed to SuperSport Schools.

“We trained quite nicely through January and had a good run at the Brian Baker Tournament in Makhanda, where we beat Clarendon.

“So, it was very nice to show our parents what we can do.”

In a gruelling final against St Mary’s, DGC claimed the honours on penalties after the match ended 7-7 after four chukkas.

It was their defence that shone, with several players making crucial blocks and steals with minutes left on the shot clock.

Lavett also said allowing young players to familiarise themselves with the tempo of the tournament early on reaped rewards for his side at a later stage.

“We took it one game at a time. The girls worked hard, and we focused a lot on our defence.

“Many of our young girls, who are in grade 10 and new in the team, got some water time and that paid off at the end of the tournament, where we had to show up.

“This season has started very nicely and I’m hoping we can continue the momentum into this weekend,” he added.

DGC, managed by Cortney Whitfield, will also need strong showings from some of their experienced players, including Inge Southey, Kayla Andrews, and Lara Mervis, if they are to go all the way in Johannesburg.

Durban Girls College fixtures at the Petrian’s Water Polo Tournament:

Thursday, 22 February

11:10- Durban Girls College vs St Peter’s College
17:00- Durban Girls College vs Rustenburg

Friday, 23 February

08:10- Durban Girls College vs Pretoria Girls
16:20- Durban Girls College vs St Dominic’s
18:40- Durban Girls College vs Reddam House Constantia

Saturday, 24 February

08:45- Durban Girls College vs Collegiate

The 13^th edition of the African Games, to be hosted in Ghana next month, will see the return of field hockey to the list of sports, with South Africa’s men’s and women’s teams set to represent the country during the two-week event.

The return of hockey, 21 years after it was last part of the Games, is highly anticipated.

From 1995, when South Africa first became a part of the continental showcase, the South African women’s team dominated the quadrennial event, claiming gold that year and in the following two editions, 1999 and 2003, but then hockey was removed from the schedule.

The 18-player squad announced by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) will be looking to pick up where their forerunners left off when the tournament kicks off at the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium on 8 March.

The team is filled with season campaigners, with the most experienced players being Dirkie Chamberlain, Celia Seerane, and Quanita Bobbs, a trio with over 600 caps between them.

A player who is aiming to hit her stride early in her career is Taheera Augousti, who is one of the younger members of the squad, with 26 international caps to her name.

Augousti is fresh out of school, after matriculating from Bloemfontein’s Eunice High School for Girls last year. However, at just 18 years old, she has quickly become an integral part of the South African side.

In an exclusive interview with SuperSport Schools, she revealed how thrilled the team was to be a part of the Games, how she has settled into international hockey, and the invaluable experience of playing alongside experienced campaigners.

“It’s really exciting for us. It will be a great experience to play against some of the best teams in Africa,” she said.

“We are going to be there for a while, and we will be using it as preparation for the Olympics, as well.

“I’m very excited to see what we can produce as a team.”

The youngster made her international debut against Italy late in 2022, in her grade 11 year, during a Nations Cup Tournament in Spain.

In 2023, she played for her country while also representing her school, in a season where they finished as the top-ranked team in the country.

She shared the challenges she faced during her transition from high school hockey to the international scene.

“It wasn’t that difficult. I played for my country in grades 11, 12, and this year.

“I could say it was more challenging during matric, because I still played school hockey, also, and the level was different, and I had to get used to the international tempo again.

“The biggest challenge I faced on the field was probably the amount of time I had on the ball. At the school level, you get a lot of time on the ball and a lot of space to run with the ball and make decisions.

“But now, at the national level, players are just quicker to get to you, and the speed of the game is much quicker,” she explained.

In her final year in school, Augousti played a leading role in the Eunice side that finished atop of the country’s rankings and scooped up several awards, including the Southern Free State League, and the Super 12 title.

She was also part of the Southern Free State side that defeated Boland 3-2 in the final of the Inter-Provincial tournament.

Despite achieving so much during her school playing days, she admitted that it was hard saying goodbye to her team, and head coach Nika Coertzen, who welcomed her into the first team when she was in grade nine.

“It was tough for me to say goodbye, especially seeing how we ended up on a high note.

“It was always a goal of ours to finish first in the country, ever since I made the team in grade 9. I, and one of the other players, were the only grade nines, and we built a strong relationship with the coach.

“So, saying goodbye to her and the team, after four years of playing in the team, was tough.

“We came short of finishing in the first place when I was in grades nine, 10, and 11, and it happened in grade 12, so to end my school career finishing first was amazing.”

At the international level, Augousti now plays with some of the most experienced hockey players in Africa, and says she is taking a lot of lessons from them.

“A lot of the players in the team, help me, and give me advice,” she said. “The senior players are very helpful, and I can speak to any of them.

“I’ve grown a massive liking for Erin (Christie), and Quanita (Bobbs), simply because they’re always helping me, motivating me, just like the rest of the team.”

South Africa will enter the African Games with qualification for this year’s Olympic Games in France secured.

They will be using the tournament as an opportunity to test their depth, combinations, and tactics, with Paris 2024 looming ever closer.

Improving the country’s medal tally at the Games will also be on the agenda, after South Africa achieved a total of 86 medals (36 Gold, 26 Silver, and 24 Bronze), across 11 different sporting codes, to finish fourth on the medals’ table in Rabat, Morocco, 2019.

South African Women’s Hockey Team

Taheera Augousti, Quanita Bobbs, Dirkie Chamberlain, Erin Christie, Kayla de Waal, Aphiwe Dimba, Paris-Gail Isaacs, Tarryn Lombard, Antonette Louw, Ntsopa Mokoena, Edith Molikoe, Hannah Pearce, Rheabetswe Phume, Celia Seerane, Kayla Swarts, Anelle van Deventer, Bianca Wood, Onthatile Zulu.

Management: Lyn Abrahamse, Giles Bonnet, Marcelle Keet, Nkuliso Zondi
Added team official: Wayne Lombard

The hosts were the in-form team during the first two rounds of the Old Mutual Roedean School Water Polo Prestige Cup, hosted in Johannesburg over the weekend.

The competition, which is into its 12^th year, returned with 10 schools locking horns over two days. There’ll be a long break until the final round, which takes place later this year, in October.

Apart from its competitive nature, the tournament is also used to encourage the participating schools to support under-resourced schools through the Learn-To-Swim-Programme.

Schools are urged to partner with and make their swimming facilities available to neighbouring schools to roll out the vital programme.

Last year’s winners, St Stithians College, were seeded in a pool of death alongside Roedean, St Mary’s Waverley, who had recently beaten them in the National Aquatics Festival, Rand Park and Beaulieu College.

Etienne Le Roux’s charges got off to a shaky start, going down 4-7 against the hosts in their opener on Saturday.

They did, however, bounce back with an emphatic 24-4 triumph over Beaulieu to end the opening day on a high note.

It was Reddam House Bedfordview who bossed pool B, claiming victories in both of their opening encounters, over Kingsmead and St Peter’s College respectively.

Each team played two matches on day two, and it was Roedean who started matters off with a 21-5 win over Beaulieu, before thumping Rand Park 25-0 in the fourth game of the day.

St Mary’s Waverley missed out on second place, despite also defeating Beaulieu. They were beaten 12-6 by Saints, who which secured second spot in Pool A for the winners.

The final three matches of the day produced 39 goals with Reddam House Bedfordview scoring 17 of those against a disjointed Crawford Lonehill side.

Bad weather, unfortunately, led to the last match, between Kingsmead College and Crawford, being called off.

The final round of action takes place on 12 October.

Results

Day 1: Round 1

Pool A

Roedean 14-7 St Mary’s Waverley
St Mary’s Waverley 20-2 Rand Park
Roedean 7-4 St Stithians College
Beaulieu 12-3 Rand Park
St Stithians College 24-4 Beaulieu

Pool B

Reddam House Bedfordview 4-2 Kingsmead College
St Dominic’s 17-7 Crawford Lonehill
Reddam House Bedfordview 16-1 St Peter’s College
St Dominic’s 7-2 Kingsmead
Crawford Lonehill 9-3 St Peter’s College

Day 2: Round 2

Pool A

Roedean 21-5 Beaulieu
St Stithians College 23-3 Rand Park
St Mary’s Waverley 11-3 Beaulieu
Roedean 25-0 Rand Park
St Stithians College 12-6 St Mary’s Waverley

Pool B

St Peter’s College 2-16 St Dominic’s
Reddam House Bedfordview 17-5 Crawford Lonehill
Kingsmead 5-1 St Peter’s College
St Dominic’s 6-5 Reddam House Bedfordview
Kingsmead vs Crawford- CALLED OFF

Round 3- Final/Playoffs

08:00 – Roedean School vs St Dominic’s; 09:00 – Reddam House Bedfordview vs St Stithians College; 10:00 – St Mary’s Waverley vs Crawford Lonehill; 11:00 – Kingsmead vs Beaulieu; 12:00 – St Peter’s College vs Rand Park; 13:00 – Loser Game 3 vs Loser Game 4; 14:00 – Winner Game 3 vs Winner Game 4; 15:00 – Loser Game 1 vs Loser Game 2; 16:00 – FINAL; 17:00- PRESENTATION.