Author: asawula

The annual SACS Night Series makes its return this week when six of the best water polo-playing schools in the Cape lock horns at the SACS main pool on Wednesday night.

The series, featuring the hosts, Paul Roos Gymnasium, Wynberg Boys’ High, Rondebosch Boys’ High, Reddam House Constantia, and Bishops Diocesan College will be played over six rounds.

The group stages stretch to 23 February, with the semi-finals and finals following four days later on 27 February.

Wednesday’s evening’s action begins with the hosts taking on Bishops at 17:00, before Rondebosch Boys’ High tackles Reddam. Wynberg close off day one’s proceedings against a dangerous Paul Roos side.

The matches will also help SACS, Bishops, Rondebosch and Paul Roos prepare for the St Andrew’s College (SAC) Shield, which gets underway in Makhanda on Thursday.

Last year’s night series was all about the home side as they bossed proceedings and recorded a 100 percent win rate in the group stages.

Coach Devon Card‘s team then breezed past Bishops, defeating them 14-6 in the semi-finals, before scrapping their way to an impressive 10-6 win against their old foes, Paul Roos, in the final.

SACS will be aiming to continue in the same vein as last year’s team, which was ranked number one in South Africa. But the competition in the Cape, as always, will be stiff.

Reddam House Constantia will be hurting after finishing last in 2023, while Wynberg, Rondebosch, and Bishops will be keen to take a step forward and challenge SACS and Paul Roos for top honours.

With Reddam keen to make a splash, their first-round match against ‘Bosch will be one to watch as the Constantia school aims to upset the apple cart.

Bishops will also be aiming to rattle the status quo when they tackle Paul Roos in round two. There’ll be an eagerly awaited showdown in round three, when SACS battle Paul Roos, while Bishops and Wynberg will go head-to-head in a southern suburbs’ clash in the last round before the playoffs.

All the action will be live on SuperSport Schools.

Fixtures

23 January

17:00- SACS vs Bishops
18:00- Rondebosch Boys vs Reddam House
19:00- Paul Roos vs Wynberg

31 January

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

7 February

17:00- Rondebosch Boys vs Wynberg
18:00- Bishops vs Reddam House
19:00- Paul Roos vs SACS

14 February

17:00- SACS vs Wynberg
18:00- Rondebosch vs Bishops
19:00- Reddam House vs Paul Roos

21 February

17:00- Bishops vs Wynberg
18:00- SACS vs Reddam House
19:00- Rondebosch vs Paul Roos

27 February

17:00- SF 1
18:00- SF 2
19:00- 5th/6th playoff
20:00- Final

There were wins for Kearsney College, Durban High School (DHS), Westville Boys’ High, Hilton College, and Clifton College in the year’s first weekend of water polo action in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.

Kearsney and DHS were the big winners, scoring over 20 goals each, and in the process thumping Glenwood High and St Charles College respectively.

The weekend’s action began at Kearsney where the hosts were brutal against a promising Glenwood side, and that showed when they rushed into a 5-0 lead in no time at all in the first chukka, with their first goal coming before 20 seconds had been played.

Blake Kruger and Thomas Aylward were both sublime in front of goal and came out firing in the second quarter to double their team’s tally to 10, while Glenwood was kept in the match courtesy of a hattrick by Matthew Botha, and a solitary goal by Blake Gardener.

Heading into the third chukka, the home side led 10-4, but they quickly changed the complexion of the match.

Nick Rodda’s side hammered home a mammoth 10 goals, while conceding only one, to take a 20-6 lead into the final quarter.

They kept that momentum going in the last chukka, closing down most of Glenwood’s attacking opportunities while clinically slotting their chances.

In an effort to keep Glenwood at bay, the hosts rotated their goalkeepers and introduced Elihle Hadebe, who represented KZN u19B last year, for the final two chukkas, and he conceded only three goals, while their attack, led by Aylward, Kruger, and Luca Sandri, kept finding a way through the Glenwood defence, leading Kearsney to a very comfortable 29-7 win.

Try as they might in the final two quarters, Glenwood was overpowered and outplayed.

There were five hat-trick scorers in the Kearsney team: James Pohl, Thomas Francke, Thomas Aylward, Luca Sandri, and Blake Kruger.

Around The Province

In Pietermaritzburg, Durban High School overran St Charles, who are taking a step up in competition before the unveiling of a state-of-the-art indoor aquatic centre in the near future, which will surely lead to a huge uptick in their fortunes. On Saturday, though, DHS raced to an emphatic 20-1 triumph.

The visitors dominated crucial aspects of the contest and kept growing the goal-scoring gap as the chukkas went by.

Marnu Koekemoer, Adrian Truter, Kirk Wilson, Ruan Basson, and Ryan Spooner all enjoyed stellar games as the Horseflies side got their season off to a winning start.

Dylan Cronje‘s men will take a solid boost of confidence with them as they prepare to battle an in-form Kearsney team next week.

Westville will also be satisfied with the way they started the new year, scoring a 12-6 win over Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg. Rhys Hall scored half of his team’s goals, while a double by Jared Byleveldt and solitary goals by Calvin Stanley, Calvin Deyzel, Drew Hollingsworth, and Max Scully secured the win.

Hilton College got the better of Northwood, thumping the boys from the north of Durban by 10 goals in a 16-6 win.

Paul Martin’s Clifton College hosted Michaelhouse in Durban in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Clifton Aquatic Centre.

Michaelhouse shocked the hosts with an early score, but Clifton, playing with assurance, netted five of their own without reply. From there, it was almost a case of one-for-one as the match ended 11-5 in favour of Clifton.

They’ve given up a lot of experience from their outstanding 2023 side, but Clifton still returns KZN u19A players, Ollie Ditz and Ross Strauss, and Ethan Lyne, the 2024 Head Boy, who represented KZN u19B. Goalkeeper Strauss, in particular, pulled off some remarkable saves in the early going of their win.

Results

Kearsney 29-7 Glenwood
Durban High School 23-1 St Charles
Hilton 16-6 Northwood
Westville 12-6 Maritzburg College
Clifton 11-5 Michaelhouse

Scorers

Kearsney (29): James Pohl (3), Thomas Francke (3), Thomas Aylward (6), Levi Thom (2), Luca Sandri (5), Ryan Sim, Robert Smith (2), Oliver Ludwig, Blake Kruger (6). Glenwood (7):  Matthew Botha (3), Blake Gardener (2), Kyron De Kok (2).

Westville (12): Jared Byleveldt (2), Rhys Hall (6), Calvin Stanley, Calvin Deyzel, Drew Hollingsworth, Max Scully. Maritzburg College (5): Mumford (3), Jansen, Robinson, Goddard.

DHS (23): Adrian Truter (4), Kirk Wilson (2), Ruan Basson (5), Jack Bowen, Blake Davidson, Riccardo Girrodo (3), Chris Dennysen, Zion Smith, Marnu Koekemoer (5), Ryan Spooner (2). St Charles (1): Connor Segar.

Michaelhouse (5): Reece Rezac, Bryn Retzlaff, Keegan Elliot, Oliver Guy, Nicholas Smithers. Clifton (11): (Scorers not provided).

Hilton (16): Meyer Malherbe (3), Tristan Uys (2), Garrick Phillips (2), Mitchell Wilson (2), Andrew Schnell (2), Mich Garreau (2), Thomas Taylor (2), Retief Malherbe. Northwood (6): (Scorers not provided).

Representing one’s country on the world’s biggest stage is undoubtedly every athlete’s dream.

It is the dream of donning your nation’s colours, singing the national anthem, and hearing the roar of fervent supporters while goosebumps gallop all over your body.

To aim for the top, it takes talent, relentless dedication, sacrifices, sweat, and tears invested.

That goal is, however, sometimes realised by those who dare to dream, and a duo that is certainly dreaming of those moments is Jessica and Cameron Thompson, from St Stithians College.

They have taken swimming in South Africa, and particularly in Gauteng, by storm. Aged 16 and 18 respectively, the two have set their eyes on representing South Africa at the Olympic Games in the near future.

In December, they wiped the floor with their opponents at the Central Gauteng Aquatics Championships, walking away with a mammoth total of 22 medals combined in their individual and relay events.

There was reward for their efforts. Firstly, Cameron was selected to represent South Africa at the Vladimir Salnikov Cup in Russia. There, he broke his personal best in the 50-metre freestyle, and 50- and 100-metre butterfly events.

His sister, Jessica, meanwhile, battled it out at the World Trials in KwaZulu-Natal, alongside the likes of SA swimming star, Erin Gallagher.

The 16-year-old held her own, demonstrating her grit and excellence with a second-place finish in the 50- and 100-metre butterfly events. She also added a fifth place in the 100-metre backstroke, competing against the best swimmers in South Africa in the open age category.

“As a mother, it’s been quite an experience to ensure they both lead balanced lives, follow good eating habits, as well as their ultimate dreams,” their mother, Liesel Thompson, told SuperSport Schools.

“Teenagers these days can often be led astray and focus on the wrong things. I’m so blessed that both acknowledge God in their plan and achievements and understand that it’s only by his grace that they will succeed.”

International exposure

The success of the two in December was just the tip of the iceberg, in what has been an interesting and rewarding career for the siblings in the pool.

Before the Aquatics Championships, both had represented South Africa at various international events. Jessica got her first taste of international swimming at the age of 15 when she attended the 8^th FINA World Junior Championships in Peru.

A year later, she made history at the Commonwealth Youth Games by twice breaking the South African record of Erin Gallagher in the heats and final to claim a 50m butterfly gold medal for South Africa. That was SA’s only gold medal in the pool.

A couple of months later, Jess was back in action at the 5^th annual BRICS Games, where she continued her prolific form.

She took home four silver medals – in the 50m butterfly, 50m backstroke, 4x50m freestyle relay and 4x100m freestyle relay – and a bronze in the 50m backstroke.

Jess also swam in the 9th World Aquatics Junior Championships in September, where she was the youngest competitor in the 50-metre butterfly and backstroke.

Despite achieving so much at a young age, Jessica is adamant about improving in the pool and reaching greater heights in 2024.

“I’m looking forward to the upcoming challenges of this year and what’s in store for me,” she told SuperSport Schools.

“My immediate focus is the SA National Juniors and SA Senior Nationals in April. The SA Short Course Champs later this year will be a qualifying gala for World Aquatics Short Course Champs held in Budapest in December.

“So, there’s very exciting times ahead,” she concluded.

Cameron, on the other hand, will set his eyes on shifting his career into a higher gear, after completing matric last year.

The 18-year-old told SuperSport Schools that he’s gunning for a scholarship to further his studies at a Division One, United States college. He hopes to also swim in NCAA competitions and is considering mechanical engineering as a career path.

During his school career, the lanky swimmer also put his family’s and the school’s name on the map. In 2022, he took part in the Region V games in Malawi before participating in the Swimming World Cup, and the Salnikov Cup in Russia.

To top it off, he competed in the South African Short Course Championships, which were held in Cape Town in August 2023, and he made the A final (top eight) in all of his events. He took home three bronze medals for his efforts in the 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle.

It was a demanding year. Apart from the time he devoted to his success in the pool, Cameron also had to focus on his academics, and a leadership role at Saints.

He was selected as a prefect, Head of Academics, and Swimming Captain in his matric year. He also prides himself on and is passionate about mathematics. Competing in the 2023 South African Mathematics Olympiad, he finished in the top 100 out of 80 000 participants.

“Swimming has allowed me to meet amazing people and to travel to exotic destinations,” he said, adding that his family’s support had enable him to stay focussed on the sport.

“My Dad also took up swimming and became a South African masters’ national champion, and my mother entered a masters’ gala, and it’s a sure-fire way to ensure that your parents don’t advise you,” he said, tongue-in-cheek.

“Once they experience the challenges and nerves, they back off and appreciate what it takes, and I’m truly blessed to be a part of this broader community.”

The Thompson duo certainly made history at St Stithians and will go down as the best swimmers the school has ever produced, an assertion that is backed up by one of their coaches, Brandon Hattingh.

Hattingh, who coaches the siblings at Aqua Athlete, based in Helderfontein, has described the two as hardworking and dedicated.

“To be a part of Jessica’s and Cameron’s success has been incredible, so far,” he said.

“Jess is one of the hardest-working swimmers I have had the privilege to train. She is meticulous in perfecting her technique and is constantly challenging herself with new ideas.

“I’ve been working with Cameron for less than a year. However, this young man has been incredible.

“He works just as hard as Jess does, and I can see that he is only scratching the surface of his potential and is a very dedicated swimmer, who has a bright future ahead of him.

“I see us as a team, and these siblings work incredibly well together. It has brought them closer together and I am very proud to be their coach.”

The South African Women’s Water Polo team is gearing up for the World Aquatics Championships, which take place in Qatar from 2 to 18 February.

The two-week event will test South Africa’s best against top international players, with the bulk of the teams aiming to use the spectacle as preparation for this year’s Summer Olympics, which will be hosted in Paris, France, from 26 July to 11 August.

The South African ladies will be coached by former SA player, Nicola Barrett. She is no stranger to the international scene, having played in various FINA tournaments, dating back to 2009 when the Women’s Junior Water Polo championships were hosted in Russia.

Since hanging up her headgear in 2019, Barrett has taken the coaching world by storm. Early in her career, she was entrusted with both the u15 and u16A SA Schools teams. She then had a stint at Rustenburg Girls’ High School, followed by Reddam House Constantia, and she has started this year as the Head of Water Polo at St Cyprian’s School in Cape Town.

This past December, Barrett led the Western Province u18 girls’ team to the final of the Inter-provincial Tournament in Gqeberha, where they were beaten 12-10 by Central Gauteng A. 

The team chosen for the showpiece in Doha is a mixture of experience and youth and includes 11 players who were involved in last year’s campaign in Japan.

Notable absentees are Olufunke Ganda and Clarendon girls’ first-team coach, Hannah Muller. The new additions are the former St Mary’s Waverley trio of Daniela Passoni, Amica Hallendorff, and Amber Penny.

The most experienced player in the squad is Megan Sileno, formerly of Reddam House Constantia, who currently holds the coaching reins at Hilton’s St. Anne’s Diocesan College.

The 34-year-old veteran also represented South Africa at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2023, she led the side to a 12^th place finish at the World Aquatics Champs, which was one place better than in 2022 when they finished in 13^th spot in Budapest. In Fukuoka last year, they defeated Argentina 12-9 to finish third in their group behind Greece and Italy respectively.

Sileno is a versatile player with nearly 20 years of experience in the game. She can play centre-back and centre-forward and will captain the side as it aims for a Top 10 finish in Qatar.

Two Eastern Cape schools are also represented in the team. Tumani Macdonald, and Chloe Meecham both matriculated from Stirling High School in East London, while Pearson High School‘s Yanah Gerber, who matriculated from the school in 2019, is also among those set to fly the South African flag abroad.

In 2020, after leaving Pearson, she joined Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and has become a key player in their team.

The South African squad also includes the University of Pretoria duo of Esihle Zondo and Shakira January, who attended Durban Girls’ College and St Stithians College respectively. They are also among the youngest players in the team, with Zondo turning 20, and January turning 21, this year.

January takes the experience of competing in Fukuoka last year into this year’s campaign. She also served the side as the vice-captain at those World Aquatics Championships.

While most of the 15-player squad comes from traditional water polo powerhouses, some players, like Ruby Versfeld, who attended Westerford High School in Cape Town, have defied the odds.

Versfeld participated in the Women’s Youth Water Polo Championships in 2014 and 2015 and has also represented California State University.

Gauteng’s Roedean School is represented by Boati Motau, while Nicola MacLeod is the only player from St Peter’s College.

Annie Thornton-Dibb matriculated from St Anne’s Diocesan College, while Meghan Maartens attended Gqeberha’s Collegiate Girls, and Kelsey Thomson matriculated from Rand Park High School.

South Africa is in Group D alongside Italy and Canada. They will be joined by either Hungary, France, or Great Britain, who all recently competed and qualified in the Women’s European Water Polo Championship, which was hosted in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, earlier this month.

The team

Megan Sileno (Reddam House Constantia), Meghan Maartens (Collegiate Girls), Kelsey Thomson (Rand Park High School), Tumani Macdonald (Stirling High School), Chloe Meecham (Stirling High School), Esihle Zondo (Durban Girls’ College), Shakira January (St Stithians College), Boati Motau (Roedean School), Ruby Versfield (Westerford High School), Annie Thornton-Dibb (St Anne’s Diocesan College), Nicola MacLeod (St Peter’s College), Yanah Gerber (Pearson High School), Amber Penny (St Mary’s Waverley), Daniela Passoni (St Mary’s Waverley), Amica Hallendorff (St Mary’s Waverley).

Schools’ waterpolo action returns to the fore this coming weekend when Paul Roos Gymnasium hosts its annual Pre-Season Water Polo Festival in Stellenbosch.

The two-day event starts on Friday and culminates with an epic clash between South African College High School (SACS), and St Andrew’s College, from the Eastern Cape, the following day at 17:00.

The festival will allow some teams to pick up from where they left off in 2023. For others, there will be an opportunity for new players to gel with the senior guys, while building combinations and working on tactical aspects of the game will be equally important ahead of several big tournaments coming up in the next two months.

Albeit that no champions will be crowned, the hosts and SACS will enter the festival expected to dominate their fixtures and pick up from where they left off last October.

The two sides were neck-and-neck in 2023, despite SACS winning two finals against the side from Stellenbosch in the latter part of the year.

SACS first claimed the Clifton Water Polo Tournament title, defeating the same Paul Roos 7-6 in the final. They repeated that feat against the same opponents shortly afterwards during their home festival, where they overcame their arch-rivals 6-3.

Another team aiming to use the festival to its advantage is St Andrew’s College.

The prestigious school from Makhanda competed against the country’s best last season and will be eager to improve on a promising season which finished with a semi-final spot at the St Stithians Water Polo Invitational. It will also present St Andrew’s with an opportunity to sharpen their skills before they host their water polo tournament later this month.

For the other Cape sides – Wynberg, Bishops, and Rondebosch – catching up or at least putting up a fight against SACS and Paul Roos will be the main objective. Another powerful side, Reddam House Constantia are, without a doubt, the dark horses and could spring a few surprises.

The matches will run for 30 minutes, with two breaks during the day. The organisers have also confirmed to SuperSport Schools that no scores will be kept as the festival is all about preparation for the forthcoming season.

Fixtures

Day 1:

09:00- Paul Roos Gymnasium vs St Andrew’s; 09:30- Wynberg Boys’ High vs Reddam House Constantia; 10:00- Bishops vs Rondebosch; 10:30- Paul Roos Gymnasium vs Wynberg Boys’ High; 11:00- Bishops vs St Andrew’s; 11:30- Reddam House Constantia vs Rondebosch Boys’ High; 12:30- Wynberg vs St Andrew’s; 13:00- Bishops vs Reddam House Constantia; 13:30- Paul Roos Gymnasium vs Rondebosch Boys’ High; 14:00- Wynberg vs Bishops; 14:30- Reddam House Constantia vs St Andrew’s; 15:00- Paul Roos Gymnasium vs Bishops; 16:00- Wynberg vs Rondebosch Boys’ High; 16:30- Reddam House Constantia vs Paul Roos Gymnasium; 17:00- St Andrew’s vs Rondebosch.

Day 2:

09:00- Paul Roos Gymnasium vs St Andrew’s; 09:30– Wynberg Boys’ High vs Reddam House Constantia; 10:00- Bishops vs SACS; 10:30- Paul Roos Gymnasium vs Wynberg Boys’ High; 11:00- Bishops vs St Andrew’s; 11:30- Reddam House Constantia vs SACS; 12:30- Wynberg vs St Andrew’s; 13:00- Bishops vs Reddam House Constantia; 13:30- Paul Roos Gymnasium vs SACS; 14:00- Wynberg vs Bishops; 14:30- Reddam House Constantia vs St Andrew’s; 15:00- Paul Roos Gymnasium vs Bishops; 16:00- Wynberg vs SACS; 16:30- Reddam House Constantia vs Paul Roos Gymnasium; 17:00- St Andrew’s vs SACS.

The annual Peninsula Cricket Festival, hosted in Cape Town, kicked off this week featuring 10 of South Africa’s cricket powerhouse schools.

The tournament is underway at Bishops Diocesan College and will conclude on Saturday, 13 January.

It’s one of the first cricket festivals of 2024 and an opportunity for teams to either continue their momentum from the previous year or create momentum for an exhilarating summer of school cricket.

The hosts, Bishops are joined by their fierce Southern Suburb rivals, Wynberg Boys’ High, SACS, and Rondebosch Boys’ High.

Hilton College, led by Ethan van Heerden, had a pretty good run in 2023 and topped it off by defeating Michaelhouse in their annual Pink Drive fixture towards the end of the season.

They’re joined by St Charles College, from Pietermaritzurg, who will also fly the KZN flag.

Gauteng is represented at the festival by Pretoria Boys High, Waterkloof, and St David’s Marist Inanda.

Saturday’s fixtures are especially mouthwatering, with Bishops set to tackle Pretoria Boys High, Rondebosch up against St Charles, Wynberg facing Affies, and SACS doing battle with St David’s. It’s a showdown between KZN and Gauteng in the last of the fixtures, with Hilton squaring off against Waterkloof.

FIXTURES

u19

Tuesday, 09 January 2024 (Declaration)
Diocesan College vs Hilton College (Frank Reid Oval – Diocesan College)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs St David’s (Cricket A – Rondebosch Boys’ High)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Waterkloof (Jacques Kallis Oval – Wynberg Boys’ High)
SACS vs Affies (De Villiers Oval – SACS)
St Charles College vs Pretoria Boys High (Rondebosch Cricket Club)

Wednesday, 10 January 2024 (Declaration)
Diocesan College vs St David’s (Frank Reid Oval – Diocesan College)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Waterkloof (Cricket A – Rondebosch Boys’ High)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Pretoria Boys’ High (Jacques Kallis Oval – Wynberg Boys’ High)
SACS vs St Charles College (De Villiers Oval – SACS)
Hilton College vs Affies (Rondebosch Cricket Club)

Thursday, 11 January 2024 (50 Overs)
Diocesan College vs Affies (Frank Reid Oval – Diocesan College)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Pretoria Boys High (Cricket A – Rondebosch Boys’ High)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Hilton College (Jacques Kallis Oval – Wynberg Boys’ High)
SACS vs Waterkloof (De Villiers Oval – SACS)
St Charles College vs St David’s (Rondebosch Cricket Club)

Friday, 12 January 2024 (50 Overs)
Diocesan College vs Waterkloof (Frank Reid Oval – Diocesan College)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Hilton College (Cricket A – Rondebosch Boys’ High)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs St Charles College (Jacques Kallis Oval – Wynberg Boys’ High)
SACS vs Pretoria Boys High (De Villiers Oval – SACS)
St David’s vs Affies (Rondebosch Cricket Club)

Saturday, 13 January 2024 (T20)
Diocesan College vs Pretoria Boys High (Frank Reid Oval – Diocesan College)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs St Charles College (Cricket A – Rondebosch Boys’ High)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Affies (Jacques Kallis Oval – Wynberg Boys’ High)
SACS vs St David’s (De Villiers Oval – SACS)
Hilton College vs Waterkloof (Range – Bishops)

u15

Tuesday, 09 January 2024 (Declaration)
Diocesan College vs Hilton College (Oaks – Diocesan College)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs St David’s (Meadow A – Rondebosch Boys’ High)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Waterkloof (Silverhurst A – Wynberg Boys’ High)
SACS vs Affies (Memorial – SACS)
St Charles College vs Pretoria Boys High (TBC)

Wednesday, 10 January 2024 (Declaration)
Diocesan College vs St David’s (Oaks – Diocesan College)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Waterkloof (Meadow A – Rondebosch Boys’ High)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Pretoria Boys High (Silverhurst A – Wynberg Boys’ High)
SACS vs St Charles College (Memorial – SACS)
Hilton College vs Affies (TBC)

Thursday, 11 January 2024 (50 Overs)
Diocesan College vs Affies (Oaks – Diocesan College)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Pretoria Boys High (Meadow A – Rondebosch Boys’ High)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Hilton College (Silverhurst A – Wynberg Boys’ High)
SACS vs Waterkloof (Memorial – SACS)
St Charles College vs St David’s (TBC)

Friday, 12 January 2024 (50 Overs)
Diocesan College vs Waterkloof (Oaks – Diocesan College)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Hilton College (Meadow A- Rondebosch Boys’ High)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs St Charles College (Silverhurst A – Wynberg Boys’ High)
SACS vs Pretoria Boys High (Memorial – SACS)
St David’s vs Affies (TBC)

Saturday, 13 January 2024 (T20)
Diocesan College vs Pretoria Boys High (Oaks – Diocesan College)
Rondebosch Boys’ High vs St Charles College (Meadow A – Rondebosch Boys’ High)
Wynberg Boys’ High vs Affies (Silverhurst A – Wynberg Boys’ High)
SACS vs St David’s (Memorial – SACS)
Hilton College vs Waterkloof (Silverhurst B – Bishops)

TEAMS

Affies

u19: Jorich Van Schalkwyk, Henre Smith, JP Botha, Divan De Villiers, Janco Purchase, Ruben Groenewald, Vihan Pretorius, Matthew Seymore, Petrus Rautenbach, Andru Van Zyl, Daniel Murray, Armin Snyman, Xavier De Wet.

u15: Dawie Barnard, Schalk Coetzee, Andre Grove, Mike Hartman, Zian Labuschagne, Nico Loggenberg, Zeann Marais, AJ Morkel, Dylan Stander, Darius Swanepoel, Jacques Swardt, Ethan Williams.

Bishops

u19: Waco Bassick, Calum Daniels, Wa-keem Fortuin, David Handley, Kashief Joseph [Captain], Ben Koenig, Michael Kotze [Vice-captain], Adnaan Lagadien, Peyton Leigh, Tiaan Louw, James Robb-Quinlan, Samuel Stavely-Alexander, Alex Vintcent.

u15: Callum Anderson, Tristan Brunton, Caleb Clark, Fawaaz Davids, Shafiek Joseph, Imraan Leith, Nick Mackay, Daniel Perold, Michael Rich, Deen Rinquest, Matthew Schultz, Robbie Vintcent, Travis Williams.

Hilton College

u19: Charles Swart [Vice-captain], Murray Loughlor-Clarke, Ethan van Heerden [Captain], Ben Hockly, Natenzi Denenga, Luke Campbell, James Ogilby, Chris Wagner, Jarred Kitto, Ben Erasmus, Liyema Nela, Kyle Christie, David Hill, Didier Rey.

u15: Ben Wilson [Captain], Cameron Hargroves, Ryan Jellis, Ross Hill, Obakeng Motsepa, Sean Erasmus, Matthew Bastard, Aiden Clubb, Anthony Crossley, Sean Burman, Max Dalrymple, Arjun Wadhwani, Murray Meye.

Rondebosch Boys’ High

u19: Nathan Ball, Caleb Belelie (wk), Daniel Bosman, Daniel Cooke, Noah Heath, David Simon [Vice-captain], Raeeq Daniels [Captain], Declan Gillespie, Daniel Powell, Joshua Neill, James Kirsten, Hlumelo Mgweba.

u15: Eli Aufrichtig, Matthew Brooks, Jack Bradshaw, Liam Beukes, Schalk Fourie, Daniel Roos, Joshua Kirby, Arin Spiller, Nur Limbada, Jonathan Neill, Naveed Parker, Liam Lewis, Zion van Rensburg.

SACS

u19: Rowen Taplin, Luke Whitehead, Reza Salie [Captain], Keagan Borst, Kieran Bowers, Litha Kraai, Matthew Carrick, Nicholas Nejthardt, Ulrich Roth, Nicholas Oscroft, Tim Hodgkinson, Josh van Staden, Benji Blackburn.

u15: Raadhi Dollie, Joshua Azevedo Van Dyk, Aqeel Waggie, Abhay Kalan, Jordan Berry, Tauhir Ismail, Rayyan Salie, Bryce Gilder, Reece Engelbrecht, Dominique Raisbeck, Callum Wyngaard, Thomas Cominos, Josh Brink.

Pretoria Boys High

u19: Adam Cannata [Captain], Jenson Breetzke, Johan Coetzer, Aeron Edwards, Tim Gordon, Connor Hall, Graydon Lubbe, Luke Marshall, Patrick Mouton, Nicholas Rossouw, Tim Tattersall, Marc van der Merwe (wk), Joseph van Dijk, Jacques Marais (scorer).

u15: Ethan Nel [Captain] (wk), Justin Basdeo, Liam Biddulph, Christo Brand, Ruan Coetzee, Kaiden Darvall, Louis Kruyshaar, Kagiso Maepa, Xavier Martin, Janus Ras, Abri Strauss, Jayden White.

St Charles College

u19: Cian Fortmann, Marcell Wellmann, Daksesh Rajah, Connor Riley, Rico Honiball, Tristan Montile, Tinotenda Nzua, Stefan Veldsman, Thandolwethu Zama, Timothy Schoeman, Kaiyuran Naidoo, Connor Simpson, Dresden Coetzee.

u15: Hlubelihle Nkosi, Prezlin Govender, Christiaan Prinsloo, Dylan Leppan, Antoni Wellman, Blake Francis, Caleb Sharp, Jayden Saville, Keegan Vermaak, Owen Widdows, Relebogile Mokoena, Ryan Clarke, Samuel Bishop.

St David’s Marist Inanda

u19: Matthew West, Samrat Basu, Jared Beilings, Oliver Botha, Joshua Evens, Ethan Greenstein, Joshua Jacobs, Shavir Maharaj, Armaan Manack, Morteza Manack, Kamogelo Phiri, Reece Reddy, Jason Rowles, Avela Sibisi.

u15: Didintle Kotsedi, Ayabulela Adonis, Dylan Arlow, Kai Davis, Hayden Ewing, Riley Huddlestone, Ganesh Kamireddy, Kairav Koobair, Abahle Mhlanzi, Matthew Nicholson, Neo Qhu, Joshua Sacharowitz, Kyle Stokoe.

Hoërskool Waterkloof

u19: Wian Ruthven, Divan Behrens, Marcus Bakker, Beukes van den Berg [Captain], Riley Miller (wk), Rico van der Walt, Franco Cronjé, Franco Schmidt, Jaydon Blom, Jacques van Niekerk, Luan Ferreira, Riley Vockerodt, Johan Feuth.

u15: Jean Cloete [Captain], Vorster de Villiers, Wian du Plessis, Mieder Erasmus, Wynand Gouws, JJ Thom, Benyal Morkel, Wian Rademan (wk), Christiaan Smit, Johan Ernst, Etienne Stiglingh, Rivan Booysen, William van den Berg.

Wynberg Boys High

u19: Beni Hansen [Captain], Storme Van Rooyen, Paul James, Shadley Allie, Divan Linde, Muhammad Ameen Schroeder, Xavier Garvs, Ebrahim Fakir, Ishan Khan, Michail Tarentaal, Ethan Leibrandt, Luke Kleinsmith, Joshua Prince.

u15: Jordan Berry, Josh Nicholson, Noah Du Plooy, Harbin Smith (Capt.), Tayo Adriaan, Jake Bowles, Ian Lawrence, Josh Gulle, Connor Fourie, Yaqeen Gamieldien, Eesa Fakir, Hugo Norambuena, Daniel Wolmarans.

Central Gauteng‘s domination of the Schools Water Polo South Africa girls’ u19 Inter-Provincial Tournament was underlined when the South African Schools team, named at the conclusion of the event on Wednesday, included two players from the Central Gauteng B side.

While the Central Gauteng A side captured the title with a 12-10 win over a feisty Western Province outfit, Central Gauteng B came from behind to defeat KwaZulu-Natal 4-3 in a penalty shootout, after their playoff for third place had ended 5-5, to finish the tournament in a lofty third position.

Their Amy Smith and Jessica Black, both from St Mary’s Waverley, contributed crucial goals in the knockout stages and were named in the 15-player squad. The selections also included four players from St Stithians Girls’ College, who represented the Central Gauteng A squad: Charlotte Crick, Georgia Eccles, Jenna Penney, and Liyakhanya Ndamane.

Kara Wicht, and the Roedean duo of Michaela Bonaventura and Mia Loizides, who scored a cracking five in the final, were also, unsurprisingly, included in the side.

Crick received the Best Attacker Trophy after Western Province A had edged out Central Gauteng A in the u19 boys’ final, the last match of 421 played from u13 to u19 level, all in Gqeberha.

Ndamane, meanwhile, was recognised as the Best Goalkeeper, and Penney, who will be representing South Africa for a second year in a row, picked up the Player of the Tournament Trophy.

It wasn’t quite a clean sweep of the individual awards for Central Gauteng, with Hannah Banks, from the Western Province A side, being presented with the Best Attacker Trophy. Banks also topped the individual goal scoring charts, netting 33 times. She was joined in the SA Schools squad by her Reddam House teammate Emma Catto and Herschel‘s Morgan Christian.

KwaZulu-Natal landed Emma Thornton in the line-up, while Buffalo City‘s Tori Voke also cracked the nod, much to the delight of the home supporters.

Nelson Mandela Bay‘s standout player during the week, Kingswood College‘s Matipa Karimazondo, is also in the frame, and will add value on defence and attack to a side that is filled with experience. Karimazondo was influential for her side and ranked second in the tournament with 11 blocks.

Etienne le Roux, of the champion Central Gauteng A side, was named the coach of the team, while Western Province’s Nicola Barrett will manage the squad.

It will also be the last time Le Roux works with the Central Gauteng players as he’s due for a move to Rondebosch Boys’ High next year.

Lee-Anne Stewart and Matthew Stringer were appointed referees.

SA Schools Squad

Amy Smith (St Mary’s Waverley, Central Gauteng B), Charlotte Crick (St Stithians College, Central Gauteng A), Emma Catto (Reddam House, Western Province A), Emma Thornton (St Anne’s Diocesan College, KwaZulu-Natal), Georgia Eccles (St Stithians College, Central Gauteng A), Hannah Banks (Reddam House, Western Province A), Jenna Penney (St Stithians College, Central Gauteng A), Jessica Black (St Mary’s Waverley, Central Gauteng B), Kara Wicht (St Dominic’s, Central Gauteng A), Liyakhanya Ndamane (St Stithians College, Central Gauteng A), Mia Loizides (Roedean, Central Gauteng A), Michaela Bonaventura (Roedean, Central Gauteng A), Matipa Karimazondo (Kingswood College, Nelson Mandela Bay), Morgan Christian (Herschel, Western Province A), Tori Voke (Clarendon High School, Buffalo City)

The Central Gauteng A u19 girls’ team have successfully defended their Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial title after they edged Western Province A 12-10 in the final on Wednesday morning in Gqeberha.

The Gauteng side, one of the most successful teams in the past decade at the tournament, were forced to dig deep against a resilient Province side in front of an energetic crowd at the Grey High School swimming pool.

Both sides were high in confidence coming into the final after maintaining 100 percent records throughout the pool stages and knock-out matches.

They matched up well, with Gauteng proving ruthless in front of goal throughout the week, while Western Province coach Nicola Barrett’s troops were resolute in defence, despite conceding a few goals in the latter stages of the knock-out matches.

Seeking to get out of the blocks quickly, both sides began the match at a high tempo, with Gauteng opening the scoring early in the first quarter through a Jenna Penney penalty.

Province hit back immediately with two goals from Morgan Christian. First, she found herself in space and slotted the ball in the right-hand corner before some interlinking passes between her teammates created another opportunity for Christian to grab a second and put Province 2-1 ahead after the first eight minutes.

The match opened up in the second and third chukkas, and that’s when Gauteng hit the front.

Coach Etienne Le Roux’s experienced side was able to extricate itself out of pressure situations and his players came to life, scoring four times to take the lead from their Cape rivals. Frequent goal scorer, Mia Loizides, was once again in the front line, grabbing a hattrick, while Kara Wicht, who had come to the fore over the previous two days, also got her name onto the scoreboard.

Trailing by two goals entering the final quarter, Western Province looked hurried and harassed in front of goal, whereas Gauteng were firing on all cylinders and building scoreboard pressure.

They closed out the match with three late goals by Loizides, Wicht, and Francesca De Villiers. Try as they might, Province just couldn’t reel in the Central Gauteng total despite impressive showings by Morgan Christian and Hannah Banks, who both contributed four goals apiece.

“We made it a bit tough in the final. I thought that we could’ve done a bit better, but at the end of the day, a gold medal is a gold medal,” Le Roux told SuperSport Schools after the final whistle.

In the second quarter, Central Gauteng A appeared to be a mere shadow of the side they were in their semifinal clash against their B team, and they were doing just enough to stay in the contest.

Le Roux said he didn’t have to do that much talking at half-time.

“I think, in the beginning, we created a lot of chances, and we just didn’t put the ball in the back of the net,” he said.

“We spent about three minutes at halftime breathing, and everyone with their eyes closed, and I just told the players that they’ve got this, and they just needed to execute like they’ve done in the last four to five years of their careers.

“I’m just so proud of the team, and their efforts and the hard work they’ve put in during the last weeks. It’s been amazing to see them get this reward,” he concluded.

For Province, their wait for an IPT title continues, and it’s another heartbreak in the final against the same opponents, who also defeated them in the 2018 title game.

They will, however, hold their heads up high having shown fighting spirit until the final whistle.

Their goalkeeper, Naledi Kaseya, was influential in keeping her side within reach of Central Gauteng, pulling off a total of eight saves in the first three chukkas of the match.

Coach Barrett had words of praise for her net-minder: “I think our keeper had a hell of a game today, and she pulled out all the stops,” Barrett said.

She also admitted she didn’t think her players brought their best to the final: “I thought our energy was really low. I don’t think we replicated the energy we brought against KZN, and that was probably because the nerves got to us in the second and third chukkas.

“We just made silly little mistakes, but I’m super happy with the girls. I thought we did well.”

Earlier in the day, KwaZulu-Natal came just short of claiming the bronze medal when they were edged out 4-3 in a penalty shootout by Central Gauteng B in the 3^rd/4^th play-off match.

KZN started brightly and led 5-3 at halftime, courtesy of goals by Christy Dudas, Marlise Pretorius, and a hattrick by Taylor Cherry.

Central Gauteng’s Amy Smith led the fightback, netting twice, while Amy Mather struck three times, and Tatum Rogers and Morgan Harrison added goals to leave the contest knotted up a 7-7 after regulation time.

Nelson Mandela Bay also ended their campaign on a high by claiming a 13-10 win over their provincial rivals, Buffalo City, to finish fifth at home.

Zimbabwe picked up a 6-4 win against Western Province B, and Eastern Gauteng finished 10th after thumping the Northern Tigers 20-3.

Final Standings

Central Gauteng A
Western Province A
Central Gauteng B
KwaZulu-Natal
Nelson Mandela Bay
Buffalo City
Zimbabwe
Western Province B
Eastern Gauteng
Northern Tiger

Results| Day 5

Central Gauteng A 12-10 Western Province A

Central Gauteng A – Jenna Penney (3), Mia Loizides (5), Kara Wicht (3), Francesca De Villiers. Western Province A – Morgan Christian (4), Hannah Banks (4), Emily Van Heerden (2).

Central Gauteng B 7 (4)- KwaZulu-Natal 7 (3)

KwaZulu-Natal – Christy Dudas, Taylor Cherry (3), Marlise Pretorius, Annabelle Hardie, Caitlin McMurray.
Central Gauteng B – Amy Mather (3), Tatum Rogers, Amy Smith (2), Morgan Harrison,

Nelson Mandela Bay 13-10 Buffalo City

Nelson Mandela Bay – Teagan Harty (3), Amie Jenner, Matipa Karimazondo (3), Anna Pinto (4), Jamie Lacey, Olivia Connellan.
Buffalo City – Chelsy Hendry (2), Jasmine Koch (2), Alex Albers (2), Tori Voke (2), Gemma Hannafay, Gabbi Whitebooi.

Zimbabwe 6-4 Western Province B

Zimbabwe – Erin Bent (4), Erin Van Hoof, Lauren Ashwin.
Western Province B – Isabella Tooley, Amy Pettipher, Abigail Bester (2).

Eastern Gauteng 20-3 Northern Tigers

Eastern Gauteng – Maddison Griffin (7), Megan Keira Venter (3), Emma Nicle Spronk (2), Myra Strydom (3), Alana Vermaak, Alshe Hope De Klerk, Jessica Edkins, Akunna Chikeka.
Northern Tigers – Ngandu Darina Muzungu (2), Meghan Venn.

The final of this year’s girls’ u19 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament will be contested by Western Province A and Central Gauteng A at the Grey High School Swimming Pool on Wednesday in Gqeberha.

Both teams have impressed all tournament long, but they’ll be eager to take it all the way across the finishing line when they go for gold.

For Central Gauteng A, the final presents an opportunity to win back-to-back titles after getting one past KwaZulu-Natal last year. Meanwhile, a rejuvenated Province side will be on a mission to exorcise the disappointment of a fifth-place finish in last year’s campaign.

The final is also a repeat of the 2018 tournament, which was won by the Gauteng-based team in East London.

During the week-long tournament, both sides have been viewed as the favourites, rightfully so, considering the calibre of players they have in their arsenal.

They’ve scored a combined 251 goals in their matches to underline just how dangerous their attacking abilities are, although both, at times, have shown some inconsistencies on the defensive front.

To reach the final, Western Province had to execute their game plan to perfection as they faced a KwaZulu-Natal outfit that had struggled for cohesion in the first semifinal.

KZN also played the match without their head coach, Paul Martin, who received a red card and was shown his marching orders in the quarterfinal against Nelson Mandela Bay earlier in the day.

Province, high in confidence after scoring 20 goals in their quarterfinal against their B-side, picked up from where they left off, dominating ball possession, and capitalising on KZN’s errors.

Reddam House Constantia’s Hannah Banks was influential and opened the scoring early in the first chukka. Her side kicked on from there, putting KZN under immense pressure, and despite goals from Marlise Pretorius, and Taylor Cherry, Province led 8-2 after the second chukka.

The KZN ladies showed some fighting spirit in the third chukka. They defended well and halved the deficit with goals by Emma Thornton and Amber Lewis.

However, with Martin’s voice absent on the bench, they failed to keep Province at bay, and a further six goals in the second half secured a hard-fought win for the ladies from the Western Cape.

Reacting to the contest, head coach, Nicola Barrett, said she was thrilled that her team had made the final. She was also adamant a lot needs to be fixed defensively if they are to win the title.

“I’m super chuffed. The girls worked hard in that game, and it was one of our better games in terms of being better on the ball and moving it fast,” she told SuperSport Schools.

“I think just our blocking – we need to touch on that. Our defence was so much better today, although they did manage to get a few goals in. We want to work on that.”

The second semi-final, meanwhile, was a provincial battle between the Central Gauteng A and B teams.

The reigning champions didn’t have it easy against their provincial counterparts, who put them under pressure from the first whistle to the last.

Head coach Etienne Le Roux’s frustrations were visible from the touchline, despite his side leading for the majority of the encounter.

At the halfway mark, the A team was just 7-5 ahead. It was only in the fourth chukka, when Gina Sguazzin, and Ruby Carlson doubled their tallies, that they managed to put the contest to bed.

Speaking after the match, assistant coach Kyla Moolman said the team was delighted to be afforded the opportunity to contest another final, but they will need to bring their A-game against a dangerous Province side.

“That was a bit of a rocky match, but we are pleased that we’ve made the final again,” she told SuperSport Schools.

“I think the girls underestimated the B team, and going forward we can’t do that with Western Province. The team has prepared well enough, and we are ready for the final.”

Earlier in the day, Nelson Mandela Bay lost to KwaZulu-Natal 2-3 on penalties, after the teams had ended the first quarterfinal level at 5-5.

The home side would have felt a little let down after producing arguably their best performance of the tournament.

They were sound in all departments, with all-rounder, Matipa Karimazondo, making six blocks and contributing one goal. Goalkeeper, Julia Hough, was also immense, making 13 saves.

Eastern Gauteng remained winless after a narrow 10-11 loss to Zimbabwe, for whom Erin Bent scored four and Kiara Kenny three.

In the last two matches of the day, Nelson Mandela Bay beat Western Province B, while their provincial neighbours, Buffalo City, took down Zimbabwe.

Teagan Harty and Anna Pinto starred for the hosts in their win over the Capetonians, scoring 10 goals between them, while Tori Voke was the stand-out player for Buffalo City, scoring another hat trick.

Scorers

Results| Day 4

KwaZulu-Natal 5 (3) – 5 (2) Nelson Mandela Bay

KwaZulu-Natal – Emma Thornton, Amber Lewis (2), Caitlin McMurray (2).
Nelson Mandela Bay: Matipa Karimazondo, Teagan Harty (3), Anna Pinto.

Western Province A 20-7 Western Province B

Western Province A – Tyra Penney (3), Tayla Kreymborg, Emily Van Heerden (2), Hannah Banks (3), Isabella Roche (2), Roxanne Uys, Amy Van Breda, Emma Catto (2), Erin-Belle Nordgaard, Olivia Geddes, Tetra Hollenbach (2), Alexa De Villiers.
Western Province B: Isabella Tooley (4), Jemma Stearns, Tara Roos, Amy Pettipher.

Central Gauteng A 20-2 Zimbabwe

Central Gauteng – Jenna Penny (3), Gina Sguazzin (2), Georgia Eccles (3), Charlotte Crick (2), Kara Wicht (3), Georgia Cope (2), Ruby Carlson, Mia Loizides (3), Michaela Boaventura.
Zimbabwe – Lauren Ashwin, Erin Bent.

Central Gauteng B 15-8 Buffalo City

Buffalo City – Tori Voke (2), Alex Albers, Jenna Tarr, Gabbi Whitebooi, Alison Woodin, Julianna Saffy, Tatum Knox.
Central Gauteng B – Amy Smith (3), Amy Mather, Jessica Black (2), Emma Van Rensburg, Morgan Harrison (3), Emma Morely (2), Humairaa Bodiat, Amy Stubbs (2).

Western Province A 14-9 KwaZulu-Natal

Western Province – Hannah Banks (5), Tyra Penney, Roxanne Uys, Emma Catto (2), Amy Van Breda, Roxanne Uys, Alexa De Villiers, Morgan Christian, Emily Van Heerden.
KwaZulu-Natal – Marlise Pretorius (2), Taylor Cherry, Emma Thornton (2), Amber Lewis, Caitlin McMurray (3).

Central Gauteng A 15-7 Central Gauteng B

Central Gauteng A – Jenna Penney (2), Gina Sguazzin (2), Georgia Eccles (4), Kara Wicht, Ruby Carlson (2), Lauren Fox (2), Mia Loizides, Charlotte Crick.
Central Gauteng B – Amy Mather (2), Morgan Harrison, Amy Smith (2), Cecilia Petersen, Emma Morley.

Western Province B 29-4 Northern Tigers

Western Province B – Jemma Stearns (2), Leilla Hibling (6), Isabella Tooley (6), Claire Dekker, Keisha Delaney, Kate Formby (4), Amy Pettipher (8), Abigail Bester.
Northern Tigers – Christien Steenekamp, Ngandu Darina Muzungu, Mulan Perring (2).

Zimbabwe 11-10 Eastern Gauteng

Zimbabwe – Kiara Kenny (3), Erin Bent (4), Erin Van Hoof (2), Charlotte Martell, Zoe Denslow. Eastern Gauteng  – Maddison Griffin (4), Megan Keira Venter, Emma Nicole Spronk (4), Myra Strydom.

Nelson Mandela Bay 13-7 Western Province B

Western Province B – Jemma Stearns, Leila Hibling, Isabella Tooley, Kate Formby, Amy Pettipher (2), Nicole Bantom.
Nelson Mandela Bay – Teagan Harty (4), Jasmine Witthuhn, Anna Pinto (6), Jamie Lacey, Jorja Ross.

Buffalo City 10-8 Zimbabwe

Buffalo City – Tori Voke (3), Roxy-Lee van Eek, Alex Albers (2), Chelsy Hendry (2), Julianna Saffy, Jasmine Koch.
Zimbabwe – Lucy Wood, Erin Bent (3), Charlotte Martell, Shannon Cooke, Lauren Ashwin, Bailey Knox.

There was a total of 33 hattricks scored between the nine matches played on day three of the girls’ section at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament hosted at the Newton Park Swimming Pool in Gqeberha on Monday.

Western Province A, Central Gauteng A, and KwaZulu-Natal all secured vital wins, and in the process booked their spots for the quarterfinals scheduled to kick off on Tuesday morning.

KwaZulu-Natal bounced back well after a tough 3-15 defeat against reigning champions Central Gauteng on day two.

Paul Martin‘s side came out of the gates strongly against Eastern Gauteng, scoring a mammoth 22 goals courtesy of a fiver from Caitlin McMurray, and four goals each by Christy Dudas and Emma Thornton.

Amber Lewis was also on song, and accurate in front of goal, adding a hat trick to her team’s tally.

Later in the day, KZN were back in the pool against Western Province B, a side known for its fighting spirit and a never-say-die attitude, which was visible in their 16-9 triumph against Eastern Gauteng the previous day.

It was not an easy ride for the KwaZulu-Natal ladies, as the girls from Cape Town gave them a solid run for their money.

Braces by Amy Hargroves and Caitlin McMurray, and solitary goals from Georgina Stephenson, and Marlise Pretorius gave the side a 6-3 lead at the halfway mark.

Coach Martin’s speech at the break must’ve been inspiring as his team returned to double their lead, and conceded only one goal in the process, and just like that they had booked their spot in the tournament’s quarterfinals.

“So far, we haven’t played our best water polo this whole tournament. I’m hoping that it clicks now in the knockout stages,” Martin told SuperSport Schools.

“There’’ a lot of talent here. It’s a young talented team, but it’s more a case of cutting out those individual errors.

“If seven players in the water don’t make mistakes, you’re going to be a good side. We want to get the basics right and stop trying to be too fancy and just work as a unit,” he added.

Another coach who was relieved to make it past the group stages was Western Province’s Nicola Barrett.

After playing to a 16-16 draw against the hosts earlier in the tournament, Western Province have delivered one emphatic performance after another.

On day three, the Western Cape side was made to work extremely hard for their win against the Central Gauteng B team. In-form players like Hannah Banks, Amy Van Breda, and Tyra Penney all came to the fore, scoring crucial goals in a tight 14-8 victory.

Their second match of the day against the Northern Tigers was an exhibition, or one that was used as a “practice” match, ahead of the knock-out stages as the Capetonians overwhelmed the Tigers, scoring 28 goals while conceding only three.

Nevertheless, head coach, Nicola Barrett was ecstatic with her charges’ showing in the pool after that nerve-wracking draw against the hosts on Sunday.

“I think [in] that game, we came in very slow and struggled with our defence, and it just felt a little bit sluggish. But we regrouped, and I think the girls responded well to the other top team in the pool, Gauteng B,” Barrett said after the day’s play.

“We needed it (the wins). We were in a dark place as a team on Sunday, but we pulled ourselves out of it, and we are in a good space now.

“I think the confidence from these last two matches is epic, and we are looking forward to the playoffs,” she added.

Reigning champions, the Central Gauteng A team, continued their dominance in the pool and maintained their 100 percent record in the tournament.

First up, they made light work of Buffalo City, outscoring them by 24 goals to eight.

Lauren Fox, Georgia Eccles, Mia Loizides, Georgia Cope, and Charlotte Crick all scored hattricks in the win. Tori Voke, who scored a brace against the Gauteng side, was a shining light for Buffalo City, who struggled to find any momentum.

Reacting to the match, Gauteng’s head coach, Etienne Le Roux said he was delighted that his side would enter the playoff stages unbeaten, adding that he expects his players to maintain their tempo.

In other matches, Nelson Mandela Bay picked up another win, beating Zimbabwe 14-8.

Central Gauteng B bounced back from their earlier defeat to Province’s A side by scraping through against Zimbabwe, and Buffalo City concluded the round-robin stages in the best way possible with a narrow win over Western Province B in the last match of the day.

A hat-trick of goals by Tori Voke, alongside Roxy-Lee van Eek’s brace and the bravery of goalkeeper, Maya Klopper, who made crucial saves in the last two quarters, proved just enough for the Eastern Cape side as they held on for a nervy 9-8 win.

Results | Day 3

KwaZulu-Natal 23-3 Eastern Gauteng

KwaZulu-Natal – Caitlin McMurray (5), Marlise Pretorius (2), Christy Dudas (4), Emma Thornton (4), Amber Lewis (3), Annabelle Hardie, Taylor Cherry, Claire Hind, Amy Hargroves, Cara Meldrum. Eastern Gauteng – Alana Vermaak, Megan Keira Venter, Maddison Griffin.

 Western Province A 14-9 Central Gauteng B

Central Gauteng B – Cecilia Petersen, Humairaa Bodiat (2), Amy Smith (2), Amy Mather, Amy Stubbs (2), Emma Morley.
Western Province A – Emma Catto (2), Hannah Banks (4), Amy Van Breda (2), Erin-Belle Nordgaard (2), Tyra Penney (3), Morgan Christian.

 

Central Gauteng A 24 – 8 Buffalo City

Buffalo City – Jasmine Koch, Tori Voke (2), Tatum Knox, Jenna Tarr, Gemma Hannafay, Julianna Saffy, Alison Woodin.
Central Gauteng A – Kara Wicht (2), Lauren Fox (4), Georgia Eccles (3), Mia Loizides (3), Georgia Cope (3), Francesca De Villiers (2), Charlotte Crick (3), Jenna Penney (2), Ruby Carlson.

Nelson Mandela Bay 14-5 Zimbabwe

Nelson Mandela Bay – Teagan Harty (2), Amelia Brown (3), Amie Jenner (3), Matipa Karimazondo (3), Anna Pinto, Jorja Ross.
Zimbabwe – Natalie Hazelden, Erin Bent (3), Zoe Denslow.

KwaZulu-Natal 12-7 Western Province B

KwaZulu-Natal – Georgina Stephenson, Amy Hargroves (2), Marlise Pretorius, Caitlin McMurray (2), Emma Thornton (2), Taylor Cherry (2), Amber Lewis, Christy Dudas.
Western Province B – Isabella Tooley, Kate Formby, Tara Ross (3), Amy Pettipher (2).

Western Province A 28 – 3 Northern Tigers

Western Province A – Tyra Penney (4), Roxanne Uys (4), Alexa De Villiers, Erin-Belle Nordgaard, Olivia Geddes (5), Tetra Hollenbach (3), Tayla Kreymborg, Hannah Banks (3), Isabella Roche, Morgan Christian, Emile Van Heerden (4).
Northern Tigers – Ngandu Darina Muzungu (3).

Central Gauteng A 28 – 2 Eastern Gauteng

Eastern Gauteng – Maddison Griffin, Myra Strydom.
Central Gauteng A – Jenna Penney (2), Gina Sguazzin, Georgia Eccles (2), Charlotte Crick (2), Francesca De Villiers, Kara Wicht (3), Georgia Cope (3), Ruben Carlson (3), Lauren Fox (5), Mia Loizides (6).

Central Gauteng B 16-12 Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: Jessie Sparrow, Natalie Hazelden (3), Erin Bent (3), Lauren Ashwin (2), Charlotte Martell, Bailey Knox (2).
Central Gauteng B: Amy Smith (2), Morgan Harrison, Humairaa Bodiat (2), Emma Van Rensburg, Amy Stubbs, Amy Mather (3), Jessica Black (4), Morgan Harrison, Cecillia Petersen.

Buffalo City 9-8 Western Province B

Buffalo City: Tatum Knox, Roxy-Lee van Eek (2), Alex Albers, Tori Voke (3), Jasmine Koch (2). Western Province B: Kiara Bester, Amy Pettipher (2), Tara Roos, Isabella Tooley (2), Leila Hibling, Nicole Bantom.