Author: asawula

Apart from the major festivals that take part every weekend around South Africa, are the exhibition matches, formally known as Derby matches between rival schools in the respective provinces on weekends.

This past weekend was no different when Water Polo is concerned, as schools in the Eastern Cape faced each other before concluding their respective seasons.

Collegiate, Pearson High School, and Woodridge, all from Gqeberha welcomed The Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) to town this weekend for u15 and first-team fixtures.

While in East London, Clarendon Girls hosted a second consecutive Water Polo tournament. This time around, however, it was for the second teams, an opportunity for the girls to stake their claims for the first team side ahead of next year.

Six schools partook in the tournament, with the DSG u16 team having a taste of what it felt like facing older, and tougher opposition.

Gqeberha derby:

The derby matches played in Gqeberha were hosted at Collegiate Girls High School.

The u15 section saw the hosts dominate proceedings, thumping Pearson (11-1) before edging out Woodridge (5-2), and then ended their campaign on a low when they lost to DSG (5-2) in their final match of the day.

The senior section was hard-fought, and Pearson High would’ve left happy after managing to hold the hosts to a four-all draw in the opening match.

Collegiate however managed to bounce back and got their first victory against Woodridge. Just like their u15 side, they also ended the day on a terrible note, losing to the same DSG (6-1).

 

Harrison 2^nds Water Polo Festival:

The tournament, which featured only second teams from the respective schools went on for only one day.

The schools in attendance were Stirling High School, Hudson Park, Kingswood, DSG (u16), Clarendon, and Pearson High School.

In some of the exciting matches on display, Hudson Park opened proceedings with a resounding (8-0) win against Stirling High School.

The DSG u16 side also showed some powerhouse thumping the same Stirling (8-0), before wins for Kingswood against Pearson and a (10-0) drubbing from the hosts against the u16 side completed the day’s proceedings.

The results:

Gqeberha Derby:

u15 A

Collegiate 11, Pearson 1; Collegiate 5, Woodridge 2; DSG 5, Collegiate 2.

1^st XV

Collegiate 4, Pearson 4; Collegiate 8, Woodridge 3; DSG 6, Collegiate 1.

Harrison Water Polo Festival:

Hudson 8, Stirling 0; Hudson 5, DSG (u16) 3; Pearson 5, Stirling 1; Hudson 6, Kingswood 1; Clarendon 12, Pearson 0; DSG (u16) 5, Kingswood 4; Hudson 8, Pearson 4; Clarendon 10, Kingswood 0; DSG (u16) 8, Stirling 1; Kingswood 6, Pearson 5; Clarendon 10, DSG 0.

• The Buffalo City u19 team has an opportunity to defy the odds and cause an upset when they contest this year’s Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Gqeberha.

The action in the pool kicks off on Saturday. 9 December, and concludes with the last round of matches to determine the final placings on Wednesday, 13 December.

Buffalo City, formally known as Border, will make the short trip to Gqeberha with upsets on their collective mind, particularly when they face their provincial rivals, Nelson Mandela Bay.

The East London side is drawn in the same pool as the hosts, alongside Western Province A, Central Gauteng B, and Western Province B.

They begin their campaign against Central Gauteng B before ending day one with a highly anticipated showdown against Nelson Mandela Bay in the last match of the opening day. Day two will be no easier for the Eastern Cape team. They first face Western Province B in the early afternoon before taking on the Western Province A side in an evening game.

Unsurprisingly, the team features 10 players from Eastern London’s sporting factory, Selborne College, while there are two representatives from Merrifield College, and one from Hudson Park High School.

Head coach, Khanyisa Mpumlwana, who is also a rugby coach, and the Director of Water Polo at Hudson Park, is adamant that his side is fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead.

“I’m looking forward to IPTs. Being so close to home means less traveling, which does help a lot, mentally and physically,” he told SuperSport Schools in an exclusive interview.

“This year we have a very difficult pool, and the structure of our u19 section is a do-or-die situation.

“I’m pleased with the squad we have. It’s a well-balanced team. We have school representation from three East London schools, and all the boys are well suited for their positional roles.”

The Buffalo City side has also had the opportunity to train with last year’s IPT winners, Central Gauteng, in preparation for the inter-provincial tournament.

The defending champions have once again named a strong team as they aim to go back-to-back.

Mpumlwana believes the sessions his team had in the pool with the Gauteng side will help them as they seek to improve on the seventh place, which they achieved in 2022 in KwaZulu-Natal.

“This year, the aim is to make it to the semi-finals, which establishes your province as being in the top four best water polo-playing provinces in your age group.

“This year is also the first time in Buffalo City history where we got to collaborate and have a four-day training camp with the Central Gauteng u19A and B, as well as their u16A, teams.

“It was a massive step in the right direction for water polo and Buffalo City. Central Gauteng u19A won the Nationals last year, and this year we got to train with the champions for four days. That has given us a good measure of our goals and ambitions for these IPTs, and how far behind or on par we are with the best.”

Despite the tough draw, Mpumlwana and his troops know that matches will be determined in the pool and not on paper. He will, however, need some of his top players – including Devinito Jafta, Josh Carr, Charlie Caswell, Reece Miles, Anthony van Hermelen, and Phillip Wagner – to fire on all cylinders from the outset.

The coach said he is optimistic that his charges’ opening game against the hosts will set them up nicely for a gruelling week in “the Windy City”.

“Nelson Mandela Bay is always a massive challenge. They play good water polo,” he said.

“Their team is normally made up of Makhanda and Gqberha schools, and they have a never-say-die attitude, so it becomes a massive dogfight between our two provinces. I feel it will be a massive challenge as they are the hosts and are playing for the pride and hearts of Gqberha.”

BUFFALO CITY u19

Sean Audie (Selborne College), Daniel Breetzke (Selborne College), Joshua Carr (Selborne College), Charles Caswell (Selborne College), Sandon Grotjohn (Selborne College), David Hall (Merrifield College), Devinito Jafta (Hudson Park High School), Matt Johnson (Selborne College), Reece Miles (Selborne College), Kairon Roux (Selborne College), Anthony van Hermelen (Merrifield College), Philip Wagner (Selborne College), Micah-Jay Whittam (Selborne College).

Group B Fixtures

Saturday, 9 December

13:05 – Buffalo City vs Central Gauteng B
19:35 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Buffalo City

Sunday, 10 December

13:30 – Buffalo City vs Western Province B
18:55 – Buffalo City vs Western Province A

Gqeberha’s Grey High School has appointed Andrew Beynon the school’s Director of Hockey from 2024

An Old Grey, he joins the school from their neighbours, Collegiate Girls’ High School, and will add a wealth of experience to the already well-established and thriving Grey hockey programme.

Apart from being accustomed to the traditions of Grey and having represented the school at first team level during his playing days, a statement from Grey said Beynon stood out during the application process and was a good fit for the criteria they had for the position.

“Grey High School is proud to announce the appointment of Andrew Beynon as our new Head of Hockey,” the school announced via social media platforms.

“Andrew’s wealth of knowledge and experience shone through during a lengthy and thorough interviewing process. He has excelled in his position of Director of Hockey at Collegiate Girls’ High School.”

During his time at the Gqeberha girls’ school, Beynon transformed Collegiate into a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Cape. He also led the school to finish near the top of the national rankings every season he was in charge.

Under Beynon, Collegiate won numerous titles, and they went up against the best in South Africa when participating in tournaments such as the Spar Hockey Challenge, and the Super 12.

He was present, too, during the challenging times of the Bio-Bubble Hockey Festival, which was hosted in Makhanda under strict conditions in 2021. Collegiate came away the champions on that occasion, beating Diocesan Girls 1-0 in the final.

Beynon, who is a SAHA level 3 accredited coach, was also previously the Head Coach of the Eastern Province men’s team and served as a trainer with the SA u16 and u17 teams. He currently coaches the Nelson Mandela University Ladies‘ side in the Premier League and has won several medals as an indoor hockey coach.

“As an Old Grey, Andrew understands what it means to represent the Grey and understands both the ethos and culture of our school,” the press release read.

“His experiences will aid him in building upon the existing hockey structures at Grey High School.

“There is undoubtedly a very strong talent pool of hockey players at Grey High School, and we look forward to seeing our new Head of Hockey maximise their potential while also growing our hockey programme, thereby keeping us competitive with our country’s best hockey-playing schools.”

Grey confirmed, too, that not only will Beynon take over as the Director of Hockey from Corbyn Dolley, but he will also take over the coaching reins of the 1st XI from Mazan Dos Santos.

International schools’ representation in sports such as rugby, cricket, and hockey has incrementally grown and become a norm in South Africa in recent years.

Last year, the Grey College rugby side represented the country at the World Schools Festival. Meanwhile, the SA u17 hockey team has just returned from the Dato Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia, and the South African surfing team is currently battling the waves at the World Junior Surfing Championship in Brazil.

However, it has become apparent that it’s not only the so-called “major” sporting codes that are capturing the spotlight for South Africa abroad. Cape Town teenager Holly Smith is excellent evidence of that.

Smith, who is a grade 11 pupil at Camps Bay High School, participates in one of the more unusual sporting codes in South African schools, canoeing.

Her heroics have seen her light up the scene on the water and receive national recognition.

Earlier this year, the determined, resilient, and hard-working athlete as described by her school’s head of sport, Busi Ngcwama, wrote her name into the history books by claiming the u18 Junior Women’s K2 Doubles Marathon title in Denmark.

She and her companion, Georgia Singe, from Fish Hoek High School, held their nerves to stave off a strong challenge from the Spanish duo of Maria Martinez and Lidia Zornoza to claim gold and the titles of world champions.

Smith was not yet done. She was on a mission to end the year on a high note, and she achieved wonders at both the Shaw and Partners Western Australia Race Week, the biggest event on the Australian ocean paddling calendar, which was held from the 18th to the 25th of November in Perth, and the 2023 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships, which also took place off the coast of Perth, from the 30th of November to the 3rd of December.

During her time Down Under, Smith was phenomenal on the water. She started her campaign in the best way possible by claiming multiple titles at the Shaw and Partners WA Race Week.

She was crowned the overall Shaw and Partners Junior Girls Race Week champion after winning The Shaw and Partners Doctor and The Fenn West Coast Downwinder.

The Doctor is a 27-kilometre surf ski event, from Rottnest Island to Sorrento Beach, and Smith won the junior title in 2:13:33.1, finishing just under 38 seconds ahead of the runner-up, Kaitlin Rees.

The Fenn West Coast Downwinder, as the name suggests, is a downwind race, covering 24 km, from Fremantle to Sorrento Beach. Smith won by a similar margin to her victory in The Doctor, finishing 42 seconds ahead of her nearest challenger, Alyssa Bailey, for the junior girls’ honours in 1:40:49.2.

It was then time for the Camps Bay High pupil to showcase her skills at the World Championships.

In her first race, the single surf ski event, she was consistent, and dominant, taking the challenge to her opponents and racing away to first place in a fast 01:32:17.2, which put her well over a minute clear of runner-up Lara Cellier-Henriquez of Spain, and Australia’s Alyssa Bailey, who placed third, more than three minutes off the pace.

Looking to end the World Championships on a high, Smith also put her name up for the junior mixed doubles race alongside Heath Clarke this past weekend. This time, she had to settle for third place and a bronze medal.

Victory went to the Australian duo of Alyssa Bailey, and Ziko Vesely, with the Spanish team of Enrique Garcia Torres and Lara Cellier Henriquez claiming silver.

Reacting to his daughter’s superb performances, Holly’s father, Mike Smith, lauded her hard work and dedication as the reasons for her success.

“As a parent, it’s awesome to watch one’s child growing and living life to the full and being rewarded handsomely for the dedication, sacrifices, and commitment,” he told SuperSport Schools.

“Sometimes I worry that she misses out on her teenage years with the sacrifices one needs to get to this point, but it’s incredible watching her journey.”

Smith also says Holly’s top performances in big events are bringing financial relief for his daughter, as investors are starting to take notice.

“She has been given the tools, but it’s she who puts in the hard yards, and if she takes these life lessons through life the world can be her oyster.

“We are beyond proud and it’s also great to finally see a couple of sponsorships coming her way, which means the world to her.”

Holly returns to South Africa this week and will be due a rousing welcome from her family and school after making them proud on the global stage.

South Africa’s quest for top honours in the u17 Dato Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia came up just short when they fell 3-4 to a ruthless India in the final on the weekend.

Meanwhile, the girls’ team finished in fourth spot, after they went down 0-2 to India in the 3rd/4th place playoff.

The boys’ side entered the final high in confidence after recording some impressive performances during the week.

After losing their opening match 2-3 against Australia, they bounced back to crushed Malaysia A and Malaysia B before playing to a thrilling 3-3 draw with India in the round-robin stages.

That meant coach Justin Collin’s team had scored 21 goals in three matches, making them the top scorers from the round robin matches. They looked deadly in front of goal and committed in the midfield and at the back.

The final was, however, always going to be a different kettle of fish and that proved to be the case from the onset with South Africa put under pressure from the start.

India went onto the offensive from the start, asserting their gameplan early on. They were assertive and brutal in front of goal, striking three times in the first two chukkas to take a 3-0 lead into the break.

There appeared to be no way back for South Africa, but their fighting spirit came to the fore after half-time as they took the game to India.

Skipper Reuben Sendzul, who plies his trade at Paul Roos Gymnasium, was the catalyst, netting a hattrick to level at 3-3.

However, having evened the scores, a lapse in concentration allowed the Indians, who reportedly fielded an u16 side, a golden opportunity from a penalty corner with just under three minutes to play. The pounced, taking the lead again at 4-3, and held on to take the gold medal.

Standout players

What the week-long tournament revealed, from a South African standpoint, is that boys’ hockey is in good hands and in a healthy state.

The South African, with minimal time to train as a unit before the event, showed up, quickly fostered team cohesion, and displayed many examples of individual brilliance.

SACS’s Litha Kraai, one of the most promising young talents in the country, scooped up the Player of the Tournament accolade for his superb contributions to his team.

Kraai marshalled the midfield and was also a goal-scoring threat, getting onto the scoresheet against Australia and Malaysia during the week.

However, the Top Goal Scorer went the way of South Africa’s skilful captain, Sendzul.

Leading from the front, he twice notched hattricks, firstly against Malaysia B, and then again in the final against India.

Others who caught the eye included Lethabo Bongacwi from Durban High School, who claimed the Man of the Match accolade in their first match against Australia.

James Grieve’s performance against Malaysia B saw him take the award, while it was Matthew Mendes De Oliveira’s turn against – Malaysia A, and Ruard Booysen’s in the 3-3 draw against India.

In other results, Malaysia A restored some pride, playing in their home tournament, by beating Australia 4-3 in the 3rd/4th place playoff.

Full results:

South Africa 2-3 Australia
South Africa 11-1 Malaysia B
South Africa 7-0 Malaysia A
South Africa 3-3 India
South Africa 3-4 India

Overall standings:

India – Gold medal
South Africa – Silver medal
Malaysia A- Bronze medal
Australia – Fourth place
Malaysia B- Fifth place

The South African u17 Girls’ team will feel a little let down after going down 0-2 against India in the 3rd/4th place play-off match as the u17 Dato Mirnawan Tournament in Malaysia wrapped up over the weekend.

South Africa lacked intent and firepower in front of goal, uncharacteristically, considering they had exhibited a cutting edge in a number of their previous matches.

They had started slowly, going down 1-4 against eventual silver-medallists Japan in their opener.

However, coach Omari Pienaar-Geyer’s side bounced back in emphatic style, scoring eight goals against the Malaysian B side in their second match before playing to an impressive 0-0 draw after an arm-wrestle against Australia the following day.

South Africa hit their straps the next time out, thumping Malaysia A 7-0.

On the final day of round-robin matches, South Africa produced their best performance of the tournament against India. After trailing the whole game, they managed to convert two penalty corners in the final 30 seconds of the clash to clinch a heart-stopping come-from-behind 2-1 win, with Dainfern College’s Amber Fairon and Durban Girls College’s Ruby Kraus finding the back of the net.

Those last-minute heroics were, however, absent in the play-off match, as South Africa were outplayed by the same opposition.

From the start, India enjoyed the majority of the possession, forcing the green and gold to defend for most of the opening chukka.

They were certainly on top of their game and scored two goals in quick succession to take a handy two-goal lead into halftime.

Try as they might, the South African girls’ team just couldn’t get themselves back into the match, which allowed the Indians to avenge their earlier defeat, and also finish just about South Africa in the final standings.

The South African management team will, however, be satisfied with the strides made by their charges. The SA team’s Amber Fairon was also the tournament’s top goal scorer.

There were, furthermore, some fantastic performances from the likes of Tara Pakendorf, who was named the Player of the Match in the 3^rd/4^th place play-off.

Liliyfontein’s Thabelani Metu was also superb in front of goal, scoring a whopping four goals against Malaysia B during the week. Captain Tanya Pieterse also walked away with a Player of the Match accolade for her impressive showing in the 2-1 win over India.

Full results:

South Africa 1-4 Japan
South Africa 8-0 Malaysia B
South Africa 0-0 Australia
South Africa 7-0 Malaysia A
South Africa 2-1 India
South Africa 0-2 India

Overall standings:

Australia- Gold medal
Japan- Silver medal
India- Bronze medal
South Africa- Fourth place
Malaysia A- Fifth place
Malaysia B- Sixth place

 

The u17 international Mirnawan Cup, being played in Malaysia, has reached its halfway mark and, so far, the South African national hockey teams have put on an impressive showing against some of the world’s best on the turf.

The girls’ and boys’ teams landed in Southeast Asia with intentions of making an impact, and to rule out any idea that they were there to make up the numbers.

Led by Northwood’s Justin Collins (boys), and Waterkloof’s Omari Pienaar-Geyer respectively, the squads appeared to be strong and competitive.

However, they were also not naïve, knowing well the size of the challenge that awaited them in the form of some of the world’s leading international teams.

In their opening match on Sunday, the girls tasted defeat, going down 1-4 to Japan, in a match in which they could have achieved more, considering the many opportunities that they created.

Tara Pakendorf, from Durban Girls College, scored the solitary goal for South Africa, while her fellow schoolmate, Emily Macquet, scooped the Player of the Match accolade after turning in an impressive showing.

Geyer’s side was soon back in action on Monday, this time around against Malaysia B. From the opening whistle, South Africa rocketed out of the blocks, playing commanding hockey, maintaining ball possession, and capitalising on their opportunities.

They slammed home a mammoth eight goals, while a superb defensive effort, which was applauded by the management, saw them keep a clean sheet.

Thabelani Metu, who hails from Lilyfontein High School in East London, stole the show, netting four times. Unsurprisingly, she took home the Player of the Match award.

South Africa will be satisfied with the outcome of their third match, after playing to a goalless draw against powerhouses, Australia. Hoerskool Monument’s Hannah Quinton was picked as one of the influential players in that match.

The side will have a day’s rest on Wednesday, before resuming their campaign with fixtures against Malaysia A and India, on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

The boys’ team, on the other hand, will enter their final pool matches high in confidence, despite losing their opening match 2-3 against Australia.

In that match, Australia started on the front foot, scoring two goals in the first two quarters to leave the South Africans trailing at the halfway point.

The second half was tightly contested with Collins’ team playing most of the hockey and creating opportunities.

South Africa struck twice, with Selborne College’s Tre’ Gilbert netting the first from a penalty corner. SACS’s stalwart, Litha Kraai, also struck to make it close, but Australia held on for the win.

An impressive showing from Durban High School’s Lethabo Bogacwi earned him the Man of the Match award.

The South Africans quickly moved on from that one-goal defeat and, when they faced Malaysia B, they demonstrated their potential to its fullest.

The visitors outplayed the hosts from the first quarter, and scored a whopping 11 goals, while conceding only one, to get their campaign back on track.

The goal-scoring festival was led by skipper, Rubel Sendzul, who netted two penalty corners, and a field goal.

The ever-present Litha Kraai got himself on the scoresheet again, contributing two of his own, while the remainder of the goals were spread around, with Joshua Smit, Joshua Mettler, Grant Bridgeford, Lethabo Bogacwi, Ethan Lee, and Reece Theunis all finding their way onto the scoresheet. James Grieve was named the Man of the Match.

Collins’ side will, after taking a well-deserved day’s break, return to action against Malaysia A and the highly rated India, on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Forthcoming Fixtures

Boys

Thursday, 23 November: 04:00 (SAST)- South Africa vs Malaysia A

Friday, 24 November: 04:00 (SAST)- South Africa vs India

Girls

Thursday, 23 November: 11:00 (SAST)- South Africa vs Malaysia A

Friday, 24 November: 09:00 (SAST) – South Africa vs India

The fixtures for this year’s edition of the Water Polo Inter-Provincial tournament, set to be hosted in Gqeberha from 9-13 December, have been released. The tournament brings together the country’s top players in the Windy City for what could be a tournament for the ages.

The girls’ section in this year’s tournament has scaled down from 11 teams to 10, while Boland has been replaced by the Northern Tigers.

The home side, Nelson Mandela Bay, will kick off proceedings with a clash against Central Gauteng B on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, last year’s champions, the Central Gauteng A side, will face Western Province B in the match of the day.

Buffalo City, coached by the experienced Hanna Muller, will play two matches, firstly facing KwaZulu-Natal at midday, before taking on the Eastern Gauteng team in the final game of the day.

The hosts, Nelson Mandela Bay, took away the bronze medal in last year’s edition hosted in KwaZulu-Natal. They’ll be aiming to climb two further steps up the ladder in front of their home supporters.

Their team is full of experienced players plying their trade for some of the best schools in the province.

Diocesan Girls School and Kingswood College dominate the team, while Teagan Harty and Jorja Ross, from Pearson High School, add their skills to the mix.

Nelson Mandela Bay will be deeply tested on day two when they face one of the favourites, Western Province A, before finishing the day with a clash against the Northern Tigers. They complete their pool schedule against Zimbabwe on Monday, 11 December.

The other team to keep a close eye on is, without a doubt, last year’s winners, the Central Gauteng A team. Not only did they dominate in the girls’ section, but their boys made it a double by claiming victory in KZN.

The Gautengers will be counting on the experience of Jenna Penny, who was selected for the SA Schools team last year.

Penny will be aiming to go back-to-back alongside her St Stithians’ schoolmates, Lauren Fox, Charlotte Crick, and Gina Sguazzin.

Penny’s side will play against KwaZulu-Natal on day two, before jumping in the pool to play two competitive matches on the final day of the round-robin stages against Buffalo City and Eastern Gauteng respectively.

Another eye-catching match to look out for is the clash between Zimbabwe and the Northern Tigers on day two.

Day three will be mouth-watering: Buffalo City will have their sights set on an upset win over Central Gauteng A, while a clash of the titans is on the cards between KwaZulu-Natal and Western Province.

*The final will be played on the 13^th of December at 10:50 at the Grey High School swimming pool.

POOLS

Group A: Central Gauteng B, Nelson Mandela Bay, Northern Tigers, Western Province A, Zimbabwe.

Group B: Buffalo City, Central Gauteng A, Eastern Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Western Province B.

FIXTURES

Saturday 9, December:

*All fixtures will be played at the Newton Park Swimming Pool on Day 1.

12:00- Nelson Mandela vs Central Gauteng B; 13:05- Kwa-Zulu Natal vs Buffalo City; 14:10- Zimbabwe vs Western Province A; 15:15- Western Province B vs Central Gauteng A; 16:20- Central Gauteng B vs Northern Tigers; 17:25- Buffalo City vs Eastern Gauteng.

Sunday, 10 December:

*The first three fixtures of day 2 will be played at Alexander Road High School – the rest, at Newton.

12:20- Nelson Mandela vs Western Province A; 13:25- Kwa-Zulu Natal vs Central Gauteng A; 14:30- Zimbabwe vs Northern Tigers; 17:00- Western Province B vs Eastern Gauteng; 18:05- Nelson Mandela Bay vs Northern Tigers.

Monday, 11 December:

*All fixtures on Day 3 will be played at the Newton Park Swimming Pool.

09:40- Kwa-Zulu Natal vs Eastern Gauteng; 10:45- Central Gauteng B vs Western Province A; 11:50- Buffalo City vs Central Gauteng A; 12:55- Nelson Mandela Bay vs Zimbabwe; 14:00– Kwa-Zulu Natal vs Western Province B; 15:05- Western Province A vs Northern Tigers; 16:10- Eastern Gauteng vs Central Gauteng A; 17:15- Zimbabwe vs Central Gauteng B; 18:20- Buffalo City vs Western Province B.

Twelve schools are represented in the 18-player South African men’s u21 hockey squad, which is set to participate in the FIH Junior World Cup in Malaysia next month.

The tournament starts on the 5^th of December and will see South Africa make the trip with the intention of improving on their recent performances in the Southeast Asian nation.

The South Africans have been seeded in Pool B, alongside African giants’ Egypt, whom they beat at the beginning of 2023 to be crowned African champions, and the European nations of Germany and France.

Guy Elliott‘s troops enter the event on the back of a not-so-impressive showing during last month’s Sultan of Johor Cup, which was also held in Malaysia, and won by their pool opponents, Germany, who beat Australia 3-1 in a penalty shootout after the final finished 0-0.

Playing in the tougher of the two pools, South Africa’s results in the tournament included a 1-6 loss to Germany, a 1-2 defeat to Great Britain, and a 0-4 loss to Australia. After failing to register a win during the pool stages, South Africa suffered a narrow 1-2 loss to the hosts, Malaysia, in the 7^th/8^th place playoff.

That team, however, was quite different to the one that will do duty in December, with seven changes having been made to that line-up. Contrast that, too, with the squad that won the Junior Africa Cup; only nine of those players are in the Junior World Cup squad. It should be a stronger team, without a doubt, than the one that was recently in action in Malaysia.

When the South African Hockey Association last week confirmed the squad for junior hockey’s biggest event, it featured players from a handful of the top hockey-playing schools in the country.

From Jeppe Boys High, 18-year-old Jaydon Brooker has been called up after a stellar season leading the Johannesburg school. He is the youngest player in the team and is joined by Jeppe Old Boy, Ross Breytenbach.

If you missed it, read here: SA’s Rising star, Brooker is just getting started.

SACS and Bishops, both from the Western Cape, have three players each in the squad.

The SACS boys are Damian Knott, Nathan Ansell and Gianluca Virissimo. Ansell, who was the Head Boy, matriculated in 2020, while Knott and Virissimo are from the class of 2021. Their neighbours, Bishops, will be represented by Daniel Neuhoff, James Flint, and rising star, Mustapha Cassiem.

Paul Roos Gymnasium also had two of their former players selected, Hans Neethling and Sian Maart. The rest of the side is made up of players from King Edward VII (Reece Govender), Maritzburg College (Ayakha Mthalane), and Hilton College (David Tshebi).

Cameron Le Forestier, from Park Town Boys High, is also included, along with Beaulieu College‘s Fawaaz Kahder, while Cape Town’s Langa Hockey Club is represented by Thabang Jeyi. Leruo Ditlhakanyane who, like Brooker, is in matric in 2023, is from Durban High School, and Calvin Davis flies the flag for Kearsney College.

South Africa will kick off its campaign on the 5^th of December against Germany at 11:00. The side will also be looking to draw inspiration from the men’s team who won the African Olympic Qualifier earlier this month to secure a place at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The Team

Leruo Ditlhakanyane (Durban High School), Jaydon Brooker (Jeppe Boys High), Ross Breytenbach (Jeppe Boys High), Ayakha Mthalane (Maritzburg College), Calvin Davis (Kearsney College), Cameron Le Forestier (Parktown Boys High), Damian Knott (SACS), Daniel Neuhoff (Bishops), David Tshebi (Hilton College) Gianluca Virissimo (SACS), Hans Neethling (Paul Roos Gymnasium), Thabang Jeyi (Langa Hockey Club), Sian Maart (Paul Roos Gymnasium), Reece Govender (King Edward VII), Nathan Ansell (SACS), Mustapha Cassiem (Bishops), James Flint (Bishops), Fawaaz Kahder (Beaulieu College).

It’s just under a month before the annual Inter-provincial Water Polo Tournament kicks off in Gqeberha in December.

The tournament will see provincial teams from around the country make the trip down to the windy city for a series of fixtures to determine which team is the best in South Africa.

The hosts, Nelson Mandela Bay, are underdogs, but they will be aiming to cause an upset and win the title in their home waters. They will be banking on home-ground advantage, their familiarity with conditions in the City, and the ever-present local support.

The boys’ and girls’ senior teams for the occasion have been finalised, with players from many of the Eastern Cape’s top schools – including Grey High School, Kingswood College, St Andrew’s College, Diocesan School for Girls, and Pearson High School – well represented.

The boys’ side has eight players from Grey High School, and three from Makhanda’s St Andrew’s College, who were in sublime form during the season.

Pearson High has two representatives: Zack Willimott and Salmaan Abrahams.

The side will aim to tap into the confidence the St Andrew’s players will bring, after they finished their season on a high by claiming a bronze medal at the St Stithians Water Polo Invitational tournament last month.

College’s Nicholas Franklin is also one to look out for. He was one of the most impressive players in action at the Saints Invitational, where he earned himself a place in the team of the tournament.

The team will be coached by Grant Mackenzie, with Debbie Windsor taking on the role of team manager.

The girls’ team, on the other hand, has a healthy mix of DSG (Diocesan School for Girls), and Kingswood College players in the 13-member squad.

Rightfully so, the two sides have dominated in the Eastern Cape, representing the province in various national tournaments outside of the province, and ranking among the best sides in the country.

Two players from Pearson High are also included in the side, with Jorja Ross and Teagan Harty representing the Summerstrand school in the biggest tournament of their lives.

They will be coached by Julia Gaybba, with Kingswood’s Kyle Kumm as the assistant coach. Avril Harty is the team manager.

The first salvos in the tournament will be fired on the 9th of December, with the final matches scheduled for the 13th of December.

The Team

Boys

Oliver Klatte (Grey High School), Daniel de Lange (Grey High School), Guy Fraser (St Andrew’s College), Jon Hobson (Grey High School), Jono Mackenzie (St Andrew’s College), Luke Lightening (Grey High School), Luke Mallet (Grey High School), Mark Brombacher (Grey High School), Nicholas Franklin (St Andrew’s College), Salmaan Abrahams (Pearson High School), Samuel Marston (Grey High School), Tawfiq Akomolafe (Grey High School), Zack Willimott (Pearson High School).

Girls

Amelia Brown (DSG), Olivia Connellan (Kingswood College), Dominique de Jongh (Kingswood College), Avuyisiwe Dyaphu (DSG), Teagan Harty (Pearson High), Julia Hough (Kingswood College), Amie Jenner (DSG), Matipa Karimazondo (Kingswood College), Jamie Lacey (Kingswood), Anna Christensen Pinto (DSG), Jorja Ross (Pearson High), Amy Wilson (Kingswood College), Jasmine Witthuhn (Kingswood College).