Author: asawula

The South African u17 boys’ and girls’ hockey teams are set to embark on a week-long adventure, as they gear up to participate in this year’s Mirnawan Cup, which takes place in Malaysia from 18 to 26 November.

Northwood’s Justin Collins will coach the boys’ team, while Waterkloof’s Omari Pienaar-Geyer has been entrusted with leading the 18-player squad in the girls’ section.

They will face stern opposition during the week-long tournament, with the likes of India, Australia, Malaysia, and Japan looking to down the South Africans.

In case you missed it, READ: Exclusive interview with the girl’s coach: Omari Pienaar-Geyer

The SA teams will, however, be banking on the experienced players they have in their respective arsenals. Their captains, Ruben Sendzul (boys), and Tanya Pieterse (girls) will also have massive roles to play in leading their teams on and off the field.

The girls’ team will kick off their campaign against Japan on Sunday, 19 November at 15:00, while Sendzul’s troops will be in action a day later against Australia at 10:00.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, the two skippers expressed how excited their respective teams were for the momentous occasion.

“This will be my first international tournament playing other countries,” said Pieterse via South African Schools Hockey (SASHOC).

“I think the tournament will produce top-class hockey, and I’m just excited to make memories.

“The goal is to make memories and take in every moment. I think the tournament will also help the team become closer, make friends for a lifetime, learn, and return to South Africa as better players,” she added.

For Sendzul, it’s clear, his side will need to be sharp from day one, if they hope to pose any threats against the world’s best.

Led by the experienced Collins, the side features players from top schools like Hilton College, SACS, Paul Roos, and Durban High School (DHS).

They will also be eager to kick off their campaign on a high against the Aussies.

“What I’m most excited about is travelling to Malaysia and travelling with the team and representing my country on the international stage in test matches,” Sendzul said.

“We are South Africa. We have a fighting spirit, we fight for each other, and that makes us stand out.

“The goal is not to just go and compete, but we are aiming for a medal, and to leave the jersey in a better place than it was before, and just play for the nation back home.”

The Teams

Boys

Nicholas Holmes (Maritzburg College), Joshua Renders (Jeppe Boys High), Grant Bridgeford (Hilton College), Dayle Gertson (Wynberg), Tre’ Gilbert (Selborne College), Robert Veldtman (Bishops), Lethabo Bogacwi (Durban High School), Jarred Kitto (Hilton College), Litha Kraai (SACS), James Grieve (Bishops), Lumi Matwele (Durban High School), Matthew Mendes de Oliveira (Kearsney College), Ruard Booysen (Pretoria Boys High), Ethan Lee (Wynberg Boys High), Reuben Sendzul (Paul Roos ©), Joshua Smit (Paul Roos), Reece Theunis (SACS), Joshua Mettler (Bishops).

Girls

Jehan Abrahams (Wynberg Girls’ High), Caprice Bengston (Durban Girls’ College), Amber Fairon (Dainfern College), Cassandra Forbes (St Mary’s DSG), Luane Janssen (Hoërskool Waterkloof), Ruby Kraus (Durban Girls’ College), Mmamorena Manthata (Cornwall Hill College), Motheo Manzi (Hoërskool Middelburg), Emily Macquet (Durban Girls’ College), Logan Marthinus (Bloemhof), Akhile Mdlalane (Cambridge High), Thabelani Metu (Lilyfontein High), Ifeoma Ndubueze (Northcliff High), Tara Pakendorf (Durban Girls’ College), Leah Petersen (Stellenberg), Tanya Pieterse (Paarl Gimnasium ©), Georgia Pollock (St Mary’s DSG), Hannah Quinton (Monument).

Fixtures

Girls

Sunday, 19 November: 15:00- South Africa vs Japan

Monday, 20 November: 17:00- South Africa vs Malaysia B

Tuesday, 21 November: 19:00- South Africa vs Australia

Thursday, 23 November: 17:00- South Africa vs Malaysia A

Friday, 24 November: 15:00- South Africa vs India

Boys

Monday, 20 November: 10:00- South Africa vs Australia

Tuesday, 21 November: 10:00- South Africa vs Malaysia B

Thursday, 23 November: 10:00- South Africa vs Malaysia A

Friday, 24 November: 10:00- South Africa vs India

The fourth term examinations might be in full swing, but it was business as usual for some of KwaZulu-Natal’s top schools, as they locked horns in the pool in their final matches of the season before the December break.

Michaelhouse welcomed Hilton College to the Midlands and came close to upsetting their heavily favoured opponents. Meanwhile, Maritzburg College made the trip down to Westville Boys’ High, where the Griffin powered their way to a convincing victory.

Kearsney College on the other hand, welcomed St Charles College, in a match where both sides were looking to end their 2023 campaign on a high, and it was the hosts who did so, dominating proceedings to end their season with an emphatic victory.

The match of the weekend, however, was the one in the Midlands, between Michaelhouse and their old foes Hilton.

The fixture also formed part of the schools’ annual PinkDrive campaign, which seeks to shine a light and raise awareness about cancer-related issues.

There was little to separate the two sides in their last meeting, which took place at the Saint Stithians Invitational, where Hilton claimed a 9-6 win. Michaelhouse’s players, though, had an upset on their minds in their home pool.

As expected, the match started at a high tempo, with Hilton scoring two goals in the first quarter. Unfazed, Michaelhouse hit back with two of their own to finish the opening stanza on level terms.

The second quarter produced fireworks, with the hosts showing plenty of fighting spirit as they took the game to the visitors. They scored three goals, with Keegan Elliott netting twice before Reece Rezac got in on the action. Hilton, looking a little bit off of their best, remained in contention, netting twice, but they trailed by one heading into the second half.

After a back-and-forth third quarter, Michaelhouse remained one goal clear at 6-5. Hilton, though, appeared calm and confident as coach Jason Sileno delivered a team talk with eight minutes left to play.

When the visitors drew level, Michaelhouse swiftly found a response to take a 7-6 lead. Showing good poise, though, Hilton levelled with three minutes to play.

Then, with Michaelhouse pushing for victory, they were caught out by a swift counterattack, with Hilton capturing the lead for the first time since the opening quarter with a minute and 45 seconds to play.

Protecting their one-goal advantage, the visitors moved the ball smartly around, running down the clock. Michaelhouse, after a valiant effort, were unable to conjure up a reply and Hilton held on for a narrow 8-7 win.

Meanwhile, Westville Boys’ High, with five KZN A team players in their ranks, demonstrated their quality against Maritzburg College, powering their way to a 17-5 win, while Kearsney College, who’ve been a fine form in the latter part of the term, recorded an expected victory over Saint Charles, cruising to a 22-5 win.

Scorers

Hilton College: Meyer Malherbe (x2), Mitchel Garreau (x2), Tristan Uys, Retief Malherbe (x2), Matthew Thomas. Michaelhouse: Bryn Retzlaff (x2), Keegan Elliott (x2), Sean Erasmus (x2), Reece Rezac.

Other results:

Westville Boys High 17, Maritzburg College 5; Kearsney College 22, St Charles College 5.

Head coach of South Africa’s u17 girls’ hockey team, Omari Pienaar-Geyer says her side is relishing the opportunity to contest this year’s Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia, which is a little over a week away from its start.

The second edition of the tournament will see the SA u17 boys’ and girls’ sides jetting off to Southeast Asia, with both intent on causing upsets and bringing the respective titles back to Mzansi.

Geyer’s side possesses a wealth of experience, including four girls who represented South Africa at u18 level following the inter-provincial Tournament hosted in Bloemfontein this year.

In an exclusive interview with SuperSport Schools, the Waterkloof coach outlined the challenges she and her management team faced when selecting the team, which included considering a wide pool of players from all around South Africa.

“It’s always difficult when you have 42 players (18 u16s, 18 u17s, and six u18As) who are eligible and only 18 can make the team,” she said.

“It’s also tricky when you have to leave players out, but we love the fact that we have a pool of strong players and that we have a competitive environment.

“When the convenor and selectors sat down and discussed ideas…the selection was pretty similar, and we easily combined the team.”

In their pool fixtures, South Africa will face a stiff challenge, with matches against Malaysia (A and B teams), India, Australia, and Japan.

The team that tops the pool will face the second placed team from the other pool for a spot in the final, while the other nations will face each other according to their log standings to complete the final rankings.

The South Africans head into the tournament with little preparation together as a unit. The players had to prepare as best they could at their respective schools.

Geyer, however, believes the South African side will be in top shape come their opening fixture against Japan.

“Preparations can’t be described as perfect or the ideal,” said Geyer.

“We’ve been training on the same conditioning programme for five weeks, and we’ve had some centralised Astro sessions in our regions.

“We will embrace the situation and use the opportunity given, regardless of the circumstances we are in, not being able to train together, etc.”

The tournament is a massive opportunity for the players, coaches, and management involved. Good performances by the two national u17 teams, perhaps even winning a title, could persuade the South African Hockey Association (SAHA) and its sponsors to invest more in the sport.

However, for Geyer and her team, the opportunity is about realising dreams. She says it’s every girl’s dream to represent her country at the highest level, and she is happy to see this group do that.

“We would like to cause an upset or two, but our main goals will be relevant to the team and where we are as a unit.

“We also want to represent every single girl who has a dream to represent her country.”

South Africa will kick off their campaign against Japan on Sunday, 19 November, at 15:00.

The Team

Jehan Abrahams (Wynberg Girls’ High, Western Province), Caprice Bengston (Durban Girls’ College, KZN Coastal), Amber Fairon (Dainfern College, Southern Gauteng), Cassandra Forbes (St Mary’s DSG, KZN Coastal), Luane Janssen (Hoërskool Waterkloof, Northerns), Ruby Kraus (Durban Girls’ College, KZN Coastal), Mmamorena Manthata (Cornwall Hill College, Northerns), Motheo Manzi (Hoërskool Middelburg, Mpumalanga), Emily Macquet (Durban Girls’ College, KZN Coastal), Logan Marthinus (Bloemhof, Boland), Akhile Mdlalane (Cambridge High, Border), Thabelani Metu (Lilyfontein High), Ifeoma Ndubueze (Northcliff High, Southern Gauteng), Tara Pakendorf (Durban Girls’ College, KZN Coastal), Leah Petersen (Stellenberg, Western Province), Tanya Pieterse (Paarl Gimnasium, Boland), Georgia Pollock (St Mary’s DSG, KZN Coastal), Hannah Quinton (Monument, Southern Gauteng).

Management:

Manager:  Sheridan Duncombe

Head coach: Omari Pienaar Geyer

Assistant: IIse Davids

Physio: Lisa Bone

 

Fixtures:

Sunday, 19 November:

15:00- South Africa vs Japan

Monday, 20 November:

17:00- South Africa vs Malaysia B

Tuesday, 21 November:

19:00- South Africa vs Australia

Thursday, 23 November:

17:00- South Africa vs Malaysia A

Friday, 24 November:

15:00- South Africa vs India

 

KwaZulu-Natal powerhouses, Michaelhouse and Hilton College, lock horns in a full water polo derby in the Midlands this weekend.

The fixture will also see the boys play for a much greater cause, as it forms part of the annual PinkDrive campaign that the two rivals share, which seeks to shine a light and raise awareness about cancer-related issues.

The day will be saturated with action across the school’s three pools, with the junior sides set to kick off proceedings early in the Old Boys’ Pool, before the third, and fourth teams battle it out in the Railway Pool.

The A teams and the first and second teams will play at the Full Pool, with the final match scheduled for 12:15.

Looking back on their season, the hosts have had a rather challenging period in the water, coming short several times despite showing clear signs of improvement in recent weeks.

In the KZN Top 10 Tournament, the boys from Balgowan finished in seventh spot, defeating Maritzburg College (7-6) on the last day.

During the earlier Clifton Water Polo Tournament, they were underdone in their preparations, and, thus, struggled against quality opposition. They finished third in their group and missed out on a quarterfinal spot.

Hilton will go into the match high in confidence after putting together a series of impressive performances this season.

They finished fourth in both the SACS and Clifton Water Polo tournaments, and they also came close to clinching the silverware at the KZN Top 10 Tournament, losing the final 5-8 to Clifton College, the same team that had beaten them in the playoffs for third in the two aforementioned tournaments.

Hilton heads into the match having two recent wins over Michaelhouse to their credit, including a 9-6 victory over their great rivals in the 9th place playoff at the St Stithians Water Polo Invitational at the end of October.

The Teams

Hilton College

Trent Chubb, Hanu Pieterse, Matthew Thomas, Thomas Taylor, Tristan Uys, Retief Malherbe, Oliver Mattison, Meyer Malherbe, Mitchel Garreau, Nic Bregman-Frangos

Michaelhouse

Elliott Springate, Bryn Retzlaff, Reilly Elliott, Oliver Guy, Keegan Elliot, Alex Jankowitz, Luke Davidson, Reece Rezac, Nicholas Smithers

Fixtures

Old Boys Pool

08:00 – Michaelhouse u14B vs Hilton College u14B
08:45 – Michaelhouse u15B vs Hilton College u15B

Railway Pool

08:00 – Michaelhouse 3^rd vs Hilton College 3^rd
08:45- Michaelhouse 4^th vs Hilton College 4^th

Full Pool

09:45 – Michaelhouse u14A vs Hilton College u14A
10:30 – Michaelhouse u15A vs Hilton College u15A
11:15 – Michaelhouse 2^nd vs Hilton College 2^nd
12:15 – Michaelhouse 1^st vs Hilton College 1^st

Durban High School (DHS) Director of Hockey and 1^st team coach Michael Baker has announced his departure from the school. He will be joining Stellenbosch’s Paul Roos Gymnasium as their Head of Hockey from next year.

Baker, who joined DHS six years ago, transformed the sporting code at the school, leading the Horseflies’ various age group teams to become among the best in South Africa. The DHS hockey programme went from being downtrodden to being a force to be reckoned with.

When Baker arrived at DHS, the school had only four hockey teams. Now, it has 12, and the competitiveness he has brought out in the boys has also helped them produce one of the most eye-pleasing brands of hockey to be found anywhere.

Announcing his departure via social media platforms, the coach said he believes he has reached his goal of turning DHS into one of the powerhouses of South African schoolboy hockey. He said the journey had been tough, with School losing many matches before the turnaround took shape. Now, though, the reversal has been nothing short of remarkable.

In an exclusive interview with SuperSport Schools earlier this year, Baker revealed that part of the reason for his success and that of his charges was the backing he received from the DHS hierarchy.

“The school was supportive from the get-go; our Director of Sports, Mr. [Nathan] Pillay, and our Headmaster, Mr. [Tony] Pinheiro, have supported me with the vision I had,” he revealed at the time.

“We’ve been able to hire some good coaches that share the same vision as me.

“We are building a good culture in the hockey programme at the moment, and this year has been a game-changer, with the school building an Astro at the school, so it’s been huge being able to train on campus and play on campus.”

After the Inter-provincial Tournament in Bloemfontein in mid-year, DHS had three players – Leruo Ditlhakanyane, Lethabo Bogacwi and Keelan Henry – selected for the South Africa under-18 A squad. In fact, Ditlhakanyane was also a member of the SA u21 team that was crowned champions of Africa, and he scored in the final against Egypt.

Aldridge Maasdorp was included in the SA u18 B squad, Lumi Matwele in the SA u17 line-up and, following the U16 IPT, Josh Mungherera, Bhavesh Naicker and Sitchaba Siyoyo cracked the nod for the SA u16A squad, with Christopher Abrahams in the SA u16B squad.

Those achievements speak volumes about the quality and depth Baker helped nurture during his time in charge at DHS.

In the forthcoming season, Baker, with similar backing from his new employers, will be hoping to make a comparable impact for Paul Roos, which competes in one of the toughest regions of the country.

He and his players will face fierce competition from the likes of Paarl Boys’ High, Paarl Gimnasium, South African College High School (SACS), Bishops, Wynberg Boys’ High and Rondebosch Boys’ High.

Paul Roos Rector Andre van Staden congratulated Baker on his appointment, saying he believes Baker’s expertise will benefit a hockey programme that already ranks among the best in the country.

“Mr Baker’s wealth of experience, not only in top boys ‘ schools, but also as part of the senior national programme, makes him the right candidate for the post,” said Van Staden.

“His passion and vision combined will ensure that PRG’s (Paul Roos Gymnasium’s) hockey programme remains one of the best in the country.”

Baker’s experience includes serving on the SA u21 men’s selection panel, working as a conditioner with the national under-17 squad, and coaching the KZN Coastal u18 team at the Inter-provincial Tournament this year.

The Western Province U19 team will go into this year’s Water Polo Inter-provincial Tournament (IPT) as the favourites to win the title when the showpiece commences next month at Grey High School in Gqeberha.

Their fierce rivals, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, have also named strong sides for the spectacle, raising excitement about the forthcoming matchups which will bring together the most exciting talent in the school ranks in South Africa.

South African College High School (SACS) from Cape Town dominates the Western Province A-Team. They have six players in the line-up whose superb form helped SACS capture a hat-trick of prestigious titles in the latter part of the season.

Much will be expected of one of their standard-setters, Nicholas Fall, who has been a terror in front of goal for the Cape Town school.

He picked up the Forward of the Tournament accolade in last month’s St Stithians Water Polo Invitational, after leading his side to a 7-6 win over St John’s College in the final.

The rest of the SACS representatives are Noah Bigara, Thomas Wiltshire, Zack Cicero, Richard Skeeles, and Conor Melling-Williams.

Paul Roos, the second-best team in the Western Cape, with a legitimate claim to being number two in South Africa, also, have four players – Adam October, Maximilian Mossop, Johannes Reyneke, and Arkin Marais – who will make the trip to Gqeberha.

Twice during the end of year action, they were edged out by SACS for big titles. At the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, SACS won the final 7-6, and then, at the Hussar Grill SACS Water Polo Tournament, the hosts claimed a 6-3 win to secure the silverware.

Rondebosch Boys’ High contributes three players to the squad – David van Zyl, Ethan Klerck and Ben Reiback – while the remaining place goes to goalkeeper Jordan De Sousa of Bishops, who was named in the Team of the Tournament at the Saints Water Polo Invitational.

Paul Roos dominates the Province B team, with five of their players in the line-up. Rondebosch had four players selected, Bishops and Wynberg Boys High two each, while Mac Lecuona is the only SACS player in the squad.

The tournament splashes into action on the 9th of December and concludes with the final on Wednesday, the 13th of December.

The Teams

u19A

David Van Zyl (Rondebosch), Noah Bigara (SACS), Thomas Wiltshire (SACS), Adam October (Paul Roos), Nicholas Fall (SACS), Zack Cicero (SACS), Maximilian Mossop (Paul Roos), Ethan Klerck (Rondebosch), Johannes Reyneke (Paul Roos), Ben Reiback (Rondebosch) Richard Skeeles (SACS), Arkin Marais (Paul Roos), Jordan De Sousa (Bishops), Conor Melling-Williams (SACS)

Head coach: Jabulani Sibiya

Team Manager: Travis Theron

u19B

Pierre du Plessis (Rondebosch), Matthew de Villiers, (Rondebosch), Bradley Warneke (Rondebosch), Liyam Middleton (Wynberg Boys) Sebastiaan White (Rondebosch) Salahuddin Khan (Paul Roos), Aden da Costa (Wynberg Boys) Thomas Truter (Bishops) Mac Lecuona (SACS), Ross Stewart (Bishops), Cosmo Enthoven (Paul Roos), Juan-Paul Germishuis (Paul Roos), Nicholas Ward (Paul Roos), Paul Enthoven (Paul Roos).

Head coach: Dylan Riddle

Manager: Travis Theron

The annual St Stithians Water Polo invitational concluded at the end of October, after South African College Schools (SACS), and Herschel Girls School were crowned champions in the boys and girls section respectively.

SACS, defeated St John’s College (7-6) in the final, while a hard-fought (5-4) win for Herschel saw the Cape Town schools leave Gauteng with all the gold.

The victory, for SACS was their third consecutive triumph at the invitational, having won it last year, and in 2021.

For Herschel Girls, however, it was a momentous win that saw the side claim their first-ever triumph at the tournament.

As a result, both teams were duly rewarded when the “ALL-STAR” teams of the tournament were announced after the finals on Sunday.

SACS went unbeaten in the tournament, cruising past their opponents in the group stages, before defeating Clifton 7-3 in the quarterfinals, and edging out a resilient St Andrew’s team 8-6 in the semi-finals to book themselves a spot in the showpiece against St John’s.

In the team of the tournament, the winners have four players including the likes of Connor Melling-Williams, Jandro Rojo-Roos, Mac Lecuona, and the ever-present Nicholas Fall.

Fall was also awarded the “best attacker” accolade, closing off his tournament with a well-deserved individual award.

The finalist, St John’s College also has two players on the team, with Geroge Pryce, and Nicholas Searle.

The other team with a vast representation are third-place finishers, St Andrew’s College from Makhanda. They have three players on the team, namely, Calum Emslie, Nick Franklin, and Robert Faber.

In the girls’ section, the eventual winner, Herschel boasts four players, and rightfully so, after their superb showing on the opening day.

During their pool stage matches, the Cape side scored a whopping 65 goals in three matches and only lost to fellow finalists, Roedean (9-4).

Despite that defeat, the side managed to get back to winning ways, and in the final showed grit and determination to edge out a motivated Roedean side in front of their home supporters.

The players from Herschel in the 15-player team are, Alexa de Villiers, Amy van Breda, Carla Lampe, and Carla Lampe.

Another school from Cape Town, Reddam House Constantia has two players named in the team, while Roedean was also rewarded with the duo of Mia Loizides, and Mia Osei inducted into the team.

The Eastern Cape teams, Clarendon High School, Kingswood College, and Diocesan School for Girls all field one player in the team.

Individual awards:

Girls:

Best goalkeeper: Mia Osei (Roedean School)

Best defender: Alexa de Villiers (Herschel Girls School)

Best attacker: Mia Loizides (Roedean School)

Boys:

Best goalkeeper: Jordan de Sousa (Bishops)

Best defender: Gregory Price (St John’s College)

Best attacker: Nicholas Fall (SACS)

The ALL-STAR teams:

Boys:

Calum Emslie (St Andrew’s College), Connor Melling-Williams (SACS), Gregory Pryce (St John’s College), Jack Robinson (Rondebosch Boys High), James Crick (St Stithians Boys College), Jandro Rojo-Roos (SACS), Jordan de Sousa (Bishops), Mac Lecuona (SACS), Marc Smith (St Stithians College), Nicholas Fall (SACS), Nicholas Searle (St John’s College), Nick Franklin (St Andrew’s College), Robert Faber (St Andrew’s College), Ross Stuart (St David’s Marist Inanda), Thomas Truter (Bishops).

Girls:

Alexa de Villiers (Herschel Girls), Amy van Breda (Herschel Girls), Anastasia Hambakis (Reddam House Bedfordview), Carla Lampe (Herschel Girls) Emily van Heerden (Herschel Girls), Emma Catto (Reddam House Constantia), Francesca De Villiers (Roedean School), Gina Squazzin (St Stithians College), Hannah Banks (Reddam House Constantia), Jessica Stevens (Diocesan School for Girls), Matipa Karimazondo (Kingswood College), Mia Loizides (Roedean School), Mia Osei (Roedean School), Ruby Carlson (St Dominic’s Catholic School), Tori Voke (Clarendon High School).

St John’s College has six players in the Gauteng u19A boys’ water polo team, and St Stithians has six players in the Gauteng u19A girls’ water polo side for next month’s Inter-provincial Tournament (IPT), which takes place in Gqeberha from the 9th to the 13th of December.

The participants include the Nelson Mandela Bay team, selected from schools from the upper side of the Eastern Cape, the Buffalo City team, which chooses its players from the likes of Selborne College, Hudson Park, and Stirling High School, the KwaZulu-Natal teams, and Western Province.

Based on the results produced by Gauteng’s schools during the course of the season, the boys will go into the IPT as underdogs. That label, of course, often serves as strong motivation for a team to outperform expectations.

The squad is a combination of players from St David’s Marist Inanda, St John’s College, King Edward VII, Jeppe High School for Boys, and St Stithians College. They’ll need to gel from the get-go, operate as a unit, and limit some of the errors that have been evident at times, if they’re to challenge outfits like KZN and Western Province.

The Gauteng side, though, can draw inspiration from their St John’s College boys, who excelled at the Saints Invitational this past weekend. The reached the final and pushed SACS all the way before going down by a narrow 6-7 margin. It was their only loss of the event.

The B Team has a more diverse make-up, with players from St Benedict’s and Reddam House Helderfontein also coming into the frame.

While the Gauteng boys’ team might not be among the favourites, the girls’ side is expected to be a strong title challenger. It’s made up of in-form players, with a number of them coming off of very impressive performances at the Saints Invitational.

Roedean School, which finished in silver medal position, and beat the eventual champions, Herschel, in the group stages, has three players – Michaela Boaventura, Francesca de Villiers, and Mia Loizides – on the team, and all three shone at the tournament, which ended on Sunday.

Loizides and De Villiers were included in the All-Star team, and Loizides, who has the talent to open up any defence, was also named the best attacker of the competition.

The Gauteng u19A line-up, apart from the Roedean and St Stithians reps, also features Ruby Carlson and Kara Wicht from St Dominic’s, and Georgia Cope from Crawford Lonehill.

Apart from more representatives from Roedean and St Dominic’s, the B team further includes players from St Mary’s Waverley and Steyn City.

TEAMS

Girls 

U19A

Michaela Boaventura (Roedean), Ruby Carlson (St Dominic’s), Georgia Cope (Crawford Lonehill), Charlotte Crick (St Stithians), Francesca de Villiers (Roedean), Georgia Eccles (St Stithians), Lauren Fox (St Stithians), Mia Loizides (Roedean), Liyakhanya Ndamane (St Stithians), Jenna Penney (St Stithians), Gina Sguazzin (St Stithians), Kara Wicht (St Dominic’s).

U19B

Jessica Black (St Mary’s School), Humairaa Bodiat (Roedean), Amy Harmzen (St Dominic’s), Morgan Harrison (St Dominic’s), Amy Mather (Crawford Lonehill), Emma Morley (St Mary’s), Cecilia Petersen (Roedean), Tatum Rogers (Steyn City), Amy Smith (St Mary’s), Amy Stubbs (Roedean), Ziyanda Tshabalala (Roedean), Emma van Rensburg (Roedean).

Management:

Etienne le Roux (Head Coach)
Jarred Appelgryn (Coach)
Kyla Moolman (Coach)
Nicola MacLeod (Coach)
Leila Fernandes (Manager)

Boys

U19A

Anton Arwidi (St David’s), Connor Flinn (Jeppe Boys), Tristan Grimett (St David’s) Tanner Kleynhans (St Stithians), Samuel Lister (St Stithians), Karabo Mamaregane (King Edward VIl), Taeg Mosehla (St John’s), Nicholas Pearce (St John’s), Leonardo Pereira (St John’s), Greg Pryce (St John’s), Ross Rovelli (St John’s), Benjamin Scher (St Stithians), Marc Smith (St Stithians), Caleb van Loggerenberg (St John’s).

U19B

Dylan Botha (St David’s), Jason Cutler (St Benedict’s), Judah Dos Santos (King Edward VII), Samuel Ferreira (Steyn City), Braedon Hollingworth (St Stithians), Mark Hudson (St David’s), David Johnson (Jeppe Boys), Alessio Cimato (St John’s), Brogan McEwan (St Benedict’s), Ross Stuart (St David’s) Marco Turanjanin (St Stithians), Max Turanjanin (St Stithians), Jack Wilkins (King Edward VII), Zico Williams (Reddam Helderfontein).

Management:

Jon-Marc de Carvalho (Head Coach)
Masibonge Namba (Coach)
Michael Stewart (Coach)
Zahraa Bodiat (Manager)

The KwaZulu-Natal u19A water polo team will be aiming to put on a show when they contest this year’s Inter-provincial Tournament (IPT) in Gqeberha from the 9^th to the 13^th of December.

Matches will be played at Grey High School and Newton Park.

The tournament will bring together the top players from across South Africa, and KZN’s A side is considered one of the title favourites based on the high-quality water polo produced by the province’s leading teams during the season.

The 14-player squad is, undoubtedly, one of the strongest in the tournament but, interestingly, made up of players from only three schools – Westville Boys’ High, Clifton College, and Hilton College.

Westville and Clifton both boast five players each, while Hilton supplies four players.

Representing Westville, who put together an impressive run of results late in October, are Warwick Field, Jamie Spence, Max Scully, Nathan Jacob, and Rhys Hall. Last year, Field and Jacob were named in national teams.

The KZN line-up will also bank on the momentum the Clifton boys will bring to the team after some impressive showings over the past month.

They played like a well-oiled machine at their own Clifton Water Polo tournament in late September where, after a strong showing in the group stages, they lost out to Paul Roos in the semi-finals before defeating Hilton 9-5 to claim the bronze medal.

The experience and teamwork of Ben Ribbink, Jedd Poovan, skipper Mitchell Slade, Oliver Ditz, and goalkeeper Ross Strauss will be a vital component of the KZN side’s challenge as they aim to go all the way. It’s what helped them capture the KZN Top 10 title this season.

Hilton College enjoyed a strong season, too. With Jonathan Bregman-Frangos, Matthew Hayes, Stefan Swart and Mayer Malherbe leading the way, they showed they were among the best teams in the country. A string of strong performances brought them second place in the KZN Top 10 and fourth place finishes in the Clifton Water Polo Tournament and Hussar Grill SACS Water Polo Tournament, just one place behind Clifton each time.

The combination of Westville, Clifton and Hilton players is, on paper, an outstanding outfit, and they will surely be a force to be reckoned with. In Jason Sileno, they also have one of the best coaches in the country.

They will, however, face strong opposition, with Western Province likely to be their toughest challenge. At the same time, the likes of Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City, and Gauteng cannot be overlooked.

The B-Team features more selections from Westville, Clifton and Hilton, while Glenwood, Kearsney College, Northwood, and Durban High School (DHS) are also represented in the squad.

TEAMS

U19A

Ben Ribbink (Clifton), Jamie Spence (Westville), Jedd Poovan (Clifton), Jonathan Bregman-Frangos (Hilton), Matthew Hayes (Hilton), Max Scully (Westville), Mayer Malherbe (Hilton), Mitchell Slade (Clifton), Nathan Jacob (Westville), Oliver Ditz (Clifton), Rhys Hall (Westville), Ross Strauss (Clifton), Stefan Swart (Hilton), Warwick Field (Westville).

Head coach: Jason Sileno

U19B

Blake Davison (DHS), Blake Kruger (Kearsney), Elihle Hadebe (Kearsney), Ethan Lyne (Clifton), Jack Slater (Clifton), Jared Beyleveldt (Westville), Jesse Venter (Glenwood), Josh Lawton (Northwood), Kyron de Kock (Glenwood), Luca Di Vincenzo (Northwood), Marnu Koekemoer (DHS), Mitchell Wilson (Hilton), Tallin Laas (Northwood), Troy Rees-Jones (Westville).

Head coach: Darren Stone

The 2023 hockey season is a thing of the past. It was a season where memories were created, records were broken, and some schools asserted dominance, while others underperformed in their respective provinces.

One team, though, proved itself to be the best in the country, not just based on its results, but also on its style of play and the large number of supremely talented players that came through its ranks. Their outstanding year warrants a review and an understanding of the culture of that all-conquering side.

The team in focus is South African College High School or, as it is more commonly known, SACS, from Cape Town.

The 1st XI concluded the season ranked first in the country with a mind-blowing record for the ages. They were, at times, unplayable. In the Mother City, they were undefeated, and they concluded their season with an astonishing 11-1 victory over Wynberg in their final match.

So, let’s take a look back at their campaign, and find out what made this crop of players stand out. More importantly, can SACS move on and rebuild ahead of the 2024 season?

Structures put in place

The hockey programme at SACS is one of the most advanced in the country, with the primary goal being to equip the players with the best resources to achieve at the highest level on the pitch.

International tours are part of the structures that have been put in place to expose them to the pressures of playing against international sides, in foreign conditions, as preparation for a long season in South Africa.

This year was no different for SACS, as they embarked on a tour to The Netherlands.

Coach Pierre le Roux‘s side played six matches during their time abroad, recording four wins, and playing to a stalemate on two occasions. The side also exhibited their sharp goal-scoring form, netting 27 goals, while conceding only 12.

“We started with a tour of Holland, where we played against some of the top Dutch U18 club teams,” Le Roux said in an exclusive interview with SuperSport Schools.

“That proved to be a great start to the season, and it also created the feeling in the squad that we wanted to play as many different teams as possible to grow our hockey.”

Not only did SACS remain unbeaten during their stint in The Netherlands, but their victories came against the likes of HC Athena (10-0), Den Bosch (3-1), Leiden (6-4), and Hattem (5-4), – all clubs that are held in high regard.

Just one defeat

Despite an excellent start to the season, SACS were shocked by Paul Roos at the Hibbert Shield Hockey Festival, hosted by Grey High in Gqeberha.

That loss came in the final, after SACS had cruised through the pool stages, quarterfinals, and semis.

They were made to pay for a number of lapses in concentration, which left the teams tied at 2-2 before Paul Roos netted in the dying seconds to leave the Cape Town school in silver medal position at a festival which they had comfortably won in 2022.

That, however, was the first and last defeat SACS would endure the entire season.

“Teams always start a season hoping they will be invincible,” said Le Roux.

“As a unit, we always said that a great season is one where you lose only two matches. Winning is a good feeling, but losing keeps you grounded and working to improve, and that’s why we embraced the defeat against Paul Roos.

“We lost after leading (2-1) with five minutes left in the match. It was a tough loss, but Paul Roos executed their match plan perfectly and caught us off-guard. The result spurred us on to do better in the return matches against them.”

That setback certainly spurred the side to avenge their loss when they met their old foes again during the derby season.

SACS were a much better outfit on the second occasion, playing an enterprising brand of hockey, led by captain Michael Cowen, and ran out impressive 3-1 winners.

From there on, the side kept their 100% winning streak intact, dismantling every opponent they faced along their way.

In the Cape, they made light work of the schools in the southern suburbs, putting 11 past Wynberg, 15 through Rondebosch Boys High, and netting three against Bishops without conceding a goal.

They won all nine derbies that they played against other Western Cape schools. To top off their season, a young side represented the school at the u18 Cape Town International Hockey Festival and convincingly breezed past every team there to win it.

It was a massive shift put in by the boys from SACS: they played 37 matches during the season, won 33 of them, drew three, and lost only one.

Accolades:

If there is something that the hockey programme at the school has proved, it is how an investment can be the catalyst, not only for results, but for the growth and betterment of players.

This season alone, SACS had over 20 players selected to represent Western Province in the u18 and u16 provincial weeks, which were held in Bloemfontein.

First team players’ Rogan Stirk, Michael Cowen, and Michael Royden-Turner were the big achievers, taking home the best goalkeeper, best defender, and best attacker awards at the SASHOC Hockey Week in Bloem, where they helped Western Province lift the title.

Stirk, who is phenomenal between the posts, was also selected for the SA u18 team before being summoned to represent the SA u21 side in the World Cup in Malaysia in December.

Besides Stirk, Cowen, and Royden-Turner, SACS also had Josh Opperman, Ozair Pillai, and Liam Haupt selected for the SA u18 team. The school’s players were at the core of Western Province’s triumph at the provincial week.

In the u16 side, Litha Kraai, who featured for the first team despite being underaged, was, undoubtedly, the stand-out player.

He captained the Western Province u16 team and was named in the SA u16 side. After the IPT, he was named the best player and best midfielder. Later, he was selected to represent South Africa in the Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia, which takes place from the 18^th to the 26^th of November.

Kraai was joined in the national u16 team by Aiden Hughes, Reece Theunis, and Joshua le Roux.

The juniors will be the key to SACS’s rebuilding project for the forthcoming season. The likes of Kraai, Hughes, and other Western Province representatives, such as Ethan October and Zac Redfern, will need to step up and take responsibility for upholding their school’s sterling hockey reputation.

“We are losing several players that matriculate at the end of this year,” Le Roux said.

“Saying that, we also have a talented bunch of players coming through from our u16 programme, who won the U16 Hibbert Shield this year and the U18 Cape Town International Festival.”

Determination, focus, and consistency played a massive role in the success of SACS in 2023. They’ll be aiming to maintain those standards in the new year.

SACS First team record in 2023:

Fixtures	Played	Won	Draw	Lost	Goals for	Against	Position
Holland Tour	6	4	2	0	27	12
Hibbert Shield	6	4	1	1	31	6	2
WP Premier	8	8	0	0	59	2	1
CTIHF	8	8	0	0	40	7	1
Derbies	9	9	0	0	70	8
Overall	38	34	3	1	227	35

 

Combined provincial selections:

WP U18A	WP U18B	WP U16A	WP U16B
Rogan Stirk	Noah Venter	Ethan October	*Cameron Cordeiro
Michael Cowen ©	Wayne Mandabva	Jo le Roux ©
Ozair Pillai	Luke Salters	Litha Kraai
Josh Opperman	Coen Williams	Reece Theunis
Liam Haupt	Ray Bonnet ©	Aiden Hughes
Michael Royden-Turner		Mohlodi Maseko
Dean Carrick		Chavez Sanger
		Matthew Lassen
		Zac Redfern

 

Combined National Selection:

SA U21A	SA U18A	SA U18B	SA U16A	SA U16A
Rogan Stirk	Rogan Stirk	Dean Carrick	Litha Kraai	*Mohlodi Maseko
	Michael Cowen ©		*Joshua le Roux
	Ozair Pillai		*Reece Theunis
	Josh Opperman		*Aiden Hughes
	Liam Haupt
	Michael Royden-Turner

Results

Derbies

SACS 4-0 Parel Vallei
SACS 11-0 Grey High
SACS 9-1 Paarl Boys
SACS 3-0 Bishops
SACS 3-0 Rondebosch
SACS 6-2 Paarl Gim
SACS 3-0 Langa
SACS 3-1 Paul Roos
SACS 9-0 Wynberg
SACS 8-1 Paul Roos
SACS 8-1 DF Malan
SACS 3-0 Fairmont
SACS 16-0 Stellenberg
SACS 14-1 Curro Durbanville
SACS 15-0 Rondebosch
SACS 3-2 Bishops
SACS 11-1 Wynberg

Netherlands Tour

SACS 10-0 Athena
SACS 1-1 Pinoke
SACS 2-2 Hurley
SACS 3-1 Den Bosch
SACS 6-4 Leiden
SACS 5-4 Hattem

Hibbert Shield

SACS 5-0 DHS
SACS 3-3 Selborne College
SACS 10-0 Pearson
SACS 8-0 Grey High
SACS 3-0 Garsfontein
SACS 2-3 Paul Roos

Cape Town International Hockey Festival

SACS 4-1 Millfield
SACS 9-0 WP Invitational
SACS 6-1 Merchant Taylors
SACS 2-1 Fairmont
SACS 3-0 Windhoek Affies
SACS 4-2 Paarl Gim
SACS 8-1 Paul Roos
SACS 4-1 Paarl Boys