Author: asawula

South African College High School (SACS), and Herschel Girls School put on impressive showings to win their respective finals at the St Stithians Water Polo Invitational in Johannesburg on Sunday.

SACS defeated St John’s College (7-6) in the boys’ final, while Herschel edged out Roedean School (5-4) to claim the girls’ honours.

The Saints title, the third won in the past month, confirmed SACS’ status as the number one side in South Africa, following on from the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, where they beat Paul Roos 7-6 in the title-decider, and the Hussar Grill SACS Water Polo Tournament, in which they handed Paul Roos a 7-6 loss to claim the honours.

The 29^th edition of the tournament saw 40 schools and over 500 learners assemble to lock horns in pursuit of the prestigious silverware.

The opening two days of the tournament, which featured group stage competition, left SACS, St John’s College and St Andrew’s College unbeaten in the boys’ section, while Rondebosch won three of four but topped Pool B, ahead of Hilton College and Affies, who also lost only once, with Hilton beating Rondebosch, Rondebosch beating Affies, and Affies defeating Hilton.

There were some notable victories on day one, including Michaelhouse‘s tight 8-6 win over King Edward VII, while SACS outplayed their rivals Bishops 11-6, and the hosts, St Stithians, cruised to an emphatic 12-4 victory against Bloemfontein’s Grey College.

On day two, SACS, who had also beaten Pretoria Boys High on the opening day, kept their foot on the pedal, maintaining their momentum with a convincing 13-5 win over a Michaelhouse side who had won both of their opening day contests. They followed that up with a closer-than-expected 12-10 victory against King Edward VII.

The girls’ action got off to a cracking start with Durban Girls College and Pearson High producing 14 goals and sharing a 7-7 stalemate.

Herschel, meanwhile, asserted their dominance from the start. They opened their campaign with a 25-7 thumping of Crawford Lonehill, before seeing off Makhanda’s Kingswood College 9-4 in their second match of the opening day.

The other finalists, Roedean, also signalled their intent on day one, putting 22 goals past Rand Park High after handing a more-than-useful Kingswood College team an 8-3 defeat in their opener.

Day two brought Herschel and Roedean together late in the day for top spot in Pool C, and it was the Johannesburg school who comfortably handled their Cape Town opponents, pulling off a 9-4 win, despite Herschel having netted 65 times in their previous three outings.

Meanwhile, St Stithians and Reddam Constantia, went four for four in their pools, while St Dominic’s Catholic topped a very competitive Pool A.

In the boys’ playoffs, SACS saw off Clifton 7-3 in the quarterfinal and then withstood a stiff challenge from St Andrew’s College, winning 8-6, to book their place in the final.

St John’s, meanwhile, had a narrow 8-7 quarterfinals win over Bishops before handing St Stithians a 7-5 defeat to move on to the title-decider.

Having processed their defeat against Roedean overnight, Herschel came roaring back to dismantle Collegiate 15-3, which secured them a spot in the quarterfinals. There, they cruised to an 11-4 triumph over St Dominic’s to set up a semi-final against Reddam Constantia. The all-Cape clash went the way of Herschel 8-4.

Meanwhile, Roedean continued their winnings ways in the quarterfinals, doubling up Reddam House Bedfordview 8-4 before squeaking past Clarendon 8-7 to reach the final.

With the title on the line, Herschel reversed their earlier loss to Roedean, with a 5-4 win securing them the St Stithians Invitational crown for a first time.

The boys’ final had barely begun before play was stopped due to lightning, which forced the showdown to be moved to Reddam House Helderfontein‘s indoor facility. Back in the water, SACS were pushed all the way by St John’s, but they showed champions’ pedigree to win 7-6.

Their team chemistry, individual flashes of brilliance, and composure in defence proved to be a winning mix. Nicholas Fall, who ended the tournament as the best attacker, was especially influential in the title-decider and throughout the playoffs.

Overall standings:

Boys: South African College Schools (SACS), St John’s College, St Andrew’s College, St Stithians College, St David’s Marist Inanda, Rondebosch Boys High, Diocesan College (Bishops), Clifton College, Hilton College, Michaelhouse, Affies, Grey College, St Alban’s, Grey High, King Edward VII, Jeppe, Pretoria Boys High, Reddam House Constantia, Reddam House Helderfontein, St Benedict’s College.

Girls: Herschel Girls School, Roedean School, Reddam House Constantia, Clarendon High School, Reddam House Bedfordview, St Dominic’s Catholic, Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), St Stithians College, Kingswood College, St Mary’s Waverley, Collegiate, Pearson High School, St Anne’s Diocesan School, Durban Girls College, Kingsmead College, Crawford Lonehill, Chisipite Senior School, Rand Park High, St Peter’s College, Reddam House Helderfontein.

Newly appointed first team hockey coach at Jeppe High School for Boys, Siya Sityana says he is relishing the opportunity of leading one of the most competitive hockey schools in the country come the 2024 hockey season.

Sityana joined the prestigious school earlier this year from Durban High School (DHS) and takes over the reins from Gilbert De Villiers, who has made the move to Jeppe’s Johannesburg rivals, St John’s College.

The charismatic, young, and energetic commercial subject teacher enters his new role with a wealth of experience, having competed at the highest level before proving himself a suitable candidate for the lead role at Jeppe.

In his short stint at school, Sityana coached the u16B team and claimed the Team of the Year accolade at Jeppe’s Hockey Awards. He also led the u16A side to victory in the u16 Top 8 tournament.

A further indication of the high regard in which he is held came when the former South African Schools player was tasked with the responsibility of coaching the u16 Southern Gauteng side at this year’s South African Hockey Schools IPT in Bloemfontein.

“Being appointed as the first team hockey coach at a school like Jeppe Boys High is a great privilege,” Sityana told SuperSport Schools in an exclusive interview.

“It comes with great responsibility but I’m very excited for the challenge.

“The difference between the two Provinces, KZN and Gauteng, is that schools there [in KZN] play with more structure, whereas this side it’s all about letting the boys play and express themselves.”

Sityana’s love affair with hockey began at a very tender age.

Hailing from King Williams Town in the Eastern Cape, the former Dale College pupil gradually climbed the playing ranks at school and provincial level before hanging up his stick to take his seat on the coach’s bench, dishing out instructions to players.

“I started playing hockey at Dale Junior when I was 12,” he reminisced, with a grin on his face.

“I used to run away from rugby practices, and that led me to hockey. I fell in love with the sport as the years passed, and that saw me go through the Dale Junior ranks.

“I played in the u13A team before playing u14s, and then making my debut for the first team at 15 years old, and that’s when I saw that hockey was for me.”

In 2013, Sityana represented the Amathole u18 team at the IPT in Cape Town. After the tournament concluded, he was named in the South African Schools side.

After matric, he attended the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (UKZN) in Pietermaritzburg. Apart from representing UKZN on the field, he also took on the task of coaching a team at Maritzburg College. As the saying goes, the rest is history.

“Being the head coach [at Jeppe] does come with a lot of pressure, even though I have the experience of coaching in different schools and assisting at Wits University,” Sityana said.

“I have experienced coaches in my corner, people that I learn from, so that makes me really feel at ease.

“I learn a lot from people, even players that are currently playing at a higher level, and I always take what’s positive and accept criticism.

“I think the experience I’ve gained, and the good people around me at Jeppe, will help me and the team going forward, and it will make things easier for us,” he added.

Jeppe’s 2023 hockey season was highlighted by an entertaining brand of hockey. The Gauteng side overran opposition week in and week out by employing a challenging, attacking approach while remaining resolute in defence.

Sityana says he is hoping for more of the same when the season kicks off next year.

“The goal for next season is to make sure we keep improving,” said Sityana.

“I don’t think it will be an easy season, but if we have a good pre-season, the results will just fall into place.

“As our motto says, ‘There’s nothing too difficult for the brave’, and we will try by all means to live up to that.”

Remember to submit your nominations for SuperSport Schools’ “The Class of ’23”. We invite you to be a part of this journey by nominating unforgettable moments, outstanding athletes, and inspiring coaches.

Your participation will help us recognise and showcase the true stars and stories of 2023. Submit your nominations on the following link – https://bit.ly/SSClassof2023.

Northwood first team hockey coach Justin Collins has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading a promising group of u17 players at the Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia from the 18^th to the 26^th of November this year.

Organised by Malaysia’s National Hockey Development Program, and first held in 2022, the Mirnawan Cup is an international youth hockey tournament.

This year, the event, apart from Malaysia and South Africa, will also include England, Australia, Japan and India, with each fielding boys’ and girls’ teams.

Promising talent to represent South Africa

The South African boys’ team selected for the tournament has brought players from far and wide together, with the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape all represented in the national boys’ side.

Hilton College, Durban High School (DHS), Paul Roos, Wynberg Boys High and Bishops all have two players in the squad, while the provincial breakdown reveals seven players from Western Province, three each from KZN and KZN Inland, two from Boland, and one each from Southern Gauteng, Northerns and Amathole.

The selections include Tre’ Gilbert, from Selborne College, and Litha Kraai, who had a season to remember for SACS on the turf, and who is being tipped to wear the captain’s armband.

Jeppe, one of South Africa’s most reliable factories for SA Schools’ players, will have Joshua Renders representing the black and white.

The South African team will arrive in Malaysia on the 18^th of November, along with the other nations. They’ll in action the following day, a Sunday, with the action continuing through until Wednesday, which will be a rest day. The final will take place on Saturday, 26 November.

The team:

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, in feature photo), 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).

Remember to submit your nominations for SuperSport Schools’ “The Class of ’23”. We invite you to be a part of this journey by nominating unforgettable moments, outstanding athletes, and inspiring coaches.

Your participation will help us recognise and showcase the true stars and stories of 2023. Submit your nominations on the following link – https://bit.ly/SSClassof2023.

All eyes will be on St Stithians College from Thursday when the school hosts its prestigious annual Saints Water Polo Invitational. The action continues through until Sunday, when the finals take place.

The tournament, which promises to be one of the most competitive of the season, will see 40 teams, boys and girls, duelling for the honours.

It’s the 29th edition of the event, and it will see the Saints’ senior teams testing themselves against leading sides from throughout South Africa, and even beyond its borders.

The girls’ side is drawn in Group D alongside Zimbabwe’s Chisipite Senior School, Collegiate Girls High from Gqeberha, Diocesan School, and Kingsmead College.

Collegiate and DSG, from Makhanda, are the favourites to top the pool, after impressive showings by both at the Clarendon Stayers Tournament.

The St Stithians’ boys’ team, on the other hand, should expect to progress from their group. They’re one of the seeded sides and face a Grey College team that has struggled in recent tournaments. St Andrew’s College, though, should pose a stiff challenge after showing that they’re capable of mixing it up with the best in both the Clifton and SACS tournaments. Jeppe and Reddam House Constantia are the two underdogs in the group.

SACS aiming for a third title

The inclusion of the South African College High School (SACS) team in the event might be intimidating to some because SACS has excelled in recent months against the best teams in South Africa.

At the end of September, they won the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, defeating their rivals, Paul Roos, 7-6 in the final.

A week later, SACS hosted their inaugural Hussar Grill Water Polo tournament, which welcomed a rich collection of the country’s top water polo-playing schools, including, among others, Rondebosch Boys High, Northwood, Grey College, Hilton College, Clifton College, St David’s Marist Inanda, St John’s College and Selborne College.

On their road to the final, SACS were beaten 4-2 by Clifton – the only loss they suffered across the two tournaments – and they drew 1-1 with Bishops, but they won the remainder of their games, including victories against St Stithians, Grey High School, Kearsney College, Jeppe, Wynberg, St Alban’s, Grey College, St David’s, and Paul Roos in the final, which they won 6-3.

One of the Cape Town side’s strengths is its ability to get out of the blocks quickly. They’ve showcased a proactive mindset, especially in key matches, to chase the first goal aggressively, and then to quickly build upon that foundation. With a solid defence, it’s a tough ask for the opposition to come back from there.

SACS open their campaign with a tough outing against familiar opposition when they take on Bishops. They next face Pretoria Boys High, before tackling Michaelhouse on day two. They finish their group assignments against King Edward VII on Friday at 16:10.

While SACS will carry the tag of “favourites”, they will be wary of the challenge posed by a number of schools in the other groups.

Clifton, who won the KZN Top 10 Tournament, and finished third in the both the Clifton and SACS events, will also have something to prove in Johannesburg. They carry a strong tradition of excellence into the tournament,

Rondebosch and Bishops, both from Cape Town, will also have designs on the title, while the two sides from the Eastern Cape, St Andrew’s College and Grey High School, will surely embrace the “underdogs” tag.

The boys’ section has an early 07:00 start, with King Edward VII fronting up to Michaelhouse, followed by Rondebosch Boys against St Benedict’s and Clifton versus St Alban’s College.

 Country’s best female schools in action

The girls’ section of the tournament will also see some of the country’s finest talent on display, with many of the participants having proved through the course of the season that they’re among the best in South Africa.

Durban Girls College, Collegiate, St Mary’s Waverley, Clarendon High School for Girls, and Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) are expected to lead the charge for the top places.

Gqeberha’s Collegiate recently proved their class at the Clarendon Stayers, where they were beaten by the hosts in the final, going down to a last-second goal.

The action promises to be exhilarating, with the groups evenly matched.

Group A should generate some heat, especially when Durban Girls College, Pearson High School, and St Mary’s meet. Reddam House Helderfontein and St Dominic’s Catholic will also want to get in on the action.

Clarendon High School is, without a doubt, expected to dominate group B. They’re up against Reddam House Bedfordview, Reddam House Constantia, St Anne’s, and St Peter’s College. The East London school’s extensive experience of tournament play should stand them in good stead.

Among the other participating schools are Zimbabwe’s Chisipite Senior School and Crawford International College Lonehill. Kingswood College will also fly the flag for Makhanda at St Stithians, while Rand Park High and Kingsmead College are part of a strong Gauteng contingent of challengers.

The action gets underway with Hilton’s St Anne’s Diocesan School facing Reddam House Bedfordview. In the Olympic South Pool, Durban Girls College take on Pearson High School, before the Olympic North Pool plays hosts to a clash between Crawford Lonehill and Herschel Girls School.

The fixtures start from 07:50.

The groups are:

Girls:

Group A: Durban Girls College, Pearson High School, Reddam House Helderfontein, St Dominic’s Catholic School for Girls, St Mary’s Waverley.

Group B: Clarendon High School for Girls, Reddam House Bedfordview, Reddam House Constantia, St Anne’s Diocesan, St Peter’s College.

Group C: Crawford Lonehill, Herschel Girls School, Kingswood College, Rand Park High, Roedean School.

Group D: Chisipite Senior School, Collegiate Girls High School, Diocesan School for Girls, Kingsmead College, St Stithians Girl’s College.

 

Boys:

Group A: Clifton College, Reddam House Helderfontein, St Alban’s College, St David’s Marist Inanda, St John’s College.

Group B: Afrikaans Hoer Seunskool (Affies), Grey High School, Hilton College, Rondebosch Boys High, St Benedict’s College.

Group C: Diocesan College (Bishops), King Edward VII, Michaelhouse, Pretoria Boys High, South African College Schools (SACS).

Group D: Grey College, Jeppe Boys High, Reddam House Constantia, St Andrew’s College, St Stithians Boys College.

Fixtures:

Day 1: Girls

Main Pool:

07:50- St Anne’s Diocesan College vs Reddam House Bedfordview; 10:20- St Dominic’s Catholic vs St Mary’s Waverley; 11:10- St Stithians vs Collegiate; 12:50- St Peter’s College vs Reddam House Bedfordview; 15:20- Kingswood College vs Herschel Girls; 17:00- Roedean vs Rand Park High; 17:50-St Stithians College vs Chisipite Senior School.

Olympic South Pool:

07:50- Durban Girls College vs Pearson High School; 08:40- DSG vs Kingsmead College; 10:20- Clarendon High School vs Reddam House Constantia; 12:50- Rand Park High School vs Crawford Lonehill; 14:30- St Mary’s Waverley vs Durban Girls College; 15:20- Collegiate vs DSG; 17:00- Reddam House Constantia vs St Peter’s College.

Olympic North Pool: 

08:40- Crawford Lonehill vs Herschel Girls School; 10:20- Roedean School vs Kingswood College; 12:00- Pearson High School vs Reddam House Helderfontein; 12:50- Kingsmead College vs Chisipite Senior School; 14:30- St Annes Diocesan vs Clarendon High School; 17:00- St Dominic’s Catholic vs Reddam House Helderfontein.

Day 2:

Main Pool:

07:50- Clarendon High School vs St Peter’s College; 10:20- St Dominic’s Catholic vs Pearson High School; 11:10- St Stithians vs Kingsmead College; 12:00- Durban Girls College vs Reddam House Helderfontein; 12:50- St Anne’s Diocesan vs St Peter’s College; 17:00- Herschel Girls vs Roedean School; 17:50- St Stithians College vs DSG.

Olympic South Pool:

07:50- St Mary’s Waverley vs Reddam House Helderfontein; 08:40- Collegiate vs Chisipite Senior School; 10:20- Reddam House Constantia vs Reddam House Bedfordview; 12:50- Herschel Girls School vs Rand Park High; 14:30- St Mary’s Waverley vs Pearson High School; 15:20- Collegiate vs Kingsmead College; 1700- St Anne’s Diocesan vs Reddam House Constantia.

Olympic North Pool: 

08:40- Kingswood College vs Rand Park High School; 10:20- Roedean School vs Crawford Lonehill; 12:50- DSG vs Chisipite Senior School; 14:30- Clarendon High School vs Reddam House Bedfordview; 15:20- Kingswood College vs Crawford Lonehill; 17:00- Durban Girls College vs St Dominic’s Catholic School.

Boys:

Day 1:

Main Pool:

07:00- King Edward VII vs Michaelhouse; 08:40- St John’s College vs St David’s Marist Inanda; 09:30- St Stithians vs Jeppe Boys High; 12:00- Michaelhouse vs Pretoria Boys High; 13:40- St David’s Marist Inanda vs Clifton College; 14:30- St Andrew’s vs Jeppe Boys High; 16:10- St Stithians Boys vs Grey College.

Olympic South Pool:

07:00- Rondebosch Boys High vs St Benedict’s College; 09:30- SACS vs Bishops; 11:10- St Alban’s vs Reddam House Helderfontein; 12:00- Reddam House Constantia vs Grey College; 13:40- Rondebosch Boys High vs Grey High; 16:10- SACS vs Pretoria Boys High.

Olympic North:

07:00- Clifton vs St Alban’s College; 07:50- St Andrew’s vs Reddam House Constantia; 09:30- Hilton College vs Grey High; 11:10- Affies vs St Benedict’s College; 13:40- Bishops vs King Edward VII; 15:20- St John’s College vs Reddam House Helderfontein; 16:10- Hilton vs Affies.

Day 2:

Main Pool:

07:00- Bishops vs Pretoria Boys High; 08:40- St John’s College vs St Alban’s College; 09:30- St Stithians vs Reddam House Constantia; 13:40- St David’s Marist Inanda vs St Alban’s College; 14:30- Jeppe Boys High vs Reddam House Constantia; 15:20- Clifton College vs St John’s College; 16:10- St Stithians College vs St Andrew’s College.

Olympic South Pool:

07:00- Grey High vs Affies; 09:30- Michaelhouse vs SACS; 11:10- Reddam House Helderfontein vs Clifton College; 12:00- St Andrew’s vs Grey College; 13:40- Grey High vs St Benedict’s; 16:10- SACS vs King Edward VII.

Olympic North Pool:

07:00- St David’s Marist Inanda vs Reddam House Helderfontein; 07:50- Grey College vs Jeppe Boys High; 09:30- St Benedict’s vs Hilton College; 11:10- Rondebosch Boys vs Affies; 12:00- King Edward VII vs Pretoria Boys High; 13:40- Bishops vs Michaelhouse; 16:10- Hilton vs Rondebosch.

The 2023 hockey school season might’ve concluded at the end of August. However, the memories of excellence created by some still linger in the mind.

The season was, arguably, one of the most competitive, closely fought, and record-breaking hockey seasons the country has ever seen. Some schools managed to bolster their trophy cases, some players etched their names in their school’s history books, and some coaches created memories that would last a lifetime.

In the Free State, a team that rose to the occasion, dismantling almost every side it opposed, with trademark grit and determination, was Eunice High School. Their record was not unblemished, but the girls in green also faced one of the toughest schedules in the country.

The prestigious Bloemfontein school, renowned for its academic excellence, produced a season for the ages, winning four trophies and finishing the year ranked number one in South Africa.

During an incredibly jam-packed campaign, the Free State side played 55 matches, won 47 of them, lost only five, and drew three times.

In those 55 matches, Eunice was dominant, scoring freely while also maintaining a stout defence. They slotted 169 goals while conceding only 23.

The team, coached by the experienced Nika Coertzen, kicked off their marathon campaign with a clash against Voortrekker, winning that 2-0.

They then succumbed to a shock 1-2 defeat to St Stithians before going on an eight-match unbeaten run, thumping the likes of Hoërskool Noordheuwel, Sasolburg, Hoër Volkskool from Potchesfstroom, and St Mary’s at the St Mary’s Waverley hockey tournament.

In their twelfth match of the season, Coertzen’s side hit a stumbling block, losing 0-1 to Gqeberha’s Pearson High School in a very closely contested encounter.

Their other three defeats were to Bloemhof, Rhenish, and Collegiate.

Interestingly, Eunice also recorded wins over Pearson, Bloemhof, Rhenish and Collegiate.

For the majority of the season, Eunice flourished, tacking on victory after victory. Their sharp counterattacking abilities, coupled with great defence, ensured the side was a force to be reckoned with.

They participated in four festivals, namely the St Mary’s Festival, All Girls Festival, Fairtree Top 12 Schools, and the Free State Cup, and claimed the gold medal in three of them – only falling short in the All-Girls Festival, where they finished third. They then went on to win the Southern Free State League by defeating their long-time rivals, Oranje, who finished 2023 ranked number two in the country.

Looking back on a very busy but hugely rewarding season, head coach, Nika Coertzen told SuperSport Schools her team was satisfied with finishing first in the country. Beyond the statistics, though, what made 2023 so special was the memories the players created during the year.

“This season, as every season [does], had its ups and downs,” she said.

“We made memories, embraced things when they went well, and learned from the times when things were challenging. We are grateful for the results and will cherish special moments for the rest of our lives.”

Despite an extremely taxing schedule, Eunice maintained a winning consistency throughout the season. When the team suffered a setback, it reset and fought back with a vengeance.

Through the course of those 55 games, Eunice strung together seven streaks where they won five or more matches in succession. That momentum is what propelled them to the number one ranking in South Africa.

Assessing the success of the 2023 side, Coertzen said the foundation for its dominant year was laid by last season’s outfit.

“Every year is different,” she explained. “Each team brings different strengths and weaknesses, but the important thing is to have a good team dynamic.

“We have been building every year, so this is a constant we focus on. We try and be better every day, and that contributes to the overall performance at the end of the day.

“A happy team is a good team. We are really a family,” she said.

The Bloemfontein side will enjoy the off-season with another busy campaign awaiting them in 2024.

They face significant changes, with seven players matriculating this year, so will attack the pre-season early and with vigour.

Coertzen said she is optimistic about the young players coming into the first team, and said she hopes for similar success in 2023.

“I am excited about the talent coming through,” she enthused. “It is always a privilege to take on the best schools in the country, and to come out on top is always a blessing.

“Our goal for next season is to maintain a top-class standard.”

Remember to submit your nominations for SuperSport Schools’ “The Class of ’23”. We invite you to be a part of this journey by nominating unforgettable moments, outstanding athletes, and inspiring coaches.

Your participation will help us recognise and showcase the true stars and stories of 2023. Submit your nominations on the following link – https://bit.ly/SSClassof2023.

Eunice’s results for the 2023 Hockey season:

Voortrekker	2-1	Win
St Stithians	1-2	Loss
Beaulieu	2-0	Win
Wykeham	6-0	Win
Noordeheuwel	2-0	Win
Potch Gimmies	4-1	Win
Transvalia	7-0	Win
Volkies	15-0	Win
Sasolburg	5-0	Win
Paarl Vallei	5-1	Win
Pearson	0-1	Loss
DSG Makhanda	5-1	Win
Stirling	2-1	Win
Wykeham	2-0	Win
St Mary’s	2-0	Win
Windhoek	0-0	Draw
St Cyprians	2-0	Win
Affies	1-0	Win
Durban Girls College	3-1	Win
Clarendon	1-0	Win
Paarl Gimnasium	2-2	Draw
Paarl Girls High	2-1	Win
St Mary’s	2-0	Win
Oranje	1-0	Win
St Mary’s	1-0	Win
Garsfontein	1-0	Win
Colts	6-0	Wins
Bloemhof	0-1	Loss
Potchefstroom Girls	7-0	Win
La Rochelle	4-0	Win
Rustenburg Girls	1-0	Win
Danville	2-0	Win
Collegiate	3-2	Win
Rhenish	0-2	Loss
Clarendon	1-0	Win
St Michael’s	10-0	Win
Clarendon	7-0	Win
Jim Fouché	4-0	Win
Sentraal	8-0	Win
Oranje	2-2	Draw
Fichardtpark	12-0	Win
Oranje 2nd	5-0	Win
Collegiate	0-2	Loss
Pearson	1-0	Win
Jim Fouché	7-0	Win
Oranje	4-3	Win
Pearson	1-0	Win
Garsfontein	2-1	Win
Bloemhof	3-0	Win
Durban Girls College	2-1	Win
Rhenish	1-0	Win
Oranje	2-1	Win
Paarl Gimnasium	3-1	Win
Voortrekker	3-2	Win
Sasolburg	5-0	Win

 

A hat-trick of goals by Liam Hansen, to go along with goals from Connor Maree, and Thomas Caswell secured an impressive, hard-fought (5-2) victory for Selborne College against St Andrews College in the inaugural Woodridge Stayers Water Polo tournament at Woodridge on Sunday.

Selborne, who attended the SACS Water Polo tournament late last month were looking to improve their overall performance having finished outside the top five in Cape Town.

The East London side was seeded in Pool B, alongside Pearson High School, Stirling High School, and Somerset College.

The visitors were expected to win their pool convincingly and they did, thumping all of their opposition to make their route to the final smooth.

In their three pool matches, Storm Siebert’s side scored a mammoth 51 goals while only conceding one goal.

These came from a (16-1) whopping of Pearson High School, (21-0) demolition of Somerset College, and a (14-0) breeze past Stirling High School.

In the play-offs, they put 18 goals past Woodridge before thumping Glenwood House (19-8) to set themselves clear of a final against St Andrews College, who had to go to penalties to win their semi-final (9-8) against Cape Town’s Wynberg Boys.

The final was nothing short of competitive as Selborne dominated proceedings from the get-go.

The side recorded eight goal attempts, converting five, while St Andrews converted two of their five attempts.

Selborne also recorded a high number of blocks and steals, eight compared to St Andrews’ six. They also managed to score two goals in the first two chukkas, controlling the game until the fourth quarter when St Andrews registered their goals.

Reacting after the match, head coach, Storm Siebert said he was delighted with his side’s performance considering it was a young group of players.

“The boys played really well, I think our route to the final was a bit simpler than some of the other teams but when we needed to step up, the boys definitely did, and the results showed.”

The Stayers tournament has been designed to give players staying at school the following year an opportunity to test their skills in first-team colours.

Siebert says it’s extremely important that the young players get an opportunity to get some experience under their belts ahead of next year.

“There are no Matriculants in this team, it’s a stayers tournament for all the players staying next year.”

“It’s vitally important – just to get the boys together, playing and gelling together for next year, it’s very important to us – and will help in the fixtures against St Andrews and Grey that we still need to play.”

In other matches on the final day, Wynberg thrashed Glenwood House (11-0) before a spirited fight by Gqeberha’s Pearson High saw them clinch a (5-2) win against Merrifield.

Scorers:

Selborne College 5: Liam Hansen (x3) Connor Maree, Thomas Caswell. St Andrews 2: Coel Trollip, Nick Franklin.

Results:

Day 1:

Glenwood House 16, Saheti 4; Selborne College 16, Pearson 1; Striling 9, Somerset College 5; Woodridge College 8, Hudson Park 5; Grey High School 19, Grey 2nds 1; Alexander Road 2, Kingswood College 20; Wynberg Boys’ High 16, Invitational 3; St Andrew’s College 16, Merrifield 4; Grey High School 19, Alexander Road 1; Grey 2nds 9, Kingswood College 9; Invitational 2, Merrifield 9; St Andrew’s College 6, Wynberg Boys’ High 6; Hudson Park 10, Saheti 11; Woodridge College 9, Glenwood House 11; Pearson 4, Stirling 4; Somerset College 0, Selborne College 21.

Day 2:

Woodridge 16, Saheti 4; Glenwood House 14, Hudson Park 3; Selborne 14, Stirling 0; Pearson 9, Somerset College 2; Grey High 16, Kingswood 1; Grey 2nds 12, Alex Road 5; St Andrews 17, Woodridge Invitational 0; Wynberg 20, Merrifield 0.

Play-offs:

Woodridge 11, Grey 2nds 5; Kingswood 15, Saheti 4; Stirling 10, Merrifield 3; St Andrews 20, Pearson 0; Glenwood House 9, Stirling 3; Selborne 18, Woodridge 4; Grey High 7, St Andrews 8; Wynberg 17, Kingswood 1; Merrifield 5, Hudson 2; Grey 2nds 10, Somerset College 3; Saheti 7, Woodridge Invitational 3; Pearson 15, Alex Road 3.

Day 3:

Selborne College 19, Glenwood House 8; St Andrews 9, Wynberg 8; Merrifield 0, Grey 2nds 0; Pearson 14, Saheti 2; Woodridge 8, Stirling 7; Grey High 12, Kingswood 3; Somerset College 9, Hudson 5; Woodridge Invitational 9, Alex Road 3; Kingswood 8, Stirling 7; Hudson 9, Alex Road 4; Grey High 17, Woodridge 4; Wynberg 11, Glenwood House 0; Pearson 5, Merrifield 2; Selborne 5, St Andrews 2.

It was a glorious outing for Clarendon Girls High School as both their u15 and the first team claimed top honours in this year’s Centennial Stayers Water Polo Tournament in East London on Sunday.

The two teams came into the tournament as obvious favourites but were paired against some of the top co-ed schools in the Eastern Cape region.

Both sides defeated Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), with the junior team claiming an emphatic (5-0) win, while the senior side was made to work for their victory but eventually claimed the win (6-5).

Other impressive performances in the pool came from Merrifield College, with their junior side defeating Collegiate (6-5) on the final day. Whereas Kingswood College got the better of Pearson High School in the u18 section, winning (7-5) to finish within the top overall standings.

Onset dominance propels the junior team:

The u15 side from Clarendon Girls were dominant from their outing in the pool on Friday. The home side was drawn in Pool A, alongside Diocesan Girls School, Merrifield, Stirling, and Alex Road.

In their opening clash, the side scored a whopping 15 goals and kept a clean sheet against City rivals, Stirling High School.

They grew in confidence, and by the time they faced, Merrifield had already set their eyes on finishing at the top of their pool and breezing to the play-off stages.

To complete their group stage domination, they further thumped Merrifield (11-2) before a resounding (16-1) win against Alex Road meant the home side would indeed finish the pool stages on top.

The hosts breezed past Merrifield in the play-offs on day two, and the (10-3) win meant they would face DSG, who also had a pretty impressive tournament and journey to the final.

The final was hard fought, just like many would’ve expected it to be.

There was nothing to separate the two sides in the first chukka with both keepers having to make several saves to keep their teams in the match.

The hosts, however, came back fired up in the second chukka, scoring two goals before another goal in the third chukka saw them lead (3-0) with the final chukka to play.

Three goals quickly turned to five for the home side, as their attack remained brutal in front of goal, converting the opportunities created. DSG, after the first chukka never looked like threatening the goal, and they succumbed to a (5-0) defeat.

Seniors grind it out:

Unlike their junior side, the Clarendon Girls’ first team had a rather challenging journey to glory.

In the final, the hosts were tied at (5-5) with DSG in the final quarter, and a moment of brilliance with 12 seconds left from Clarendon’s striker sealed the victory for the side, much to the satisfaction of the home crowd.

Like the final, most of Clarendon’s matches were ones where the team had to grind out the victories.

In their first pool match against DSG, they won (8-6), also scoring late. They were also given a tough time by Pearson High from Gqeberha, who almost caused an upset, but the home side pulled off a (6-4) win.

Their most dominant match on day one was against Woodridge College.

They scored 16 goals, while only conceding three, a confidence booster needed going into the second day of action.

Despite losing against a strong Collegiate side on day two, the hosts still made their way to the final where they replicated the performance from their u15 side to make it a clean sweep for Clarendon.

Results:

Day 1:

u15

Merrifield 11, Stirling 2; Rhenish 10, Clarendon B 1; Hudson 5, Woodridge 2; Clarendon A 15,  Stirling 0; Collegiate 8, Rhenish 2; DSG 6, Merrifield 5; Hudson 7, Clarendon B 1; Collegiate 14,  Woodridge 1; DSG 13, Alex Road 1; Hudson 1, Rhenish 7; Stirling 10, Alex Road 2; Clarendon A 11, Merrifield 2; Clarendon B 3, Woodridge 4; DGS 5, Stirling 1; Merrifield 12, Alex Road 2; Collegiate 11, Clarendon B 1; Clarendon A 5, DSG 2; Rhenish 11, Woodridge 0; Hudson 2, Collegiate 6; Clarendon A 16, Alex Road 1.

 u18:

Stirling 6, Hudson Park 5; Clarendon 17, Merrifield 2; Pearson 6, Woodridge 1; Stirling 9, Glenwood House 3; Collegiate 13, Hudson 5; Clarendon 8, DSG 6; Kingswood 11, Glenwood House 0; Pearson 10, Merrifield 3; Collegiate 4, Stirling 3; Kingswood College 9, Hudson 3; DSG 19, Merrifield 2; Kingswood a college 11, Stirling 5; Woodridge 8, Merrifield 3; Collegiate 8, Glenwood House 2; Clarendon 6, Pearson 4; DSG 10, Woodridge 0; Hudson 4, Glenwood house 3; Clarendon 16, Woodridge 3.

Day 2:

u15:

DSG 9, Hudson 1; Merrifield 10, Rhenish 4; Stirling 8, Clarendon B 0; Woodridge 4, Alex Road 3; Clarendon A 10, Merrifield 3; DSG 7, Collegiate 6; Hudson 7, Stirling 2; Rhenish 8, Woodridge 1.

u18:

Kingswood 6, Collegiate 0; DSG 5, Pearson 1; Pearson 6, Collegiate 2; DSG 7, Stirling 3; Hudson 1, Merrifield 1; Glenwood House 5, Woodridge 4; DSG 7, Kingswood 2; Pearson 5, Clarendon 2; Collegiate 3, Hudson 2; Stirling 9, Glenwood House 1.

Day 3:

u15:

Alex Road 5, Clarendon B 3; Stirling 6, Woodridge 1; Rhenish 5, Hudson 1; Merrifield 6, Collegiate 5; Clarendon 5, DSG 0.

u18

Woodridge 5, Merrifield 2; Hudson 8, Glenwood House 1; Collegiate 8, Stirling 6; Kingswood 7, Pearson 5; Clarendon 6, DSG 5.

Final standings: 

u15:

Clarendon Girls High School A, DSG, Merrifield, Collegiate, Rhenish, Hudson, Stirling, Woodridge, Alex Road, Clarendon B.

u18:

Clarendon Girls High School, DSG, Kingswood, Pearson, Collegiate, Stirling, Hudson, Glenwood House, Woodridge, Merrifield.

Woodridge College is on the brink of history as they prepare to host their first-ever Water Polo Stayers tournament in the small town of Thornhill between Jeffery’s Bay, and Gqeberha this weekend.

The tournament, in a first of its kind for the school, will see teams assemble and battle it out for top honors starting on Friday, with the final scheduled for Sunday at 14:00.

The format of the tournament is pretty standard, with the teams seeded in four pools, and will play two matches each on the first day before the pool matches conclude before lunch on Saturday.

No easy rides:

Taking a look at how the pools are structured, one thing’s for sure is that no team will have an easy pathway to the final.

The hosts are drawn in Pool A, alongside East London’s Hudson Park, Glenwood House from George, and Saheti school coming all the way from Johannesburg.

Pool B is arguably the group of death. The Pool features powerhouses in Selborne College and Pearson High School.

However, arch-rivals, Stirling High will be planning on having its say in the group, while Somerset College comes into the tournament as the underdogs, with no one giving them a shot—something they could use to their advantage.

Pool C and D, respectively feature teams that can be dubbed as favourites for the inaugural tournament. Grey High, also from Gqeberha will face Makhanda’s Kingswood College, before taking on their second-string team and Alex Road in their final pool match on Saturday morning.

In that pool, Grey will be weary of the threats that can be caused by Kingswood College in the pool, considering their strong Water Polo program and culture within the school.

In the final pool, Wynberg Boys High will be traveling from Cape Town to participate in the tournament.

Another Makhanda school will join them in St Andrews College and Merrifield College from East London, while an Invitational side will be aiming to cause an upset against the big dogs.

The groups are:

Pool A: Woodridge College, Hudson Park, Glenwood House, Saheti.

Pool B: Selborne College, Pearson High School, Stirling High School, Somerset College.

Pool C: Grey High School, Kingswood College, Grey High 2^nd, Alexander Road.

Pool D: St Andrew’s College, Wynberg Boys’ High, Merrifield College, Invitational.

Day 1

Pool 1:

10:00 – Glenwood House vs Saheti; 10:50 – Selborne College vs Pearson; 11:40 – Striling vs Somerset College; 12:30- Woodridge College vs Hudson Park; 14:30 – Grey High School vs Grey 2nds; 15:20 – Alexander Road vs Kingswood College; 16:10- Wynberg Boys’ High vs Invitational; 17:00 – St Andrew’s College vs Merrifield.

Pool 2:

10:00 – Grey High School vs Alexander Road; 10:50 – Grey 2nds vs Kingswood College; 11:40 – Invitational vs Merrifield; 12:30 – St Andrew’s College vs Wynberg Boys’ High; 14:30 – Hudson Park vs Saheti; 15:20 – Woodridge College vs Glenwood House; 16:10 – Pearson vs Stirling; 17:00 – Somerset College vs Selborne College.

Day 2:

Pool 1:

08:00 – Woodridge College vs Saheti; 08:50 – Hudson vs Glenwood House; 09:40 – Selborne College vs Stirling; 10:30 – Pearson vs Somerset College.

Pool 2:

08:00 – Grey High School vs Kingswood College; 08:50 – Grey 2nds vs Alexander Road; 09:40 – St Andrew’s College vs Invitational; 10:30 – Wynberg Boys’ High vs Merrifield.

Battle lines will be drawn this coming weekend when 20 schools battle it out in the annual Clarendon Centennial Stayers hosted by Clarendon Girls School in East London.

The tournament, in its uniqueness, will see 40 fixtures played on the first day, with the u18’s locking horns at the Selborne College pool, while the juniors, the u15’s will play their matches at the Harrison Aquatic Centre at Clarendon.

The home side will be joined by City rivals in Stirling High School, Hudson Park, and Merrifield College.

Makhanda’s Kingswood College and Diocesan Girls School will both take the three-hour trip down to East London, while Woodridge College, Collegiate, and Pearson High School, who are all from Gqeberha are also in the mix.

Visitors intent on ruining the coastal party:

There are four teams from East London representing their schools in the u18 sections. Stirling, Hudson, Clarendon, and underdogs Merrifield College.

The general feeling between these sides is that one of them, could have a stellar tournament and prevent any of the visiting teams from claiming the title.

It will however not be as easy as it seems. Stirling and Hudson have a huge rivalry, not only in the pool. During the winter season, the two sides meet home, and away on the rugby field and astroturf, with Hudson Park grabbing the bragging rights most of the time.

This time around, they are drawn in the same pool and will open the tournament as the first fixture on Friday at 07:30.

As for the other two sides, Clarendon, and Merrifield, fighting the teams from Gqeberha will be their main goal.

The two teams are seeded in probably the group of death, which features the deadly Pearson High, Woodridge, and DSG from Makhanda.

To make it out of the pool and into the semi-finals, the two sides need to win every match they play, with one team winning the head-to-head against each other.

Whatever happens within the first two matches of the tournament will set proceedings up nicely for the play-off stages on Saturday, as the visitors will be on a quest to ruin the coastal party.

The juniors to dazzle like sparkle in the pool:

The inclusion of the u15’s in the tournament is something commendable from the organizers.

Often, these tournaments just focus on the senior teams, while the younger players sit, and watch at home. However, if there’s anything we’ve seen so far this season is that the younger teams can also entertain.

In the u16 Durban Girls College tournament hosted last month, the style of Water Polo played in that tournament showcased the talent young players have in their arsenal. Moving on to the St Anne’s tournament, where the organizers decided to include an u16 side which played pretty well under the circumstances.

Last weekend, Durban High School hosted an u16 tournament where the future first-team players were on show.

What this means is that the younger teams, when given an opportunity to showcase their talents can rise to the occasion.

It will be no different this coming weekend, with the 10n teams battling it out for top honours. They will also begin the action on Friday morning with a clash between Merrifield and Stirling High School.

Alex Road, from Gqeberha, comes into the tournament as the underdog and will be looking to cause an upset against the bigger teams.

Clarendon, in this section, has selected an A, and B team to face Woodridge, Hudson, and Rhenish respectively.

The group matches will be concluded on Friday, with the play-offs on Saturday, and the final on Sunday at 13:30.

Fixtures:

The groups are:

U18:

Pool A: Stirling High School, Hudson Park, Kingswood College, Glenwood House, Collegiate.

Pool B: Clarendon, Merrifield, Pearson, Woodridge, Doicesan Girls School.

Selborne College Pool: u18 Fixtures

07:30- Striling vs Hudson; 08:10- Clarendon vs Merrifield; 08:50- Pearson vs Woodridge; 09:30- Stirling vs Glenwood House; 10:10- Hudson vs Collegiate; 10:50- Clarendon vs DSG; 11:30- Kingswood vs Glenwood House; 12:10- Merrifield vs Pearson;  12:50- Stirling vs Collegiate; 13:30-Hudson vs Kingswood; 14:10- Merrifield vs DSG; 14:50- Stirling vs Kingswood; 15:30- Merrifield vs Woodridge; 16:10-Glenwood vs Collegiate; 16:50- Clarendon vs Pearson; 17:30- Woodridge vs DSG; 18:10- Hudson vs Glenwood House; 18:50- Clarendon vs Woodridge.

U15:

Pool A: Clarendon, Diocesan Girls School, Merrifield, Stirling, Alex Road.

Pool B: Hudson Park, Collegiate, Rhenish, Clarendon B, Woodridge.

Clarendon Pool: u15 Fixtures

08:00- Merrifield vs Stirling; 08:30- Rhenish vs Clarendon B; 09:00- Hudson vs Woodridge; 09:30- Clarendon A vs Stirling; 10:00- Collegiate vs Rhenish; 10:30- DSG vs Merrifield; 11:00- Hudson vs Clarendon B; 11:30- Collegiate vs Woodridge; 12:00- DSG vs Alex Road; 12:30- Hudson vs Rhenish; 13:00- Stirling vs Alex Road; 13:30- Clarendon A vs Merrifield; 14:00- Clarendon B vs Woodridge;  14:30- DGS vs Stirling; 15:00- Merrifield vs Alex Road; 15:30- Collegiate vs Clarendon B; 16:00- Clarendon A vs DSG; 16:30- Rhenish vs Woodridge; 17:00- Hudson vs Collegiate; 17:30- Clarendon A vs Alex Road.

Selborne College held off a fierce Kearsney College side in a rousing final of the u16 Nick Rey Water Polo tournament hosted at Durban High School over the weekend.

The gripping clash went all the way to penalties after both sides scored five goals, with nothing to separate the teams after the fourth quarter.

The penalty shoot-out, a closely contested one fell in the hands of the Eastern Cape side after Kearsney missed a shot.

Selborne eventually won (3-2) on penalties.

In other matches on the day, Jeppe Boys High School from Gauteng thumped Glenwood High (13-7) to finish in the 13^th spot. Whereas wins for Westville (5-4 against Northwood), Michaelhouse (5-3 versus Affies), and Hiton (7-5 against St Stithians) saw them all finish within the top 10 spots.

Dominant start pays off for the Eastern Capers:

Selborne College will look back at the tournament and draw inspiration from how they carried themselves in the pool.

The side began the weekend in the best way possible, putting their front foot forward and dominating as early as day one. Despite lapses of concentration creeping in early on day two, it’s their resilience and fight that stood out, and saw the side seal their spot for the grand finale.

In their first match, the visitors scored a mammoth 12 goals against Jeppe Boys. That statement win was however cancelled out on the morning of day two when the side lost by two points (11-9) against Hilton College.

The same resilience and never-say-die attitude saw Selborne redeem themselves when they put 12 goals past Michaelhouse on the same day.

That secured Selborne’s spot in the play-off spots, where they got past hosts, Durban High School (8-5) before a spirited win against Hilton College (4-2) in the semi-final on Sunday morning saw the side book a date with Kearsney College in the final.

Made to work for the win:

Heading into the final, Selborne were undoubtedly the favourites considering their run in the tournament and the type of attack and mid-field players they have in their arsenal.

However, Kearsney was always going to pose a massive threat, especially in a knockout match.

When looking at their run to the final, the KZN side was quiet about their business. The side with home-ground advantage scored 14 goals, conceding two against Glenwood in their opener. They continued on their goalscoring form, netting in a further 16 against the DHS Invitational side before thumping St Stithians (12-8) in the semi-final.

The final began on a physical, and high-tempo note.

The visitors from the Eastern Cape opened the scoring with two minutes. Kearsney slotted one back with just under a minute to play after one of the Selborne defenders was penalized for foul play.

The first chukka ended 1-1.

The second stanza only produced one goal – after both sides failed to increase their tallies early on, Kearsney pounced on a golden opportunity. When a counterattack presented itself, the KZN side passed the ball to one of their attackers, who with a reverse swing smashed the ball in the right-hand corner to give his side a 2-1 going into the final two quarters of the match.

The final two quarters were the most exhilarating, mouthwatering, and aggressive quarters of arguably the whole tournament.

Selborne got themselves back into the match by scoring three goals, while Kearsney also stayed in the clash with two goals of their own. In the end, both sides were tied at (4-4), and one goal a piece in the final chukka couldn’t separate the two teams, with penalties the only option.

Selborne kept their calm, slotting in their three shots while one miss by Kearsney gifted the East London side a hard-fought (3-2) in Durban.

Results:

Day 1:

Durban High School 9, Maritzburg College 1; Clifton 16, Glenwood 1; Kearsney 14, Westville 8; Northwood 6, St Benedict’s 1; St Stithians 10, Affies 5; Selborne 12, Jeppe 2; Greg College 9, DHS Invitational 5; Hilton 9, Michaelhouse 3.

Day 2:

Northwood 5, Maritzburg College 1; Kearsney 16, DHS invitational 2; St Stithians 14, Glenwood 2; Hilton 11, Jeppe 6; Kearsney 16, Grey College 4; DHS 14, St Benedict’s 2; Clifton 5, Affies 3; Hilton 11, Selborne College 9; Westville 6, DHS invitational 1; DHS 7, Northwood 6; St Stithians 9, Clifton 3; Selborne College 12, Michaelhouse 4; Westville 16, Grey College 5; Maritzburg College 9, St Benedict’s 1; Affies 8, Glenwood 5, Michaelhouse 16, Jeppe 8.

Day 3:

Affies 6, Northwood 5; Clifton 10, Maritzburg College 3; Selborne 14, Grey College 5; Michaelhouse 9, Westville 6; Glenwood 11, St Benedict’s 7; Jeppe 7, DHS Invitational 5; Selborne College 8, DHS 5; St Stithians 8, Michaelhouse 7; Hilton 11, Affies 6.

Day 4:

Selborne 4, Clifton 2; Kearsney College 12, St Stithians 8; St Benedict’s 5, DHS Invitational 5; Jeppe 13, Glenwood 7; Grey College 4, Maritzburg College 3; Westville 5, Northwood 4; DHS 4, Clifton 4; Michaelhouse 5, Affies 3; Hilton 7, St Stithians 5; Selborne College 5 (3), Kearsney 5 (2).