Author: asawula

The success of many sporting programs in schools often overrides the hard work that goes behind the scenes to ensure that excellent results are produced week in and out. 

That is also the case at Jeppe High School for Boys, a school with a rich sporting tradition founded in 1890 and located in Kensington, Johannesburg.

The boys’ school, which is known for its rugby accolades and for producing World Cup-winning Springbok winger, Sbu Nkosi, and current Blue Bulls director of rugby, Jake White, also prides itself in its hockey program, fielding over 18 teams while remaining competitive against other top schools in the country. 

The success of Jeppe’s hockey program, however, besides showing on the field has been orchestrated by the hardworking staff who alongside the Director of Hockey, Bryan Hillock have steered the program in an upward curve. 

The school’s motto, “Forti nihil difficilius”, which means:  “Nothing is too difficult for the brave” has been a huge driving force for Hillock and those involved. 

Speaking to SuperSport Schools ahead of their highly anticipated derby against Pretoria Boys’ High on the weekend, Hillock said he was very proud of the strides made by the program so far this season, outlining growth and consistency as the key drivers. 

“We are very proud of the results we’ve achieved this season; it’s been another good year for us right from the u14 to the first team, and our hockey program is going from strength to strength,” he said. 

“We’ve added three more teams this year so we’re up to 18 teams now, and from a results point of view, we’ve been impressed.”

“The boys played their sixth derby fixture on Saturday and in all six we have managed to win the fixture, winning and drawing more games than the opposition did.”

Support structures for sports players in Schools have been increasingly on the rise in recent years. Many schools now have conditioning coaches, managers, and mental coaches to help pupils deal with issues on and off the field. 

An element that has been executed well by Jeppe is allowing their teaching staff to form part of their coaching locker room, which in return helps in building solid relationships between them and the players/pupils. 

The director praised the coaching staff at the school, and parents of the learners, emphasizing how much of a team effort the success of the program has relied on them.

“I think we are quite blessed that we’ve had great continuity over the past five to six years in terms of the staff we have,” he said. 

“For me, it all starts with staffing, and we’ve been very blessed with the calibre of coaches that we have. Every team has a coach and a manager, and we are sitting on about 18/19 academic staff that are active in hockey and that’s massive!” 

“At Jeppe, it’s more about the boy as a whole and not just the boy as a hockey player and when you have staff that are academic staff and focused on more than results then that helps the development of the boys.” 

“We are also blessed to have the support of the parents, the school, old boys, and the hockey patron’s association – parents, without them we wouldn’t be getting the results we’re getting,” Hillock added. 

Consistency within the Jeppe first-team squad has been the catalyst in achieving solid results this year. The side coached by Gilbert de Villiers has lost only two matches this season, both coming from tournaments, in the KES festival and Aitken Boden. Lydon Smith is the team’s manager.

Hillock added that he had been evenly impressed by the team, praising their work ethic on and off the turf. 

“The first team has been exceptional this season losing only two games, and I must say it’s a good first side.”

“It’s as good as we’ve had in the past 10 years, they’ve achieved some exceptional results, and we are very proud of them as well, their work ethic speaks for itself.”

Jeppe will travel to Pretoria this weekend in what Hillock describes as their “toughest” match of the season. 

Looking to continue their fine form, the first team will be counting on the backing of their director and the school at large. 

Kick-off between Pretoria Boys’ High and Jeppe is at 10:50 on Saturday. 

The teams:

Pretoria Boys’ High: Stewart Pringle, Hashil Lakha, Robert Hassenkamp, Dewald Griesel, Jayden Boshoff, Micah Sonn, David Baxter, Marco Upton, Daniel Manley, Jeron Hugo, Likho Dube, Cameron Davids, Michael Robertson, Ruard Booysen. 

Jeppe High School for Boys: Joshua Renders, Neo Chimanyi, Brent Johnson, Ryan Harcourt-Baldwin, Chaz Breytenbach, Kyle Jackson, Jaydon Brooker, Christian Steinmann, Miguel De Jesus, Diahn Alberts-Flynn, Ben Benjamin, Ethan Kapanda, Matthew Morudi, Tyrique Joseph, Biopelo Koloti.

St Andrew’s College will be looking to put a halt to Selborne College’s season when the two giants face off in a provincial derby in Makhanda this coming Friday afternoon. 

Selborne will be searching for their fifth straight win this season (in derby matches) after beating the likes of Queens (3-1), Dale (6-0), and Merrifield (7-1) in May.

The black and white troops have been phenomenal this season, to say the least. Their attack style of play, counterattacking on turnovers has seen them defy all odds, which has shown in the number of players from the team selected to represent the Amathole Schools in the IPT tournament in June. 

Interestingly, the East London side has been able to do the dirty work home and away this season. 

A match they will look back on is the gutsy performance they produced vs. Grey Bloem in the Free State, where they played out to a (2-2) draw in a match affected by bad lightning before traveling to Komani to register a 3-1 victory against Queens at their reunion.

However, as much as Selborne go into the match as favorites, St Andrews will relish the undergod title, especially in their backyard. 

Led by Dean Ferreira, the Makhanda side has had promising results, only losing four of their 14 matches while winning six and playing out evenly on four occasions.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools briefly during the week, Ferreira had this to say ahead of the match: 

“The team has been performing well this season but have drawn their last two fixtures and are hoping for a win this week against Selborne,” he said.

“Players to look out for are Ross Gordon who is in good form and has scored in both the previous matches as well as Sibusiso Mxube who is a skilful player and was recently selected for the under 18 provincial team.”

Looking for a win in two matches, Ferreira and his guns will, however, be wary of a side that possesses the skills of players like Ben van der Merwe, Waeden Plaatjes, and Tre’ Gilbert, to name a few. 

The clash will be played at the Webster field Astro, with kick-off scheduled for 16:00.

In other fixtures in the province, Dale College, who are still in search of their first win of the season go head-to-head against Kingswood College, while Pearson High will look to close the term with a win against Woodridge College.

Whereas the fixture between Gqeberha’s Grey High and Outeniqua has been called off. 

The teams: 

St Andrew’s College: Connor MacNamara, Kamva Kese, Stuart Carr, Jake Coventry, Andrew Holmes, Sibusiso Mxube, Ross Gordon, James Grundlingh, Ian Meihuizen, Mark Ter Morshuizen, Hilton Lindhorst, Muhammad Moosa (GK), Drew Stockill Laurie Apps, Jonthan Mackenzie, Kumkani Kabane. 

Selborne College: Charlie Caswell, Gray van Heerden, Daniel Gaylard, Shane Stagg, Ben van der Merwe (captain), Masibulele Siswana, Tre’ Gilbert, Daniel Conroy, Jacques van der Merwe, James Carr, Daniel Sirgel, Lunga Malusi, Waeden Plaatjes, Cade Kock. 

Fixtures:

Friday, 2 June

15:45 – Kingswood College vs Dale College; 16:00 – St Andrew’s College vs Selborne College; 16:00 – Pearson vs Woodridge College; 16:00 – Graeme College vs Port Alfred. 

Saturday, 3 June

11:45 – Die Brandwag vs Framesby

Selborne College’s first team captain, Ben van der Merwe, says he is embracing the challenge of leading a strong side as the East London team prepares to host their oldest rivals, Dale College, this coming weekend.

Van der Merwe, among eight other team members, has been selected to represent the Amathole Schools in this year’s IPT tournament, set to take place in Bloemfontein from the 24th of June to the 30th.

In an interview with SuperSport Schools during the week, the skipper outlined the positive start his side has had this season and how he’s managed to lead the side to some impressive results along the way. 

“We have had a pretty good start to the season, winning some big games at the Tony Godding festival before playing well in the Netherlands tour and finishing third behind Paul Roos and SACS in the Hibbert Shield,” he said. 

“In terms of the leadership role, it’s not easy, but I’ve enjoyed captaining the side.”

“The boys in grades 11 and 10 have made it easy for us as seniors. They have risen to the challenge and respect the older guys in the team.”

The current season sees Van der Merwe play his third consecutive season in black and white hoops; a feat achieved by a few players in their time at the school.

He admits, however, that getting first-team experience at an early stage has helped fast-track his game and got him used to the intensity quite early.

“I played a bit of first-team hockey in grade 10 (2021) but didn’t play many matches as we were coming out of COVID,” he revealed.

“However, I got a lot of experience learning from the older guys, and then playing last year and now leading the side has been a great learning experience.”

“Coming from u16, it’s a lot faster and more intense; starting at a young age helped me because I now know the intensity, and I can develop my skills and get better every year.”

Coming off a break last weekend, Van der Merwe and his troops will take on Dale on Friday, a team he says, they’re not undermining despite their current run this season. 

“They come off a loss in their reunion this past weekend and may not have the confidence to play against us.”

“As a team, we’re very excited, we had a bye this past weekend, so the excitement has carried through from the Grey College match. We’re going to respect them, but we want to beat them in our territory.”

To beat their opposition convincingly, the side will be relying on the huge role played by their coaches, KJ Friend, and Luke Ferreira, who have contributed to the development and confidence of the side. 

Other senior players to look out for in the side include a handful of the players selected for the provincial team, namely: Tre’ Gilbert, Lunga Malusi, Cade Kock, Masibulela Siswana, Daniel Sirgel, Charlie Cawell, James Carr, and Waeden Plaatjes.

The match between the two sides kicks off at 18:30 on Friday under the lights.

In other matches, St. Andrews College hosts Hudson Park, while Queens College welcomes Gqeberha’s Grey High School. 

The teams: 

Selborne College: Charlie Caswell, Gray van Heerden, Daniel Gaylard, Shane Stagg, Ben van der Merwe ( C ), Masibulela Siswana, Tre’ Gilbert, Daniel Conroy, Jaques van der Merwe, James Carr, Daniel Sirgel, Lunga Malusi, Waeden Plaatjes, Cade Kock. 

Dale College: Inga Mafanga, Gavin Walton, Sbongisile Nzima, Kamva Tolwana, Hlumelo Ntlola, Joe Mendoza, Siyabonga Madlwabinga, Akanani Msutu, Lihumelo Ncukana, Caleb Ellis, Amangile Songelwa, Endinako Mnguni, Hlomla Kostauli, Naledi Mosebi. 

Fixtures:

Friday, 19 May 2023

17:15 – St. Andrews College vs Hudson Park

17:30 – Queen’s College vs Grey High School

18:30 – Selborne College vs Dale College 

Amathole schools u18 head coach Siyabonga Lusiba says the squad of 16 players selected to represent the Border region in this year’s IPT hockey festival will look to go the extra mile and win the tournament set to be held in the Free State. 

The squad boasts nine Selborne College players, with Komani’s Queen’s College represented by three, while Merrifield College and Cambridge High boast two players each.

The team will travel to Bloemfontein from the 24th of June to the 30th, where they will face the toughest provincial teams in the country in hopes of improving from previous campaigns. 

Speaking to SuperSport Schools after the team’s conclusion, Lusiba explained how smooth of a process it was to decide on the team. 

“It wasn’t hard because some of the players picked themselves,” he said.

“We know how they play, and we’ve watched most of the games, and that made the process quite easy.”

“We normally have our hockey pre-season festival in East London, which is where we can watch all the schools and see them there; the only hard part was probably looking for two spots in the team.”

Despite going into the tournament dubbed as underdogs, Lusiba and his management team are hopeful that they have the right team this year that could upset a few sides and see them finish in the top four. 

“As the management, we are looking to go there and win the tournament,” he added. 

“However, it would be great if we finish in the top four. We didn’t do badly last year in terms of results, but we have a better team in terms of players this year, so we’re looking to win or at least finish within close range.”

Lusiba will be assisted by Michael Baiden, while Sipe Matafeni will be entrusted with managerial duties of the side. 

The team:

Tre’ Gilbert (Selborne College), Lunga Malusi (Selborne College), Waeden Plaatjes (Selborne College), Cade Kock (Selborne College), Masibulela Siswana (Selborne College), Daniel Sirgel (Selborne College), Charlie Cawell (Selborne College), Ben van der Merwe (Selborne College), James Carr (Selborne College), Lucan Hykes (Queens College), Calvin Bloom (Queens College), Luke Du Preez (Queens College), Trent Pillay (Merrifield College), Mpha Mboniswa (Merrifield College), Damian Alldred (Cambridge High School), Siphesihle Nodada (Cambridge High School). 

Ladysmith head coach Christo Pieterse believes winning the Spar KZN Umvoti & Othukela Challenge will inspire girls from the school to take up hockey and gain interest in the sport as the school looks to go from strength to strength regarding their hockey program.

The Durban side, who put in a solid performance at the tournament, won three of their round-robin matches, finishing on top with 17 points, and qualifying for the final. 

In the final, they met last year’s champions, Domino Servite, in a brutal battle that ended with Ladysmith winning (2-1). 

Speaking to SuperSport Schools after the momentous victory, head coach Christo Pieterse expressed how happy the team was with the win and how much of an impact a win like this will have on the school. 

“We are really happy with the result of the Spar tournament after an absence of a few years and with COVID preventing us from taking part in hockey,” said Pieterse.

“With a result like this and the trophy we won; I think the interest in hockey will grow in the school.”

“Seeing that we’ve only got a limited number of girls playing the sport, and for us to be able to achieve a result like this, it will motivate most girls at the school to take up hockey.”

Despite the team producing some brilliant hockey, defending well, and taking their chances in front of the goal, special mention must go to Nosipho Madonsela and Kara Fourie, who were picked out as standout players for the team. 

Pieterse’s side will carry the momentum into their remaining matches in the Northern Natal League this season, two of them being against Escourt High and Greytown.

Full results from the tournament:

Wartburg Kirchdorf 1, Hermannsburg 0; Domino Servite 0, Greytown High 0; Escourt 0 Wembley College 1; Ladysmith 1, Hermannsburg School 0; Wartburg Kirchdorf 0, Domino Servite 0; Greytown High 1, Escourt High 0; Ladysmith 1, Wembley 0; Greytown 2, Hermannsburg 0; Domino Servite 5, Escourt High 0; Wartburg Kirchdorf 1, Wembley College 0; Ladysmith High School 1, Domino Servite 1; Greytown High 1, Wartburg Kirchdorf 0; Hermannsburg School 1, Escourt High 0; Wembley College 0, Domino Servite 0; Greytown High 0, Ladysmith High 0; Wartburg Kirchdorf 4, Escourt High 0; Domino Servite 2, Hermannsburg 0, Wembley College 1, Greytown High 0; Ladysmith High 1, Wartburg Kirchdorf 1; Hermannsburg  0, Wembley College 1; Escourt High 0, Ladysmith High School 4;

FINAL: Ladysmith High School 2, Domino Servite 1. 

Queen’s College added more daylight between them and arch-rivals Dale College when they defeated the King Willy side 2-0 in their 162nd reunion in King Williams Town on Friday night. 

Entering the match, Queens were coming off a rest weekend after last playing against a competitive side at the reunion against Selborne College in late April.

However, that didn’t negatively impact the Komani side, as a number of their players participated in the Border trials held in East London a week ago.

Queens started the match like a house on fire, dominating proceedings and using their counterattack style of play. They created several chances in the first chukka, also getting three short corners, but couldn’t convert and make Dale pay.

The second chukka would see the Komani side open the deadlock with a goal from Lucan Hykes after a well-executed penalty corner found the stick of Hykes, who swept the ball into the back of the net. 

That goal sparked the home side back to life as Dale managed to get two one-on-one opportunities with the keeper but failed to convert— an issue stated by assistant coach Andrew Senekal ahead of the game. 

Those would be the only chances created by the home side, as a late goal by Queens forward Bevaneo Maytham from another penalty corner secured the win for the visitors, keeping their superb run in the 2023 season going.

As for Dale, they’ll go back to the drawing board in hopes of registering their first win of the season in the upcoming weeks.

In other matches in the Eastern Cape, Hudson Park defied all odds when they defeated Merrifield College (2-0) on the Bucco Astro. 

In Gqeberha, Pearson High and Kingswood’s match was cancelled due to bad weather, much to the dismay of Pearson coach Dallan Phillips. 

Phillips told SuperSport Schools that his team was ready to play in the rain and even asked the visitors if the match could be rescheduled to Saturday. 

“We were really desperate to play the game, but they didn’t want to; they pulled out,” he said.

Sticking with Gqeberha, Grey High and St Andrews College played out to a two-all draw before Woodridge defeated York High (4-3) with Westering going down (3-1) to Victoria Park.

Scorers:

Queen’s College 2 (Lucan Hykes, Bevaneo Maytham). Dale College 0. 

Hudson Park 3 (Ntsika Phuza, Vizi Booysen, Helio Ruiters). Merrifield 1 (Trent Pillaya).

Grey High School 2 (Kian Cambier, Xander Elkington). St. Andrew’s College 2 (Roos Gordon, James Grundlingh). 

Pearson High School vs. Kingswood College – Cancelled 

Other results:

York High 3, Woodridge 4; Victoria Park 3, Westering 1. 

 

A hat-trick of goals by Durban High School forward Lumi Matwele secured an emphatic (5-0) victory for DHS against Michaelhouse on Saturday at the Punchbowl.

DHS, which entered the game off a 4-3 defeat against Hilton College, was looking to raise the intensity against a strong Michaelhouse side that has shown improvement so far this season. 

Raise the intensity, which they did as Michael Baker’s side started positively asserting dominance as early as the first chukker. 

Michaelhouse, however, matched the visitor’s intensity, as both teams created chances but failed to capitalize on them. 

The first chukka ended goalless. The talk at the break must’ve sparked some life into the DHS boys, as the KZN side came back firing, scoring two goals courtesy of Tyrique Cloete and Matwele after a brilliant build-up play.

Entering the second half, Baker’s boys raised the intensity. Matwele smashed a backhand to make it 3-0 and then converted a slip flick from a penalty corner to make it 4-0.

Michaelhouse also created a few chances of their own; however, with DHS keeper Keelan Henry fighting for his clean sheet, he pulled off a great save from a Michaelhouse penalty corner and a counterattack that left them one-on-one with Henry.

The visitors then closed out the game with 30 seconds to go as they turned defense into attack.

A quick roll to Aldridge Maasdorp, resulted in him playing in Cloete on the far post for a tap-in.

With the win, DHS returned to winning ways, forcing Michaelhouse to revisit the drawing board. 

In other matches in the KZN, Hilton College played out a one-all draw with Pretoria Boys High. 

Kearsney College put six past Glenwood before Maritzburg College and Westville Boys’ High couldn’t be separated, with both sides scoring two goals. Northwood fought hard for a (4-3) win against St. Charles College. 

Scorers:

Durban High School 5  (Lumi Matwele (3), Tyrique Cloete (2). Michaelhouse 0. 

Kearsney College 6 (James Gillespie (2), Sandiswa Yeni (2), Liam Johnson,  Dylan Wiggett. Glenwood High School 0.

Maritzburg College 2 (Asanda Khumalo, Jayden Aylward). Westville Boys’ High 2 (Heath Stott, Caleb van Loenen). 

Other results:

Pretoria Boys’ High 1, Hilton College 1; Northwood 4, St Charles College 3.

“For the boys, this is one game they want to win.” Those were the words echoed by Dale College’s assistant coach Andrew Senekal ahead of the side’s reunion clash against Queen’s College this coming Saturday.

Dale, from King Williams Town, will host the Komani side in what will be their 162nd reunion, a milestone added to the school’s rich history.

However, the side has had a rather unpleasant start to their season on the turf. After losing nine players from last year’s team, the King Willy boys find themselves winless. 

Speaking to SuperSport Schools ahead of the reunion clash, Senekal, reflected on the season so far and added how they were planning to use the momentous occasion to spark confidence in the boys. 

“It’s been a tough season,” he said in a light tone.

“We participated in the Founders Festival, where we struggled and came up against some of the top schools in the country.” 

“It’s been challenging also because we haven’t had our astroturf; we’ve been training on the mini-astro because we’ve been resurfacing our main astro, which is now complete, so hopefully, we’ll get into the swing of things now and get the players in the gear they need to take their game forward.”

Losing consecutive matches tends to tamper with a team’s morale and confidence. 

This has been the case for Dale, as Senekal reveals how they, as the management, are trying to get the boys into the correct head space.  

“There are various challenges that we’ve had, and coming from the festival where we didn’t get any wins, it’s tough.”

“A lot of the mental aspect is low at the moment; we are trying to get the boys in the correct mental head space and get them to work together again.”

Despite losing to the likes of Kearsney College, Northwood, and Cambridge High so far this season, Dale will approach Queens knowing that reunion fever can spark on their side and that the unexpected could happen. Senekal echoed these sentiments, stating the importance of the match and how eager the boys are for it. 

“The reunion matters; many people and even old boys come from all over the country to come and enjoy the festivities,” he said. 

“For the boys, this is the game they want to win; you can ignore everything else because this is one game that they chase and want to win; it’s a win-at-all-costs game.” 

“For the matrics, it’s probably their last game against Queens, so they just want to push and do as well as they can.”

Kick-off between the two sides is at 16:15 on Friday.

Other matches to watch out for in the Eastern Cape include the clash between Makhanda’s Kingswood College and Pearson High from Gqeberha.

St. Andrews College will also make their way to Bloemfontein to face Grey College, while Hudson Park will battle it out with Merrifield College, and Westering will play Victoria Park. 

The teams: 

Dale College: Inga Mafanga, Gavin Walton, Sbongisile Nzima, Kamva Tolwana, Hlumelo Ntlola, Joe Mendoza, Siyabonga Madlwabinga, Akanani Msutu, Lihumelo Ncukana, Caleb Ellis, Amangile Songelwa, Endinako Mnguni, Hlomla Kostauli, Naledi Mosebi

Queens College: Luke du Preez, Brett Hoffman, David Sarpong, Khanya Lusiki, Asi Tybosch, Connor Oelofse, Keaneo Maytham, Ziya Bidi, Damian Miles, Lucan Hykes, Aiden van Jaarsveld, Lumuba Gqongqo, Rowan Miles, Calvin Blooms.

Other matches: 

12 May 2023

16:00 – Hudson Park vs Merrifield College; 16:15 – Dale College vs Queen’s College; 18:30 – Pearson vs Kingswood College; 18:30 – Woodridge College vs York High; 18:40 – Grey High School vs St Andrew’s College.

Durban High School head coach Michael Baker says his team needs to play with high intensity if they stand any chance of beating provincial rivals, Michaelhouse, when the two Kwa-Zulu Natal sides lock horns this coming weekend at the Punchbowl.

Located just 125 kilometers north-west of Durban, DHS will, for the second week running, make the trip down after traveling to face Hilton last weekend and losing that highly entertaining match (4-3). 

Speaking to SuperSport Schools during the week, Baker said his side needed to raise their intensity and remain resolute on defence, something they lacked in their previous match.

“We weren’t good in deep defence against Hilton, so we conceded soft goals because our defensive system wasn’t great at all,” Baker said. 

“We’ve got to get better there because Michaelhouse has some really good goal scorers—that’s the key focus.” 

“We also need to raise our intensity because we started the match really slow, so those are the things we need to work on,” he added.

The Durban school is known for its rugby accolades and outstanding performances over the years, which at the time overshadowed a mediocre, underperforming hockey programme. 

However, that all changed in 2018, when the school acquired the services of Baker as director of hockey and eventually head coach. Baker managed to grow the school’s hockey programme from four teams to 12.

He shared how he and members of his hockey staff resurrected the program, bringing respectability and honour back to the DHS name. 

“The school was supportive from the get-go; our director of sports, Mr. Pillay, and our headmaster, Mr. Pinheiro, have supported me with the vision I had,” Baker revealed. 

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

“I think the most important thing is making the hockey boys feel part of something.” “We are building a good culture in the hockey program 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.”

Early in the season, DHS is showing good strides, having picked up historic wins against Northwood (1-0), Westville (2-0), and Maritzburg College (2-1) for the first time since 2009. 

The coach believes these results will go a long way this season as they continue to climb up the rankings.

“There are a lot of teams we haven’t beaten in a long time that we have beaten this year.”

“When I first got here in 2018, teams like Westville and Northwood gave us double figures, so to beat them this year was quite a huge moment for the hockey side.”

The clash between the two sides will kick off at 14:00.

Other action to look out for in KZN includes a matchup between Hilton College and Pretoria Boys High.

Glenwood will look to get back to winning ways after last week’s loss against Maritzburg College when they take on Kearsney College, whereas Westville and Northwood face Maritzburg College and St. Charles, respectively.

The teams:

Durban High School: Keelan Henry, Lulonke Gono, Ruben Peters, Matlhatse Sebake, Bhavesh Naicker, Lethabo Bocagwi, Leruo Ditlakhanyane, Sitchaba Siyoyo, Nathi Jona, Lumi Matwele, Aldridge Maasdorp, Liam Ruiters, Lubanzi Zulu, Tyrique Cloete, Lethabo Mathobela, Joshua Mungherera.

Michaelhouse: Pikolomzi Nkompela, Jordan Baxter, Jason Lawrence, Nicholas Pitt, Christopher Angel, Keaton Porrill, West Mitchell-Innes, Sebastian Hofmeyr, John Yeadon, Murray Hall-Jones, Thomas Griffin, Dominic Furby, Patrick Lambert, Erich van Zyl, Oliver Brown. 

Other matches in KwaZulu-Natal: 

Saturday, 13 May 2023 

10:45 – Pretoria Boys’ High vs Hilton College
11:15 – Kearsney College vs Glenwood
11:30 – Maritzburg College vs Westville Boys’ High
12:30 – St Charles College vs Northwood
14:00 – Michaelhouse vs Durban High School

Kingswood College girls coach Zimasa Dunywa says her side will look to give their all and put away every opportunity when they visit Gqeberha’s Pearson High School in what sets to be a highly entertaining match this coming weekend.

The side, under Dunywa, has had a positive start to the 2023 campaign after finishing eighth out of 32 teams in the Fairmont Easter Tournament.

They also topped that off by defeating the likes of Durbanville, Bellville, and Outeniqua before hosting their successful co-ed festival, which saw them win four out of six matches. 

The experienced coach, who once dawned the green and gold colours, joined the college early this year after a five-year stint at Collegiate Girls’ High.

Speaking at length to SuperSport Schools ahead of their encounter on Saturday, Dunywa revealed how she has adapted to her role while also getting to know her side better. 

“I joined Kingswood this year, and personally, it took some adjustment for me to get to know the girls,” she said.

“I take pride in understanding my team, seeing what works for them, and making combinations—seeing the field work and bonding off the field.” 

“We have a very capable team—a strong team, I must say—led by Araya Boettiger (captain) and Amy Hobson (vice-captain), who are very influential at the school.” 

Dunywa, coming into the team, has had to assert a new style of play and mentality among the girls. She admits, however, that her girls have fully embraced the challenge and have aligned with the goals set in motion.

“My coaching style is one of playing with the best because that’s how we’ll get better,” revealed Dunywa.

“I have a very strong group in all aspects, mentally and physically.” “The girls are always up for it, and we’re always punching above our weight.”

“I love how they always look forward to playing the best and most respected teams because, honestly, those are the games we want to play and train hard for.”

Deemed South Africa’s leading independent, co-educational school, the Makhanda-based school will face arguably its toughest fixture so far this year, in Pearson.

The Gqeberha side has been phenomenal this year, carrying on with last year’s momentum, which saw them finish the year ranked 10th in the country. 

Not giving away too much, Dunywa had this to say when asked what it would take to beat the home side in their reunion celebration:

“To say we’re excited would be an understatement,” she opened.

“We see ourselves as a threatening team, and we rattle teams when we move the ball, and I want us to do that throughout our game against Pearson.”

“It’s going to take a lot of grit when talent doesn’t pitch up anymore; we’re going to need hard work.” We need to switch on for all four quarters and put up every opportunity we get; ultimately, we’ll go out there and give it our all,” she concluded. 

Kick-off is at 13:00 between the two teams on the Pearson Astro.

Other matches to keep an eye on include the clash between Stirling High School and Union. Cambridge High will take on Grens while Hudson Park battle Merrifield.

Clarendon Girls are expected to have a field day against Port Rex THS, while Gqeberha’s Westville face Victoria Park and Woodridge take on York High.

In King Williams Town, Kingsridge High School for Girls welcome Queenstown Girls’ High School.

The teams:

Kingswood College: Sthando Mandlendoda, Isabella Oertel, Olivia Connellan, Joanna Du Toit, Araya Boettiger (c), Lilly Winstanley, Keagan Lottering, Jasmine Witthuhn, Amy Hobson (vc), Devon Heyns, Ophola Bulani, Matipa Karimazondo, Amy Wilson, Emily Van Niekerk, Ella Stone. 

Pearson: Jayde O’Halloran, Nuriyah Bell, Jorja Andrews (vc), Jodi Wilson, Cara Nel (c), Kaylin Roberts, Isabelle Hofmeyr, Devon Moore, Annemi De Villiers, Nina Ferreira, Zanike Coetzer, Jody van Aardt, Zoey Mostert, Nyssa Slabbert.