Johannesburg’s top hockey schools delivered an action-packed slate of matches as the city hosted a gripping series of schoolboy hockey clashes on Friday and Saturday.
The local giants, Jeppe High School for Boys and King Edward VII School (KES) welcomed visiting teams from KwaZulu-Natal, Northwood School, and Westville Boys’ High, for a couple of exciting inter-provincial games.
On the Boden AstroTurf, Jeppe staged a thrilling comeback, led by a standout performance from Ethan Kapanda, to edge out Northwood 2–1.
The competition was intense from the opening whistle, and it was Northwood who struck first, netting with less than two minutes to play in the first half from a penalty corner variation.
Jeppe, in typical fashion, staged a robust response and, with Kapanda leading the way, levelled with a sizzling shortie that beat the ‘keeper low and to his right with six minutes remaining in the third chukka.
Early in the fourth chukka, Kapanda went back to the same routine, again finding the back of the goal low and to the goalkeeper’s right, to edge Jeppe ahead.
“It was a hot contest between two well-coached teams,” said Jeppe’s coach, Siya Styana, who praised the quality of the game and gave a nod to Northwood coach Justin Collins. “They were difficult to break down, but our boys showed incredible character.”
It was the latest win for Jeppe in an outstanding season. They had beaten their previous KZN opposition, Westville Boys’ High, 5-2, on 24 April, away from home. Before that, Sityana’s side had turned heads at the King Edward VII School Easter Festival, where they went unbeaten, which was a solid follow-up to their unbeaten run at the Nomads Festival, which was also hosted by KES.
Westville was also in action in Johannesburg on Saturday, playing against the Red Sticks, and they came away with a 3-2 win, thanks to a hattrick from their captain, Seth Simpson.
Another team enjoying an excellent season, St Stithians, kicked off the weekend with a Friday night flaying of St David’s Marist Inanda. They dominated possession and frequently turned that advantage into goals, romping to an 8-0 victory.
RESULTS
Jeppe 4-1 Northwood
St Stithians 8-0 St David’s
KES 2-3 Westville Boys’ High
Two of Pretoria’s top hockey-playing schools are set for a bumper weekend of action, covering two days, 9-10 May, when Hoërskool Garsfontein and Hoërskool Waterkloof go at it across all age groups, both girls and boys, in a home and away affair.
The action begins on Friday afternoon at Waterkloof with the u16B girls taking to the turf. They’ll be followed by the girls’ 3rd teams and the boys’ u16C sides as the matches serve to build up to the clashes of the A teams and the 1st sides.
At Garsfontein, Friday’s five build-up games include the girls’ u14B teams taking to the field first. They’ll be followed by the girls’ 2nd XIs, and, then, the u16A sides.
It will be a case of Hyundai Friday Nite Lights when both the girls’ and boys’ 1st XIs do battle at Garsfontein, with the girls’ clash starting at 18:05 and the boys playing at 19:20.
Garsfontein’s boys’ team, after recently finishing fourth at the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield against a high-quality field, will have drawn confidence from their excellent in Gqberha.
There is seldom much to separate the girls’ sides, which Garsies’ coach Charlene Jonsson acknowledged: “We have tightly contested matches each year,” she said. “The first-team girls drew 0-0 last year in this same fixture, and we have not played each other this year yet,” she told SuperSport School Plus.
Her team is ready for the clash, Jonsson added: “Preparations are going well. We are hitting our full in-season stride after all the tournaments are done for this phase of the year, and the focus shifts to our league matches and derbies.
“We keep focusing on getting one percent better each week,” she concluded.
Parktown Boys’ High School hosted 10 hockey schools from across Gauteng for the u16 Alan Monk Top 10 Tournament, between 30 April and 3 May, and when the smoke had settled after four days of competition, Jeppe High School for Boys had walked away as the champion.
The Kensington kids put together six outstanding performances and overpowered their rivals, King Edward VII School (KES), 4-0 in the final.
From the first blast of the whistle, Jeppe established themselves as the team to beat. They opened with a confident 4-2 win over a tough Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) side and then overran Hoërskool Monument 6-1.
Those two wins set the table for a clinical demolition of St David’s Marist Inanda, with Jeppe powering their way to a breathtaking 14-0 victory. They wrapped up pool play with a comfortable 5-0 win over the hosts, Parktown Boys’ High.
That set up a semi-final showdown with Pretoria Boys High School, and they proved to be a tougher challenge. It was a tight affair, but Jeppe triumphed again, this time by a 3-1 margin, which put them through to the title game against KES.
With silverware on the line, Jeppe dominated possession and effectively punished defensive mistakes by KES to run out comfortable winners.
In six matches, the winners tallied a remarkable 36 goals while conceding only four. Those statistics underline their control at both ends of the field.
Jeppe also picked up individual accolades, with Jadon Havinga being named the Defender of the Tournament for his rock-solid presence at the back, while Tshimologo Mogale lit up the front line and claimed the Forward of the Tournament award with his sharp and clinical finishing.
The runner-up, KES, began their run to the final slowly, drawing 1-1 with Pretoria Boys High and 2-2 with Hoërskool Noordheuwel.
They were pushed hard by St John’s College but claimed a 3-2 win in their third outing. They, then, completed their pool fixtures with a 2-0 defeat of Kempton Park. KES saved their best for the semi-finals, convincingly beating Noordheuwel 4-1.
Despite their final four defeat , the Krugersdorp school made an outstanding impression and wrapped up their campaign by claiming third place, just ahead of Pretoria Boys High, in fourth, and Noordheuwel’s rivals, Hoërskool Monument, who completed the top five.
RESULTS
Day 1
KES 1-1 Pretoria Boys High
Jeppe 4-2 Affies
Noordheuwel 3-0 St John’s
Monument 1-1 Parktown
Pretoria Boys High 4-0 Kempton Park
Affies 3-1 St David’s
KES 2-2 Noordheuwel
Day 2
Affies 1-1 Monument
Pretoria Boys High 1-0 Noordheuwel
Jeppe 5-0 Parktown
KES 3-2 St John’s
Noordheuwel 3-0 Kempton Park
St Davids 0-4 Monument
Affies 0-2 Parktown
St John’s 2-1 Pretoria Boys High
Jeppe 14-0 St Davids
KES 2-0 Kempton Park
Day 3
Noordheuwel 3-2 Monument
Parktown Boys 1-3 Pretoria Boys High
St John’s 7-0 St David’s
Affies 7-0 Kempton Park
KES 4-1 Noordheuwel
Jeppe 3-1 Pretoria Boys High
Day 4
St David’s 0-1 Kempton
St Johns 1-2 Affies
Parktown (4) 2-2 (5) Monument
Noordheuwel 3-1 Pretoria Boys High
Jeppe 4-0 KES (Final)
FINAL STANDINGS
Jeppe High School for Boys
King Edward VII School
Hoërskool Noordheuwel
Pretoria Boys High School
Hoërskool Monument
Parktown Boys’ High School
Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool
St John’s College
Kempton Park
St David’s Marist, Inanda
A vibrant 2025 All Girls’ National Festival concluded on Wednesday after three thrilling days of hockey at Wynberg Girls’ High School, in Cape Town.
The event saw 18 top government hockey-playing schools from across the country come together to challenge for the title.
Collegiate Girls’ High, from Gqeberha, and Rhenish Girls’ High, from Stellenbosch, advanced to the final with both posting unbeaten records on their way to the title game.
Rhenish, who hadn’t conceded a single goal on their way to the final, finally had their defences breached as Collegiate scored twice to force a 2-2 draw.
It also took a goal from a penalty corner after time had expired for Rhenish to equalise. That sent the title decider to a penalty shootout and the Gqberha girls captured the honours 3-2 from there.
Collegiate coach Michael Abrahams declared afterwards: “It is a proud moment for us.”
Two weeks ago, before travelling to the Western Cape for the All Girls’ Festival, Collegiate visited Stellenbosch, where they held Rhenish to a 1-1 draw before overcoming Bloemhof 2-1. Both Stellenbosch schools had established themselves among the top teams in the country, so those results spoke volumes about Collegiate’s quality.
Abrahams reckoned his side had arrived in the Mother City ready to challenge for the title. “Coming to All Girls, we knew it was going to be challenging, but the girls prepared well,” he said.
After winning the final, Collegiate had completed an unbeaten run, winning all their games with none being drawn.
“They have worked hard and they have worked on certain aspects of our game, so we were well prepared coming into it,” Abrahams said. “I think we just took it game by game and made sure that our game keeps improving.
“We were fortunate enough to work hard and make sure that we could get to the point where we did,” he added.
“Going up against Rhenish in the final, they’re a well-oiled machine. They are number one in the country for a reason. They have got special players, and we made sure we did some homework and made sure that we were solid in our performances.
“We were sound defensively, and we had to make sure that we stayed in it. The longer we stay in it, the more opportunities we will create.
“We got our opportunity and we just had to make sure that we took our chances, which I think we did. Overall, I think there were good performances from both teams, and I think it was a good final for girls’ hockey. So, yeah, it’s a very proud moment, Our girls worked hard to get over the line.”
After the last match, Collegiate’s Kerrin Gillies was named the Player of the Tournament.
In other games, Daniela Viljoen scored the only goal of the match to see Hoёr Meisieskool Bloemhof claim third place ahead of Afrikaanse Hoёr Meisieskool Pretoria (Affies).
Affies, the champions in 2024, won four out of their seven matches and lost three, all to the two Stellenbosch powerhouses. Rhenish beat them twice, claiming a tight 1-0 win on the opening day before scoring a 2-0 victory in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, there was a Bloemfontein battle for fifth place and it was as close as ever, with Eunice edging out Oranje 1-0 after a shootout.
The hosts, Wynberg Girls’ High School, beaten in their first four games, bounced back to win their last two. They beat Danville 1-0 on Tuesday and completed their schedule with a 2-0 win over La Rochelle on Wednesday to secure a top-10 finish.
FINAL STANDINGS 1. Collegiate Girls’ High School
2. Rhenish Girls’ High School
3. Hoёr Meisieskool Bloemhof
4. Afrikaanse Hoёr Meisieskool Pretoria
5. Eunice High School
6. Oranje Meisieskool
7. Rustenburg Girls’ High School
8. Paarl Girls’ High School
9. Wynberg Girls’ High School
10. Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School
11. Danville Park Girls’ High School
12. Hoёr Meisieskool La Rochelle
13. Pretoria High School for Girls
14. Queenstown Girls’ High School
15. Clarendon High School for Girls
16. Durban Girls’ High School
17. Westville Girls’ High School
18. St Michael’s School for Girls
Nicola van der Merwe, Sarah-Ellen Groenewald, and Pippa Viljoen helped Rhenish Girls’ High School cruise into the final of the National All Girls’ Sport and Cultural Festival on Tuesday.
Rhenish, who topped Pool A on the opening day, Monday, with four wins from four matches, carried on with that momentum when faced with two crucial fixtures on the second day.
In their first match, the aforementioned trio scored a goal each in a convincing 3-0 win over Paarl Girls’ High in the quarterfinals. Later, they eliminated the 2024 champions, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria (Affies), scoring a 2-0 semi-final victory after goals by Van der Merwe and Viljoen.
After six matches and two days of action, Rhenish had compiled a perfect record of six wins in six matches. That ensured their progress to the title game.
The Stellenbosch school celebrated three big milestones on Monday, too, when Puck Bakker played her 150th game for the 1st XI, Grace Hobbs her 100th, and Frankie Henn her 50th.
The school commented, “We are so proud of their dedication, passion, and commitment to the team. Well done, girls!”
Meanwhile, another dominant side, Collegiate, who also went four for four on day one, moved on to the final.
In the quarterfinals, they took on a resilient Rustenburg Girls’ High and scored a 2-0 win. Then, in the semi-finals, and facing Rhenish’s great Stellenbosch rivals, HMS Bloemhof, who finished as the runner-up at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival, they claimed a 2-1 victory.
A mouthwatering final is in the offing, with both teams putting together outstanding runs to the title decider. Not only was Rhenish unbeaten, but they kept a clean sheet throughout the first two days. That’s only a touch better than Collegiate, who have conceded only one goal.
The Gqeberha girls, though, scored 17 goals on day one, without reply, while Rhenish netted 14 times. Collegiate added four more goals on Tuesday, while Rhenish tacked on five.
While Affies won’t be able to defend their title on Wednesday, they’re still assured of a high finish. They beat Eunice 2-1 on Tuesday, with goals from Marise Ras and Janke Schoeman, while Clare Volschenk replied for the Bloemfontein side.
Affies will meet Bloemhof in the playoff for third place.
Oranje Meisieskool bounced back from a tight loss to Bloemhof in a quarterfinal shootout to edge out Rustenburg Girls’ High 1-0, courtesy of a goal from Imce Botha.
The victory secured them a chance to fight for a top-five spot against Eunice. Meanwhile, Wynberg Girls’ High School, registered their first win after a challenging winless run in their backyard.
The hosts sneaked a 1-0 win over Danville Park Girls’ High in a tight contest. They’ll aim to build on that good result on Wednesday.
Rhenish made their case as one of the teams to beat with a perfect record of four wins from four matches on the first day of competition. Photo: Rhenish Girls’ High School on Facebook.
The 25th edition of the National All Girls’ Sport and Cultural Festival burst into action at Wynberg Girls’ High School, in Cape Town, on Monday.
Under clear skies and in a buzzing atmosphere, some of South Africa’s top hockey talent showcased their skills on day one of the three-day competition.
In Pool A, Rhenish Girls’ High School made an early statement by stamping their authority on proceedings from the start. They powered through their fixtures, compiling a flawless four-out-of-four record.
The Stellenbosch school opened their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over a resilient Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria (Affies). Building on that momentum, Rhenish then showed off their attacking prowess in a convincing 3-1 win over Danville Park Girls’ High School.
Later in the day, they added two even more resounding victories, overwhelming Queenstown Girls’ High School 4-0 before completing their schedule with a 5-0 trouncing of St. Michael’s School for Girls.
With a potent attack and rock-solid defence, Rhenish, the reigning Fairtree Super 12 champions, have firmly positioned themselves as early title contenders.
Meanwhile, Affies finished the day in second place, claiming three wins after their loss to Rhenish. The Pretoria outfit rose from their first match defeat to record an impressive 4-0 victory over St Michael’s School for Girls. They went on to overpower Danville 3-0 and Queenstown 4-0.
Collegiate Girls’ High School mirrored Rhenish’s success in Pool B, closing the day unbeaten and at the summit of their group. They enjoyed an outstanding day, scoring 17 goals while keeping a clean sheet in every one of their four matches. Their results included a 1-0 defeat of Oranje in a key clash.
The Gqeberha school combined slick passing with clinical finishing to dispatch their opponents and quickly established themselves as serious challengers for the overall crown.
While Pools A and B saw dominant performances, the teams in Pools C and D treated spectators to tighter battles, with narrow margins deciding most of the matches.
Eunice High School emerged as the standout team in Pool C and finished the day atop the standings, having scored three impressive wins. They edged out Paarl Girls’ High School 2-1 in a tense opener, before narrowly defeating the spirited hosts, Wynberg Girls’ High School 1-0. In their final game of the day, Eunice found another gear, comfortably brushing aside Clarendon High School for Girls with a dominant 4-0 win.
Paarl Girls’ High bounced back from their tight loss to Eunice by securing second place in the pool after picking up two victories. They dispatched Clarendon 5-0 and secured a solid 3-0 win over Wynberg to keep themselves firmly in contention for the later stages of the tournament.
In Pool D, Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof enjoyed a dream start to their campaign, winning all three of their matches, which left them sitting pretty on top of the group after the day’s play. Their consistent performances on both ends of the field showcased their tactical discipline and technical skill.
Rustenburg Girls’ High School also produced some exciting hockey and finished the day in second place, behind Bloemhof. They will be aiming to continue building momentum as they eye the quarterfinals.
It was a tough opening day for the hosts, Wynberg Girls’ High, who ended it still in search of a first win. Despite showing tremendous heart and playing in front of a supportive home crowd, the hosts were unable to convert their opportunities into goals. They’ll be eager to regroup and come out fighting on day two.
RESULTS
Pool A
Affies 0-1 Rhenish|
Queenstown 1-0 St Michael’s
Danville 0-3 Rhenish
Affies 4-0 St Michael’s
Rhenish 4-0 Queenstown
Affies 3-0 Danville
Danville 2-0 St Michael’s
Affies 4-0 Queenstown
Rhenish 5-0 St Michael’s
Durban Girls’ High will be one of four KZN schools competing for the All Girls’ Festival hockey title. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Wynberg Girls’ High School plays host to the highly anticipated National All Girls’ Sport and Cultural Festival, which celebrates the talent, spirit, and camaraderie of young women across South Africa, from Sunday, 27 April, to Wednesday, 30 April.
This annual festival, which began in 2000, brings together government schools from across the country for four days of vibrant competition on the sports field and the cultural stage.
The festival, as usual, offers a dynamic blend of activities, including chess, cross country, hockey, netball, and tennis on the sports front, while the cultural programme includes creative writing, dance, debate, marimba performances, a MasterChef-style cooking competition, and vocal ensemble showcases.
Each event is designed to foster creativity, teamwork, and school pride.
The hockey tournament takes centre stage from 28 to 30 April and features 18 schools, many of them among the most highly regarded hockey programmes in the country.
Pool A starts with a bang, with last year’s finalists, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria (AHMP), and Rhenish Girls’ High School, meeting in the very first game of the 63-match schedule, at 08:00 on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, in Pool B, Collegiate Girls’ High School, fresh off a successful visit to Stellenbosch, will open their challenge against Durban Girls’ High School, while Oranje will lock horns with Westville Girls’ High. This past weekend, they beat Paarl Girls’ High, who are also at the festival, 2-0.
Speaking of Paarl Girls’ High, they’re in Pool C and face another Bloemfontein powerhouse, Eunice. The hosts, Wynberg Girls’ High, are also in Pool C, and they, too, face Eunice on Monday. Paarl Girls’ High will also take on East London’s Clarendon on the opening day.
In Pool D, the action will commence with a Cape clash between Hoër Meisieskool La Rochelle and Rustenburg Girls’ High School. Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof, one of the fancied teams after finishing in second place at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival, takes on Pretoria High School for Girls and Rustenburg on Monday.
All of the matches will be played at Wynberg Girls’ High.
Wynberg Girls’ Principal Jennifer Wallace expressed her enthusiasm ahead of the event in a welcome message to the participants, saying: “We are excited to welcome you to Wynberg Girls’ High School and wish you all the best with your planning. We understand and appreciate the effort involved in coordinating a tour of this nature.
“We hope that the families, friends, and supporters of your schools will all join us to support the participants.”
TEAMS
Pool A: Rhenish, Affies, Danville, Queenstown, St Michael’s Pool B: Oranje, Collegiate, Durban Girls’ High, Pietermaritzburg GHS, Westville Girls’ High Pool C: Eunice, Paarl Girls’ High, Clarendon, Wynberg Girls’ High Pool D: Bloemhof, Rustenburg Girls’ High, Pretoria High School for Girls, La Rochelle
FIXTURES
Monday, 28 April
Astro 1
08:00 – Affies vs Rhenish, Pool A, Game 1
08:30 – Queenstown vs St Michael’s, Pool A, Game 3
09:00 – Eunice vs Paarl Girls, Pool C, Game 5
09:30 – Danville vs Rhenish, Pool A, Game 7
10:00 – Affies vs St Michael’s, Pool A, Game 9
10:30 – Clarendon vs Paarl Girls, Pool C, Game 11
11:00 – Eunice vs Wynberg Girls, Pool C, Game 13
11:30 – Collegiate vs Westville Girls, Pool B, Game 15
12:00 – Durban Girls vs Pietermaritzburg GHS, Pool B, Game 17
14:00 – Bloemhof vs Pretoria HSG, Pool D, Game 19
14:30 – Affies vs Queenstown, Pool A, Game 21
15:00 – Durban Girls vs Westville Girls, Pool B, Game 23
15:30 – La Rochelle vs Pretoria HSG, Pool D, Game 25
16:00 – Bloemhof vs Rustenburg GHS, Pool D, Game 27
16:30 – Danville vs Queenstown, Pool A, Game 29
17:00 – Collegiate vs Oranje, Pool B, Games 31
17:30 – Clarendon vs Wynberg Girls, Pool C, Game 32
Astro 2
08:00 – Collegiate vs Durban Girls, Pool B, Game 2
08:30 – Oranje vs Westville Girls, Pool B, Game 4
09:00 – La Rochelle vs Rustenburg, Pool D, Game 6
09:30 – Collegiate vs Pietermaritzburg GHS, Pool B, Game 8
10:00 – Durban Girls vs Oranje, Pool B, Game 10
10:30 – Pretoria HSG vs Rustneburg, Pool D, Game 12
11:00 – Bloemhof vs La Rochelle, Pool D, Game 14
11:30 – Rhenish vs Queenstown, Pool A, Game 16
12:00 – Affies vs Danville, Pool A, Game 18
14:00 – Danville vs St Michael’s, Pool A, Game 20
14:30 – Paarl Girls vs Wynberg Girls, Pool C, Game 22
15:00 – Oranje vs Pietermaritzburg GHS, Pool B, Game 24
15:30 – Clarendon vs Eunice, Pool C, Game 26
16:00 – Rhenish vs St Michael’s, Pool A, Game 28
16:30 – Pietermaritzburg GHS vs Westville Girls, Game 30
Tuesday, 29 April
Astro 1
08:00 – B1 vs D2, QF1, (1-8), Game 33
08:40 – D1 vs B2, QF2, (1-8), Game 35
09:20 – A1 vs C2, QF3, (1-8), Game 37
10:00 – A2 vs C1, QF4, (1-8), Game 39
10:40 – A5 vs B4, Pool F, (13-18), Game 41
11:10: C4 vs D4, Pool F, (13-18), Game 43
14:00 – LQF3 vs LQF4, (5-8), Game 45
14:40 – LGQ1 vs LQF2, (5-8), Game 47
15:20 – WQF3 vs WQF4, (1-4), Game 49
16:00 – WQF1 vs WQF2, (1-4), Game 51
16:30 – B5 vs D4, Pool F, (13-18), Game 53
Astro 2
08:00 – A4 vs C4, Pool F, (13-18), Game 34
08:30 – B4 vs D4, Pool F, (13-18), Game 36
09:00 – C3 vs B3, Pool E, (9-12), Game 38
09:30 – A5 vs C4, Pool F, (13-18), Game 40
10:00 – A3 vs D3, Pool E, (9-12), Game 42
10:30 – B5 vs A4, Pool F, (13-18), Game 44
14:00 – A5 vs D4, Pool F, (13-18), Game 46
14:30 – A4 vs B4, Pool F, (13-18), Game 48
15:00 – C4 vs B5, Pool F, (13-18), Game 50
15:30 – A3 vs C3, Pool E, (9-12), Game 52
16:00 – B3 vs D3, Pool E, (9-12), Game 54
Wednesday, 30 April
Astro 1
07:00 – A5 vs B5, Pool F (13-18), Game 55
07:30 – B3 vs A3, Pool E, (9-12), Game 57
08:00 – WSF3 vs WSF4, (5-6), Game 59
08:40 – LSF1 vs LSF2, (3-4), Game 61
09:20 – WSF1 vs WSF2, (1-2), Game 63
Astro 2
07:00 – C4 vs B4, (13-18), Pool F, Game 56
07:30 – A4 vs D4, (13-18), Pool F, Game 58
08:00 – D3 vs C3, (9-12), Pool E, Game 60
09:30 – LSF3 vs LSF4 (7-8), Game 62
10:30 – Hockey Prize Giving, Astro 1
11:30 – Final Closing Ceremony
Jeppe kept their perfect intact with a 5-0 win over Queen’s College. Photo: TeamPhoto SA.
The annual King Edward VII School (KES) Hockey Festival wrapped up on Monday with a dominant win for Jeppe High School for Boys amid four other tightly-contested affairs.
In the first match of the day, Jeppe continued their outstanding form, thumping Queen’s College 5-0 to close the festival with a perfect record of five wins from five.
The hosts, KES, were held to a 1-1 draw by a resilient Northwood School side, while another KZN team, Glenwood, won a five-goal thriller against Selborne by the odd goal.
Later in the day, Hoërskool Waterkloof edged past St Charles College 2-1 in a tense battle, while Parktown Boys’ High ground out a gritty 1-0 win over Helpmekaar Kollege to bring the curtain down on a weekend of top-tier schoolboy hockey.
Waterkloof had to dig deep in their final outing, rallying from a goal down after Saints had taken an early lead. The Pretoria side demonstrated composure and mental strength to quickly pull a goal back before scoring the winner late in the second half.
Klofies‘ coach Mark Lamprecht praised his players’ growth throughout the festival: “The KES Festival is always entertaining, and we always enjoy coming here,” he said. “The quality of hockey and the games we get to play are always of a high standard. It gets us to the next level.
“I think we did pretty well,” he added. “There’s still some work to do for the rest of the season to get the outcomes we want and score more goals, but I’m very happy with how the guys started from game one and grew with each match.”
Waterkloof suffered three defeats earlier in the festival, but Lamprecht credited their comeback win to the team’s calm mindset: “Yes, it’s the calmness from the side. I try to stay as calm as possible, and the players stay quite calm, too,” he explained.
“We went 0-1 down, so I had to be a little less calm and start helping the boys push for goals. Coming from behind to score two, I’m really happy with how the boys came back.”
The KES Festival ended on an optimistic note for Waterkloof, with a win over St Charles College. Photo: TeamPhoto SA.
Captain Diederik Maartens echoed his coach’s sentiments, highlighting the team’s resilience and improvement: “We had a wonderful festival,” he enthused. “We were here last year as well, and a lot of the boys returned.
“We had a rough start against Northwood, but we came back strongly against Pearson. Jeppe gave us a hard game, too, but the boys showed a lot of effort. It’s been a tough 60 minutes the last two days, and I think we’ve improved a lot.”
Reflecting on their win over St Charles, Maartens said: “Going a goal down is pretty hard because I’m at the back and can’t help much at the front,” he said. “But I just try to keep motivating my players to keep their heads up. The goals come as soon as you put in the effort.
“Like the coach said, we were a goal down, came back to 1-1 quickly, and just kept going. I just tell my boys to keep working. It’ll show on the scoreboard at the end of the day.”
In the final match of the festival, Parktown Boys’ High got by Helpiesin a tight, defensive encounter. With chances at a premium, Parktown made theirs count late in the game, thanks to a composed finish by Zeyad Davids.
Coach David Grace was pleased with Parktown’s effort across the festival: “I thought it was a very good festival for us,” he reckoned. “We won a couple of games, drew a tough game against Selborne College, and ran out of legs against Maritzburg College. They deserved to win. They were very good on the day.
“All in all, I am very happy with my boys. They played very well and grew from strength to strength. That’s all I can ask,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.
RESULTS
Jeppe High School for Boys 5–0 Queen’s College
Glenwood High School 3–2 Selborne College
Kearsney College 2–0 Pearson High School
Maritzburg College 2–0 Hoërskool Eldoraigne
KES 1–1 Northwood School
Waterkloof 2–1 St Charles College
Parktown Boys’ High 1–0 Helpmekaar Kollege
Maritzburg College won both of their games on Saturday, beating Selborne College 3-0 and Queen’s College 4-1. Photo: TeamPhoto SA.
Parktown Boys’ High School continued their impressive run at the King Edward VII School (KES) Hockey Festival, clinching a second consecutive win with a commanding performance on Saturday afternoon.
The team built on the momentum of a 3-1 win over St Charles College on Thursday and put together a well-structured performance, which was highlighted by sharp passing.
They added a second 3-1 victory, this time over Hoërskool Eldoraigne, thanks to goals from Khanyisa Kraai, Elethu Bam, and Abiye Bamson.
Coach David Grace praised his players after the match, expressing his satisfaction with the team’s progress.
“They were very good,” he said. “The team is going from strength to strength.
“I feel very good about the two wins, and I am looking forward to our day three fixtures. It is going to be tough against Selborne and Maritzburg College.”
Meanwhile, the hosts, KES, continued their strong form, racking up successive wins over opposition from KwaZulu-Natal, beating St Charles College 3-0 and Kearsney College 2-0.
It was a day of double celebration for KES as Ben Simon and Reece Small both earned their 50th hockey caps for the school.
In other games, after a tough 2-6 defeat to KES in their opener on Thursday, Glenwood showed character and resilience in a 5-2 win over Helpmekaar Kollege.
The Durban school looked like a completely different outfit from the one that struggled against the home side. They fell behind in the opening chukka against Helpies but soon equalised, thanks to their hard work pressing high and their swift ball movement.
Helpmekaar responded well to again edge ahead in the second chukka and they took that 2-1 lead into half-time. Glenwood, though. kept up their intensity, and a minute before the end of their third chukka it was all-square.
In the last chukka, their pressure delivered dividends as they slotted three times to break open a tight contest and won by three goals.
Jeppe High School for Boys has made an impressive start to the season and they kept rolling with two convincing wins, handing Kearsney a 4-1 defeat in the morning before outplaying Hoërskool Waterkloof 5-1.
RESULTS
Jeppe 4-1 Kearsney
Maritzburg College 4-1 Queen’s
KES 3-0 St Charles
Waterkloof 2-0 Pearson
Glenwood 5-2 Helpmekaar
Parktown 3-1 Eldoraigne
Maritzburg College 3-0 Selborne
Queen’s 3-2 St Charles
Pearson 1–1 Glenwood
KES 2–0 Kearsney
Jeppe 5-1 Waterkloof
Selborne 1-2 Northwood
Sunday, 20 April
King Edward VII Weinberg Astro
7:30 – Glenwood vs Eldoraigne 8:50 – Selborne vs Parktown 10:10 – Waterkloof vs Queen’s College 11:30 – Jeppe vs St Charles 12:50 – Northwood vs Helpmekaar 14:10 – Maritzburg College vs Parktown 15:30 – KES vs Queen’s College 16:50 – Pearson vs Helpmekaar 18:10 – Selborne vs Kearsney
St John’s College Astro
07:30 – Pearson High School vs Northwood 08:50 – Hoërskool Eldoraigne vs Kearsney
Monday, 21 April
King Edward VII Weinberg Astro
07:30 – Jeppe vs Queen’s College 08:50 – Selborne College vs Glenwood 10:10 – Pearson vs Kearsney 11:30 – Maritzburg College vs Eldoraigne 12:50 – KES vs Northwood 14:10 – St Charles vs Waterkloof 15:30 – Helpmekaar vs Parktown
The King Edward VII School (KES) Easter Festival exploded into life on Thursday, with Jeppe High School for Boys and Hoërskool Eldoraigne getting the ball rolling.
Although their match started at a slow tempo, the intensity was evident from the first whistle. Both sides began cautiously, but it was Eldoraigne who shocked their more fancied opponents with the contest’s opening goal.
Jeppe, with typical character, responded with style and purpose, and they evened the score with a slick field goal.
Picking up momentum, the boys from Kensington quickly added a second to seize control of the match. By the fourth chukka, Jeppe had the crowd roaring and they slotted two more goals to seal a 4–1 victory.
Parktown Boys’ High School, under the guidance of new 1st XI coach, David Grace, also impressed with a confident 3–1 win over St Charles College, showcasing sharp teamwork and clinical finishing.
Maritzburg College followed suit, flexing their muscles in a commanding 4–1 defeat of Helpmekaar Kollege.
In another standout encounter, the hosts King Edward VII School put on a masterclass, overpowering Glenwood High School to record a big 6–2 win.
The final fixture of the day saw Northwood School grind out a disciplined 2–0 win over Hoërskool Waterkloof. Playing with trademark control and discipline, they kept Klofies at bay and added another victory to an increasingly impressive record in 2025.
After a break on Good Friday, the action resumes on Saturday with coach Siya Sityana’s Jeppe facing Kearsney College at 07:30 on the Weinberg Astro. Maritzburg College takes on Queen’s College on the St John’s Astro at the same time. It will be the first game for Queen’s at the festival.
The hosts take on St Charles College, which will be followed by a clash between Glenwood and Helpmekaar.
RESULTS
Friday, 18 April
Jeppe High School for Boys 4-1 Hoërskool Eldoraigne
Parktown Boys’ High School 3-1 St Charles College
Maritzburg College 4-1 Helpmekaar Kollege
King Edward VII School 6-1 Glenwood High School
Northwood School 2-0 Hoërskool Waterkloof
FIXTURES
Saturday, 19 April
King Edward VII Weinberg Astro
07:30 – Jeppe vs Kearsney 08:50 – KES vs St Charles 10:10 – Glenwood vs Helpmekaar 11:30 – Eldoraigne vs Parktown 12:50 – Maritzburg College vs Selborne 14:10 – St Charles vs Queen’s College 15:30 – Pearson vs Glenwood 16:50 – KES vs Kearsney 18:10 – Selborne vs Northwood
St John’s College Astro
07:30 – Maritzburg College vs Queen’s College 08:50 – Waterkloof vs Pearson 14:10 – Jeppe vs Waterkloof
Sunday, 20 April
King Edward VII Weinberg Astro
7:30 – Glenwood vs Eldoraigne 8:50 – Selborne vs Parktown 10:10 – Waterkloof vs Queen’s College 11:30 – Jeppe vs St Charles 12:50 – Northwood vs Helpmekaar 14:10 – Maritzburg College vs Parktown 15:30 – KES vs Queen’s College 16:50 – Pearson vs Helpmekaar 18:10 – Selborne vs Kearsney
St John’s College Astro
07:30 – Pearson vs Northwood 12:50 – Eldoraigne vs Kearsney Monday, 21 April
King Edward VII Weinberg Astro
07:30 – Jeppe vs Queen’s College 08:50 – Selborne College vs Glenwood 10:10 – Pearson vs Kearsney 11:30 – Maritzburg College vs Eldoraigne 12:50 – KES vs Northwood 14:10 – St Charles vs Waterkloof 15:30 – Helpmekaar vs Parktown
