Author: vndudane

Herschel Girls School has opened up the possibility of winning back-to-back titles at the Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament in Makhanda, after two eventful victories on Saturday.

The Cape Town school had to dig deep to survive a tough test from Durban Girls’ College.

There was nothing to separate the teams at the end of regulation time in their quarterfinal showdown after they had netted nine goals each. Herschel, though, triumphed after a penalty shootout, taking victory 3-1 from the spot.

In the semi-finals, coach Alex Hawkins’ side faced one of their toughest rivals, Reddam House Constantia, coached by Connor Whiting. Reddam had scraped an 8-7 win over St Anne’s Diocesan College in the quarterfinals.

In a cagey affair, the first half, incredibly, didn’t produce a single goal.

After the break, Reddam Constantia piled pressure on Herschel and they were rewarded when Jessica Bester ended the stalemate. Herschel responded well to that setback and, a few minutes later, they equalised through Sophie Vickers, who struck from long range.

As the minutes ticked by, pressure mounted on both sides. Vickers was, then, presented with an opportunity to put Herschel ahead when Reddam Constantia conceded a penalty. She made no mistake with her shot and the defending champions edged ahead.

Emma Stevens sealed the deal with a third goal, with the win securing a place in the final against Reddam House Bedfordview, who were pushed to the limit in their two playoff games, both of which they won in penalty shootouts.

They handed Roedean School, the tournament’s highest scorers, a first loss of the event, in the quarterfinals. Roedean had captured the spotlight on the opening day by roaring to a 17-5 win over Kingswood College, which they followed with a 24-0 blanking of Alexander Road.

Matters were far tighter in the quarterfinals, with the meeting of the Johannesburg schools ending in a 3-3 draw. Then, Reddam Bedfordview edged out coach Siyabonga Guzana’s Roedean 3-2 in the shootout.

In the semi-finals, they faced another Johannesburg power, St Stithians Girls’ College, who had beaten DSG Makhanda 4-2 in the last eight. Although DSG Makhanda lost, it was a memorable day for Angelique Meyers, who earned her 100th cap for the school’s first team.

The Reddam Bedfordview versus Saints semifinal resulted in both sides scoring six times. The contest was, then, settled by another 3-2 penalty shootout margin, which again favoured Reddam.

The day’s other playoff games included a big win for Collegiate, who thumped Alexander Road 18-0, while St Dominic’s had to dig deep to see off Pearson 7-6. In a clash of East London schools, Hudson Park beat Stirling 9-4.

RESULTS

Quarterfinals

St Stithians 4-2 DSG Makhanda
Reddam House Constantia 8-7 St Anne’s
Herschel (3) 9-9 (2) Durban Girls’ College
Roedean (2) 3-3 (3) Reddam House Bedfordview

Playoffs

St Dominic’s 7-6 Pearson
Glenwood House 6-1 Woodridge
Collegiate 18-0 Alexander Road
Stirling 4-9 Hudson Park
Clarendon 7-5 St Mary’s Waverley
Rhenish 7-6 Kingswood
Woodridge 13-1 Alexander Road
DSG Makhanda 4-7 Roedean
Pearson 9-4 Stirling
St Anne’s (6) 7-7- (5) Durban Girls’ College
Glenwood House 7-5 Collegiate
St Dominic’s 10-8 Hudson Park

Semifinals

St Stithians (2) 6–6 (3) Reddam House Bedfordview
Reddam House Constantia 1-3 Herschel

 FIXTURES

Sunday, 26 January

08:00 –  11th/12th – St Mary’s vs Kingswood; 19th/20th – Alexander Road vs Stirling
08:50 – 9th/10th – Clarendon vs Rhenish; 17th/18th -Woodridge vs Pearson
09:40 – 7th/8th – DSG Makhanda vs DGC; 15th/16th – Collegiate vs Hudson
10:30 – 5th/6th – Roedean vs St Anne’s; 13th/14th – Glenwood House vs St Dominic’s
11:20 –  3rd.4th – St Stithians vs Reddam House Constantia

Final

12:10: Reddam House Bedfordview vs Herschel

Last year’s winners of the Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament, Herschel Girls School finished the group stages on top of Pool C after Friday’s matches at Kingswood College, in Makhanda.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

The Cape Town school, which beat DSG Makhanda in their only game on Thursday, scored three clear-cut victories on Friday. They got off to a strong start by knocking off Hudson Park 18-4, with Anna Lieberman and Jemma Pearse scoring four goals each, while Nina Wades netted three times.

Coach Alex Hawkins‘ side, also, brushed Collegiate aside, winning their second match 9-3. In their last outing of the day, they cruised to a 13-2 win over St Mary’s Waverly to complete an unbeaten run through the group stage of the tournament.

Meanwhile, in Pool D, Roedean School, who fired in 41 goals in only two games on Thursday, were made to work a little harder on Friday, but they kept their winning record intact. Coach Siyabonga Guzana‘s side overcame a gritty challenge from St Anne’s, winning 9-4, and they won their last pool game 11-4 over Stirling.

In Pool A, St Stithians College hit their straps, racking up 23 goals in two fixtures. In a 12-3 win over Woodridge College, Tori Tanner-Ellis struck five times, while Emily Carle came close to matching her, beating the ‘keeper on four occasions.

Pool A proved to be a tough challenge for St Dominic’s and Woodridge, with St Dom’s recording their only win thus far over Woodridge, who remain winless. The Eastern Cape side pushed Rhenish hard on Friday, but they came out on the wrong end of the result, falling 3-7 to the Stellenbosch girls.

St Dominic’s, meanwhile, extended Clarendon but went down 4-6. They came even closer against Rhenish, losing by a solitary goal, 8-9.

Reddam House Constantia, coached by Connor Whiting, also boasted a 100 percent record after the completion of Pool B’s matches. They held off Reddam House Bedfordview to score a narrow 5-4 win and then closed with a comfortable 10-4 win over Durban Girls’ College (DGC).

The Capetonians’ successes secured them a quarterfinal showdown with St Anne’s on Saturday.

In a local derby, DSG Makhanda got one over their rivals, Kingswood College.

RESULTS

Pool A

St Stithians 12-3 Woodridge
Clarendon 11-6 Rhenish
Woodridge 3-7 Rhenish
Clarendon 6-4 St Dominic’s
St Stithians 11-6 Clarendon
St Dominic’s 8-9 Rhenish

Pool B

Reddam Constantia 10-3 Pearson
Reddam Bedfordview 10-4  Glenwood House
Durban Girls College 11-7 Pearson
Durban Girls’ College 11-5 Glenwood House
Reddam Constantia 6-3 Glenwood House
Clarendon 5-7 Reddam Bedfordview
Reddam Bedfordview 4-5 Reddam Constantia

Pool C

Herschel 18-4 Hudson Park
DSG Makhanda 10-6 St Mary’s Waverley
Kingswood 17-2  Alexander Road
Herschel 9-3 Collegiate
Hudson Park 4-7 Collegiate
Herschel 13-2 St Mary’s Waverley
St Mary’s Waverley 7-8 St Anne’s

Pool D

Roedean 9-4 St Anne’s
Kingswood 17-2  Alexander Road
Roedean 11-4 Stirling
Kingswood 8-13 DSG Makhanda
DSG Makhanda 8-3 Hudson Park
St Anne’s 9-4 Kingswood
St Anne’s 22-2 Alexander Road
Stirling 12-2 Alexander Road

FIXTURES

Saturday (match number in brackets)

Quarterfinals

09:10 – St Stithians vs DSG Makhanda, Kingswood, (45)
10:00 – Reddam Constantia vs St Anne’s, Kingswood, (46)
10:10 – Herschel vs Durban Girls’ College, DSG, (47)
11:00 – Roedean vs Reddam Bedfordview, Kingswood, (48)

Playoffs

08:30 – St Dominic’s vs Pearson, DSG, (55)
09:20 – Glenwood House vs Woodridge, DSG, (56)
10:10 – Collegiate vs Alexander Road, DSG, (57)
11:00 – Stirling vs Hudson Park, DSG, (58)

Playoffs 5-8

13:30 – Loser Match 45 vs Loser Match 47, Kingswood, (51)
14:20 – Loser Match 46 vs Loser Match 48, Kingswood, (52)

Playoffs 9-12

11:50 – Clarendon vs St Mary’s Waverley, Kingswood, (49)
12:40 – Rhenish vs Kingswood, Kingswood, (50)

Playoffs 13-16

14:40 – Winner Match 56 vs Winner Match 57, DSG, (61)
15:30 – Winner Match 55 vs Winner Match 58, DSG, (62)

Playoffs 17-20

13:00 – Loser 56 vs Loser 57, DSG, (59)
13:50 – Loser 55 vs Loser 58, DSG, (60)

Semi-finals

15:10 – Winner Match 45 vs Winner Match 58, Kingswood, (53)
16:10 – Winner Match 46 vs Winner Match 47, Kingswood, (54)

Fresh from winning the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial title with the Central Gauteng u16 team, meet the promising Pretoria-born goalkeeper and Roedean School grade 11 learner, Kuhlesibonge Buthelezi.

The talented goalie, who has captured attention with her super saves, is the second of four children in her family.

After her mother, Samukelisiwe, encouraged her to give the game a go, she played it for only three months in 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic led to a lockdown.

“When I moved to a new school in a new province, Gauteng, from Mpumalanga, I wanted to try some new sports and my mom was the one who suggested that I play water polo. If it wasn’t for my mom, I don’t think I would have tried it, but it was an interesting sport that l had never seen or heard of before,” Kuhle revealed.

It turned out that her mother’s guidance was the best as she took to the game with relish. “I honestly can’t remember how I fell in love with the sport, but it quickly just became such a huge part of my life,” she fondly told SuperSport Schools Plus.

While the lockdown stopped teams from playing matches, it didn’t stop them from putting in work that would benefit them later. There were online gym sessions and goalkeeper sessions with coaches where they spoke about things like positioning and techniques.

“It was quite interesting doing a sport online, but our coaches always found a way to make it fun,” she said. “After lockdown, we had training at the Nokuthula pool.

Talking about her experiences in the sport, she said: “I think the thing that I loved most about water polo was the community that we had. The long car rides with friends on the way to training, singing songs in the car, and the end-of-year braais and lunches.”

In her first water polo tournament, her team finished third. At her next tournament, the Durban Girls’ College u13 Tournament, Roedean finished second. At the end of the year, she attended her first Inter-Provincial Tournament. Central Gauteng made the final, and it was a nerve-wracking experience.

“It was my first time going to penalties in such an important game and, as a goalkeeper, there was a lot of pressure on me. But I am proud to say that I made the game-winning save, and my team came away with the gold.

“The years after that were filled with countless hours of training and dedication to the sport,” said added.

In East London, at last year’s IPT, Buthelezi shone, helping her side to move through the group phase unbeaten. Then, in the final, she pulled off some big saves to help Central Gauteng beat Western Province 8-6 in the gold medal game.

Again, it was the memories she made that she treasures, Kuhle said. “My fondest memories that I have with my Gauteng team are, without a doubt, the car rides to games, and especially the ride back from the final, blasting our victory song, celebrating our winning streak.”

Winning the title in East London wasn’t the first time that she had claimed Inter-Provincial gold with Central Gauteng. “A moment that I’ll never forget is our 2022 final when we were up by four goals, with only a few minutes of the game left. Our coach, Gareth Prout, called a timeout and said: “Congratulations, girls, you did it again!”

Playing goalkeeper is challenging, Kuhle admitted, but she has had excellent guidance from her school coach Anita Trininic.

“Well, my coach, Madam Trininic, was the reason I ended up being a goalkeeper. I had just started water polo and was at my first match after having had only a few training sessions. She said that we needed a goalkeeper for the game since our team goalkeeper was injured. The next thing I knew, Madam Trininic had put me in the goals.”

That suited her perfectly, Kuhle admitted: “As someone who wasn’t very fond of swimming, I was more than happy to be in the goals. I soon discovered, or rather Madam Trininic did, that I have a lot of potential as a goalkeeper, and I started training as a goalkeeper at school practices.”

Despite her many successes, Kuhle has, also, had to overcome some challenges, which she shared: “I’m not the tallest goalkeeper, and my height and the length of my arms is sometimes a disadvantage, but it makes me work harder to get to those top corners. So, I’ve spent a lot of training strengthening my legs and perfecting my technique to make sure that I’m on top of my game.”

Along the way, she has garnered individual awards, too. In 2023, she was named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament at the u15 Crawford tournament. That same year, she was named the top goalkeeper at the Reddam Inspired Cup. Then, in 2024, she received the Goalkeeper of the Tournament accolade at the Saints u19 Invitational Tournament, where she was included in the Team of the Tournament.

The 16-year-old, who is now coached by Siyabonga Guzana and Anita Trininic, said: “By far, my greatest achievement was being a part of the u16 South African team and representing South Africa in the 2024 World Aquatics Women’s u16 Water Polo Championships.

She added: “I just want to say thank you to all the coaches that have been a part of my water polo journey. Special thanks to my u13 coaches, Matthew and Andrew van Rooyen, who still send me pictures of them watching my games, and to Mr Gareth Prout, who was with me for two important years of my polo career.”

Reflecting on other highlights of her water polo journey thus far, Kuhle said: “My highlights have been seeing the work, time, and effort that I’ve put into water polo show in my playing, and being able to let the results speak for themselves.

“Another highlight has been the friendships that I’ve made through playing this sport. I’ve made some lifelong friendships with players from different schools, provinces, and even countries. I can honestly say that some of my closest friendships were formed through playing water polo.”

In 2025, she will be moving up to the senior ranks of schoolgirls’ water polo. Given her hard work and dedication to the game, and the superb coaches guiding her, it is no surprise that she cannot wait to take the step up and take on the challenges.

“I’m quite thrilled to be moving up to the u19 provincial squad. There is going to be a lot more competition, but I think that it’s going to be great for me to train with the u19 goalkeepers,” she enthused. “I’m excited to train with other SA [u19] players and even players that were in the [South African] Women’s water polo team. I think it’s 100 percent going to challenge me, but I’m ready, and I can’t wait.”

Now that the soon-to-be 17-year-old has reached the senior age group for schools, she has some words of advice for those who are yet to make that journey, and who have provincial aspirations.

“The advice that I would give them is never to give up and, if you truly want something, you should be willing to work hard for it. My mom always told me that I needed to put in 10 000 hours if I wanted to do well in something.

“You are always given the choice to put in the work, and when an opportunity is in front of you, you have to take it because if you don’t take that opportunity and do the best that you can, other people will.

You can follow Kuhle Buthelezi’s water polo exploits on Instagram – @kuhle_waterpolo.

Following the holidays and a pre-season preparing for the opening game of the 2025 water polo season, Jeppe High School for Boys’ coach Lucky Letshabo believes his side is ready and raring to go in their tough forthcoming home fixture against Jon-Marc de Carvalho’s St John’s College on Saturday, 18 January.

Jeppe showed great improvement in the fourth term of 2024, and they closed it on a high note by remaining unbeaten at home.

Letshabo looked back on those games proudly, telling SuperSport Schools Plus: “Reflecting on the first team’s result over the last term, we had three home fixtures. There was an exciting 10-10 draw against Affies, and wins over King Edward VII (KES) and St Alban’s College.”

Jeppe also played some good games at the Saint Stithians Water Polo Invitational, which brought together top sides from around the country, Letshabo said.

“There was some really good water polo displayed by the players against some really difficult teams. I think our game of the tournament was in a losing effort against SACS, in which we went 10-13 down. It showed how vast the improvements the boys have made are.”

Jeppe’s improvements were also reflected in the selection of nine players for Central Gauteng teams that contested the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament, including Ethan Horn and Mukhethwa Maemu in the u19B team, and Aiden Khoury in the gold medal-winning u16 side.

Diego Caetano and Brayden Macfie turned out in the u16B side, while Everett Carlin was a member of the u15A team, and Ayanda Mabaso, Joshua Dobrowsky, and Trent Horn were included in the u15B side.

“Again, that shows the growth that Jeppe is experiencing at the moment,” Letshabo said.

After a welcome break following the IPTs, the coach feels his team is well set to perform strongly. “The players were involved in pre-season from last week. They have a clean bill of health and everybody is ready for the season,” he shared.

However, trying to keep a clean home record against De Carvalho’s St John’s College side will be a tough challenge.

“We didn’t for some reason have a fixture with St John’s in last year’s calendar, so it will be interesting to see how the boys shape up there, but our preparations have gone well,” Letshabo said. “We are also preparing for the Grey College tournament that happens in a fortnight.

“I know St John’s is preparing for the St Andrew’s Shield, so it is an opportunity for myself and Jon-Marc de Carvalho to put some final things in place ahead of those two tournaments next week.

“We are expecting an exciting fixture against a St John’s team that includes provincial players who were standouts in last year’s IPT. We want to kick off our season, so we are very much looking forward to it,” said Letshabo in conclusion.

The Central Gauteng girls’ u16 A team walked away the winners of the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament after a successful defence of their title against Western Province A in East London on Wednesday.

Province’s Holly Binneman got the scoreboard ticking five minutes into the game.

But Cadha Mosehla responded with a great finish for the Gauteng side to make it 1-1. It stayed that way for a couple of minutes before Jenna Blaauw struck twice for Central Gauteng to move her side into a 3-1 lead.

Soon though, their advantage had been reduced to a single goal. After a Gauteng attack was repelled, Charlotte Wiltshire quickly netted to make it 3-2. It was a tight clash as finals should be.

Mosehla, who was selected to represent South Africa at the World Aquatics Women’s u16 Water Polo Championships earlier in the year, then picked out Isabella Duffy with a smart pass and she made it count, putting coach Masibonge Namba’s team two goals clear again.

In the second half, Western Province, who trailed 2-6, pulled a goal back before Blaauw, again, netted for Central Gauteng. Their goalie, Kuhlesibonge Buthelezi, pulled off some big saves, which helped Central Gauteng take a 7-3 lead into the fourth chukka.

Western Province was far from done, however, and Charlotte Wiltshire rattled Buthelezi’s cage to drag her side back into the contest. Mosehla replied to make it 8-4 to Central Gauteng.

Then, Summer-Lee Wain won and scored a penalty, and Emma Stevens added another for Province with a minute to play. Central Gauteng, though, stood firm until the final whistle to run out 8-6 winners.

Coach Masibonge Namba declared herself ecstatic with the win. “It’s a sense of relief and excitement. It is beautiful to see our hard work pay off,” she said.

“I am very proud of the girls. I told them, we defend first and attack second. The plan was to take it game by game and it just happens that we were unbeaten game by game,” she told SuperSport Schools Plus.

In last year’s final, Central Gauteng also beat KZN 8-4. Namba admitted that she had felt challenged to follow up that success with another title.

“I felt a lot of pressure because I was not their previous coach, so I already felt like there is a standard to keep and I am so proud that I was able to maintain that standard,” she said.

It was the perfect farewell gift for the Central Gauteng girls, all of whom will be graduating to the u19 ranks next year. Namba believes her players will fit in well in the older age group.

“This was the last time they got to play together like this,” she shared. “Before, I told them not to make this a sad moment and let us make it a beautiful moment.

“It was a privilege to still be unbeaten and that was amazing, I think they will fit in so beautifully in the u19 programme. I believe they are ready for it,” she concluded.

In other matches, KwaZulu Natal A beat Buffalo City 7-3 to claim the bronze medals, while Nelson Mandela Bay finished fifth after sneaking past Zimbabwe in a shootout which went 3-1 in favour of the Eastern Cape side after the teams had shared 14 goals in regulation time.

Seventh went to Central Gauteng B, who got the better of Western Province B, also in a penalty shootout. The rivals played to a 6-6 draw before the inland team won 2-1 from the spot.

Ninth place went to KwaZulu Natal B after they comfortably beat Eastern Gauteng 13-3.

SCORES

Final – Central Gauteng A 8: Jenna Blaauw (3), Cadha Mosehla (3), Isabella Duffy (2). Western Province A 6: Charlotte Wiltshire (2), Holli Binneman (2), Emma Stevens (1). Summer-Lee Wain (1).

3rd/4th – KwaZulu Natal A 7: Kiera Sim (1), Gabriella Snyman (1), Bailey Bartlett (1), Hannah Savage (1), Inez Letschert (1), Lindelwa Mkhwanazi (1), Farrann Elliot (1). Buffalo City 3:  Jenna Botha (3), Megan Phillips (1).

5th/6th – Zimbabwe 8 (1):  Katie Gripper (5), Rayne Nichole (2), Cameron Bunnett (1). Nelson Mandela Bay 8 (3): Olivia Attwell (3), Jamie Brown (2), Casey Williamson (1), Megan Sheard (1), Alexandra Ovendale (1).

7th/8th – Western Province B 6: Olivia Nejthardt (2), Samantha Miller (1), Aimee Johnson (1), Genevieve Ward (1). Central Gauteng B 6: Katie Townley (3), Clea Ellens (2), Brynlee van den Berg (1).

9th/10th – Eastern Gauteng 3: Leyla Langner (1), Chiara Kriel (1), Camryn Thornton 91.  KwaZulu Natal B 13: Danya Thompson (3), Lara Rowe (3), Tayla Prato (2), Petz Mazery (2), Raquel Cairns (1), Kate Truter (1), Grace Holloway-Mulder (1).

Following a successful run in the group stages, Western Province A and the 2023 champions, Central Gauteng A, have booked a date in the final of the girls’ u16 section of the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament.

Central Gauteng A lived up to expectations. The reigning champions scored four comfortable victories on their way to reaching the title game.

In their opener, they thumped Eastern Gauteng 25-0, and they followed that up by cruising to a 17-5 victory over KwaZulu-Natal B. Next, they beat Nelson Mandela Bay 10-4. Then, they completed their group assignments by rolling to a 14-2 win over Western Province B.

On Tuesday, in the quarterfinals, they brushed aside Zimbabwe, winning 13-2. Cadha Mosehla led the way, scoring three times for Gauteng.

Matters were a whole lot tougher in the semifinals, where Masibonge Namba‘s side survived a scare from a gritty KwaZulu-Natal A side. Both sides had to dig deep, but Central Gauteng, eventually, escaped with an 8-7 win. In 2023, they beat KZN in the final, winning 8-4.

Meanwhile, Western Province A who finished in third place last year, downed KwaZulu-Natal A 9-5 in a Pool B clash, and handily dealt with Zimbabwe, winning 11-3 to to reach the quarterfinals.

The Western Cape girls were nothing short of amazing in the last eight, where they subjected KwaZulu-Natal B to a  25-7 hammering. That put them into the semi-finals where they outplayed Buffalo City 18-7.

KwaZulu-Natal A will take on the hosts for the bronze medal on Wednesday after scoring a 15-8 win over Western Province B. Zimbabwe and Nelson Mandela Bay will do battle for fifth place.

There’ll be a rivalry showdown for seventh place between Western Province B and Central Gauteng B, while ninth place will be decided between Eastern Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal B.

SCORES

Zimbabwe 2: Rebecca Winsor (1), Natasha Chaniwa. Central Gauteng 13: Cadha Mosehla (3), Jenna Blaauw (2), Gabriella Morell (2), Annna Springer (2), Annabelle Morton (1), Rylee Rogers (1), Danielle Sassenberg (1), Isabella Duffy (1).

Western Province B 8: Samantha Miller (2), Lauren Helm (2), Sophie Maurel (1), Skyla Hvidsten (1), Aimee Johnson (1), Olivia Nejthardt (1). KwaZulu-Natal A 15: Erin Mayoss (3), Hanna Savage (3), Isabella Stephenson (2), Kate Sardi (1), Kiera Browning (1), Kiera Sim (1), Bailey Bartlett (1), Gabriella Synman (1), Inex Letschert (1), Farrann Elliot (1).

KwaZulu-Natal B 7: Danya Thompsom (4), Riley Coetzee (3). Western Province A 25: Holly Stydom (6), Jemma Pearse (5), Tess Anderson (4) Charlotte Wiltshire (4), Olivia Figaji (2), Holly Binneman (2), Jade Jarvis (1) Summer-Lee Wain (1).

Buffalo City 11: Kara Batting (5), Jenna Botha (2), Quinn Carr (2), Janey-Heather Wood (1), Megan Phillips (1).  Nelson Mandela Bay 8: Olivia Attwell (4), Lucy Nagel (2), Jamie Brown (1), Alexandra Ovendale (1).

Zimbabwe 23: Katie Gripper (4),  Asante Ali (4), Rebbeca Winsor (3), Taya Gray (3), Rayne Nichole (2), Tori Dawe (2), Amelie Mtongwiza (1), Peyton Wishart (1), Ava Isselbacher (1), Cameron Bunnett (1),  Natasha Chaniwa (1). Eastern Gauteng 4: Emma Davies (2), Bontle Semma (1), Sophie Martell (1).

KwaZulu-Natal B 5: Riley Coetzee (3), Lwanda Mabandla (1), Megan Whitfield (1). Central Gauteng B 7: Bryblee Van De Berg (5), Clea Ellenes (1), Emely Townley (1).

Central Gauteng A 8:  Gabrielle Morrell (2), Cadha Mosehla (2), Jenna Blaauw (2),Danielle Sassenberg (1), Isabella Duffy (1).  KwaZulu-Natal  A 7: Hannah Savage (4),  Farranann Elliot (2), Isabella Stephenson (1).

Western Province 18: Holly Strydom (6),  Jemma Pearse (4),  Jade Jarvis (2), Nina Wides (1), Abigail Weatherall (1). Buffalo City 7: Kara Batting (7), Jenna Botha (2).

Western Province B: 5: Oliva Nejthardt (1), Sammantha Miller (1), Cara Brink (1), Lauren Helm (1). Zimbabwe 9: Katie Gripper (3), Natasha Chaniwa (2), Taya Gray (2), Ava Isselbacher (2).

Nelson Mandela Bay 14: Olvia Attwell (5), Alexandra Ovendale (5), Megan Sheard (4). Central Gauteng B 3: Clea Ellens (1), Brynlee Van De Berg (1), Emily Townley (1).

Playoff Fixtures, Wednesday, 11 December

07:00: Eastern Gauteng vs KwaZulu-Natal B, 9th/10th, Selborne Primary
09:00: KwaZulu-Natal A v Buffalo City, 3rd/4th, Selborne Primary
09:30: Central Gauteng A vs Western Province A, Final, Joan Harrison East Pool
11:00: Zimbabwe vs Nelson Mandela Bay, 5th/6th, Selborne Primary
12:00: Western Province B vs Central Gauteng B, 7th/8th, Joan Harrison West Pool

Central Gauteng A maintained their unbeaten streak on the second day of u16 girls’ action at the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial (IPT) in East London, following back-to-back victories over Nelson Mandela Bay and Western Province B on Monday.

The Central Gauteng A girls powered their way to a lopsided 25-0 victory over Eastern Gauteng on Sunday, which remains the highest score in the girls’ u16 section thus far.

On Monday, they marched into the second day to battle to tackle a tough Nelson Mandela Bay team. After a tight clash, Central Gauteng came away with a 10-4 victory.

Coach Masimbonge Namba‘s team hit full throttle from the opening whistle, scoring five goals side in the first chukka, but Nelson Mandela Bay showed admirable resolve and gave Central Gauteng’s strong defense a serious test. Eventually, they retaliated with a single goal in the same quarter.

In the second chukka, Central Gauteng tacked another two goals onto their total, to take their tally to seven within the first 10 minutes of the contest. Nelson Mandela Bay, meanwhile, conjured up another reply, but Central Gauteng went on to a convincing victory. Cadha Mosehla struck three times for the winners, while Ané du Plessis and Isabella Duffy bagged doubles.

In their second game, Central Gauteng A brushed aside Western Province B, scoring a 14-2 win.

Meanwhile, Buffalo City claimed their first victory of the tournament with an emphatic 19-5 battering of Central Gauteng B.

Quinn Carr and Megan Philipps starred with five goals each, while Kara Batting netted four times, and Holley Jacoby weighed in with two. Janey-Heather Wood, Jessi Whitebooi, and Jenna Botha also made it onto the scoresheet.

Later, Buffalo City handed Zimbabwe a second defeat of the day and Zimbabwe’s third in total, winning 12-8.

Eastern Gauteng and Central Gauteng B are the only sides that have yet to win a game since the tournament started. Easterns went down 3-10 to KwaZulu Natal B and 2-19 against Western Province B, while Central Gauteng B, apart from their loss to Buffalo City, also fell to KwaZulu-Natal B, going down 5-14.

In a big clash, Western Province A handed KwaZulu-Natal A a first loss, with coach Chad Gabriels‘ side beating Megan Sileno‘s girls 9-5. 

SCORES

Eastern Gauteng 3: Hannah Davies (1), Bontle Semela (1), Emma Davies (1). KwaZulu Natal B 10: Danya Thompson (6), Peta Mazery (1), Tyala Prato (1), Kate Truter (1); Grace Holloway-Mulder (1).

Western Province A 9: Charlotte Wiltshire (2), Jade Jarvis (2), Olivia Figaji (2), Summer-Lee Wain (1), Nina Wide (1). KwaZulu Natal A 5: Inez Letschert (3), Keira Browning (1), Farrann Elliot (1).

Central Gauteng A 10: Cadha Mosehla (3), Ané du Plessis  (2), Isabella Duffy (2), Jenna Blaauw (1), Anna Springer (1), Danielle Sassenberg (1). Nelson Mandela Bay 4: Lucy Nagel (2), Olivia Attwell (1), Lila de Romijn (1).

Buffalo City 19: Quinn Carr (5), Megan Philipps (5), Kara Batting (4), Holley Jacoby (2), Janey-Heather Wood (1); Jessi Whitebooi (1), Jenna Botha (1). Central Gauteng B 5: Clea Ellens (2), Emily Townley (1), Brynlee van den Berg (1), Mia Robinson (1).

Eastern Gauteng 2: Zurie Armando (1); Emma Davies (1). Western Province B 19: Samantha Miller (4), Skyla Hvidsten (4), Lauren Helm (4), Isabella Havemann (3), Milla Perry (2), Sophie Maurel (2), Genevieve Ward (1), Cara Brink (1).

Western Province A  11: Summer-Lee Wain (3), Charlotte Wiltshire (2), Holly Strydom (2), Jemma Pearse (2), Emma Stevens (1). Zimbabwe 3: Asante Ali (1), Taya Gray (1), Rayne Nichole (1).

Nelson Mandela Bay  11: Olivia Attwell (5), Lucy Nagel (4), Lila Nagel (1), Malika Ameerodien (1). KwaZulu Natal B 9: Danya Thompson (4), Peta Mazery (2), Tayla Prato (1), Lara Rowe (1), Riley Coetzee (1).

KwaZulu Natal A 14: Farran Elliot (3), Hannah Savage (3), Inez Letshert (3), Kate Sardi (2), Keira Browning (2), Isabella Stephenson (1).
Central Gauteng B 5: Clea Ellens (2), Katie Townley (1), Jessica Muller (1), Gabriella Warriner (1).

Western Province B 2: Genevieve Ward (1); Skyla Hvidsten (1). Central Gauteng A 14: Cadha Mosehle (3), Isabella Duffy (3), Jenna Blaauw (2), Danielle Sassenberg (2), Annabelle Morton (1); Gabriella Morrell (1); Ambrin Mcewan (1), Anna Springer (1).

Buffalo City 12: Kara Batting (6), Quinn Carr (2); Megan Phillips (2), Janey-Heather Wood (1), Holly Jacoby (1), Sarah Barratt (1). Zimbabwe 8: Asante Ali (2), Katie Gripper (2), Taya Gray (1), Rebecca Winsor (1); Ava Isselbacher (1); ; Natasha  Chaniwa (1).

GIRLS U16 FIXTURES

08:00 – Zimbabwe v Central Gauteng (Quarterfinal 1, match 21)
08:55 – Western Province B v KwaZulu-Natal A (Quarterfinal 2, match 22)
09:50 – KwaZulu-Natal B v Western Province A (Quarterfinal 3, match 23)
10:45 – Buffalo City v Nelson Mandela Bay (Quarterfinal 4, match 24)
11:40 – Loser match 21 v Eastern Gauteng
12:35 – Loser match 23 vs Central Gauteng B
13:30 – Winner match 21 vs Winner match 22 (Semi-final 1)
14:25 – Winner match 23 vs Winner match 24 (Semi-final 2)
15:20 – Loser match 22 vs Winner match 25 (Middle qualifier 1)
16:15 – Loser match 24 vs Winner match 26 (Middle qualifier 2)

The 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial (IPT) kicked off on 7 December in East London, with the senior teams opening the event. On Sunday, it was the turn of the u16s to get in on the action.

The girls’ competition delivered an array of entertaining and high-scoring contests, which were confirmation for some that their planning had been on the mark while, for others, it might be a case of back to the drawing board.

Central Gauteng A, Nelson Mandela Bay, and KwaZulu-Natal A started strongly and finished the day unbeaten.

Jenna Blaauw, Cadha Mosehla, and Rylee Rogers netted four times each to help power Central Gauteng A to a 25-0 thrashing of Eastern Gauteng.

It was an impressive showing on both ends of the pool from the winners. Coach Masimbonge Namba‘s side dominated the game throughout, stacking goal after goal while denying Eastern Gauteng any opportunities to retaliate.

They built on their good work in the morning with another emphatic victory in their second outing, handing the KwaZulu-Natal B side a 17-5 defeat.

Matters didn’t improve much for Eastern Gauteng after their big loss to their neighbours. They were well beaten by Nelson Mandela second time out, going down 5-18.

Meanwhile, in a very tight, evenly contested clash, Western Province A and Buffalo City shared a 6-6 draw. Province, though, sneaked a win after a penalty shootout, which they won 3-1.

Kara Batting starred for the home team, firing five goals into the back of the Province net, while Megan Phillips also got in on the act. Province goals were spread wider among their players, with Jemma Pearse scoring twice, and Jade Jarvis, Charlotte Wiltshire, Holly Strydom, and Abigail Weatherall also slotting.

Coach Chad Gabriels‘ Western Province A made light work of Central Gauteng B in their second match, cruising to a 22-2 victory, which was the second-highest score of the day.

Zimbabwe fell 3-12 to KwaZulu-Natal A in their opener, but they made it into the winners’ column with a 10-3 victory over Central Gauteng B later in the day.

Girls u16 Day One Results

Eastern Gauteng 0-25 Central Gauteng A
Western Province A (3) 6-6 (1) Buffalo City
Nelson Mandela Bay 7- 4 Western Province B
Zimbabwe 10-3 Central Gauteng B
Central Gauteng A 17–5 KwaZulu Natal B
Buffalo City 6-10 KwaZulu Natal A
Eastern Gauteng 5-18 Nelson Mandela Bay
Western Province A 22-2 Central Gauteng B
KwaZulu Natal B 2-10 Western Province B
Zimbabwe 3–12 KwaZulu Natal A

Day 2 Fixtures

08:00 – Eastern Gauteng vs KwaZulu Natal B
08:55 – Western Province A vs KwaZulu Natal A
09:50 – Central Gauteng A vs Nelson Mandela Bay
10:45 – Buffalo City vs Central Gauteng B
11:40 – Eastern Gauteng vs Western Province B
12:35 – Western Province A vs Zimbabwe
13:30 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs KwaZulu Natal B
14:25 – KwaZulu Natal A vs Central Gauteng B
15:20 – Western Province B vs Central Gauteng A
16:15 – Buffalo City  vs Zimbabwe

The Central Gauteng girls’ u19 A team to contest the 2024 Schools Water-polo South Africa Inter-Provincial (IPT) in East London, from 7 until 11 December, is, on paper, a powerful outfit.

Four Stithians College girls are in the 13-player squad: Courtney Calenborne, Tori Tanner-Ellis, Emily Carle, and Isabella Imbriolo, who was awarded the Best Defender at the Saints Invitational Tournament.

Saints finished fourth in that event, which took place at the end of October, after going down 3-5 to Herschel in the third-place playoff.

At the beginning of October, St Stithians won the Parktown Spring Sports Festival, edging out Reddam House Bedfordview 3-1 in a penalty shootout after the teams had finished regulation time level at 4-4.

Boksburg’s St Dominic’s Catholic School for Girls provides two players, Ruby Carlson and Ogechi McMurray. St Mary’s Waverley has also contributed two players, Amy Smith and Julia Joseph, to the lineup, while Anastasia Hambakis, from Reddam House Bedfordview, cracked the nod, too.

Roedean, the winners of the Saints Invitational, has three players in the squad, namely Francesca de Villiers, Mia Loizides, and Emma Pelicot. Loizides was a key performer for Central Gauteng when they won the 2023 IPT, scoring five of their 12 goals in a narrow 12-10 win over Western Province in the final.

Loizides, Carlson, and De Villiers were members of the winning team at last year’s event, with Loizides and Amy Smith, who played for the Central Gauteng B team, going on to be named in the SA Schools side. In March, the Central Gauteng u18 team captured the Currie Cup honours in East London.

In September, Loizides, Hambakis, Smith, and McMurray represented South Africa at the World Aquatics Women’s u18 Water Polo Championships in Chengdu, China.

Saints’ Courtney Calenborne, who was named to the All-Star Team after the Saints Invitational, will be playing in a Central Gauteng A team for a sixth consecutive year. Reflecting on that achievement, she told SuperSport Schools Plus: “This achievement not only highlights my commitment but my dedication and passion for the sport. Being chosen for such a prestigious tournament is a significant milestone in my water polo journey.”

She added that she is “looking forward to competing against the top provincial water polo players in South Africa” as it will test her skills and performance while improving her self-confidence and personal growth within the sport.

Preparations for the IPT are going well, Calenborne said, and the team is gelling. “I am thoroughly enjoying training and collaborating with my teammates, learning from our coach Kelsey Thompson, who is an outstanding South African water polo player, and it is such an honour,” she added.

“Kelsey has a profound ability to refine our skills, and keep us motivated and fit while building on team chemistry with one another as we work together on our goals.”

Saints’ captain Tori Tanner-Ellis said she was ecstatic to be selected to represent the province. “I felt extremely grateful and accomplished,” she shared. “The u19 A team is a very experienced and talented team and I was extremely happy to be selected to be part of that team.”

Tanner-Ellis is an experienced player at inter-provincial level and will be participating in her fourth IPT. She was a member of the Central Gauteng u16A team, which claimed the national title. As a member of the u15 squad, she won a silver medal, while Central Gauteng finished in third place when she played in the u14 age group.

Emily Carle echoed Tanner-Ellis when she said being selected for the Central Gauteng u19A team was a great honour. “It’s something I’ve worked hard to achieve,” she explained. “Being part of such a talented group is amazing, and I’m excited to represent my province at this level. This opportunity inspires me to keep improving and give my absolute best in and out of the pool.”

She added: “This isn’t my first IPT, but it’s still a privilege to be selected. My previous IPT experiences were unforgettable. I learned so much and grew as a player.”

Turning to the forthcoming event, she concluded: “This year feels special because it’s another chance to represent my province, take on strong competition, and contribute to the team’s success. I’m eager to apply what I’ve learned in the past and make this tournament the best one yet.”

The fourth member of the Saints’ quartet, Isabella Imbriolo, weighed in: “I feel honoured to represent my province and play at the highest level within schools in South Africa. This is my sixth IPT, and I’ve always enjoyed experiencing the different provinces and watching polo, all while building a bond with my team over the years. It’s always a lot of fun and a great learning curve.”

Central Gauteng A kicks off their title defence on 7 December against the hosts, Buffalo City. They face Western Province A in a key clash on 8 December, and then tackle a a double-header, playing KwaZulu-Natal and Nelson Mandela Bay on 9 December.

Central Gauteng Pool Stages Fixtures:

7 Dec: Central Gauteng A vs Buffalo City A
8 Dec: Western Province A vs Central Gauteng A
9 Dec: Central Gauteng vs KwaZulu Natal
9 Dec: Nelson Mandela Bay vs Central Gauteng

Central Gauteng U19A Girls

Courtney Calenborne (St Stithians), Emily Carle (St Stithians),  Ruby Carlson (St Dominic’s), Lucy Davis (Kingsmead), Francesca de Villiers (Roedean), Anastasia Hambakis (Reddam Bedfordview), Isabella Imbriolo (St Stithians),  Julia Joseph (St Mary’s), Mia Loizides (Roedean), Ogechi McMurray (St Dominic’s), Emma Pelicot (Roedean), Amy Smith (St Mary’s), Tori Tanner-Ellis (St Stithians)

Non–travelling reserves

Eryn Doyle (Beaulieu), Rachel Rostron (St Peter’s), Angela Smith (Parktown Girls), Shannon Spitsbaard (Crawford Lonehill)

 Coaches and Manager

Head coach: Kelsey Thomson
Assistant coach: Michaela Boaventura
Assistant coach: Wade Brand
Manager: Nicola MacLeod

Central Gauteng, one of the traditional powerhouses of schools’ water polo, has announced its teams for the forthcoming Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament, which takes place in Buffalo City from 7-11 December.

The event includes 123 teams of girls and boys, in the u13, u14, u15, u16, and u19 age groups, among them the Aussie Crocs, from Queensland, Australia, who will contest the boys’ u19 competition, which takes place at the Joan Harrison Aquatic Complex.

Other hosting venues are Clarendon High School for Girls, Selborne Primary School, Selborne College, Hudson Park High School, and Merrifield Preparatory School and College.

The Central Gauteng boys’ team was one of the top-performing teams of 2023, going down 7-8 in a penalty shootout in the final against Western Province after the teams had played to a thrilling 8-8 draw. They will, once again, be coached by Jon-Marc de Carvalho.

Five players who were part of that side are included in the 2024 lineup. They include three boys from St John’s College, Greg Pryce, Ross Rovelli, and Nicholas Searle; St Stithians‘ Marc Smith; and Karabo Mamaregane, of King Edward VII (KES).

Sebastian Bruinders completes the St John’s contingent of four players, while Mamaregane, who netted a hat-trick when Central Gauteng won the Currie Cup in March, is joined by three others from KES, Judah Dos Santos, Harry Wilkins, and Jack Wilkins.

Marc Smith is joined by two team-mates from Saints, James Crick and Declan Wood.

St David’s Marist Inanda, who placed fifth at the St Stithians Invitational Water Polo, the second-highest finish for Gauteng sides behind St John’s, who placed third, have Mark Hudson and Ross Stuart in the team.

A very interesting inclusion is that of Alexander Kelbrick, from Affies. He opted, as he is allowed to do, to attend Central Gauteng trials and was included in the team. He’s a dangerous attacker and was one of the event’s leading goalscorers at last year’s IPT for the Northern Tigers. His Affies’ team-mate, Francois Hartslief, was included in the Central Gauteng u19B team.

U19A 

Sebastian Bruinders (St John’s); James Crick (St Stithians); Judah Dos Santos (KES); Mark Hudson (St David’s); Alexander Kelbrick (Affies); Karabo Mamaregane (KES); Greg Pryce (St John’s); Ross Rovelli (St John’s); Nicholas Searle (St John’s); Marc Smith (St Stithians); Ross Stuart (St David’s); Declan Wood (St Stithians); Harry Wilkins (KES); Jack Wilkins (KES)

Non-travelling reserves: Ethan Hutton (Steyn City), Liam Tebbutt (St Stithians)

Coach: Jon-Marc de Carvalho
Assistant coach: Michael Stewart
Manager: Zahraa Bodiat

U19B 

Erik Arwidi (St David’s), Matthew Callaghan (KES), Chris Chapman (St John’s), Travis Donnelly (St Stithians), Logan du Preez (St Stithians), 6. Francois Hartslief (Affies), Ethan Horn (Jeppe), Kyle Kennerley (St Stithians), Mukhetwa Maemu (Jeppe), Calder Millington (St Benedict’s), Simon Mussett (St John’s), Darien Salovy (St David’s), Kamogelo Thobejane (St John’s), David Vosloo (KES).