Author: vndudane

The High School for Girls Potchefstroom is primed and ready to host the annual All Girls Festival, which takes place in the North-West city from Thursday, 2 May, to Saturday, 4 May.

The festival, which started in 2000, when it was hosted in Cape Town by Wynberg Girls’ High and Rustenburg Girls’ High, brings together the top government schools from across South Africa to compete in a wide variety of sports and cultural activities, with an emphasis placed on camaraderie.

The sports include hockey, chess, cross-country, netball, squash, and tennis. On the cultural front, there is art, creative writing, debating, drama, marimbas, Master Chef, public speaking, and vocal ensemble.

This year’s event brings together 23 schools, with 19 of them set to contest the hockey competition.

Catch the action live on SuperSport Schools

The hockey title holders, C & N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje, headline Pool A and are favoured to top the standings there. In Pool B, Rhenish looks like the team to beat, although their Stellenbosch neighbours, Bloemhof, might have something to say about that. Both schools’ first teams rank among the best in the country this season.

Last year’s hosts, Eunice High School, who have gone from strength to strength in 2024, will be the favourites to top Pool C, while Pool D, which features only four schools, is the toughest to predict. Paarl Girls’ High might be the call, but Clarendon could spring a surprise.

Samantha Boswell, who is overseeing the hockey tournament, said: “My expectations are that the tournament will run smoothly, showcase the best quality hockey, and not include any form of discrimination.

The event is an opportunity for girls with a common interest in hockey to unite, enjoy the challenges that their opponents pose, showcase their talent, and share in good sportsmanship, Boswell added.

The All Girls Festival was previously hosted in Potchefstroom in 2005, and 2012. Boswell said she is looking forward to the event’s third visit to the city: “My emotions are a roller coaster. I’m excited and nervous, obviously, but excited to say we are the host of the tournament, excited to say that I am in charge of this.

“I’m excited to see the quality of hockey played on the field, the camaraderie created, the meeting of different people and different expertise, and learning from each other.

“I think the best part about the tournament is networking and meeting people from all over the country, from different backgrounds, and with different stories, and all uniting under one front.”

The opening ceremony takes place on Wednesday evening at Snowflake, in Potchefstroom. Then, on Thursday morning, the whistles will sound to get the sport underway. The festivities wrap up on Saturday with the final, which will be followed by a closing ceremony.

POOLS

Pool A: C & N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje; Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria; Rustenburg Girls’ High School; Pretoria High School for Girls; HMS La Rochelle GHS

Pool B: Rhenish Girls’ High School; HMS Bloemhof; Danville Park Girls’ High School; Durban Girls’ High School; Jeppe High School for Girls

Pool C: Rhenish Girls’ High School; Collegiate Girls’ High School; Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School; St. Michael’s School for Girls; The High School for Girls (Potchefstroom)

Pool D: Clarendon High School for Girls; Paarl Girls’ High School; Wynberg Girls High School; Parktown High School for Girls

Jeppe High School for Boys stole in for a late goal and a 3-2 victory over King Edward VII (KES) on the Boden AstroTurf on Saturday to extend their winning ways against their Johannesburg rivals.

While it was Jeppe’s 10th win in the last 11 meetings between the schools, it had appeared, though, that KES was on course to halt that run of success.

The visitors led 2-1 in the third chukka, but Jeppe, then, found an equaliser and manufactured an all-important winner in the final chukka.

The visitors played well, but coach Shamin Naidoo lamented his charges’ unconverted chances, which would have changed the outcome.

“I thought we executed our game plan well,” he said. “We had more chances that we could have converted on the day, which let us down.”

Still, he was encouraged by his team’s showing. Since a winless start at the Nomads Festival, they’ve begun to find their feet. At the start of the second term, they notched a treasured 3-2 win over their neighbours and rivals, St John’s College, and drew 2-2 with Parktown Boys’ High.

The Red Sticks were well beaten at Pretoria Boys High last weekend, going down 0-4, but they’re improving, Naidoo said.

“The team is taking shape, and we look forward to the next few games. We are off next weekend, then we have St Benedict’s and the Aitken Cup in the next two weeks,” Naidoo told SuperSport Schools.

Jeppe’s coach, Siya Sityana, while pleased to have come away with the win, said there is more work that needs to be done.

“A win is always a good result, especially against a big rival, but we have to go back to the drawing board and fix some mistakes, and there is a lot of improvement needed,” Sityana said candidly.

“We are still far from where we want to be, but part of it is to win these big games. Especially from being 1-2 down, to win it 3-2 was encouraging and, I can tell you, that KES team wanted it badly.”

Meanwhile, Pretoria Boys High School (PBHS) handled matters with aplomb at Parktown Boys’ High in their Saturday clash.

They seized the initiative in the first chukka, striking twice, to put the hosts on the back foot.

The teams turned with Boys High still two goals to the good but, when they added a third in the third chukka, they comfortably cruised to a 3-0 win.

They’ve found some good form in recent weeks, with the victory over Parktown following a 4-0 success against KES and a 2-1 win over St Alban’s College.

This weekend, the King Edward VII (KES) 1st hockey team heads to Jeppe High School for Boys for their first of two derby meetings this season. Saturday’s first leg tie takes place on the Boden Astro at 10:00.

You can catch the action live on SuperSport Schools.

Following a difficult start to the season at the Nomads Festival, where they played a tough schedule, KES has put some wins together, but last weekend they were well beaten.

In Pretoria, they came out on the wrong end of a 0-4 result against Pretoria Boys High. They had played a good game the weekend before, when they drew 2-2 with Parktown Boys’ High.

In their opening second term fixture, they edged out their neighbours and rivals, St John’s College, 3-2.

Jeppe, meanwhile, warmed up for Saturday’s derby with a one-sided 7-0 romp against Krugersdorp High School.

Afterwards, coach Siya Sityana politely downplayed that win and shifted the focus to the forthcoming clash: “Don’t count the match between us and Krugersdorp. It was a warm-up game,” he said. “This weekend will be all different against KES.”

Before the mid-week victory, the Zebras were held to a 2-2 draw at Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) last weekend. It was the first draw between the sides since 2008, although Affies mixed in a win in 2017 amid plenty of Jeppe victories.

In one of their better performances, Jeppe saw off Westville Boys’ High 3-1 on 13 April.

Last year, a very good Jeppe team convincingly beat KES both times they met, winning 3-1 and 6-0.

Since they started playing hockey matches against one another towards the end of the 1960s, Jeppe has won 30 of the 64 contests, KES has recorded 15 wins, and there have been 19 draws.

Jeppe, however, heads into Saturday’s match having won nine and drawn one of their last 10 games against KES.

JEPPE V KES HEAD-TO-HEAD

2017 Jeppe 3 KES 0
2018 Jeppe 2 KES 2; Jeppe 1 KES 0
2019 Jeppe 5 KES 1; Jeppe 6 KES 0
2021 Jeppe 4 KES 2
2022 Jeppe 2 KES 0; Jeppe 2 KES 0
2023 Jeppe 3 KES 1; Jeppe 6 KES 0

Also on Saturday, Pretoria Boys High takes on Parktown Boys’ High.

Pretoria Boys High had a shock in store for King Edward VII (KES) on Saturday in Pretoria, stunning the visitors from Johannesburg 4-0 in their showdown on the Astro.

Boys High had suffered a narrow 0-1 loss to Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg last weekend, but back at home they found the finishes that were lacking against College.

It took them only five minutes to open the scoring and, from then on, they added a further goal in each of the remaining chukkas. KES battled hard and, although the winning margin was big, Boys High had to work hard for their win.

Earlier in the season, Boys High had beaten Jeppe 1-0, but the Zebras were in Pretoria feeling confident ahead of their clash with Affies after goals from Ezray Stadt, Ben Benjamin and Tumiso Kameel had helped them to a 3-1 win over Westville a week earlier.

Jeppe has largely owned their hockey rivalry with Affies. However, the bigger challenge they faced, which has plagued them throughout the 2024 season, was consistency. They’ve struggled to string results together and that hurt them again on Saturday.

The schools played to a 2-2 draw, which was notable because it was the first time they had shared the spoils since they started an annual derby day in 2008.

It was a big improvement for Affies, who were blown away 8-0 by a very good Jeppe side in 2023.

The talent is there, but the consistency is still lacking for coach Siya Sityana and Jeppe and they continue to work towards attaining it. Affies, considering their historical lack of success against Jeppe, will take heart from the draw.

Jeppe High School for Boys heads to Pretoria to take on Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) in 14 hockey matches on Friday and Saturday.

The Affies Girls’ Astro and Pretoria High School for Girls Astro host the Friday matches. The main games – u14A, u16A, 2nd team, and 1st team – all take place on the Affies Girls’ Astro on Saturday, with the 1st team game set for a 10:30 start.

After a solid 3-1 victory over Westville Boys’ High in Johannesburg last weekend, the Zebras head into that clash with confidence.

In a hard-fought contest on the Boden AstroTurf, Ezray Stadt put the hosts ahead just before the break. Ben Benjamin doubled their advantage in the third chukka, but Bo Mokoena then pulled one back for the visitors.

A late strike from Tumiso Kameel, however, ensured the victory went Jeppe’s way.

Affies, meanwhile, were outplayed by Paarl Gimnasium in Pretoria. The in-form Western Cape side won 3-0.

Since 2008, Jeppe and Affies have crossed paths nine times, with the Kensington boys winning all but one of those games. That Affies’ win was in 2017, so the hosts will be seeking to buck the trend of Jeppe victories on Saturday.

Jeppe will be favoured in the game, but they have been inconsistent in 2024, so Affies will feel they have their best opportunity in a long time of adding another win over the Zebras.

Jeppe v Affies head-to-head

2008 Jeppe 4-0 Affies
2009 Jeppe 4-2 Affies
2016 Jeppe 1-0 Affies
2017 Affies 1-0 Jeppe
2018 Jeppe 2-0 Affies
2019 Jeppe 4-0 Affies
2020 Covid-19
2021 Jeppe 8-0 Affies
2022 Jeppe 3-1 Affies
2023 Jeppe 8-0 Affies 

It was cold on the Boden AstroTurf at Jeppe High School for Boys on Saturday morning, but the home team’s performance warmed up the hearts of their supporters as they claimed a victory over the visitors from KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Boys’ High.

It was goalless after the opening chukka, and the intensity ramped up in the second chukka. Eventually, the hosts made a breakthrough, with Ezray Stadt netting, to take a one-goal lead into the half-time break.

With eight minutes remaining in the third chukka, they doubled their advantage, thanks to a Ben Benjamin strike, but Westville, unbowed, came storming back, reducing the deficit to one goal shortly after that, with Bo Mokoena scoring a cracker.

Jeppe, though, were not to be denied and they responded with a third goal, this time from the stick of Tumiso Kameel, to secure a hard-fought 3-1 win.

The contest was Jeppe’s first since a shocking 1-4 loss to St David’s Marist Inanda. Afterwards, the Zebras‘ relieved coach Siya Sityana praised his side’s effort.

“Overall, the game was an exciting contest,” he said. “My boys were a well-organised and well-structured team.

“We bounced back nicely with our mental state after losing so many games. Also, we cannot downplay the positivity that comes with playing at home, with having such support.

“All in all, the boys fought a good fight. That’s all I can say.

“I’m looking forward to our next game, next weekend against Affies.”

Meanwhile, the hosts’ Parktown Boys High School and King Edward VII (KES) played to a draw.

In an entertaining tie, KES took the lead in the first chukka, but Parktown levelled just before the break. When KES made a breakthrough again, Parktown quickly responded, and the match ended in a 2-2 draw.

KES coach Sharmin Naidoo commented: “The result is a draw, and I think it is a true reflection of the game. It was a very good match between two good teams.”

Jeppe High School for Boys will have a point to prove on Saturday morning when they take on Westville Boys’ High on the Boden AstroTurf.

Catch the action live at 10:00 on Saturday on SuperSport Schools

Jeppe, under coach Siya Sityana, enters the match on the back of an unusually large defeat, having gone down 1-4 to St David’s Marist Inanda in their most recent outing. As a hockey school, they boast a proud record and a gritty reputation, so Westville can expect a strong response from the home side.

Since Sityana took charge this year, Jeppe has contested two high-profile festivals, the Nomads Festival, at Maritzburg College, and the KES Easter Festival.

At College, they made a slow start, losing their first three matches, but they finished on an optimistic note, recording victories in their last two outings.

Closer to home, at KES, they claimed three wins, beating Waterkloof 4-1, along with a pair of 2-0 victories over St Charles College and Eldoraigne. There were also losses by one goal to Rondebosch (0-1) and Kearsney College (1-2).

However, a 1-0 win over St Stithians last weekend, at home, was cause for optimism, before the surprisingly big setback against St David’s.

Meanwhile, the Griffin also head into the contest off the back of a loss, although, truth be told, it was not totally unexpected, as they went down 1-3 to Durban High School, who have, so far, won every one of their matches this season, in a high-quality clash at The Coliseum.

Westville, though, has displayed some good form in 2024. They opened the season with a 2-0 win over Michaelhouse and then won all of their matches on the first two days of the Coastal Cup, grabbing a narrow 1-0 win over Pearson, winning 2-0 against Paarl Boys’ High, and outplaying Waterkloof 4-0.

On day three, however, they suffered a surprising defeat to a good Garsfontein team, going down 1-3.

It’s tough game to pick a favourite. Jeppe has been inconsistent this season, while Westville has stumbled recently. Still, they’re both capable of producing very good hockey.

Parktown Boys’ High hosts King Edward VII on Saturday and that should be a keenly contested clash. Both started their seasons slowly in the Founders and Nomads festivals respectively, but they were much better at the KES Easter Festival that followed.

Check out their game at 10:45 on Saturday on SuperSport Schools. 

Afrikaanse Hoër Meiseskool (Affies) and Paarl Gimnasium meet in a derby clash between two in-form teams on Friday evening at the Pretoria High School for Girls Astro.

Recently, both sides were in action at the St Mary’s Hockey Festival, which brought 32 of the top girls’ teams in South Africa together. There, they both performed well, with Affies finishing in 10th place and Paarl Gim ending fourth.

Catch the action live on SuperSport Schools.

In head-to-head competition, the team from the Boland has come out on top in the last three meetings between the sides.

However, heading into Friday’s match, Affies are optimistic, and coach Nicolene Terblanche believes that her team is well prepared, and that the St Mary’s Festival has provided her charges with a big boost.

“The preparations are positive,” she said. “We had a good St Mary’s Festival.”

At St Mary’s, after winning one and losing two on a tough first day, Terblanche’s girls staged a strong run the following day, racking up three wins and a draw.

They claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Clarendon, which was followed by a goalless draw against DF Malan. Then, they again came out on the right side of 1-0 wins in their third and fourth clashes, beating Roedean and their neighbours from the capital city, Pretoria High School for Girls, respectively.

Paarl Gim, meanwhile, roared out of the gates at St Mary’s. Playing in Pool D, they raced to opening day wins over the St Mary’s Festival XI (3-0), St Cyprian’s (2-0) and St Stithians (1-0), who would later pip Paarl Gim for third by reversing that result in their playoff match.

On day two, they again demonstrated their ability to grind out tight wins, recording victories over Our Lady of Fatima (2-1) and Pearson (1-0), before drawing with St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) and Collegiate Girls’ High.

Ultimately, they finished in fourth, but they, like Affies, built up strong momentum against serious opposition, which will have them well prepared for the challenge that lies ahead on Friday evening.

Based on the recent form of both sides, it’s likely to be a tight contest.

St John’s DSG wrapped up their journey at the St Mary’s Hockey Festival with a smile on Sunday after they clinched the Vuvuzela with a 1-0 victory over their fellow KwaZulu-Natalians, Our Lady of Fatima, in Johannesburg.

With it being the last outing for both in the four-day festival, and despite 25th place being on the line, both sides gave it everything they had left in the tank.

It was a tight clash as neither team wanted to make a costly mistake. However, St John’s found a way to break the deadlock and secure a tense 1-0 win. That brought them a confidence boost after an up-and-down campaign at St Mary’s.

In their first round of pool matches, they mustered only a single victory in seven games, defeating their rivals from the KZN capital, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High, while also drawing three matches and going down in three others.

That left them seventh in Pool C, with six points. Their fortunes improved in the next round, however, where their results included a 3-0 win over the St Mary’s Festival XI, but a 0-1 defeat to Our Lady of Fatima.

St John’s also enjoyed a 4-0 triumph over Roedean School in the cross-pool play-offs.

They were on their game, striking twice within the first six minutes. After 14 minutes, it was 3-0 as St John’s scored from a beautifully executed penalty corner. Another goal in the 23rd minute sealed a comfortable victory.

Meanwhile, Our Lady Fatima enjoyed some early successes, winning 1-0 against the St Mary’s Festival XI and Collegiate, which pleased their coach, Jacinta Wedderburn. “A very good win and a really fantastic start,” she said. “We wanted our girls to start strong. I couldn’t be prouder. They stuck to our structures, and they got the job done.”

In other clashes between sides in the bottom half of the standings, Paarl Girls’ High played to a goalless draw against their fellow Capetonians, St Cyprian’s in the 19th place playoff.

The Wykeham Collegiate finished 17th after handing Hoërskool Garsfontein a 2-1 loss. Pearson clinched 15th place, edging out St Andrew’s 1-0 in a nail-biter.

Victory in the Plate competition went to Herschel, who defeated St Mary’s 2-1 in a penalty shootout after they had played to a goalless draw.

Playoff Results

1st/2nd – Durban Girls’ College 3-2 Eunice
3rd/4th – St Stithians 1-0 Paarl Gimnasium
5th/6th – Oranje 2-0 St Mary’s DSG (Kloof)
7th/8th – Bloemhof 0-0 Menlopark
9th/10th – Waterkloof 1-0 Affies
11th/12th – Rhenish 1-0 St Anne’s
13th/14th – Herschele 0(2)-0(1) St Mary’s Waverley
15th/16th – Pearson 1-0 St Andrew’s
17th/18th – The Wykeham Collegiate 2-1 Garsfontein
19th/20th – Paarl Girls’ 0-0 St Cyprian’s
21st/22nd – Collegiate 2-0 Clarendon
23rd/24th – Somerset College 1-0 DF Malan
25th/26th – St John’s DSG 1-0 Our Lady of Fatima
27th/28th – Windhoek HS 0-0 Roedean
29th/30th – St Mary’s Festival XI 0(7)-0(6) Pretoria High School for Girls
31st/32nd – Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High 2-0 St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria)

Saturday at the St Mary’s Hockey Festival in Johannesburg was tough on The Wykeham Collegiate. Twice, they suffered 0-1 defeats – to Herschel and Clarendon – and they were held to a goalless draw by DF Malan in their other game.

After a 1-0 win over St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) and a 2-1 victory over Paarl Girls’ High on Friday, it was jarring setback. Nonetheless, the Pietermaritzburg school doesn’t have time to lament those results. They face St Cyprian’s in a cross-pool playoff on Sunday morning.

St Mary’s Waverley found their way on day three, recording successive 1-0 wins over Clarendon and DF Malan, with their game against Herschel ending in a 0-0 draw.

It was a good step up from the hosts, who went winless the previous day.

St Andrew’s School for Girls led the way in Pool H, picking up three wins, although their record on Saturday wasn’t perfect. They handed Collegiate and St Cyprian’s 1-0 losses but went down 0-2 to Pearson.

The East London side was held to goalless draws in their other games, by Somerset College and Garsfontein.

Cape Town’s St Cyprian’s won one, drew one, and lost one: they went down 0-1 to St Andrew’s, beat Garsfontein 2-1, and drew 0-0 with Somerset College.

With final placings on the line, Sunday is a big day. Windhoek High School gets it underway against Our Lady Fatima, with St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) taking on the St Mary’s Waverley Festival XI in the next game.

RESULTS

Saturday, 6 April

Pool G: Herschel 0-2 Paarl Girls; Clarendon 0-1 St Mary’s 1^st; DF Malan 0-0 The Wykeham Collegiate; Herschel 1-0 The Wykeham Collegiate; Clarendon 0-0 Paarl Girls; DF Malan 0-1 St Mary’s 1^st; Herschel 0-0 St Mary’s 1st; Clarendon 1-0 The Wykeham Collegiate; DF Malan 0-0 Paarl Girls

Pool H: St Andrew’s 0-2 Pearson; Somerset 0-0 St Cyprian’s; Garsfontein 0-0 Collegiate; St Andrew’s 1-0 Collegiate; Garsfontein 1-2 St Cyprian’s; Somerset 0-0 Pearson; Garsfontein 0 -0 Pearson; Somerset 0-0 Collegiate; St Andrew’s 1-0 St Cyprian’s