Author: vndudane

Rhenish Girls’ High School sparkled on Friday at the St Mary’s Hockey Festival in Waverley, winning all four of their matches without conceding a goal against strong opposition.

The Western Cape team, for whom Ruby Celliers earned her 100th cap, began their day with a 2-0 triumph over the recently crowned Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament winners, Somerset College.

They followed that up with a tight 1-0 win over St Andrew’s School for Girls and then handed Oranje their first loss of 2024.

The Stellenbosch girls exhibited rock-solid defence against Oranje, who had scored many lop-sided victories earlier in the season, holding them scoreless, and a goal from Kaitlyn van Binsbergen broke the deadlock to secure the win.

In their last Pool C encounter, Rhenish saw off Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School 4-0.
Captain Leah du Plessis opened the scoring and then doubled the Rhenish lead 17 minutes before the end of the game. Lily Newton struck from a penalty corner and Pippa Viljoen netted with seconds remaining to complete a big victory.

It was not an easy day for the team from the KZN capital. They also lost 0-1 to both Somerset College and St Andrew’s, but played to a 1-1 draw with Hoërskool Garsfontein.

In Pool B’s first game, Hoërskool Menlopark defeated Windhoek High School 2-0, and St Anne’s Diocesan College repeated that scoreline in a win over St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria).

The Wykeham Collegiate also beat St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria), winning 1-0, and defeated Paarl Girls’ High School 2-1. They were held to a goalless draw by Windhoek.

Those results marked a strong turnaround for the Pietermaritzburg school, who suffered three losses on the opening day.

The hosts, St Mary’s Waverley, endured a difficult day, losing 0-1 to Menlopark and drawing goalless with Paarl Girls’ High before going down 0-3 to Durban Girls’ College, who have quietly asserted themselves and dominated Pool B.

They won all three of their matches, netting nine times while keeping a clean sheet for the day.

RESULTS

Friday, 5 April

Pool B: Windhoek 0-0 Menlopark; St Anne’s 2-0 St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria); The Wykeham Collegiate 2-1 Paarl Girls’ High; Windhoek HS 0-5 Durban Girls’ College; St Mary’s Waverley 1st 0-1 Menlopark; The Wykeham Collegiate 0-0 Windhoek HS; Menlopark 0-1 Durban Girls’ College; The Wykeham Collegiate 1-0 St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria); St Mary’s Waverley 1st 0-0 Paarl Girls’ High; Windhoek HS 0-2 St Anne’s; Paarl Girls’ High 0-0 St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria); Menlopark 0-0 St Anne’s; St Mary’s Waverley 1^st 0-3 Durban Girls’ College

Pool C: Somerset 1-0 Pietermaritzburg GHS; Oranje 3-1 St Andrew’s; Waterkloof 0-0 St John’s; Somerset 0-2 Rhenish; Pietermaritzburg GHS 1-1 Garsfontein; Oranje 1-0 St John’s; Rhenish 1-0 St Andrew’s; Waterkloof 1-1 Garsfontein; St Andrew’s 1-0 Pietermaritzburg GHS; Waterkloof 0-0 Somerset; Oranje 0-1 Rhenish; St John’s 0-0 Garsfontein; Oranje 3-1 Garsfontein; St John’s 1-2 Somerset; St Andrew’s 0-1 Waterkloof; Rhenish 4-0 Pietermaritzburg GHS

POOLS

Pool A: Eunice High School; Herschel Girls School; Clarendon High School; Pretoria High School for Girls; Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof; Roedean School (SA); Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool, Pretoria; DF Malan

Pool B: St Mary’s Waverley 1^st XI; Durban Girls’ College; Paarl Girls’ High School; Die Hoërskool Menlopark; The Wykeham Collegiate; Windhoek High School; St Anne’s Diocesan College; St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria)

Pool C: C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje; Hoërskool Garsfontein; Rhenish Girls’ High School; St John’s DSG; St Andrew’s School for Girls; Hoërskool Waterkloof; Somerset College; Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School

Pool D: Collegiate Girls’ High School; Paarl Gimnasium; St Stithians Girls College; St Mary’s DSG (Kloof); St Cyprian’s School; Pearson High School; St Mary’s Waverley Festival XI; Our Lady of Fatima DCS

The tournament hosts, St Mary’s Waverley, recorded two victories and two defeats on Thursday, the first day of the 2024 St Mary’s Hockey Festival.

The festival welcomes many of South Africa’s best hockey-playing schools, and some from beyond the borders of the country, to Johannesburg. It runs through until Sunday.

In their first outing in Pool B, St Mary’s Waverley took on their namesakes, St Mary’s DSG, from Pretoria, and ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.

They were, however, beaten in their second game against St Anne’s Diocesan College, who had been one of the in-form teams in the lead-up to the festival. St Mary’s bounced back in their third outing to claim a narrow 1-0 victory over Windhoek High School.

In their fourth match of the day, the home team was beaten again, going down 0-2 to The Wykeham Collegiate.

Both sides started the game patiently and exhibited strong defences, but it was Wykeham Collegiate’s success in denying space to the six-time champions which won them the game.

St Mary’s created some opportunities, including a penalty corner, but failed to make them count. Then, 13 minutes before the end of the contest, Wykeham caught St Mary’s off guard with a brilliant goal by Amy Macaskill. With four minutes to play, they doubled their lead.

Durban Girls’ College, meanwhile, bagged a nail-biting 2-1 win over St Anne’s before crushing St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) 9-0 in the last match of the day.

Pool C’s clashes proved to be very tight, with a number of them ending goalless, which served to underline just how tough the competition is.

Hoërskool Garsfontein held Somerset College to a 0-0 draw, while that was also the score in the games between Rhenish and Hoërskool Waterkloof, and St John’s DSG and St Andrew’s. Rhenish also shared the spoils against Garsfontein, although it ended 1-1 in that match.

The seven-time winners, Oranje, enjoyed a successful opening day. They begin it on a high note, outplaying Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School 5-0. Their second game was much tougher, but they came away with a 1-0 victory over Somerset College, and they followed that up with a 2-0 victory against Waterkloof.

After a tough start, which included a goalless draw against St Andrew’s and a 0-4 defeat against Rhenish, St John’s DSG beat their neighbours, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High 2-0.

Action at the St Mary’s Hockey Festival continues on Friday with a Pool B showdown between Windhoek High School and Hoërskool Menlopark in Pool B, while Somerset College face Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High in Pool C.

RESULTS

Thursday, 04 April

Pool B: St Mary’s Waverley 1st 3-0 St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) ; Durban Girls’ College 2-1 St Anne’s; Paarl Girls’ High 2-0 Windhoek HS; Hoërskool Menlopark 2-1 The Wykeham Collegiate; St Mary’s Waverley 1st 0-1 St Anne’s; St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) 0-2 Windhoek HS; Durban Girls’ College 2-0 The Wykeham Collegiate; Paarl Girls’ High 0-1 Hoërskool Menlopark; St Mary’s Waverley 1st XI 1-0 Windhoek HS; St Anne’s 3-0 The Wykeham Collegiate; St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) 0-2 Hoërskool Menlopark; Durban Girls’ College 2-2 Paarl Girls’ High; St Mary’s Waverley 1st 0-2 The Wykeham Collegiate; St Anne’s 1-0 Paarl Girls’ High; St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) 0-9 Durban Girls’ College

Pool C: HS Garsfontein 0-0 Somerset College; Oranje 5-0 Pietermaritzburg GHS; Rhenish 0-0 HS Waterkloof; St John’s DSG 0-0 St Andrew’s; Oranje 1-0 Somerset College; Pietermaritzburg GHS 1-2 HS Waterkloof; HS Garsfontein 5-0 St Andrew’s; Rhenish 4-0 St John’s DSG; Oranje 2-0 HS Waterkloof; Somerset College 0-1 St Andrew’s; Pietermaritzburg GHS 0-2 St John’s DSG; Garsfontein 1-1 Rhenish

POOLS

Pool A: Eunice High School; Herschel Girls’ High; Clarendon High School; Pretoria High School for Girls; Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof; Roedean School (SA); Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool, Pretoria; DF Malan

Pool B: St Mary’s Waverley 1st XI; Durban Girls’ College; Paarl Girls’ High School; Die Hoërskool Menlopark; The Wykeham Collegiate; Windhoek High School; St Anne’s Diocesan College; St Mary’s DSG, Pretoria

Pool C: C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje; Hoërskool Garsfontein; Rhenish Girls’ High School; St John’s DSG; St Andrew’s School for Girls; Hoërskool Waterkloof; Somerset College; Pietermaritzburg Girls High School

Pool D: Collegiate Girls’ High School; Paarl Gimnasium; St Stithians Girls’ College; St Mary’s DSG, Kloof; St Cyprian’s School; Pearson High School; St Mary’s Waverley Festival XI; Our Lady of Fatima DCS

The Saints Sports Festival wrapped up on Saturday evening in Sandton after the multisport event brought together more than 1 100 learners from 85 schools across the country.

The hockey action, which began on Wednesday, included strong showings from the host’s boys’ and girls’ sides. Both opened with draws, with the boys and St Andrew’s College finishing 2-2, and the girls playing to a goalless outcome against Springfield Convent.

On the second day of the festival, the girls were in fine form, overcoming Bethlehem Voortrekker 3-1 and DSG Makhanda by a surprisingly large 4-0 margin.

The boys went down 1-2 to a strong Hilton College side, but they responded well to defeat Clifton College 3-1 on Saturday.

Menlopark, who beat Glenwood 4-0 recently in the Coastal Cup, again won by a four-goal margin on Saturday, this time recording a 5-1 victory over the Durban school.

It was 1-1 early on in the first chukka, but the quarter ended 2-1 in the Pretoria team’s favour. They added another goal in the second chukka before two more in the fourth sealed a convincing victory.

Unfortunately for Glenwood, they were also on the wrong end of a 0-3 result against St David’s Marist Inanda. St Andrew’s College, meanwhile, handled Affies, running out 3-1 winners.

In girls’ action, Beaulieu College registered their fourth victory of the festival, beating Brescia House 2-0.

RESULTS
Saturday, 30 March

Boys

St David’s 1-2 Hilton; Menlopark 5-1 Glenwood; St Stithians 3-1 Clifton; Affies 1-3 St Andrew’s College; Glenwood 0-3 St David’s; St Benedict’s 1-0 PBHS; Affies 0-3 Hilton; St Benedict’s 1-0 St Andrew’s College; Menlopark 1-0 Clifton; St Stithians 1-3 PBHS

Girls

DSG Makhanda 1-1 Menlopark; Waterkloof 1-0 Springfield; St Stithians 1-0 Epworth; Brescia 0-2 Beaulieu; Bethlehem Voortrekker 1-1 Waterkloof; St Stithians 2-2 Beaulieu; Bethlehem Voortrekker 2-1 DSG Makhanda; Garsfontein 2-1 Springfield; Menlopark v Epworth; Brescia 1-7 Garsfontein.

Epworth School, after going down 3-0 to Garsfontein on Wednesday, fought their way to a 4-1 win over Brescia House in their first game on day two of the Saints Sports Festival at St Stithians College, in Sandton.

The Pietermaritzburg girls took the lead in the second chukka, striking twice, while keeping Brescia at bay.

In the third chukka, Epworth doubled their lead, going 4-0 up.

Although Brescia came out on the wrong side of the result, they made matters difficult for Epworth, and they scored their only goal of the match in the final chukka while denying Epworth any further goals.

Afterwards Epworth coach Sphephelo Nzula declared himself proud of his team’s fighting spirit: “Yesterday, we had a very unfortunate start,” he explained. “Coming in late got us on the back foot. We all know that preparations and warm-ups dictate how you play the game, and yesterday we didn’t have a chance to prepare for the game as we got here late.

“But regarding today’s game, the girls come out fine, and I am proud of them, in terms of how they played and how we picked ourselves up from yesterday.”

In their second clash, Nzula’s side went 3-0 down to Waterkloof after conceding three times before half-time. They were more resilient after the break, which pleased the coach.

“I am proud of the fact that they stayed in the game. They fought, despite the odds. In the last two quarters, we put up a fight. It was nil-nil throughout the second half. I am happy with the way they played,” he said.

In other games, DSG Makhanda won 4-2 against Garsfontein and Menlopark outplayed Brescia 8-0. St Stithians notched up two good wins, beating Bethlehem Voortrekker 3-1 and DSG Makhanda 4-0.

Meanwhile, in boys’ action, St Benedict’s and Clifton took it to each other, with the teams playing to a 2-2 draw.

St David’s Marist Inanda escaped with a narrow 2-1 victory over Pretoria Boys High School (PBHS). Earlier, PBHS edged out Glenwood in a seven-goal spectacle, winning 4-3.

Hilton College continued with their winning ways, beating Menlopark 2-0 before handing a strong St Stithians‘ side a 2-1 loss.

There are no matches on Friday and the hockey festival wraps up on Saturday, with the first match, between St David’s and Hilton, starting at 08:15. That’s followed by a showdown between Menlopark and Glenwood.

The girls’ matches start at 08:00, with DSG Makhanda taking on Menlopark, followed by Waterkloof against Springfield, and the hosts, St Stithians, against Epworth.

RESULTS

Thursday, 28 March

Boys
St Benedict’s 2-2 Clifton; Glenwood 3-4 PBHS; Menlopark 0-2 Hilton; Affies 1-0 Clifton; St David’s Marist Inanda 2-1 PBHS; Glenwood 0-1 St Benedict’s; Menlopark 3-2 St Andrew’s College; Alumni Men 8-2 Saints Invitational; St Stithians 1-2 Hilton College.

Girls
Springfield 1-1 Beaulieu; Brescia 0-8 Menlopark; St Stithians 3-1 Bethlehem Voortrekker; DSG Makhanda 4-2 Garsfontein; Waterkloof 0-1 Beaulieu; Brescia 1-4 Epworth; Menlopark 2-0 Springfield; Bethlehem Voortrekker 1-4 Garsfontein; Epworth 0-3 Waterkloof; Alumni Women 1-1 Saints Invitational GC; St Stithians 4-0 DSG Makhanda.

FIXTURES

Saturday, 30 March

Boys
08:15 – St David’s vs Hilton; 10:00 – Menlopark vs Glenwood; 10:30 – St Stithians vs Clifton; 11:15 – Affies vs St Andrew’s College; 11:30 – St Benedict’s vs PBHS; 13:30 – Glenwood vs St David’s; 13:45 – Affies vs Hilton; 14:45 – St Benedict’s vs St Andrew’s College; 15:30 – Menlopark vs Clifton; 18:00 – St Stithians vs PBHS

Girls
08:00 –DSG Makhanda vs Menlopark; 09:00 – Waterkloof vs Springfield; 09:15 – St Stithians vs Epworth; 12:15 – Brescia vs Beaulieu; 12:30 – Bethlehem Voortrekker vs DSG Makhanda; 14:45 – Garsfontein vs Springfield; 15:45 – Menlopark vs Epworth; 16:50 – Bethlehem Voortrekker vs Waterkloof; 17:00 – St Stithians v Beaulieu; 17:45 – Brescia vs Garsfontein.

The 40th Saints Sports Festival burst into life on Wednesday afternoon. This year, over 80 teams, representing 85 schools, and featuring 1 100 participants, competing in various sports, are part of the annual festival hosted by St Stithians College.

Boys’ and girl’ hockey got the ball rolling, with Affies and Glenwood High sharing a 2-2 draw. Pretoria Boys High, meanwhile, outplayed their capital city neighbours, Menlopark, 4-0.

The hosts, captained by star cricketer, Kwena Maphaka, were held to a draw by St Andrew’s College in a tight clash. It was St Andrew’s who broke the deadlock with a goal in the second chukka, but it didn’t take long for Saints to equalise.

St Andrew’s edged ahead in the third chukka, but that lead, too, was short-lived as their opponents converted a penalty corner to level the scores.

Hilton College laid down a marker with a 4-1 victory over a St Benedict’s College team that has made a strong start to the season, and St David’s Marist Inanda claimed a 2-1 win over Clifton College.

In girls’ action, Waterkloof started the festival in impressive form, crushing Brescia House 8-0, while Garsfontein pulled off an impressive 3-0 victory over Epworth. Menlopark and Bethlehem Voortrekker drew 2-2.

Saints and Cape Town’s Springfield Convent drew goalless, and Beaulieu College sneaked a 3-2 win over DSG Makhanda.

There are 21 games on Thursday, including St Benedict’s against Clifton and Glenwood versus Pretoria Boys High.

On the girls’ side of things, Springfield faces off against Beaulieu, while Brescia and Menlopark, who follow them onto the field, are in the same boat.

RESULTS

Wednesday 27, March

Boys
Affies 2-2 Glenwood; Menlopark 0-4 Pretoria Boys High School; St Benedict’s 1-4 Hilton College; St Stithians 2-2 St Andrew’s College; St David’s Marist Inanda 2-1 Clifton College

GIRLS
Garsfontein 3-0 Epworth; Waterkloof 8-0 Brescia; St Stithians 0-0 Springfield Convent; DSG Makhanda 3-2 Beaulieu College; Menlopark 2-2 Bethlehem Voortrekker

FIXTURES

Thursday, 28 March

Boys
09:00 – St Benedict’s vs Clifton; 11:30 – Glenwood vs PBHS; 12:30 – Menlopark vs Hilton; 14:30 – Affies vs Clifton; 14:45 – St David’s vs PBHS; 17:45 – Glenwood vs St Benedict’s; 17:45 – Menlopark vs St Andrew’s College; 20:00 – St Stithians vs Hilton; 18:00 – Alumni Men vs Saints Invitational GC; 20:00 – St Stithians vs Hilton

Girls
08:00 – Springfield vs Beaulieu; 08:15 – Brescia vs Menlopark; 09:15 – St Stithians vs Bethlehem Voortrekker; 10:30 – DSG Makhanda vs Garsfontein; 11:15 – Waterkloof vs Beaulieu; 12:15 – Brescia vs Epworth; 13:45 – Menlopark vs Springfield; 15:30 – Bethlehem Voortrekker vs Garsfontein; 15:45 – Epworth vs Waterkloof; 17:00 – Alumni Women vs Saints Invitational GC; 19:00 – St Stithians vs DSG Makhanda

Saturday, 30 March

Boys
08:15 – St David’s vs Hilton; 10:00 – Menlopark vs Glenwood; 10:30 – St Stithians vs Clifton; 11:15 – Affies vs St Andrew’s College; 11:30 – St Benedict’s vs PBHS; 13:30 – Glenwood vs St David’s; 13:45 – Affies vs Hilton; 14:45 – St Benedict’s vs St Andrew’s College; 15:30 – Menlopark vs Clifton; 18:00 – St Stithians vs PBHS

Girls
08:00 –DSG Makhanda vs Menlopark; 09:00 – Waterkloof vs Springfield; 09:15 – St Stithians vs Epworth; 12:15 – Brescia vs Beaulieu; 12:30 – Bethlehem Voortrekker vs DSG Makhanda; 14:45 – Garsfontein vs Springfield; 15:45 – Menlopark vs Epworth; 16:50 – Bethlehem Voortrekker vs Waterkloof; 17:00 – St Stithians v Beaulieu; 17:45 – Brescia vs Garsfontein.

The three-day Coastal Cup tournament wrapped up in style on Sunday afternoon with the Durban High School (DHS) 1st XI continuing its impressive form to finish the event with a perfect record of four wins from four matches.

On the first day, DHS cruised past St Alban’s 5-1 but were pushed hard by Garsfontein, before claiming a narrow 1-0 win.

On Saturday, the Horseflies produced a tighter than expected 2-1 win over Menlopark, but they were in fine form on Sunday, securing their unbeaten record with a big 5-0 victory over Paarl Boys’ High.

Meanwhile, Westville Boys’ High suffered their first loss of the festival on the final day, going down 1-3 to Garsfontein.

Those were the first goals the Griffin had given up in the event. Previously, they beat, in succession, Pearson 1-0, Paarl 2-0, and Waterkloof 4-0.

The young Glenwood High School 1st team pulled off a first victory in their last outing, finishing the festival on an optimistic note after outplaying Waterkloof 3-1.

Goals had been hard to come by for Glenwood in their previous matches, but their sights were in on Sunday. On Friday, they went down 0-4 to Pretoria’s Menlopark and 0-2 to St Alban’s. On Saturday, Garsfontein ran out 3-0 winners.

Menlopark, along with Waterkloof, one of the festival’s newcomers, picked up a second victory, defeating Clifton College 2-0.

In the u16s, Paarl held DHS to a 2-2 draw to dash their winning ways, while Westville lost 0-1 to Garsfontein. Waterkloof enjoyed a paper-thin 3-2 triumph over Glenwood.

Meanwhile, Westville closed the tournament on a high note in the u14 competition, cruising to a 6-0 victory over Garsfontein, while St Alban’s saw off Pearson 4-1, and Waterkloof matched that scoreline in a victory over Glenwood. 

RESULTS

Sunday, 24 March

1st XI 

Clifton 0-2 Menlopark; Waterkloof 1-3 Glenwood; Westville 1-3 Garsfontein; St Alban’s 1-0 Pearson; DHS 5-0 Paarl

u16A

Clifton 0-2 Menlopark; Westville 0-1 Garsfontein; Waterkloof 3-2 Glenwood; DHS 2-2 Paarl; St Alban’s 0-1 Pearson

u14A 

Clifton 2-1 Menlopark; Westville 6-0 Garsfontein; St Alban’s 4-1 Pearson; Waterkloof 4-1 Glenwood; DHS 1-2 Paarl

Durban High School (DHS) and Westville Boys’ High maintained their unbeaten streaks on the second day of the Coastal Cup, being played at the Riverside Sports Club and DHS in Durban.

The Horseflies beat Menlopark 2-1 in their only game of Saturday after cruising past St Alban’s 5-1 and beating Garsfontein 1-0 in a very challenging fixture on the opening day.

Westville’s defence kept its unblemished record with a 4-0 win over Waterkloof. On Friday, they beat Pearson 1-0 and Paarl Boys’ High 2-0.

Meanwhile, Glenwood High School is still in search of a first win after suffering a 0-3 defeat at the hands of Garsfontein. They previously lost 0-2 to St Alban’s and 0-4 to Menlopark.

Paarl Boys’ High were convincingly outplayed by Pearson, going down to their second defeat of the tournament.

In the u16 competition, Pearson halted Paarl’s winning ways with a 1-1 draw. Paarl won 3-1 against Waterkloof and Westville the previous day. DHS, meanwhile, handed Menlopark a 0-3 loss, following up their opening day victories over St Alban’s (5-1) and Garsfontein (2-1).

Westville is still chasing a first u16 victory after drawing 1-1 with Waterkloof.

The Griffin’s u14A side, however, has been rampant. They crushed Waterkloof 8-0 and have now scored 16 times in three games without conceding a goal.

Glenwood, meanwhile, were 4-0 winners over Garsfontein.

The Coastal Cup wraps up on Sunday with 15 matches – five in each age group.

Clifton opens the u18 proceedings against Menlopark, followed by Glenwood against Waterkloof.

The DHS u16s will attempt to continue their winning run when they face Paarl Boys’ High on their home Astro, while the Westville u14 side will chase another win, this time against Garsfontein at Riverside.

RESULTS

Saturday 23, March

1^st XI 

Garsfontein 3-0 Glenwood; Paarl 0-5 Pearson; DHS 2-1 Menlopark; Clifton 0-3 St Albans; Westville 4-0 Waterkloof

u16A 

DHS 3-0 Menlopark; Clifton 1-2 St Albans; Westville 1-1 Waterkloof; Paarl 2-2 Pearson; Garsfontein 3-0 Glenwood.

u14A 

Paarl 1-0 Pearson; Clifton 2-4 St Albans; DHS 3-0 Menlopark; Westville 8-0 Waterkloof; Glenwood 4-0 Garsfontein.

FIXTURES

Sunday, 24 March

1st XI – Riverside 1

08:00 – Clifton vs Menlopark; 09:15 – Waterkloof vs Glenwood; 10:30 – Westville vs Garsfontein; 11:45 – St Alban’s vs Pearson; 13:00 – DHS vs Paarl

u16A – DHS

09:00 – Clifton vs Menlopark; 10:00 – Westville vs Garsfontein; 11:00 – Waterkloof vs Glenwood; 12:00 – DHS vs Paarl; 13:00 – St Alban’s vs Pearson

u14A – Riverside 2

08:00 – Clifton vs Menlopark; 09:00 – Westville vs Garsfontein; 10:00 – St Alban’s vs Pearson; 11:00 – Waterkloof vs Glenwood; 12:00 – DHS vs Paarl

The 2024 Coastal Cup got off to a cracking start in Durban on Friday, with newcomers, Menlopark, making their mark in the opener by handing Glenwood a 4-0 defeat.

Later, however, the Pretoria side was on the wrong end of a similar scoreline when they went down to Pearson High School.

Glenwood will hope for a better day on Saturday, after they lost both of their first-day clashes. Their second match, against St Alban’s College, went the Gauteng side’s way by a 2-0 margin.

Westville Boys’ High enjoyed an impressive first day, winning an arm wrestle against Pearson by a goal to nil – the sides had drawn 3-3 at last year’s event – and then beating Paarl Boys’ High 2-0.

Durban High School (DHS) cruised to a convincing 5-1 win over St Alban’s and then edged out Garsfontein 1-0, while Clifton College and Garsfontein played to a 1-1 draw around midday. In the evening, Clifton downed Waterkloof 2-1.

In the u16 age group, DHS bagged a 5-1 win over St Alban’s and followed up with a 2-1 victory over Garsfontein. Paarl also dominated, recording 3-1 wins over Waterkloof and Westville 3-1. The Menlopark Juniors were held in a 2-2 draw by Glenwood and were beaten 2-1 by Pearson.

There were some high-scoring u14 games, with Paarl Boys’ High sneaking a 5-4 win over Waterkloof and Menlopark sharing a 4-4 draw with Glenwood. Westville Boys’ High, though, were imperious, notching two 4-0 victories, over Pearson and Paarl Boys’ High respectively.

Saturday’s action begins with the Garsfontein 1st team taking on Glenwood, while DHS battles Menlopark in the u16 competition, and Paarl takes on Pearson will open the u-14 clash.

RESULTS

Friday 14 March 2024

1^st XI

Menlopark 4-0 Glenwood; Westville 1-0 Pearson; DHS 5-1 St Alban’s; Clifton College 1-1 Garsfontein; Paarl Boys’ High 4-1 Waterkloof; St Alban’s 2-0 Glenwood; Pearson 4-0 Menlopark; Westville 2-0 Paarl Boys’ High; Clifton College 2-1 Waterkloof; DHS 1-0 Garsfontein

u16A 

DHS 5-1 St Albans; Paarl Boys’ High 3-1 Waterkloof; Westville 1-1 Pearson; Clifton College 1-1 Garsfontein; Menlopark 2-2 Glenwood; Westville 1 -3 Paarl Boys’ High; Clifton College 1-4 Waterkloof; DHS 2-1 Garsfontein; St Alban’s 2-1 Glenwood; Pearson 2-1 Menlopark

u14A

Paarl Boys’ High 5-4 Waterkloof; DHS 2-2 St Alban’s; Menlopark 4-4 Glenwood; Clifton 2-0 Garsfontein; Westville 4-0 Pearson; St Alban’s 4-1 Glenwood; DHS 1-0 Garsfontein; Pearson 2-1 Menlopark; Clifton 4-2 Waterkloof; Westville 4-0 Paarl Boys’ High

FIXTURES

Saturday, 23 March

1st XI – Riverside 1

13:30 – Garsfontein vs Glenwood; 14:45 – Paarl vs Pearson; 16:00 – DHS vs Menlopark; 17:15 – Clifton vs St Alban’s; 18:30 – Westville vs Waterkloof

u16A – Riverside 2

12:00 – DHS vs Menlopark; 13:00 – Clifton vs St Alban’s; 14:00 – Westville vs Waterkloof; 15:00 – Paarl vs Pearson; 16:00 – Garsfontein vs Glenwood

u14A – Riverside 1

08:30 – Paarl vs Pearson; 09:30 – Clifton vs St Alban’s; 10:30 – DHS vs Menlopark; 11:30 – Westville vs Waterkloof; 12:30 – Garsfontein vs Glenwood

Sunday, 24 March

1st XI – Riverside 1

08:00 – Clifton vs Menlopark; 09:15 – Waterkloof vs Glenwood; 10:30 – Westville vs Garsfontein; 11:45 – St Alban’s vs Pearson; 13:00 – DHS vs Paarl

u16A – DHS

09:00 – Clifton vs Menlopark; 10:00 – Westville vs Garsfontein; 11:00 – Waterkloof vs Glenwood; 12:00 – DHS vs Paarl; 13:00 – St Alban’s vs Pearson

u14A – Riverside 2

08:00 – Clifton vs Menlopark; 09:00 – Westville vs Garsfontein; 10:00 – St Alban’s vs Pearson; 11:00 – Waterkloof vs Glenwood; 12:00 – DHS vs Paarl

Four schools from the KZN coastal region, four schools from Pretoria, one from Gqeberha and one from Paarl, will be in action at the Coastal Cup in Durban from Friday, 22 March until Sunday, 24 March. The event caters for 1st, u16A and u14A teams.

The Menlopark and Glenwood 1st teams get matters rolling on Friday morning at the Riverside Sports Club.

The Pretoria school is a new addition to the event and will be eager to make a good impression. Glenwood, meanwhile, endured a tough 2023, suffering some heavy defeats. They have some ground to make up this season and have looked like an improved outfit in the early going.

The second game sees Westville Boys High face Pearson High School. Last year, they shared a six-goal thriller, drawing 3-3. Westville has settled into the season well, recording wins over Michaelhouse and Clifton College, while Pearson has already played in the Tony Godding Festival.

Meanwhile, Durban High School (DHS) will take on St Alban’s College. When they met at the Coastal Cup in 2023, DHS comfortably ran out 4-0 winners.

The local boys have lost only three players from their outstanding team of last year, but they were major contributors, so just how that impacts them remains to be seen. They did, nonetheless, hand Kearsney College a first loss at home in two years last weekend.

In other 1st team fixtures, a young but exciting Clifton College lineup will tackle Garsfontein, while Paarl Boys’ High faces Waterkloof, another newcomer, at 13:00, before taking on Westville at 17:00.

The schools’ u16 teams will be in action alongside the 1st teams, on the Riverside 2 Turf.

DHS will open the u16 fixtures against St Alban’s, while Paarl will go up against Waterkloof in the second match of the day. Westville and Pearson will lock horns, while the Clifton 1st XI has a date with Waterkloof, which takes place on the Riverside 2 Turf, followed by another 1st XI clash between DHS against Garsfontein.

Day one of the u14 matches takes place at DHS. They include Paarl Boys’ High versus Waterkloof, to get matters underway, with the hosts, DHS tackling St Alban’s in their first outing.

Friday’s u14 action wraps up a little earlier than the games at Riverside, with the last of them, Westville versus Paarl, starting at 16:30.

FIXTURES

Friday, 22 March

1st XI – Riverside 1

08:00 – Menlopark vs Glenwood; 09:15 – Westville vs Pearson; 10:30 – DHS vs St Alban’s; 11:45 – Clifton vs Garsfontein; 13:00 – Paarl vs Waterkloof; BREAK; 14:30 – St Alban’s vs Glenwood; 15:45 – Pearson vs Menlopark; 17:00 – Westville vs Paarl

u16A – Riverside 2

07:30 – DHS vs St Alban’s; 08:30 – Paarl vs Waterkloof; 09:30 – Westville vs Pearson; 10:30 – Clifton vs Garsfontein; 11:30 – Menlopark vs Glenwood; BREAK; 12:30 – Westville vs Paarl; 13:30 – Clifton vs Waterkloof; 14:30 – DHS vs Garsfontein; 15:30 – St Alban’s vs Glenwood; 16:30 – Pearson vs Menlopark; 17:30 – Clifton 1st vs Waterkloof 1st; 18:45 – DHS 1st vs Garsfontein 1st

u14A – DHS

07:30 – Paarl vs Waterkloof; 08:30 – DHS vs St Alban’s; 09:30 – Menlopark vs Glenwood; 10:30 – Clifton vs Garsfontein; 11:30 – Westville vs Pearson; BREAK; 12:30 – St Alban’s vs Glenwood; 13:30 – DHS vs Garsfontein; 14:30 – Pearson vs Menlopark; 15:30 – Clifton vs Waterkloof; 16:30 – Westville vs Paarl

Saturday, 23 March

1st XI – Riverside 1

13:30 – Garsfontein vs Glenwood; 14:45 – Paarl vs Pearson; 16:00 – DHS vs Menlopark; 17:15 – Clifton vs St Alban’s; 18:30 – Westville vs Waterkloof

u16A – Riverside 2

12:00 – DHS vs Menlopark; 13:00 – Clifton vs St Alban’s; 14:00 – Westville vs Waterkloof; 15:00 – Paarl vs Pearson; 16:00 – Garsfontein vs Glenwood

u14A – Riverside 1

08:30 – Paarl vs Pearson; 09:30 – Clifton vs St Alban’s; 10:30 – DHS vs Menlopark; 11:30 – Westville vs Waterkloof; 12:30 – Garsfontein vs Glenwood

Sunday, 24 March

1st XI – Riverside 1

08:00 – Clifton vs Menlopark; 09:15 – Waterkloof vs Glenwood; 10:30 – Westville vs Garsfontein; 11:45 – St Alban’s vs Pearson; 13:00 – DHS vs Paarl

u16A – DHS

09:00 – Clifton vs Menlopark; 10:00 – Westville vs Garsfontein; 11:00 – Waterkloof vs Glenwood; 12:00 – DHS vs Paarl; 13:00 – St Alban’s vs Pearson

u14A – Riverside 2

08:00 – Clifton vs Menlopark; 09:00 – Westville vs Garsfontein; 10:00 – St Alban’s vs Pearson; 11:00 – Waterkloof vs Glenwood; 12:00 – DHS vs Paarl

Sunday brought an end to another successful edition of the Greg Beling Festival after a four-day run, which alongside the Tony Godding Festival, filled hockey turfs all around East London.

Matches were played on six different Astros at Cambridge High, Stirling High School, Clarendon High School for Girls, Selborne College, Merrifield College and Bunkers Hill.

Some of the top schools in the country were on show, with Oranje and St Anne’s, like they had at the Balling Hockey Festival in Bethlehem, finishing the event with spotless records. Rhenish, too, sported an unblemished record.

The ease with which Oranje won their matches, however, suggests they might just be the team to beat in South Africa this season, which is far from an unusual position for the school. In fact, it’s more the norm.

On the first day of the event, Eunice, Cambridge, Rhenish and Stirling enjoyed opening victories with Cambridge outplaying Montana 3-0 on their home Astro. Rhenish impressed with 4-1 win over Clarendon, while Stirling High School topped Curro Waterstone 2-1.

With teams hitting their stride, day two was vibrant, with some big scores being recorded.

Eunice, the country’s best in 2023, just ahead of Oranje, overwhelmed Cambridge High 6-0. The Bloemfontein school went on to on an impressive four wins, a draw and a surprisingly comprehensive 1-5 defeat against Rhenish.

Oranje overran Woodridge College 9-0 on day three and then powered their way to a 6-0 victory over Clarendon. On Sunday, Oranje was at it again, this time making it into double figures as they cruised past Hudson Park 10-2.

Alexander Road wrapped up their festival in style, crushing Krugersdorp 8–1, while Clarendon Invitational beat Brandwag 6-0.

Fixtures

Sunday, 17 March 2024

Cambridge High School Astro

07:00 – Alexander Road 8-1 Krugersdorp
10:45 – Clarendon Inv 6-0 Brandwag
13:15 – Clarendon 3-0 Curro Waterstone

Clarendon College Astro
07:00 – Collegiate 0-1 St Anne’s
08:15 – Oranje 10-2 Hudson Park
09:30 – Eunice 3-1 Affies
12:00 – Clarendon 0-1 Woodridge
 09:30 – Kingswood College 0-1 Sasolburg High

Merrifield College Astro

07:00 – Brandwag 1-1 Lilyfontein
09:30 – Union High 2-1 Witteberg
12:00 – Merrifield 1-1  Volkskool

Selborne College Astro

07:00 – Framesby 1-2 Montana
07:00 – DSG 5-0 Linden
10:45 – Stirling v Voortrekker

Stirling Astro
12:00 – GHS 2-3 Duineveld
13:15 – Westering 4-0 Cradock