Author: captainmorgan

Winning the Jody Momplé Cup is a tough ask. One slip in the knockout event and you’re out of the running.

Winning it two years in succession and coming out on top in penalty shootouts in both the semi-finals and final is not luck. That’s mettle, and Michaelhouse demonstrated plenty of it in repeating as champions.

The competition, played over two days at Hilton College, brought together 24 schools from across the Pietermaritzburg and KZN Midlands region.

They clashed in eight groups of three after which the participants continued in the Cup, Plate, and Bowl competition on the second day.

Only wins would do if a team was to lay claim to the prestigious Cup.

From day one, ‘House was on their game, breezing past Weston Agricultural College (3-0) and Grace College (4-0) in their pool matches. On Sunday, though, they faced a serious challenge in the quarterfinals from Carter High, who had finished as the runner-up in the Jody Momplé Cup in 2023.

In a tight contest, Michaelhouse triumphed 1-0. Then, the margins of victory became even slimmer in their subsequent games.

In the semi-finals, against St Charles College, ‘House fell 0-1 behind in the second half and needed a late goal to force a penalty shootout. Luke Mitchell, who was in goal when they won the title in a shootout in 2024, made the difference again, with the boys in red and white getting by Saints 4-2 from the spot.

Then, in the final, against Maritzburg College, Michaelhouse was subjected to a thorough examination by the Red, Black, and White, whose quick passing game worked well on the lush surface of Zungu Field. ‘House stuck with their more direct approach and worked to attack down the flanks, where they enjoyed some success.

There were moments of concern for both defences, but it was goalless at the end of regulation time and that meant the title would be decided from the spot.

College went ahead from the first kick, but Michaelhouse pulled one back and then, when Mitchell saved another, they were champions again, with the goalie charging ecstatically towards his team-mates, who rushed the field to celebrate their outstanding achievement with him.

Afterwards, Mitchell was deservedly named the Player of the Final. Speaking with SuperSport Schools Plus, he admitted he had visions of the shootout in the 2024 final going through his mind.

“I just tried to stay as calm as I possibly could,” he said, “and I took it one penalty at a time. I did the best I could for the team.

“There were thoughts of last year, but I stayed in the moment.

“All of the [shootout] experiences I’ve had so far have helped me to get to where I am now. Last year helped me in today’s game.”

Michaelhouse’s success, though, was very much a team effort. Their hard work in closing down defenders and making them feel uncomfortable on the ball paid off. Unfortunately for Maritzburg College, it came at their expense in the final.

The 2025 season has been one of mixed fortunes for College but, playing on the thick grass of the football-only surface of Zungu Field, they blossomed and delivered a fine performance. However, Michaelhouse’s tenacity and BMT won the day.

College had accounted for the Primo Big 10 champion, Hilton College, in the semi-finals, also from the penalty spot. Both teams created opportunities to win it in regulation time with the best of them falling to College after a shot on goal from sharpshooter Mazithi Qasha was parried by the goalkeeper.

It fell kindly for College, but the follow-up shot from a fellow forward was thumped into the crossbar. Sometimes a feathered touch is more effective than a powerful blast.

In the other semi-final, St Charles played some fine football and, after a goalless first half took the lead with a header from Ethan Apollos at the back post off of a corner.

Saints, though, then appeared to focus on keeping Michaelhouse out, happy to clear the ball down the field in the hope of preserving their lead. That gave ‘House enough possession to create a goal of their own.

At the conclusion of event, Qasha and Hilton’s Tadi Hove were the joint winners of the Bryce Moon Top Scorer Trophy, which was donated by the former College boy and Bafana Bafana representative.

There was joy for first-timers, Nomaswazi High, who captured the Bowl, edging out Riverwood College in the title game. Nomaswazi’s heartwarming success also underlined the value of the Jody Momplé Cup in spreading the game.

For a second year in succession, Haythorne Secondary lifted the Plate. They showed tremendous grit and determination to overcome a 0-2 deficit and finish 2-2 against Linpark, which forced a penalty shootout. Then, they took it from the spot, winning 5-4.

RESULTS

BOWL

Bowl Quarterfinals

Newton School 1-0 Wartburg Kirchdorf School
Etham College (2) 1-1 (4) Nomaswazi High
Riverwood College 3-0 Grace College
Treverton College 3-2 St Nicholas Diocesan School

Bowl Semi-finals

Newton School (4) 2-2 (5) Nomaswazi High
Riverwood College 3-0 Treverton College

Bowl Final

Nomaswazi High 2-1 Riverwood College

PLATE

Plate Quarterfinals

Greytown High 2-3 Linpark High
Haythorne Secondary 1-0 Howick High
Umvuzo Secondary 3-1 Weston Agricultural College
Edendale Technical High 0-2 Ixopo Secondary

Plate Semi-finals

Linpark High (4) 2-2 (5) Haythorne Secondary
Umvuzo Secondary (5) 0-0 (4) Ixopo Secondary

Plate Final

Haythorne Secondary (5) 1-1 (4) Umvuzo Secondary

CUP

Cup Quarterfinals

Hilton College (8) 1-1 (7) Alexandra High
Maritzburg Christian School 0-4 Maritzburg College
Carter High 0-1 Michaelhouse
St Charles College 1-0 ML Sultan Secondary

Cup Semi-finals

Hilton College (4) 0-0 (5) Maritzburg College
Michaelhouse (4) 1-1 (2) St Charles College

Cup Final

Michaelhouse (4) 0-0 (3) Maritzburg College

The defending champion, Michaelhouse, and their arch-rival, Hilton College, made the greatest impressions on day one of the Jody Momple Cup, being played at Hilton, where ‘House showed they are fully intent on holding onto the trophy they somewhat surprisingly lifted in 2024.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

The Jody Momple Cup was previously known as the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands FA Cup and brings together the top teams from around the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

Playing in Group F, Michaelhouse cruised to a 3-0 win over Weston Agricultural College and then hung a 4-0 win on Grace College. Weston, meanwhile, took down Grace, winning 4-1, to place second in the group after the completion of Saturday’s action.

Hilton, the winner of the Primo Big 10 on their home ground, Zungu Field, in mid-August, appears hungry to add a second title win quick succession. They brushed aside Greytown High 4-1 before swamping Newton School 8-1. Greytown edged out Newton in the other Group A game.

Alexandra High topped Group B. They beat Wartburg Kirchdorf School 4-0, and Linpark High beat Wartburg 5-1, before Alex won the group’s key clash by a narrow 1-0 margin.

In Group C, Maritzburg Christian School (MCS) beat Haythorne Secondary, 2024’s winners of the Plate, 2-0, but went down on penalties against last year’s Bowl winners, Etham College, losing out 2-3 after the teams had played to a 2-2 draw. Ethan overran Haythorne, charging to a 7-2 victory.

Goals were hard to come by in Group D where Maritzburg College held off Nomaswazi High 2-1 and beat Howick High 2-0. Howick picked up a 1-0 win over Nomaswazi.

It was also tight in Group E, where Carter High needed a penalty shootout to sneak by Riverwood College 5-4 from the spot after the teams had finished goalless in regulation time. Umvuzo High, then, beat Riverwood 3-1. In the meeting for first place in the group, Carter got by Umvuzo 2-1.

Group G came down to a penalty shootout between St Charles College and Edendale Technical High, the team that eliminated a strong Maritzburg College team in 2024. Saints, though, won it 5-3 from the spot to stop Edendale”s Cup challenge.

In their earlier games, Edendale rolled Treverton 5-0, while St Charles beat the same opposition 4-0. They’re a bit of a dark horse, which is a description one could use of Edendale and their run last year.

ML Sultan Secondary, the winner of the second term’s KZNHSFA Inland B-League finished top of a tightly contested Group H, beating St Nicholas Diocesan School 1-0 before sneaking by last year’s beaten finalist, Ixopo Secondary 3-2 from the spot after their showdown had finished 2-2. Ixopo earlier beat St Nicholas 3-1.

Those results put Hilton College, Alexandra High, Maritzburg Christian School, Maritzburg College, Carter High, Michaelhouse, St Charles, and ML Sultan through to the Cup quarterfinals, which will be played at 11:00 on Sunday.

Hilton College, playing on the lush Zungu Field, will feel confident heading into their clash with Alex, while Michaelhouse faces a tough challenge against Maritzburg College on the bouncier turf of Etheridge. Carter and Michaelhouse go head-to-head on New Field in a tough to call contest, while St Charles and ML Sultan do battle on Lombard in an intriguingly unpredictable game.

FIXTURES

Sunday, 7 September

Bowl Quarterfinals, 08:00

Newton School vs Wartburg Kirchdorf School, Zungu
Etham College vs Nomaswazi High, Etheridge
Riverwood College vs Grace College, New Field
Treverton College vs St Nicholas Diocesan School

Plate Quarterfinals, 09:30

Greytown High vs Linpark High, Zungu
Haythorne Secondary vs Howick High, Etheridge
Umvuzo Secondary vs Weston Agricultural College
Edendale Technical High vs Ixopo Secondary

Cup Quarterfinals, 11:00

Hilton College vs Alexandra High, Zungu
Maritzburg Christian School vs Maritzburg College, Etheridge
Carter High vs Michaelhouse, New Field
St Charles College vs ML Sultan Secondary, Lombard

Despite being limited to a moderate 115/8 by Glenwood High in their Eston One Insurance T20 Night League match at the Beaumont Eston Farmers Club on Friday evening, Maritzburg College was able to defend their average total and come away with a hard-fought 11-run victory.

The toss went College’s way, and they chose to bat first. They lost Kyle de Bruyn in the third over, bowled by Kyle Bryan for six, but Daniel Nadasan and Deolyn Naidoo then took charge, adding 29 runs in 3.4 overs before Naidoo exited, caught off the off-spin of Bryan for 14.

Three runs later, on 49, Nadasan was run out by a combination of Karabo Ntsieng and Olwami Zondi for 24 from 20, which had included three fours.

Karl Dedekind bashed a six and a four in a 15-ball 20, but College’s innings, which had struggled for momentum, just couldn’t manufacture it.

Luka Puddu weighed in with 16, but was unable to find the boundary, and Reece Willson struck an unbeaten 15 from 19, with only one four, but College’s 115/8 was nothing to write home about.

Esihle Gasa wrecked the Red, Black, and White‘s middle order on his way to figures of 3/20 from four overs. Kyle Bryan played his part with 2/20 from four, and Akhil Maharaj snapped up 2/24 from four.

Up front, Bandile Mbatha went wicketless but did a good job, conceding only 12 runs from his four overs.

In their reply, Glenwood saw only three batsmen make it into double figures, led by opening batsman, Karaabo Ntsieng, who top scored with 19 from 23 balls, with a four.

Kyle Bryan showed off his all-round game with 18 from 22, with two fours, and Krian Jugoo made 17 off 15, but once College claimed a second wicket, which left Glenwood on 38/2 in the seventh over, the Green Machine lost their way. They slid to 58/6 after 11.4 overs, then 80/9 after 16.2 overs.

A battling unbroken stand of 24 between Esihle Gasa, who made eight, and Vincenzo Loutz, who also made eight, took Glenwood beyond 100, but they couldn’t take the kinds of the risks that more wickets in hand would have afforded them in their run chase.

Nathan Pembridge was the destroyer in chief, knocking over 3/15 in four overs, while Reece Willson bowled splendidly with the new ball, capturing 2/14 in four. Akhil Barath undermined the Glenwood reply with a return of 2/20 from four.

SCORES

Maritzburg College 115/8 (Daniel Nadasan 24, Karl Dedekind 20, Luka Luddu 16, Esihle Gasa 3/20, Kyle Bryan 2/20, Akhil Maharaj 2/24); Glenwood High 104/9 (Karabo Ntsieng 19, Kyle Bryan 18, Krian Jugoo 17, Nathan Pembridge 3/15, Reece Willson 2/14, Akhil Barath 2/20).

Maritzburg College won by 11 runs.

Michaelhouse‘s Ethan Muir played a magnificent innings at the top of the order to lead his team’s batting onslaught in an Eston One Insurance T20 Night League clash with their great rivals, Hilton College, at the Beaumont Eston Farmers Club on Wednesday.

‘House batted first, and with Cody Sander providing superb support to Muir, the Balgowan boys got away to a flying start, with the duo putting on a marvellous 173 for the first wicket from 19 overs.

Muir led the way, launching seven sixes and blasting nine fours in a 56-ball knock that produced 106 runs. Sander, meanwhile, was more circumspect, but his 61 from 63, which included six fours, was the perfect foil to Muir’s aggressive attack.

They departed in successive balls, with Sander caught by Ben Hockly off Sange Qangule, from the last ball of the 19th over, and Muir out on the first ball of the last over, caught by Luke Campbell off the bowling of Sechaba Gude. By then, though, the damage had been done.

Michaelhouse scrambled a further 13 runs off the remaining five balls to set Hilton a target of 9.35 runs per over to win.

Amidst the carnage, Jayden Roux did well to concede only 21 runs from his four overs, while Sange Qangule finished with 1/28 from his four. Sechaba Gude picked up 2/37 from four.

In reply, Hilton lost their dangerman, Ben Hockly, early, caught by Cody Sander off Rex Wardlaw for five. When Alex Pitman was LBW to Preston Greene for 18, Hilton had slipped to 34/2 in the fifth over.

James Ogilby and Jayden Roux, though, gave their side some hope with a stand of 89 for the third wicket from 10.2 overs. It was ended when Graydon Leslie caught Roux off Thandanani Zuma for 31 from 36 balls, with a single four.

Unfortunately for Hilton, no one else, besides Ogilby, reached double figures, and that was not good enough. Ogilby, though, played a fine knock, striking five fours and three sixes in his 71 off only 40 deliveries.

Thandanani Zuma inflicted most of the damage with the ball, capturing 4/40 from his four overs. The rest of the attack was steady more than special, but they didn’t need to be special after the outstanding performances of their two opening batsmen.

After 20 overs, Hilton had reached 171/9, still 15 runs shy of the Michaelhouse total.

On Thursday, back at the Beaumont Eston Farmers Club, St Charles College had far too much firepower for the Tuskers Hub u19 XI and cruised to a 125-run win.

Batting first, Saints powered their way to 180/8, with AJ Bosman cracking an unbeaten 53 from 34 deliveries, with five fours, while opening batsman Thando Zama laid into the Hub attack, smashing a six and six fours in a quickfire 39 from only 16 balls. Caleb Sharp and Connor Simpson contributed 22 each.

Three bowlers picked up two wickets each from their four overs, with Thubelihle Ndlovu returning 2/26, Aphile Nzama 2/28, and Jaydon Govender 2/29.

The Hub XI’s reply never got going. Only one score reached double figures and that belonged to extras, with 12. Apart from that, seven from Aphiwe Nzama, and seven from Quashaun Dominique was the best a Tuskers Hub batsman managed.

Their innings lasted only 14.4 overs, and they were skittled for just 55 runs.

St Charles used seven bowlers and every one of them picked up at least one wicket. Connor Simpson led the way with 2/2 from two, while Keegan Vermaak knocked over 2/9 from two, and Ryan Clarke 2/14 from three.

SCORES

Michaelhouse 186/3 (Ethan Muir 106, Cody Sander 61, Sechaba Gude 2/37); Hilton College 171/9 (James Ogilby 71, Jayden Roux 31, Thandanani Zuma 4/40).

Michaelhouse won by 15 runs.

St Charles College 180/8 (AJ Bosman 53*, Thando Zama 39, Caleb Sharp 22, Connor Simpson 22, Thubelihle Ndlovu 2/26, Aphile Nzama 2/28, Jaydon Govender 2/29); Tuskers Hub u19 XI 55/10 (Connor Simpson 2/2, Keegan Vermaak 2/9, Ryan Clarke 2/9).

St Charles College won by 125 runs.

After four days of cricket on the trot at the Fasken Time Cricket Festival, St Charles College had only one day off before being taking to the field again. This time, they faced Westville Boys’ High on Tuesday in an Eston One Insurance T20 Night League match at the Beaumont Farmers Club.

Saints, though, made a superb transition from the challenge of the long game to the short one and scored a four-wicket win over Westville with seven balls to spare.

The toss went Westville’s way and captain Seth Simpson chose to bat. That decision delivered moderate results and, unfortunately for the skipper, a second-ball duck for him.

Kyle McGough and Aarin Rasmussen gave Westville an okay start, putting up 20 runs for the first wicket before McGough was caught by Rowen Rajah off the bowling of Connor Simpson for 12. Simpson, then, struck a hammer blow for Saints when he removed his Westville namesake, Seth, without scoring.

Tristan Delvin, in at four, added 18 runs with Aarin Rasmussen he saw the opener depart for 15. Only three runs later, Misbah Nair was on his way, a third victim of Connor Simpson, who returned a hugely impactful 3/11 from three overs.

Delvin batted well and dominated a 49-run fifth-wicket partnership with Jamie Hasselbach, who was dismissed off the last ball of the 15th over for 12.

While Delvin played his part, he received no significant support and Westville’s innings lost steam. Delvin eventually departed in the 18th over for 49 from 43 balls, which had included three fours. Heath Stott, though, provided a gentle boost, cracking a six and a four in six balls, which produced 12 runs.

After 20 overs, Westville had tallied 135/8.

Simpson led the St Charles bowling attack with his three-wicket haul, while fast bowler, Rowen Rajah, knocked over 2/21 in four. Caleb Sharp did a tidy job up front, returning 1/16 from three.

In their reply, Saints lost their captain, Rico Honiball, in the third over for six, which left them on 21/1.

That brought Caleb Sharp to the crease. He had batted lower down the order at the Fasken Time Cricket Festival, but he had excelled there, with scores of four and 84 against King Edward VII (KES), and 76 not out and 32 not out against St John’s College. He continued his good form on Tuesday night.

He and Thandolwethu Zama added 38 for the second wicket before Zama was caught by Jamie Hasselbach off Tristan Delvin’s bowling for 21 from 20 deliveries.

When Westville sent two more batsmen packing in the 70s, they had found a purchase in the game, and the removal of Sharp for 37 from 37, with three fours, in the 14th over, reduced St Charles to 88/5.

That, though, was when Saints seized the match by the scruff of the neck, thanks to the efforts of Rowen Rajah and Ryan Clarke. They added 43 in only 4.1 overs to take the Pietermaritzburg school to the brink of victory. When Rajah was bowled by Dayalan Boyce for 29 from 24 balls, four of which he had hit for four, Saints was just four runs shy of the Westville total.

Five balls later, Clarke and Covhan Baaitjies saw St Charles to victory. Clarke finished with a decisive 22 not out from only 12 balls, which included four fours, while Baaitjies was unbeaten on one.

The left-arm spinners, Tristan Delvin and Ewan du Toit, both performed well, with Delvin returning 2/21 from four overs and Du Toit snaring 2/18 from his four.

Westville’s batting effort, though, let the side down and they fell to a second defeat in the competition, having previously gone down to Durban High School by 23 runs. In their only other outing, Westville beat the Tuskers Hub XI by eight wickets.

Scores

Westville Boys’ High 135/8 (Tristan Delvin 49, Aarin Rasmussen 15, Connor Simpson 3/11, Rowen Rajah 2/21); St Charles College 137/6 (Caleb Sharp 37, Rowen Rajah 29, Ryan Clarke 22*, Ewan du Toit 2/18, Tristan Delvin 2/21).

St Charles won by four wickets.

Durban High School‘s (DHS) dominating run in the Eston One Insurance T20 Night League continued on Monday evening, with School charging to a 10-wicket win over the Tuskers Hub u19 XI at the Beaumont Eston Farmers Club.

DHS won the toss and chose to bowl first, but it took a while for the Blue Typhoon to make a breakthrough. It came at the start of the eighth over, when Josh Morley bowled Joshua Kaltwasser for the innings’ top score of 23 from 22 balls, which included three fours.

Unfortunately for the Hub XI, they quickly lost two more wickets, including Kaltwasser’s opening partner, Siphosethu Ngcobo, who weighed in with 19 runs.

Morley laid waste to the Tuskers’ top order batting, dismissing four of the top five. The Hub side, however, benefitted from 17 extras and an unbeaten 16 from Aphiwe Nzama, but they were restricted to a moderate 96/9 from their 20 overs.

Morley led the DHS attack, capturing 4/18 from his four overs. No other bowler took more than one wicket, but they kept the run scoring rate down, especially Ethan Cooper, who surrendered a miserly seven runs from his four overs, while also claiming the key wicket of Ngcobo.

After a short rain delay, the victory target was adjusted to 88 runs from 18 overs. DHS required barely a third of those, rocketing to victory off the first ball of the seventh over.

Ethan Cooper followed up his fine bowling performance by bludgeoning an unbeaten 49 off 18 balls, smashing two sixes and eight fours, while Ismaeel Omar made 35 off 19, including seven fours.

With the win, DHS remains undefeated after three Eston T20 matches, having previously beaten St Charles College and Westville Boys’ High.

Scores

Tuskers Hub XI 96/9 (Joshua Kaltwasser 23, Siphosethu Ngcobo 19, Josh Morley 4/18, Ethan Cooper 1/7); Durban High School 89/0 after 6.1 overs (Ethan Cooper 49*, Ismaeel Omar 35*).

Durban High School won by 10 wickets.

From the opening game of the KZN Top 10 Girls’ Water Polo Tournament, on Friday, at Durban Girls’ College (DGC), it was crystal clear, the team to beat was the host, DGC. Even their second stringers, DGC 2, were clearly one of the better sides in action.

St Anne’s Diocesan College wasn’t in action on Friday, but they soon made their case as the leading challengers to DGC when they took to the water on Saturday.

The hosts cruised through their group assignments, with a 7-1 win over Thomas More College being their closest victory. St Anne’s, meanwhile, never allowed a team to get closer than seven points to them, and they dominated DGC 2, winning 13-3.

DGC 2, however, finished second in the group, thanks to a tight 7-6 win over Reddam House Umhlanga on Friday.

They went on to face Thomas More College in the third and fourth place playoff, with DGC 2 triumphing 5-1.

In the title game, DGC took charge and dictated play, powering their way to a 10-4 victory over St Anne’s.

Commenting on his team’s success, DGC coach Peter Lavett told SuperSport Schools Plus: “It was great to start off with a tournament win. I’m very proud of the girls. We have prepared well, and we managed to play according to our game plan

“We wanted to start this part of the year with a solid tournament, getting basics right and making sure all players know their role in the team. We have big goals for this part of the season, and we achieved the first goal by winning the KZN Top 10.”

Levett said he was pleased with his players’ ability to win in more than one way. He explained: “We were able to practice moves and different tactics through the pool stage and I am very proud of the girls that we kept our composure and focus through games where we won by more than 15 goals.

“⁠Hannah Weinert, in goal, had a great tournament,” he added. “But the real standouts were the matrics who have a tough exam period but still performed at a top level.”

A challenging list of top tournaments lies ahead for DGC, including the DGC u16 tournament this week. Then, the first team will compete in the Reddam House Constantia and St Anne’s tournaments.

“The goal is to play for medals at all three events,” Lavett said.

RESULTS

Friday, 29 August

Westville Girls’ High 0-22 DGC
Thomas More College 7-4 St Mary’s DSG
Maris Stella 8-10 Reddam House Umhlanga
St John’s 0-20 Danville
DGC 2 7-6 Reddam House Umhlanga
St Mary’s DSG 11-3 Westville Girls’ High
Danville (5) 4-4 (7) Thomas More College
Maris Stella 9-2 Our Lady of Fatima

Saturday, 30 August

DGC 2 10-5 Maris Stella
Curro Hillcrest 3-5 Our Lady of Fatima
DGC 15-0 St Mary’s DSG
Thomas More College 18-0 St John’s
Westville Girls’ High 2-6 Danville
Our Lady of Fatima 3-20 St Anne’s
Curro Hillcrest 2-13 DGC 2
St John’s 0-22 DGC
Reddam House Umhlanga 3-10 St Anne’s
DGC 2 15-0 Our Lady of Fatima
Danville 0-13 DGC
St Mary’s DSG 16-0 St John’s
St Anne’s 15-5 Curro Hillcrest
Westville Girls’ High 1-13 Thomas More College
Danville 4-5 St Mary’s DSG
Reddam House Umhlanga 9-4 Curro Hillcrest
St Anne’s 14-2 Maris Stella
DGC 7-1 Thomas More College
Our Lady of Fatima 3-12 Reddam House Umhlanga
St Anne’s 13-3 DGC 2
Curro Hillcrest 1-8 Maris Stella
St John’s 2-10 Westville Girls’ High

Sunday, 31 August

Cup semi-finals

Thomas More College 3-8 St Anne’s
DGC 13-3 DGC 2

11th/12th

St John’s 1-8 Curro Hillcrest

9th/10th

Westville Girls’ High 3-1 Our Lady of Fatima

7th/8th

Danville 6-3 Maris Stella

5th/6th

St Mary’s DSG 4-8 Reddam House Umhlanga

3rd/4th

Thomas More College 1-5 DGC 2

Final

St Anne’s 4-10 DGC

In 2024, Durban High School did the double at the DHS Sevens, with both their u17 and u15 teams raising trophies in the High School Sevens Series, proudly sponsored by Toyota event. They repeated as the u15 champions on Saturday on Van Heerden’s Field, in Durban, but Westville Boys’ High dethroned DHS in the u17 competition.

Unbeaten in the 15-man game in 2025, which included a season-defining 33-28 win over DHS, Westville showed they have plenty of talent and skill remaining in their u17 ranks by dominating the competition.

In Pool D, they tallied 105 points and conceded just five in wins over Glenwood 2 and KZN Noord Natal.

In the quarterfinals, they were made to work harder in a 29-7 win over DHS 2, but Westville rose to the challenge of an athletic and dangerous Northwood team in the semi-finals and raced away to a decisive 31-7 victory.

Up against DHS in the final, after School had shunted aside Glenwood 21-0, Westville lifted their game once more to score an emphatic 24-5 victory.

DHS hadn’t enjoyed an entirely smooth run to the title game. They ran in two tries against Michaelhouse in a Pool A clash before ‘House reversed the momentum of the contest to grab a 24-21 win.

After a further win over Northwood 2, Michaelhouse topped Pool A, but they were stopped by Glenwood in the quarterfinals, with the Green Machine running out 22-12 winners.

Glenwood had finished only second in Pool B, which was won by Maritzburg College. The Red, Black, and White trounced Glenwood 36-7, but were made to battle to a 12-7 win over Westville 2. Glenwood subsequently beat Westville 2 24-12.

Northwood, the winner of the Glenwood Sevens a fortnight earlier, was the class of Pool D, overrunning Ferrum 55-5 and DHS 2 45-5.

College’s progress was halted by DHS in the quarterfinals, with the Blue Typhoon blowing away the Pietermaritzburg side 42-0, while Northwood’s untroubled advance continued with a 45-0 win over KZN Noord Natal. They came unstuck against Westville in the semi-finals, however.

Northwood 2 downed Glenwood 2 24-12 to claim the Shield, Newcastle’s Ferrum made their trip to Durban count by lifting the Bowl after a tight 17-14 win over Westville 2, while DHS 2 got the better of Michaelhouse in the Plate final, winning 28-19.

RESULTS

Pool A

Michaelhouse 24-21 DHS
Michaelhouse 25-7 Northwood 2
Northwood 2 0-43 DHS

Pool B

Westville 2 7-12 Maritzburg College
Glenwood 7-36 Maritzburg College
Glenwood 24-12 Westville 2

Pool C

Ferrum 5-55 Northwood
DHS 2 0-38 Northwood
Ferrum 5-45 DHS 2

Pool D

KZN Noord Natal 31-7 Glenwood 2
Glenwood 2 0-55 Westville
KZN Noord Natal 5-50 Westville

Cup Quarterfinals

Michaelhouse 12-22 Glenwood
DHS 42-0 Maritzburg College
Northwood 45-0 KZN Noord Natal
Westville 29-7 DHS 2

Bowl Semifinals

Northwood 2 17-21 Westville 2
Ferrum 29-7 Glenwood 2

Plate Semifinals

Michaelhouse 19-12 Maritzburg College
KZN Noord Natal 7-24 DHS 2

Cup Semifinals

Glenwood 0-21 DHS
Westville 31-7 Northwood

Shield Final

Northwood 2 24-12 Glenwood 2

Bowl Final

Westville 2 14-17 Ferrum

Plate Final

Michaelhouse 19-28 DHS 2

Cup Final

Westville 24-5 DHS

U15 Competition

Two weeks ago, at the Glenwood Sevens, the DHS u15 team ripped through their opposition, scoring 238 points while conceding only 22 in five matches. On their way to another title, they picked up another five wins at home without giving up a point until the final.

In Pool C, DHS beat Ferrum 47-0 and Sarel Cilliers 38-0. Then, in the quarterfinals, they downed Maritzburg College 2 29-0. They were made to work hard by Westville in the semi-finals, but the Horseflies triumphed 14-0.

At last, in the final, their defence was breeched, but DHS beat Maritzburg College 29-19 to claim the title. They had beaten College 33-12 in the final of the Glenwood Sevens two weeks earlier.

Pionier, the winner of the Pionier Sevens, made a big statement in Pool A when they outplayed Northwood 29-0 on their way to topping the pool. Their journey was, however, ended by Maritzburg College in the quarterfinals.

College had lost 19-24 to Glenwood in their Pool B clash, but College beat DHS 2 10-5, and DHS 2 handed Glenwood a 29-21 loss. The margins were slim, with each of the three Pool B teams picking up two points for a win. DHS 2, though, finished in first place with a positive points’ difference of three, Maritzburg College scored 29 and gave up 29, and Glenwood ended on minus-three.

Westville cruised through Pool D, dumping Maritzburg College 2 43-7 and Northwood 2 40-5. They also beat Sarel Cilliers 31-5 in the quarterfinals before being stopped by DHS in the final four.

Glenwood charged to the Bowl title, outplaying Ferrum 47-5, while DHS 2 clawed their way to a 21-14 win over Sarel Cilliers to claim the Plate.

RESULTS

U15

Pool A

Pionier 29-0 Northwood
Pionier 33-19 Westville 2
Westville 2 5-19 Northwood

Pool B

Maritzburg College 10-5 DHS 2
Maritzburg College 19-24 Glenwood
DHS 2 29-21 Glenwood

Pool C

Sarel Cilliers 26-12 Ferrum
DHS 47-0 Ferrum
Sarel Cilliers 0-38 DHS

Pool D

Maritzburg College 2 31-12 Northwood 2
Maritzburg College 2 7-43 Westville
Westville 40-5 Northwood 2

Cup Quarterfinals

Pionier 12-33 Maritzburg College
DHS 2 19-21 Northwood
DHS 29-0 Maritzburg College 2
Westville 31-5 Sarel Cilliers

Bowl Semifinals

Westville 2 7-33 Glenwood
Ferrum 19-0 Northwood 2

Plate Semifinals

Pionier 19-29 DHS 2
Maritzburg College 2 19-26 Sarel Cilliers

Cup Semifinals

Maritzburg College 40-7 Northwood
DHS 14-0 Westville

Bowl Final

Glenwood 47-5 Ferrum

Plate Final

DHS 2 21-14 Sarel Cilliers

Cup Final

DHS 29-19 Maritzburg College

Opening bowler Vincenzo Loutz captured two key wickets in the first over of Glenwood‘s Eston One Insurance T20 Night League match against Hilton College on Wednesday, at the Beaumont Eston Farmers Club, to set the Durban school on track for a big nine-wicket victory.

Star batsman Ben Hockly, fresh off a match-winning 84 not out in a six-wicket win over Maritzburg College, was the victim of a first-baller, caught by Karabo Ntsieng, and Ben Erasmus followed, caught by Olwami Zondi, from the fifth ball of the over.

Soon, Hilton had slid to 18/4 in the sixth over, with Bandile Mbatha removing the dangerous Alex Pitman for 11, and, painfully for Hilton, Obakeng Motsepa was run out by Kyle Bryan for a duck.

Jayden Roux and Robert Burman steadied the ship, adding 32 runs before Burman departed for 22. Roux went on to record the innings’ top score of 23, but Benoit Rey was the only other batsman to make it into double figures, contributing 17.

Loutz and Mbatha, the opening bowlers, laid waste to Hilton’s batting effort. Loutz captured 4/15 in four overs, while Mbatha knocked over 3/19 in four. Two run outs also damaged Hilton’s innings and they were all out for only 96 in the 20th over.

They had the runs on the scoreboard, though, and Glenwood did not. The Green Machine needed a good start, and they made a decent one, with Karabo Ntsieng and Kreesan Pillai putting on 29 for the first wicket in just under six overs before Pillai was bowled by Benoit Rey for 13 from 13.

Unfortunately for Hilton, that was the first and last success their bowlers enjoyed. Ntsieng and Krian Jugoo batted responsibly, taking what was given to them, to steer Glenwood to victory off the second ball of the 18th over.

Ntsieng finished with 44 runs from 53 balls, with three fours, while Jugoo was undefeated on 36 from 40, which included five fours.

Benoit Rey picked up 1/18 from his three overs, but the Hilton bowlers simply had too few runs to defend, which meant they weren’t able to build sufficient pressure on the batsmen, and Glenwood cantered to a handsome victory.

Scores

Hilton College 96/10 (Jayden Roux 23, Robert Burman 22, Benoit Rey 17*, Vincenzo Loutz 4/15, Bandile Mbatha 3/19); Glenwood High 97/1 after 17.2 overs (Karabo Ntsieng 44*, Krian Jugoo 36*, Benoit Rey 1/18).

Glenwood won by 9 wickets.

The countdown is on to the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, one of the country’s premier boys’ water polo events.

It takes place over five days at the picturesque Clifton Aquatic Centre from Wednesday, 24 September, to Sunday, 28 September, with 16 leading teams in action.

The lineup is unchanged from last year’s tournament, which ended with SACS edging out St John’s College 8-7 to defend the title they also won in 2023. St John’s had won it in 2022.

Half the field, eight teams, are from KZN, and they will desperately want to ensure that the trophy doesn’t go to a side from outside of the province again. They’ll also be confident they have the firepower to do that. The strength of water polo in KZN is, undoubtedly, on the up.

Up against an elite field, Hilton College demonstrated their pedigree when they lost out to Bishops in the final of the King Edward VII (KES) Water Polo Tournament in March after a penalty shootout. They’re a team that when it hits its stride is difficult to contain and they’ll be in the hunt for the honours.

Kearsney College, the KZN Top 10 champions, meanwhile, won the St Stithians Invitational Water Polo Tournament in late October 2024, beating Bishops in that final, and their team has changed little since then. They’re still young, but battle-hardened, hard-working, and very talented.

While Clifton College were not their usual dominant selves at the start of the year, there are reasons for optimism. Firstly, they are almost always in the hunt for the title at their tournament. Last year, they were the best of the KZN teams, finishing third.

Secondly, coach Pierre le Roux returned from New Zealand to join the team late in 2024, which meant he didn’t have the same preparation with his players that other coaches had. But no one doubts Le Roux’s coaching chops. He’s one of the best. They’ll be well prepared.

And thirdly, Clifton boasts some of the most exciting talent in the country in their junior ranks. What remains to be seen is if Le Roux will promote some of those players to the first team for the Clifton Water Polo Tournament.

Durban High School, led by SA Schools’ defender Kirk Wilson, is a dark horse. They’ve made great strides in 2024. The same could be said about Northwood, Michaelhouse, and Maritzburg College, while Westville Boys’ High, like DHS, is a dark horse.

St John’s, beaten in the final of the St Andrew’s College Shield earlier in the year, will be focused on taking one extra step at Clifton. They’re a perennial powerhouse.

King Edward VII (KES), with wins over Westville and Paul Roos at their tournament, and a narrow one-goal loss to Kearsney, showed they’re a top tier team, and they, too, could make some noise.

The other team from Gauteng is Affies. A hard-fought loss by a single goal to Hilton College in the playoff for seventh last year is indicative of their quality.

Paul Roos remains a threat. Fourth last year, they were somewhat inconsistent early in the 2025 season, but they, nonetheless, finished above SACS, in fourth place, in the SACS Nite Series.

Reddam House Constantia also represents the Western Cape. One of their highlights of the year was an astonishing 15-7 win over SACS in the SACS Nite Series, and that serves as warning to their opposition. If Reddam gets on a roll, as they did early on in that win over the defending champs of the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, they could be a problem.

Selborne College carries the hopes of the Eastern Cape. They placed ninth in 2024’s tournament, never quite playing up to their potential, but they finished strongly with a comfortable 9-6 win over Northwood. They’re more of an unknown, compared to many of the other teams, but Selborne produced SA Schools’ players Liam Hansen and Thomas Caswell at the end of 2024, which underlines their quality.

Grey College completes the field. They have the most difficult task of all because they face no school opposition in the Free State. To play, they, mostly, have to travel. They’re well coached and, typical of Grey, play with an unwavering spirit, but it would be a surprise if they challenged for the title.

Clifton will, as always, be welcoming hosts, and that includes hosting a Parents/Supporters function on Friday, 26 September, at 18:00, which will offer up an exciting opportunity to build the South African water polo community. Details and tickets are available from Quicket.

This is South Africa and that means that pride for the Springboks runs deep. Towards the business end of the tournament, on Saturday, 27 September, the Boks tackle Argentina at 15:00, and Clifton has taken care of that, too. The match will be shown on five big screen TVs, so there’s no need to miss either the rugby or the water polo.

The event will also include a designated u18 area for the athletes and an over-18 area, with a stocked bar for spectators and visitors.

Nine sponsors – Bioteen, Sir Fruit Juice, Gigazone, Capitol Caterers, Varsity College, Waterhouse, Thekwini Motor Group, The Press Club (Salta, eMdloti), and Prime Human Performance Institute – underlines the prestige the Clifton Water Polo Tournament carries. And with the competition as open as it has ever been, five days of thrilling entertainment is on the cards.

POOLS

Pool A
Selborne College, Reddam House Constantia, Clifton College, Maritzburg College

Pool B
Northwood School, Kearsney College, Paul Roos Gimnasium, Grey College

Pool C
Durban High School, St John’s College, Westville Boys’ High School, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies)

Pool D
Hilton College, South African College High School (SACS), Michaelhouse, King Edward VII (KES)