Author: cschiwanza

Reddam House Constantia and St Paul’s College, from Windhoek, will meet in the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament (CTIHT) title game at the Hartleyvale A Astro on Sunday afternoon.

In the semi-finals, Reddam House prevailed 2-1 in a penalty shootout with Parel Vallei after the teams had played to a 2-2 draw, while St Paul’s College edged out Paarl Girls’ High 2-1 in regulation time.

“We are excited to be in the final. The girls worked hard to get here. They are dedicated, and the countless hours they spent in the practice matches have paid off,” Nevil Gora, the St Paul’s College coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus after his team had sealed a place in the title decider.

It’s St Paul’s College’s second international final of the year. The Namibian side also participated in the Belgotex Easter Festival and made it all the way through but lost to Fairmont High School in the final. Gora is hopeful for a change of fortune this time around.

The St Paul’s College coach has an idea of what to expect. Sunday’s showdown will be their second meeting with Reddam after the teams shared a 1-1 draw in a Pool A clash, with Stephanie Shepherd scoring for St Paul’s and Emma Hibbert for Reddam.

The final will be a tough test. Reddam has been the most dominant outfit at the tournament and is unbeaten. Coach Chris Hibbert‘s side will be laser-focused on maintaining their pristine record.

“We have been focusing on work rate, chasing lost causes, and grinding the opposition down, then taking advantage of tired legs in the second half,” Hibbert said when identifying what has earned his charges to a place in the final.

Reddam’s relentlessness has helped them net 19 goals, the most by any team. Seven of those goals have come came from Emma Hibbert, who has been superb in front of goal. She is the tournament’s leading goal-scorer, and two of those goals came when the chips were down in their semifinal. Then, when that contest went to a penalty shootout, she stepped up to produce an ice-cold finish in sudden death to usher Reddam into the final.

“The semifinal was always going to be tough, having previously played Parel Vallei twice this season with honours even. Parel Vallei started well and were arguably the better side in the first half. But the Reddam girls rallied and showed some high-quality skills to come back from a goal down on two occasions,” Hibbert said.

St Paul’s College displayed a solid defence when they faced Reddam in the group stages and when they jostled with Millfield, with their goalkeepers stepping up and making outstanding saves to keep them in the contests.

“They don’t just make great saves, they also do a wonderful job in keeping the defence organised, and on their toes,” said Gora.

The St Paul’s coach will need his girls to be at their best at the back against Reddam’s marauding forwards because it’s not only Emma Hibbert that they need to worry about. Jessica Bester and Sally Gitlin have also been threats in the circle and have netted five times each.

Those three Reddam forwards feature as three of the tournament’s top four goal-scorers. However, it hasn’t been just about the forwards. Reddam has performed well as a unit.

“It’s been great to see the girls executing our plans on the turf, especially the youngsters for whom this was their first experience of top-level tournament hockey,” Hibbert said.

While they feature a strong defence, St Paul’s College is not just about preventing goals. They are one of only two teams to score 10 goals in a match – the other being Reddam – and have scored the second-most goals, with a tally of 17.

Tamara Grögli, the spearhead of a well-oiled machine, has been their most prolific player with five goals to her name.

“We have a strong leadership group that inspires the girls to play for each other. They pull together and we will do our best on Sunday.

“For the team’s success, all the parts work very well together. From the leadership group to the junior players and the management everyone has helped us to get to this point. We are also super thankful to our sponsor Food Lovers Namibia,” Gora said.

The sides have a rest day on Saturday, during which they will put up their feet and work on strategies to undo their opposition on Sunday.

Sunday’s final takes place at 15:20 on the Hartleyvale A Astro.

Results

St Paul’s College: 2 – Leila Grögli, Oyo Hinda. Paarl Girls: 1 – Charlotte Louw.
Reddam House: (2) 2 -Emma Hibbert (2). Parel Vallei: (1) 2 -Jordan Boer, Eva Blaauw.
Hoërskool Bellville: 3 – Juanine Nel (2), Anke Breyl. Worcester Gim: 0.
Millfield: 3 – Margot Earl (2), Isla Smith. Kingston Grammar: 1 – Camille Delbe-Waldron.
Chisipite: 2 – Jessica Orford, Michelle Dandara. Somerset College: 1 – Evie Benson.
Windhoek Afrikaanse Private School: (2) 1 – Marlene Coetzee. Curro Durbanville: (1) 1 – Danielleh Hugo.
HMS La Rochelle: 4 – Elizabeth Rademeyer, Aninka Muller, Cara Wilson, Gretha du Toit. Windhoek High: 0.
Outeniqua: (2) 2 – Zoe Banard, Mila Bergh. Durbanville High: (1) 2 – Jani Steenkamp, Amy Ten Cate.

Reddam House Constantia and Zimbabwe’s Chisipite maintained their unbeaten runs to take charge of their respective groups on Thursday, the second day of the annual Cape Town International Hockey Tournament.

There are 60 teams in action, 28 of them girls’ sides, of which 16 are in the Elite section and 12 in the Evolve lineup.

The event, which kicked off on Wednesday, runs through until Sunday and is being played at six venues.

Reddam House, who finished the opening day with emphatic victories over their Pool A compatriots HMS La Rochelle and Worcester Gim, carried on from where they left off by extending their unbeaten run to four games.

On Thursday morning, they faced their toughest opposition when they crossed swords with Windhoek’s St Paul’s College. Like Reddam House, St Paul’s was flying high after big wins on Wednesday. There was little to separate the sides, and they played to a 1-1 draw, which meant Reddam House topped the group on goal difference by the narrowest of margins, a single goal.

Per the tournament rules, the pools were merged after the first round of matches, and Reddam House found themselves in a new group comprising former Pool A and Pool B members, Pool AB. Their first assignment in that new cohort was against Outeniqua, and they came away with a 2-1 win over the team which had finished second in Pool B.

Somerset College, who struggled and went winless on their way to a last-place finish in Pool B, found their groove and pulled off a 2-1 triumph over HMS La Rochelle in another Pool AB game.

Unlike Reddam House, Chisipite didn’t get their campaign underway with a deluge of goals. They squeezed out a 1-0 win over Hoërskool Bellville in their first match, before settling for a 0-0 draw with Durbanville High in their second fixture.

The ladies from across border began their second day in the same way as they ended day one, with a draw, sharing the points with Paarl Girls’ High, after their contest ended 1-1. That left them third in Pool D with a win and two draws.

In their new group, Pool CD, Chisipite found their stride and romped to a Jessica Orford-inspired 5-2 win over Windhoek High, with Orford slotting a hat-trick and Rebecca Winsor adding a brace. Windhoek High responded with goals from Leanne Steyn and Jodie Bester.

Other winners in Pool CD were Parel Vallei and Paarl Girls’ High, who beat for Durbanville High and Kingston Grammar respectively.

Parel Vallei, who topped Pool C after the first round of matches, scored a narrow 3-2 win over Durbanville High, courtesy of goals from Jordan Boer, Zelda Rosenstrauch, and Eva Blaauw.

Paarl Girls’ High, who won one and drew two on their way to a first-place finish in Pool D, picked up their second win of the tournament when they edged out Kingston Grammar 2-1. Heading into Friday’s action, there is all to play for in Pool CD, with three sides leading the charge.

The day will begin with a clash between Worcester Gim and Hoërskool Bellville, which will be followed by a humdinger featuring Outeniqua and Durbanville High. Fans and spectators can expect fireworks in the last fixture of the day when St Paul’s College takes on Paarl Girls’ High.

RESULTS

Cross-pool matches

Pool AB

Reddam House: 2 – Cassidy Frank, Jessica Bester. Outeniqua: 1 – Zanelle Rensburg.
St Paul’s College: (2) 1 -Leila Grögli. Millfield: (1) 1 – Lilly Holmes.
Somerset College: 2 – Annabelle Hamel, Leila Holtzhausen. HMS La Rochelle: 1 -Daniella van Antwerp.
Windhoek Afrikaanse (1) 1 – Kirsten Koudelka. Worcester Gim (0) 1 – Nicole Steyn.

Pool CD

Parel Vallei: 3 – Jordan Boer, Zelda Rosenstrauch, Eva Blaauw. Durbanville High: 2 – Amy Ten Cate, Nika Spies.
Paarl Girls’ High: 2 – Halle Williams, Lisa Craven. Kingston Grammar: 1 – Sophie Standford.
Chisipite: 5 – Jessica Orford (3), Rebecca Winsor (2). Windhoek High: 2 – Leanne Steyn, Jodie Bester.
Curro Durbanville: (2) 1 – Marissa Morgan. Hoërskool Bellville: (1) 1 – Lemae Sobey.

Pool A

Reddam House: 1 – Emma Hibbert. St Paul’s College: 1 – Stephanie Shepherd.
HMS La Rochelle: 1 – Cara Wilson. Worcester Gim: 1 – Grace Jacobs.

Pool B

Outeniqua: 2 – Nina Loots, Katelyn Rossouw. Somerset College: 1 – Mia Baumgardt
Millfield: 2 – Charlie Milson, Eva Herbertson. Windhoek Afrikaanse: 0

Pool C

Parel Vallei: 1 – Skylar Bougaard. Curro Durbanville: 0.
Kingston Grammar: 3 – Milla England, Zara Curtis, Sophie Standford. Windhoek High: 1 – Jodie Bester.

Pool D

Durbanville High: 4 – Zieke Rossouw (3), Kiara Kommer. Hoërskool Bellville: 0.
Paarl Girls: 1 – Anne Nell. Chisipite: 1 – Tawana Munyawarara.

Reddam House Constantia, St Paul’s College (Windhoek), and Parel Vallei plundered 38 unanswered goals in six matches in the Elite Girls’ section on Wednesday, the first day of the 2025 edition of the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament (CTIHT).

The annual hockey extravaganza features 60 boys’ and girls’ teams, of which 28 are girls’ teams, with 16 sides competing in the Elite section.

The event runs through until Sunday, with matches being played at the Central Hockey Club, Hartleyvale Stadium, Pinelands High School, South African College High School (SACS), the University of Cape Town (UCT), and Western Province Cricket Club.

In the absence of the reigning champions, the trio of Reddam, St Paul’s, and Parel Vallei will fancy their chances of lifting the title this year.

Reddam launched their campaign with a 4-0 win over HMS La Rochelle at UCT on Wednesday morning. Sally Gitlin announced her presence with a brace, and Emma Hibbert and Jessica Bester scored a goal apiece.

Then, Gitlin, Hibbert, and Bester bagged a hat-trick each, and Anna Bredell added a single goal in Reddam’s 10-0 rout of Worcester Gim in their second outing of the day. Those two emphatic victories catapulted Reddam to the top of Pool A.

Their toughest assignment of the group stages will be against second-placed St Paul’s, who also won big on day one. The Namibian side romped to a 10-0 victory over Worcester in their first assignment, courtesy of a five-goal haul from Tamara Grögli, and single-goal contributions from Oyo Hinda, Abigail Rowles, Alice Rowles, Kendyll Mouton, and Jade Eins.

Against HMS La Rochelle, Abigail Rowles struck twice and Leila Grögli once, which lifted her to the top of the goal-scoring chart, with six in total, as the Namibians added a 3-0 win to their record. They trail Reddam by only a single goal on goal difference.

In Pool C, Parel Vallei scored 11 unanswered goals to leap to the top of the standings. They kicked off their campaign by beating Windhoek High 5-0, with goals from Zelda Rosenstrauch, Skylar Bougaard, Roxy Setzkorn, Joané van Geest, and Eva Blaauw.

Next up, they took on the UK’s Kingston Grammar and breezed to a 6-0 victory, courtesy of a hat-trick from Nikita Sullivan, a brace from Skylar Bougaard, and a goal from Liné Liebenberg.

Another UK visitor, Millfield, renowned for their sporting successes, worked their way to the top of Pool B, thanks to a win and a draw in their first two matches. Those results were matched by Paarl Girls’ High, which left them in first place in Pool D.

Millfield fought out a 1-1 draw with Somerset College in the morning and then overcame Outeniqua 4-1 in the afternoon. Paarl Girls, meanwhile, was held to a 0-0 draw with Durbanville High in their first outing before they cruised to 4-0 victory over Hoërskool Bellville in their afternoon match.

Day two of the tournament gets underway with a tantalising clash of the Pool A titans, Reddam and St Paul’s. Worcester Gim will be out to redeem themselves after a tough start to the showpiece when they clash with La Rochelle in the second match of the day.

Results

Pool A

Reddam House Constantia: 4 – Sally Gitlin (2), Emma Hibbert, Jessica Bester. HMS La Rochelle: 0.
St Paul’s College: 10 – Tamara Grögli (5), Oyo Hinda, Abigail Rowles, Alice Rowles, Kendyll Mouton, Jade Eins. Worcester Gim: 0.
Reddam House Constantia: 10 – Sally Gitlin (3), Emma Hibbert (3), Jessica Bester (3), Anna Bredell. Worcester Gim: 0.
St Paul’s College: 3 – Abigail Rowles (2), Leila Grögli. HMS La Rochelle: 0.

Pool B

Outeniqua: 3 – Zanelle Rensburg (2), Zoe Barnard. Windhoek Afrikaanse: 1 – Ciara van Zyl
Millfield: 1 – Margot Earl. Somerset College: 1 – Mia Baumgardt.
Millfield: 4 – Charlie Milsom (2), Delilah Talbot, Emily Franklin-Adams. Outeniqua: 1 – Carlien Oosthuizen.
Windhoek Afrikaanse: 2 – Marlene Coetzee (2). Somerset College: 1 – Evie Benson.

Pool C

Parel Vallei: 5 – Zelda Rosenstrauch, Skylar Bougaard, Roxy Setzkorn, Joané van Geest, Eva Blaauw. Windhoek High: 0.
Kingston Grammar: 2 – Allegra Kelly, Anna Goodsman. Curro Durbanville: 0.
Parel Vallei: 6 – Nikita Sullivan (3), Skylar Bougaard (2), Liné Liebenberg. Kingston Grammar: 0.
Windhoek High: 1 – Jodie Bester. Curro Durbanville: 1 – Marissa Morgan.

Pool D

Durbanville High: 0. Paarl Girls: 0.
Chisipite: 1 – Rebecca Winsor. Hoërskool Bellville: 0.
Paarl Girls: 4 – Lisa Craven, Lucia Marcus, Nika Pretorius. Hoërskool Bellville: 0.
Durbanville High: 0. Chisipite: 0.

Twelve of the country’s top hockey-playing girls’ schools are primed to contest the 10th edition of the Fairtree Super 12 Tournament at Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje from 7-9 August.

The lineup features teams from five provinces.

The Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provide half the field, contributing three teams each. The Eastern Cape, Gauteng, and the Free State will have two representatives each.

Rhenish Girls’ High, Paarl Gimnasium, and Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof will carry the hopes of the Western Cape, while the trio of Our Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School, St Anne’s Diocesan College, and St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) will fly the flag for KZN.

Die Hoërskool Menlopark and Hoërskool Waterkloof, both from Pretoria, are the Gauteng reps, while Collegiate Girls’ High and Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) Makhanda will present a strong challenge from the Eastern Cape.

Local fans will cheer on Eunice High School and Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje.

Our Lady of Fatima, which qualified for the elite event for the first time, is the 25th school to earn a place in the tournament.

DSG Makhanda, which has produced an outstanding season, returns to the showpiece for the first time since in 2018. Collegiate, meanwhile, missed out on last year’s Super 12.

Three sides that featured in 2024 – Durban Girls’ College, St Stithians College and Hoërskool Garsfontein – miss out this year. St Stithians’ absence means that for the first time in its 10-year history the lineup does not include a school from Johannesburg.

The teams have been split into two groups, Pools A and B. Pool A, has the look of the “pool of death”.

It features three previous winners: the reigning champions, Rhenish; 2023 winners, Eunice; and Oranje, who last lifted the trophy in 2022. Last year’s runner-up, St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, is also in the pool, along with Bloemhof and Waterkloof.

Newcomers Our Lady of Fatima will battle for Pool B supremacy with DSG Makhanda, Paarl Gim, Collegiate, Menlopark, and St Anne’s.

The tournament is scheduled to start with a bang, with Rhenish taking on St Mary’s Kloof in a repeat of last year’s final.

If there is one thing people took away from the inaugural Nika Coertzen Hockey Festival, held at Eunice High School, in Bloemfontein, this past weekend, it is that the future of schoolgirls’ hockey is bright.

The primary school girls’ hockey festival, which was played at Eunice, Grey College, and St Andrew’s School, kicked off with a surprise silent disco on Thursday evening and wrapped up on Sunday afternoon.

“(The disco was) A fun, energy-filled way to unite the athletes and get everyone in festival mode before the whistle blew,” Nika Coertzen, the festival director, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

The showpiece featured 27 teams from across the country who took to the field with fierce determination to compete in 117 games. Eighteen schools wheeled out nine u12 and 18 u13 sides, with each team contesting nine matches, played across three days.

The hosts, Eunice’s u13 team, gave local fans many reasons to cheer by going unbeaten to finish first in their section. Stithians Girls’ Preparatory School ruled the roost in the u12 age group, where they dominated.

“This was the best level of primary school hockey I have seen in 15 years of coaching. The standard was out of this world, with intense, closely contested matches that had spectators on the edge of their seats,” Coertzen said.

Beyond the on-field competition, the festival fostered a sense of unity and camaraderie among the players. Though teams went at it hard on the turf, off the field, there was a warm atmosphere of mutual encouragement and comedy, reinforcing the true spirit of sport.

For the coaches, it was a valuable opportunity to observe and refine tactics, with the third term being when primary schools play their hockey. The discussions sparked during and after matches helped sharpen their strategies for the forthcoming season.

“I extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who made this weekend’s festival a remarkable success. The players brought energy, dedication, and exceptional skill that lit up the competition and inspired us all,” Coertzen said.

“The coaches, who provided strategic insights and mentorship both on and off the field provided the foundation for a thrilling event. And then, the parents and families, who were a constant presence in the stands.

“I also don’t want to leave out the alumni and local fans, who brought enthusiasm and loud cheers. Everyone came together and helped create an incredible spirit to every match,” Coertzen enthused.

She also extended a special shout-out to SuperSport Schools for broadcasting the matches live on the SuperSport Schools App and on DSTV Channel 216.

“I am grateful to them for giving visibility to this showcase of young talent. I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Eunice Girls’ School for their unwavering logistical and moral support throughout the festival,” Coertzen  concluded.

Results

U12 Section team placings

1st St Stithians Girls’ Preparatory School
2nd Willem Postma
3rd Eunice Primary School

Individual awards

Best Goalkeeper: Haylee Kretzmann (Laerskool Kenmare)
Top Goal-scorers: Marle Janse (Willem Postma) and Ashley van Tonder (St Stithians) with 5 goals each.
Best Player: Leerah Mokoena (Eunice Primary)

 U13 Section team placings

1st Eunice Primary
2nd Paarl Girls’ High
3rd Durban Girls’ College

Individual awards

Best Goalkeeper: Isabel Hanekom (Paarl Girls’ High)
Top Goal-scorer: Chélyn Parkin (Eunice Primary) with 10 goals
Best Player: Madison Lamour (Eunice Primary)

Southern Gauteng A produced an outstanding performance in the final of the u16 SASHOC National Week at Hilton College, on Sunday, overwhelming Eastern Province A 8-1 to lift the title.

“I think the boys saved their best performance for the final,” Siya Sityana, the Southerns’ u16 coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“We were slightly more clinical, and the boys connected well on the pitch.”

The victory put an exclamation mark on Southerns’ seven-match unbeaten march to the title.

Sityana’s charges beat their highveld neighbours, Northern Gauteng A, 6-2, and outclassed their compatriots, Southern Gauteng B, 5-3 at St Anne’s DSG. Playing at Hilton College, they won 4-2 against KZN Inland A, saw off Eastern Province 3-1, and triumphed 3-2 over Western Province A. They also registered a 7-0 drubbing of KZN Inland B at St John’s DSG.

Their 8-1 win in the final was the joint-biggest margin of victory at the tournament, matching their big win over Inland B.

“We knew that we had a talented group, and that we were good enough to win the tournament, but the most important thing was to play for one another, fight for one another,” Sityana said.

It is a challenge for sides to not be complacent when they go into a fixture against a team that they previously defeated, but Sityana had a good talk with his charges to ensure that they did not fall into that trap with the title on the line.

“Knowing that we had beaten them before gave us confidence,” he explained, “but we had to make sure that we execute well, so discipline was important. We had to respect them.”

The tournament featured three outstanding forwards. KZN Coastal A’s Luc Boyall topped the goal scoring charts, with 12 goals, while Southerns’ leading scorer, Candy Blaine, tied Santiago Matroos, from KZN Inland A, with nine each.

Interestingly, the top goal scorer in the girls’ u16 tournament was Luc Boyall’s sister, Charley-Rose, who netted nine times,

Blaine led the Southerns’ scoring in the final, striking twice, including the opener in the fifth minute.

“Candy is a fearless striker. He has a good eye for goal. Most would say he is a maverick. He is a predator. He has a good instinct inside the circle,” Sityana shared.

Eastern Province was still trying to conjure up a response when Kamohelo Tsoka doubled the Southerns’ lead in the 12th minute, which left the boys from the highveld 2-0 ahead at the end of the first chukka

Coach Keanon Geldenhuys’s Eastern Province side produced a better showing in the second chukka, but Southerns bolstered their advantage when Kade Lottering struck from a tight angle in the 28th minute.

In the sixth minute of the third chukka, Matthew Jung, slotted his seventh goal of the tournament to make it 4-0.

Almost immediately, Eastern Province replied when James Chree converted a penalty stroke. That setback served only to spur Southerns on.

They promptly added two more goals. Jason Joiner found the back of the net in the 44th minute, and Blaine scored his second a minute later.

“We agreed that we would make it hard for every team that comes up against us,” Sityana said.

The double-strike made a comeback all but impossible for Eastern Province. They trailed by five goals and that was turned into a seven-goal deficit by Tshimologo Mogale and Rourque van Rooyen, who hammered the final nails into their opponent’s coffin with further goals in the fourth chukka.

Results

Final: Southern Gauteng A: 8 – Candy Blaine (2), Jason Joiner, Kade Lottering, Tshimologo Mogale, Kamohelo Tsoka, Rourque van Rooyen. Eastern Province A: 1 – James Chree.
3rd and 4th: Boland A: 3 – Jeandre van Zyl, Caleb Cilliers, Luke van der Merwe. Western Province A: 1 – Ross Wille.
5th and 6th: KZN Coastal A: 4 – Matt Potgieter, Luc Boyall, Ryan Herselman. KZN Inland A: 1 – Benjamin Wilson.
7th and 8th: Northern Gauteng A: 3 – Michael Meiring (2), Will Hewitt. Southern Free State A: 3 – Eben Stander, Yandisa Litole, Ethan Seager.
9th and 10th: Southern Gauteng B: 4 – Tristan McQue (2), Mpilo Chabe, Mahlatse Maapola. Western Province B: 3 – Fourie Max (2), Divan van Eeden.
11th and 12th: KZN Inland B: 2 – Luthando Shelembe, Daniel Pieterse. KZN Coastal B: 1 – Ryan Willis.

Last year’s runners-up, Eastern Province A, will cross swords with Southern Gauteng A in the final of the u16A section of the SASHOC National Week. They lock horns at Hilton College at 11:45 on Sunday morning.

Southerns was the first team to book a berth in the title decider after scoring a hard-fought a 3-2 victory over Western Province A in their semi-final clash on Saturday.

Three hours later, Eastern Province knocked out the defending champions, Boland A, in a penalty shootout. The contest ended 2-2 after regulation time. Eastern Province, then, prevailed 5-4 on penalties.

Southerns and Eastern Province were both in Pool B, where they finished in first and second place, respectively. When they met, Candy Blaine, Matthew Jung, and Kade Lottering were on target for Southerns, while James Chree replied for Eastern Province, as the highveld side claimed a 3-1 win.

Southerns will be keen to repeat that victory, but finals, especially, rarely follow previous scripts.

The Gauteng boys were on top of their game when they exacted revenge over Province, who had beaten them 2-0 in the fifth-place playoff in 2024.

Coach Siya Sityana‘s side conceded an early goal to Province, scored by Liam Daames from a penalty corner in the 14th minute, but they bounced back to dominate the tie. That strike jolted Southerns to life and they immediately went on the hunt for an equaliser.

Three minutes later, Matthew Jung, who has been a standout for Southerns on attack, scored his seventh goal of the tournament to level the scores. Then, in the 23rd minute, Jason Joiner converted a short corner to give Southerns the lead.

Province replied through Zach Hillman, who levelled the scores with his fifth goal in six matches after 41 minutes.

Kade Lottering, another regular on the score sheet, broke the stalemate 11 minutes later, scoring his sixth goal of the tournament. It turned out to be the winner and propelled Southern Gauteng into the title game.

In the other semi-final, Eastern Province turned the tables on Boland. Last year, the sides ended regulation time in the final at 2-2 before Boland triumphed after a penalty shootout.

On Saturday, Boland took the lead through Caleb Cilliers, who converted a penalty corner only two minutes into the contest. Eight minutes into the third quarter. Christiaan Fouché, executed a spectacular dive to guide the ball into the back of the net to put Boland 2-0 up.

Eastern Province, unbowed, maintained their pressure on the Boland goal, and they were rewarded when Michael Gillies cut the deficit in half four minutes before the end of the third chukka.

Boland goalkeeper, Ryan Bezuidenhout, kept his side ahead in the contest when he pulled off a brilliant save to keep out a strike from a penalty corner two minutes later.

Eastern Province, though, kept exerting pressure, chasing an equaliser, and just before the end of the chukka they found it, with Luke Mason striking to make it 2-2.

With no further goals accruing, the contest went to a penalty shootout.

Eastern Province took the first penalty and scored. Then, Connor Halforty pulled off a save to give his team the advantage.

Eastern Province scored from their next three attempts, but Boland matched them. Then, Eastern Province missed their fourth, while Boland converted their fifth. That sent the contest to sudden death, where Eastern Province grabbed the winner.

With one match to go for each of the teams, KZN Coastal A‘s Luc Boyall tops the goal scoring chart, with 11 to his name. His sister, Charley-Rose is tied atop the girls’ u16 goal scoring chart with Marichelle Crous.

RESULTS

Eastern Province A: (5) 2 – Michael Gillies, Luke Mason. Boland A: (4) 2 – Christiaan Fouché, Caleb Cilliers.
Southern Gauteng A: 3 – Matthew Jung, Jason Joiner, Kade Lottering. Western Province A: 2 – Liam Daames, Zach Hillman.
Southern Gauteng B: 1 – Neo Nkoana. KZN Coastal B: 0.
Western Province B: 2 – Ethan Smith, Ephram Smith. KZN Inland B: 0.
KZN Inland A: 5 – Santiago Matroos (2), Sbuyisilwe Mchunu, Nthabiseng Ntshingila, Rayhan Fitz. Southern Free State A: 2 -Eben Stander, Kamo Mohlomi.
KZN Coastal A: 7 – Luc Boyall (3), Dylan Forbes, Matt Potgieter, Luke Lambert, Daniel Rea. Northern Gauteng A: 2 – Kean Cornelissen.

In a classic north versus south contest, Southern Gauteng A takes on Western Province A on Saturday in one of the two semi-finals of the u16 SASHOC National Week.

The second semi-final, between Boland A and Eastern Province A, is a rematch of the 2024 final.

Both matches will be held at Hilton College on Saturday afternoon.

Southerns and Province meet at 12:15. Not only will Southerns be eyeing a place in the final, but they’ll also be eyeing revenge. When the sides last met, in the playoff for fifth place last year, Province claimed a 2-0 win.

On their way to the semi-finals, Southerns dominated Pool B, collecting maximum points. Coach Siya Sityana’s side beat Northern Gauteng A 6-2, outplayed KZN Inland A 4-2, saw off Southern Gauteng B 5-3, defeated Eastern Province A 3-1, and then hammered KZN Inland B 7-0 in their final outing.

Blaine Candy enjoyed an outstanding Friday in the circle, scoring three times in Southerns’ back-to-back wins. That lifted him to seven goals for the tournament, just one behind the leading goal scorer, Luc Boyall of KZN Coastal A.

Candy was on the scoresheet in his side’s 3-1 triumph over Eastern Province, with Matthew Jung and Kade Lottering also finding the back of the net. Then, he was one of two Southerns’ players to bag a brace in their 7-0 romp over KZN Inland B. Rourque van Rooyen also struck twice, while Thomas Collins, Matthew Jung, and Kade Lottering added a goal each.

Province, after three wins and two draws, placed second in Pool A with 11 points. Coach Sam Holmes’ side, in a big surprise, was held to a 1-1 draw by KZN Coastal B in their first outing. They cruised past Southern Free State A next time out, winning 4-1, outplayed Western Province B 2-1, edged out KZN Coastal A 3-2 in a key clash, and then drew 2-2 with Boland A, who finished at the summit of Pool A.

Boland’s focus will be on a second title in succession. In 2024, they shared a 2-2 draw with Eastern Province A in the final but claimed the title 1-0 in a penalty shootout.

Coach Shaun McIntyre’s side won four of their five group games, beating Western Province B 7-3, Southern Free State A 5-1, KZN Coastal A 4-3, and KZN Coastal B 3-1. They drew 2-2 with Western Province, as previously mentioned.

Against Western Province, Boland overturned a 0-2 deficit to force a draw after their neighbours came out of the blocks quickly. Ross Wille put Province ahead through a short corner conversion in the 10th minute and Zach Hillman doubled Province’s lead with a second penalty corner conversion three minutes later.

Boland gained a foothold in the game when Nicholas Knoll registered his first goal of the tournament with a strike in the 18th minute, but they then spent the next 35 minutes chasing an equaliser. It came, eventually, through Luke van der Merwe.

Boland’s semi-final opponents, Eastern Province A, won four of their five group contests: beating Southern Gauteng B 4-1 in their opener, KZN Inland B 2-0, Northern Gauteng A 4-3, and KZN Inland A 5-1. Then came their loss to Southern Gauteng A on Thursday.

The Boland versus Eastern Province semi-final starts at 15:05.

RESULTS

Pool A

Boland A: 2 – Nicholas Knoll, Luke van der Merwe. Western Province A: 2 – Ross Wille, Zach Hillman.
KZN Coastal A: 5 – Daniel Rea (3), Luc Boyall, Luke Lambert. KZN Coastal B: 1 – Sibeko Sisekelo.
Southern Free State A: 3 – Eben Stander, Kaden Hendersen, Ethan Seager. Western Province B: 2 – Max Fourie, Cuan Cadiz.

Pool B

Southern Gauteng A: 3 – Blaine Candy, Matthew Jung, Kade Lottering.  Eastern Province A: 1 – James Chree.
Southern Gauteng B: 2 – Mpilo Chabe, Delon Blignaut. KZN Inland B: 0.
KZN Inland A: 3 – Santiago Matroos (2), Rayhan Fitz. Northern Gauteng A: 1 – Ethan Jaftha.
Southern Gauteng A: 7 – Blaine Candy (2), Rourque van Rooyen (2), Thomas Collins, Matthew Jung, Kade Lottering.  KZN Inland B: 0.

Leah du Plessis, Abigail Holderness, Rebecca Haswell, and Jehan Abrahams were among the 18 players selected by the South African Schools Hockey Association (SASHOC) for the SA u18A High-Performance team, which was announced in Pietermaritzburg, on Saturday, during the closing ceremony of the SASHOC National Week.

The team will convene for a national camp at Waterkloof, in Pretoria, from 9-12 October.

The selection panel – convened by Omarie Pienaar-Geyer, and also including head coach Nolwazi Nkabinde, Tiffany Jones, Thando Ndlovu, and Shaun Laubscher – considered more than a player’s ability in a position. They also assessed each individual’s temperament in different match situations.

“We have a long-term vision for the game and the players we picked,” Ndlovu told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“We want to move away from the traditional style of players (who made the u18 teams). Yes, we want players with skills in their hands, but at the same time, we want stability, consistency, and growth.”

Caprice Bengtson, Jehan Abrahams, and Bianca Rees-Gibbs were selected for the side for a second year in succession and that trio showed growth, rather than regression, at this year’s inter-provincial tournament.

“We are trying to move away from what we had before. In the forward line, we aren’t just looking for players who can be the tippers on the post,” Ndlovu elaborated.

“We want players who can score. We want defenders that can chuck overheads and can also do the outletting. We were looking at links that make the lines and the leads,” she explained.

The panel was looking for utility players, she added – forwards that put as much work into defence as into attack, midfielders who could also be lethal in the circle and help out in defence, and defenders that did not sit back and wait for the opposition to attack.

Few players fulfilled that brief as emphatically as Holderness, Du Plessis, Abrahams, and Haswell over the six days of competition.

Those four were the recipients of individual prizes at the awards ceremony. Holderness, who finished the tournament with nine goals, making her the event’s top goal scorer, was judged to be the Most Valuable Midfielder.

Her Eastern Province A teammate, Haswell, received the Most Valuable Goalkeeper award, and Western Province A’s Abrahams collected the Most Valuable Defender prize.

The big winner, though, was Du Plessis. The Boland A captain was named both the Most Valuable Striker and Player of the Tournament.

Boland, who won the title, was well-represented in the SA u18 squad, with five players – Du Plessis, Jordan Boer, Sarah-Ellen Groenewald, Katherine Sickle, and Emihle Wulana – cracking the nod.

Eastern Province A, with three players, Holderness, Haswell, and Katarina Jardim, had the second-most representatives named, while the two KZN sides, Inland and Coastal, had a combined four players included: Kgabiso Morafo and Jasmin Kelly from Inland, and Bengtson and Nicola Forbes from Coastal.

Abrahams flew the flag for Western Province A, while Amber Fairon, the third-highest individual goal-scorer, was the sole Southern Gauteng A representative named.

Bianca Rees-Gibbs was the only Southern Free State A pick, while Border A had Busiwe Mayekiso selected, Andrea Groenewald was Northern Gauteng‘s only pick, and Bathobile Masuku, from Mpumalanga A, also cracked the nod.

U18A High-Performance Team

Rebecca Haswell (GK, Pearson High, Eastern Province A), Kgabiso Morafo (GK, St Anne’s DSG, KZN Inland), Jehan Abrahams (Wynberg Girls’ High, Western Province A), Caprice Bengtson (Durban Girls’ College, KZN Coastal), Jordan Boer (Parel Vallei, Boland A), Leah du Plessis (Rhenish Girls’ High, Boland A), Amber Fairon (Dainfern College, Southern Gauteng A), Nicola Forbes (St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, KZN Coastal), Sarah-Ellen Groenewald (Rhenish Girls’ High, Boland A), Andrea Groenewald (Hoërskool Garsfontein, Northern Gauteng A), Abigail Holderness (Diocesan School for Girls, Eastern Province A), Katarina Jardim (St Dominic’s Catholic School for Girls, Eastern Province A), Jasmin Kelly (St Anne’s DSG, KZN Inland), Bathobile Masuku (Middelburg High Schools, Mpumalanga), Busiwe Mayekiso (Hudson Park High, Border A), Bianca Rees-Gibbs (Eunice High School, Southern Free State A), Katherine Sickle (Rhenish Girls’ High, Boland A), Emihle Wulana (Parel Vallei, Boland A).

U18B Team

Cara Bouwer (GK, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria, Northern Gauteng A), Zoë Badenhorst (Hoërskool Menlopark, Northern Gauteng A), Zara Berrisford (Westerford High School, Western Province A), Skylar Bougaard (Parel Vallei, Boland A), Joné de Winnaar (Paarl Gimnasium, Boland A), Hannah Henderson (Herschel Girls School, Western Province A), Keovaan Jansen (Northcliff High School, Southern Gauteng A), Georgia Kambanis (Eunice High School, Southern Free State A), Anjum Kazie (Milnerton High, Western Province B), Halumile Moni (Stirling High, Border A), Khanya Moore (Springfield Convent School, Western Province A), Enyenhle Nzama (GK, Danville Park Girls, KZN Coastal), Elré Oosthuizen (HMS Bloemhof, Boland A), Cale Potgieter (Eunice High School, Southern Free State A), Jenna Shaw (Our Lady of Fatima, KZN Coastal), Amy Ten-Cate (Durbanville High School, Western Province A), Thimna Waka (Table View High, Western Province A), Cassidy Williams (Collegiate Girls’ High, Eastern Province A).

U17 Team

Annika Kloppers (GK, Hoërskool Menlopark, Northern Gauteng B), Peyton Marais (GK, Curro Durbanville, Western Province A), Raffael Abrahams (Steyn City School, Southern Gauteng A), Minke Botha (Paarl Gimnasium, Boland A), Ella Bowyer (St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, KZN Coastal), Jamie da Silva (St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, KZN Coastal), Jemma Ferreira (St Dominic’s Catholic School for Girls, Eastern Gauteng), Holly Hofmeyr (St Anne’s DSG, KZN Inland), Timari Jonker (Potchefstroom Gimnasium, North West), Xylia Khoene (Oranje Meisieskool, Southern Free State A), Zezethu Kunene (Maris Stella, KZN Coastal), Chelsey McGregor (St Cyprian’s School, Western Province A), Beracah Mosaka (CBC Mount Edmund, Northern Gauteng A), Amogelang Motlatle (Curro Hazeldean, Northern Gauteng A), Azania Petersen (St Andrew’s School for Girls, Southern Gauteng A), Siphiwe Thwala (Middelburg High School, Mpumalanga), Pippa Viljoen (Rhenish Girls’ High, Boland A), Claire Volschenk (Eunice High School, Southern Free State A).

Leah du Plessis scored a brace in a clinical performance from Boland A, who beat KZN Coastal A 3-0 to lift the Sandra Jordaan Trophy at the SASHOC National Week, in Pietermaritzburg, on Saturday morning.

The victory ended Boland’s long nine-year wait for the inter-provincial trophy.

“It feels amazing to captain a team that came together and did everything to play for each other. I am extremely proud of every member of the team,” Du Plessis, the Boland captain, told SuperSport Schools Plus afterwards.

Apart from her winners’ medal, Du Plessis also picked up two more awards, being named the Player of the Tournament and the Most Valuable Striker. Of the 20 goals scored by Boland during the tournament, she scored eight.

“She marshalled the team well throughout the tournament. She is a good leader on and off the field. I am really proud of her and the rest of the team,” Boland coach, Chris Gerber, said.

Boland’s campaign was almost flawless. They won four of their five group matches to finish second in Pool A.

They opened their challenge with a statement of intent by drubbing a stacked Southern Free State A team 5-0.

That victory pumped up their tyres, but they were deflated by Eastern Province A in their next outing, with coach Geowynne Gamiet guiding his side to a 2-1 win in a clash of title contenders.

Boland recovered strongly, bouncing back with consecutive 3-0 wins over Southern Gauteng B and Northern Gauteng B. Then, in a key clash, they completed their group matches with a 3-1 win over Southern Gauteng A.

They made a meal of their semi-final, squandering a 2-0 lead late in the contest to finish level at 2-2 with their neighbours, Western Province A. However, they had the talented Andrea Fortuin in goal to see them through to the final.

“I knew my job wasn’t done yet and I still had to give it my all for the team because we had worked so hard for this moment and we weren’t going to let them take it away from us,” Fortuin said.

“I just kept reminding myself that I have the Lord with me, and that I back myself and that my team backs me as well, and that not staying calm will make things go not so great.”

In the final, Fortuin was called upon to make a couple of crucial saves. However, most of the time, the defenders in front of her had the game under control. They closed down the spaces and prevented KZN Coastal from playing with freedom in their half.

“The girls did really well. They controlled the game. They knew what they needed to do and managed the game properly,” Gerber said in his assessment of his charges’ performance.

Despite not scoring in the first chukka, Boland spent most of their time in Coastal’s half, threatening the opposition’s goal. Instead of becoming frustrated that they couldn’t find a way through in the first 15 minutes, Boland maintained their focus and their intensity in the second chukka.

Just two minutes before halftime, their efforts were rewarded. Leah du Plessis drew first blood with a short corner conversion.

Then, with just under four minutes remaining in the third chukka, Elré Oosthuizen made it 2-0, finishing off a sharp counterattack after Boland had stifled a KZN Coastal penalty corner.

Du Plessis and her teammates had learnt their lessons from their tightly contested semi-final win over Western Province and, as time wound down, they didn’t allow Coastal back into the game.

A third goal, three minutes into the final chukka, sealed the deal.

“We kept getting better and better as the tournament progressed. The girls showed up when it really mattered,” Gerber said.

Results

Final – Boland A: 3 – Leah du Plessis (2), Elré Oosthuizen. KZN Coastal A: 0.
3 and 4 – Western Province A: 2 – Chelsey McGregor (2). Eastern Province A: 0.
5 and 6 –Northern Gauteng A: 3 – Zoë Badenhorst, Andrea Groenewald, Mia Pretorius. Southern Gauteng A: 1 – Zoë Opaleye.
7 and 8 – KZN Inland A: 1 – Jade Kelly. Southern Free State A: 1 – Atleganag Kgantsi.
9 and 10 –Western Province B: 2 – Tatum Malherbe, Kiara Kommer. Border A: 0.
11 and 12 –Northern Gauteng B: 2 – Lize Wiltz, Phawu Motlohi. Southern Gauteng B: 0.