Author: cschiwanza

Elaine Haycock scored the all-important goal that helped Hoërskool Waterkloof to secure a 1-0 win over Collegiate Girls’ High on the Western Province Cricket Club’s A Astroon Sunday afternoon.

That victory, in the final of the Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge, meant Klofies became the second winner of the trophy, succeeding Paarl Gimnasium.

The event brings together a potent collection of many of South Africa’s top teams, and Waterkloof’s coach, Omari Geyer-Pienaar, shared her thoughts on winning the prestigious event with SuperSport Schools News after the final: “We are incredibly proud of the girls for winning the Challenge. Our midfield worked super hard,” she said.

Lenique Vogel, one of Waterkloof’s midfield stars, took home the Player of the Tournament Award; Paarl Gimnasium’s star striker, Alanda Rademeyer, accepted the Top Goalscorer accolade for her 12 goals; and DSG Makhanda‘s shot stopper, Abigail Meihuizen, was named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament.

Commenting on her charges’ title-winning efforts, Pienaar-Geyer said they demonstrated what it meant to work hard for one another. That was especially important in the final against a tactically solid Collegiate side that denied them the room to play with freedom.

The teams traded volleys of attacks, but neither side could find an opening until regulation time was almost over. Then, in the 57th minute. Elaine Haycock eventually found a chink in the armour of the Collegiate defence. She took her chance, drilling the ball into the back of the net to score the goal that proved to be the tournament-winner.

“It could’ve been anyone’s game, but we’re happy it was ours,” Geyer-Pienaar said. “Across the whole tournament, the same spirit shone through – unity, resilience, and playing for one another. That’s what carried us through each match and ultimately brought us this win.”

Waterkloof’s victory over Collegiate was their sixth successive win in an indomitable run to the title. The ladies from Pretoria collected maximum points in Pool E, edged out St Mary’s DSG Kloof 3-2 in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals, and then secured a 3-2 win over the defending champion, Paarl Gimnasium, in the semis.

Pienaar-Geyer did not expect an easy outing in the final. Collegiate headed into the tournament buoyed by a successful National All Girls Festival campaign. They reached the semifinals of that event, where they lost to Oranje, the eventual winners. But they carried their positive momentum into the Girls Challenge.

“We made sure that we stuck to our processes and principles. We also made sure that we were always team-oriented and just supporting one another,” Michael Abrahams, the Collegiate coach, said of his team’s path to the final.

Unfortunately for Collegiate, they didn’t go all the way. However, they have proved, beyond a shadow of doubt, that they are one of the elite teams of the 2026 season. Their record includes wins over Rhenish, Oranje, and DSG Makhanda.

Summing up her side’s winning performance, Pienaar-Geyer said: “We defended with real grit when it mattered and scored some unbelievable team goals that came from everyone contributing.

“At times, we had to reset and dig deep defensively, but every player held their role and stood strong,”

Durban Girls’ College and St Andrew’s School for Girls, who finished ninth and seventeenth, claimed the Plate and Bowl titles, respectively.

The four-day event also featured u16 and u14 components, comprising 24 teams, too. Paarl Gim successfully defended the u16 title with a convincing 4-0 win over St John’s DSG, while Bloemhof defeated Rhenish 2-1 in a Stellenbosch rivalry clash to capture the u14 crown.

RESULTS

Cup 
1/2: Waterkloof 1-0 Collegiate
3/4: Paarl Gim 3-2 DSG Makhanda
5/6: St Mary’s DSG Kloof (4) 0-0 (3) Herschel
7/8: Reddam House Constantia 2-1 Affies

Plate
9/10: Durban Girls’ College 2-1 St Anne’s
11/12: Pearson 2-0 Garsfontein
13/14: St John’s DSG 2-0 Parel Vallei
15/16: Stellenberg 4-1 St Cyprian’s

Bowl
17/18: St Andrew’s School for Girls (5) 0-0 (4) St Mary’s Waverley
19/20: York 3-1 Springfield
21/22: Fairmont 4-2 Durbanville
23/24: Rustenburg Girls’ High 2-1 DF Akademie

Haydn Ravenscraft made a spectacular debut, scoring a brace, to help Michaelhouse record a thrilling 4-2 win over Hilton College on the Mansergh Astro on Saturday.

The visitors were somewhat inconsistent at the recent Michaelhouse Hockey Tournament, but finished on a high with a 2-1 win over Maritzburg College in their final outing. They carried that winning form into their match against Hilton.

“We scored four goals against a really good team,” Michaelhouse coach Nick Bérichon told SuperSport Schools News, “so definitely happy with that.

“We’ve got some work to do in deep defence still. But two young boys have made their debut, and one of them [Haydn Ravenscraft]  got two goals. So just super happy for him and super happy for the rest of the boys.”

Michaelhouse and Hilton produced a goalless first chukka. However, it wasn’t due to a lack of trying; it was simply because their respective defences were on top of their game. In the second chukka, though, Hilton drew first blood after seven minutes through Santiago Matroos when they pierced Michaelhouse’s defence with a well-worked field goal.

Michaelhouse thought they had scored a spectacular equaliser through a blazing tomahawk shot from Haydn Ravenscraft soon after, but the umpire had spotted something that wasn’t to his liking, and it didn’t count.

The visitors, who went to the break trailing, returned the same personnel to the field for the second half, but sticking to their game plan began to pay off. Bérichon’s team talk at the break had struck a chord, and they reacted to it with an equaliser through Henry Yeadon within two minutes of the restart.

Ravenscraft next announced himself to first team hockey with a strike to put Michaelhouse in the lead a few minutes later. Hilton came steaming back and levelled matters when Santiago Matroos fired in his second from a penalty corner just before the end of the chukka.

“We’ve been dominating a lot of games that we’ve been playing, but haven’t been clinical at the end [of the pitch]. I thought it was going to be the same today,” Bérichon admitted. He needn’t have worried.

His charges dispelled those fears with a third goal. That strike, by Henry Love, followed a great display of teamwork and persistence in the face of some great defending by Hilton, with just under eight minutes left in the contest.

Composure and discipline were two of the most important areas of focus for Michaelhouse in the lead-up to Saturday’s big derby showdown. At times, it had let them down in some of their earlier outings, but against Hilton, on the most adrenaline-filled stage, they passed both tests.

Hilton threw everything at Michaelhouse in the wake of conceding a third goal, but the visitors’ defence was equal to the challenge, and they threatened with some penetrating counterattacks.

With three minutes remaining, they drove the final nail into the coffin with a fourth goal, Ravenscroft’s second, in a memorable debut.

RESULT

Hilton College 2-4 Michaelhouse

Hoërskool Waterkloof will meet Collegiate Girls’ High in Sunday’s final of the Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge following their semifinal victories over Paarl Gimnasium and DSG Makhanda, respectively, at the Western Province Cricket Club A Astro on Saturday afternoon.

Catch the final LIVE on SuperSport Schools

Coach Omari Pienaar-Geyer’s Waterkloof was the first to book a berth in the title game with a thrilling 3-2 win over last year’s winners, Paarl Gim. The Pretoria school made a scintillating start to the match with a goal four minutes into the contest.

From that point onwards, Waterkloof controlled the first chukka. Paarl Gim made some forays into the Waterkloof half but were met by a resolute defence.

In the last three minutes before the first break, Waterkloof struck twice more, giving them a significant 3-0 advantage on goals from Dania Opperman, Jenna Trewin, and Lenique Vogel.

Alanda Rademeyer kept Paarl Gim in the hunt with a goal early in the second chukka, and Gimmies kept pressing hard, but Waterkloof held firm through the rest of the second quarter and all of the third chukka.

With 10 minutes remaining, Rademeyer struck again to keep Paarl Gim believing. They threw everything into conjuring up a third goal, but Waterkloof held firm to move on to the main game.

Collegiate edged out DSG Makhanda 1-0 to punch their ticket to the final. The ladies from Parsons Hill, in Gqeberha, put together a disciplined performance to outplay and outlast their in-form provincial rivals.

The two heavyweights topped Pools B and C on their way to the quarterfinals, where DSG Makhanda defeated last year’s runner-up, Herschel, 1-0, courtesy of a goal from Ava van der Walt. Collegiate advanced to the semi-finals by beating Affies Meisies 1-0, with Sophia Jansen scoring the winner.

Their final four clash, against DSG Makhanda, was a tightly contested affair that showcased both sides’ solid defences. It took 28 minutes before Collegiate’s captain, Kerrin Gillies, put her side ahead with a well-worked goal.

The next two chukkas saw Collegiate and DSG Makhanda return to previous settings: both sides launched spirited attacks on the opposition goal, with no joy for the attackers.

Sunday’s final takes place on the Western Province Cricket Club A Astro at 12:50.

RESULTS

Semifinals
Waterkloof 3-2 Paarl Gim
Collegiate 1-0 DSG Makhanda

Quarter-finals
DSG Makhanda 1-0 Herschel
Collegiate 1-0 Affies
Paarl Gim 4-1 Reddam Constantia
Waterkloof (3) 0-0 (2) St Marys DSG Kloof

Other matches
Herschel (3) 1-1 (2) Affies
St Mary’s DSG Kloof 2-1 Reddam House Constantia

Plate section
Durban Girls’ College 1-0 Pearson
St John’s DSG 2-1 Stellenberg
St Anne’s (3) 1-1 (1) Garsfontein
Parel Vallei 2-1 St Cyprian’s
Durban Girls’ College (3) 2-2 (2) Stellenberg
Pearson 2-1 St John’s DSG
St Anne’s 1-0 St Cyprian’s
Garsfontein (2) 0-0 (1) Parel Vallei

Bowl section
Fairmont 2-1 Rustenburg Girls
St Andrew’s School for Girls (3) 0-0 (2) York
Durbanville 2-0 DF Akademie
St Mary’s Waverley 3-1 Springfield
St Andrew’s School 2-1 Fairmont
York 1-0 Rustenburg Girls
St Mary’s Waverley 2-1 Durbanville
Springfield 2-1 DF Akademie

Paarl Gimnasium made a strong start to their Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge title defence with a pair of wins on Friday, the opening day of the tournament, in Cape Town.

St Mary’s DSG Kloof, Waterkloof, and Reddam House Constantia also collected maximum points.

Alanda Rademeyer began her campaign with a bang, bagging a four-goal haul in Paarl Gim’s 5-1 win over Durbanville. Anya Swanepoel scored the fifth goal, while Zieke Rossouw claimed a consolation goal for Durbanville.

Rademeyer carried her outstanding form into her side’s second match, scoring a brace to help Gimmies to a 3-1 win over St Cyprian’s. Imke Koegelenberg scored Gim’s third, while Chelsea McGregor found the back of the net for St Cyprian’s. Those back-to-back victories took Paarl Gim to the top of Pool A.

St Mary’s DSG Kloof fired five unanswered goals past Springfield Convent School and Garsfontein to claim six points and a place at the summit of Pool D.

Jamie da Silva, Olivia Lord, and Tayte Stewart found the back of the net in the KZN school’s 3-0 win over Springfield. Stewart was on the scoresheet again in her side’s 2-0 win over Garsfontein, while Georgia Short also netted.

Lenique Vogel led the charge in Waterkloof’s march to the top of Pool E. She and Mila Rodenburg found the back of the net in Waterkloof’s 2-0 win over DF Akademie. Vogel, Eliane Haycock, and Renske Smit were on target for Klofies in their 3-1 win over Parel Vallei (PV), while Elrie Pienaar replied for PV.

Emma Hibbert‘s goal-scoring skills were on display as Reddam House Constantia made an impressive start in Pool H. She scored a hat-trick to spirit Reddam to a 4-0 win over St Mary’s Waverley, with Kayla Brown also getting onto the score sheet. Hibbert, then, scored the match-winner in a 1-0 win over St Anne’s.

DSG Makhanda won one and drew one to claim top spot in Pool B. In their first outing of the day, Emma Watson scored in a 1-1 draw with St John’s DSG, with Annabelle Balmer replying for the Pietermaitzburg school. Lucy Holderness led the way in DSG Makhanda’s comfortable 4-0 win over Rustenburg Girls’ High, scoring a hat-trick, with Emma Watson adding to her tally with another goal.

Collegiate and Stellenberg provided one of the most tightly contested matches of day one, with neither team scoring in a goalless draw. College, though, rocketed to the top of Pool C with an emphatic 6-1 defeat of St Andrew’s School for Girls.

Kate Brennan and Kerrin Gillies each scored a brace, while Lauren Duckworth and Nolitha Makasana slotted the other two. Erica Broskie was on target for St Andrew’s.

Affies Meisies worked their way to the top in Pool F via a win and a draw. They edged out Durban Girls’ College 1-0, courtesy of a goal from Doxa Uys, and then shared the points with Fairmont after a 1-1 draw. Lisa Kleu scored for Affies, while Camryn Corner was on target for Fairmont.

The Pool G leaders, Herschel, began their campaign with a win and a draw. They shared a six-goal thriller with Pearson, with Sarah Ashbolt striking twice for Herschel and Heather Kane adding the third. Hanna Potgieter, Hannah du Plooy, and Lisa de Villiers scored for Pearson.

In their opener, Herschel bounded to a comfortable 6-1 win over York, behind Emily Dickinson‘s brace and further goals from Anna Sherren, Katherine Featherstone, Sophie Lashbrooke, and Sophie Luger. Keira Harding responded for York.

RESULTS

Pool A
St Cyprian’s 4-0 Durbanville
Paarl Gim 3-1 St Cyprian’s
Paarl Gim 5-1 Durbanville

Pool B
St John’s DSG 2-0 Rustenburg Girls’ High
St John’s DSG 1-1 DSG Makhanda
DSG Makhanda 4-0 Rustenburg Girls’ High

Pool C
Collegiate 0-0 Stellenberg
Stellenberg 2-1 St Andrew’s School for Girls
Collegiate 6-1 St Andrew’s School for Girls

Pool D
Garsfontein 2-0 Springfield
St Mary’s DSG Kloof 3-0 Springfield
St Mary’s DSG Kloof 2-0 Garsfontein

Pool E
Waterkloof 3-1 Parel Vallei
Parel Vallei 4-1 DF Akademie
Waterkloof 2-0 DF Akademie

Pool F
Durban Girls’ College 3-2 Fairmont
Affies 1-0 Durban Girls’ College
Affies 1-1 Fairmont

Pool G
Pearson 3-0 York
Herschel 6-1 York
Herschel 3-3 Pearson

Pool H
Reddam House Constantia 4-0 St Mary’s Waverley
St Anne’s 1-0 St Mary’s Waverley
Reddam House Constantia 1-0 St Anne’s

Caleb Phipson netted three times to lead Northwood to a 4-1 victory over Kearsney College and the title at the Michaelhouse Hockey Tournament on Sunday.

“I’m proud of the boys’ performance and the character shown during the week. They got better every game,” Justin Collins, the Northwood coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

The victory confirmed Northwood as the inaugural champions of the competition. Throughout the competition, the Knights scored freely and led the way with 24 goals, followed by Hilton College, with 21 goals. Kearsney, the losing finalist, was third on the list, scoring 14 times.

A feature of Northwood’s game was a lack of reliance on a single goal scorer. They had goal-scoring contributions from various sources, including Phipson, Luc Boyall, Siseko Sebeko, and Ryan Herselman. Phipson’s hat-trick in the final made him Northwood’s highest contributor with seven goals to his name.

The Knights’ young side, which had only one matric learner in the final, scripted an unbeaten run in the tournament. They drew 3-3 with St Andrew’s College in their first match before defeating Michaelhouse 4-1, St Charles College 8-1, and Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) 5-1 on their way to the summit in Pool A.

That run earned them a berth in the final, where they went up against a high-performing Kearsney side that topped Pool B after beating Paarl Boys’ High 3-0, Hilton College 4-3, Reddam House Constantia 3-1, and Maritzburg College 3-1. .

Collins’ charges were unfazed by Kearsney’s impressive run. Instead, they took the initiative and went 1-0 ahead early in the contest. Kearsney fought back and equalised to send the teams into halftime on level terms.

However, Northwood was not done yet. If anything, they were just getting started. In the third quarter, the Knights struck three times without reply to take the game beyond Kearsney’s reach. While Caleb Phipson led the way with a hat-trick, Max Nicholson also added his name to the scoresheet.

While Kearsney took a perfect record into the final, Northwood headed into the title game with the tournament’s most high-octane attack, and that proved to be the difference as they scored a convincing win.

Kearsney’s runner-up finish should be applauded, too. Their form in the early part of the season had been mixed, but they arrived at Michaelhouse well prepared and scored some outstanding victories to top their pool, which not many would have predicted before the tournament.

RESULTS

1st XI

1st/2nd: Northwood 4-1 Kearsney
3rd/4th: Hilton 5-4 Affies
5th/6th: Michaelhouse 2-1 Maritzburg College
7th/8th: St Charles College 1-0 Paarl Boys’ High
9th/10th: St Andrew’s College 5-3 Reddam House Constantia

u16

1st/2nd: Rondebosch 3-2 Michaelhouse
3rd/4th: Maritzburg College 4-1 Kearsney
5th/6th: Northwood 2-0 Affies
7th/8th: Paarl Boys’ High 4-1 St Andrew’s College
9th/10th: Hilton 4-2 Somerset College
11th/12th: Clifton 2-0 St Charles

Northwood’s stars shone brightly as they helped their team to capture commanding back-to-back wins over Michaelhouse and St Charles College at the Michaelhouse Hockey Tournament on Friday. Those victories propelled them to the top of Pool A.

Kearsney College picked up from where they left off on day one and consolidated their position at the summit of Pool B with wins over Hilton College and Reddam House Constantia.

Luc Boyall gave Northwood a sensational start to the day. The Northwood forward fired in the first hat-trick of the tournament, and Hamza Amla added the other, as the Knights secured an impressive 4-1 win over Michaelhouse.

The Durban school doubled its output in the evening on the Aitkens Astro, outplaying St Charles 8-1, with Caleb Phipson and Ryan Herselman each netting a brace. Boyall took his tournament tally to four with another goal, while Blake Herselman, Mnqobi Mhlongo, and Siseko Sebako also got in on the act.

Friday’s successive victories left Northwood with seven points from three games. They are followed in Pool A by Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), who have four points from two games. The Witstokke played a single match on Friday, securing a 1-0 win over St Charles, courtesy of a Kean Cornelissen goal.

St Andrew’s College occupies third place after a 2-2 draw with Michaelhouse. The men from Makhanda, who drew 3-3 with Northwood on the first day, have two points from two matches. A draw and a loss on Friday left Michaelhouse, with two points from two games, in fourth place, trailing St Andrew’s because of an inferior goal difference.

Kearsney, who began their campaign with a 3-0 win over Paarl Boys’ High on day one, continued to set the pace in Pool B with a 4-3 win over Hilton and a comfortable 3-1 victory against Reddam House Constantia. The men from Botha’s Hill have established a three-match winning streak and will be keen to carry that form into the third day.

Hilton bounced back from their loss to Kearsney with a narrow 2-1 win over Boishaai. The victory lifted them to six points from three outings and into second place. Maritzburg College downed Reddam House Constantia 3-0, leaving them third in the group with three points from two matches.

Paarl Boys’ High and Reddam House Constantia are in fourth and fifth place in the group, with both still chasing a first win.

Day three kicks off with 08:30 matches between Affies and St Andrew’s College on the Aitkens Astro, while Maritzburg College goes head-to-head with Paarl Boys’ High on the Punchbowl Astro.

RESULTS

1st XI
Northwood 4-1 Michaelhouse
Affies 1-0 St Charles College
Maritzburg College 3-0 Reddam House Constantia
Kearsney 4-3 Hilton
Kearsney 3-1 Reddam House Constantia
Northwood 8-1 St Charles College
Michaelhouse 2-2 St Andrew’s College
Hilton 2-1 Paarl Boys’ High

u16
Kearsney 3-0 Paarl Boys’ High
Maritzburg College 7-0 St Andrew’s College
Rondebosch 2-1 Michaelhouse
Northwood 3-0 Affies

1st XI Fixtures

Saturday, 25 April

08:30 – Affies vs St Andrew’s College, 08:30 – Maritzburg College vs Paarl Boys’ High, 11:00 – Michaelhouse vs St Andrew’s College, 11:30 – Hilton vs Reddam Constantia, 16:00 – Maritzburg College vs Kearsney, 16:00 – Affies vs Northwood, 17:30 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Reddam Constantia, 17:30 – St Andrew’s College vs St Charles.

Hilton College and Kearsney College recorded victories in their first outings at the inaugural Michaelhouse Hockey Tournament in Balgowan on Thursday.

Hilton edged out Maritzburg College 3-2, while Kearsney started their campaign with an impressive 3-0 win over Paarl Boys’ High.

The new showpiece features 10 of the country’s most exciting hockey-playing schools, with the sides split into two groups, Pool A and Pool B.

The hosts, Michaelhouse, are in Pool A, alongside Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), St Andrew’s College, Northwood, and St Charles College. Pool B features Hilton College, Maritzburg College, Paarl Boys’ High, Kearsney College, and Reddam House Constantia battling it out for top honours.

The competition got underway with a bang on the Punchbowl Astro, where Hilton College and Maritzburg College delivered a hotly contested encounter.

Hilton’s Santi Matroos, Ethan Maltby, and Ross Hill etched their names into the tournament’s annals by being among the first scorers in the history of the tournament. Greg Hosking and Liyemikhaya Sishi netted for Maritzburg College.

The 3-2 win landed Hilton in second place in Pool B, behind Kearsney, whose three answered goals against Paarl Boys’ High lifted them into the top spot. Although they have made a mixed start to the season, the men from Botha’s Hill stitched together a clinical performance, which suggested they could be a dark horse contender.

The hosts, Michaelhouse, took on Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) in their first outing, a 2-2 draw, which provided plenty of entertainment for the crowd.

Preston Greene and Henry Yeadon were on target for Michaelhouse, while Ruben Steenberg and Rudolph Thiart scored for Affies.

In another fantastic tussle, Northwood and St Andrew’s College shared a 3-3 draw, with Matthew Kirkwood, Luke Mason, and Liam Painter on target for the Eastern Cape side.

The tightly contested match was a perfect way to wrap a successful first day of the tournament, and it meant the teams would have to wait until day two for there to be a first winner in Pool B.

The action on Friday begins at 10:00, with Michaelhouse and Northwood going at it on the Punchbowl Astro, and Maritzburg College and Reddam House Constantia meeting on Aitkens Astro.

RESULTS

1st XI 
Hilton 3-2 Maritzburg College
Michaelhouse 2-2 Affies
Kearsney 3-0 Paarl Boys
St Andrew’s College 3-3 Northwood

u16
Northwood 7-0 St Charles
Maritzburg College 7-1 Clifton
Kearsney 1-0 Hilton
Michaelhouse 4-0 Somerset College

FIXTURES

1st XI, Friday, 24 April 

10:00 – Michaelhouse vs Northwood, 10:00 – Affies vs St Charles, 11:30 – Maritzburg College vs Reddam Constantia, 11:30 – Hilton vs Kearsney, 17:30 – Kearsney vs Reddam Constantia, 17:30 – Northwood vs St Charles, 19:00 – Michaelhouse vs St Andrew’s College, 19:00 – Hilton vs Paarl Boys’ High.

The inaugural Michaelhouse Hockey Tournament promises to serve up four days of high-octane, thrilling hockey.

The competition, which runs from 23 to 27 April, features 10 of the country’s top hockey-playing schools. Here’s a look at some of the players to watch out for:

Henry Yeadon (Michaelhouse) – “Henry Yeadon suffered a shoulder injury in January that sidelined him for eight weeks and cast real doubt over his season. He showed tremendous resilience and commitment to fight his way back.

“Through consistent hard work and determination, he has returned at exactly the right time and is now hitting top form,” Nick Bérichon, the Michaelhouse coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

On the field, Yeadon is a dynamic, attack-minded player, always aiming to go forward. He confidently eliminates defenders and creates scoring opportunities. However, it is inside the circle where he is at his most dangerous, thanks to his attacking instincts and ability to finish chances.

Yeadon, a left-hander, has an unorthodox style that makes him difficult to read and defend. His high work rate means that Michaelhouse always has an extra body in defence.

“He contributes significantly on the defensive side of the ball and brings a strong physical presence to the field,” Bérichon said.

Martin de Bruyn (Paarl Boys’ High) – Martin de Bruyn is one of the most explosive forwards in the game at present. He complements a burst of speed with an excellent eye for goal. He owns a strong hockey IQ and gets himself into good positions, whether in possession or not.

The Paarl Boys’ High captain leads by example and is not shy to put in the work on the defensive front. He tracks back consistently.

Last year, De Bruyn represented Boland in provincial competition and levelled up when he was selected for the SA u16 side. He went on to play for the SA u17 squad at the Dato Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia.

Luke Mason (St Andrew’s College) – Luke Mason is a dynamic and intelligent attacking midfielder who consistently influences the outcome of games. The number 10 combines exceptional game awareness with technical skill and composure under pressure.

His ability to eliminate defenders is a great asset for St Andrew’s College. He creates attacking opportunities and steps up in key moments.

Mason reads the game well, has a high work rate and maintains it with his off-the-ball movement, too. That ensures he is constantly involved in play. His skills haven’t gone unnoticed, earning him Eastern Province colours.

Tadi Hove (Hilton College) – Hove was Hilton’s most lethal striker last year. His goal-scoring acumen earned him a call-up to the KwaZulu-Natal Inland 2025 SASHOC u18 IPT team, and he impressed at the tournament.

This season, after a somewhat slow start, Hove found his groove at the Nomads and St Stithians Hockey Festivals, where he was instrumental in his team’s victories. Hilton’s goal-scoring machine looks menacing again.

Hove has a great presence in the circle and understands how to position himself well in transitions. His speed makes him difficult to contain.

The Hilton striker is also not shy about tracking back and putting in the defensive hard yards. That’s an attribute that fits perfectly with Hilton’s all-hands-on-deck approach in attack and defence.

Wian van Niekerk (Affies) – Affies has made a strong start to the season, with their individually talented players combining well as a team. However, if there is one player whose contributions have been impossible to ignore, it is Wian van Niekerk.

He’s the glue in the Affies’ defence. Van Niekerk’s positional play is one of his strengths, and he seldom concedes possession. His calm and confident approach to the game enables Affies to organise a resilient defence.

Van Niekerk is also a tireless workhorse. As Colin Mendoza, the Affies director of hockey, said: “He never stops running and is essential for our success. If Wium is good, Affies is a tough team to beat.”

Rory Schirge (Maritzburg College) – Maritzburg College boasts some promising and exciting players, including Rory Schirge.

An experienced campaigner, the College defender is solid at the back, and his calm approach to the game helps the KwaZulu-Natal side maintain their defensive shape.

He brings many good qualities to the Red, Black, and White‘s game. His high work rate makes him an asset in attack, he traps at penalty corner time, and is a strong short corner defensive runner.

Greg Rodwell (St Andrew’s College) – With St Andrew’s College hailing from Makhanda, they’re a team seen less often by KZN hockey enthusiasts. Therefore, we also had to include Greg Rodwell among the players to watch at the Michaelhouse Hockey Tournament.

The centre-back has an excellent hockey IQ, reads the game well, and makes it tough on attackers with his good positional play. He has a calm head and performs well under pressure.

Rodwell is effective in tight spaces, possesses strong stick skills, and contributes to his side’s build-up play and attacking penalty corners. His high level of conditioning means his engine never falters as he traverses the Astro.

Ten of the country’s top hockey-playing schoolboys’ teams will converge at Michaelhouse for the inaugural Michaelhouse Hockey Tournament, which starts on Thursday, 23 April, and ends with the final on Sunday, 27 April.

The matches will be played on the Punchbowl and Aitkens Astros. Running concurrently with the 1st team event will be an u16 tournament.

The 10 1st XIs have been divided into two pools of five teams. The hosts, Michaelhouse, are in Pool A, along with Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), St Andrew’s College, Northwood, and St Charles College. Pool B features Hilton College, Maritzburg College, Paarl Boys’ High, Kearsney College, and Reddam House Constantia.

“Looking at this inaugural tournament, you really see the DNA of Michaelhouse hockey coming together. It’s built on that fundamental code where the game is always about more than the scoreboard,” Grant von Meyer, the Tournament Director, said in a press release.

The event is built around the notion of instilling good values in the players, making sure that they carry themselves in the right manner, and also competitiveness,” Von Meyer said.

“When you blend those two philosophies, that core humility with a real hunger to compete, that’s where the magic happens,” he added, “so, as we welcome visiting teams, the message is simple: give it everything you’ve got on the turf, but make sure you’re walking off it as friends. That’s what hockey here is all about.”

A couple of u16 matches will set the ball rolling on Thursday, with St Charles College and Northwood, and Clifton and Maritzburg College meeting at 13:30. Hilton College and Maritzburg College face off in the first of the 1st XI games at 15:00.

The group matches continue on Friday and Saturday, before the knockout stages that will lead to the final.

FIXTURES

Thursday

15:00 – Hilton vs Maritzburg College, 16:30 – Michaelhouse vs Affies, 16:30 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Kearsney, 18:00 – St Andrew’s College vs Northwood

Friday

10:00 – Michaelhouse vs Northwood, 10:00 – Affies vs St Charles College, 11:30 – Maritzburg College vs Reddam Constantia, 11:30 – Hilton vs Kearsney, 17:30 – Kearsney vs Reddam Constantia, 17:30 – Northwood vs St Charles College, 19:00 – Michaelhouse vs St Andrew’s College, 19:00 – Hilton vs Paarl Boys’ High.

Saturday

08:30 – Affies vs St Andrew’s College, 08:30 – Maritzburg College vs Paarl Boys’ High, 11:00 – Michaelhouse vs St Andrew’s College, 11:30 – Hilton vs Reddam Constantia, 16:00 – Maritzburg College vs Kearsney, 16:00 – Affies vs Northwood, 17:30 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Reddam Constantia, 17:30 – St Andrew’s College vs St Charles College.

Alissa Venter and Lianri Langeveldt were on target in a 2-0 win for Hoërskool Eldoraigne‘s girls over HTS Middelburg girls in a league match at the Eldo Astro on Saturday.

Later in the day, Daniel Beneke performed superbly in goal to help the Eldoraigne boys’ team to a 3-1 win over HTS Middelburg in a penalty shootout.

The Eldoraigne girls headed into the contest eager to redeem themselves after a narrow 2-3 loss to HTS Middelburg’s neighbours, Middelburg High, in a Puk Series tie the previous week.

“We went into the match expecting another physical game. However, our focus for the week was on getting our set piece right, specifically penalty corner defence, and then going in with a positive mindset, knowing that if we continue to work hard as a group, we will be rewarded,” Chadwin Petersen, the Eldoraigne coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

His charges have been guilty of starting slowly at times, which has led to them chasing the game. Against Middies, they ran onto the field with purpose and asserted themselves. This was no slow start.

Mia McArdle came close to putting Eldoraigne in front in the first few minutes of the opening chukka, but a fine save denied McArdle’s attempt.

Eldoraigne’s pressure was intense, though, and the visitors succumbed to it in the sixth minute when Alissa Venter fired in a brilliant strike after a smooth build-up by the hosts.

Although Eldos continued to pressure the visitors, they were forced to wait until the final quarter to score again. This time, Lianri Langeveldt struck.

The home side’s boys’ team then gave the home crowd plenty to cheer when they registered a 3-1 penalty shootout win over HTS Middelburg after the sides finished regulation time deadlocked at 1-1.

Unlike in the girls’ game, it was HTS Middelburg who made a strong start, and their forays into the Eldoraigne circle earned them an early penalty stroke, which they duly converted.

Eldoraigne responded well, launching attacks at an unyielding HTS Middelburg defence. Eventually, their efforts were rewarded in the final chukka when Ayden Brits levelled the scores by converting a penalty corner. Then, it was onto the penalty shootout.

The hosts took the first penalty, but were unable to convert it. HTS Middelburg scored from their opportunity to take a 1-0 lead.

Eldos replied with three penalty successes on the trot, while Daniel Beneke, the Eldoraigne goalkeeper, was unbending, and the victory belonged to the home side.

Results

Girls
Eldoraigne 2-0 HTS Middelburg

Boys
Eldoraigne (3) 1-1 (1) HTS Middelburg