Author: cschiwanza

C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje put the finishing touches on their Fairtree Super 12 tournament preparations with a 5-1 win over their neighbours Eunice in the Southern Free State League final on Tuesday evening.

Carolien Wessels, Karla van der Westhuizen, Xylia Choene, Marlene du Plessis, and Chanette Jansen van Vuuren found the back of the net as Gyster van Schalkwyk‘s charges fed themselves a big boost ahead of their challenge for the Fairtree Super 12 title.

“The Super 12 is a major tournament and we have been using our league matches as part of our preparation for it,” Van Schalkwyk said.

The elite event runs from 8-12 August at Oranje, who will be chasing their seventh Super 12 title in nine editions of the tournament.

Van Schalkwyk’s side has been drawn in Pool A with Paarl Gimnasium, St Mary’s DSG (Kloof), Garsfontein, Bloemhof, and Waterkloof. The Anriette Otto-captained team’s campaign begins with a tie against Waterkloof on the first morning of the tournament.

Oranje’s record at the Super 12 is impeccable. They’ve won 49 of their 60 matches, lost only eight, and drawn three. They enter the event as the top seed, intent on emulating their title-winning performances of 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022.

Last year, Oranje finished third after losing 1-2 to Eunice in the semifinals. They, then, beat Rhenish 2-1 in the third and fourth place playoff.

Despite the outstanding achievements of past Oranje teams, Van Schalkwyk’s side won’t let history and expectations weigh them down as they seek to add to the school’s dominant run.

“The accomplishments of past teams do not concern me or the girls because we can’t do anything about that but take the lessons that came along with it,” Van Schalkwyk said. “This is an elite tournament that will most definitely come with pressure and excitement.”

Spectators can expect an attacking brand of play from Oranje and, if their goal tally against Eunice in the league final is anything to go by, they will score a lot of goals as they challenge for top honours. The Fairtree Super 12 title is always the school’s goal, never anything less.

Emily Macquet was one of the three players at the top of the circle. The injector directed the ball straight to her.

She was 17 and making her debut for South Africa’s Women’s Indoor team. Instead of being flustered and panicked, Macquet executed an outstanding drag flick that flew into the top right corner.

As she had done on her debut for Durban Girls’ College (DGC), Macquet announced herself on the big stage with a goal.

She scored her first goal for her school at the age of 15, an upright back stick shot from the top of the D.

And as she did for DGC at 15, after scoring her debut international goal, she ran back with a little smile on her face.

“It was the most incredible feeling scoring a goal for my country,” Macquet said, reliving the moment.

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In 1928, at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam, Marjorie Clark appeared on the world stage. She placed fifth in the high jump and was eliminated in the semifinals of the 100m race. Four years later, in the Los Angeles Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the 80m hurdles and again finished fifth in the high jump.

In the four years between those two Olympics, Clark set 80 metres hurdles world records in 1930 and 1931. Then, in 1934, she won gold in both the 80m hurdles and the high jump at the British Empire Games.

The world was a very different place early in the 20th century. Women had to sacrifice a lot just to participate in sports, let alone succeed in them. It was considered unladylike to dedicate oneself to becoming a top sportswoman. While there were in excess of 50 men’s events at the 1932 Olympics, there were only six for women.

Travel across continents was also by ship, which meant that attending the Olympics or British Empire Games required months away from home and family. Clark sailed so that Macquet could fly. Emily Macquet is Clark’s great-granddaughter.

Sport was a familial love passed down through the generations. However, Macquet didn’t just inherit the sports gene from her great-grandmother, she also inherited Clark’s resolve and dedication to succeed.

“I got into hockey at a young age because I watched my older sister play matches and that’s when I first picked up a hockey stick” Macquet recalled.

She was four when she first got her hands on a stick, and it has remained an important part of her life ever since. “First, we saw her just sitting around with a stick playing in the backyard and playing outside the gate on the tarmac,” Deane, her father, explained.

Deane and her mother, Georgia, nurtured Emily’s love for hockey by indulging her. They agreed to play games with her on the tarmac. What the parents had assumed would be a few minutes a day turned out to be endless hours of hockey outside their gate.

“I used to buy those cheap Mr. Price Max hockey sticks, and she would just wear them down,” Deane said. “She wore them down until there was nothing left, and then we’d have to go and get another one. She just loved the game so much.”

When Deane was at work – he is a physiotherapist – and Georgia was occupied, Macquet had her grandmother, Pam Read, throw high balls to her so she could practice interceptions.

Emily’s first memory of competitive hockey is from her first organised match. She was in Grade 3. It stands out to her because of the level of competition she brought to the match.

“I was just so determined to get the ball,” she said. She grew up with that attitude and one of her later coaches, Michael Baker, called her The General.

Emily’s hockey career properly began around the age of eight. She was adamant that she would pick her first proper hockey stick and Deane went with her to buy it. She would have loved an Osaka or a Princess, but her father bought her a Wasp wooden stick.

She was a student at Chelsea Prep and was coached by Catherine Morris. Morris’ instruction and direction were invaluable, and they prepared Emily for competition at club level, which she plunged into at 11.

At school, Macquet played against learners a year or so older than her, and at club level, the gap was bigger. She was up against players who were not only older than her, but she was also facing better-skilled individuals.

“I first saw her when she was playing for her primary school, Chelsea Prep. She scored an unbelievably great goal. She had skills I wasn’t used to seeing from a typical 13-year-old,” Chardinay Penniston, Emily’s coach at DGC, shared.

The competition against bigger and better players forced her to grow up and develop her skills fast. “She just loves to compete. I work in a sporting environment, as well. So, she’s been around a lot of famous sportsmen and all the rest. She definitely gets inspiration from there. She loves going to rugby matches and watching the competition. She loves being challenged,” Deane, who works with The Sharks, explained.

Penniston concurred with his perspective. “When she arrived at DGC, I was immediately struck by her passion and determination. She had a natural athleticism and a fierce competitive spirit,” the coach said.

Instead of wilting in the face of pressure, Emily didn’t just hold her own, she blossomed in the club environment.

“Emily displayed a maturity and understanding of the game at a young age that set her apart,” Penniston reckoned.

The DGC coach has been able to coax the best out of Macquet. She has also helped the teen grow as a strategic thinker on the Astro.

However, Penniston refuses to take credit for her Emily’s numerous strengths, emphasising that her job is simply to create an environment in which the youngster can express herself.

Penniston called Emily a coach’s dream. “She has numerous strengths. She has excellent stick-handling skills and a powerful, accurate shot, slap, hit, and drag flick.

“Her good eye for the ball and her ability to read the game make her a constant threat on the field.

“Emily is also able to read the game and anticipate plays before they unfold. Her leadership qualities are exceptional, as she is both vocal and leads by example, inspiring her teammates with her work ethic and dedication,” the coach said.

“Cindy Hack was my role model. I watched every match she played for South Africa that I could,” Emily revealed.

Every one of those games that the former South African women’s captain played provided an indelible moment, which was imprinted on the minds of teammates, opponents, and spectators. Each time she took to the field, Emily sought to embody her role model and hero. Like Hack, Emily developed a more nuanced understanding of positioning, both offensively and defensively.

“Emily has grown significantly in her tactical awareness and decision-making under pressure. Her ability to communicate effectively with her teammates has also improved, making her an even more effective leader on the pitch,” Penniston explained.

If there was ever a moment Macquet showcased all the attributes she has as a hockey player, it was in 2023 in a crucial match in which DGC was trailing by a single goal, and they couldn’t afford to lose.  The opposition was winding down the clock. Only a few minutes remained.

To Emily, the game was still there for the taking. She rallied her teammates. She wasn’t just vocal about it, she pressed and tracked back to help in defence.

“She scored a brilliant equaliser and then set up the winning goal in the final moments of the game. Her leadership and skill in such a high-pressure situation were truly inspiring,” Penniston recalled.

St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) returns to the annual Fairtree Super 12 Tournament after a five-year absence with one goal in mind, to challenge for the title.

The event runs from 8 to 10 August at C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje, in Bloemfontein.

The KZN side has been drawn in Pool A, where they will face Oranje, Paarl Gimnasium, Garsfontein, Bloemhof, and Waterkloof.

Coach Carla Ann Mackay’s charges will kick off their campaign with a match against Garsfontein.

“The ultimate goal would be to win the title, but we are up against some really strong teams, so, realistically we are going out to play each game to the best of our ability and the results will take care of themselves,” Mackay said.

St Mary’s has been part of the Fairtree Super 12 four times in the past, in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019. During those events, they amassed 14 wins, 12 losses and four draws. Their best results were back-to-back second place finishes in 2018 and 2019.

The Georgia Pollock-captained side has enjoyed a very good year. They have won two titles in the past three months, clinching the St Anne’s Cup in May and the SPAR Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge Grand Final trophy in July.

They arrive in Bloemfontein with a chance of recording a hat-trick of titles in a calendar year and that’s a challenge that Mackay’s charges are eager to give their best shot.

“We have been preparing quite a lot since the girls returned to school in mid-July. The focus has been on perfecting some set pieces, and a huge push, as always, [has been] on conditioning and ensuring the girls are peaking fitness-wise at the tournament,” Mackay explained.

Such is the dedication of the St Mary’s contingent that most of their stars have been balancing their preparations for national trials with their team commitments for the Super 12.

“They have been pushing hard to make sure they are always there for the team,” Mackay said. “They are all so proud of making the tournament. It was our ultimate goal this season after missing out last year.”

While the St Mary’s team boasts the talents of some of the best players in schoolgirl hockey this year, the cornerstone of their success has been their ability to play as a unit, adhering to a good structural approach to the game. Mackay’s side has no plans to deviate from that tried and proven method at the Super 12 tournament.

“We just want to go out and play our brand of hockey and showcase why this team is so special,” Mackay said.

Their form suggests St Mary’s DSG will be one of the teams in the running for the Super 12 title. They will keep spectators on the edge of their seats with their goal-scoring abilities, enterprising midfield play, solid defence and outstanding ball movement.

When St Anne’s Diocesan College arrives at C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje to compete in the ninth edition of the Fairtree Super 12 Tournament, it won’t be to make up the numbers. They will be there to compete. Woe betide any side that takes them lightly.

St Anne’s is in Pool B, along with Rhenish, Durban Girls’ College, St Stithians, Eunice, and Menlopark.

The tournament runs from 8 to 10 August.

“I am proud of this group of players. They have worked hard to earn this recognition to be invited to a tournament where the best teams in the country will compete for the top spot,” said Morné Odendaal, the St Anne’s coach.

The Hilton school returns to the prestigious event after an absence of five years. They last competed in it in 2019. After not being in the conversation as potential participants over the last two years, they’ve done an excellent job of turning around their fortunes

The hard work Odendaal referred to is best expressed in numbers. Over the past 17 months, the team has transformed under his leadership, playing 44 matches, winning 32 of them, drawing six and losing only six.

Unsurprisingly, when Odendaal saw the email that extended an invitation to the Fairtree Super 12, his first thought was the players, and they were the first to hear the news. It was also a moment for them to look back and appreciate how far they had come.

Before taking up his post at St Anne’s, Odendaal enjoyed a very successful nine-year run at Oranje. The Bloemfontein school was the standard setter during his time there, from 2013 to 2022. Under his guidance, they lifted six Fairtree Super 12 titles.

When he took the reins at St Anne’s, he needed to undertake a rebuild to turn them into a competitive outfit.

One of the first things he addressed when he took charge was the team’s culture.

“It was no small feat, but our journey from a struggling team to a successful one demonstrates the power of a well-structured approach.” he said. “To change the culture effectively, we had to set goals and determine how to reach them.”

The first step was to emphasise hard work and to establish a comprehensive, year-round hockey programme. This approach provided the players with more opportunities to enhance their skills and reach their full potential. Odendaal and his coaching team implemented a five-day-a-week, year-round hockey programme.

“We introduced a coaching style rooted in values and principles to align the squad with a unified vision,” Odendaal explained.

He and his staff invited the players to take part in formulating the transformation and asked them to select the core values they felt were important. The students selected five: Discipline: ensuring consistent effort and adherence to training routines; Passion: fostering a love for the game and a desire to improve; Professionalism: maintaining a high standard of conduct both on and off the field; Grit: encouraging resilience and perseverance through challenges; Belonging: creating a supportive and inclusive team environment.

“This combination of structured training and value-driven coaching has been instrumental in our transformation. By setting clear goals and establishing a pathway to achieve them, we were able to shift the team’s culture and drive significant improvement,” Odendaal reckoned.

“The commitment to hard work, continuous development, and a shared vision has made all the difference, turning our team from one that struggled into one that thrives.”

Odendaal and his charges will have their eyes set on bettering St Anne’s results at their two previous appearances in the Fairtree Super 12, in 2017 and 2019. They finished seventh in their most recent appearance in 2019 and had their best run in 2017, when they finished joint-third with Menlopark after a 1-1 draw in the third-place playoff.

Twelve of the country’s elite hockey-playing schools will converge on C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje, in Bloemfontein, to contest the annual Fairtree Super 12 Tournament from 8-10 August.

The lineup features two teams from Bloemfontein – Oranje and Eunice; three from the Western Cape – Rhenish Girls’ High, Paarl Gimnasium, and Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof; three schools from KwaZulu Natal – Durban Girls’ College, St Mary’s DSG (Kloof), and St Anne’s Diocesan College; and four from Gauteng – St Stithians College, Hoërskool Garsfontein, Hoërskool Menlopark, and Hoërskool Waterkloof.

Oranje is the most dominant school in the history of the annual tournament. They rattled off four wins in succession, from 2014 to 2017, then added a further victory in 2019. Another run of titles appeared likely before the Covid-19 pandemic stopped them in their tracks.

The hosts last claimed the honours in 2022 and they will be aiming to bolster their sterling record of six wins in eight appearances.

Their neighbours, Eunice, are one of only two other schools to have won the prestigious Fairtree Super 12 title, which they achieved last year. In the semi-finals, they halted another Oranje title bid, on their way to lifting the winner’s trophy.

Coach Nika Coertzen’s charges have endured mixed results in 2024. However, they have played some very good hockey along the way, and they finished as the runners-up at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival.

Menlopark, who are making their sixth appearance at the tournament, is the third team that has previously been crowned the champions. They achieved the feat in 2018.

For a first time, Gauteng will have four teams at the showpiece, but they don’t include St Mary’s Waverley, who, along with Oranje, had been the only sides to qualify for the previous eight editions of the event.

None of the 2024 highveld representatives have been as successful as Menlopark, however. Waterkloof returns to the tournament after an eight-year absence, following their only previous appearance in 2016. St Stithians College, on the other hand, is back after a six-year hiatus. They were a regular participant in the competition, participating in its first five editions, before falling off the radar.

KZN has three representatives for a first time. Their best achievement previously was a runner-up finish, achieved by St Mary’s DSG in 2019, when they lost 2-4 to Oranje in the final.

This season, coach Carla Ann Mackay‘s side looks like a serious contender. They’ll head to Bloemfontein as the recent winners of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge. In May, they were also crowned the champions of the inaugural St Anne’s Cup, which featured a number of schools who will be in action at the Fairtree Top 12, including Durban Girls’ College, Menlopark, Waterkloof, Eunice and the hosts, St Anne’s.

Durban Girls’ College, as the winners of the St Mary’s Waverley Tournament, will be another strong challenger. They’re loaded with talent and had four players invited to the SA u21 camp this past weekend.

The Western Cape contingent is still on the hunt for a first title at the Super 12. Their best results were recorded in 2017 and 2023, when Herschel and Paarl Gim reached the final, respectively.

This year, they are represented by a strong trio, which includes the recent winners of the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament, Paarl Gim.

The Super 12 has regularly showcased some of the best talents in South African schoolgirls’ hockey. Eight players who were part of the tournament will represent the South African women’s hockey team at the Paris Olympics: Antonet Louw (Oranje, 2014), Hannah Pearce (St Mary’s Waverley, 2014-2016), Stephanie Botha (Paarl Gimnasium, 2015-2016), Ongeziwe Mali (Pearson, 2015-2017), Kayla de Waal (Herschel, 2017-2018), Ntsopa Mokoena (Voortrekker, 2022), Paris-Gail Isaacs (Beaulieu College, 2022), and Taheera Augousti, (Eunice, 2022-2023).

Three of those players were named the Super 12 Player of the Tournament: Louw, in 2014; Pearce, in 2016, and De Waal, in 2017 and 2018.

Jamie da Silva was at her best as she bagged two goals to help the hosts, St Mary’s DSG (Kloof), record a 3-0 win over St John’s DSG to win the title at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge Grand Final on Sunday.

It was a sixth Grand Final victory for St Mary’s. No other team has won the trophy as many times as they have.

It was also their second trophy of the season, following the St Anne’s Cup, which they lifted in May.

St Mary’s was not only unbeaten in the tournament, they also didn’t concede a goal over the course of the two days while scoring 29 times.

“I am really proud of the girls. They really found a second gear,” Carla Ann Mackay, the St Mary’s coach, said after the final about her side’s intensity in their playoff matches.

“It’s testament to the girls’ [effort]. They’ve really just kept on growing every single game and haven’t let anything stop them.”

One of the most impressive aspects of the St Mary’s performances was that, despite playing seven games in two days, they still looked fresh and dialled in at the conclusion of the event. The matches were 30 minutes long with no halftime break.

“The girls have put in a huge shift this year with our high performance and our conditioning, which I think sometimes the girls’ schools ignore. We’ve got an amazing biokineticist at the school, Tanner Smith, who’s been pushing them.

“Fitness was never going to be negotiable. So, the girls have been constantly putting in the effort on the field with fitness and strength and conditioning,” Mackay explained.

Speaking of commitment, props to Mackay who oversaw her charges title-winning efforts despite being set to give birth on Monday!

There was no reprieve for St John’s in the early going of the title-decider. St Mary’s set up camp in the opposition half and dialled up the pressure on the Pietermaritzburg girls from the opening whistle.

Their dominance won them two early penalty corners, one of which struck a post.

If there is any concern that coach Mackay might have ahead of the forthcoming Top 12 Tournament, it might be her team’s penalty corner conversion rate. Before the final, they had scored only once from 20 shorties.

However, while they found it a challenge to score from penalty corners, St Mary’s were full of goals from the field, which was testament to their ball movement, ball speed and composure in front of goal.

They breezed through the tournament on the strength of their ability to score those field goals, and it was no different in the final.

A team under siege can repel only so many attacks and after five minutes of intense pressure, the Georgia Pollock-captained side found a breakthrough. Jamie da Silva, who was outstanding all tournament long, received a pass deep inside the St John’s circle and kept her cool to find a gap between the goalkeeper and the right post.

Two minutes later, Saints strung a series of passes together before Elizabeth Anderson laid off the ball to Alex Bowyer, who nutmegged the St John’s goalie to make it 2-0.

After defending for most of the chukka, Phillip Smerdon‘s came close to pulling a goal back.

They launched an attack into the St Mary’s D and won a penalty corner. In a chaotic passage of play, they hit a post and then, with the goalkeeper beaten, a St Mary’s defender pulled off a goal line save.

It had taken St John’s 13 minutes to create an opportunity, but they showed they had a cutting edge when it came their way.

Two minutes into the second chukka, St Mary’s administered the last rights on the contest. Jenna-Leigh Freese made a strong run down the right channel before she drilled a pass into the St John’s circle where da Silva executed an wicked deflection into the top left corner for a third Saints’ goal and her second of the match.

Despite trailing 0-3, St John’s kept pressing, hoping to muddy Saints’ outstanding defensive record. They dominated the last couple of minutes of play.

Smerdon’s charges won multiple penalty corners after the final hooter had sounded. The hosts, though, held firm and denied them a consolation goal.

It was, nonetheless, a best ever runners-up finish in the event for St John’s.

The title of champions and the trophy was a perfect gift for the St Mary’s captain, Pollock, who celebrated her 18^th birthday on Sunday.

The Wykeham Collegiate (TWC) claimed third place with a closely contested 1-0 victory over Durban Girls’ College (DGC), who put up a good showing despite some of their top players being at an SA u21 camp.

In their stead, DGC played a number of young players who showed that there is more exciting quality coming through their ranks in the younger age groups.

They were at their best when under heavy pressure from St Mary’s in the semi-finals, showing admirable grit before at last conceding in the second chukka.

In the third and fourth place playoff, however, TWC found the goal that counted

It was a fine tournament for TWC, who were beaten by St Mary’s DSG on the opening day but won their other three pool games.

In the cross-pool playoffs, they gave St John’s a tough game, dominating the first half. Their Pietermaritzburg rivals finished strongly, however, and mustered up a last-minute goal to book their spot in the final.

Fifth place went to Our Lady of Fatima, who sparkled on Sunday, winning both of their matches convincingly.

They moved the ball constructively around Founders Field and opened with a 6-0 defeat of St Patrick’s College.

The Kokstad girls did themselves proud, however, finishing seventh in their first appearance in the Grand Final.

Later in the day, Our Lady of Fatima cruised to a second win, repeating that 6-0 victory margin in their last outing against Ferrum.

RESULTS

Cross-Pool Playoffs

Ferrum 2-0 Grantleigh
Our Lady of Fatima 6-0 St Patrick’s
St Mary’s DSG 2-0 DGC
St John’s DSG 1-0 TWC

Position Playoffs

Amanzimtoti (1) 0-0 (0) Ladysmith High (9th/10th)
St Patrick’s (2) 0-0 (0) Grantleigh (7th/8th)
Our Lady of Fatima 6-0 Ferrum (5th/6th)
TWC 1-0 DGC (3rd/4th)
St Mary’s DSG 3-0 St John’s DSG (1st/2nd)

The hosts, St Mary’s DSG (Kloof), put on a dominant show, winning all of their matches on Saturday, the first day of the KZN SPAR Tournament Grand Final.

Those convincing performances secured Saints a semi-final berth. Two other semi-finalists, Durban Girls’ College (DGC) and St John’s DSG, also went unbeaten, although they failed to win all of their matches. The Wykeham Collegiate (TWC) was the only top-four side to suffer a defeat.

Jamie da Silva and Elizabeth Anderson were in top form, scoring most of the goals for St Mary’s, who outscored everyone else.

The hosts put away 24 unanswered goals on their way to the top of Pool B. Carla Ann Mackay‘s charges began their campaign with a 3-0 win over Ferrum High and were unstoppable throughout the day.

They followed up that win with a 9-0 rout of St Patrick’s College. Then, they recorded an eye-opening 4-0 victory over a more than useful TWC outfit. Saints completed their day’s assignments with an 8-0 thrashing of Ladysmith High School.

In the semifinals, St Mary’s will go toe-to-toe with DGC in a replay of the St Anne’s Cup final. Saints won that match 4-0, but Mackay is cautious and unwilling to look to that encounter as a predictor of things to come.

Although unbeaten, DGC was not as dominant as St Mary’s. Chardinay Penniston‘s charges registered two wins and two draws on their way to a second-place finish in Pool A.

DGC looked like the team to beat after they handed Amanzimtoti a 3-0 defeat in their first match. However, their campaign hit a snag when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Our Lady of Fatima.

DGC bounced back with a 6-0 hammering of Grantleigh before they were held to another goalless draw by table toppers St John’s DSG. Penniston, though, will likely be encouraged not disappointed by her charges’ showing on day one; DGC’s was a young lineup, missing a host of stars who were selected for SA Schools this year.

Phillip Smerdon‘s St John’s DSG team kept four clean sheets, picking up three wins and a draw on their way to the summit of Pool A.

They opened their account with a crucial 1-0 win over Our Lady of Fatima and followed that up with a 2-0 victory over Grantleigh. Then, they walloped Amanzimtoti 7-0. In their last pool outing, their defence remained unblemished, but DGC held them to a goalless draw.

On Sunday, St John’s DSG will face Pool B runners-up, TWC, in a meeting of Pietermaritzburg rivals.

TWC impressed with three wins and a single loss on Saturday.

They kicked off their tournament challenge with a 4-0 win over Ladysmith, which was followed by a 2-0 triumph against Ferrum High.

Their run of victories was interrupted by a 0-4 setback against St Mary’s, but they ended their day by reversing that scoreline in a victory over St Patrick’s.

TWC’s 10 goals on day one equalled the St John’s tally. That fact, and the fact that they know each other well as city rivals, sets up a final four showdown which will likely be tightly contested.

It’s a third appearance in the Grand Final for both schools, who kept their records intact of making the semi-finals on each occasion when they previously contested the event.

Now, one of them has an opportunity to create history by progressing to the final for a first time.

RESULTS

Pool A

DGC 3-0 Amanzimtoti
St John’s DSG 1-0 Our Lady of Fatima
Grantleigh 2-0 Amanzimtoti
Our Lady of Fatima 0-0 DGC
St John’s DSG 2-0 Grantleigh
Our Lady of Fatima 9-0 Amanzimtoti
DGC 6-0 Grantleigh
St John’s DSG 7-0 Amanzimtoti
Our Lady of Fatima 3-0 Grantleigh
St John’s DSG 0-0 DGC

Pool B

TWC 4-0 Ladysmith High
St Mary’s DSG 3-0 Ferrum High
St Patrick’s College 2-0 Ladysmith
TWC 2-0 Ferrum High
St Mary’s DSG 9-0 St Patrick’s
Ferrum High 2-0 Ladysmith
St Mary’s DSG 4–0 TWC
Ferrum High 2-0 St Patrick’s College
St Mary’s DSG 8-0 Ladysmith High
TWC 4-0 St Patrick’s

Sunday’s Fixtures

08:30 – Grantleigh vs Ferrum
09:05 – Our Lady of Fatima vs St Patrick’s
09:40 – DGC vs St Mary’s DSG
10:15 – St John’s DSG vs TWC
10:50 – Amanzimtoti vs Ladysmith
11:25 – Loser Game 1 vs Loser Game 2 (7th/8th)
12:30 – Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2 (5th/6th)
13:10 – Loser Game 3 vs Loser Game 4 (3rd/4th)
13:50 – Winner Game 3 vs Winner Game 4 (1st/2nd)

Northwood and Durban High School fought their way to a 2-2 draw when the sides locked horns at The Coliseum at DHS on Friday night.

The Durban rivals have been unable to produce a winner in their past two encounters. Earlier this season, they played to a 3-3 draw at Northwood.

“The boys haven’t played since the IPTs, but I do think a little break would have done them well. We might be a bit rusty but refreshed and ready to go,” Justin Collins, the Northwood coach, had said ahead of the match.

Any reservations and concerns about rustiness that Collins might have had were brushed aside immediately. Northwood was quickly out of the blocks, combining brilliantly from the pass back and connecting their passes for an early goal through Luke Allen in the first 30 seconds of the game. That quick goal left Keegan Hezlett‘s side shell-shocked but determined to mount a response.

“We didn’t let that goal dampen our spirits. We were quietly confident, and we had a lot of control, and there was a good feeling in the camp,” Hezlett said.

After calming their nerves, the Horseflies seized control of the chukka as they went in search of an equaliser.

Then, DHS emerged for the second chukka looking even more menacing. Spurred on by their home supporters, it did not take too long before they levelled matters through Lethabo Mathabela, who fired a brilliant shot past Northwood’s SA Schools’ goalkeeper Harlee Jagga just over eight minutes left in the quarter.

DHS’s dominance paid off again six minutes later when they found the back of the net to take the lead.

It was, once more, another team effort. Ruben Peters received a pass in the circle and instead of going for goal, he laid off a pass to Lebanzi Zulu, who finished off the move by firing into the roof of the net.

“It was a goal that really showed off the boys’ composure under pressure,” Hezlett said.

The home side dominated possession in the second half. They created two clear-cut opportunities to further extend their advantage but they were denied by Jagga, who pulled off a couple of great saves.

Those stops appeared to instil a sense of hope in Collins’ players, who flipped a switch. They went from playing second fiddle to taking charge as they pursued a second goal.

However, their reward was not immediate. Northwood had to fight until the last seconds to earn a draw.

Instead of allowing their shoulders to slump and watching the seconds wind down, the Knights launched wave after wave of attack in the last two minutes of the clash and one of those forays into the DHS circle won them a penalty stroke just 40 seconds from full-time.

The reliable Trent Jessop made no mistake as he tucked the ball past the DHS goalkeeper to level the scores and ensure that Collins and his team made the return trip to Northwood with their honour intact.

“I am very proud of my guys. They dug deep. Obviously, because they are coming from a long break, the fitness levels weren’t there, but we showed some character and dug deep to get the 2-2 draw,” Collins said after the match.

“DHS put us under pressure for long periods of time. And they’re really skilful with a lot of speed and good on the counterattack.”

Hezlett would have loved to come away from the contest with a victory and was a little disappointed with the result after his side conceded a goal in the last minute. However, he was happy with the manner in which his charges acquitted themselves.

“Our movement off the ball was exceptional, probably the best it’s been this season, and we moved the ball from left to right really well.

“We played the ball into the middle of the field and then got the ball going on the outside. We really worked the baseline well from an attacking point of view,” he said.

Ten of KwaZulu-Natal’s top hockey-playing girls’ schools are set to converge on St Mary’s DSG, in Kloof, for the 14^th edition of the annual SPAR KZN Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge. The action takes place on Saturday, 20, and Sunday, 21 July.

The sides are divided into two pools. Pool A features Durban Girls’ College (DGC), St John’s DSG, Our Lady of Fatima, Grantleigh High School, and Amanzimtoti High School. Pool B’s lineup includes St Mary’s DSG, The Wykeham Collegiate (TWC), Ferrum High School, Ladysmith High School, and St Patrick’s College.

The hosts, St Mary’s, have had the tournament on their radar since the beginning of the year and will be looking to go all the way.

Coach Carla Ann Mackay’s team is on the hunt for a second title of the season after lifting the inaugural St Anne’s Cup. The Georgia Pollock-captained side has been in fine form and will be hoping to continue on their winning run.

It’s an 11th appearance in the Grand Final for St Mary’s, who have dominated the Highway Regional district. They have collected nine medals in their previous appearances.

They were the bronze medallists in their debut year, 2011, and in 2013. They finished as the runners-up in 2022 and 2023. Their target this year will be to win the gold, as they did in 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Saints, along with Durban Girls’ College, will be the teams favoured to lift the silverware.  Chardinay Penniston’s charges are making a 12^th appearance in the provincial tournament finals. No other team has appeared in the KZN event as often as they have, and they are also the defending champions.

Like the hosts, DGC has medalled nine times. They won bronze in 2019 and silver in 2012, 2016, and 2017. Like St Mary’s, they have lifted the title five times, in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2022, and 2023.

The Durban Central Regional league winners are also on the hunt for a second title of 2024, after winning the prestigious St Mary’s Waverley Festival earlier in the year.

St John’s DSG, who dominated the Pietermaritzburg Central region, is the only other competing side that has won a medal in their history. They took bronze in 2022 and will be looking for an equivalent or better result in their third appearance at the Grand Final.

Ferrum High School, from the Northern KZN region, returns after a four-year absence, and makes a ninth appearance. They finished eighth in their last showing in 2019 and will want to improve on that.

Two teams, Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South region) and Grantleigh College (North Coastal region) are back and contesting the finals for a sixth time.

Our Lady of Fatima, representing the Durban North region, returns to the Grand Final for a fifth time after missing out in 2023. Their best position in those five appearances has been a fifth-place finish, but Jacinta Wedderburn‘s team has its sights set higher this time around.

The Wykeham Collegiate will be flying the flag for the Pietermaritzburg North region and like their Pietermaritzburg neighbours, St John’s DSG, they have featured in the semi-finals in their previous Grand Final appearances. TWC has twice finished fourth, while the St John’s record includes a third place and a fourth-place finish.

Ladysmith High School will step onto the turf as the representatives of the uMvoti and oThukela Region. It will be their third appearance at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge Grand Final.

The event has a single newcomer, St Patrick’s College, who will be representing the Ugu and Sisonke region.

FIXTURES

Saturday

08:00 – Durban Girls’ College vs Amanzimtoti
08:25 – The Wykeham Collegiate vs Ladysmith High
08:50 – St John’s DSG vs Our Lady of Fatima
09:15 – St Mary’s DSG vs Ferrum High
09:40 – Grantleigh vs Amanzimtoti
10:05 – St Patrick’s College vs Ladysmith High
10:30 – Our Lady of Fatima vs Durban Girls’ College
11:05 – The Wykeham Collegiate vs Ferrum High
11:30 – St John’s DSG vs Grantleigh
11:55 – St Mary’s DSG vs St Patrick’s College
12:20 – Our Lady of Fatima vs Amanzimtoti
12:45 – Ferrum High vs Ladysmith High
13:10 – Durban Girls’ College vs Grantleigh
13:35 – St Mary’s DSG vs The Wykeham Collegiate
14:10 – St John’s DSG vs Amanzimtoti
14:35 – Ferrum High vs St Patrick’s College
15:00 – Our Lady of Fatima vs Grantleigh
15:25 – St Mary’s DSG vs Ladysmith High
15:50 – Durban Girls’ College vs St John’s DSG
16:15 – The Wykeham Collegiate vs St Patrick’s College

The final pool positions will determine Sunday’s fixtures.

Paarl Gimnasium decimated seven teams on their way to being crowned the champions of the 2024 edition of the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament.

In the final, Ian Naude‘s side crushed Somerset College 10-1 on the Maties A Astro at Stellenbosch University on Sunday.

“I am proud of the way the girls played. They displayed good professionalism. They did not take any team lightly and fought till the last minute,” said Naude, after the match.

While the scoreline showed a dominant performance from Paarl Gim, they had a subdued first two chukkas.

Knowing that they could not play to contain their opponents, coach Kyran Fortuin‘s Somerset College side tried to seize control of the contest by going on the attack from the first pass back. They played so well that they won the first penalty corner of the contest. It was, incredibly, the first short corner that Paarl Gim had conceded in the tournament.

“Going into any final, you always expect strong competition and pressure. Somerset was playing well. And I think the girls were also nervous, [with] it being a final,” Naude explained.

Paarl Gim scored only two goals in the first two chukkas. The other eight came in the second half of the game.

“At halftime, I encouraged them to settle down and remember what we had set out to do in the match,” Naude shared. Part of his brief was for his players to retain possession of the ball. That was the key to them controlling the contest. Once they took control, they played like the team that had scored 55 goals in the tournament.

Paarl Gim twice reached double digits during the event, firstly in an 11-0 win over Worcester Gymnasium, and then in the final.

To qualify for the title decider, they breezed past the UK-based Clifton College in the semifinals, romping to an 8-0 victory. Anya Swanepoel led the scoring, bagging a hat-trick, while Isabella Nel, Alanda Rademeyer, Karea de Ridder, Anine le Roux, and Tanya Pieterse also scored.

Swanepoel was on the scoresheet again in the final, this time with a brace. However, the star of the show was Pieterse, who bagged a hat-trick. Nel also scored twice, while Le Roux, Marika Neethling, and Lize Thomas added a goal each.

Neethling and Pieterse finished the tournament as the joint top goal-scorers with 10 goals each.

Paarl Gim also converted the most penalty corners in the tournament, 22, which was more than double the total of the next-best team. In second place was Clifton College, with nine goals.

“We have put a lot of work into our short corners. One of the pillars for our short corners has been to get the first shot on target, which makes it easier for our girls to get the rebound,” Naude shared.

His side also scored 3.9 times as many field goals as the next-best team in that department. They finished the tournament with 39 field goals. Chisipite and Clifton College tied for second with 10 each.

The only area where Naude’s charges didn’t dominate was on the Player of the Match lists. Those determinations were made by each match’s two coaches and, because Naude’s side always played so well as a unit, he found it difficult to select only one of his girls. So, he asked the opposition coach to pick one of their outstanding players.

“For us, the result is what mattered. The result was for the team and the team pulled together to achieve it, and that’s what we focussed on,” Naude explained.

Somerset punched their ticket to the final with a 1-0 win over Parel Vallei, thanks to a Siena Kontopirakis strike. That win also helped them avenge a 0-1 defeat in a league match earlier in the year.

Kontopirakis also scored Somerset’s consolation goal in the final. It was the first and only goal Paar Gim conceded in the tournament.

Final standings, top 10

1. Paarl Gim
2. Somerset College
3. Clifton College
4. Parel Vallei
5. Uppingham
6. Hoërskool Kempton Park
7. Windhoek Gymnasium
8. Chisipite
9. St Paul’s College
10. Paarl Girls’ High

Results

Semifinals

Paarl Gim 8-0 Clifton College
Somerset College 1-0 Parel Vallei

Other matches

AKS Lytham 2-1 Worcester Gymnasium
Hoërskool Bellville 0 (3) – 0 (0) Hoërskool Outeniqua
St Paul’s 1-0 Windhoek High School
Paarl Girls’ High 2-0 Springfield Convent School
Uppingham 3-0 Chisipite
Hoërskool Kempton Park 3-2 Windhoek Gymnasium
Durbanville High School 4-0 Curro Durbanville
Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool 1-2 Rustenburg
AKS Lytham 3-1 Hoërskool Bellville
Worcester Gymnasium 0-1 Hoërskool Outeniqua
Chisipite 2 (2) – 2 (3) Windhoek Gymnasium
St Paul’s College 0 (3) – 0 (2) Paarl Girls’ High
Windhoek High 0–2 Springfield Convent School
Parel Vallei 1-2 Clifton College
Uppingham 1-0 Hoërskool Kempton Park
Rustenburg 0 (2) -0 (3) Durbanville High School
Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool 2-0 Curro Durbanville