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Hoër Tegniese Skool Middelburg het Saterdag op tuisbodem ‘n tweede agtereenvolgende SDC Noordvaal Plaat-titel onder breier, Jano Venter, ingepalm.

Herleef al die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Plaat-aksie op SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

Venter het verlede jaar amptelik as die Rooi Bulle se afrigter oorgeneem en met die intrapslag die span van Middelburg na ‘n Plaat-titel gelei, ná die gelykopuitslag van 24-24 teen Hoërskool Transvalia in die eindstryd in Vanderbijlpark.

Vanjaar staan die Rooi Bulle egter alleen as nommer een op die podium, nadat hulle Saterdag in vanjaar se tweede Middelburg-derby met 19-11 oor die naburige Hoërskool Middelburg baas was.

Agsteman, Tercuis Bezuidenhout, het nogmaals die wenkbroue gelig met sy indrukwekkende skopvernuf. Dit was van meet af aan duidelik dat enige beskikbare punte gevat moes word, met albei spanne se verdediging wat rotsvas gestaan het, en dus het Bezuidenhout se drie strafdoele ‘n aansienlike bydrae tot sy span se sege gelewer.

Die stryd tussen die twee agttalle was titanies, met geen genade wat gegee of gevra is nie. Die feit dat ál drie drieë in die wedstryd deur voorspelers gedruk is, getuig hiervan.

Die Rooi Bulle se loskopstut, Janco Botha, het wel soos ‘n wafferse senter van die halflyn deurgestorm vir sy vyfpunter, terwyl, haker, Hanro Terblanche, vir die eerste drie van die wedstryd oorgeduik het.

Matthew Abbey het sy Middie-loopbaan met twee strafdoele afgesluit, terwyl oopkantflank, CW Hanekom, vir ‘n laaste keer in ‘n Middelburg trui oorgeduik het. Hul pogings was egter net nie genoeg om die Rooies op hul tuisveld te stuit nie.

Die Middies het egter nie met leë hande huis toe gegaan nie, met die o.16-span wat vir die derde agtereenvolgende jaar as kampioen in die afdeling van die veld gestap het. Hulle het vir Hoërskool Oos-Moot met 24-19 met ‘n drie kort voor die eindfluitjie getroef.

Die feit dat hulle agtereenvolgens as o.14-, o.15- en o.16-spanne koning gekraai het in die Plaat-afdeling, is iets wat die Middies se ondersteuners opgewonde sal maak wanneer dié klomp volgende jaar by die ope-spanne aansluit.

Die uitstaande seisoene deur die twee ouer ouderdomsgroepe en goeie seisoene onder die juniors, het ook verseker dat die Middies promosie na die taaiste afdeling, die Beker, verwerf het, en dus vir Transvalia en Hoërskool Nelspruit, wat albei na die Plaat gerelegeer word, vervang.

Hoërskool Oos-Moot se o.15-span het die teleurstelling van verlede jaar se o.14-eindstryd agter hom geplaas deur vir Hoërskool Zwartkop met 24-11 te verslaan. Die Oosies het verlede jaar met 8-15 teen Hoërskool Transvalia vasgeval.

Hoërskool Wesvalia spog met die beste o.14-span in dié afdeling. Die Wessies het uiteindelik, na ‘n vierkuns deur sy reuse en bedrywige agsteman, Dihan Booyens, met ‘n sege van 27-18 oor Hoërskool Kempton Park se vurige juniors vir Klerksdorp trots gemaak.

Puntemakers: 

HTS Middelburg 19 (11) – Drieë: Hanro Terblanche, Janco Botha. Strafdoele: Tercius Bezuidenhout (3). Hoërskool Middelburg 11 (8) – Drie: CW Hanekom. Strafdoele: Matthew Abbey (2).

Ander spanne: 

o.16: Hoërskool Middelburg 24, Oos-Moot 19.

o.15: Oos-Moot 24, Zwartkop 11.

o.14: Wesvalia 27, Hoërskool Kempton Park 18.

Hoërskool Montana het Saterdag sy eerste Noordvaal-titel ooit, sedert die skool se stigting op 7 Januarie 1981, ingepalm, deur die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Skild-titel tuis in Pretoria te verower.

Herleef al die SDC Noordvaal Skild-aksie op SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

Die Monties het vir Hoërskool Pietersburg met 32-28 in hul laaste wedstryd van die seisoen verslaan. Die tuisspan het die grootsheid van die oomblik, sowel as die luidkeelse ondersteuning van die skare, ten volle benut om binne die eerste 10 minute toe te slaan.

Heelagter, Marq de Villiers, die Monties se vernaamste wapen op die dag, en oopkantflank, Ashton Vorster, het elk gedruk om aan die tuisspan ‘n vroeë en gesonde voorsprong te bied. De Villiers was egter nog nie klaar nie, en het kort voor die rustydfluitjie weer agter die Pieties se doellyn gaan draai. Die agterstand van 7-26 het aan die besoekers ‘n reusetaak in die tweede helfte gelaat.

Die Pieties het nietemin daarop geantwoord deur staatmaker-agtsteman, FC Smith, en woelwater-flank, Andru de Beer, wat elkeen gedruk het. Dit was verál De Beer se drie wat die kat in die duiwehok gegooi het, want nóg ‘n drie deur losskakel, Juan Randall, het die tuisskare op hete kole gehad.

Die man van die oomblik was oplaas plaasvervanger, Jandré Stoltz, wat sy skopskoen aangehad en uiteindelik met twee strafdoele, die wenskoppe, geslaag het om Monties se rekordboeke te herskryf.

In die o.16-eindstryd het die besoekers van Polokwane die knoop deurgehaak en gesorg vir een van die skokseges van die jaar, deur vir ‘n onoorwonne Hoërskool Piet Retief met 35-32 die loef af te steek. Juan Dreyer se tweekuns aan drieë, asook drie strafdoele en drie doelskoppe deur Hanno Kotze, het die grootste aandeel gehad in die Pietersburgers se titelsege.

Piet Retief het nietemin steeds met ‘n titel huiswaarts gekeer. Die afdeling se ander Pieties het ‘n verbroude kans deur Hoërskool Ben Vorster op die einde oorleef om gelykop te speel met 20-20. Volgens die Noordvaal-bepalings het die gelykopuitslag beteken dat die twee spanne die o.15-titel deel.

Monties se jongelinge het die kersie op hul promosie-koek geplaas deur die o.14-titel in Pretoria staanplek te gee. Dié span was met 21-12 baas oor Hoërskool Secunda. Die feit dat hulle die Monties se tweede ligawenners was, het beteken dat die Pretorianers volgende jaar weer in die Plaat-afdeling sal uitdraf.

Puntemakers: 

Montana 32 (26) -Drieë: Marq de Villiers (2), Ashton Vorster, Luhan Barnard. Doelskoppe: Rubel Bester (3). Strafdoele: Jandre Stoltz (2). Hoërskool Pieterburg 28 (7) – Drieë: Ludke Pienaar, FC Smith, Andru de Beer, Juan Randall. Doelskoppe: Ryno Mienie (4).

Ander spanne: 

o.16: Hoërskool Pietersburg 35, Hoërskool Piet Retief 32.

o.15: Hoërskool Piet Retief 20, Ben Vorster 20.

o.14: Montana 21, Hoërskool Secunda 12.

Potchefstroom Volkskool, geskiedkundig een van die Noordvaal se meer suksesvolle spanne oor die jare, het Saterdagmiddag daarin geslaag om ‘n onoorwonne Potchefstroom Gimnasium in die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Bowl-eindstryd te onttroon.

Herleef al die SDC Noordvaal Bowl-aksie op SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

Volkies het in die doodsnikke van die eindstryd die oorwinning met 22-17 beklink om as die nuwe kampioen van dié afdeling gekroon te word. Dit was Volkies se eerste Noordvaal-titel sedert 2011, wat ‘n titeldroogte van 14 jaar verbreek het.

Dit was boonop die Gimmies se eerste nederlaag in vanjaar se Bowl-reeks.

Dit was heel gepas dat die Volkies se staatmaker-slot, Joshua van der Westhuizen, vir die wendrie oorgeduik het. Van der Westhuizen was deur die loop van die seisoen ‘n reuse aanwins vir die span van die suide van Potchefstroom, op sowel die aanval as verdediging, terwyl sy springwerk in die lynstane ook van onskatbare waarde was.

Hoewel Van der Westhuizen die held van die oomblik was, het skrumskakel, Juhan Geldenhuys, die grootste aandeel in die Volkies se sege gehad, met vyf reuse strafdoele, asook ‘n doelskop, om 17 van sy span se 22 punte aan te teken.

Vir die Gimmies het Elrich Bosch, met wat later gelyk het soos ‘n erg seer knie, alles in die stryd gewerp. Die tuisspan se binnesenter het, nes in verlede jaar se eindstryd, oorgebars om sy span tot kort voor die eindfluitjie die voortou te gee. Loskopstut, Jeandré Barends, was ook weer uitstekend, maar dit was uiteindelik nie genoeg om vir die Volkies te troef nie.

Merensky Landbou Akademie se o.16-groep het dit twee uit twee gemaak deur vir die tweede agtereenvolgende jaar met die Noordvaal-titel weg te stap, nadat hy vir Hoërskool Eldoraigne naelskraaps met 31-29 verslaan het.

Dit was nietemin ‘n bittersoet einde aan die seisoen vir die Eldos. Ten spyte van dié nederlaag, het die span se deelname, sowel as die o.15-span se Noordvaal-titel, beteken dat die Eldos volgende jaar in die Skild-afdeling sal uitdraf. Die Eldo’s se o.15’s het met Hoërskool Ermelo afgereken, met 25-19, in ‘n aanskoulike eindstryd.

Die Gimmies se kleintjies het aan die einde van 50 minute net-net genoeg gedoen om die o.14-trofee te verower. Juvan Botes, seun van die voormalige Haai-flank, Jacques Botes, se doelskop was uiteindelik die verskil in die naelbytsege van 7-5 oor Hoërskool Jeugland, wat sy plek in dié afdeling behou het.

Puntemakers: 

Potchefstroom Volkskool 22 (9) – Drie: Joshua van der Westhuizen. Doelskop: Juhan Geldenhuys. Strafdoele: Geldenhuys (5). Potchefstroom Gimnasium 17 (7) – Drieë: Jeandré Barends, Elrich Bosch. Doelskop: Zandré Da Silva. Strafdoel: Da Silva.

Ander spanne: 

o.16: Merensky Landbou Akademie 31, Eldoraigne 29.

o.15: Eldoraigne 25, Hoërskool Ermelo 19.

o.14: Potchefstroom Gimnasium 7, Jeugland 5.

The term “golden generation” is often used in sports when a team performs well or achieves a rare feat.

The actual meaning of the term, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is a “group of skilful players of similar age who achieve success” or “players who are expected to succeed”.

No matter how you interpret it, there is no doubt that the South African College High School (SACS) first-team hockey side of 2025 was exactly that, a golden generation.

After years of dominating schoolboy hockey in South Africa, SACS entered the 2025 season intent on making a strong statement, focused on separating themselves from the chasing pack.

Under the tutelage of coaches Sam Holmes and Jody Erasmus, and Director of Hockey James Peverley, they kicked off their campaign with an international tour to The Netherlands in March and made light work of their Dutch opponents, winning four and drawing one against some of the best age group club teams in the world.

When they returned home, many hockey enthusiasts were eager to see what they had in store, and the boys in blue and white delivered a season-long highly entertaining show.

Led by their talisman Jo le Roux, SACS went on an insane winning spree, which included claiming the coveted Hibbert Shield title in Gqeberha with a 6-2 win over Paarl Gimnasium in the final.

They also beat Paul Roos Gimnasium three times in a calendar year. After edging out PRG in the semifinals of the Hibbert Shield in a penalty shootout, they registered 3-1 and 5-2 victories in May and July, respectively.

The only bump along the way came in the form of a 2-2 draw against Paarl Gim in June, but other than that, they were unstoppable, and they scored goals by the bucketload.

For the third season running, they also did the double against their southern suburbs’ rivals, Bishops, Rondebosch Boys’ High and Wynberg Boys’ High.

They dominated, scoring a whopping 43 goals while conceding only five times in those derby encounters.

Their stayers’ team also ruled the roost at the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament and walked away with gold.

Complacency could’ve crept in at any point, but they stayed calm and focused, delivering top performances week in and week out as they overwhelmed their opposition.

There is no denying that Litha Kraai was the side’s star yet again, but SACS, this year, relied more on a combined team effort, with many players making their presence felt.

Kraai, along with Le Roux, Reece Theunis and Mohlodi Maseko, grabbed the headlines, but there was more to the SACS side than those four players.

Aidan Hughes had one of his best seasons, going about his business humbly and effectively every week. Zach “Iniesta“ Redfern was also heavily involved, helping to pull the strings, and Matthew Lassen was more than just a defender, which he demonstrated when scoring a hat-trick against Wynberg.

Other unsung heroes during the season included Adam Thompson and Reagan Wille, who often went under the radar due to the big names surrounding them.

As for head coach Sam Holmes, he enjoyed every moment watching his side entertain on the turf.

““I’m super impressed,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus. “It’s been a long season, a lot of pressure, and the guys have executed again and again and again. They’ve done it with absolute joy, a love for hockey, and a love for entertaining.

“We are such a bizarre team. We can be very average for 25 minutes and then score three to four goals in three minutes. But overall, I’m very happy.”

In their final match of the season, SACS thumped Wynberg 8-1 at the Astro of Dreams.

Lassen, as mentioned above, netted three goals, while Le Roux, Maseko, Kraai, Wille, and Cameron Groves also struck.

“Guys, like Litha, have obviously run the season and ran out in South African schoolboy hockey, provincial hockey, and even indoor men’s hockey,” Holmes said.

“But it’s special to see that even after having superstars like him in a game where we scored eight goals, he scored only one. That means it was a positive team contribution from a ton of guys.”

SACS will lose seven players heading into 2026, with Le Roux, Theunis, Redfern, Hughes, Thompson, Wille, and goalkeeper Lorenzo Virissimo set to leave the school.

“You don’t always get to have the storybook ending, but I’m glad this group has got it,” Holmes said.

“I have coached Jo le Roux, Aidan Hughes, Zach Redfern and Reece Theunis since 2021. They have set the standard for what training looks like.

“They are always first at training and always doing extras. They have inspired a lot of people, and I’m glad that they and the other matrics have got the ending they deserve.

“We haven’t spoken a lot about it, but a guy like Lorenzo came up from the seconds, and he did his job unbelievably well and was a great part of this team.”

Holmes described his side’s campaign as an “unbelievable season” and labelled his team as the best to ever do it.

“Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the greatest schoolboy team ever,” he added.

“They have conquered Europe, and now they’ve conquered South Africa, and no one will ever take that away from them. So well done to them.”

SACS stats in 2025: (Note*: These include the international tour to The Netherlands.)

Matches played – 35
Won – 33
Drew – 2
Lost – 0
Goals for – 154
Goals against – 29
Goal difference – 125
Win percentage – 96%

When the hockey season kicked off in March, one thing was certain, and that was that Bishops Diocesan College was going to have teething problems.

Led by coach Ryan “Juju” Julius, the southern suburbs outfit had put together a stellar season in 2024 and produced SA Schools stars Joshua Mettler, James Grieve, and Rob Veldtman. However, at the end of the season, they bade farewell to 14 players and began a new project with a young and inexperienced squad.

That inexperience and lack of game time at the first-team level were evident during the season in the highly competitive environment of Western Cape schoolboy hockey.

Bishops was inconsistent but, at times, they played some brilliant hockey under the leadership of senior players Adam Diggle and James Robb-Quinlan.

However, some results went against Bishops. They underperformed at the Hibbert Shield, and an unexpected 1-2 loss against Stellenberg High School in May stung.

The reality is that coach Julius and his players were in a rebuilding phase and had to embrace the challenges and sometimes the scrutiny that came with that process.

Rebuilds are a common thing in sports, especially at the school level, and every team, at some stage, will have to go through that challenging process.

Before the Springboks went back-to-back as World Cup winners, they had to endure several years of mediocrity, but things changed when the players started to buy into Rassie Erasmus’s systems and long-term plans.

If Bishops had a choice, they wouldn’t have fielded a young side this year, but the coaching staff simply had to play the cards they were dealt.

Coach Julius has a long-term plan, however, and they’ll have positives to take out of the 2025 season, including a 2-1 win over their rivals Rondebosch Boys’ High on Friday night.

“We wanted to ensure that we ended the season off in the best way possible,” coach Julius told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“A key focus for us was ensuring that we have a good platform for next year. We are losing only three players – Adam Diggle, James Robb-Quinlan, and our goalkeeper, Noah Macnab.

“So, we have a young, dynamic, and vibrant bunch. Hence, we needed to create a solid platform for 2026.”

Bishops was made to work hard for their win after going down 0-1, following a Daniel Fisher goal in the second chukka.

After the halftime break, they came out firing in the third quarter and equalised with 25 seconds remaining in the chukka when Robb-Quinlan converted a penalty stroke.

Troy Stockdale scored the winner in the fourth chukka after picking up a ball that Callum Anderson played into the circle.

“The game had a lot of emotions. It came down to tactical details, as well as being clinical on set pieces, and general field play,” Julius said.

“The boys showed good perseverance and grit and applied the tactics really well, and I was pleased with that.

“There was massive support, and that adds a lot of pressure and distraction for the boys, but I’m happy with how they handled it.

“At the beginning of the season, they weren’t as mature, but as the season concluded, they demonstrated good traits of maturity, and that came through against Rondebosch.”

Looking ahead to 2026, Bishops will take the many lessons learnt in 2025 and the experience gained by a young unit and use those as the building blocks for their forthcoming challenge.

The winner of the St Andrew’s College Football Cup is set to be decided on Sunday when Curro Wilgeheuwel and Bishops Diocesan College meet in the title game.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

In Group A, after picking up to two wins on Friday – a 15-0 thumping of Kingswood College and a 2-0 win over Mrwetyane Secondary School 2-0 – Curro Wilgeheuwel maintained their impressive form.

However, they were unable to get the better of St Benedict’s College, playing to a 1-1 draw against their Gauteng counterparts.

Also in Group A, the St Andrew’s College A Team defeated their local rivals Kingswood 3-0 in the opening match on Saturday, but they fell 0-1 to both Mrwetyane and St Benedict’s College.

St Benedict’s College also secured a 2-0 victory over Victoria Park High, while the Gqeberha school drew 1-1 with Mrwetyane. Unfortunately for Kingswood, Victoria Park had their scoring boots on when they met the local side, charging to an impressive 8-0 victory.

In Group B, Bishops, who finished as the top team in the group, started their Saturday fixtures with a narrow 1-0 victory over Merrifield College. They added another 1-0 win over Trinityhouse Glenvista before being held to a 1-1 draw by the St Andrew’s College B Team.

Trinityhouse performed well, too, picking up a 1-0 victory over Andrew Moyane and a 2-1 win against the Joza Youth Hub.

In other Group B matches, Joza downed St Andrew’s College B 2-0 and cruised to a 5-0 win over Andrew Moyane, while Merrifield edged out Andrew Moyane and also won 3-1 against St Andrew’s College B.

Group A

St Andrew’s College A 3-0 Kingswood
St Benedict’s 2-0 Victoria Park
Mrwetyane 1-0 St Andrew’s College A
Curro Wilgeheuwel 15-0 Kingswood
Mrwetyane 1-1 Victoria Park
Curro Wilgeheuwel 1-1 St Benedict’s
Victoria Park 8-0 Kingswood
Curro Wilgehuwel 2-0 Mrwetyane
St Benedict’s 1-0 St Andrew’s College A

Group B

Bishops 1-0 Merrifield
Trinityhouse 1-0 Andrew Moyane
Joza 2-0 St Andrew’s College B
Merrifield 1-0 Andrew Moyane
Bishops 1-0 Trinityhouse
Joza 5-0 Andrew Moyane
Merrifield 3-1 St Andrew’s College B
Trinityhouse 2-1 Joza
St Andrew’s College B 1-1 Bishops

Dit het ‘n terugvegpoging van 22 punte geverg vir Hoërskool Monument se o.16-span om die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Beker-afdeling vir ‘n derde agtereenvolgende seisoen as kampioen af te sluit.

Herleef al die SDC Noordvaal Beker-aksie op SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com) 

Die Monumentare moes ‘n agterstand van 13-35 uitwis om uiteindelik in ‘n yslike o.16-eindstryd met 46-42 oor Hoërskool Menlopark by Hoërskool Garsfontein koning te kraai. Die span van Krugersdorp het nou met die o.14-, o.15- en o.16-loure van die Beker-afdeling oor die afgelope drie seisoene weggestap.

Die Parkies het nietemin ‘n uithalervertoning gedurende die eerste 30 minute van die kragmeting opgedis.

Heelagter, Juan Grobler, en buitesenter, Danie Bothma, was die Parkies se groot uitblinkers, met Grobler wat persoonlik verantwoordelik was vir 19 van sy span se 42 punte, insluitend ‘n troosdrie in die doodsnikke, vier doelskoppe en twee strafdoele. Bothma het die doellyn, met ‘n kombinasie van brute krag en groot spoed, twee keer oorgesteek.

Dit was egter nadat Grant Khomo-losskakel, Ray-Nathan van Kolver, die toutjies agterlangs begin trek het, dat die Monumentare se agterlyn lewe gekry het. Vleuel, Dwaylon Swanepoel, het oorgebars vir ‘n tweekuns aan drieë, wat Monnas se verbete terugvegpoging geloods het.

Die tweestryd tussen die buitesenters het vir taamlike opwinding gesorg, vernaam toe Blessing Monareng ook na hoogste versnelling oorgeskakel het. Monareng het by vanjaar se Grant Khomo-week reeds sy driedrukvernuf tentoongestel met vier drieë in ‘n enkele wedstryd, en het Saterdag, hoewel slegs een keer, ‘n uiters belangrike vyfpunter bygedra om sy span na ‘n derde agtereenvolgende Noordvaal-titel te lei.

In die o.15-eindstryd het die gasheerskool, Hoërskool Garsfontein, se woelwaterflank, JD Jordaan, twee keer agter Hoërskool Noordheuwel se doellyn gaan kuier in die Garsies se sege van 29-23. Jordaan en slot, Hanru Botha, het vir die Krugersdorpers taamlik hoofbrekens besorg. Dié twee groot seuns van Pretoria het keer op keer die voordeellyn met kragtige barslopies oorgesteek.

Die Nories het egter nie maklik bes gegee nie en was met die omdraaislag nog met 13-10 voor, nadat buitesenter, JT Strydom, uitstekend afgerond het. Angelo Erasmus, die Nories se oopkantflank, het self in die los gewoel en is met ‘n drie kort voor die eindfluitjie beloon.

Helpmekaar Kollege se groentjies het verseker dat ten minste een Noordvaal-titel na Johannesburg terugkeer. Die Helpies se jongelinge het met ‘n telling van 9-6 met Hoërskool Noordheuwel afgereken. Heelagter, Ariel Meij, het met ál drie doelskoppe geslaag, op die aanval uitgeblink en ‘n paar keer die dag met sy verdediging gered.

Puntemakers: 

o.16: 

Monument 46 (13) – Drieë: Dwaylon Swanepoel (2), Blessing Monareng, Carlo Claase, Du Plessis, Ongeidentifiseerd. Doelskoppe: Ray-Nathan van Kolver (4). Strafdoele: Van Kolver (2). Menlopark 42 (28) – Drieë: Danie Bothma (2), Dean Field, Jayden Harris, Juan Grobler. Doelskoppe: Grobler (4). Strafdoele: Grobler (2).

o.15: 

Garsfontein 29 (10) – Drieë: JD Jordaan (2), Hanru Botha, Jayden Lubbe, Pierre Lombard. Doelskoppe: Le Roux Badenhorst, Lian de Jager. Noordheuwel 23 (13) – Drieë: JT Strydom, Angelo Erasmus. Doelskoppe: MJ Kritzinger (2). Strafdoele: Kritzinger (3).

o.14: 

Helpmekaar Kollege 9 (9) – Strafdoele: Ariel Meij (3). Noordheuwel 6 (3) – Strafdoele: Aldré Wohlfahrt (2).

Wynberg Boys’ High’s SA Schools‘ scrumhalf Morné Noble, and their fullback Laeeq Davids, both secured braces in their final match of the season, a high-profile King Price Derby Series tilt against SACS on Hawthornden Field, on Saturday.

Wynberg powered their way to an emphatic 41-10 win, which was an excellent follow-up to their 21-10 victory over SACS, in June, on Memorial “A” Field.

It’s been a strong season for Wynberg, and their results included a clean record against their southern suburbs’ rivals. They’ve produced many star players.

While their backs shone on the scoresheet on Saturday, their lock and captain, Jaythen Orange, was as influential as ever. He’s been an all-action leader of a well-balanced and very competitive side, and, in his last outing, he played his part by making countless tackles and pulling off some lineout steals.

SACS had scored all their points by the half-time break. Lock RJ Cunningham went over for their final try of the season, while centre, Mikey Skeeles, converted it and added a penalty.

Utilising their skilful backs, Wynberg moved the ball out wide with speed, which have their flyers plenty of space in which to operate. SACS struggled to anticipate their direction of play.

For SACS, it was a season of mixed fortunes, but head coach Nick Maurer had no doubt about his favourite moment – “beating KES convincingly at the Noord-Suid Festival”.

SACS hooker and captain, Sango Zangqa, was a lead-by-example skipper, who stood tall throughout, no matter the challenges, setting a fine precedent for whoever follows him.

Results from their younger age groups also shows that SACS is highly competitive. The future looks bright for the Newlands outfit.

While they will have to deal with the turnover of players, Wynberg will look back with satisfaction on doing the double over SACS, and they will know they have a sound platform off of which to build when the 2026 season rolls around.

Scorers:

Wynberg Boys’ High 41 (19) – Tries: Morné Noble (2), Laeeq Davids (2), Chad Campbell, Noah Gila. Conversions: Achmat Behardien (4). Penalty: Achmat Behardien; SACS 10 (10) – Try: RJ Cunningham. Conversion: Mikey Skeeles. Penalty: Mikey Skeeles.

Other Results

u19 – Wynberg II 32 SACS II 15, Wynberg III 32 SACS III 19, Wynberg IV 35 SACS IV 5, Wynberg V 14 SACS V 10, Wynberg VI 15 SACS VI 24.

u16 – Wynberg A 25 SACS A 27, Wynberg B 12 SACS B 10, Wynberg C 21 SACS C 29, Wynberg D 14 SACS D 15.

u15 – Wynberg A 15 SACS A 18, Wynberg B 7 SACS B 6, Wynberg C 13 SACS C 13, Wynberg D 19 SACS D 7.

u14 – Wynberg A 19 SACS A 20, Wynberg B 27 SACS B 17, Wynberg C 14 SACS C 10, Wynberg D 10 SACS D 3.

Jason Rowles, Alec Loveland, and Ombesa Matsha collected their second Fasken Time Cricket Festival purple caps on the third day of action at St David’s Marist Inanda, on Saturday.

The trio produced performances that helped their sides establish a foothold in their contests.

Noordheuwel opener, Wander Roolvink, also has two purple caps to his name after top-scoring in both innings of his team’s first game against Clifton College.

Rowles compiled his second century of the tournament, contributing a well-made 100 from 133 balls, to help St David’s to a total of 302/9 in their match against the Lions Invitational XI.

It was, though, the first time that the SA u19 star had been dismissed in three innings. His exploits have him at the top of the run scorers’ list, with a tally of 272. Tiago Dias, from King Edward VII (KES), is in second place with 213.

Matthew Barbour‘s half-century did little to help the Lions Invitational side make an impact in their reply to the St David’s first-innings score. They were on 125/7 at stumps, still 177 runs in arrears.

St John’s College’s captain, Alec Loveland, earned his purple cap through an all-round performance that saved the Blues the blushes. He bagged 3/79 as St Charles College posted 242/8 in their first innings, which was built around an unbeaten 76 from Caleb Sharp and Ryan Clarke’s solid 58.

St John’s struggled in their reply. Loveland’s 36 proved to be crucial as they stumbled on their way to 178/7 at the close of play. The Blues are in something of pickle, though. They trail St Charles by 64 runs.

Ombesa Matsha stood tall against a rampant St Andrew’s School bowling attack, led by FG Botha. The Bloemfontein side bowled St Stithians College out for 243, with Botha snaring a commendable 4/28, while Bohlokwa Leketa finished with 2/33. Their brilliance with the ball was counteracted by Matsha’s 79.

Jonathan Hickley (91) and Grove du Preez (66*) capitalised on the platform built by the bowlers to lead St Andrew’s to 229/5 by stumps. That left the Bloemfontein boys only 14 runs shy of the Saints‘ total ahead of the second day’s play.

Tiago Dias, meanwhile, struck an unbeaten 101 to steer Edward VII School (KES) to 205/3 in their reply to Clifton College‘s first innings score of 198/8. He shared an impressive 143-run partnership with Troy Gordon, who weighed in with 64, as they put Clifton under the pump.

At stumps, Clifton was on 17/2 in their second innings, which gave them a marginal eight-run lead.

Jeppe’s Lincoln Casias (54) and Vegas Scott (51) registered half-centuries to help lift the Kensington school to 296/8, batting first against Waterkloof. Riyan Booysen, with 4/67, led the Klofies‘ attack.

When Waterkloof visited the crease, Jeppe had no one to replicate Booysen’s effort and the Pretoria side reached 211/3 at the close of play, with Wian du Plessis still out in the middle on 102.

Jeppe takes an 85-run lead into Sunday’s action.

At the close of play on Saturday, Nelspruit was only seven runs clear of Noordheuwel. The Mpumalanga side batted first and were bowled out for 190, thanks to a classy performance from Dihan Grové, who picked up 4/60 for Nories.

Nelspruit responded well and gave little away to restrict Noordheuwel to 187/6 in their reply. When play ended, Nelspruit was on 4/1 in their second innings.

Results

St David’s 302/9 (Jason Rowles 100, Hayden Campbell 50; Tebogo Lebuya 3/50, Kurt Loch 2/33). Lions Invitational XI 125/7 (Matthew Barbour 51, Murray Leith 21; Morteza Manack 4/51, Miles Pegg 2/17). Lions trail by 177 runs.

Clifton 198/8 (Muhammed Malek 53, Hayden Drieselman 50; Steele Grooteman 4/58, Wade McQueen 2/19). KES 205/3 (Tiago Dias 101*, Troy Gordon 64; Veer Ramouthar 1/17, Caleb Naiker 1/56). Clifton 17/2 (Matthias Samuel 8*, Veer Ramouthar 8). Clifton leads with eight runs.

Jeppe 296/8 (Lincoln Casias 54, Vegas Scott 51; Riyan Booysen 4/67, Ricards Crous 2/30). Waterkloof 211/3 (Wian du Plessis 102*, Franco Schmidt 46; Goolam Ahmed 1/21, Shreshth Kumar 1/53). Waterkloof trails by 85 runs.

Nelspruit 190/10 (Luan Siebrits 54, Gherdu van Eeden 28; Dihan Grové 4/60, Gomolemo Sibi 2/23). Noordheuwel 187/6 (Dian Taljaard 40, Corné Botha 25; Gherdu van Eeden 2/31, Duan Smal 2/31). Nelspruit 4/1 (Dian Boucher 4; Gomolemo Sibi 1/4). Nelspruit leads by seven runs.

St Stithians 243/10 (Ombesa Matsha 79, Nicholas Bayly 26; FG Botha 4/28, Bohlokwa Leketa 2/33). St Andrew’s School 229/5 (Jonathan Hickley 91, Grove du Preez 66*; Tajendra Naidu 2/41, Cayden Sunker 2/52). St Andrew’s trails by 14 runs.

St Charles 242/8 (Caleb Sharp 76*, Ryan Clarke 58; David Ireland 3/37, Alec Loveland 3/79). St John’s 178/7 (Michael Stubbs 49, Alec Loveland 36; Keegan Vermaak 3/37, Daksesh Rajah 2/23). St John’s trail by 64 runs.

On Saturday, on the Piley Rees, in the final game of the season, a King Price Derby Series showdown against Bishops, Rondebosch‘s Aluta Wesi was as dangerous at outside centre as he has been at eighthman in 2025.

His two tries helped his side to a 28-22 win. In June, ‘Bosch beat their great rivals 28-7.

Captain and flank, Josh Neill, was also on the score sheet in his final game for the school.

The SA Schools‘ star is the complete package. His steal, carry, and tackle stats must rank amongst the highest of all schoolboy rugby players this season. He’s a phenomenal talent with huge potential to take his game to even greater heights in the future.

Despite some frustrating performances along the way, Rondebosch delivered a pretty strong season overall. When asked about his highlight of their campaign, head coach Jaco Zeeman answered: “Beating Boland Landbou 57-26 definitely serves as my favourite moment of the season. It’s the first time that the Rondebosch 1st XV has scored more than 50 against a Winelands school in their history.”

Although beaten, Bishops have reason to be optimistic. One might have thought that they would lose momentum when Sam Mofokeng took over the head coach role from Wes Chetty in July. They’ve continued to improve, however.

Reflecting on his charges’ season, Mofokeng said: “The season was tough but enjoyable because of the staff and boys that were involved. Everyone gave their best effort for the school.”

Their continued improvement was evident in each of their games. Hooker and captain, Daniel van den Heever‘s never-say-die attitude rubbed off on his teammates, which invariably led to Bishops finishing their games strongly.

Throughout their campaign, they found a way to claw their way back into games. On Saturday, though, another comeback wasn’t on the cards. Viewed from afar, though, Bishops appears to be on the right track.

Scorers:

Rondebosch Boys’ High 28 (14) – Tries: Aluta Wesi (2), Joshua Neill, Bulela Mbala. Conversions: Sebastian Boshoff (4); Diocesan College 22 (12) – Tries: Noah Edmunds (2), Daniel van den Heever. Conversions: Christian Toweel (2). Penalty: Christian Toweel.

Other Results

u19 – Bishops II 17 Rondebosch II 0.

u16 – Bishops A 24 Rondebosch A 38.

u15 – Bishops A 3 Rondebosch A 45.

u14 – Bishops A 15 Rondebosch A 12.