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Na twee uiters suksesvolle seisoene bevind Hoërskool Wesvalia homself vanjaar onder selfs groter honde wat die land se skolerugbykringe betref.

Volg al die Wessie-aksie regstreeks op SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

Die Wessies wat verlede jaar as kampioen van die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Skild-afdeling gekroon is, skuif vanjaar op na die Plaat-afdeling waar hulle met rugbykragte, soos die verdedigende kampioen, HTS Middelburg, moet meeding.

Wesvalia het in 2024 met ‘n onoorwonne rekord in die Skild-afdeling gespog. Dit was boonop die tweede keer in twee jaar dat hy, nadat hy promosie verwerf het, as kampioen gekroon is.

Benewens die nuwe uitdaging van die Plaat-afdeling, is die span van Klerksdorp oorgehaal om vanjaar nie slegs die eindstryd van die NWU Prestige-reeks te haal nie, maar dit óók te wen. Dié veldtog skop op 8 Maart af teen die tradisionele aartsvyand, Hoërskool Die Anker, van Brakpan.

Die Wessies was naaswenners in 2024, nadat hulle in die finaal naelskraaps met 6-11 teen die sterk Hoërskool Noordheuwel vasgeval het. Vanjaar, met die afwesigheid van sowel die Blues as Hoërskool Rustenburg, behoort hulle beslis ‘n oog op die trofee te hê.

Die span van Klerksdorp, wat geen veranderinge aan sy bestuurspan aangebring het nie, se seisoen begin op 22 Februarie teen Hentie Cilliers . Die ervare voorspelerafrigter, Willem van der Sandt, wat ook verlede jaar die Luiperds se Cravenweek-pak gebrei het, behoort uit te sien na ‘n opwindende seisoen met ‘n string staatmakers steeds tot sy beskikking.

Oopkantflank, Franco Dumond, se teenwoordigheid in sy tweede jaar van eerstespan-rugby bied broodnodige ervaring in die los, terwyl Quewen Fourie, ook ‘n kranige krieketspeler, en Tiaan de Kock hul opwagting in die senior groep maak. Albei het die Luiperds by verlede jaar se Grant Khomo-rugbyweek by Grey High School in Gqeberha verteenwoordig. Hul veelsydigheid kan die afrigtingspan, en vernaam Van der Sandt, met talle hoofbrekens laat.

Agterlynafrigter, Donald Richter, behoort breed te glimlag met die terugkeer van drie gevaarlike pyle in sy aanvalskoker. Eduard Dreyer is gunsteling om die nr. 10-trui oor die kop te trek, terwyl die sneller op linkervleuel, Fafa Calitz, en buitesenter, Jeandré Snyman, saam met Dreyer, hope talent tafel toe bring.

Die 10de Mei is ‘n datum wat met rooi omkring sal word deur Klerksdorpers. Dit is wanneer die Klerksdorp-derby tussen Wesvalia en Hoërskool Klerksdorp vanjaar, danksy die Wessies se promosie na die Plaat-afdeling, vir die eerste keer in vyf jaar plaasvind.

Voor dié derby, toer Wesvalia eers na George in die Suid-Kaap, met die bepalings vir die toer wat nog gefinaliseer moet word. Tesame met die strawwe NWU Prestige-reeks, bied dit vir die Klerksdorpers genoegsame voorbereiding vir die SDC Noordvaal Cup, waar hul mikpunt ‘n plek in die halfeindronde is. Dit sal geensins as ‘n verrassing te kom indien hulle dit wel vermag nie.

Bepalings vir 2025:

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The official dates of the 20th edition of the St John’s College Basketball Tournament brought to you by Standard Bank have been announced, with the tournament set to be played from 20 to 23 February.

The St John’s College Basketball Tournament is the largest boys’ schools’ tournament in southern Africa and features elite basketball-playing schools and academies.

Over four days, 64 teams, made up of 764 players, will compete in the u19, u15, and u13 age groups on six basketball courts, contesting 176 games.

Renowned for its lively atmosphere both on and off the court, the tournament fosters fierce rivalries and competition among premier schools from the southern African region. It creates a fun and festive atmosphere for the players, spectators, and parents alike.

Last year, in the 19th edition of the St John’s College Basketball Tournament, Northwood School delivered a commanding performance against King Edward VII School in the gold medal match, overpowering their opponents 85-43.

Led by Doug Nedab, Northwood’s Director of Basketball, and first-team coach Kent VanderYacht, the team maintained an impeccable record throughout the tournament. Key players, including Lusanda Hlongwane, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), and Chadley Hargreaves, who was included in the u19 All-Star Team, along with Hlongwane, made significant contributions to the Knights‘ success

Also included in the All-Star lineup were Taite Hendricks (St Charles College), Onea Bvumi (St Alban’s College), and Raymond Gordon (King Edward VII School).

In the u15 final, a Gauteng versus KwaZulu-Natal clash, featuring St John’s and Hilton College, it was the visitors who triumphed.

Although St John’s College featured some outstanding players, like Reza Creamer, they were unable to withstand the physical dominance of Hilton College, which the KZN boys effectively leveraged to gain the upper hand over the hosts in an 11-point victory.

The 2025 fixtures have yet to be finalised. However, in its 20th year, and with leading schools and academies from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Free State, and North West in action, as well as participants from Eswatini and Zimbabwe, keen competition and plenty of action are expected.

U19 TEAMS

Gauteng – American International School of Johannesburg (Gauteng), Jeppe High School for Boys, King Edward VII School, Michael Mount Waldorf School, Parktown Boys’ High School, Sacred Heart College, Pretoria Boys High, St Alban’s College, St Benedict’s College, St John’s College, St Peter’s College.

KwaZulu-Natal – Clifton College, Hilton College, Maritzburg College, Northwood School

Eastern Cape – St Andrew’s College

North West – International School of South Africa,

Zimbabwe – Falcon College, St College’s College

Eswatini – Waterford Kamhlaba

U15 TEAMS

Gauteng – American International School of Johannesburg, Jeppe High School, King Edward VII School, The King’s High School Linbro Park, Michael Mount Waldorf School, Pretoria Boys High, Redhill School, Sacred Heart College, Saheti School, Soweto Basketball Academy, St Alban’s College, St Benedict’s College, St David’s Marist Inanda, St John’s College, St Peter’s College, St Stithians College.

KwaZulu-Natal – Clifton College, Hilton College, Kearsney College, Maritzburg College, Northwood School, St Charles College

Free State – Mangaung Knights

Eastern Cape – St Andrew’s College

U13 TEAMS

Gauteng – The King’s School Linbro Park, Michael Mount Waldorf School, Pridwin Preparatory School, Redhill School, Sacred Heart College, Soweto Basketball Academy, St Benedict’s College, St David’s Marist Inanda, St John’s Preparatory, St Peter’s Preparatory,
St Stithians College, The Ridge School

North West – Independent School of South Africa

Free State – Mangaung Knights

Geoordeel aan die tweede helfte van Helpmekaar Kollege se rugbyseisoen verlede jaar, asook die sukses wat die jongmanne op o.16-vlak behaal het deur die SDC Noordvaal Cup te wen, hou 2025 inderdaad reuse belofte in vir die Johannesburgers.

Volg al die Helpmekaar-aksie regstreeks op SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)

Die Helpies ontvang ook vanjaar ‘n beduidende hupstoot met die welbekende rugbybrein van Tjaart van der Walt, wat as tegniese ontleder deel van die eerste span se bestuur sal uitmaak. Die gesoute RJ Liebenberg vat die leisels as hoofafrigter, met Hannriël Coetzee wat die voorspelers sal touwys maak en Shaun Jackson wat beheer neem oor ‘n giftige agterlyn.

Die span van Johannesburg skop op 8 Maart teen Michaelhouse op dié se tuisveld af, waarna hy teen die Witbulle van Pretoria, Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), ‘n week later, op 15 Maart, in die Jakarandastad te staan sal kom.

Coetzee beskik oor ‘n ervare pak voorspelers, met die haker en een van Helpies se uitblinkers in 2024, Gustav Grotius, wat vir nóg ‘n seisoen beskikbaar is, terwyl loskopstut, Liam “Varkie” Devenier, saam met Grotius, teenstanders se voorrye kan laat les opsê.

Oopkantflank, Ziaden Krige, en slot, Eugene de Lange, is ook weer terug in die tuig, terwyl die jongelinge, Jeandré van der Merwe (haker) en Diandro Botha (loskopstut), wat ‘n groot aandeel in die sukses van die o.16-kampioenspan gehad het, ook deur Coetzee ingespan kan word om die voorry meer oemf te gee.

Agterlangs kan Helpies-ondersteuners uitsien na nóg ‘n aksiebelaaide seisoen met vernaam die senterpaar, Clinton Cloete en Ty Ax, wat heelwat gevaar inhou op die aanval. Ax, uiters ervare na ‘n beseringsvrye 2024 waartydens hy die Akademieweek by Jeppe High School for Boys op horings geneem het, sal ongetwyfeld ‘n sleutelrol in die agterlyn vervul.

Shayne en Ethan Lourens behoort hard aan die eerste span se deur klop as skakelpaar. Albei het die Goue Leeus by verlede jaar se Grant Khomo-rugbyweek by Grey High School in Gqerberha vertoonwoordig.

Soos enige span wat met die groot honde in Suid-Afrika wil saamblaf, verwag die Helpies geen maklike wedstryde nie. Bloot die feit dat daar só min te kies was tussen die spanne in die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Beker-afdeling in 2024, is ‘n aanduiding van hoe taai die kompetisie kan wees.

Boonop wag Oakdale Landbou, by die jaarlikse Noord/Suid-toernooi, en Grey College, by die Wildeklawer, op die Johannesburgers, én is die derby teen King Edward VII School ook weer vanjaar  ‘n instelling wat die vonke in Johannesburg sal laat spat.

Die Helpies se doelwit is eenvoudig, maar tóg, wat die groter prentjie betref, taamlik ingewikkeld, naamlik om goed te vertoon by die land se top-rugbyfeeste én om die SDC Noordvaal Cup se Beker-afdeling te verower, iets wat die skool van Johannesburg beslis kan vermag.

Bepalings vir 2025:

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KwaZulu-Natal’s Our Lady of Fatima grabbed the girls’ swimming headlines on the weekend by claiming first place at the National Aquatics Festival Gala in East London.

The annual event, which pits the best swimming and water polo schools in the country against each other, was hosted by Clarendon High School for Girls at the Harrison Aquatic Centre.

While many eyes were focussed on the water polo competition, swimming enthusiasts were also treated to a feast with exciting lineups and battles taking place in the pool.

Our Lady of Fatima dominated both the junior and senior heats to end the festival with a combined 397 points.

Behind them, in an eye-catching battle for second place, Oranje Meisieskool pipped Clarendon by a single point and St Mary’s Waverley by three, scoring 337 to Clarendon’s 336, and 334 for St Mary’s.

Durban Girls’ College completed the top five, with 314 points, well clear of sixth-placed St Stithians, who finished 49 points adrift, on 265. Their results included four bronze and two silver medals.

Eunice placed eighth, with 230 points, which was, by their standards, an unusually low result.

Collegiate, in ninth, with 196 points, and St Mary’s DSG Kloof, in tenth, with 180 points, completed the standings. The KZN school’s best performance came in the u19 4x50m relay, which brought them a silver medal.

Our Lady of Fatima, for the north of Durban, racked up most of their points in the u14 and u19 4x50m backstroke relays before their teams also claimed maximum points from the 4x50m medley relay with dominant performances.

In total, they won a whopping eight gold medals, four silver medals, and five bronze.

2025 National Aquatics Festival Results

1 Our Lady of Fatima 397
2 Oranje 337
3 Clarendon 336
4 St Mary’s Waverley 334
5 Durban Girls’ College 314
6 Rhenish 265
7 St Stithians College 264
8 Eunice 230
9 Collegiate 196
10 St Mary’s DSG Kloof 180

A new identity, fresh ideas, young energetic players, and a drive to succeed will be at the forefront of the Paarl Gimnasium first girls’ hockey team’s challenge in 2025.

After an outstanding season in 2024, Gim will return to the Astro aiming to, once more, assert themselves as a dominant force in schoolgirls’ hockey in South Africa.

Last year, Gim recorded some superb wins under the leadership of head coach Ian Naudé.

During his tenure, they played an unconventional brand of hockey, which saw them scoring bucketloads of goals for fun while they remained a stubborn and resilient defensive unit.

They finished the season unbeaten in the Western Cape after edging out Rhenish 3-2 in a clash of the province’s top sides, before beating their rivals, Paarl Girls’ High, 4-0 in their annual derby.

Beyond the borders of the Western Cape, up against an elite 32-team field, Paarl Gim finished in fourth place at the prestigious St Mary’s Waverley Festival before going on to emphatically win the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament.

They ended their season with a fifth-place finish at the Fairtree Super 12 tournament, hosted by C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje, in Bloemfontein.

With Danelle van Zyl taking over the coaching reins from Ian Naudé, Gim will be making a fresh start in 2025. She brings a wealth of experience to the team, and is very familiar with Gim’s hockey programme, having been a part of it since 2015.

“It’s a nice challenge for me. I’ve always loved taking on difficult tasks, so I’m super excited to take over the team,” she told SuperSport Schools Plus.

She might have taken charge of the first team earlier, but that was not on the cards in 2024 after she gave birth to a daughter. The year before, she coached the u16A side.

A tough task awaits Van Zyl. It’s not a full rebuild, but Paarl Gim said goodbye to many players at the end of last season.

“We lost seven matrics from last year, but there are young players, coming up from the u16s, who were quite strong,” she said, somewhat understating their case.

“Our u16As were the top-ranked team in the country, so we’re excited to see what they can do and produce.

“It’s an exciting time. The players have nice potential. It’s going to be a young first team, but we’re excited.”

Gim’s u16A team from 2024 was indeed impressive and played some exciting hockey. They finished second at the u16 Top Schools Tournament and dominated their opponents in and around the Western Cape throughout the season.

Coach Van Zyl explained what hockey enthusiasts following the team can expect from the young side: “The thing about Gim is that the girls never give up. We work very hard until the final whistle.

“We want to bring intensity to every match we play in. We’ve also got some good goal-scorers that bring a bit of excitement to the team.

“We are looking forward to [producing] hard-working players who are eager to take up opportunities.”

Van Zyl and her squad have begun preparing for the season. Later this month, she’ll cut the group down to just 15 players.

They’ll play their first competitive match at the Springfield Festival in March before shifting their attention to the St Mary’s Waverley Festival a month later.

After that, Gim will take on a series of derby matches against the likes of Rhenish, La Rochelle, HMS Bloemhof, and Paarl Girls’ High.

“We don’t have any easy games,” Van Zyl said of the competition her team will face. “We play the best because we want to be the best in the country.

“I think Rhenish will be very strong this year because they had a young first team last year.

“We also play Oranje. We’ve got a derby with them, and we play Affies. And, at St Mary’s, you always face the strongest teams in the country.

“These will all be tough games, but if we want to be the best, we’ve got to beat the best.”

While vying for the number one status in the country is the dream of many teams, Van Zyl said Gim’s goal this year is not so much about accolades but about building a team culture and camaraderie that will last the players’ lifetime.

“If I’m being realistic, I just want the girls to enjoy their hockey.

“I want them to put in everything and take out more than just hockey from it. I want them to take out life lessons from this season and grow as humans on and off the field.

“Number one in the country isn’t always possible because everyone wants to be there, but that’s something we are working towards, and we could get there if we do the small things right.

“But I just want us to grow as a team and grab each opportunity. That’s the key for me,” she ended.

Northwood School made the short trip to the Riverside Sports Club on Tuesday for a W100 showdown with Clifton College. An exciting back-and-forth contest eventually came down to the last ball, with the Knights clinching a six-wicket victory after their captain Kyle White struck it for four.

It was a match that could have gone either way, with both sides guilty of a misfield or two and a dropped catch each.

Clifton skipper Tim Saulez won the coin flip and chose to bat first. Northwood, though, made a good start.

They had both openers, Byron Ward and Hayden Drieselmann out by the time Clifton had 18 runs on the board, and Saulez followed for 17 soon after. He had earlier executed a paddle cleanly around the corner for four, but was trapped in front when he tried the same shot to the first ball bowled by Ben Cilliers.

Zach Williamson and Cristiano Borrageiro, then, put a stop to Northwood’s success for a good while. In 65 balls, they advanced Clifton’s score by 85 runs before Borrageiro was caught by Ross McGlashan off the bowling of Luke Allen. He had faced 33 balls and made 29 runs.

Williamson went on to finish with an unbeaten 41 from 37, with three fours and one towering six over long-on, as Clifton posted 120/4.

Allen led the Knights’ attack, with 2/21 from 20 balls, while Jordan Matthews and Ben Cilliers picked up a wicket each.

The visitors were rocked when they lost David de Bruyn to the first ball of their innings, caught behind by wicketkeeper Lawson Dinsdale after he flashed at a wide delivery from Tim Saulez.

Ross McGlashan should have been caught off Regan Radley, but the fielder, inexplicably, misjudged a simple chance. McGlashan, though, didn’t last much longer. He was jammed by Radley while trying to pull a short ball and Gabriel Vermeulen pouched the catch.

McGlashan’s departure, for five, brought Northwood captain Kyle White to the wicket and he proceeded to take charge, playing a responsible but aggressive innings to haul his side back into the contest. At the other end, Tuswa Phetha kept it simple and rotated the strike.

When McGlashan was removed, the Knights were on 23/2 after 24 balls, but Phetha and White edged them in front of the required run rate by adding 78 from 59 deliveries before Phetha was caught by Muhammed Malek off Shiraz Perumal for 32 from 41.

Northwood was on 101/3 after 82 balls and appeared on course for victory.

Clifton, though, slowed them down. Their tall left-arm spinner, Blake Johnson, bowled a superb five-ball over, conceding only three runs, which left Northwood needing 12 to win off 10. They got seven of those off Tim Saulez, including a vital four from Alistair Duncan.

In the last over, Radley, who did a good job under heavy pressure, conceded three runs from his first four deliveries. The other brought a leg bye. Then, on the last ball, with the field in and the scores level, White got it past the tight ring and to the boundary to win it for his side.

His superb innings was the difference between victory and defeat. In 41 balls, he hit five fours and two sixes and finished on a match-winning 55 not out.

Tim Saulez claimed 1/19 from 20, Regan Radley 1/20 from 20, and Blake Johnson 0/19 from 20.

Scores

Clifton College 120/4 (Zach Williamson 41* Cristiano Borrageiro 29, Luke Allen 2/21); Northwood School 124/4 (Kyle White 55*, Tuswa Phetha 32, Tim Saulez 1/19). Northwood won by 6 wickets.

On Saturday, St John’s College won the u18 boys’ boys’ title at the annual American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) Basketball Tournament, while the Soweto Basketball Academy took the girls’ u18 honours.

St John’s had fallen short a number of times previously in the AISJ event, but this time they went all the way, holding off Michael Mount Waldorf School 21-19 in the final.

All credit to St John’s, they had to negotiate a tricky path to the title game.

In their semi-final, they took on St Benedict’s College and claimed a 10-point win, prevailing 46-36. It was a reversal of the 2024 final in which Bennies had convincingly dispatched St John’s, winning 54-30.

There was some consolation for St Benedict’s. They scored a 38-32 win over St Stithians to claim the bronze medal.

St John’s didn’t finish with a clean record, though. Pool A was extremely closely contested, with St John’s, Pretoria Boys High, and Michael Mount Waldorf all winning two and losing one game.

Boys High beat Michael Mount 46-39, Michael Mount beat St John’s 44-41, and St John’s beat Pretoria Boys High 47-44. In the final, St John’s reversed their earlier defeat to Michael Mount.

St Stithians won all three of their Pool B matches, beating King’s School Linbro Park 25-19, St Benedict’s 35-31, and AISJ 49-29. As happened with St John’s and Michael Mount, there was a reversal later in the tournament, when Bennies beat Saints for third place.

Westville Boys’ High enjoyed the smoothest progress through the pool games. They were extended by ESCA, winning 35-32, but, in their other games, they outplayed St David’s Marist Inanda 22-10, and overran St Andrew’s College 45-19.

In the u18 girls’ division, the Soweto Basketball Academy successfully defended the title they won in 2024, adding it to a growing list of accolades. Up against Sacred Heart in the gold medal game, the Soweto Basketball Academy recorded a 32-24 win.

They had been stretched by Redhill in their semi-final, claiming a 31-28 victory, while Sacred Heart had advanced to the final by overpowering AISJ 23-11.  In the playoff for third, Redhill defeated the hosts, AISJ, 41-30.

David Tirkaso, of St John’s, was named the boys’ Most Valuable Player (MVP), while Ntokozo Thonga, from the Soweto Basketball Academy, won the girls’ MVP.

Boys’ Semi final

St John’s College 46-36 St Benedict’s
Michael Mount Waldorf School 33-29 Saints

Girls’ Semi-final

Sacred Heart 23-11 AISJ
Soweto Basketball Academy 31-28 Redhill

Boys’ 3rd place

St Benedict’s 38-32 St Stithians

Girls’ 3rd place 

Redhill 41-30 AISJ

Boys’ Final

St John’s College 21-19 Michael Mount Waldorf School

Girls’ Final

Soweto Basketball Academy  32-24 Sacred Heart

St John’s College remains on course for a successful defence of the Johnny Waite T20 title after a six-wicket win over Noordheuwel on Tuesday. The victory earned the Alec Loveland-captained side a berth in the semi-finals.

St David’s Marist Inanda, also, took a step closer to the last four with a 10-wicket home win over Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge. The result was determined by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after the match was halted by rain and lightning.

Playing at the Khosa Cricket Club, Loveland and James Yuill shepherded St John’s to 151/6, with an unbroken 46-run partnership, to seal victory for coach Bongani Ntini‘s outfit.

The visitors had won the toss, elected to field first, and restricted Noordheuwel to a manageable 147/6 in 20 overs.

Ethan Robinson played a crucial role in St John’s keeping Noordheuwel to a total below 150. The pacer took a single wicket in his four overs. However, it was the crucial wicket of Ethan Smit. The Noordheuwel number four batsman looked dangerous. At the time of his dismissal, he had crunched a single four and two sixes for 40 off 28.

Smit shared Noordheuwel’s highest partnership, a brisk 48-run fourth-wicket stand, with Brandon Pieters (24), which came off 33 deliveries. Marius Penning and Dian Taljaard made solid contributions, scoring 33 and 34 respectively, to lay a foundation for Smit and Pieters to be expansive.

In reply, Darshik Lutchman and Nkosana Sibiya gave St John’s the perfect start to their run chase, sharing a 53-run opening partnership off 5.5 overs. That strong start put the visitors on the front foot, despite a small wobble that followed the end of their first-wicket partnership when St John’s lost two more wickets in 1.5 overs for only four runs.

They recovered with small contributions from Herman Basson and Malan du Plessis before Loveland and Yuill took over.

The Manack brothers, Armaan and Morteza, struck a combined 10 fours and two sixes on their way to an unbroken 67-run opening stand in just six overs against Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge, with St David’s chasing 139 for victory.

When rain and lightning brought the encounter to a halt, the St David’s score, after that galloping start, earned them victory on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

Earlier in the day, Christopher Emslie had bowled well to help St David’s restrict Trinityhouse to 138/6 in 20 overs. He finished with an impactful three wickets for 19 runs from four overs. Morteza Manack was one of three bowlers who bagged a wicket, and it was the crucial wicket of Justin du Preez.

Du Preez arrived at the crease in the first over after the dismissal of Kenrick Duncan. The number three batsman, then, played an outstanding innings, blasting three fours and five sixes on his way to a wonderful 73 off 45 balls. He also shared a brilliant 86-run fifth-wicket partnership with Jarred Montjoel that put Trinityhouse on course for a decent total.

St David’s faces Monument on Wednesday. The regional Schools SA20 champions must win to qualify for the semi-finals.

Scorecards

Hoërskool Noordheuwel 147/6 (Ethan Smit 40, Dian Taljaard 34, Herman Basson 2/19, Aiden Barberrini 1/10). St John’s College 151/4 (Darshik Lutchman 39, Nkosana Sibiya 36, Marius Penning 3/20, Corné Olivier 1/32). St John’s won by six wickets.

Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge 138/6 (Justin du Preez 73, Jarred Montjoel 31, Christopher Emslie 3/19, Hayden Campbell 1/25). St David’s Marist Inanda 67/0 (Armaan Manack 43*, Morteza Manack 23*, Stef Steyn 0/17, Jarred Montjoel 0/20). St David’s won by 10 wickets.

Loud cheers, accompanied by churning water and a buzzing atmosphere, can be expected when South African College High School (SACS) takes on Bishops Diocesan College in round three of the SACS Nite Series in Cape Town on Wednesday.

The meeting between the rivals takes place at the SACS Aquatic Centre at 17:50.

The hosts head into the clash keen to improve their fortunes after a tricky start to the season.

Under head coach Devon Card, they suffered a narrow 7-8 loss against Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) in their opening Nite Series match.

Soon after that defeat, the Cape Town school finished in sixth place at the St Andrew’s College (SAC) Shield in Makhanda, a tournament they had won in 2024.

Card’s troops did, however, get back onto the winning trail by beating Wynberg Boys’ High in a league encounter before edging them out 5-4 in round two of the Nite Series.

“It’s always a sign of good mental strength to get over the finish line in a closely contested match,” coach Card told SuperSport Schools Plus ahead of his team’s clash with Bishops.

“However, there is always room for improvement. The teams have all grown and improved and, if we want to stay competitive, we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard and be more critical of ourselves.”

Last year, Card guided SACS to some memorable victories, but they have been forced to rebuild this year. They bade farewell to several experienced players, who have been replaced by enthusiastic youngsters eager to make their mark.

As is often the case with developing teams, they have experienced some ups and downs, and that’s what they’re working towards eliminating. “Consistency is what we are lacking right now,” the coach explained.

“Having played two tournaments as a young team, we have already proven that we can be competitive against the best teams in the country.

“Our focus and consistency across four chukkas seems to be something that is eluding us right now. That will be the main focus for the Bishops game.”

Recent history shows that meetings between SACS and Bishops entertain, with both teams bringing their A-game.

When last they met, though, Bishops cruised to a 12-3 win at the SAC Shield.

Card insisted his team understands the magnitude of the derby. “I think all our local derbies are big clashes,” he said. “The competitiveness across all the Cape Town schools is what makes Western Province so strong.

“Tradition is what drives these types of rivalries, and I think it is ingrained in you at school, regardless of what sport or team you play in.

“With Jabz [Jabulani Sibiya] at the helm of Bishops ‘polo, they have turned themselves into a powerhouse team in SA ‘polo; everyone wants to beat the best.”

SACS, at the end of the month, will make their way to Johannesburg to participate in the King Edward VII Water Polo Tournament.

After that, they will complete their league matches before heading into the off-season and returning to action later this year.

Card explained what he would regard as a successful season: “The culture at SACS, and in particular the water polo team, has been something I have always been proud to associate myself with.

“As always, our goal is to aim for excellence and for the team to ‘leave the cap in a better place’ than when they found it.

“If we achieve those things, then I will always consider the year a success,” he explained.

Fixtures

5 February

17:00 – Rondebosch Boys’ High vs Paul Roos Gimnasium
17:50 – Bishops Diocesan College vs SACS
18:40 – Reddam House Constantia vs Wynberg Boys’ High

The 2023 and 2024 South African College High School (SACS) first hockey sides will be remembered for years to come after both teams laid claim to number-one status in schoolboy hockey in South Africa.

After a promising season in 2022, SACS was massively dominant the following year under the guidance of former head coach Pierre le Roux.

Le Roux led SACS on an unforgettable campaign in which they won 34 out of 38 matches, drew three times, and lost only once.

After laying a concrete foundation, he stepped aside, and coach Sam Holmes took over the reins for the 2024 season.

Expectations weighed heavily on Holmes, who was eager to build on the momentum created the previous year.

He had an advantage, though; he was familiar with many of the players, having coached them in the u16A side the previous year.

The transition was almost seamless. Holmes didn’t change much. He backed his players and allowed them to express themselves fully.

As a result, SACS, again, racked up outstanding results. They dominated in the Western Cape and around the country.

They breezed through opponents during pre-season and carried that winning momentum into their weekly derby matches, which included beating their southern suburbs rivals, Bishops Diocesan College, Wynberg Boys’ High, and Rondebosch Boys’ High.

SACS also proved a handful in the Western Province Schools Premier League and retained the title they had won the year before.

Their only loss in 2024 was in a penalty shootout against Paul Roos Gimnasium in the Hibbert Shield final in Gqeberha, while an experimental team was narrowly beaten by Paarl Gimnasium in the final of the Cape Town International Tournament.

“It was a fantastic season; we were very happy with it, especially after we put ourselves under a lot of pressure from the 2023 dream team,” coach Holmes told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“I think the boys performed very well. To finish first in the country back-to-back is no easy achievement, and that’s what we’re going for in 2025.”

Holmes was spoilt for choices in almost every position last season after building solid squad depth.

While the forwards fired in the goals, the defence was rock-solid, and the midfield players were always up for a tussle.

The coach credited his team’s success to a collective effort. “I think the nature of the team is that we were star-studded. However, it didn’t feel at any point that the game plan or the focus was around individuals, which was great to see,” the FIH Level 3-accredited coach explained.

“It was good to see a collective performing week in and out. A guy like Reece [Theunis] would have his night and a guy like Litha [Kraai] would have his evening, but we were not overly reliant on them.

“We, also, had great performances from the likes of the criminally underrated Stephen Meyer. It was just an overall buy-in from everyone.”

Holmes and SACS director of hockey, James Peverley, are justifiably proud of the team’s achievements in 2024. However, the slate is clean as they head into the 2025 season.

“We are not focused whatsoever on the past and what happened in 2024,” Holmes insisted. “We started with our lengthy pre-season in late October, and we have our eyes firmly focused on the future.

“When you are number one, everyone wants to come and take your spot, which means you often get a team’s best version, or a spirited version, when they play you. That presents a challenge that I and the boys relish.

SACS will embark on a tour to The Netherlands next month before kicking off their South African season in April, against Parel Vallei.

Coach Holmes insists their goals are simple.

“We are not too results-orientated. We know what’s expected of us, and we know the quality and the effort we demand at training, and that takes care of the results.

“Our main goal is to play an exciting, fast-paced brand of hockey that makes people buzz and gets them out on a Friday night or gets them to travel and watch us, whether we’re in Paarl, Stellenbosch, or Belville,” he ended.