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The three favourites for the 2023 Schools Water Polo South Africa u19 Boys’ title remained unbeaten after Sunday’s action in Gqeberha, although Western Province A, many’s pick to claim the crown, were given a good workout by Buffalo City in the last match of the day, eventually pulling away to an 18-9 win.

Province, in Pool B, also swamped a dispirited Nelson Mandela Bay 21-3 earlier in the day as the home team ran afoul of the officials. Ethan de Klerck had the hot hand, striking four times in both matches, while Ben Reiback recorded hat-tricks in both.

Meanwhile, in Pool A, Central Gauteng A continued on their serene way, downing KwaZulu-Natal B 18-2 before hanging a 26-1 defeat on Zimbabwe, who had the satisfaction of receiving the loudest cheers of the day when they scored their lone goal towards the end of their clash with the boys from Johannesburg.

Anton Arwidi had his shooting sights locked in, netting four times in both games, while Tristan Grimett scored just one less goal, and Leonardo Perreira struck six times.

KwaZulu-Natal A encountered some early resistance from the Northern Tigers, but the KZN side’s skill and superior fitness told the deeper the contest progressed. It was tough sledding in the beginning, but by the latter stages of the game, the goal-scoring appeared to be pretty simple. Mitchell Slade scored four, while Warwick Field, Max Scully and Meyer Malherbe all lit up the scoreboard three times each.

Later, KZN A faced the KZN B side. Matches between familiar opponents can sometimes be a tricky fair, as was evident in Western Province A’s 11-6 win over Western Province B, but KZN A enjoyed a routine victory over their provincial brothers, with Meyer Malherbe scoring four times, and Jedd Poovan and Warwick Field tallying three goals each.

Reflecting on the game, KZN A coach Jason Sileno said: “They’re a good B side, and they have a lot of threats and a lot of very useful players…but, if you’re consistent in what you do, and your execution is good, hopefully, the selection process warrants the result.”

What those wins meant was that the contest that most had cast an eye towards when the action started on Saturday, the last pool game between Central Gauteng A and KwaZulu-Natal A, would be, as most had expected, to decide who would finish first in Pool A.

The showdown happens at 12:05 on Monday, and while the common results of the two combatants favour Central Gauteng A, there’s really nothing to be read into that.

“They’ve probably put more goals on the opponents,” Sileno commented. “Sometimes that’s a good thing, and sometimes that’s not. It really comes down to the day and the moment, and the small moments.

“For tomorrow, I’ve said to the guys we’re on the right track… But we’re going to need an extra 10 to 15 percent. It’s the small things that count, from a technical standpoint, and maybe some decision-making. If we get those pieces right, we give ourselves a chance.”

What has stood out about the three favourites has been their ability to quickly pressurise their opponents with an aggressive press. It will be the team that better deals with that pressure that emerges victorious. Central Gauteng A, especially, have been very effective at pressing hard, turning over possession and then counterattacking very directly and at pace. They’ve scored plenty of goals in that manner.

“It’s going to come down to the press,” Sileno said, before adding, “but there will be some more tactical and technical aspects to it.”

KZN A will be hoping to have Matthew Hayes back in the water. The left-hander was out of action on Sunday, feeling ill, so he was rested and put on some medication. If he’s fit, he will go, if not he will rest up further. Certainly, KZN would like to have him back out there. He brings something different to the attack, playing wide on the right and using the left hand, and he’s also a nuggetty defender.

One thing is certain, the atmosphere around the pool at Grey High will be buzzing when the two big rivals meet on Monday.

Although they went down to KwaZulu-Natal A, the Northern Tigers took a step forward on day two. They looked like a better team and the results backed up that observation.

Alexander Kelbrick shone for the Tigers, striking twice against KZN A before planting six past Zimbabwe in a 12-9 win for the South African side. He added three more goals in a 14-goal victory over Eastern Gauteng.

Buffalo City brought a lot to their clash with Western Province A and, despite the nine-goal loss, enhanced their reputation. Unfortunately for the boys from East London, they also went down to Western Province B, although it was by only a single goal, 8-9. Reece Miles scored three in both matches.

Their neighbours, Nelson Mandela Bay, after losing their coach and a player to red cards against Western Province A, appeared somewhat rudderless without their coach in their second game against Central Gauteng B. The home side was not at their best and Central Gauteng B was up for the contest. The result was a deserved 10-6 win for the Gautengers.

In their first outing, however, Central Gauteng B was well beaten by Western Province B, who claimed an 11-1 win.

Zimbabwe played three games, beginning with an 18-9 win over Eastern Gauteng. They lost by three to the Northern Tigers, but were then crushed by 25 goals in their last outing against Western Province A.

Eastern Gauteng remained winless after also falling 5-19 to the Northern Tigers.

Results

KwaZulu-Natal A 17-5 Northern Tigers

KwaZulu-Natal A – Mitchell Slade (4), Warwick Field (3), Meyer Malherbe (3), Max Scully (3), Rhys Hall (1), Stef Swart (1), Oliver Ditz (1), Matthew Hayes (1)
Northern Tigers – Alexander Kelbrick (2), Benjamin Melville (1), Jack Toich (1), Joshua Verster (1)

Central Gauteng B 1-11 Western Province B

Central Gauteng B – Ross Stuart (1)
Western Province B – Sebastiaan White (2), Mac Lecuona (2), Ross Stewart (2), Juan-Paul Germishuys (1), Bradley Warneke (1), Salahuddin Khan (1), Thomas Truter (1), Paul Enthoven

Zimbabwe 18-9 Eastern Gauteng

Zimbabwe – Garrick Duff (4), Luke Hobbs (3), Samuel Edwards (3), Michael Chaniwa (2), John Whaley (1), Sonny Brebner (1), Ethan Ferguson (1), Mika Detering (1) Codie Selman (1), Joshua Covill (1)
Eastern Gauteng – Robert Carr (3), Jonathan Viljoen (2), Billy Tindall (1), Simphiwe Fede (1), Andro Mladina (1), Cole Taylor (1)

KwaZulu-Natal B 2-18 Central Gauteng A

KwaZulu-Natal B – Marnu Koekemoer (1), Kyron de Kock (1)
Central Gauteng A – Anton Arwidi (4), Samuel Lister (3), Tristan Grimett (3), Tanner Kleynhans (2), Leonardo Perreira (2), Nicholas Pearce (1), Marc Smith (1), Greg Pryce (1), Caleb van Loggerenberg (1)

Western Province A 21-3 Nelson Mandela Bay

Western Province A – Ethan de Klerk (4), Ben Reiback (3), Arkin Marais (3), Noah Bigara (3), Thomas Wiltshire (2), Adam October (2), Zack Cicero (2), Maximillian Mossop (2), Nicholas Fall (1), Conor Melling-Williams (1)
Nelson Mandela Bay – Samuel Marston (1), Jon Hobson (1), Tawfiq Akomolafe (1)

Zimbabwe 9-12 Northern Tigers

Zimbabwe – Garrick Duff (3) Ethan Ferguson (2), Mika Detering (1), Codie Selman (1), Joshua Covill (1), John Whaley (1)
Northern Tigers – Alexander Kelbrick (6), Benjamin Melville (2), Kade Berry (1), Milan Bedeker (1), Julian Olivier (1), Stephen Adams (1)

Western Province B 9-8 Buffalo City

Western Province B – Mac Lecuona (3), Thomas Truter (2), Ziggy Reimer (1), Ross Stewart (1), Cosmo Enthoven (1), Paul Enthoven (1)
Buffalo City – Reece Miles (3), Philip Wagner (3), Charles Caswell (2)

KwaZulu-Natal A 14-3 KwaZulu-Natal B

KwaZulu-Natal A – Meyer Malherbe (4), Jedd Poovan (3), Warwick Field (3), Stef Swart (2), Max Scully (1), Oliver Ditz (1)
KwaZulu-Natal B – Luca Di Vincenzo (2), Marnu Koekemoer (1)

Central Gauteng B 10-6 Nelson Mandela Bay

Central Gauteng B – Jack Wilkins (3), Ross Stuart (2), Dylan Botha (2), Samuel Ferreira (1), Mark Hudson (1), Braedon Hollingworth (1)
Nelson Mandela Bay – Salmaan Abrahams (1), Nicholas Franklin (1), Samuel Marston (1), Luke Lightening (1), Luke Mallett (1), Tawfiq Akomolafe (1)

Northern Tigers 19-5 Eastern Gauteng

Northern Tigers – Kade Berry (3), Joshua Verster (3), Alexander Kelbrick (3), Jacobus van der Merwe (3), Benjamin Melville (2), Gerrit Wessels (1), Jack Toich (1), Julian Olivier (1), Kamva Kenqu (1), Stephen Adams (1)
Eastern Gauteng – Robert Carr (2), Gabriel Cazzavillan (2), Cole Taylor (1)

Zimbabwe 1-26 Central Gauteng

Zimbabwe – Garrick Duff
Central Gauteng – Leonardo Perreira (4), Nicholas Pearce (4), Anton Arwidi (4), Tristan Grimett (4), Caleb van Loggerenberg (3), Marc Smith (2), Greg Pryce (2), Karabo Mamaregane (1), Connor Flinn (1), Samuel Lister (1)

Western Province A 18-9 Buffalo City

Western Province A – Ethan de Klerck (4), Ben Reiback (3), Richard Skeeles (2), Johannes Reyneke (2), Zack Cicero (2), Conor Melling-Williams (2), Maximilian Mossop (1), Noah Bigara (1), Thomas Wiltshire (1)
Buffalo City – Matt Johnson (3), Reece Miles (3), Philip Wagner (1), Sean Audie (1), Charles Caswell (1)

The u16 girls of KwaZulu-Natal made a clear statement during the opening day of the annual Water Polo IPT in Gqeberha that they could be serious title contenders for this year’s event.

They defeated Central Gauteng (7-4) as well as Zimbabwe (11-4) in their first two matches of the tournament.

Lara Mervis scored three important goals in the team’s victory over Central Gauteng B. She also added a brace of goals in the victory over Zimbabwe.

Inge Southey scored four goals in the match against Zimbabwe.

Buffalo City also started well as they eased pass Eastern Gauteng by 20-2. Meka Lootz scored seven goals in the match with Erin Batting also adding four of her own.

Western Province however defeated them by 8-0 in their clash.

The defending champions, Central Gauteng, started their campaign off with a comfortable 15-1 victory over Western Province B.

Results | Day 1 

KwaZulu-Natal 11 – Goals: Inge Southey (4), Kayla Andrews (2), Lara Mervis (2), Josie Phillips, Chiara Collette, Amahle Mhlongo. Zimbabwe 4 – Goals: Tyla Love (2), Chloe Ralphs, Tayleigh Taylor, .

Buffalo City 20 – Goals: Meka Lootz (7), Erin Batting (4), Bella Graham (3), Chuma Magobongo (2), Sarah-Jane Mouton (2), Kate Booyens, Cami de Villiers. Eastern Gauteng 2 – Goals: Sarah Diack, Jennifer van Hille.

Central Gauteng 15 – Goals: Courtney Calenborne (4), Skyla Roberts (2), Julia Joseph (2), Simphiwe Zulu (2), Anastasia Hambakis (2), Emily Carle, Kiara Cronjé. Western Province B 1 – Goal: Jorja Linke.

KwaZulu-Natal 7 – Goals: Lara Mervis (3), Gemma Malherbe (2), Kayla Andrews, Inge Southey. Central Gauteng B 4 – Goals: Taylor Billett (2), Erin Blackburn, Jenna Choriatopoulos.

Western Province 8 – Goals: Sophie Vickers (2), Kelly Cadiz, Anna Liberman, Bella Murray, Kirsten Böttger. Buffalo City 0.

Nelson Mandela Bay 3 – Goals: Lize Horn, Jessica Stevens, Mia Jenner. Zimbabwe 1 – Goal: Taya Smyth.

The Standard Bank South African Schools Boat Race trophies are returning to familiar homes in Gauteng again this year, with St Benedict’s and St Mary’s both successfully defending their titles on the Kowie River in Port Alfred on Saturday.

St Mary’s beat their Gauteng rivals, St Andrew’s, in the girls’ 1^st quad race for their ninth consecutive win and their 16^th in the 22-year history of the Boat Race.

The girls from Waverley tackled the start of the 5km race as if they were in a 1 000m sprint on Victoria Lake and by the time the crews hit the first bend in the river they had opened a lead that they never relinquished. St Andrew’s came back bravely in the closing stages, but the superior fitness of the St Mary’s girls saw them close out the race.

St Benedict’s College’s win in the boys’ 1^st Eight race was their sixth in a row – with a break in 2021 due to Covid – and their ninth in total.

Their race against St Stithians in the final was very different to that of St Mary’s. It was St Stithians who got away the stronger, and when they had opened up a one boat-length lead a quarter of the way through it looked like an upset might be on the cards. The oars of the boats got into a tangle a little while later, however, and the race was stopped.

When it restarted Bennies were away quicker and they claimed the better line through the next bend to move ahead – a lead they kept until the end.

Two successive silver medals for St Stithians in a row at the Boat Race shows that rowing is on the up in that part of the world. In March, they beat St Benedict’s in the 1st Eight race at the SA Schools Championships, and with a bit more luck they could well have won in Port Alfred on Saturday. Could it be that the power in boys rowing might be shifting away from Bennies after 25 years as the top boys’ school in the country?

St Mary’s were also beaten at SA Champs – by Holy Rosary – but they came back to beat them at the Gauteng Championships in November, and the ease with which they won their race on Saturday indicates that they are likely to rule the roost in girls’ rowing for the foreseeable future.

The hosts of the regatta, St Andrew’s College of Makhanda, won the bronze medal in the boys’ competition. They beat Rondebosch Boys’ High in a race that was also stopped for a clash of boats. Their win in the B final marked a big turnaround in their fortunes this year – they were fifth in the 1st Eight at the SA Schools Champs back in March.

St Stithians beat Holy Rosary in the girls’ B final to finish third overall. So, there was, at least, the consolation of two medals on the day for the Randburg family of schools.

For the schools’ rowing community, there remains yet another year’s wait ahead before they get to challenge the undisputed queens and kings of the Kowie River.

The World Schools Festival returns to the Pattana Sports Resort in Thailand for the second time under its revised format. From 12-18 December, eight teams from around the world will vie for the prestigious Cup.

This year also sees the debut of the Girls’ Sevens competition, taking place alongside the Cup and the Open tournament.

Dr EG Jansen will fly the South African flag, with a youthful team, consisting of many of the players from their u16 A side that went unbeaten in 2022. More experienced campaigners like their first-team flanker, Reon Pretorius, will provide some stability in the group as the boys from Boksburg look to make their mark on an international stage ahead of what promises to be an exciting season next year.

They begin their campaign against the renowned Eton College. Eton visited South Africa in July and recorded a 45-22 win over St Alban’s College, followed by a 19-17 victory over St John’s College. Their only loss in 2023 was at the hands of one of last year’s WSF entrants, Trinity School, who beat them by 21-14 earlier in December.

Oakdale Landbouskool from Riversdale is another contender from South Africa eyeing the top prize. With a blend of experienced players, like Craven Week centre Kurt Coetzee, and exciting young talent like their big loosehead prop, Kai Pratt, who impressed at the u16 Grant Khomo Week this year, they will be eyeing a spot for the trophy on the farm. Pratt was one of eight Oakdale players in the SWD team at the annual Youth Week.

Their initial challenge is against Wales’ Cardiff & Vale College, who will be seeking redemption after Grey College edged them out in the previous edition’s semi-finals.

Last year’s champions, Hamilton Boys’, are absent, but New Zealand is represented by Westlake Boys’ High School, who will want to emulate their fellow Kiwis. They suffered a narrow three-point loss in the National First XV Championship final against Southland Boys in September.

Westlake’s character is not in question. It’s what brought them their regional championship title, after they sneaked a heart-stopping 32-31 victory over Sacred Heart in a thrilling title-decider in August.

Westlake takes on Hartpury College from the UK on the first day. The prestigious school in Gloucestershire is among the top producers of professional players in the world. The school’s list of international players includes Welsh internationals Louis Rees Zammit, Alex Cuthbert and Ross Moriarty, and England’s Jonny May, Harry Randall, Ellis Genge and Jonny Hill. They retained their English Champions title this year but will be eager to add more silverware to their collection.

The Rugby Travel Academy (RTA) returns to replace a last-minute withdrawal and has sent two squads to Thailand this year. One will compete for the Cup while the Barbarians team plays in the Open Championship.

The Invitational Team, with players from some of the top rugby-playing schools in South Africa, will be eager to test themselves against international competition, and hope to cause a stir. The St Alban’s centre and Head Boy for 2023, Luke Sass, will have a major role to play in the squad’s success, along with the likes of Helpmekaar‘s Pieter Moller (winger) and Jaedon de Leeuw (fullback) from Midstream College.

After placing second at the WSF last year, Grey College went on to post an undefeated season in 2023, winning all of their matches, to finish the year as the undisputed number one school team in South Africa. Though they are not at this year’s competition, they will be represented by Chad Leukes and Zadian du Preez in the RTA team.

They face one of the top rugby feeder schools in Ireland, St Michael’s College. The Irish powerhouse will also be looking to improve on their performance at last year’s festival. They went down to England’s Sedbergh, sneaked a one-point win over Trinity, and then came out on the wrong side of a one-point game against Cardiff & Vale.

With only a couple of days to go before the kickoff, the excitement is tangible ahead of the end-of-year rugby bonanza.

FIXTURES (Local time = SA time +5h)

Cup
Day One, 13 December
12:15 – Dr EG Jansen (South Africa) vs Eton College (England)
13:30 – Hartpury College (England) vs Westlake Boys’ High School (New Zealand)
14:45 – St Michael’s College (Ireland) vs Rugby Travel Academy (South Africa)
16:00 – Oakdale (South Africa) vs Cardiff & Vale College (Wales)

Open League
Day One, 12 December – 13:30 – Dubai Tigers vs Southern Legion; 14:45 – Odyssey Spartans vs RTA Barbarians; 16:00 – RTA Invitational vs Odyssey Knights.
Day Two, 14 December – 13:30 – Odyssey Knights vs Southern Legion; 14:45 – RTA Invitational vs Odyssey Spartans; 16:00 – Dubai Tigers vs RTA Barbarians.
Day Three, 16 December – 13:30 – Dubai Tigers vs Odyssey Spartans; 14:45 – Odyssey Knights vs RTA Invitational; 16:00 – Southern Legion vs RTA Barbarians.

Girls Sevens
Day One, 13 December – 09:30 – Mabyangporn Wittayakhon vs Omnoi; 09:46 – Hartpury Oaks vs Odyssey; 10:02 – Thai Invitational vs NRDP Malaysia; 10:18 – Hartpury Acorns vs Omnoi; 10:34 – Thai Invitational vs Mabyangporn Wittayakhon; 10:50 – NRDP Malaysia vs Hartpury Oaks; 11:06 – Omnoi vs Odyssey; 11:22 – Hartpury Oaks vs Thai Invitational.
Day Two, 14 December – 09:15 – NRDP vs Omnoi; 09:32 – Odyssey vs Mabyangporn Wittayakhon; 09:49 – Thai Invitational vs Hartpury Acorns; 10:06 – Mabyangporn Wittayakhon vs NRDP Malaysia; 10:23 – Omnoi vs Hartpury Oaks; 10:40 – Hartpury Acorns vs Odyssey; 10:56 – Hartpury Oaks vs Mabyangporn Wittayakhon; 11:12 – Odyssey vs Thai Invitational; 11:28 – NRDP Malaysia vs Hartpury Acorns; 11:44 – Omnoi vs Thai Invitational; 12:00 – Odyssey vs NRDP Malaysia; 12:16 – Hartpury Acorns vs Hartpury Oaks.

The South African teams are:

Dr EG Jansen: 15 R-Jay Pietersen, 14 Jean-Dre Claassen, 13 Jeandré Jacobs, 12 Steven Williams, 11 Cameron van Wyk, 10 Matthew Bergman, 9 Riekus van der Merwe, 8 Zaide-Leigh Rippenaar, 7 Reon Pretorius, 6 Damian Kruger, 5 Gerhard van Aswegen, 4 Divan Francis, 3 Duwan Potgieter, 2 Danré Pike, 1 Zian Marais. Replacements: 16 Marco Ventura, 17 Deveraux Weideman, 18 Ettienne Smit, 19 Zandré Naude, 20 Dillan Williams, 21 Gordon Smith, 22 Christopher Combrink, 23 TK Ngobese, 24 JP Jooste, 25 Jacques van Tonder, 26 Ruan Rossouw.

Oakdale: 15 Waylon Kortjie, 14 Duraan Janse van Rensburg, 13 Kurt Coetzee, 12 Christiaan Vorster, 11 Lee-Winn Pretorius, 10 Warren Labuschagne, 9 Jandrian Goosen, 8 Migail Barnard, 7 Johannes Snyman, 6 Anrich Scheffer, 5 Roy Viljoen, 4 Ruan Swart, 3 Izak van Heerden, 2 Gustav van der Merwe, 1 Kai Pratt. Replacements: 16 Sinesihle Mdlankomo, 17 Siegfried Stander, 18 Tiaan Turck, 19 Liam Lightley 20 Bernard Erasmus, 21 Lohan Gerber, 22 Dewalt Jonck, 23 Charles Vosloo, 24 Reinhardt Viljoen.

Rugby Travel Academy: Jaedon de Leeuw (Midstream College), Jedri Swart (Waterkloof), Pieter Moller (Helpmekaar), Divan de Villiers (Monument), Mashile Matsebatlela (Curro Hazeldean), JJ Jonker (Lichtenburg), Mukhetwa Musundwa (Merensky), Zadian du Preez (Grey College), Chad Leukes (Grey College), Taboka Makhotboltloane (Trinity House), Janneman Benson (Hans Strydom), Cobus Erichssen (Hoërskool Nelspruit), Steflin van den Heever (Bergvlam), Kian du Plessis (Hans Strydom), Pedri van Heerden (Diamantveld), Rigert Klok (Diamantveld), Morne van Aswegen (Potchefstroom Gimnasium), Matthew Zondag (Ferrum), Ewean van Zyl (Hoërskool Nelspruit), Luke Sass (St Alban’s College), Raynard van Loggenberg (Curro Hazeldean), Marno du Plessis (Hoërskool Nelspruit), Alejandro dos Ramos (Monument).

GQEBERHA. – The hosts, Nelson Mandela Bay, awakened on Day 2 of the annual u19 Water Polo IPT for Girls here.

The side drew 16-all against Western Province in what was surely the most entertaining match thus far in the tournament.

This clash was played at Alexander Road’s swimming pool and produced everything that a final needs. Suspense, drama as well as some superb performances.

They also smashed the Northern Tigers by 32-2 in the main match of the day in the Newton Park pool with Olivia Connellan (7), Jasmine Witthuhn (5), Jorja Ross (4) and Amy Wilson (4) being responsible for the bulk of the goals.

The Northern Tigers experienced a tough day at the office as they also were on the receiving end against Zimbabwe (1-30) earlier in the day. Their goal by Ngandu Muzungu however was probably the highlight of the match and probably one of the best during the day.

The defending champions, Central Gauteng, kept their unbeaten record in place by beating KwaZulu-Natal by 15-3. They will face Buffalo City and Eastern Gauteng on Day 3 in their final two pool matches of the tournament. Mia Loizides scored five goals in the victory over KwaZulu-Natal to count herself amongst the top goal scorers thus far in Gqeberha.

The highlight of Day 3 might be the clash between Western Province and Central Gauteng’s B-side.

Results | Day 2

Nelson Mandela Bay 32 – Goals: Olivia Connellan (7), Jasmine Witthuhn (5), Jorja Ross (4), Amy Wilson (4), Matipa Marimazondo (3), Amelia Brown (2), Teagan Harty (2), Avu Dyaphu, Jamie Lacey, Dominique de Jongh, Amie Jenner. Northern Tigers 2 – Goals: Ngandu Muzungu (2).

Western Province B 16 – Goals: Nicole Bantom (4), Amy Pettipher (4), Isabella Tooley (3), Leila Hibling (2), Abigail Bester, Kiara Bester, Jemma Stearns. Eastern Gauteng 9 – Goals: Maddison Griffin (6), Keira Hale (2), Alshe de Klerk.

Zimbabwe 30 – Goals: Lauren Ashwin (6), Erin Brent (6),  Zoe Denslow (4), Natalie Hazeldean (3), Shannon Cooke (2), Jessie Sparrow (2), Bailey Knox (2), Ayva Kirkman (2), Jordyn Logan, Charlotte Martell, Sophia Savo. Northern Tigers 1 – Goal: Ngandu Muzungu.

Central Gauteng 15 – Goals: Mia Loizides (5), Charlotte Crick (4), Jenna Penney (2), Ruby Carlson (2), Gina Sgauzzin, Georgia Eccles. KwaZulu-Natal 3 – Goals: Taylor Cherry (2), Caitlin McMurray.

Nelson Mandela Bay 16 – Goals: Anna Pinto (4), Jamie Lacey (3), Matipa Karimazondo (3), Amie Jenner (3), Teagan Harty (2), Amelia Brown. Western Province 16 – Goals: Hannah Banks (6), Morgan Christian (2), Erin-Belle Nordgaard (2), Emma Catto (2), Amy van Breda (2), Alexa de Villiers, Emily van Heerden.

Michael Russel’s four-goal contribution for Buffalo City played a crucial role in securing the draw, highlighting his scoring prowess and the team’s ability to hold their ground against a formidable opponent like Central Gauteng B.

The scoreboard remained deadlocked at 4-4, between Buffalo City and Central Gauteng B showcasing the tenacity and skill of both teams.

Building on the momentum from the drawn match, Buffalo City continued their impressive run by facing Northern Tigers B, and securing an 18-1 win in that match with Russel again claiming the title of chief destroyer netting five goals and leading his team to a commanding triumph.

Western Province A emerged victorious with a final score of 8-4 against a strong Kwa-Zulu Natal team. This match was notable for its competitive nature and the clash between two highly competitive teams. Arguably both sides would fancy their chances at a shot in the final.

RESULTS DAY 2

Buffalo City 4 – Goals: Micahel Russel (4). Central Gauteng B 4 – Goals: Daniel Pronk, Adam Stoutjesdyk, Gui-nam Chen, Ethan Kempen.

Western Province B 7 – Goals: Anthony Lampe (4), Rupert Robinson, Daniel Fyfer, Thomas Cruickshank. Northern Tigers A 6 – Goals: Oliver Oberholzer (2), Caleb Bowden, Ettiene Van Der Merwe, Christian Truter, Ardan Robertson.

Northern Tigers B 0 – Goals: Eastern Gauteng 11 – Goals: Conor Michael Cockcroft (3), Andrew Castely (2), Luke Laporte (2), Daniel Rheeder, Caleb Smith, Samkelo Maphaphu.

Zimbabwe 6 – Goals: Blaise Scheepers (2), Tapfuma Taundi, Bongani Dube, Donovan Bodington, Liam Chicksen. Eden Districts 3 – Goals: Luca Whitehead (2), Matthew Tindall.

Western Province A 8 – Goals: Benjamin Bingara (3), Matthew Fenn (2), James Pinnock, Tim Young, Harry Oldham. Kwa-Zulu Natal 4 – Goals: Levi Thom (2), Oliver Ludwig, Thomas Francke.

Nelson Mandela Bay 3 – Goals: Dane Paterson (2), Stefan Polderman. Central Gauteng A 6 – Goals: Ryan Morely (2), Cooper Haworth (2), David Latilla-Campbell, Aiden Khoury.

Buffalo City 18 – Goals: Michael Russel (5), Daniel Woodin (4), Tiago Williams (3), Nicholas Du Toit (2), Campbell Dickinson (2), Joshua Lentz, Abakhe Ngamlana. Northern Tigers B 1 – Goals: Connor Kennealy.

Western Province B 11 – Goals: Ross Prinsloo (3), Daniel Fyfer (3), Anthony Lampe (2), Tim Farrel (2), Connor Mortlock. Eden Districts 5 – Goals: Luca Whitehead (4), Matthew Tindall.

Western Province A 23 – Goals: Alex Barret (6), James Malan (4), Matthew Fenn (4), Andrew Reynolds (3), Caleb Harley (2), Benjamin Bigara (2), James Pinnock, Harry Oldham.Eastern Gauteng 1 – Goals: Travis Kempen.

Nelson Mandela Bay 9 – Goals: Stefan Pelderman (3), Dane Paterson (3), Jed Paterson, Christian Chandler, Adam Ball. Zimbabwe 4 – Goals: Blaise Scheepers (2), Tapfuma Taundi, Patrick Duff.

Buffalo City 3 – Goals: Tiago Williams, Daniel Van Biljoen, Michael Russel. Kwa-Zulu Natal 7 – Goals: Levi Thom (2), Oliver Ludwig, Musawenkosi Mponda, Thomas Francke, Thomas Aylward.

Western Province B 6 – Goals: Benjamin Van Zyl (2), Thomas Cruickshank, Ross Prinsloo, Daniel Fyfer, Anthony Lempe. Central Gauteng A 8 – Goals: Cooper Haworth (3), Troy Pasqualle (2), David Latilla-Campbell. Danilo Giuricich, Craig Toet.

GQEBERHA. – Central Gauteng started their 2023 campaign off with an easy 31-4 victory over Western Province B during the opening day of the Water Polo Interprovincial tournament in the Newton Park swimming pool here.

Catch all the action from the tournament live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

Jenny Penney was in good form scoring eight of her side’s goals with Georgia Eccles (5) and Mia Loizides (5) adding another ten goals between them.

Last year’s losing finalists, Western Province, also didn’t experience too much trouble in downing Zimbabwe by 23-1 in their opening match. Hannah Banks scored eight of her side’s goals.

Tyra Penney, Roxanne Uys, Alexa de Villiers, Erin-Belle Nordgaard, Emma Catto and Tetra Hollenbach all completed a brace of goals as they dominated Zimbabwe.

Tori Voke of Buffalo City finished the day of the top goal scorer with ten goals as she helped her side to victory over Eastern Gauteng (16-13) in the main match of the day as well as played a prominent part in her team’s defeat against KwaZulu-Natal (8-16).

Voke scored six of her team’s victory over Eastern Gauteng and four earlier in the day against KZN.

Central Gauteng’s B-team secured a valuable 13-8 victory over the hosts, Nelson Mandela Bay, during the opening match of the tournament.

Amy Mather, Morgan Harrison and Amy Smith all managed to find the back of the net on three occasions as Central Gauteng stayed in control throughout the match.

Emma van Rensburg also managed to create a couple of opportunities for her team on the right flank and scored a good goal after holding off a couple of defenders.

For the home side, Anna Pinto was in good nick as she scored four goals of which two came from counterattacks after her team managed to turnover possession.

The team also produced a convincing 27-2 victory over the Northern Tigers in their second match to top their pool after the opening day’s matches.

Smith finished the day with nine goals after also scoring four goals in the runaway victory over the Tigers. Van Rensburg and Amy Stubbs also scored four goals in support of Smith.

Results | Day 1

Buffalo City 16 – Goals: Tori Voke (6), Roxy-Lee van Eck (3), Jasmine Koch (2), Chelsy Hendry (2), Alison Woodin, Alex Albers, Gemma Hannafay. Eastern Gauteng 13 – Goals: Maddison Griffin (7), Emma Spronk (2), Jessica Edkins (2),Alan Vermaak, Akunna Chikeka.

Central Gauteng B 27 – Goals: Amy Smith (4), Emma van Rensburg (4), Amy Stubbs (4), Jessica Black (3), Tatum Rogers (3), Morgan Harrison (3), Amy Mather (2), Humairaa Bodiat (2), Cecilia Petersen, Emma Morley. Northern Tigers 2 – Goals: Karla Vogel, Mulan Perring.

Central Gauteng 31 – Goals: Jenna Penney (8), Georgia Eccles (5), Mia Loizides (5), Kara Wicht (4), Charlotte Crick (3), Ruby Carlson (2), Georgia Cope (2), Francesca de Villiers, Gina Sguazzin. Western Province B 4 – Goal: Amy Pettipher (2), Nicole Bantom, Tara Roos.

Western Province 23 – Goals: Hannah Banks (8), Tyra Penney (2), Roxanne Uys (2), Alexa de Villiers (2), Erin-Belle Nordgaard (2), Emma Catto (2), Tetra Hollenbach (2), Emily van Heerden, Morgan Christian, Amy van Breda. Zimbabwe 1 – Goal: Lauren Ashwin.

KwaZulu-Natal 16 – Goals: Caitlin McMurray (6), Emma Thornton (4), Claire Hind (3), Marlise Pretorius, Annabelle Hardie, Christy Dudas. Buffalo City 8 – Goals: Tori Voke (4), Alison Woodin, Gemma Hannafay, Tatum Knox, Julianna Saffy.

Central Gauteng B 13 – Goals: Amy Mather (3), Morgan Harrison (3), Amy Smith (3), Emma Morley (2), Emma van Rensburg, Amy Stubbs. Nelson Mandela Bay 8 – Goals: Anna Pinto (4), Teagan Harty (2), Jamie Lacey, Amy Wilson.

The opening day of the u15 IPT Tournament at Seaview Eco Pool in Nelson Mandela Bay witnessed a fiercely contested series of water polo matches, setting an exhilarating tone for the tournament.

ne standout performance came from Kwa-Zulu Natal, as they dominated Northern Tigers B with an emphatic 23-0 victory.

Thomas Francke stole the spotlight by netting an impressive nine goals, showcasing his exceptional skill in front of the goal and contributing significantly to his team’s commanding win.

In another notable match, Central Gauteng A displayed their offensive prowess by overpowering Eden Districts with a resounding 15-0 win. As always Gauteng will be a side for other teams to keep an eye out for as the tournament progresses.

Adding an international flair to the competition, neighbors Zimbabwe participated in the tournament, facing Western Province B in a closely contested match that ended 9-6 in favor of Western Province B.

As the tournament unfolds, the mix of local and international teams promises to deliver more thrilling water polo action at Seaview Eco Pool.

RESULTS DAY 1

Western Province B 10 – Goals: Alex Barret (2), Matthew Fenn (2), Tim Young (2), Caleb Harely, Benjamin Bigara, James Pinnock, Andrew Reynolds. Central Gauteng B 1 – Goals: Daniel Pronk.

Nelson Mandela Bay 6 – Goals: Stefan Polderman (2), Dane Paterson (2), Carter Rosser, Christian Chandler. Northern Tigers A 4 – Goals: Ben Swarts, Andrew Robertson, Christian Truter, Oliver Obherholzer.

Buffalo City 8 – Goals: Tiago Williams (3), Michael Russel (2), Joshua Lentz, Nicholas Du Toit, Daniel Van Biljoen. Eastern Gauteng 2 – Goals: Daelan Brijmohun, Travis Kempen.

Western Province B 9 – Goals: Daniel Fyfer (2), Thomas Cruickshank (2), Connor Mortlock (2), Colin Douglas, Ross Prinsloo, Tim Farrell. Zimbabwe 6 – Goals: Blaise Scheepers (3), Tapfuma Taundi (2), Patrick Duff.

Northern Tigers B 0. Kwa-Zulu Natal 23 – Goals: Thomas Francke (9), Levi Thom (5), Tane Greene (2), Jamie Nicolau, Garrick Phillips, Musawenkosi Mponda, Sebastian Laundenberg, Oliver Guy, Thomas Aylward.

Eden Districts 0 – Goals: Central Gauteng A 15 – Goals: Matthew Cross (5), Dylan Gander (2), Teegan Fisher (2), Roan Wessels, Danilo Giuricich, Cooper Haworth, Ryan Morely, Troy Pasqualle, David Latilla-Campbell.

Saturday, 9 December, day one of the 2023 Boys’ u19 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Gqeberha was cold and wet, but a number of the favourites heated up the Grey High School pool with confident showings.

Catch all the action from the tournament live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

For the defending champions, Gauteng Central A, it was a smooth introduction to the event. They overpowered Eastern Gauteng 29-0 in their first outing and then romped to an 18-2 win over the Northern Tigers.

While they scored 47 times, it was their smothering defence that most caught the eye, and which accounted for numerous turnovers and goal-scoring opportunities.

KZN A, also, recorded two emphatic victories, downing Zimbabwe 20-3 and then handing Eastern Gauteng a 21-1 loss. The second time out, the KZN boys were far more cohesive – they seemed to barely get out of second gear against Zimbabwe – and they used their structure well to manipulate regular openings against Easterns.

Mitchell Slade produced a fantastic all-round performance for coach Jason Sileno‘s outfit, scoring four goals and also pulling off four steals. Like Central Gauteng, their dominance was based upon their smothering man-to-man defence.

Those two teams were, not unexpectedly, the class of Pool A, while in Pool B Western Province A, the tournament favourites, ran out 11-6 winners over Western Province B in a match that was closer than the score reveals.

The B team powered out the blocks, quickly snatching a 2-0 lead, but the A team, composed and assured in their ball movement, responded in style to build up a healthy 6-2 advantage. They appeared to be on course for a routine victory, but their B team, familiar with the A side’s players and approach, came roaring back into the contest.

They pulled to within 7-6 and then won a penalty, which gave them an opportunity to level the scores late in the contest. The penalty attempt was rejected, however, and with that missed chance the momentum swung back in the favour of the A team. They finished strongly, adding another four goals without reply to take an 11-6 win.

Buffalo City won a crucial early contest against Central Gauteng B 9-8. “It was a game that we really wanted to win,” coach Khanyisa Mpumlwana said. “There’s only five of us in our pool (there are six in Pool A), so every goal and every point counts right now.”

Mpulwana said getting pressure onto the ball and then trying to get it to the right places helped the team from East London to victory, but he lamented some lack of accuracy when passing, which could have led to a more convincing win.

Buffalo City had prepared for the tournament by participating in a camp that involved the Central Gauteng A and B teams, as well as the Central Gauteng u16 side, so that familiarity with the opposition was a challenge for both teams, but it also provided useful knowledge.

It was a big day for Buffalo City as they faced Nelson Mandela Bay in the final match of the day, under lights, in an Eastern Cape derby.

In the first chukka, it was Buffalo City that edged ahead by a 4-2 margin, but Nelson Mandela Bay then scored three times before Buffalo City levelled again at 5-5. The home team, with a good number of Grey High boys in their ranks, playing in their home waters, then edged ahead, but time after time the East London outfit pulled one back.

In the fourth quarter, Nelson Mandela Bay finally managed to open up a gap on Buffalo City. It had less to do with their offence than it had to do with an absolutely outstanding effort by goalkeeper Oliver Klatte, who pulled off a series of stunning saves to stymie Buffalo City.

At the same time, Buffalo City did themselves no favours by conceding five penalties. Nelson Mandela Bay scored four times from them, while not conceding any penalties themselves, and that made a crucial difference in the contest.

KwaZulu-Natal B launched their challenge in the early evening against Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean side started out strongly and raced into a two-goal lead, but KZN soon found their rhythm and ultimately won comfortably by 21 goals to nine.

Luca Di Vincenzo topped the goal-scoring charts in the contest, finding the back of the net on four occasions, while Ethan Lyne scored twice and was responsible for a couple of steals.

A big 12-game programme on day two includes Western Province A against Nelson Mandela Bay, and based on the opening day’s action second place in the pool could be between the home team and Western Province B, providing there is no shocking upset of the Western Province A side.

Western Province B vs Buffalo City likely favours the Western Cape line-up, but it is far from a foregone conclusion. KZN A take on KZN B, and matches between familiar opponents are often tricky encounters, but the A team should take the points from that clash.

Results

Central Gauteng A 29-0 Eastern Gauteng

Central Gauteng A – Caleb van Loggerenberg (4), Nicholas Pearce (4), Samuel Lister (4), Trista Grimett (4), Marc Smith (3), Greg Pryce (2), Leonardo Perreira (2), Tanner Kleynhans (2), Ross Rovelli (2), Connor Flinn (1), Taeg Mosehla (1)

Central Gauteng B 8-9 Buffalo City

Buffalo City – Daniel Breetzke (2), Charles Caswell (2), Reece Miles (2), Philip Wagner (1), Matt Johnson (1), Sean Audie (1)
Central Gauteng B – Mark Hudson (2), Brogan McEwan (2), Jack Wilkins (2), Alessio Cimato (1) – (Only seven goals accounted for on the scoresheet)

KwaZulu-Natal A 20-3 Zimbabwe

KwaZulu-Natal A – Mitchell Slade (3), Oliver Ditz (3), Matthew Hayes (3), Warwick Field (3), Jed Poovan (2), Max Scully (2), Rhys Hall (2), Jamie Spence (1) , Meyer Malherbe (1)
Zimbabwe – Sonny Brebner (1), Joshua Covill (1), Codie Selman (1)

Central Gauteng A 18-2 Northern Tigers

Central Gauteng A – Connor Flinn (4), Tristan Grimett (3), Marc Smith (2), Caleb van Loggerenberg (2), Nicholas Pearce (2), Karabo Mamaregane (1), Greg Pryce (1), Leonardo Perreira (1), Anton Arwidi (1), Samuel Lister (1)

Northern Tigers – Benjamin Melville (1), Petrus van der Merwe (1)

Western Province A 11-6 Western Province B

Western Province A – Nicholas Fall (2), Ben Reibeck (2), Richard Skeeles (2), Conor Melling-Williams (1), Zack Cicero (1) Johannes Reyneke (1), Noah Bigara (1), Thomas Wiltshire (1)

Western Province B – Cosmo Enthoven (2), Paul Enthoven (1) Sebastiaan White (1), Salahuddin Khan (1), Mac Lecuona (1)

KwaZulu-Natal A 21-1 Eastern Gauteng

KwaZulu-Natal A – Mitchell Slade (4), Warwick Field (4), Meyer Malherbe (2), Stef Swart (2), Rhys Hall (2), Jamie Spence (2), Max Scully (1), Oliver Ditz (1), Matthew Hayes (1), Jedd Poovan (1), Jonathan Bregman-Frangos (1)

Easterns – Robert Carr (1)

KwaZulu-Natal B 21-9 Zimbabwe

KwaZulu-Natal B – Luca Di Vincenzo (4), Blake Kruger (3), Marnu Koekemoer (2), Josh Lortan (2), Ethan Lyne (2), Tallin Laas (1), Jared Byleveld (1), Troy Rees-Jones (1), Mitchell Wilson (1), Jack Slater (1)

Zimbabwe – Samuel Edwards (3), Garrick Duff (3), Codie Selman (2), Joshua Covill (1), Michael Chaniwa (1)

Buffalo City 8-11 Nelson Mandela Bay

Nelson Mandela Bay – Samuel Marston (4), Nicholas Franklin (3), Jon Hobson (2), Tawfiq Akomolafe (2)

Buffalo City – Charles Caswell (3), Reece Miles (3), Matt Johnson (2)

Cricket South Africa‘s annual national youth weeks kick off on Sunday with the u16 Boys’ Week visiting George and Oudtshoorn this year.

Watch the action live on SuperSport Schools – Register now 

Sixteen regional teams will be competing on the Garden Route from 10-14 December, playing five 50-over games each.

The encounter between the Free State and Gauteng at the Recreation Ground in Oudtshoorn will set the tone for this season’s end-of-year action, while the home team, the Garden Route Badgers, open their campaign against Limpopo in George.

The locals’ supporters can look forward to a week full of exciting cricket as the Badgers go on to face Northern Cape and Easterns over the following two days, before the playoffs are decided.

Western Province battle Eastern Province on day two, while the Titans tackle KZN Coastal. Both clashes present as highlights of this year’s programme, with the four provinces boasting some of the finest young talent in the country.

The regions are divided into two groups based on their performances over the previous five years, with the finals on day five also acting as the decider for the promotion and relegation of next year’s contestants.

The matches are scheduled to begin at 09:30 every day.

GROUPS

Platinum
Pool A: Gauteng, KZN Inland, Free State, Boland
Pool B: Western Province, Titans, KZN Coastal, Eastern Province

Gold
Pool A: North West, Border, Mpumalanga, Kei
Pool B: Easterns, Garden Route Badgers, Northern Cape, Limpopo

FIXTURES

Day One – 10 December 2023
Gauteng vs Free State (Recreation Ground – Oudtshoorn)
Eastern Province vs Titans (NMU – George)
Western Province vs KZN Coastal (Outeniqua HS A – George)
KZN Inland vs Boland (Bridgton A – Oudtshoorn)
North West vs Mpumulanga (Langenhoven Gimnasium – Oudtshoorn)
Border vs Kei (Oudtshoorn HS – Oudtshoorn)
Garden Route Badgers vs Limpopo (Glenwood House – George)
Easterns vs Northern Cape (Outeniqua B – George)

Day Two – 11 December 2023
Western Province vs Eastern Province (Recreation Ground – Oudtshoorn)
KZN Inland vs Free State (Outeniqua HS A – George)
Gauteng vs Boland (NMU – George)
Titans vs KZN Coastal (Glenwood House – George)
Garden Route Badgers vs Northern Cape (Langenhoven Gimnasium – Oudtshoorn)
Border vs Mpumulanga (Outeniqua B – George)
Easterns vs Limpopo (Oudtshoorn HS – Oudtshoorn)
North West vs Kei (Bridgton A – Oudtshoorn)

Day Three – 12 December 2023
Gauteng vs KZN Inland (Recreation Ground – Oudtshoorn)
Titans vs Western Province (Outeniqua HS A – George)
KZN Coastal vs Eastern Province (Recreation Ground – Oudtshoorn)
Free State vs Boland (Bridgton A – Oudtshoorn)
North West vs Border (NMU – George)
Easterns vs Garden Route Badgers (Glenwood House – George)
Mpumalanga vs Kei (Outeniqua HS B – George)
Limpopo vs Northern Cape (Langenhoven Gimnasium – Oudtshoorn)