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The countdown is on to the Clifton Water Polo Tournament<\/strong>, one of the country’s premier boys’ water polo events.<\/span><\/p>\nIt takes place over five days at the picturesque Clifton Aquatic Centre<\/strong> from Wednesday, 24 September, to Sunday, 28 September, with 16 leading teams in action.<\/p>\n The <\/span>lineup<\/span> is unchanged from last year’s tournament, which ended with SACS edging out St John’s College 8-7 to defend the title<\/a> <\/strong>they also won in 2023. St John’s had won it in 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n Half the field, eight teams, are from KZN, and they will desperately want to ensure that the trophy doesn’t go to a side from outside of the province again. They’ll also be confident they have the firepower to do that.\u00a0<\/span>The strength of water polo in KZN is, undoubtedly, on the up.<\/span><\/p>\n Up against an elite field, Hilton College<\/strong> demonstrated their pedigree when they lost out to Bishops in the final of the King Edward VII (KES) Water Polo Tournament<\/strong> <\/a>in March after a penalty shootout. They’re a team that when it hits its stride is difficult to contain and they’ll be in the hunt for the honours.<\/p>\n Kearsney College<\/strong>, the KZN Top 10 champions, meanwhile, won the St Stithians Invitational Water Polo Tournament<\/strong><\/a> in late October 2024, beating Bishops<\/strong> in that final, and their team has changed little since then. They’re still young, but battle-hardened, hard-working, and very talented.<\/span><\/p>\n While Clifton College<\/strong> were not their usual dominant selves at the start of the year, there are reasons for optimism. Firstly, they are almost always in the hunt for the title at their tournament. Last year, they were the best of the KZN teams, finishing third. <\/span><\/p>\n Secondly, coach Pierre le Roux<\/strong><\/a> returned from New Zealand to join the team late in 2024, which meant he didn’t have the same preparation with his players that other coaches had. But no one doubts Le Roux’s coaching chops. He’s one of the best. They’ll be well prepared.<\/span><\/p>\n And thirdly, Clifton boasts some of the most exciting talent in the country<\/strong> <\/a>in their junior ranks. What remains to be seen is if Le Roux will promote some of those players to the first team for the Clifton Water Polo Tournament.<\/p>\n Durban High School<\/strong>, led by SA Schools’ defender Kirk Wilson<\/strong>, is a dark horse. They’ve made great strides in 2024. The same could be said about Northwood<\/strong>, Michaelhouse<\/strong>, and Maritzburg College<\/strong>, while Westville Boys’ High<\/strong>, like DHS, is a dark horse.<\/span><\/p>\n St John’s, beaten in the final of the St Andrew’s College Shield<\/strong> <\/a>earlier in the year, will be focused on taking one extra step at Clifton. They’re a perennial powerhouse.<\/span><\/p>\n King Edward VII (KES)<\/strong>, with wins over Westville and Paul <\/strong>Roos<\/span><\/strong> at their tournament, and a narrow one-goal loss to Kearsney, showed they’re a top tier team, and they, too, could make some noise.<\/span><\/p>\n The other team from Gauteng is <\/span>Affies<\/span><\/strong><\/em>. A hard-fought loss by a single goal to Hilton College in the playoff for seventh last year is indicative of their quality.<\/span><\/p>\n Paul <\/span>Roos<\/span> remains a threat. Fourth last year, they were somewhat inconsistent early in the 2025 season, but they, nonetheless, finished above SACS, in fourth place, in the SACS Nite Series<\/strong><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"For](\"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/water-polo-sacs-clifton-champs-300924-400x267.jpg\")
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