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Te midde van sowel die nalatenskap van vorige glories as die afwagting op toekomstige sukses wat swaar weeg, verwelkom C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje se eerste netbalspan ‘n nuwe leier, mev. Surita le Roux,  vir die uitdagings wat voorlê.

Le Roux het voorheen, in 2000 en 2001, die span se lot bepaal en keer terug met ‘n magdom ervaring, asook vasberadenheid, om Oranje se roemryke status in die netbalwêreld te handhaaf.

Le Roux wat op haar dag vir die senior spanne van die Vrystaat en Kovsies gespeel, en ook vir Suid-Afrika in aksienetbal verteenwoordig, het, het vantevore die Kovsies en Vrystaat o. 21’s afgerig, en was ook by Hoërskole Waterkloof en Sentraal, en Kingsmead College se spanne betrokke.

Vanjaar se Oranjespan weerspieël ‘n mengsel van gesoute spelers en belowende nuwelinge. Met twee lede uit graad 10, vyf uit graad 11 en drie matrieks, verwelkom die span vyf vars gesigte: Danielle van Jaarsveld, Diné le Roux, Nadine Jonck, Karin Truter, en Anja Cohen.

Le Roux verstaan maar alte goed die verantwoordelikheid wat verwagtinge teweegbring.

“Ons het ’n groot taak om te verseker dat Oranje hul status van die afgelope klompie jaar handhaaf en gaan alles in die stryd werp om onder die top-5 in die land te eindig,” het sy te kenne gegee.

Sy beskou die vyfde posisie in Suid-Afrika wat sy met die o. 15 A-span in 2022 vermag het, as een van haar loopbaanhoogtepunte. Verlede jaar het haar o. 16 A’s agste nasionaal geëindig en het hulle ‘n sesde plek op die Wildeklawer-toernooi behaal.

Die span spog boonop met interessante familiebande en sportprestasies. Karin Truter kom uit ‘n geslag wat diep in netbal gewortel is, met haar ma, suster en twee tantes wat almal Oranje se eerste netbalspan-rokkie aangetrek het.

Danielle van Jaarsveld is die tweede leerder in meer as ’n dekade om in dieselfde jaar Oranje se National Aquatic-swemspan en die eerste netbalspan te haal.

Marianne Louw se broer, Johan, en Cara Smith se broer, Jean, het saam vir Grey-kollege se eerste rugbyspan in 2021 gespeel, twee jaar nadat Marguerite Cronjé, die kaptein van die span, se broer, George, dié span aangevoer het. Al drie was vir die SA Skolespan gekies, met Cronjé wat deesdae vir die Haaie in die Verenigde Rugbykampioenskap verteenwoordig.

Smith se ma, Tania, het ook vir vier jaar (1994-97) Oranje se eerste netbalspan afgerig.

Mignon Stevens en Hoërskool Ben Viljoen was net-net goed genoeg om hul tradisionele vyande, Hoërskool Hans Strijdom, met ‘n telling van 34-27 in Groblersdal te troef.

Stevens, wat op heelagter vir Ben Viljoen diens doen, het vir die soveelste keer in vanjaar se kort seisoen rugby uit die boonste rakke opgedis. Saam met Anvernio Adonis, was Stevens klaarblyklik die verskil tussen die twee spanne. Albei het welverdiende tweekunste behaal en saam ook ‘n reuse aandeel in Nathan Boucher se pragdrie gehad.

Die besoekers was nietemin voorlangs in beheer van sake. Slot, Koedoe Harmse, was met sy uithalerspel in die vaste los deurgaans ‘n doring in Ben Viljoen se flees, en het hulle ook laat bontstaan met sy kragtige dryfspel.

Geen wonder dat Harmse drie keer oor die opposisie se doellyn kon bars nie.

Hy het nuttige ondersteuning van vurige agtsteman, Kian du Plessis, ontvang. Du Plessis was nes Harmse ‘n prominente figuur op die aanval, en het homself ook met ‘n paar enorme duikslae aan die tuisspan se aanvallers voorgestel.

Hierdie spanne sê mekaar gedurende die vakansie, op 6 April, weer die stryd aan, met die Hansies wat dan tuisveldvoordeel in Naboomspruit sal geniet.

Hoërskool Wolmaransstad het met ‘n sege van 33-14 oor Hoërskool Fochville voortgebeur. Dit kom nadat die Wollies verlede naweek ‘n hardverdiende sege van 28-24 teen Hoërskool Vryburg, in Vryburg, kon behaal het.

Lucraine Wyngaardt het die Wollies se rekening met ‘n reuse skepskop, vanuit sy eie halfgebied, oopgemaak. Daarna het hulle behoorlik die krane oopgedraai en in alle fasette van spel die botoon gevoer. Wollies se losskakel en puntemasjien, Christopher Dennis, was oudergewoonde die akkuraatheid vanself en het 16 punte met die stewel bygedra.

Agsteman, Thlalefo Thobedi, was verwoed met die bal in hand en is nie alleen met ‘n vyfpunter beloon nie, maar ook as Speler van die Wedstryd aangewys.

Dubbele driekunsgenot vir Keenan Joseph en Abduraman Amien het verseker dat Hoërskool Vryburg meer as genoeg kon opmaak vir hul nederlaag die vorige naweek. Die span van Vryburg het kringe om Hoërskool Schoonspruit gehardloop om met ‘n telling van 69-5 weg te hol. Joseph en Amien se gesamentlike bydrae van 30 punte, tesame met Jayden Starke se bykans vlekkelose skopwerk, was eenvoudig nét te veel vir Schoonspruit om te hanteer.

Puntemakers: 

Hoërskool Ben Viljoen 34 (19) – Drieë: Mignon Stevens (2), Anvernio Adonis (2), Nathan Boucher.  Doelskoppe: MJ de Beer (2), Dylan Nieuwenhuys (2). Strafdoel: Nieuwenhuys. Hoërskool Hans Strijdom 27 (15) – Drieë: Koedoe Harmse (3), Kian du Plessis. Doelskoppe: Hendrika van der Kolf (2). Strafdoel: Van der Kolf.

Hoërskool Wolmaransstad 33  – Drieë: AJ Vermeulen, Johan Erasmus, Thlalefo Thobedi. Doelskoppe: Christopher Dennis (2). Strafdoele: Dennis (4). Skepskop: Lucraine Wyngaardt. Hoërskool Fochville 14  – Drieë: Junior Naude (2). Doelskoppe: Naude.

Hoërskool Vryburg 69  – Drieë: Keenan Joseph (3), Abduraman Amien (3). Jordan Rathebe, Karabelo Mbolekwa, Cobus van der Berg, Olerato Bonokwane, Daniel Nortjie. Doelskoppe: Jayden Starke (7). Hoërskool Schoonspruit 5.

Hoërskool Riebeeckrand 27. Leeuwenhof Akademie 12. 

Ander spanne:

o. 16: Ben Viljoen 20, Hans Strijdom 7; Womaransstad 47, Fochville 17;  Vryburg 21, Schoonspruit 0.

o. 15: Ben Viljoen 24, Hans Strijdom 12; Womaransstad 19, Fochville 5; Vryburg 28, Schoonspruit 10.

o. 14: Ben Viljoen 82, Hans Strijdom 0; Wolmaransstad 57, Fochville 0;  Vryburg t. Schoonspruit – nie plaasgevind nie.

Rhenish Girls’ High School was one of the standout teams at the Greg Beling Hockey Festival in East London over the past weekend, picking up five convincing wins and remaining unbeaten, to set themselves up as one of the teams to watch out for this season.

After a jam-packed pre-season, Rhenish made the trip down to East London high in confidence, following three warm-up matches against Wynberg Girls, Springfield, and Fairmont High School respectively.

In the coastal city, they were pitted up against some of the country’s best. However, Coach Chris Gerber’s side defied the odds and showed grit, determination, and maturity to set themselves apart as one of the truly elite teams.

They employed an exciting attacking and attractive style of play, while remaining solid and secure at the back.

Their first match of the festival was on Thursday night against one of the hosts, Clarendon High School for Girls.

There, Rhenish took early control and comfortably picked up a 4-1 win to set themselves up nicely for the busy weekend that lay ahead.

On the second day of the festival, coach Gerber’s side faced a testing schedule, taking on DSG, from Makhanda, and Eunice, from Bloemfontein.

The Stellenbosch side, however, rolled on, attacking both matches with intent, and scoring some eye-catching team goals. Against DSG, they walked away with a 3-0 win before defusing Eunice’s challenge in an emphatic statement-making 5-1 victory, which, no doubt, made hockey enthusiasts sit up and take notice.

They concluded their campaign on Saturday by scoring nine in two matches without conceding. First up, they beat Gqeberha’s Pearson 5-0, before handing coach Nicolene Terblanche’s Affies side a 4-0 defeat.

Reacting to his side’s performances, Gerber said he was delighted with how his team had stepped up on the big stage. Of course, there is always room for improvement, he admitted.

“I am extremely proud of what the girls have achieved in such a short space of time,” he told SuperSport Schools.

“This young group has stepped up and performed exceptionally well at the Greg Beling Festival. They have shown true character and determination throughout the festival.

“Each player has applied themselves in every aspect, and the true reflection is that they are not playing for themselves but for the team. Every goal we scored was a real team effort and all the credit must go to the players for this.”

The festival, just like any other tournament, would have revealed to coaches where their teams stand in terms of fitness levels, skill sets, and combinations heading into the new season.

After working on several key focus areas during the weekend, the coach believes there’s more his team can offer in what promises to be an exhilarating season.

“We did improve after each game; however, we still have so much room for improvement and the growth that this team still can make makes me excited for what’s to come,” he added enthusiastically.

“They can achieve great things with the hard work and dedication they put in. The small gains we have made will aid us as the season goes on.

“We will reassess in the coming weeks where we are and where we would like to be going, to keep striving for excellence.”

Like some of the others top teams in the country, Rhenish lost a handful of senior players last year and was forced to regroup for 2024.

Luckily for the Stellenbosch side, they can still rely on the experience of Kaitlyn van Binsbergen and Jasmine Aitken, who recently reached 100 caps for the senior side.

Their skipper, Leah Du Plessis, will also be influential as the team attempts to build its own identity, said Gerber.

“The progress that we have made early on is to create our own identity on and off the field.

“We lost a couple of senior players last year and this is a completely new, exciting young team, so to create our own identity on and off the field is something that we will keep working on.

“We can improve on our decision-making under pressure to assist us in the long run.

“We are focused on small, simple things while working on our roles and responsibilities for us to keep on improving.”

When asked which players to look out for during the season, Gerber found it challenging to single out anyone. He preferred to give credit to the team as a unit, although he eventually did name a standout for the Greg Beling Festival.

“It’s very difficult to single out individuals as the whole team contributed to every single game, from the forwards to defenders, but there is one player that has really made a big difference.

“Lily Newton has converted from being a striker to playing as a defender, and she has excelled so much with her cool, calm, and collected approach. She really was one that stood out during the festival.”

After their dominant run in East London, the Stellenbosch girls will head to one of the country’s most prestigious events in April, the St Mary’s Hockey Festival, full of confidence that they’re equipped and ready to meet the challenges posed by the rest of South Africa’s elite teams.

Rhenish result from Greg Beling Festival:
Rhenish 4-1 Clarendon
Rhenish 3-0 DSG Makhanda
Rhenish 5-1 Eunice
Rhenish 4-0 Pearson High School
Rhenish 4-0 Affies Girls

Dit het ‘n naelbytstryd in die NWU Prestige-reeks afgegee tussen Hoërskool Rustenburg en ‘n begeesterde Hoërskool Wesvalia, met albei spanne wat 18 punte op die telbord gehad het toe die eindfluitjie in Rustenburg geblaas het.

Herleef al die aksie op SuperSport Schools – Skakel na die wedstryde.

Daar was bitter min wat die twee spanne deur die loop van die wedstryd kon skei. Die enigste wesenlike verskil was Philip Janse van Rensburg, Wesvalia se binnesenter, se drie wat sy span teen rustyd met vyf punte laat voorloop het.

Wesvalia se kaptein, Hanré Venter, het oudergewoonte met sy voorbeeld gelei, en hy is goed deur die ramkatflank, Francois Dumond, ondersteun. Dit het meestal twee of meer verdedigers geneem om Dumond plat te trek, en sy aanvallende lopies het hom ook ‘n drie in die sak besorg.

Die Rusties se regtervleuel, Christiaan van der Berg, het sy span se rekening geopen met ‘n drie, na ‘n briljante lopie, en sy kollega op linkervleuel, Zulu Khumalo, het kort voor die einde die skare in vervoering gehad met ‘n drie van sy eie.

Die plaasvervanger-stut, Janco Pretorius, het ‘n barshou gespeel, ook ‘n drie gedruk en moes beslis die Rusties se breiers beïndruk het met sy kranige spel.

Hoërskool Lichtenburg het hul staal tentoongestel deur Hoërskool Pietersburg met ‘n telling van 28-11 te troef. Skrumskakel, Willem van Niekerk, was op sy stukke en het verseker dat die Liggies ‘n gesonde hoeveelheid balbesit oordeelkundig kon benut, wat ook gelei het tot ‘n drie deur heelagter, Luan Snyman. Van Niekerk was ook die eerste lid van sy span wat agter die besoekers se doellyn ‘n draai gaan maak het.

Hoërskool Marais Viljoen se kaptein en losskakel, Rekkie Gerber, was uitstekend in sy span se oorwinning van 33-21 oor Hoërskool Jeugland. Gerber is vroeg reeds in die seisoen een van groot aanspraakmakers op die Cravenweekspan se nr. 10-trui. Sy kalmte en visie het aan die span van Alberton hope tyd besorg om venynige aanvalle agterlangs te loots.

Slot, Rynier Welgemoed, was ‘n reus voorlangs, met sy fisiese teenwoordigheid wat Jeugland dikwels laat steier het.

‘n Tweekuns deur Potchefstroom Gimnasium se buitesenter, David Ndala, het grootliks daartoe bygedra dat sy span vir Hoërskool Die Anker ‘n derde nederlaag in ‘n ry kon toedien. Die telling, in ‘n uiters fisieke stryd, was 12-5 in die Potchefstromers se guns.

Hoërskool Hugenote was met vyf punte té sterk vir Hoërskool Klerksdorp in Springs. Ruan van Biljon, Hugenote se blits op buitsenter, het vroeg-vroeg die tuisspan se bedoelings duidelik gemaak toe hy ‘n ondernemende stukkie spel afgerond vir sy span se eerste drie.

Sam Schoeman, Hoërskool Montana se linkervleuel en puntemasjien, het twee drieë in sy span se sege van 35-15 teen Hoërskool Oosterlig aangeteken, terwyl Zulu Mona se puik driekuns die hoogteount was in Hoërskool Zwartkop se oorwinning van 32-23 oor Potchefstroom Volkskool. Mona se bydrae van 15 punte het ook aan hom die Speler van die Wedstryd-toekening besorg.

Puntemakers:

Hoërskool Rustenburg 18 (0) – Drieë: Christiaan van der Bergh, Janco Pretorius, Zulu Khumalo. Strafdoel: Jayden Meyer. Wesvalia 18 (5) – Drieë: Philip Janse van Rensburg, Francois Dumond. Doelskop: Eduard Meyer. Strafdoele: Meyer, Rickardt van Heerden.

Lichtenburg  28 (16) – Drieë: Willem van Niekerk, Regardt Jacobsz, Luan Snyman. Doelskoppe: Albert Joubert (2). Strafdoele: Joubert (3). Hoërskool Pietersburg 11 (6) – Drie: Dustin Terblanche. Strafdoele: Hanno van Zyl (2).

Marais Viljoen 33 – Drieë: Rynier Welgemoed, Bjorn Pieterse, Brandon Els, Rekkie Gerber, Dian Scheepers. Doelskoppe: Rekkie Gerber (4). Jeugland 21.

Potchefstroom Gimnasium 12 – Drieë: David Ndala (2). Doelskop: Jhanco de Beer. Die Anker 5 – Drie: Troy Joubert.

Hugenote (Springs) 24 – Drieë: Ruan van Biljon, Vian van Dyk, Tyron Hand, Luhan Pretorius. Doelskoppe: Corne Pretorius (2). Hoërskool Klerksdorp 19 – Drieë: Tiaan Koen, Diwan Labuschagne, Winton Abrahams. Doelskoppe: Deacon Loots (2).

Montana 35 – Drieë: Sam Schoeman (2), Reuben van Hammersveld, Dieter Scheepers, JF Venter. Doelskoppe Ruwald Goosen (2), Goosen (2). Oosterlig 10 – Drie: Dylon Jordaan. Doelskop: Tristan Else. Strafdoel: Jaydon Bouwer.

Zwartkop 32 – Drieë: Zulu Mona (3), Denilson Metcalfe, Luhardt Booyens. Doelskoppe: Luhardt Booyens (2). Strafdoel: Booyens. Potchefstroom Volkskool 23.

Ander spanne:

o. 16: Rustenburg 17, Wesvalia 17; Pietersburg 41, Lichtenburg 5; Marais Viljoen 17, Jeugland 15; Potchefstroom Gimnasium 6, Die Anker 3; Hugenote (Springs) 43, Hoërskool Klerksdorp 7; Montana 41, Oosterlig 13; Zwartkop 31, Volkskool Potchefstroom 13.

o. 15: Rustenburg 19, Wesvalia 0; Pietersburg 17, Lichtenburg 6; Marais Viljoen 24, Jeugland 14; Die Anker 51, Potchefstroom Gimnasium 7; Hoërskool Klerksdorp 24, Hugenote (Springs) 14; Montana 24, Oosterlig 5; Zwartkop 31, Potchefstroom Gimnasium 7.

o. 14: Rustenburg 19, Wesvalia 18; Pietersburg 14, Lichtenburg 3; Marais Viljoen 22, Jeugland 7; Potchefstroom Gimnasium 17, Die Anker 10; Hoërskool Klerksdorp 46, Hugenote (Springs) 5; Montana 44, Oosterlig 0; Zwartkop 43, Potchefstroom Gimnasium 13.

Junior Louw scored 15 points off the tee to see Brackenfell to an exciting victory over Hopefield under lights on Friday evening to kick off Brackenfell’s yearly sports weekend in style.

With their flyhalf seemingly unable to put a foot wrong, the Brakkies edged past Hopefield by one point in a thrilling battle.

Watch all the games again on SuperSport Schools – Register now – Link to the event

Hopefield’s fullback, Jayden Engelbrecht opened the scoring, slicing through the Brakkie defence like a hot knife through butter to dot down inside 12 minutes, with winger, Aris Barend adding the extras.

Unable to make progress by taking on the visitors head-on, the Brakkies switched tactics, with Louw peppering the visitors with penalties at every opportunity.

The second half was more of the same, with Barend finishing off a scintillating run by his eighth man, Henro Kotze, to regain the lead for Hopefield.

But Louw had ice in his veins and continued to punish the visitors with his boot, slotting kicks from all angles and nailing the winning kick with five minutes left on the clock.

On Saturday, the action continued with the kinds of thrills provided in Friday’s main event.

Worcester Gimnasium outplayed Tygerberg, with four tries between the duo of Wilfred Slinger and Waylan Pienaar seeing the Gimmies to victory after the teams had been locked at 15-15 at halftime.

The Tigers struck first through their captain, Thurlow Goodhart, who ran in a double, but they were kept scoreless in the second half as Worcester added nine more points to secure the win.

Esselenpark scored a couple of beautiful tries to stay in the game against Piketberg, with their eighth man, Keaton van der Hanse, giving them a 19-15 lead at half-time.

The big boys from Piketberg regrouped in the second half, however, with hooker, Zander Jordaan, charging over for his second try and 8th-man, Jasper Smit, causing havoc with his powerful carries and huge hits on defence.

Scorers

Brackenfell 15 (9) – Penalties: Junior Louw (5). Hopefield 14 (7) – Tries: Jayden Engelbrecht, Aris Barend. Conversions: Barend (2)

Worcester Gimnasium 24 – Tries: Wilfred Slingers (2), Waylan Pienaar (2). Conversions: Aidan Abrahams, Lorenzo Haremse. Tygerberg 15 – Tries: Thurlow Goodhart (2). Conversion: Shane Steenkamp. Penalty: Steenkamp.

Strand 33 – Tries: Darren Dramat, Justin Phillips, Lyle Julies, Heinrich April, Sherwin April. Conversions: Tyron Nicholas (3), Darren Dramat. Hamiltons 31.

Labori 10 – Try: Miguel Britz. Conversion: Christiaan Beukes. Penalty: Beukes. Bosmansdam 0.

Melkbosstrand 22 (15) – Tries: Janco Labuschagne (2), Michael Janse van Rensburg. Conversions: Joel Maree (2). Penaly: Maree. Fairmont 7.

Piketberg 27 – Tries: Zander Jordaan (2), Jasper Smit, Redowin Booise, Jorgan Strauss. Conversion: Requin Lesh. Esselenpark 19 – Tries: Shaan Jay Lukas, Ruwayne Jeftha, Keaton van der Hanse. Conversions: Luhandry Monaila (2).

Other results

u19 – Weston 12, De Kuilen 7; Steynville 27, De Villiers Graaff 24; Edgemead 20, Vredenburg 0; Hottentots Holland 38, Fairbarn 0

Sunday brought an end to another successful edition of the Greg Beling Festival after a four-day run, which alongside the Tony Godding Festival, filled hockey turfs all around East London.

Matches were played on six different Astros at Cambridge High, Stirling High School, Clarendon High School for Girls, Selborne College, Merrifield College and Bunkers Hill.

Some of the top schools in the country were on show, with Oranje and St Anne’s, like they had at the Balling Hockey Festival in Bethlehem, finishing the event with spotless records. Rhenish, too, sported an unblemished record.

The ease with which Oranje won their matches, however, suggests they might just be the team to beat in South Africa this season, which is far from an unusual position for the school. In fact, it’s more the norm.

On the first day of the event, Eunice, Cambridge, Rhenish and Stirling enjoyed opening victories with Cambridge outplaying Montana 3-0 on their home Astro. Rhenish impressed with 4-1 win over Clarendon, while Stirling High School topped Curro Waterstone 2-1.

With teams hitting their stride, day two was vibrant, with some big scores being recorded.

Eunice, the country’s best in 2023, just ahead of Oranje, overwhelmed Cambridge High 6-0. The Bloemfontein school went on to on an impressive four wins, a draw and a surprisingly comprehensive 1-5 defeat against Rhenish.

Oranje overran Woodridge College 9-0 on day three and then powered their way to a 6-0 victory over Clarendon. On Sunday, Oranje was at it again, this time making it into double figures as they cruised past Hudson Park 10-2.

Alexander Road wrapped up their festival in style, crushing Krugersdorp 8–1, while Clarendon Invitational beat Brandwag 6-0.

Fixtures

Sunday, 17 March 2024

Cambridge High School Astro

07:00 – Alexander Road 8-1 Krugersdorp
10:45 – Clarendon Inv 6-0 Brandwag
13:15 – Clarendon 3-0 Curro Waterstone

Clarendon College Astro
07:00 – Collegiate 0-1 St Anne’s
08:15 – Oranje 10-2 Hudson Park
09:30 – Eunice 3-1 Affies
12:00 – Clarendon 0-1 Woodridge
 09:30 – Kingswood College 0-1 Sasolburg High

Merrifield College Astro

07:00 – Brandwag 1-1 Lilyfontein
09:30 – Union High 2-1 Witteberg
12:00 – Merrifield 1-1  Volkskool

Selborne College Astro

07:00 – Framesby 1-2 Montana
07:00 – DSG 5-0 Linden
10:45 – Stirling v Voortrekker

Stirling Astro
12:00 – GHS 2-3 Duineveld
13:15 – Westering 4-0 Cradock

The Durban High School (DHS) 1st XV faced a tricky opening rugby fixture on Saturday, at Kearsney College, who had already notched three wins in three starts, including a 16-14 upset of a highly favoured Maritzburg College the previous weekend.

Problem? Not for coach Peter Engeldow‘s outfit. Not only did they win, but they held the One-Stripe scoreless, emerging from a hard-fought contest with a 23-0 victory.

It’s not as if Kearsney didn’t threaten. They did. But staunch and determined DHS defence kept them at bay.

Khanyisa Stamper, at 8th-man, set the standard for the Horseflies, delivering a man of the match-type performance. He was sound on defence and a strong ball-carrier on the offence. His fellow loose-forward, Daniel Ikotela, was also a defensive standout.

Kearsney had stood up well to Maritzburg College’s powerful pack the previous weekend, but DHS proved that they, too, are talented up front and handled the Kearsney pack well. They also performed smoothly in the lineouts, which not many teams have managed in their first outings.

Flyhalf Aka Boqwana has big shoes to fill, following the departure of the outstanding Deano Boesak, who has signed a contract with Western Province. On Saturday, given sharp service from Marcwin Nero, he did a fine job, twice crossing for tries while also controlling the game with his tactical kicking.

Outside of Boqwana, hard-running Zingce Simka and Adriano Jackson caused the Kearsney defence problems.

It was an encouraging start to the season for DHS, who will have high hopes for 2024 after a very good 2023. However, knock-ons and penalties are areas that will require improvement going forward.

In Pietermaritzburg, Clifton College had the misfortune of running into a talented Maritzburg College team that was deeply disappointed by its first outing of 2024, and ready to take out that disappointment on Clifton on Goldstone’s.

College was simply too slick and too fast for their opposition, and no one was more slippery or fast than their SA Schools’ fullback, Luyanda Kunene, who sliced through the Clifton defence for five tries.

His fellow SA Schools’ star, College captain Rambo Kubheka crossed the whitewash twice and was matched by Lee-Rynne Sinkfontein as College tallied 12 tries. It didn’t help Clifton that James Slevin kicked well. He struck 10 conversions and added a penalty.

To their credit, Clifton kept going at it and twice forced their way over for tries from close range. Their second was also the last of the contest, which spoke volumes about their spirited resistance.

Just up the road, at Hilton College, a shock was in store for the hosts. They took on a Northwood team that was full of running and looked dangerous when they got the ball down their backline, and it brought them an exciting 10-7 victory.

The opening try, in the 12th minute, was a beauty, which began with a lineout just outside of Northwood’s 22m. They secured the throw and then, under heavy pressure from Hilton, got the ball out wide with a long skip pass. A clever dummy and a slipped tackle saw the Knights racing down the right-hand side of the field.

An offload to the inside and another dummy opened up a route to the tryline and they were over after covering more than three-quarters of the length of the field. It was a sensational score.

Then, a deep foray into Hilton’s territory brought Northwood to within five metres of the tryline. Hilton, though, turned over possession and launched a kick down the field. After catching the ball on the halfway line, the Knights countered with a swift attack to the left. Hilton was outflanked and the visitors were in for a second try.

Their 10-point lead lasted only three minutes, however. Skip passes had helped them get on the outside of the Hilton defence on a number of occasions. This time, it got them into trouble as a long pass was intercepted by Khazimla Makali.

He sprinted down the field but was hauled in from behind. Still, he got a final pass off and Rukudzo Madinga provided the finish. Liyema Nela added the extras and only three points separated the sides.

Northwood, though, had proven a tough nut to crack and they didn’t allow Hilton another point to record a cherished victory on Gilfillan Field.

Scores

Durban High School 23 (11) – Tries: Aka Boqwana (x2), Allston Cedras. Penalties: Allston Cedras (x2). Conversions: Allston Cedras. Kearsney College 0 (0).

Maritzburg College 83 (36) – Luyanda Kunene (x5), Phiwayinkosi Kubheka (x2), Lee-Rynne Sinkfontein (x2), Imivuyo Kemka, Siyabonga Nyathi, Swelihle Mbatha. Penalty: James Slevin. Conversions: James Slevin (x10). Clifton College 10 (5)

Northwood School 10 (5). Hilton College 7 (0) – Try: Rukudzo Madinga. Conversion: Liyema Nela.

If there was any doubt in anyone’s mind whether or not Kwena Maphaka is the real deal, there shouldn’t be any longer.

The 17-year-old ICC u19 World Cup Player of the Tournament made a major step up during only his fourth match for the Central Gauteng Lions in this format as he was entrusted to bowl the super over against Western Province.

The learner from St Stithians College in Johannesburg needed to defend a mere ten runs in the super over which he successfully did to help his side secure the victory.

Maphaka made his CSA T20 Challenge debut for the Lions against Boland earlier this month. The match against Western Province was only his fourth.

He has previously represented the South African u19 side in division 2 of the competition. The youngsters won the competition with Maphaka in their midst in 2022.

In his debut match against Boland, he picked up three wickets at the cost of only 22 runs in his four allotted overs. He also boasted some good bowling figures in his second match against North West of 2/11.

In his third match against the Titans (1/37) he came up against his former Saints and SA u19 teammate Lhuan-dré Pretorius (9). He however didn’t pick up his friend’s wicket.

This was Pretorius’ debut for the Titans as well as in the competition.

Pretorius was forced to search for a school in Pretoria to finish his schooling career after he signed with the Titans to continue his career after matriculating. The Central Gauteng Lions informed him that he won’t be eligible for selection for their Khaya Majola Week side at the end of this season.

Pretorius found a home at Cornwall Hill College after initially trying to move to Affies where his younger brother, Vihan Pretorius is plying his trade. The fact that his whole high schooling career was in English at Saints made the move to Affies difficult.

Cornwall Hill College is the perfect fit as it is where Protea captain Aiden Markram played before moving to Pretoria Boys’ High. At Cornwall Hill College Pretorius will also find some excellent support from the Director of Cricket, Malan Morkel.

Maphaka is the third South African to be named ICC u19 World Cup Player of the Tournament after Markram (2014) and Dewald Brevis (2022).

 

 

Only three teams remained unbeaten after four days of exciting hockey action as the annual Belgotex Tony Godding Festival wound down on Sunday afternoon.

St Andrew’s College, Grey High and Selborne College were the only sides to keep clean records at the hockey extravaganza, named after the former player, coach and administrator. The event, now into its seventh year, was co-hosted by Clarendon, Selborne, Cambridge, Stirling, and Merrifield.

A closely contested 1-1 draw between Hudson Park and Woodridge brought an end to the action. That tie was preceded by a 12-noon double-header: Cambridge against Pearson at the Cambridge Astro, and in the other match, a showdown between Grey College and St Andrew’s College at Selborne College.

The Cambridge-Pearson contest was a mismatch. Heading into the contest, Cambridge had conceded 28 goals and scored only two, while Pearson had scored five and conceded three, boasting a win over Queen’s and a 1-1 draw against St Andrew’s School. The result was an expected 5-0 win for Pearson.

The Grey College versus St Andrew’s College match would have been a perfect way to close off the event. St Andrew’s had quietly gone about registering wins in a manner that demonstrated consistency, with 3-0 wins against Hudson Park and Voortrekker and a 5-0 victory over Merrifield.

The Makhanda-based team entered the contest as the only team yet to concede in the festival. Grey College, on the other hand, waltzed into the clash with a reputation for being prolific in front of goal.

Grey began their Tony Godding campaign like a house on fire and did not give their opposition breathing room. Coach Wayne Coetzee’s team had rammed 23 goals past their opponents in four matches, conceding only once. Only a strong and stubborn team could stop that runaway train. That strong and stubborn team turned out to be St Andrew’s College.

While they gave up a first goal of the festival, St Andrew’s rallied and overcame Coetzee’s charges to inflict a first defeat of the season on Grey by a 2-1 margin.

The festival was a good proving ground for Kenneth John (KJ) Friend and his Selborne College outfit. They had produced solid wins over the Phoenix Hockey Club and Merrifield in the lead-up to the event, but Friend felt that they needed more competition for him to determine how far they had come. By all appearances, his players are primed and ready for their next assignment, the Nomads u18 Tournament in Pietermaritzburg, which starts on 20 March.

Selborne registered early wins against St Andrew’s School, Woodridge, and Linden, and finished off their campaign with an 8-0 massacre of Voortrekker. Gilbert and his teammates completed the festival having netted 22 times and given up only a single goal.

The other unbeaten side, Andrew Beynon’s Grey High, quietly went about their business, scoring a ton of goals while conceding next to nothing in their matches. The Gqeberha team’s record included putting 11, four, five and six past Cambridge, St Andrew’s School, Stirling and Hudson Park respectively over the four days while conceding only a single goal to St Andrew’s School. Like their namesake, Grey College, they were prolific in front of goal and excellent in defence.

Dale College had a slow start, drawing 1-1 with Curro Waterstone. After that early stumble, they recovered to record a 4-3 win over Voortrekker. They later wound down their campaign with a 5-0 victory over Linden.

The campaign will be a great confidence booster for the Qonce outfit, who endured a nightmarish season last year. There’s nothing that uplifts a programme quite as much as stacking a few wins together.

After a competitive weekend in the Eastern Cape, the top teams are now wiping their hockey sticks, polishing their skills, and composing themselves as they prepare for some major tournaments in the coming week, including Nomads, Founders and the Coastal Cup.

Results

Westering 3-2 Duineveld, Framesby 0-1 Montana, Alex Rd 4-2 Krugersdorp, Selborne 8-0 Bethlehem Voortrekker, Dale 5-0 Linden, Stirling 0-5 Grey High, Pearson 5-0 Cambridge, Grey College 1-2 St Andrews College, Linden 1-4 Selborne, Hudson Park 1-1 Woodridge.

Outeniqua fell to a second successive defeat on Saturday, against the mighty farmers from Boland Landbou, but the visitors had to sweat to hold on to their narrow lead in George.

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Last weekend, Noordheuwel exacted retribution by beating the Kwaggas 28-19 at their 101-Year Festival, after losing to the side from George in 2023.

On Saturday, Boland also got one back against the boys from Outeniqua to avenge their 15-18 loss in Paarl in 2022.

The visitors struck first, against the run of play, when Jayden Brits and Enslin Claassen combined on the counterattack to send Brits over for the first score of the game.

His opposite number, Ellie Meyer, reduced the deficit for Outeniqua and exchanged penalty goals with the visiting flyhalf, Retagan van Rooi, to bring the score to 10-6 at halftime.

The home team kept battering at Boland’s defences, but they could not find a way through. They also defended well to contain the visitors, and it was a back-and-forth for large parts of the game.

Boland Landbou eventually prised open the hosts’ defence when Van Rooi sent over the big flanker, Karst Smits, in the second half to stretch their lead to 15-6. With 13 minutes remaining the game, they had to defend for dear life.

Meyer and his flyhalf, Andrew Stopforth, were prominent for the home team in the final stanza, with Outeniqua putting the visitors under immense pressure as the game drew towards its conclusion.

With just 10 minutes remaining, Stopforth stormed over for Outeniqua’s only try and Meyer reduced the deficit to two points with the extras.

With their tails up, the Kwaggas kept asking questions of Boland Landbou right up to the final whistle, but the visitors stood firm and repelled their attacks.

Unlike the last time these two met, there would be no last-minute winner, with the Boland boys confidently seeing out the remainder of the match to add a second hard-fought win to their record for the season.

Juan Kleinhans powered his way over the line in the final moments, but the visitors’ defence around the ruck remained sharp to the very end and they managed to prevent the big prop from grounding the ball, which brought the contest to a thrilling close.

Last weekend, at the AFGRI-Sports Day, the Bolanders were made to work hard for a 29-18 win over Milnerton. They will look forward to taking next weekend off before they head to the St John’s Easter Festival in Johannesburg at the end of the month.

Outeniqua will aim to bounce back immediately at the NMI Toyota North-South Rugby Tournament in Pretoria where they will face Pretoria Boys High and Menlopark.

Scorers

Boland Landbou 15 (10) – Tries: Jayden Brits, Karst Smits. Conversion: Retagan van Rooi. Penalty: Van Rooi. Outeniqua 13 (6) – Try: Andrew Stopforth. Conversion: Ellie Meyer. Penalties: Meyer (2).

Other results

u19 – Boland Landbou II 22, Outeniqua II 12; Boland Landbou III 14, Outeniqua III 13; Boland Landbou IV 13, York 11; Boland Landbou V 27, Wittedrif 12; Boland Landbou VI 22, Outeniqua IV 5; Boland Landbou VII 19, York II 0.

u16 – Boland Landbou A 20, Outeniqua A 5; Boland Landbou B 25, Outeniqua B 14; York A 27, Boland Landbou C 22.

u15 – Boland Landbou A 21, Outeniqua A 5; Boland Landbou B 7, Outeniqua B 5; York A 24, Boland Landbou C 12; Outeniqua C 38, Boland Landbou 5.

u14 – Outeniqua A 34, Boland Landbou A 3; Outeniqua B 12, Boland Landbou B 8; York A 14, Boland Landbou C 10; Boland Landbou D 17, Outeniqua C 14.