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Sometimes finals disappoint and sometimes they thrill. The showdown between Western Province A and Central Gauteng A in the boys’ u19 title decider at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Gqeberha on Wednesday was very much a case of the latter, and then it was dialled up to 11.

It was a catch-your-breath, thrill-a-minute battle between two skilful, hard-nosed, never-say-die opponents, with neither prepared to give an inch in the Grey High School pool. It delivered on drama in bucketloads.

In the early going, Central Gauteng net-minder Ben Scher, who was sensational in his side’s semi-final win over KwaZulu-Natal A the previous day, looked as if he would do the same to the Capetonians, pulling off a string of sensational stops to help his side nose ahead.

The teams went blow-for-blow, but with one chukka to play, it was 8-6 in favour of Central Gauteng, the defending champions. But Province kept at their opponents and managed to reduce the deficit to a single goal when the boys from the Johannesburg region suffered an exclusion.

Still, though, Central Gauteng clung with all their might to the lead. With only 30 seconds remaining, Province coach Jabz Sibiya called a timeout. What does a coach tell his side to do in such a situation? Sibiya shared: “We took a page out of the Croatian handbook. We sent all seven up for a seven-on-six. We told them that the hole is going to come either in the middle or on the left, and the hole showed itself and we scored!”

When the ball crossed the line, only 14 seconds remained in the game. So, the contest went to a penalty shootout.

Scher, in the Central Gauteng goal, made a stop first up, but De Sousa responded for Western Province by rejecting the opposition’s second-round effort. After the five players selected for the shootout had taken their penalties, it was 4-4. The final then moved to a sudden death format. The first to score and save would win.

The game wasn’t decided quickly. Scher, who had almost seemed to be a mind-reader at times, was suddenly being sent the wrong way, and De Sousa, all six-foot-nine of him, couldn’t keep the Central Gauteng boys from scoring.

Eventually, with Western Province 8-7 up from the spot. De Sousa pulled off the match-winning save, and it was over. Behind his goal, the Province supporters erupted. Central Gauteng’s wholehearted challenge had finally been ended.

After taking the victors’ customary swim, coach Sibiya laughed happily, saying his charges’ victory had taken three years off his life span.

“It was extremely stressful. The guys have done it before,” he said about the shootout. “We knew it would come down to a showdown of the goalkeepers because they are really talented. At the end of the day, Jordy [de Sousa] managed to get that last save.

It was a gutsy victory. For all the skill and marvellous teamwork, what impressed most about both sides was their heart. Their all-out work rate was phenomenal and the manner in which both sets of players dealt with the pressure was extraordinary. As it ratcheted up, it seemed that one of the teams would surely crack under the strain, but they never did. They lapped it up and took the game back to the opposition.

Sibiya said Western Province’s experience of finals helped their cause immensely: “If you look at the split of players that we have in our side, there are some Paul Roos guys, there are some SACS guys, who have been in finals together, and against each other, over the years. Some Rondebosch guys, too, who have been in finals, also.

“It is something that we are used to, and I think that it was out of habit how the boys really stuck to their game. They showed character, and because they had been through it before it was something that they showed right through the game.”

He also recognised that Central Gauteng A had brought plenty to an engrossing contest: “Central Gauteng are coached by a legend, ‘Nacho’ [Jon-Marc de Carvalho], who I really look up to. When I was in school playing, he was coaching,” Sibiya said.

“Credit to them, they have worked hard. They’re a very skilful side. We knew it was going to take a lot to beat them, and they were beating us in some moments of that game. Big credit to them. It came down to the wire, and it worked out for us.”

The key to the Western Province victory was dealing with Central Gauteng’s physical and aggressive defence. “We knew they were going to give us a tight press. We knew they were going to back their centre-backs, Greg Pryce and Karabo Mamaregane. We had to match them with our captain, Noah Bigara, and I guess he was winning that argument in the first chapter of the game,” Sibiya said.

“We also knew that we hadn’t been that successful on our tight press, so we went with our tried and tested 4-2 zone, which comes from the heart of the Western Cape. It gives us a transition the other way, and it’s in the DNA of Western Province polo, which is counterattacking polo.”

The bronze medal went the way of KwaZulu-Natal A, who beat KwaZulu-Natal B 17-5 in the playoff for third, with Ollie Ditz going off for six goals for the victors. Mitchell Slade and Rhys Hall weighed in with hattricks, too, while Marnu Koekemoer led the B side with two goals.

Buffalo City ended on a high by edging out Western Province B for fifth place in a penalty shootout after a low-scoring clash had ended 5-5. Province were stymied from the spot, failing to score once, as the team from East London took it 3-0.

The Northern Tigers showed marked improvement over the course of the tournament, but they didn’t have enough to halt Nelson Mandela Bay in their last outing, going down 4-7, which left the hosts in seventh.

Zimbabwe ended their tournament with a defeat against Central Gauteng B, who ran out convincing 15-5 winners to place ninth.

Final Standings

Western Province A
Central Gauteng A
KwaZulu-Natal A
KwaZulu-Natal B
Buffalo City
Western Province B
Nelson Mandela Bay
Northern Tigers
Central Gauteng B
Zimbabwe
Eastern Gauteng

Results

9th/10th: Zimbabwe 5-15 Central Gauteng B

Zimbabwe – Garrick Duff (2), Michael Chaniwa (2), Samuel Edwards
Central Gauteng B – Jack Wilkins (6), Brogan McEwan (2), Zico Williams (2), Max Turanjanin, Ross Stuart, Samuel Ferreira, Mark Hudson, Braedon Hollingworth

7th/8th: Northern Tigers 4-7 Nelson Mandela Bay

Northern Tigers – Ruben Steyn, Jack Toich, Alexander Kelbrick, Joshua Verster
Nelson Mandela Bay – Tawfiq Akomolafe (2), Salmaan Abrahams, Nicholas Franklin, Daniel de Lange, Luke Moffett, Jon Hobson

5th/6th: Western Province B 5 (0) – Buffalo City 5 (3)

Western Province B – Mac Lecuona (2), Cosmo Enthoven, Ziggy Reimer, Aden Da Costa
Buffalo City – Keiron Roux (2), Sandon Grotjohn, Philip Wagner, Daniel Breetzke

3rd/4th: KwaZulu-Natal A 17-5 KwaZulu-Natal B

KwaZulu-Natal A – Ollie Ditz (6), Rhys Hall (3), Mitchell Slade (3), Jamie Spence (2), Matthew Hayes (2), Warwick Field
KwaZulu-Natal B – Marnu Koekemoer (2), Ethan Lyne, Blake Kruger, Jack Slater

1st/2nd: Western Province A 8 (8) – Central Gauteng A 8 (7)

Western Province A – Maximilian Mossop (2), Ethan Klerck (2), Ben Reiback, Conor Melling-Williams, Noah Bigara, Thomas Wiltshire
Central Gauteng A – Nicholas Pearce (3), Tristan Grimett, Karabo Mamaregane, Marc Smith, Taeg Mosehla

The Central Gauteng A u19 girls’ team have successfully defended their Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial title after they edged Western Province A 12-10 in the final on Wednesday morning in Gqeberha.

The Gauteng side, one of the most successful teams in the past decade at the tournament, were forced to dig deep against a resilient Province side in front of an energetic crowd at the Grey High School swimming pool.

Both sides were high in confidence coming into the final after maintaining 100 percent records throughout the pool stages and knock-out matches.

They matched up well, with Gauteng proving ruthless in front of goal throughout the week, while Western Province coach Nicola Barrett’s troops were resolute in defence, despite conceding a few goals in the latter stages of the knock-out matches.

Seeking to get out of the blocks quickly, both sides began the match at a high tempo, with Gauteng opening the scoring early in the first quarter through a Jenna Penney penalty.

Province hit back immediately with two goals from Morgan Christian. First, she found herself in space and slotted the ball in the right-hand corner before some interlinking passes between her teammates created another opportunity for Christian to grab a second and put Province 2-1 ahead after the first eight minutes.

The match opened up in the second and third chukkas, and that’s when Gauteng hit the front.

Coach Etienne Le Roux’s experienced side was able to extricate itself out of pressure situations and his players came to life, scoring four times to take the lead from their Cape rivals. Frequent goal scorer, Mia Loizides, was once again in the front line, grabbing a hattrick, while Kara Wicht, who had come to the fore over the previous two days, also got her name onto the scoreboard.

Trailing by two goals entering the final quarter, Western Province looked hurried and harassed in front of goal, whereas Gauteng were firing on all cylinders and building scoreboard pressure.

They closed out the match with three late goals by Loizides, Wicht, and Francesca De Villiers. Try as they might, Province just couldn’t reel in the Central Gauteng total despite impressive showings by Morgan Christian and Hannah Banks, who both contributed four goals apiece.

“We made it a bit tough in the final. I thought that we could’ve done a bit better, but at the end of the day, a gold medal is a gold medal,” Le Roux told SuperSport Schools after the final whistle.

In the second quarter, Central Gauteng A appeared to be a mere shadow of the side they were in their semifinal clash against their B team, and they were doing just enough to stay in the contest.

Le Roux said he didn’t have to do that much talking at half-time.

“I think, in the beginning, we created a lot of chances, and we just didn’t put the ball in the back of the net,” he said.

“We spent about three minutes at halftime breathing, and everyone with their eyes closed, and I just told the players that they’ve got this, and they just needed to execute like they’ve done in the last four to five years of their careers.

“I’m just so proud of the team, and their efforts and the hard work they’ve put in during the last weeks. It’s been amazing to see them get this reward,” he concluded.

For Province, their wait for an IPT title continues, and it’s another heartbreak in the final against the same opponents, who also defeated them in the 2018 title game.

They will, however, hold their heads up high having shown fighting spirit until the final whistle.

Their goalkeeper, Naledi Kaseya, was influential in keeping her side within reach of Central Gauteng, pulling off a total of eight saves in the first three chukkas of the match.

Coach Barrett had words of praise for her net-minder: “I think our keeper had a hell of a game today, and she pulled out all the stops,” Barrett said.

She also admitted she didn’t think her players brought their best to the final: “I thought our energy was really low. I don’t think we replicated the energy we brought against KZN, and that was probably because the nerves got to us in the second and third chukkas.

“We just made silly little mistakes, but I’m super happy with the girls. I thought we did well.”

Earlier in the day, KwaZulu-Natal came just short of claiming the bronze medal when they were edged out 4-3 in a penalty shootout by Central Gauteng B in the 3^rd/4^th play-off match.

KZN started brightly and led 5-3 at halftime, courtesy of goals by Christy Dudas, Marlise Pretorius, and a hattrick by Taylor Cherry.

Central Gauteng’s Amy Smith led the fightback, netting twice, while Amy Mather struck three times, and Tatum Rogers and Morgan Harrison added goals to leave the contest knotted up a 7-7 after regulation time.

Nelson Mandela Bay also ended their campaign on a high by claiming a 13-10 win over their provincial rivals, Buffalo City, to finish fifth at home.

Zimbabwe picked up a 6-4 win against Western Province B, and Eastern Gauteng finished 10th after thumping the Northern Tigers 20-3.

Final Standings

Central Gauteng A
Western Province A
Central Gauteng B
KwaZulu-Natal
Nelson Mandela Bay
Buffalo City
Zimbabwe
Western Province B
Eastern Gauteng
Northern Tiger

Results| Day 5

Central Gauteng A 12-10 Western Province A

Central Gauteng A – Jenna Penney (3), Mia Loizides (5), Kara Wicht (3), Francesca De Villiers. Western Province A – Morgan Christian (4), Hannah Banks (4), Emily Van Heerden (2).

Central Gauteng B 7 (4)- KwaZulu-Natal 7 (3)

KwaZulu-Natal – Christy Dudas, Taylor Cherry (3), Marlise Pretorius, Annabelle Hardie, Caitlin McMurray.
Central Gauteng B – Amy Mather (3), Tatum Rogers, Amy Smith (2), Morgan Harrison,

Nelson Mandela Bay 13-10 Buffalo City

Nelson Mandela Bay – Teagan Harty (3), Amie Jenner, Matipa Karimazondo (3), Anna Pinto (4), Jamie Lacey, Olivia Connellan.
Buffalo City – Chelsy Hendry (2), Jasmine Koch (2), Alex Albers (2), Tori Voke (2), Gemma Hannafay, Gabbi Whitebooi.

Zimbabwe 6-4 Western Province B

Zimbabwe – Erin Bent (4), Erin Van Hoof, Lauren Ashwin.
Western Province B – Isabella Tooley, Amy Pettipher, Abigail Bester (2).

Eastern Gauteng 20-3 Northern Tigers

Eastern Gauteng – Maddison Griffin (7), Megan Keira Venter (3), Emma Nicle Spronk (2), Myra Strydom (3), Alana Vermaak, Alshe Hope De Klerk, Jessica Edkins, Akunna Chikeka.
Northern Tigers – Ngandu Darina Muzungu (2), Meghan Venn.

Despite a solid start by Oakdale Landbou on the first day of the World Schools Festival in Thailand, they had to dig deep to get over the line against their Welsh challengers, Cardiff & Vale.

Kurt Coetzee converted a difficult penalty within the first minute, which would ultimately prove crucial, as neither team managed to get a firm hold over the match.

A try by their Grant Khomo loosehead, Kai Pratt, swung the momentum in favour of the South Africans before a penalty try helped the Welsh team reduce the deficit before halftime after a period of sustained pressure on the Oakdale try line.

Dewald Jonck then finished off one of the best tries of the day as Oakdale returned a wayward clearance kick by the Welsh flyhalf, Tom Hughes.

The second half was a tense affair, with both teams doing their best to keep each other within arm’s length. The only try after the break came through Cardiff & Vale’s hooker, Ellis Richards, and Hughes slotted the conversion to get his team within five points of victory with 20 minutes left to play.

This is the second year the team from Wales’ campaign has ended at the hands of South Africans, last year they lost against Grey College by 14-11 on Day Two.

The Rugby Travel Academy came up short against the Irish powerhouse, St Michael’s by 35-12. Many of these boys were in action on the first day of the Open competition as well, where RTA has two teams competing.

As it stands, Oakdale and EG Jansen have progressed to the semi-finals on Friday, where they will have to deal with the Irish and the Kiwis.

Even though Westlake Boys were unable to break the deadlock against Hartpury College, they showed their potential with two great tries in the final ten minutes to book their spot in the penultimate round.

There is no doubt about the dangers St Michael’s holds, as they proved when their contingent of junior Irish international and regional representatives showed their class against the RTA Invitational team today.

The action continues with the Open and Girls Sevens on Thursday, before the Cup competition resumes on Friday.

Scorers:

Oakdale Landbou 18 (18) – Tries: Kai Pratt, Dewald Jonck. Conversions: Kurt Coetzee. Penalty: Kurt Coetzee (2). Cardiff & Vale 14 (7) – Tries: Penalty Try, Ellis Richards. Conversion: Tom Hughes.

St Michael’s 35 (20) – Tries: Duinn Maguire (2), Dylan McNiece, Dan Ryan: Joe Quigley (6). Penalty: Quigley (3). Rugby Travel Academy 12 (7) – Tries: Rigert Klok, Kian du Plessis Conversions: Jayden de Leeuw

After a thrilling start to the 2023 CSA u16 Girls Cricket Week on Tuesday, the action was cut short by rain in Pietermaritzburg today.

The action is set to resume tomorrow before the T20 playoffs begin on Friday.

Watch every moment live on SuperSport Schools – Register now – Link to the tournament

After huge victories on the first day, tomorrow’s matchup between the Gauteng Lions and Western Province could be the highlight of the week.

The local girls in the KZN Inland team will also be anxious to get a victory on record when they face Eastern Province, especially after their disappointment in the opening game.

Their coastal counterparts face Free State in their final 50 overs match of the week in what could also turn out to be an exciting contest.

 

Day 2, Cancelled fixtures
KwaZulu-Natal vs Limpopo
Free-State vs Border
Gauteng Lions vs Mpumalanga
Western Province vs Garden Route Badgers
Titans vs Boland
North-West vs Kei
KZN Inland vs Easterns
Eastern Province vs Northern Cape

Day 3, 14 December (50 Overs)
KwaZulu-Natal vs Free-State
Limpopo vs Border
Gauteng Lions vs Western Province
Mpumalanga vs Garden Route Badgers
Titans vs North-West
Boland vs Kei
KZN Inland vs Eastern Province
Easterns vs Northern Cape

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

A lot has changed since the last time the annual Khaya Majola Week was hosted in Makhanda in 1997. Back then, Makhanda was known as Grahamstown, while the annual cricket week was also in transition and had not yet been named the Khaya Majola Week.

At the time, it carried the name of the long-time sponsors of the prestigious event, and was known as the Coca-Cola Cricket Week.

In 1997, Khaya Majola was still a South African Schools’ selector. Serving with him on that panel was Imtiaz Patel – these days the Chairman of Multichoice.

Today, the Khaya Majola Week remains a vital, major stepping stone for cricketers in South Africa. Twenty-six years ago, the tournament produced Proteas’ Mfuneko Ngam, Robin Peterson (both Eastern Province), Monde Zondeki (Border), Victor Mpitsang, Morné van Wyk (both Free State), Justin Ontong, Henry Davids (both Boland), Jacques Rudolph (Northerns), Thami Tsolekile, Andrew Puttick (both Western Province), Johan Botha (EP B), Jon Kent (KwaZulu-Natal) and Gulam Bodi (Gauteng).

That’s an astonishing total of 13 future Proteas produced in that one week when the event was last hosted in the Eastern Cape town. Since then, the annual week has returned back to its format of all matches being limited overs, with the teams being divided into Platinum and Gold sections.

Besides those future South African internationals, there were four players who would go on to represent other countries, with Jonathan Trott (Western Province) and Michael Lumb (Gauteng) both playing for England, and Kruger van Wyk (Northerns) and Grant Elliot (Gauteng) turning out for New Zealand.

In 1997, the bowlers excelled, with Quinton Barnes of Griqualand West producing the best bowling figures of 7/41 against Border B, which is the sixth-best return yet recorded in the history of the week.

Two of the class of 1997 would also go on to play international rugby, with Conrad Jantjies (Easterns) and Werner Pieterse (Northerns) running out for the Springboks and Russia respectively.

Casting an eye towards this year’s tournament, the big challenge the players face is the fact that earning a South African Schools cap is more difficult than being selected to represent the SA under-19 team. The simple fact is that SA Schools’ selections are based on what the players achieve during the Khaya Majola Week. Miss out in the week and you miss out on selection.

Competition for SA Schools’ caps this year is going to be intense. Richard Seletswane (Gauteng) will be chasing a rare third cap after being selected for the national team in 2021 and 2022.

Four of his teammates of 2022 – Tristan Luus (Titans), Romashan Pillay (KwaZulu-Natal), Ludwich Schuld (North West) and Kwena Maphaka (Gauteng) return to the week with their sights set on a second cap.

Add to that the fact that national u19 players Aphiwe Mnyanda, Esa Gangat (both Eastern Province), Dewan Marais (Easterns), Thebe Gazide, David Teeger, Lhuan-dré Pretorius, Sipho Potsane (all Gauteng), Benni Hansen, and Oliver Whitehead (both Western Province) will also be in action in Makhanda.

Another seven players – Ntando Zuma (KwaZulu-Natal Inland), Juan Steyn, Martin Khumalo (both Easterns), Nqobani Mokoena (KwaZulu-Natal), Riley Norton (Boland), Esosa Aihevba (Gauteng) and Steve Stolk (Titans) are in South Africa’s provisional squad for the u19 ICC Cricket World Cup of 2024.

Gazide captained the SA Colts last year and would like to upgrade his cap. Alongside Gazide in 2022’s Colts line-up were Norton, Johnathan Muller and Dakalo Leketa (both Free State), all of whom will be aiming to take that extra step up to the SA Schools team.

Seletswane is joined by Ben van der Merwe (Border), Thurstin Murphy (Garden Route Badgers), Olwakhe Goqoza, Russel Peterson (both Eastern Province), Cormey van der Watt (Boland), Ntando Zumu and Thabisho Ndlela (both KwaZulu-Natal Inland) as a three-time participant in the Khaya Majola Week.

Van der Watt represented Eastern Province in Potchefstroom in 2021 before moving to Boland in 2022.

Van der Merwe could have boasted the unique distinction of captaining his province for three years in succession after leading Border in Potchefstroom (2021) and Cape Town (2022). He will, however, be the vice-captain in Makhanda.

He earned national hockey recognition earlier this year when he was selected for the SA Schools B side. His father, Cassie van der Merwe, is a former first-class cricketer who represented Free State and Border, and his younger brother Jacques will also be in action with him in Makhanda.

Riley Norton is seeking to add his name to a very prestigious list of school sports stars who have had the honour of representing SA Schools in cricket and rugby.

Norton already has an SA Schools rugby cap to his name, which he received at the end of this year’s Craven Week in George. If selected for the SA Schools cricket side, he would become just the third rugby forward to make the list of 14 players.

The only two forwards to have achieved that honour thus far are Malcolm Thompson (Maritzburg College, loose forward) and Frans Cronjé (Grey College, hooker).

Other famous sportsmen on the list of SA Schools rugby and cricket players include Herschelle Gibbs, Lee Barnard, Gerbrand Grobler, Conrad Jantjies, Helgard Müller, Errol Stewart, and Ruan de Swardt.

Gauteng secured the top spot in their qualifying pool at the CSA u16 Week for boys in Oudtshoorn as they beat KwaZulu-Natal Inland by five wickets on the final day of the group stage fixtures.

They face the Titans in the semi-finals, who had a day to rest after their match against the Western Province team fell victim to the rain in George.

The two teams from KwaZulu-Natal will face each other for a spot in the final after KwaZulu-Natal emerged victorious against Eastern Province on the third day.

Watch all the action on SuperSport Schools – Register now – Link to the tournament

Despite a solid showing by KZN Inland’s Ben Hockley to reach his 50, accompanied by the support of Ethan Muir‘s 40, the Gauteng Lions managed to restrict their opponents with their bowling attack. Nkosana Sibiya and Alec Loveland spearheaded the onslaught, taking five wickets between the two of them.

Kyle Swanepoel backed up their fielding performance with a confident opening innings. He was resolute at the crease, staying 82 deliveries to give his side a platform to launch their run chase.

Kamogelo Phiri came in as the sixth batsman for Gauteng and raced to an unbeaten 35 to earn the secure victory for his side.

Eastern Province played well as they attempted to hand the KZN Coastal team their first loss of the tournament. Cayden Wilson snared four KZN wickets for only 29 runs and Sulaymaan Gangat also picked up a brace as they dismissed their opponents for 154.

Joshua van Biljoen was on form opening for the coastal team, top scoring 53 before he was finally run out.

Roxton Payne, Semal Pillay, and Ismaeel Omar then took matters into their own hands as the EP boys attempted to launch a chase.

Payne caused the Eastern Province batting lineup a lot of hurt, as he took three wickets and bowled three maiden overs to help cut their fightback short.

Otto Krause also had a stellar day with the ball in hand, adding four wickets to his tally in Free State’s win over Boland.

Despite only managing 111 runs, thanks largely to Aden Batt‘s 45, the Boland bowlers did well to get back into the game. They let it slip in the final moments though, when they allowed Free State to claim the win through an extra, with only a single wicket left to spare.

Summarised Scorecards:

KwaZulu-Natal Inland 154 (Ben Hockley 51, Ethan Muir 40; Nkosana Sibiya 3/22, Alec Loveland 2/36); Gauteng 155/5 (Kyle Swanepoel 60, Kamogelo Phiri 35*, Samrat Basu 25; D Naidoo 1/22). Gauteng won by five wickets.

KwaZulu-Natal 167 (Joshua van Biljoen 53, Extras 30, Tim Saulez 29; Cayden Wilson 4/29, Sulaymaan Gangat 2/36); Eastern Province 127 (Luphelo Mdyesha 26, Extras 25, Rhys Wiblin 20, Sulaymaan Gangat 20; Roxton Payne 3/13, Semal Pillay 2/12, Ismaeel Omar 2/20). KwaZulu-Natal won by 40 runs.

Boland 111 (Aden Batt 45, Extras 24; Otto Krause 4/33, Mosia 2/9); Free State 112/9 (Extras 23, Naude Botha 19; Marco Cato 3/26, Neil Barnard 2/11). Free State won by one wicket.

Northern Cape 82 (Extras 22, Daniel van der Merwe 15; Mahlodi Sekubu  3/23, Khoza 2/9, Aeron Vaidyan 2/17, Luka Heinlein 2/19); Limpopo 83/8 (Nhlamulo Shibodze 38*; Tumisho Lekoate 4/11, Tebogo Mgobo 3/37). Limpopo won by two wickets.

Titans vs Western Province – Match abandoned.

North West vs Border – Match abandoned.

Kei vs Mpumalanga – Match abandoned.

Garden Route Badgers vs Easterns – Match abandoned.

FIXTURES – DAY FOUR

Gauteng Lions vs Titans (Langenhoven Gimnasium – Oudtshoorn)
KwaZulu-Natal vs KZN Inland (Recreation Ground – Oudtshoorn)
Free State vs Eastern Province (Bridgton A – Oudtshoorn)
Boland vs Western Province (Glenwood House – George)
Border vs Easterns (NMU – George)
North West vs Garden Route Badgers (Oudtshoorn High – Oudtshoorn)
Mpumalanga vs Limpopo (Rooirivier – George)
Northern Cape vs Kei (Outeniqua B – George)

In the u15 finals for boys during the South Africa Inter-Provincial Water Polo Tournament in Gqebera, Western Province clinched victory with a narrow one-goal (7-6) over KwaZulu Natal.

Watch all the action from the 2023 edition of the Water Polo IPT again on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

Benjamin Stander stood out with an impressive performance, scoring three crucial goals that played a pivotal role in Western Province’s success.

Final

Western Province A 7  – Goals: Benjamin Stander (3), Alex Barrett, Harry Oldham, Daniel Fisher, Andrew Reynolds. KwaZulu-Natal 6  – Goals: Levi Thom (2), Thomas Francke (2), Thomas Aylward, Musawenkosi Mponda.

3th/4th Playoff

Central Gauteng A 8 – Goals: Roan Wessels, Danilo Giuricich, Matthew Cross, Dylan Gander, Cooper Haworth (2), Troy Pasqualle, Ryan Morley. Buffalo City 3 – Goals: Michael Russell (2), Daniel Woodin.

5th/6th Playoff

Nelson Mandela Bay 8  – Goals: Dane Paterson (3), Adam Ball (2), Blake Parker, Christian Chandler, Daniel Henning. Western Province B 7  – Goals: Rupert Robinson (3), Thomas Cruikshank, Ross Prinsloo, Colin Douglass, Tim Farrell.

7th/8th Playoff

Central Gauteng B 8 – Goals: Luke Shipway (2), Matthew Peacock, Brayden Macfie, Peter Phillip Zigiriadis, Daniel Pronk. Northen Tigers A 1  – Goals: Ettiene Sean van der Merwe.

9th/10th Playoff

Zimbabwe 7  – Goals: Nicholas Roukounis, Daniel Oxden-Willows, Tapfuma Taundi, Partick Duff, Bongani Dube, Liam Chicksen, Blaise Scheepers. Eastern Gauteng 4  – Goals: Connor Michael Cockcroft (2), Andrew Christopher Castley.

11th/12th Playoff

Eden District 11  – Goals: Rorke Bubanje (4), Luca Whitehead (3), Sebastian Hiemstra, Nash Lederle, Julien Coetzee, Thando Frans. Northen Tigers B 4  – Goals: Connor Kennealy (3), Stephan  van Tonder.

Kind regards,

Charné van der Merwe
Sprinter
Super Schools News
+27 82 479 3006
charne@superschoolsnews.co.za

Central Gauteng secured victory in the u14 girls’ finals at the South African Inter-Provincial Water Polo Tournament in Gqeberha, winning by a single goal against Western Province (4-3).

Watch all the action from the 2023-edition of the Water Polo IPT again on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

Hannah Stander’s standout performance, marked by two decisive goals, played a key role in securing the championship for Central Gauteng, showcasing both individual skill and team unity. Stander also finished the tournament as the top goalscorer with 16 goals in total.

Her teammate Keira Holland was the runner-up with 15 goals scored in Gqeberha.

Results | Day 5

Final

Central Gauteng A 4 – Goals: Hannah Stander (2), Keira Holland, Jessica Eblen. Western Province A 3 – Goals: Nina Bakker, Jessica Bosch, Jessica Bester.

3th/4th Playoff 

KwaZulu-Natal 4 (3) – Goals: Maggy Matthews (3), Peta Mazery. Buffalo City 4 (3) – Goals: Kate Booyens, Giselle Hurly, Jodi Boettger, Sarah-Jane Mouton.

5th/6th Playoff

Nelson Mandela Bay A 4 – Goals: Charlotte Von Bochove (2), Limpo Mbata, Jasmine Apps. Western Province B 1– Goals: Carolyn Lord.

7th/8th Playoff

Eden District 5(2) – Goals: Mela Loubser (2), Mia Gibson (3). Zimbabwe 5 (3) – Goals: Mazvita Zuze (2), Tariro Myburgh, Holly Rossiter, Jessica Honey.

9th/10th Playoff

Central Gauteng B 9 – Goals: Charlotte Jolley (3), Olesego Moleme (2), Chloe Chapman, Gabriella Lobban, Taylor Dukes, Sarah Silcock. Nelson Mandela B 1 – Goal: Lucy Holderness.

In a thrilling final, Central Gauteng successfully defended their title as champions of the u16 Girls’ South Africa Inter-Provincial Water Polo Tournament with an 8-4 victory over KwaZulu-Natal, highlighting their teamwork and skill.

Julia Joseph scored three goals as her team secured the title.

Watch all the action from the 2023-edition of the Water Polo IPT again on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

Western Province bagged the third position after defeating Buffalo City by 6-4 in the playoff match.

Results | Day 5

Final

Central Gauteng A 8 – Goals: Julia Joseph (3), Anastasia Hambakis (2), Courtney Calenborne, Ciara Simpson, Emma Pelicot. KwaZulu-Natal 4 – Goals: Kayla Andrews (3), Gemma Malherbe.

3th/4th Playoff

Western Province A 6 – Goals: Sophie Vickers, Sarah Palframan, Anna Liberman, Bella Murray, Kelly Cadiz, Kristen Bottger. Buffalo City 4 – Goals: Erin Batting, Chuma Magobongo, Giselle Hurly, Meka Lootz.

5th/6th Playoff

Nelson Mandela 9 – Goals: Mia Tanner (3), Lize Horn (2), Jessica Stevens (2), Amy Botha, Lily Nomoyi. Zimbabwe 5 – Goals: Tyla Love (2), Tayleigh Taylor (2), Taya Sydney Smyth.

7th/8th Playoff

Central Gauteng B 9 – Goals: Alisha Beswick, India-Rose Cope, Giorgia Leather, Taylor Billett (2), Erin Blackburn, Holly Franks, Mia Duffy, Emily Townsend. Western Province B 5 – Goals: Melissah Styles (2), Jeanne Jordaan (2), Gina Casey.

EG Jansen made light work of Eton College in their first fixture at the World Schools Festival to book a spot in the semi-finals.

Eton College, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, is one of the oldest and most influential schools in the world with its long list of notable alumni including many royals and politicians, it has earned the reputation of foremost producer of British statesmen.

They returned from their tour to South Africa in July with an unblemished record, beating St Alban’s College (45-22) and St John’s College (19-17).

In fact, before the match against EG Jansen, the proud school from Berkshire had only lost one game in 2023, against Trinity School from the United Kingdom.

The South Africans opened the scoring with their fullback, R-Jay Pietersen‘s first touch of the ball to take an early lead. Pietersen then got his second of the day just before halftime as they continued finding space in the Eton defensive line to go into the break with a bonus point secured and a 20-point lead.

After the break, Jansen’s tall flanker, Reon Pretorius picked up another quick try after some strong running by his winger, Cameron van Wyk.

The two Eton wingers who are both signed at the Harlequins Academy, Chinonso Ogbunude and Izaak Manuel, were the standout players for the English side, but EG Jansen’s defence remained resolute. They also dominated the scrum, giving their backline a solid platform to launch their attack.

The other two tries were scored by Jeandré Jacobs (centre) and Danré Pike (hooker), as the South Africans controlled the match with their big forwards and solid defensive work.

The Etonian captain and future Saracen, Freddie Bracken-Smith (scrumhalf), salvaged a try in the final moments of the game with an opportunistic dart around the scrum, but by that point, the boys from Boksburg already had the game in the bag.

With a mix of some experienced campaigners who were already involved as part of the first team in EG Jansen’s Noordvaal campaign and some of the graduates from the 2022 u16 team that finished the year undefeated, the boys from Boksburg have an exciting season ahead.

If they can continue to build on their dominant performance in the first match against Eton, they will be one of the favourites going into the penultimate round on Friday.

In the second playoff game for the Cup, New Zealand’s Westlake Boys’ High faced Hartpury College from England.

Hartpury controlled the match until the final 10 minutes when a late reply by Westlake, scoring two tries in the final five minutes by Isaac Murray-Macgregor, the NZ Schools fullback and his lightning-quick winger, Matareti Hoyt meant the game finished in a stalemate on their first outing.

Having scored first, the Kiwis will advance to the Cup semis, but both sides showed they have the potential to cause their opponents a lot of problems in the coming games.

Scorers:

Cup

EG Jansen 32 (20) – Tries: R-Jay Pietersen (2), Jeandre Jacobs, Danré Pike, Reon Pretorius, Riekus an der Merwe. Conversion: Cameron van Wyk. Eton College 5 (0) – Try: Freddie Bracken-Smith.

Westlake (7) 19 – Tries: Isaac Murray-Macgregor (2), Matareti Hoyt. Conversions: Murray-Macgregor (2). Hartpury (5) 19 – Tries: Shand Solomon, Louis Callow, Bailey Paetel. Conversions: Taite Fortey (2).

Open | 12 December

Southern Legion 50 – Tries: Lehan Jordaan, Ewan Korb, Happy Makate, Waylon Oncke, Waldt Stander, WJ Buitendag, Cody Peterson, Dehan Neethling. Conversions: Rynhardt Uys (3), Armand Griessel (2). Dubai Tigers 3.

RTA Invitational 20 – Tries: Raynard van Loggerenberg, Pieter Moller, Mangaliso Mwali. Conversion: Chad Leukes. Penalty: Luhan Janse van Rensburg. Odyssey Knights 0.