Eunice players celebrating a goal at the Balling festival. Photo: Eunice High.
Eunice High School’s first team returned to Bloemfontein with their heads held high and was back training on the Astro on Monday afternoon following a successful Balling Hockey Festival campaign in Bethlehem over the weekend.
“The hockey season kicked off with a confident start, showcasing strong performances and a positive team spirit,” Coach Nika Coertzen said ahead of the session.
Eunice won four of their five matches in Bethlehem. They defeated The Wykeham Collegiate 3-0 in their first match, followed it up with a 1-0 win over St John’s DSG, but then suffered a 0-2 loss at the hands of St Mary’s DSG (Kloof). Coertzen’s charges bounced back with victories over Our Lady of Fatima and Noordheuwel, whom they overcame 2-1 and 4-0 respectively.
Last year. Coertzen led one of the younger sides at first team level. They endured ups and downs, but their performances at the Balling Festival showed how far they have come as a unit.
The results of the building phase they underwent in 2024 are evident in their good start to 2025, Cortzen reckoned.
However, despite her team’s good run, Coertzen doesn’t want her side to get too far ahead of themselves. “The team must stay focused and committed as the real test begins,” she explained.
“The journey ahead will require continued dedication and hard work to maintain momentum and overcome the challenges that lie ahead.”
Bianca Rees-Gibbs was selected to be Eunice’s captain this year. Unfortunately for the ladies from Bloem, Rees-Gibbs was unable to take part in matches in Bethlehem due to an injury. However, she did play a part in the team’s games, captaining from the bench, while Cale Potgieter, the vice-captain, took charge on the Astro. Coertzen was impressed by how the pair communicated and supported each other.
Their ability to lean on each other was the difference in some matches, Coertzen said. Rees-Gibbs’ contribution was invaluable given the high standard of hockey that was played at the showpiece, she felt.
“Being part of this team is truly a privilege, and I am filled with excitement for what lies ahead.” Coertzen enthused.
“The opportunity to collaborate with such talented and driven individuals is something I deeply value. With the support of our coaches, management, and everyone behind the scenes, we are motivated to give our best and continue moving forward.”
Die NWU Prestige-reeks het die afgelope naweek ‘n skouspel van netbaltalent en mededinging opgelewer. Skole het mekaar die stryd aangesê in ‘n reeks intense wedstryde waar netbal van die hoogste gehalte opgedis is.
Hoërskool Pietersburg en Heidelberg Volkskool, asook Die Anker, het verál beïndruk met hul bestendige spel en strategiese ingesteldheid.
Die Pieties het bewys waarom hulle as een van die topskole beskou word met hul eerste span se bepalende sege van 29-23 oor Potchefstroom Volkskool. Hierdie kragmeting was ‘n toonbeeld van uithou- en deursettingsvermoë, met PHS wat sterkste geëindig het.
Ruth Hall was ‘n uitblinker in dié wedstryd met haar uitsonderlike verdedigingswerk en die balbesit wat sy telkens omgekeer het, het ‘n sleutelrol gespeel het in PHS se oorwinning.
Kaptein, Kylie Campbell, was ook ‘n rots op die verdediging en het haar span gelei met onwrikbare teenwoordigheid en leierskap.
PHS se doelskieters, Amoré Duvenage (91%) en Megan Carlisle (88%), het ook ‘n onskatbare bydrae gelewer, met sulke hoë afrondingspersentasies wat verseker het dat PHS se aanval glad verloop en die momentum gehandhaaf kon word.
Met agt oorwinnings uit nege wedstryde was Pietersburg een van die dominantste skole in die toernooi, met die o. 15 B-span wat kon spog met ‘n wegholsege van 37-0 oorwinning behaal het.
Heidelberg Volkskool het ook oorheers in sy wedstrydreeks teen Bergsig, met 10 oorwinnings uit 12 wedstryde en die eerstes wat met 25-15 geseëvier het.
Met sewe oorwinnings uit nege wedstryde het Die Anker ook sy stempel op die reeks afgedruk, hoewel Wagpos in die o. 14 B- en o. 17 A-kragmetings vir verrassings gesorg het. In die eerstespan-wedstryd het Die Anker met 28-11 die botoon gevoer.
Die NWU Prestige-reeks het weereens bewys gelewer van die hoë gehalte netbal wat Suid-Afrikaanse skole oplewer, met spelers wat deurgaans hul vaardighede en deursettingsvermoë, asook gees van sportmanskap, tentoongestel het.
Die toekoms van netbal in die land lyk inderdaad rooskleurig.
Brendon Lohan (right), the Chairman of Seven’s Academy, helped the club successfully navigate their first season in the GDL in 2024. They made a solid start to 2025 with a draw against the defending champions, Highlands Park.
The first round of the highly anticipated 2025 Gauteng Development League (GDL) got underway on the weekend with Highlands Park vying for a third straight title.
With Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, and School of Excellence, among others, eager to put a stop to the dominance of the “Lions of the North“, coach Sifiso Mnguni’s Highlands Parkhad their work cut out for them. Their success means they have a target on their backs this season.
They travelled to Woodlands on Saturday, for an opener against Seven’s Academy where the hosts made their home-ground advantage count by holding the defending champions to a 2-2 draw.
Chiefs also faced a tough opener away from home. They visited Tshwane for a showdown with SuperSport United.
The Amakhosi started the contest well and went into a 2-0 lead, but SuperSport United kept fighting and a late penalty earned the Pretoria club a 2-2 draw with coach David Mathebula’s highly rated Chiefs’ team.
Remember Elite Sport Academy (RESA) and TS Galaxy delivered an entertaining encounter. It was highlighted by Tshepang Mologetso‘s brace and Buchule Mbana‘s solitary goal, which helped RESA record an upset victory.
Assists from Banele Radebe and Amukelo Mthombeni were crucial in RESA’s 3-0 win over last season’s fifth-placed finishers.
There were goals galore in league newbies, Rockevs FC‘s first GDL outing and they ended it with a share of the points after holding the seasoned Randburg AFC to a 3-3 draw.
While the winning margin was convincing, School of Excellence had to fight their way back from falling 0-2 behind to claim the points. They trailed 1-2 at the break.
Bad weather led to the game between Tuks and Kathorus Hyper Academy being called off.
RESULTS
Seven’s Academy 2-2 Highlands Park
SuperSport United 2-2 Kaizer Chiefs
Remember Elite Sport Academy 3-0 TS Galaxy
Rockevs FC 3-3 Randburg AFC
Wits Junior 4-3 Joburg City
School of Excellence 4-2 Panorama FC
Rhenish Girls’ High School celebrates winning the 4M Swimming Gala. Photo: Supplied
Rhenish Girls’ High School showed class and composure on their way to a 19th consecutive win in the 4M Swimming Gala, which was hosted by Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof in late February.
The schools in attendance were Bloemhof, Rhenish, Paarl Girls’ High, and La Rochelle.
The event delivered thrills in the u13, u15, and u18 age groups, with Rhenish dominating the u15 and u18 team races, winning those age groups by 200 and 208 points, respectively.
They finished second in the u13 section with 155.50 points. Girls’ High recorded a convincing win with an impressive 219.50 points.
Overall, Rhenish won with 603.52 points, while Paarl Girls’ High placed second, with 591.53.
Many of Rhenish’s points came from outstanding individual performances, with Grace Morris, one of their top performers, scoring more points for her team than any other swimmer in the gala. She dominated the u18 100m individual medley, which she won by four seconds over second-placed Jana Lombard, of Bloemhof.
Morris also won the 50m freestyle and improved her personal best of 26.63, which she had set five days before the event.
Another leading performer for Rhenish was Ava-Loren van Galen, who sprinted to victory in the u15 50m backstroke in 32.08 seconds, two seconds clear of Girls’ High’s Lily Hebler.
With a lineup of Morris, Danielle Cronjé, Maya Laubscher, and Tayler Morton, Rhenish also won the u18 100m freestyle relay in a time of 53.36. Girls’ High placed second, with Bloemhof in third, and La Rochelle in fourth.
Rhenish captain Tayler Morton capped off a superb day for her school by winning the 400m freestyle in 4:47.36.
Individual Rankings
u13 Individual Scores
1 Livvy Fenner – Paarl Girls’ High – 45 points
2 Liane Coetzee – La Rochelle – 42 points
3 Nicola Hawley – Paarl Girls’ High – 39 points
4 Storm Bircher – Rhenish – 36 points
5 Isabella Oliver – Paarl Girls’ High – 34 points
6 Katie van Wyk – Rhenish – 31 points
6 Ellen Faul – Paarl Girls’ High – 31 points
8 Ella Steenkamp – Rhenish – 27 points
9 Isabella Mare – Rhenish – 20 points
10 Jani Barkhuysen – Bloemhof – 19 points
The Meridan Northern Academy u19 winners of the Kay Motsepe School Championship 2024 with (front from left) Pitso Mosimane (founder of the Pitso Mosimane Soccer Schools programme), Thabo Malatji (team captain), Hendrick Mukwevho (Northern Academy coach) and Curro CEO Cobus Loubser.
April is the month when major schools’ football tournaments take place in South Africa, and Curro Holdings is doing its bit to brighten South Africa’s football future by introducing the Curro Halala Cup in that month.
The competition will feature a whopping 64 u19 teams, encompassing both public and private institutions.
A grand prize of R100 000 will be up for grabs, with the event set to serve as an opportunity for players and teams to showcase their skills and talent.
In a recent press statement, Curro Holdings said the idea for the Curro Halala Cup was sparked by Meridian Northern Academy’s historic triumph in the 2024 Kay Motsepe Schools Championships, which ended with Northern Academy defeating Eletsa Secondary 2-1 in the national final.
Curro Holdings has been nurturing football in its schools and recognises immense potential for the sport, it said in the statement.
“We have the national champions within our portfolio of schools. Why not create a tournament that gives more teams the chance to prove themselves on a national stage?” asked Cobus Loubser, the CEO of Curro Holdings.
“With our successful Podium athletics events, we’ve shown how to host top-tier school competitions, and now we’re bringing that expertise and enthusiasm to football. It is time to elevate the game much more at school level. And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to compete against the best?”
The road to glory
The Curro Halala Cup tournament structure will be fast-paced and challenging. The 64 teams will battle it out in regional knockout rounds hosted at Curro schools in April and May, with the top 16 teams advancing to the national finals, which will be held in August at HeronBridge College, in Johannesburg.
In addition to 19 Curro schools competing in the first round, many of South Africa’s football and sporting powerhouses have already been invited to be a part of the inaugural competition, including Clapham High School, Durban High School (DHS), Westville Boys’ High School, Paul Roos Gymnasium, Grey College, and Krugersdorp High School.
Professional scouts will, no doubt, watch closely, which could position the Curro Halala Cup as a launchpad for South Africa’s next breakout football stars.
From left to right: Curro Northern Academy Coach Hendrick Mukwevho with team captain Thabo Malatji, who holds the Kay Motsepe Schools Championship Trophy aloft, and Curro CEO Cobus Loubser.
A football legacy in the making
Curro is no stranger to football development, and in 2023 the group partnered with the Pitso Mosimane Soccer Schools Programme to bring elite coaching to Curro primary schools. The programme has expanded rapidly, from just two schools to 18.
“The Curro Halala Cup is not just about winning. It’s about building a football pipeline and legacy,” Loubser said.
“It’s about creating opportunities, showcasing talent, and giving every player a shot at something even bigger. The lessons these young footballers learn – teamwork, resilience, discipline – will serve them long after the final whistle blows.”
With top teams competing in a top-tier competition, the Curro Halala Cup offers up an intriguing opportunity to tackle a new, exciting competition, which will help to further boost the growth of the game in schools.
The Meaning of ‘HALALA’
“Halala” can mean “welcome” in isiZulu and “celebration” in isiXhosa. It is commonly used across South Africa at small or large gatherings to say “well done” or “you are amazing”. It is in this context, Curro said, that it welcomes schools from across South Africa to celebrate their football talent.
Northwood basketball first team. Photo. Henk Fourie – Northwood Press Club
Northwood School, for a second consecutive year, staked its claim to be the number one basketball team in South Africa. With a win on Saturday, they finished the season unbeaten to affirm that status.
They were pushed all the way in their last outing, against Maritzburg College, in Pietermaritzburg, and had to overcome an early double-digit deficit to keep their immaculate record intact.
Games between Northwood and College are, invariably, must-watch high intensity clashes and it was no different on the weekend. Their rivalry is not just one of KZN’s best, it is also one of the best in the nation.
Kent VanderYacht, Northwood’s coach, remarked during the St John’s College Basketball Tournament to SuperSport Schools Plus that the clash with Maritzburg College is among the most eagerly awaited games for his team, due to the intensity and high calibre of basketball exhibited by both sides.
He also shared an astounding fact: Northwood has not lost at home since February 2020.
They kept their 2025 winning record intact in the Alan Paton Memorial Hall with a stirring 74-68 victory.
The Red, Black, and Whiteaimed to upset The Knights’ festivities, as the latter was still basking in the glory of their recent victory at the St John’s College Basketball Tournament, where they beat St John’s College 53-42 in a fiercely contested final to go back-to-back as the champions of the prestigious event.
Northwood’s regular season proved to be challenging, but each time they came away with a W.
They beat Michaelhouse 64-50, won 77-53 at Kearsney College, and defeated Durban High School (DHS) 62-53.
They won by 20 over Hilton College, scoring a 79-59 victory, and, in a showdown between two powerhouse teams, they triumphed 71-64 over Westville Boys’ High School, the champions of the Jenny Orchard Invitational Tournament.
In other KZN clashes, St Charles College sneaked by Kearsney College 64-63, while Hilton College won by four over their arch-rivals, Michaelhouse, taking a home win by a 57-53 margin.
DHS, who had beaten Clifton College at the Jenny Orchard Invitational, won again against Clifton, taking a 69-46 win at home.
While some Gauteng schools had already concluded their seasons, there were still some mouthwatering matches to play, including St John’s College, who held off St David’s Marist Inanda 43-39 in a tight defensive clash.
In a rematch of the third-place playoff at the St John’s Basketball Tournament, Pretoria Boys High School defeated Jeppe 49-39. They had won 31-26 at St John’s.
On Friday evening, St Alban’s College achieved a resounding victory over Christian Brothers College (Boksburg), running away to 97-22 win.
Weekend Results
Northwood 74-68 Maritzburg College
St Charles College 64-63 Kearsney College
Hilton College 57-54 Michaelhouse
St John’s College 43-39 St David’s Marist Inanda
St Alba’s College 97-22 Christian Brothers College
Durban High School 69-46 Clifton College
Pretoria Boys High School 49-39 Jeppe
A pulsating showdown went down to the wire with the sides playing to an 8-8 tie in regulation time.
In the shootout, Bishops kept their composure and converted four of their five chances while Hilton misfired twice.
Both teams were superb throughout the tournament and went into the final unbeaten after breezing through the pool stage and knockout rounds.
Their dominance was reflected in the Team of the Tournament, which was announced after the presentation of the winner’s trophy.
Both finalists had three players each in the 14-player squad, with the Player of the Tournament, Tristan Uys, of Hilton College, headlining the lineup. He was joined by his teammates, Mitchel Garreau, and goalkeeper, Lwango Ntantala.
Garreau and Uys were the standout players for Hilton in the final and scored a combined seven goals, while Thomas Taylor netted the eighth goal. All three goal scorers represented the KZN u19A team at the School Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London in December 2024.
The champions, Bishops, were represented by the dangerous Matt Fenn, Timothy Young, and shot-stopper Michael Mafunda.
Fenn ended the tournament as the top goal scorer, with a whopping 24 goals, while Young received the Defender of the Tournament accolade.
Mafunda, who was named by SuperSport Schools Plus as one of five players to watch, was rock solid in the last line of defence.
The 2024 winners, Rondebosch Boys’ High, who finished in fourth place this time around, had Noah Reiback and Jack Robinson included. Meanwhile, the bronze medal winners, St Stithians College provided James Crick and Declan Wood to the Team of the Tournament.
SACS’ dangerman Jandro Rojo-Roos finished the tournament with 22 goals, which earned him selection, while Selborne College’s Liam Hansen cracked the nod, too.
Kearsney College, who were back at the KES tournament for the first time in a while, lost only once and finished fifth. They had their captain James Pohl and Thomas Aylward included in the Team of the Tournament.
Special Awards
Player of the Tournament: Tristan Uys Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Lwango Ntantala Defender of the Tournament: Timothy Young
Team of the Tournament
Michael Mafunda, Matt Fenn, Timothy Young (Bishops), Noah Reiback, Jack Robinson (Rondebosch Boys’ High), Jandro Rojo-Roos (SACS), James Crick, Declan Wood (St Stithians College), Thomas Aylward, James Pohl (Kearsney College), Liam Hansen (Selborne College), Mitchell Garreau, Tristan Uys, Lwango Ntantala (Hilton College).
Bongani ‘Ben 10’ Zungu (Right) embraces Emile Witbooi (Left) of Cape Town City. Photo. Cape Town City.
Emile Witbooi‘s football dreams are rapidly being realised and, on Sunday, he achieved an important milestone.
At the age of only 16 years, six months, and two days, he became the youngest player to represent Cape Town City in the Betway Premiership.
Witbooi was brought on as a substitute in the team’s 0-2 defeat to Amazulu, for whom Elmo Kambindu scored in the first half and Nkosinathi Radebe in the second.
The past 12 months have been filled with outstanding achievements for the Cape Town City youngster. At the beginning of 2024, he enrolled in the Cape Town City Academy His talent immediately caught the eye, which earned him a place on Cape Town City’s first team roster for the 2024/25 season.
He was a member of Raymond Mdaka’s u20 national team, Amajita, which won the u20 Cosafa Championship in Mozambique, in October 2024, defeating Zambia 2-0 to secure qualification for the forthcoming u20 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
Witbooi also turned out for the u17 national team, Amajimbos, in the u17 Cosafa Championship. They were eliminated in the semi-finals, going down 1-2 to Zambia, which meant they missed out on the u17 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
That disappointment was overturned, however, when CAF decided to expand the continental tournament’s final from 12 to 16 teams. Amajimbos were includedwith the Cosafa Championship finalists, Angola and Zambia. It will give Witbooi another opportunity to show his worth against the best talent in Africa.
At the end of 2024, Witbooi’s achievements gained further recognition when he was included in the SuperSport Schools Class of 24, a prestigious accolade that recognises the exceptional talent of 24 top athletes across various sports disciplines.
In February, Roc Nation Sportsannounced that they had signed Emile Witbooi.
The sports agency, established in 2013 by the renowned hip-hop mogul Shawn Carter, known as Jay-Z, represents many prominent sports stars, including Springbok captain and two-time Rugby World Cup champion, Siya Kolisi,NBA players, such as LaMelo Ball, South African basketball player Samkelo Cele, and Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior.
Coach Megan Sileno and her St Stithians team celebrates winning the Reef Cup with the traditional plunge into the pool. Photo: Debbi Adcock Photography.
The Reef Cup Water Polo Invitational Tournament ended on Sunday afternoon at the St Stithians Aquatic Centre with Saints clinching the girls’ title and St David’s Marist Inanda winning the boys’ event, both by two goals.
It was tight, but St Stithians lifted the girls’ trophy for a ninth consecutive time after a hard-fought 9-7 win over Reddam House Bedfordview.
“I am very happy,” Saints’ coach Megan Sileno declared after her side’s victory.
“We have met Reddam House Bedfordview twice now in our season. We narrowly lost to them at Kingswood in the semi-finals [of the Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament].
“We also had a very nice league game against them. We came out [as the winners], I think by one, and then to meet them in the final, they are always such a nice team to play against. There is no drama, no issue, nothing. It is good water polo, and I am very very happy with the team’s results.”
The final produced a back-and-forth contest from the first whistle to the last. Saints edged into the lead, but Reddam House Bedfordview kept reeling them in. In the fourth chukka, Reddam trailed 4-7, but they pulled within one by striking twice. St Stithians, though, kept their composure and hit back to eventually pull off a 9-7 victory.
Reflecting on the game, Sileno said she has worked hard at handling pressure situations. “It has taken a lot of practice, a lot of years to maintain composure,” she said. “If your coach is losing her mind on the side of the pool, the players just follow suit, so they kind of take your lead. So, staying calm and trying to think of different options to break whatever is being done on the other side’s defence, it comes with a little more experience than just winging it.”
In the third-place playoff, Beaulieu College held on for a 7-6 win over St Dominic’s Catholic School for Girls. Zimbabwe’s Hellenic Academy finished fifth after a convincing 5-1 win over Kingsmead College.
Despite the loss, Masibonge Namba, Kingsmead’s head coach, lauded her players, saying: “For us to make the top eight in this tournament is great for our school.”
Reddam House Umhlanga took seventh place after cruising to an 8-1 victory over Falcon College.
St David’s Marist Inanda demonstrated BMT, turning a two-goal half-time deficit into a two-goal win in the boys’ Reef Cup final. Photo: Debbi Adcock Photography.
In the boys’ competition, St David’s Marist Inanda staged a battling fightback to overcome Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) to claim the title with a 10-8 victory.
In the opening chukka, Affies was onto the score sheet first, but St David’s levelled to make it 1-1 at the end of the quarter.
The second chukka belonged to Affies, who outscored St David’s 3-1 to take a 4-2 lead into the halftime break. St David’s needed to reverse the momentum and they responded well with an outstanding third chukka that saw them move from a two-goal deficit into a one-goal lead at 6-5.
With the bit between their teeth, coach Dean Whyte‘s charges extended their advantage by a further goal in the final chukka to secure their second title of 2025 after winning the Vides Water Polo Tournament title two weeks earlier.
“I am ecstatic,” Whyte admitted after the final. “It’s great! The boys have been working hard, and it is nice to win.
“The last time we played, at Vides two weeks’ ago, and no one really looked at St David’s. We won that tournament and came back over here, and everybody is like yeah, St David’s.
“It is difficult when you have a massive target on your back, but those guys over there,” he said, pointing at his players, “are the guys who are workhorses. They were unbelievable today.”
Commenting on how his players managed to seize control of the contest in the second half, Whyte said: “There is no point in putting more pressure on the players. The boys are achievers. They know that there is work to follow, so it was a tactical change that played in our favour.”
“I am very proud of the boys. We started very well. We got into the lead. Yeah, it is tough to lose that way but I am very proud of the boys. I could not be any prouder.
“They played their hearts out, and that is how you learn, and it’s the games we would want to play. We would love to play more of these games, maybe we can be invited to the King Edward VII Tournament.”
“We are getting there with our players,” he added. “Our senior players are standing up when they need to, and they take control of the game and the youngsters.
“And the tournament is well run. These are long days. It’s not that ideal to travel from Pretoria, but we love this tournament and, if we are here next year, who knows, we may go for gold,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.
In the battle for the bronze, Michaelhouse edged out Durban High School(DHS) 6-5 in a KZN clash, while Woodridge College beat St Benedict’s College 7-5 in the fifth-place playoff.
In another tight match, St Alban’s College claimed a narrow 4-3 win over Zimbabwe’s Hellenic Academy to finish seventh.
RESULTS
GIRLS
G63: 19th/20th (L53/L54): Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria 7-6 Pretoria High School for Girls
G64: 17th/18th (W53/W54): Rand Park 10 -9 Reddam House Helderfontein
G65: 15th/16th (L57/L58): Steyn City 7-6 Parktown Girls’ High
G66: 13th/14th (W57/W58): Maris Stella 5-9 Tournament Inv.
G67: 11th/12th (L55/L56): St Peter’s College 12-6 Crawford College Lonehill
G68: 9th/10th (W55/W56): Durban Girls’ College 1-4 Woodridge College
G69: 7th/8th (L61/L60): Falcon College 1-8 Reddam House Umhlanga
G70: 5th/6th (W61/W60): Hellenic Academy 5-1 Kingsmead College
G71: 3rd/4th (L62/L59): St Dominic’s 6-7 Beaulieu College
G72: 1st/2nd (W62/W59): St Stithians 9-7 Reddam House Bedfordview
BOYS
G63: 19th/20th (L53/L54): Rand Park 8-9 Reddam House Umhlanga
G64: 17th/18th (W53/W54): Beaulieu College 9 -13 Parktown Boys’ High
G65: 15th/16th (L57/L59): Reddam House Helderfontein 8-6 Glenwood High
G66: 13th/14th (W57/W59): Falcon College 12-13 Reddam House Bedfordview
G67: 11th/12th (L55/L56): St Peter’s College 5-7 Steyn City
G68: 9th/10th (W55/W56): Maritzburg College 11-5 Grey College
G69: 7th/8th (L62/L61): St Alban’s 4-3 Hellenic Academy
G70: 5th/6th (W62/W61): St Benedict’s 5-7 Woodridge
G71: 3rd/4th (L60/L58): Michaelhouse 6-5 DHS
G72: 1st/2nd (W60/W58): St David’s Marist 10-8 Affies
Bishops, the 2025 KES Water Polo Tournament champions. Photo: TeamPhotoSA
The Bishops first team water polo side made history when they won the annual King Edward VII (KES) Water Polo Tournament by edging out Hilton College in a penalty shootout in the final on Sunday in Johannesburg. It was the first time that the school had claimed the prestigious title.
Bishops were pushed to their limits by a strong Hilton outfit at the Mark Stevens Aquatic Centre but, after the teams had finished regulation time level at 8-8, they clinched the title 4-2 from the spot.
The KES tournament has been running since 1981, and last year Bishops picked up the bronze medal after suffering a narrow 11-12 loss to Rondebosch Boys’ High, the eventual champions, in the semi-finals. Now, coach Jabulani Sibiya and his troops have added their names to the list of winners.
They entered the event rejuvenated, high in confidence, and seeking to go two steps further than last year after a run of good form.
Under the guidance of coaches Sibiya and Lwazi Madi, they were ruthless in front of goal but, most importantly, they played some smart polo in the knockout stages.
They dismantled the hosts, KES, 16-8 in the quarterfinals to set up another date with Rondebosch in the semis. This time around, Bishops dictated the play and came away with a 6-4 victory. That win set up a showdown with Hilton for the title.
Coach Paul Martin‘s Hilton side impressed throughout the tournament and beat St Stithians College 11-9 in their semifinal. They had improved on their sixth-place finish in 2024, but they intended to go all the way.
From the first whistle, it was all-out action. Both teams applied early pressure and were rewarded with a flurry of goals, with the opening seven minutes resulting in eight being shared.
Timothy Young, Matt Fenn, and Owen Cross (2) found the back of the net for the Cape Town school, while Thomas Taylor, Tristan Uys (2), and Mitchel Garreau scored for Hilton.
The second chukka continued the entertainment, but the deluge of scoring stopped. Only two goals were scored, with Fenn striking for Bishops and Garreau for Hilton, as both players increased their contributions to two goals each.
The third chukka, deemed the “championship quarter” lived up to expectations and delivered some cracking goals.
The Bishops team and coach Jabulani Sibiya jump into the pool in celebration of their win in the final. Photo: TeamPhoto SA
Fenn fired in a thunderbolt to complete his hattrick before Luke Cartwright scored a brilliant one-on-one goal against the run of play to extend Bishops’ advantage to two goals. Garreau, once again, came to Hilton’s rescue, scoring in the dying seconds, which left the boys from the KZN Midlands trailing 6-7 heading into the final chukka.
With the title on the line, the fourth chukka produced three goals, plenty of drama, and big-match temperament energy.
Fenn was the first to strike, burying Bishops’ eighth goal of the game. It appeared as if the Capetonians were on their way to victory, but Hilton had other ideas, and the duo that had delivered for them all tournament long, Garreau and Uys, struck back, netting in quick succession to send the contest to penalties.
Luck, split-second decisions, confidence, and, of course, goalkeeping, play a major role in penalty shootouts and, in this instance, Hilton started strongly, but, after incurring a first miss, they fell off. Bishops, meanwhile, converted four of their five shots, with Fenn, Owen Cross, James Malan, and Ford finding the back of the net to secure the win.
The victory means Bishops have, in the space of five days, claimed two trophies. Earlier in the week, they clinched the SACS Nite Series title.
Scorers in the final
Bishops 8: Matt Fenn (4), Harry Ford (2), Timothy Young, Luke Cartwright. Hilton College 8: Mitchel Garreau (4), Tristan Uys (3), Thomas Taylor.
DAY 3 RESULTS
St Andrew’s College 4-1 Clifton
Paul Roos 4-3 St John’s
Semifinals Bishops 6-4 Rondebosch
Hilton 11-9 St Stithians
Playoffs Westville Boys High 2-1 Northwood (Plate 5th/6th playoff match)
St John’s College 6-3 Clifton College (Plate 3rd/4th playoff match)
Paul Roos 5-2 St Andrew’s College (Plate final)
Selborne College 8-4 KES (7th/8th playoff)
Kearsney 7-3 SACS (5th/6th playoff)
Medal places
St Stithians (7) 5-5 (6) Rondebosch (3rd/4th)
Bishops (4) 8-8 (2) Hilton College (Final)
FINAL STANDINGS
Diocesan College
Hilton College
St Stithians College
Rondebosch Boys’ High
Kearsney College
SACS
Selborne College
KES
Paul Roos
St Andrew’s College
St John’s College
Clifton College
Westville Boys’ High
Northwood School
Jeppe High School for Boys
Pretoria Boys High
