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Following many weeks of intense competition spanning eight provinces, the grand finale of the inaugural Curro Halala Cup will see 16 elite teams in action from Thursday to Sunday at HeronBridge College, in Johannesburg.

The competition began with 60 top schools from across the country battling it out, and now it’s down to the last 16. On Sunday, a champion will be crowned, with the winner receiving R100 000.

Introduced as a platform to grow the game, and to foster confidence, resilience, and a sense of community among the youth of South Africa, the Curro Halala Cup has made an impact.

The 16 finalists have been divided into four pools, with the top two teams from each pool set to advance to the quarterfinals. From there, it will be on to the semifinals, and the final for the winners. Teams that miss out on the quarterfinals will participate in the Plate competition.

A strong lineup of teams will be in action, including Navalsig High School and Grey College, who will represent the interests of Free State.

Clapham High School, from Gauteng, will be a leading contender. The school enjoys a partnership with Mamelodi Sundowns and is home to the Brazilians’ junior teams.

Curro Soshanguve is another team to watch. They’re a team that has caught the eye in 2025.

The city of Cape Town will be represented by Camps Bay High, which is in Pool A with Brylin High, from Gqeberha, Stintile Secondary School, from Mpumalanga, and Bloemfontein’s fiercely competitive, Navalsig.

The KwaZulu-Natal representatives include Glenwood High and Hillcrest High. Glenwood, with its established record of excellence, and Hillcrest, after an impressive campaign in the Mancosa KZN High Schools Football Association Second-Term League, will be bear watching, too.

GROUPS

Pool A: Camps Bay High, Brylin High, Stintile Secondary, Navalsig High.
Pool B: Clapham High, Northern Academy, Glenwood, Flora Park High.
Pool C: Hillcrest High, Meridian Pinehurst, Grey College, Curro Soshanguve.
Pool D: Norkem Park High, Barberton High, Mondeor High, Westering High.

Fixtures 

Thursday 7 August 

Field A

14:00 – Hillcrest High vs Meridian Pinehurst
16:00 – Grey College vs Curro Soshanguve

Field B

14:00 – Camps Bay High vs Stintile Secondary
16:00 – Brylin High vs Navalsig

Field C

14:00 – Clapham High vs Glenwood
16:00 – Northern Academy vs Flora Park

Field D

14:00 – Norkem Park High vs Barberton Park High
16:00 – Westering High vs Mondeor High

Friday 8 August

Field A

09:00 – Barberton High vs Mondeor High
11:00 – Norkem Park High vs Westering High
13:00 – Clapham High vs Flora Park High
15:00 – Glenwood High vs Norkem Academy

Field B

09:00 – Glenwood High vs Flora Park High
11:00 – Clapham High vs Northern Academy
13:00 – Hillcrest High vs Curro Soshanguve
15:00 – Meridian Pinehurst vs Grey College

Field C

09:00 – Stintile Secondary vs Navalsig
11:00 – Camps Bay High vs Brylin High
13:00 – Norkem Park High vs Mondeor High
15:00 – Barberton High vs Westering High

Field D

09:00 – Meridian Pinehurst vs Curro Soshanguve
11:00 – Hillcrest High vs Grey College
13:00 – Camps Bay High vs Navalsig High
15:00 – Stintile Secondary vs Brylin High

Saturday, 9 August 

Field: TBC

09:00 – 3rd Pool A vs 4th Pool B
11:00 – 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool B
13:00 – Winner M25 vs Winner M28
15:00 – Winner M29 vs Winner M32

Field: TBC

09:00 – 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool B
11:00 – 2nd Pool A vs 1st Pool B
13:00 – Winner M26 vs Winner M27
15:00 – Winner M30 vs Winner M31

Field: TBC

09:00 – 3rd Pool C vs 4th Pool D
11:00 – 1st Pool C vs 2nd Pool D
13:00 – Loser M25 vs Loser M28
15:00 – Loser M29 vs Loser M32

Field: TBC

09:00 – 4th Pool C vs 3rd Pool D
11:00 – 2nd Pool C vs 1st Pool D
13:00 – Loser M26 vs Loser M27
15:00 – Loser M30 vs Loser M31

Sunday, 10 August 

Field A

08:00 – Winner M33 vs Winner M34 (9-10)
10:00 – Loser M37 vs Loser M38 (3-4)
12:00 – Winner M37 vs Winner M38 (1-2)

Field B

08:00 – Loser M33 vs Loser M34 (11-12)
10:00 – Winner M39 vs Winner M40 (5-6)

Field C

08:00 – Winner M35 vs Winner M36 (13-14)
10:00 – Loser M39 vs Loser M40 (7-8)

Field D

08:00 – Loser M35 vs Loser M36 (15-16)

The Noordvaal Hockey Cup is set to light up Polokwane from 7-9 August, with top hockey teams from across the region converging at Hoërskool Pietersburg.

Hoërskool Monument will be in the spotlight as the defending champion and clear favourite in Pool A, where they’ll be challenged by Hoërskool Waterkloof and Hoërskool Rustenburg.

Monument coach Divan Geyser is confident that his squad has the means to defend their title, but he remains mindful that tournament hockey can be unpredictable.

“The preparations have been good,” he said. “It is always a challenge getting back after the long school holidays, but we were fortunate enough to have a couple of players involved in the provincial set-up, so a lot of our boys stayed sharp during the break.”

After lifting the trophy in 2024, Monument will be out to make a big statement, but this time they will be carrying a target on their backs.

“There are more teams performing really well this year,” Geyser said. “We feel confident that we have the team to go back-to-back, but anything can happen in tournament hockey. As this will be our last outing of the season, we want to send our matric players off in style.”

Their opening clash, at 08:00 on Thursday, will be a stiff challenge against Waterkloof, which could set the tone for the rest of the tournament. Geyser believes his side is ready to rise to the occasion.

“The boys are definitely up for the challenge,” he reckoned. “We’ve had good warm-up games, and we’re still undefeated against the teams in our pool this season, so we’re feeling positive. But, on the day, anyone can win it.”

Meanwhile, Hoërskool Zwartkop, who will face Hoërskool Sasolburg and HTC Witbank, are also eager to test themselves. Their Head of Hockey Marthinus Gouws said the winter break has challenged Zwarries‘ match readiness.

“It was a tough one to play our first game after the break, especially with limited preparation,” he said. “Even though we beat Potch Gim, both teams were rusty in the first half. We’ll need to step it up a lot if we want to be competitive at Noordvaal.”

The tournament features a round-robin group phase on the first day, with knockouts and placement games taking place on Friday. The final day, 9 August, will determine the overall rankings, with the title game scheduled for 15:55.

POOLS

Pool A: Hoërskool Monument, Hoërskool Waterkloof, Hoërskool Rustenburg
Pool B: Helpmekaar Kollege, Hoërskool Middleburg, Hoërskool Pietersburg
Pool C: Hoërskool Nelspruit, Paarl Gimnasium, Midstream College
Pool D: HTC Witbank, Hoërskool Zwartkop, Hoërskool Sasolburg

FIXTURES

Thursday, 7 August

08:00 – Monument vs Waterkloof (Game 1)
09:05 – Helpmekaar vs Middelburg (Game 2)
10:10 – TBC v Potch Gim (Game 3)
11:15 – TBC vs Zwartkop (Game 4)

WATERBREAK
12:30 – Monument vs Rustenburg (Game 5)
13:35 – Helpmekaar vs Pietersburg (Game 6)
14:40 – TBC vs Midstream (Game 7)
15:45 – TBC vs Sasolburg (Game 8)

WATERBREAK

17:00 – Waterkloof vs Rustenburg (Game 9)
18:05 – Middelburg vs Pietersburg (Game 10)
19:10 – Potch Gim vs Midstream (Game 11)
20:15 –  Zwartkop vs Sasolburg (Game 12)

Friday, 8 August

08:00 – 1st Group A vs 2nd Group D (Game 13, 1-8)
09:15 – 1st Group B vs 2nd Group C (Game 14, 1-8)
10:30 – 1st Group C vs 2nd Group B (Game 15, 1-8)
11:45 – 1st Group D vs 2nd Group A (Game 16, 1-8)

WATERBREAK

13:00 – 3rd Group A vs 2nd Group D (Game 17, 9-12)
14:15 – 3rd Group B vs 2nd Group C (Game 18, 9-12)
15:30 – Loser 13 vs Loser 14 (Game 19, 5-8)
16:45 – Loser 15 vs Loser 16 (Game 20, 5-8)

WATERBREAK

18:00 – Winner 13 vs Winner 14 (Game 21, 1-4)
19:15 – Winner 15 vs Winner 16 (Game 22, 1-4)

Saturday, 9 August

08:00 – Loser 17 vs Loser 1 (Game 23, 11-12)
09:35 – Winner 17 vs Winner 18 (Game 24, 9-10)
11:10 – Loser 19 vs Loser 20 (Game 25, 7-8)

WATERBREAK

12:45 – Winner 19 vs Winner 20 (Game 26, 5-6)
14:20 – Loser 21 vs Loser 22 (Game 27, 3-4)
15:55 – Winner 21 vs Winner 22 (Game 28, 1-2)

The 2025 Gauteng Development League (GDL) season has been the league’s most competitive season yet, with the established powers being pushed harder than ever before. Consequently, no clear title favourite has emerged.

This week, the Gauteng Engen Knockout Challenge winners, Panorama FC, host Kathorus Hyper Academy in a highly anticipated clash.

Panorama heads into the game off the back of a 0-2 defeat to Highlands Park at Balfour Park last week, while Kathorus Hyper Academy shared the points with Elspark United on Saturday.

In an exclusive interview with SuperSport Schools Plus, coach Luyanda Gcabashe said his side is seeking redemption and that means Kathorus Hyper Academy is going to face the best of Panorama FC.

“We are playing at home, and I feel sorry for Kathorus Hyper Academy because we’re going to go all out, and we are going to make a statement because we are coming off a loss.” he said. “This game, we’re going to come very, very strong.

“If you check our results, we are stronger in our home games. So, after the Engen Knockout Challenge, the first game, two weeks ago, we played Elspark United at home, and we won 4-0.

“Then, last week, we played away against Highlands Park. For that game, I tried to rotate the team, and we ended up losing for the first time in perhaps two to three months.”

Panorama’s victory in the Engen Knockout Challenge shattered the status quo and sent shockwaves through the football community. How could a team as small as Panorama win a competition that also featured big clubs, including Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Orlando Pirates?

Their Engen Knockout Challenge title-winning success was another vivid display of the evolution of academy football in the Gauteng region. The gap between the big guns and the rest has become blurred.

Gcabashe said the upskilling of the coaches at the smaller clubs has made a massive difference in levelling the playing field. Broadcasts on SuperSport Schools, too, has helped teams better prepare for their opponents, providing coaches with the data they need to scout the opposition.

In April, Gcabashe graduated with a CAF B licence and has since put the knowledge he accumulated to good work

“What I used to say, as coaches, education really helps, because if you check all the coaches in the GDL, most of us are now qualified. For instance, when I just graduated in April, I got my CAF B diploma licence. So, I’m a coach. I’m earning now. I’m qualified,” Gcabashe commented.

“So, after that, I’ve been improving as a coach. We are doing well. We are trying to close the gap between the amateur clubs and elite academies, the PSL teams. We are competitive this season.

“After what we did in the Engen Knockout Challenge, there are so many approaches. The big teams are after my players, which is a good sign for them.”

Reflecting on the build-up to the Engen Knockout Challenge, Gcabashe highlighted tactical flexibility, team building and unity as the ingredients that were the key to his side’s success.

His players’ confidence and motivation were massively boosted after their title win, he added. “Right now, the players are very motivated,” he said. “The unity in the team is incredible.

“We had two team buildings before the Engen Knockout Challenge, to revive the team, to make sure there’s unity. That’s how I won the Engen Knockout Challenge, because I did not have even a single star in my team,” he explained.

“However, what we had was unity in the team. We had the right characters, the desire, the willingness to fight for each other. That’s what I was instilling in my team. We had to drill in tactical discipline, as well, and now they understand.

“As a result, we now have a good team structure. The players know when, where, and how to behave in different situations.

“When we lose the ball, we defend as a team. When we attack, we attack as a team. So, that was my strength in that tournament.

“Also, what I did was to always have tactical flexibility because we approached each game according to the opposition’s strength and weakness. So, when we played any team – Orlando Pirates, for example – we knew exactly what tactical adjustments we needed to make. We knew we had to go with the high press.

“When we played another team – maybe SuperSport United – we had to close the corridors centrally and press from the centre because we knew they wanted to combine and play a long target. That’s how our flexibility came into play.”

The Rhenish Girls’ High first hockey side has produced another brilliant season under the guidance of head coach Chris Gerber.

After a stellar showing in 2024, the girls from Stellenbosch picked up from where they left off, dominating most of their opponents while excelling at both ends of the field – scoring plenty of goals while conceding few.

They went unbeaten throughout the season in the Western Cape and experienced just two hiccups at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival and All Girls’ National Festival in May.

In their most recent outings, against top opposition, Rhenish defeated fellow Super 12 qualifiers, Paarl Gimnasium and HMS Bloemhof, 1-0. Now their attention has shifted to the prestigious Fairtree Super 12 Tournament.

The annual event runs from Thursday, 7 August, at Oranje Meisieskool, in Bloemfontein, and finishes on Saturday, 9 August.

Rhenish won the whole thing a year ago when they defeated St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) 3-1 on penalties after the final ended level at 1-1 in regulation time.

Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus ahead of the tournament, coach Gerber said his charges have prepared well for the event and are ready to get going. “The girls are in a good space heading into the Super 12,” he said.

“They have worked hard and done everything they possibly could to be prepared and ready for the challenge of Super 12.”

Since their first appearance in the Super 12 in 2017, the Stellenbosch-based has qualified for the tournament five times.

In their maiden appearance, they placed sixth. Two years later, in 2019, they finished fourth. Three years on, in 2022, they ended in 11th place. Then, in 2023, they sneaked into the top four. In 2025, they were crowned the champions.

Gerber admitted that being the defending champions creates a level of pressure, but it’s top tournaments like these that Rhenish likes to embrace.

“I think it does bring some pressure. However, that is what motivates us as a team,” he explained. “This Rhenish team thrives under pressure, and they live for this type of opportunity.

“We have prepared extremely well and will not leave any stone unturned, but we are taking it game by game and will take on each game as a new challenge.”

When asked what he would like to see from his side, the coach said: “I would like to see our girls making it count and owning the opportunity. If they manage to do this, we will be unstoppable.”

Rhenish has been drawn in Pool A and will face Eunice High School, Oranje, Bloemhof, Hoërskool Waterkloof, and St Mary’’s DSG, Kloof.

Squad: Grace Hobbs, Pippa Viljoen, Chelsey Woolf, Jasmine Aitken, Amy-Leigh Gibson, Frankie Henn, Emma Lurie, Lily Newton, Shene Du Plessis, Nicola van der Merwe, Puck Bakker (vc), Ruby Cilliers, Sarah Oscroft, Katherine Sickle, Leah du Plessis (c), Sarah-Ellen Groenewald.

Rhenish’s fixtures at the Super 12

Thursday, 7 August

07:30 – Rhenish vs St Mary’s DSG (Kloof)
12:30 – Rhenish vs Waterkloof
17:30 – Rhenish vs HMS Bloemhof

Friday, 8 August

09:10 – Rhenish vs Oranje
17:30 – Rhenish vs Eunice

Hockey fans in Paarl, in the Western Cape, will be treated to high-quality hockey action this week when La Rochelle Girls’ High School hosts the 2025 edition of the Challengers’ Cup.

The much-anticipated event starts on Thursday, 7 August, with the final to be contested on Sunday, 10 August.

Matches will be played at La Rochelle’s and Paarl Girls’ High‘s main AstroTurfs.

Somerset College was victorious in last year’s competition after beating St Mary’s Waverley in the final, but they won’t be defending the title.

The event, nonetheless, features a stacked lineup, including six teams – St Mary’s Waverley, Rustenburg Girls’ High, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool (Affies), Parel Vallei, Paarl Girls’ High and Fairmont High – who were part of last year’s event.

Joining them will be St Cyprian’s School, Hoërskool Outeniqua, Pretoria’s Hoërskool Garsfontein, Herschel Girls School, Springfield Convent School, and Durban Girls College (DGC).

It’s a fantastic opportunity for those teams to end their seasons on a high note.

In Pool A, Garsfontein and St Mary’s Waverley will face a stern challenge from four Cape Town schools – St Cyprians, Fairmont, Rustenburg, and Parel Vallei.

Garsies, who have enjoyed a superb season under the guidance of head coach Charlene Johnson, are among the favourites to go all the way.

They recently competed in the Pullen Cup in Johannesburg, where they finished as the runner-up, losing out to Affies after a penalty shootout was required to decide the final.

The four Western Cape sides should make the group interesting.

St Cyprian’s has been playing good hockey under head coach Natalie Esteves, while Parel Vallei and Rustenburg Girls are evenly matched. They recently played to a goalless draw.

Fairmont High should be a strong contender. They showed how well they can play tournament hockey when they won the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament earlier this year.

Pool B is, undoubtedly, the “group of death”. Herschel, Paarl Girls’ High, Affies and DGC appear likely to be the frontrunners, but Springfield and Outeniqua will have other ideas.

Affies finished in fourth place at the Challengers’ Cup last year, but they head into the tournament brimming with confidence after winning the Pullen Cup this past weekend.

For DGC and Paarl Girls’ High, the tournament presents an opportunity to add some gloss to their seasons, while coach Ziyaad Ismail and his Springfield outfit will be out to upset the apple cart.

Outeniqua are the dark horses. They’ve been in great form. A week ago, in their most recent outing, they scored an impressive 5-1 victory over Worcester Gimnasium.

It promises to be a cracking event, and tournament director Leani Neethling is optimistic everything will run smoothly.

“This will be the third year that we are hosting the Challengers’ Cup,” she told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“At La Rochelle, we pride ourselves on being accommodating to everyone and on hosting a prestigious and well-organised tournament. We go all out to ensure that it’s a memorable experience for every team, player, and supporter involved.”

Apart from ensuring there is smooth action on the AstroTurf, Neethling said the options alongside the fields will include a tasty variety of food and coffee tents to ensure players, supporters, and spectators are looked after well.

“From an organisational standpoint, spectators can expect a well-structured and seamless tournament experience,” she reckoned.

“Our on-site Feedem Café will be open throughout the tournament, along with additional vendors like E-Vida and Chip ‘n Dip to provide food and beverages.

“We invite parents, players, and spectators to be part of this annual event and enjoy a weekend of high-energy, quality hockey.”

All 42 matches will be broadcast LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App, and live scoring will be available via the Sportivo App for real-time updates.

Pool A

St Cyprian’s School, Hoërskool Garsfontein, St Mary’s Waverley, Parel Vallei, Fairmont High, Rustenburg Girls’ High

Pool B

Herschel Girls School, Durban Girls’ College, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool, Hoërskool Outeniqua, Paarl Girls’ High, Springfield Convent School

FIXTURES

Thursday, 7 August

@La Rochelle 

15:00 – Durban Girls College vs Affies; 16:00 – Outeniqua vs Paarl Girls’ High; 17:00 – St Mary’s Waverley vs Parel Vallei; 18:00 – Herschel vs Springfield; 19:00 – Fairmont vs Rustenburg Girls; 20:00 – St Cyprian’s vs Garsfontein.

Friday, 8 August

@La Rochelle 

11:30 – Garsfontein vs St Mary’s Waverley; 12:30 – St Cyprian’s vs Fairmont; 13:30 – Rustenburg Girls’ High vs Parel Vallei; 15:00 – Garsfontein vs Fairmont; 16:00 – Parel Vallei vs St Cyprian’s; 17:00 – Rustenburg Girls’ High vs St Mary’s Waverley.

@Paarl Girls’ High 

11:30 – Springfield vs Durban Girls’ College; 12:30 – Outeniqua vs Herschel; 13:30 – Paarl Girls’ High vs Affies; 15:00 – Herschel vs Durban Girls’ College; 16:00 – Outeniqua vs Affies; 17:00 – Paarl Girls’ High vs Springfield.

Saturday, 9 August

@La Rochelle 

08:00 – Outeniqua vs Springfield; 09:00 – Durban Girls’ College vs Paarl Girls’ High; 10:00 – Herschel vs Affies; 12:00 – Outeniqua vs Durban Girls’ College; 13:00 – Springfield vs Affies; 14:00 – Paarl Girls’ High vs Herschel.

@Paarl Girls’ High 

08:00 – St Cyprian’s vs Rustenburg Girls’; 09:00 – Parel Vallei vs Garsfontein; 10:00 – St Mary’s Waverley vs Fairmont; 12:00 – Rustenburg Girls’ High vs Garsfontein; 13:00 – St Mary’s Waverley vs St Cyprian’s; 14:00 – Fairmont vs Parel Vallei.

Results 

[ninja_tables id=”79184″]

Players: Markus Muller (captain), Quintin Potgieter, Pieta Cilliers, Dawid Badenhorst, Thomas Saunders, Johan Kleynhans, Hendré van der Westhuizen, Ethan Barker, Divan Pieters, Louis Koen, Adriaan van der Lingen, Charles Whitehead, Jean Dreyer, Mickyle Booise, Jeerahno Jagers, Alain Voges, Nicolaz Burden, Migael Turner, Bernardt Schulze, Sebastian Bekker, Hendré van Zyl, Corné Niemand, Armand Brand.

Coaches: Pieter Rossouw and Helmut Lehmann.

20 or more points in a match: 

43 – Markus Muller vs Boland Landbou (5 tries, 9 conversions)
28 – Markus Muller vs SACS (2 tries, 9 conversions)
25 – Divan Pieters vs King Edward VII (1 try, 10 conversions)
24 – Markus Muller vs Wynberg Boys’ High (2 tries, 7 conversions)
23 – Markus Muller vs Paarl Boys’ High (1 try, 3 conversions, 4 penalties)
22 – Louis Koen vs Durban High School (2 tries, 6 conversions)
22 – Markus Muller vs Northwood (4 tries, 1 conversion)
20 – Markus Muller vs Diocesan College (4 tries)
20 – Markus Muller vs HTS Drostdy (2 tries, 5 conversions)
20 – Johan Kleynhans vs King Edward VII (4 tries)

3 or more tries in a match: 

5 – Markus Muller vs Boland Landbou
4 – Markus Muller vs Diocesan College
4 – Markus Muller vs Northwood
4 – Johan Kleynhans vs King Edward VII
3 – Dawid Badenhorst vs Boland Landbou
3 – Markus Muller vs Monument
3 – Markus Muller vs King Edward VII
3 – Markus Muller vs Stellenberg

Point Scorers

261 – Markus Muller (35 tries, 37 conversions, 12 penalties)
86 – Divan Pieters (5 tries, 30 conversions, 2 penalties)
65 – Johan Kleynhans (13 tries)
51 – Louis Koen (3 tries, 18 conversions)

Try Scorers | 124 Tries

35 – Markus Muller
13 – Johan Kleynhans
9 – Thomas Saunders
8 – Quintin Potgieter, Dawid Badenhorst
5 – Charles Whitehead, Jean Dreyer, Divan Pieters
4 – Adriaan van der Lingen, Hendré van Zyl, Migael Turner, Ethan Barker, Alain Voges
3 – Nicolaz Burden, Jeerahno Jagers, Mickyle Booise, Louis Koen
2 – Hendré van der Westhuizen
1 – Pieta Cilliers, Corné Niemand, Christiaan Burger, Penalty Try

*Please note that the match against Rondebosch Boys’ High is not regarded as an official match as it is played as two halves of 20 minutes each with no goal-kicking. In this encounter, Gim’s tries were scored by Markus Muller (2) and Jean Dreyer. These tries are therefore not reflected within our statistics for the season. 

Die Hoërskool Menlopark’s players are excited and raring to go at the Fairtree Super 12 Tournament. The Pretoria side won’t be there to make up the numbers. They have their sights set on the title.

The event runs from 7-9 August at Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje (Oranje), in Bloemfontein.

“The Super 12 is the cherry on top. It’s the creme de la creme,” Brad Brook, the Menlopark coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“It’s the toughest one in the country, in my opinion. We’re very excited to go toe-to-toe with the best hockey schools in the country. We look forward to the challenge,”

Menlopark, who lifted the prestigious trophy in 2018, will launch their campaign for a second title with a fixture against Collegiate Girls’ High. Drawn in Pool B, they’ll also face Our Lady of Fatima, Paarl Gimnasium, DSG Makhanda, and St Anne’s Diocesan College.

The Pretoria side has proved itself to be a powerhouse in the Northern Gauteng region, and this season they’ve won 42 out of 49 matches, drawn one, and lost only six. Brook’s charges have maintained their consistency across the board – in league matches, and festivals and tournaments.

At the Super 12, Menlopark will be aiming to tap into the form they showed during the second term, which included a 2-0 win over their rivals and fellow Super 12 qualifiers, Hoërskool Waterkloof.

Any team that underestimates or is under the misapprehension that the ladies from Pretoria will be rusty and lacking match practice would be making a big mistake. The St Anne’s Cup champions have been hard at work, ensuring that they remain sharp with matches against a handful of club sides and the Menlopark boys’ teams as part of their preparations.

“It’s a tough competition, but we are determined to be competitive. We won’t look too far ahead and will take things one game at a time,” Brook said.

His side will lean on the experience, skill, and knowledge of the trio of Zoe Badenhorst, Annika Kloppers, and Monique Gerber, who were picked for higher honours after the SASHOC National Weeks. Badenhorst, one of the side’s co-captains, was called up to the SA u18B side, while Kloppers was selected for the u17 team, and Gerber was included in the SA u16B lineup.

While their national representatives add immense value to the team, Menlopark’s biggest asset is their ability to play as a single unit. Brook’s side has numerous players who will reach milestone at the Super 12, most notably, Badenhorst, Ininke Human, Zane Loots, Mika Loots, and Ameli Dirkse van Schalkwyk, who will all earn their 100th caps at the event.

“We are quite excited as a team to share those milestones at this upcoming tournament. I don’t think we’ve had players reaching 100 caps in a while, so we’re quite excited about that,” Brook enthused.

The time spent in each other’s company, competing for the same goal, has helped Menlopark to bond.

“They’ve come together nicely, and they’re raring to go out there and have a good showing,” Brook said. “As I mentioned earlier, it’s a really tough tournament, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. The girls just want to show what they’re made of.”

A busy programme ramped up for the second week of third-term schoolboy football, with the weekend’s action being highlight by a 100th cap for the Maritzburg College 1st team for sharpshooter Mazithi Qasha.

Mazithi Qasha, the vice-captain and a prolific goal scorer for the Red, Black, and White, rose to the occasion, scoring twice in the first half on Barns Field to give College a 2-0 lead over Alexander High School at the break.

Those goals took Qasha’s tally to a mightily impressive 86 goals across all competitions for College in the past three years.

Though they trailed at half-time, Alex kept working hard, exhibiting determination and resilience, and they were rewarded with a goal that halved Maritzburg College’s lead.

Malachi Momple then delivered a stunning long-range shot to lift College to a 3-1 win in the local derby.

The College 2nd XI also triumphed, winning 2-0.

On Bowden’s Field, Westville Boys’ High comfortably defeated Clifton College 3-0.

Northwood hosted Springs Boys’ High, from Gauteng, but neither team was able to pry open their opponent’s defence and it ended goalless.

Also on Saturday, Kearsney College and Hilton College played to a 1-1 draw on Stott’s Field, in Botha’s Hill, while St Charles College and Michaelhouse, playing in Pietermaritzburg, also drew, with neither team able to beat the opposing goalkeeper.

Earlier in the week, in the Eastern Cape, the B-Block BWFLA High Schools Football League, also referred to as the East London High Schools Football League, made its return to the football field.

The defending champions, Stutterheim High School, started the second leg of the league with a commanding 6-1 victory over West Bank. Selborne College also enjoyed a successful outing, matching Stutterheim’s success with an impressive 6-1 win over George Campbell. De Vos Malan edged out Merrifield College 2-1.

In Makhanda, St Andrew’s College, whose football programme is making strong strides, overwhelmed Kingswood College 6-0 on Friday evening.

Eastern Cape 

B-Block BWFLA High Schools Football League/East London High Schools Football League

Selborne 6-1 George Campbell
De Vos Malan 2-1 Merrifield College
Stutterheim High 6-1 West Bank
DVM 2-1 Merrifield

Challenges, Friendlies

St Andrew’s College 6-0 Kingswood College

KwaZulu-Natal 

Northwood School 0-0 Springs Boys’ High
Maritzburg College 3-1 Alexandra High School
Westville Boys’ High School 3-0 Clifton College
St Charles College 0-0 Michaelhouse
Kearsney College 1-1 Hilton College

Results 

[ninja_tables id=”79170″]

Players: Ruben Groenewald (captain), Zirk Meyer, Bauke Swart, Lamond Baaitjies, Joshua Gouws, Nicolaas Grobler, Elwin Janse van Vuuren, Luan Potgieter, Christiaan de Wet, Roal Kruger, Deon Botes, Fourie Roberts, Estian Marx, Petrus Rautenbach, Charl Els, Hannes Nagel, Martin van Niekerk, Henlo Jordaan, Divan Fourie, Stephan McDonald.

Coaches: Ruan Jacobs and Jaco Koch.

3 or more tries in a match: 

3 – Charl Els vs Waterkloof
3 – Luan Potgieter vs Maritzburg College

Points 

166 – Ruben Groenewald (1 try, 64 conversions, 10 penalties, 1 drop goal)
35 – Lamond Baaitjies (5 tries, 5 conversions)

Tries 

13 – Luan Potgieter
11 – Joshua Gouws
10 – Elwin Jansen van Vuuren, Stefan McDonald
9 – Christiaan de Wet
7 – Fourie Roberts
6 – Divan Fourie
5 – Lamond Baaitjies, Estian Marx, Charl Els, Bauke Gouws, Roal Kruger
2 – Deon Botes, Rikus Strydom, Martin van Niekerk, Nicolaas Grobler
1 – Albert Smit, Ruben Groenewald, Hugo Snyman, Hannes Nagel, Henlo Jordaan, SE du Toit, Dehan Botha, Petrus Rautenbach, Zirk Meyer

After a near-perfect season in the Western Cape, Paarl Gimnasium shifts its attention to the prestigious Fairtree Super 12 Tournament, which takes place at Oranje Meisieskool in Bloemfontein from 7-9 August.

The elite event hasn’t been the happiest of hunting grounds for Paarl Gim in past seasons.

In 2024, the Western Cape side beat Eunice High School 2-1 to finish in fifth place.

They came close to winning it all in 2023, when they finished as the runner-up, while they were also fifth in 2022.

History and past results won’t matter much this week, though, and coach Danelle van Zyl and her charges will be aiming to go all the way.

They head into the tournament after another superb season in the Western Cape during which their only defeat was a tight 0-1 loss at the hands of Rhenish Girls’ High School.

Besides that setback, they’ve wiped the floor with every other opponent they’ve come across, and they also won the inaugural Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge.

They also concluded their local season with an emphatic 4-1 win over Paarl Girls’ High in the interschools derby, with two goals apiece from Alanda Rademeyer and Karea de Ridder sealing the win.

“I’m proud of the girls,” coach Van Zyl told SuperSport Schools Plus. “Playing interschools is a big mental game because you play in front of a big crowd, and Paarl Girls’ High really played their best game this season, so we had to dig deep.

“Our biggest challenge was to manage the girls after the big hype of interschools, and to focus on what we want to achieve at Super 12.

“You don’t have an easy game at Super 12, so we have to be ready and prepared for every game.”

Van Zyl is fortunate that she hasn’t had to deal with many injuries to key players this year. The team that began the season is almost identical to the one that will do duty at the Super 12.

It’s now a case of managing the demands of the event while taking on some of the best in the country.

“I think we are a well-conditioned and fit team,” Van Zyl said, “so that always helps us at a tournament where you play two or three matches a day.

“If we want to be the best, we have to beat the best, so it’s such a privilege playing against the best schools in the country,” she added.

Paarl Gim will kick off their Super 12 campaign against Our Lady of Fatima on Thursday at 10:50.

Paarl Gim’s fixtures at Super 12

Thursday, 7 August

10:50 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Our Lady of Fatima
16:40 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Collegiate Girls’ High

Friday, 8 August

08:30 – Paarl Gimnasium vs St Anne’s DSG
12:30 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Die Hoërskool Menlopark
18:30 – Paarl Gimnasium vs DSG Makhanda