Bloemhof players celebrating a goal at the Spar Hockey Festival in March. Photo: Khulani Media.
Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof didn’t miss a beat on their march to the summit of Pool B after the second day of action at the Standard Bank St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival.
Coach Jenny King’s side added two wins and a draw to their lot from day one to finish the first stage undefeated.
Zani Boezaart found the back of the net for the Capetonians in their 1-0 win over Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria (Affies) in their first match on Friday morning. King’s charges followed that up with a 3-0 victory over Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High a few hours later, with Simone van der Merwe scoring a brace and Daniela Viljoen also striking.
“Our performances were clinical. However, the real test was our match against Eunice. I don’t feel our defence had been really tested,” King said. Eunice, though, tested both their defence and intensity in that key encounter.
King’s charges went toe-to-toe with Coach Nika Coertzen‘s side. There was little to separate the sides and, at the end of the match, they remained deadlocked at 0-0.
Their performance against Eunice left King optimistic that Bloemhof will be able to handle anything their opposition throws at them in the next round.
“I am quite confident that the girls can rise to the occasion. We just need to play a little bit more ball in the opposition half in those tough matches and make use of our chances. We have to keep it simple, keep moving the ball, get the ball down the sides of the field away from the central players/defenders,” King explained.
Bloemhof will be in Pool F in stage two of the festival. They have a contest against St Mary’s Waverley lined up at 08:30 and a blockbuster against St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, at 12:00.
Eunice finished with five points less than Bloemhof. They incurred a single loss at the hands of St John’s DSG on Thursday afternoon. Coertzen’s side, however, ensured that was their only pool stage loss. They convincingly won two of their three Friday encounters, overcoming Affies 1-0 and St Andrew’s School for Girls 2-0.
Eunice moves on to Pool G where a contest against St Cyprian’s at 09:50 awaits, followed by a game against Rhenish at 12:55.
Garsfontein, St John’s DSG, and Affies all finished with 11 points, tied for third place after each won three matches, drew two, and lost two. They were separated by goal difference.
Garsfontein took third with a positive goal difference of five after scoring 11 goals and conceding six. St John’s placed fourth, having scored seven and given up four, while Affies, in fifth, scored only three times while conceding just one goal
Garsfontein’s reward is a place in Pool G with Eunice. They tackle Rhenish at 09:25 and will also cross swords with St Cyprian’s at 13:20.
RESULTS
Affies 1-0 Roedean
Bloemhof 1-0 Affies
Garsfontein 4-0 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High
St John’s DSG 3-0 Roedean
Eunice 2-0 St Andrew’s
Bloemhof 3-0 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High
Eunice 1-0 Affies
Roedean 2-1 St Andrew’s
Garsfontein 2-1 St John’s DSG
St Andrew’s 0-0 St John’s DSG
Bloemhof 0-0 Eunice
Menlopark ascended to the top of Pool A after a strong series of performances on Friday at the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival. Photo: Die Hoërskool Menlopark on Facebook.
The second day of the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival proved to be challenging for some of day one’s front runners, with Hoërskool Waterkloof and St Anne’s Diocesan College falling down the standings.
Waterkloof didn’t fall too far, though, finishing in second spot in Pool A after losing one match, drawing two, and winning two, but St Anne’s dramatically tumbled to third in Pool D. The KwaZulu-Natal side mustered only one victory on Friday, along with two draws, and a loss.
Meanwhile, Die Hoërskool Menlopark stormed to the top of Pool A after a dominating run on Friday.
With strong performances both in attack and defence, they brushed aside Penryn College 4-0 and edged out Gqeberha’s Pearson High School 2-1.
In a big Pretoria derby, they claimed a 1-0 win over Omari Pienaar Geyer’s Waterkloof, while they also shared a goalless draw with the St Mary’s Festival XI.
The victories solidified Menlopark’s status as a serious contender for the title. With momentum on their side, they’ll be in the spotlight in the next round of the festival.
In Pool D, Oranje took over at the summit of the group from St Anne’s, who had scored three wins from three outings on Friday.
Oranje, the seven-time champions, were boosted by a surprisingly comfortable 5-1 victory over Herschel and a 1-0 win over Kingsmead College.
They bagged another point in a 1-1 draw with St Anne’s and one more from a goalless stalemate against Paarl Gimnasium.
Gim finished in second position, followed by St Anne’s and Durban’s OurLady of Fatima. Both Gim and Our Lady of Fatima bagged two wins and two draws on Friday.
RESULTS
POOL A
DGC 1-0- Menlopark
St Mary’s Festival XI 0-1 TWC
Penryn 0-2 Waterkloof
Somerset College 0-1 Pearson
Waterkloof 0-0 DGC
St Mary’s Festival XI 0-1 Pearson
TWC 1-1 Somerset College
Penryn 0-4 Menlopark
Somerset College 0-0 St Mary’s Festival XI
Menlopark 1-0 Waterkloof
Pearson 0-0 DGC
Penryn 0-0 TWC
Waterkloof 3-0 St Mary’s Festival XI
Menlopark 2-1 Pearson
DGC 1-0 TWC
Somerset College 1-0 Penryn
POOL D
Paarl Girls’ High 0-2 Our Lady of Fatima
St Anne’s 2-0 Kingsmead
Herschel 1-1 Collegiate
Oranje 0-0 Paarl Gim
Our Lady of Fatima 0-0 Herschel
Paarl Gim 0-0 St Anne’s
Paarl Girls’ High 0-2 Collegiate
Oranje 1-0 Kingsmead
Paarl Gim 2-1 Herschel
Kingsmead 0-1 Paarl Girls’ High
Collegiate 1-1 Our Lady of Fatima
Oranje 1-1 St Anne’s
Paarl Girls’ High 0-1 Paarl Gim
Kingsmead 0-2 Collegiate
Our Lady of Fatima 1-0 St Anne’s
Herschel 1-5 Oranje
Stellenberg High School will face Fairmont High in the final of the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament. Photo: ES Media/Belgotex Sport
It will be an all-Cape affair in the boys’ final of the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament on Saturday after Fairmont High School and Stellenberg High School progressed to the championship match.
Both sides impressed from the opening day, on Wednesday, and have been rewarded with an opportunity to compete for the Cup on the final day, with the clash kicking off at 17:55 at the main Hartleyvale AstroTurf, in Cape Town.
The road to the final was pretty similar for both sides. Stellenberg, led by coach Kyle Esau, had a solid start during the phase one pool stages, where they defeated Middelburg Hoërskool and Hoërskool Linden to progress to the Cup section.
There, they were drawn against Langenhoven Gimnasium, Curro Durbanville, and Woodridge College, from the Eastern Cape.
Coach Esau’s side upped the ante, played an entertaining brand of hockey, and saw off their competition to book a spot in the last four.
The semifinal was a tough clash against a well-coached and well-drilled Hoërskool Monument side.
It was blow-for-blow early on, as both teams attempted to assert their dominance. Captain Reece Green excelled and netted a hat-trick for Monument. But Liyanda Botha, Charl van Niekerk, and a brace from Jacques van Dyk saw Stellenberg to a thrilling 4-3 win.
The Fairmont boys in a huddle at the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament. Photo: ES Media/Belgotex Sport
Fairmont High, meanwhile, was pushed by Worcester Gimnasium, last year’s beaten finalist, in their semifinal.
After remaining unbeaten in the pool stages, coach Bryce West’s team faced their toughest challenge in Worcester Gim.
After a dramatic and suspense-filled clash that ended in a 1-1 draw, a penalty shoot-out to settle matters. Ryan Groenewald scored for Fairmont while Christiaan Jacobs found the back of the net for Worcester.
In the shootout, Fairmont came away with a 5-3 win.
Worcester Gimnasium and Monument will meet in the battle for the bronze medal at 15:35.
Die tuisspan, Hoërskool Hans Strijdom, bevind hom vir ‘n tweede agtereenvolgende jaar in die eindstryd, danksy ‘n naelskraapse sege Woensdag van 17-16 oor Hoërskool Kalahari.
Die Hansies het verlede jaar met 10-26 teen ‘n sterk Hoërskool Hugenote-span, van Springs, in die eindstryd vasgeval.
Vanjaar se eindstryd bied ‘n nuwe uitdaging vir die gasheerspan in die vorm van Hoërskool Frikkie Meyer van Thabazimbi. Die Frikkies moes self spook om ‘n begeesterde span van Northcliff High School te tem, maar het uiteindelik met 15-14 die pyp gerook.
Saterdag se stryd tussen die twee spanne van Limpopo beloof om soos gebruiklik uiters fisiek te wees, vernaam onder die groot manne voorlangs in die nat toestande.
Juis daarom het die Leeus van die Noorde se afrigtingspan ‘n taktiese skuif in die pak aangebring, met staatmaker-slot, Ruvan Kruger, wat ingespan word om die lewe vir die Frikkies voorlangs moeilik te maak. Kruger vervang vir Paul de Beer, wat na die plaasvervangerbank skuif.
Die Frikkies sal heelwat staatmaak op steelkantflank, Keanu Visser, wat in die span van Thabazimbi se vorige twee wedstryde uitgeblink het met sy hoë werkverrigting en fisieke teenwoordigheid.
Die voorwedstryd tussen Hoërskool Kalahari van Kuruman en Nortcliff High School behoort ook vir vuurwerke te sorg. Die span van Randburg se losskakel, Matthew Hunt, sal fyn dopgehou moet word, aangesien hy verantwoordelik was vir bykans ál sy span se punte in hul vorige twee wedstryde.
Kalahari sal op agsteman, SW van Heerden, se knoppie druk om die nodige vuur voorlangs te verskaf en vir Northcliff onder druk te plaas. Van Heerden het tydens verlede jaar se Hansieweek op binnesenter uitgedraf, wat sy veelsydigheid, wat betref brute kragspel en ondernemende hardlooprugby, uitlig.
Hoërskool Marais Viljoen se o.16-span, wat deur die vermaarde Hans Coetzee afgerig word, kom in hul eindstryd te staan teen Hoërskool Hugenote van Springs. In die o.15-eindstryd wag ‘n opwindende kragmeting tussen Hoërskool Brandwag en Kalahari, terwyl die skool van Kuruman se o.14’s ook in die eindstryd van hul ouderdomsgroep met Hoërskool Frikkie Meyer swaarde kruis.
Uitslae – Dag 2: Eerste spanne:
Hans Strijdom 17 (10), Hoërskool Kalahari 16 (6).
Frikkie Meyer 15 (7), Northcliff High School 14 (8).
Hugenote (Springs) 24 (5), Hoërskool Alberton 8 (3).
Hoërskool Belville 22 (15), Hoërskool Brits 3 (3).
Jeugland 24 (19), Hoërskool Piet Retief 22 (10).
HTS Middelburg XV 29 (12), Frans du Toit 7 (7).
Hoërskool Fochville 15 (0), Empangeni 10 (3).
Bepalings – Dag 3:
07:00 – Empangeni t. Brits 08:00 – Hoërskool Belville t. Jeugland 09:00 – Hoërskool Frikkie Meyer t. Hoërskool Kalahari – (o.14). 10:00 – Hoërskool Brandwag t. Hoërskool Kalahari – (o.15). 11:00 – Hoërskool Marais Viljoen t. Hugenote (Springs) – (o.16). 12:00 – Hoërskool Zwartkop t. Hans Strijdom – (Tweede spanne) 13:00 – HTS Middelburg t. Hugenote (Springs) 14:00 – Hoërskool Fochville t. Hoërskool Alberton 15:00 – Hoërskool Kalahari t. Northcliff High School 16:00 – Hans Strijdom t. Frikkie Meyer
St Alban’s College will host the 2025 edition of the Independent Schools Hockey Festival. Photo: St Alban’s College on Instagram
The last weekend of March produced some thrilling schoolboy hockey action as spectators were treated to the Nomads Hockey Festival, Founders Festival, and Belgotex Coastal Cup.
Those events kicked off an exciting season, and this weekend’s action at the Independent Schools Hockey Festival is set to match that high standard of entertaining hockey.
The annual festival takes place at St Alban’s College, in Pretoria, and runs from 5-7 April.
In action will be some of Gauteng’s top teams, who will be challenged by sides from across the country.
Gauteng’s interests are represented by St Alban’s, Trinity House Centurion, Helpmekaar Kollege, St David’s Marist Inanda, and St Benedict’s College.
St Alban’s, led by coaches Robin Jones and Guy Elliot, will look to build on the momentum they built up against top opposition at the Belgotex Sport Coastal Cup last week.
Down in KwaZulu-Natal, the Checks, as they’re affectionately known, posted mixed results, which included an upset 2-1 win over Durban High School(DHS) before they went down to Paul Roos Gimnasium, and Michaelhouse, two of the Coastal Cup’s top performers.
They played out a 2-2 draw against Westville Boys’ High, and they’ll take confidence from that result into their home event.
St Benedict’s College is another side that was in action, contesting the Nomads Hockey Festival, which was hosted by Jeppe High School for Boys last week. There, coach Owen Mvimbi‘s troops found the going tough, but they pulled off an impressive win against Selborne College.
They also took unbeaten Grey College to the trenches on the final day but succumbed to a 0-2 defeat. Those hard outings will surely stand them in good stead in Pretoria.
The remainder of the field includes teams from KZN, the Western Cape, and the Free State.
Michaelhouse and St Charles College will fly the flag for KZN, and they’ll head to the festival looking to make a big statement.
‘House has impressed early on. They were superb in a 4-3 comeback win over Parel Vallei at the Coastal Cup, scoring three times in a dramatic last chukka to overcome a 1-3 deficit. The kind of firepower and that top performance against one of the Western Cape’s top sides will make teams wary of coach Nick Bérichon’s charges.
St Andrew’s School from Bloemfontein will be on a mission to impress at the Independent Schools Hockey Festival. Photo: Shot by Shani Photography
Somerset College and Bishops [Diocesan College] are the Western Cape schools heading upcountry for the festival.
It has been a challenging start to the season for both sides, with coaches Kyran Fortuin and Ryan Julius taking on rebuilding missions.
The Cape is known for its strong competition, though, and both sides will be focused on finding their mojo.
Another interesting team that will be in action is St Andrew’s School, from Bloemfontein.
Led by coach Jason Slater, they’re a school that has produced some strong teams in past seasons, but they head into the festival as a bit of an unknown. They would like to leave it with their game better known and respected.
Day one’s action kicks off at 07:30 between Trinity House and St Andrew’s School.
FIXTURES
Day 1 – Saturday, 5 April
07:30 – Trinity House vs St Andrew’s School 08:00 – St Benedict’s College vs Reddam House Constantia @Hatfield Christian School 08:45 – Helpmekaar Kollege vs York High 10:00 – St Alban’s College vs Somerset College 11:15 – St Charles College vs Bishops 12:30 – Michaelhouse vs St David’s Marist Inanda 13:45 – St Benedict’s College vs Trinity House 15:00 – St Andrew’s School vs York High 16:15 – Reddam House Constantia vs Helpmekaar Kollege 17:30 – St Alban’s College vs St Charles College 17:30 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Somerset College @Hatfield Christian School 18:45 – Bishops vs Michaelhouse
Day 2 – Sunday, 6 April
07:30 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Reddam House Constantia 08:00 – St Charles College vs Helpmekaar Kollege @Pretoria Boys High AstroTurf 08:45 – Somerset College vs Trinity House 10:00 – St Alban’s College vs St Andrew’s School 11:15 – Bishops vs St Benedict’s College 12:30 – York High vs Michaelhouse 13:45 – Reddam House Constantia vs Trinity House 15:00 – St Charles College vs St David’s Marist Inanda 16:15 – Helpmekaar Kollege vs Somerset College 17:30 – St Alban’s College vs Bishops 17:30 – St Andrew’s School vs Michaelhouse @Pretoria Boys High AstroTurf 18:45 – York High vs St Benedict’s College
Day 3 – Monday, 7 April
07:30 – Bishops vs St David’s Marist Inanda 08:00 – Reddam House Constantia vs York High @@Pretoria Boys High AstroTurf 08:45 – Somerset College vs St Charles College 09:20 – Helpmekaar Kollege vs St Andrew’s School @Pretoria Boys High AstroTurf 10:00 – Michaelhouse vs St Benedict’s College 11:15 – St Alban’s College vs Trinity House
All other fixtures will take place at the St Alban’s College AstroTurf.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – JANUARY 19: Enathi Khitshini of South Africa celebrate after dismissing Farhan Ahmed of England during the 2nd Youth ODI Series match between South Africa U19 and England U19 at Western Province Cricket Club on January 19, 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) has today announced the 15-player South Africa Under-19 Men’s squad set to tour Namibia for a three-match 50-over series later this month.
There are five changes to the squad that beat England U19 2-1 earlier this year.
The tour marks a welcome return for Lions fast bowler JJ Bason, who missed the England series due to injury.
Western Province all-rounder Waco Bassick and Lions wicketkeeper Kamogelo Phiri earn their maiden call-ups to the SA U19s, while the Dolphins pace duo of Dayalan Boyce and Bayanda Majola have made the step up from the CSA Emerging U19 side that toured Zimbabwe last year and competed in this season’s 1-Day Cup in Division 2.
North West batter Muhammad Bulbulia and Lions batter Jason Rowles will share the captaincy duties under the guidance of head coach Malibongwe Maketa.
The series, which forms part of preparation for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, gets underway on 28 April at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek. The second match will follow on 30 April at the same venue, before the series wraps at the High Performance Oval on 02 May.
SA U19 Convenor of Selectors Patrick Moroney commented: “The squad was selected with an eye on next year’s U19 World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe. We’ve stuck with the core group of players who have performed consistently, while also rewarding those who impressed for the CSA Emerging team in the 1-Day Cup.
“This tour provides Mali and his squad with another important milestone in their preparation for the World Cup. Playing in similar conditions against the host nation will give them the necessary confidence to build a well-rounded squad with a good chance of success in next year’s tournament.
“Along with this tour, we will also have camps with the extended focus group and a home series against Bangladesh, all of which will assist us in finalising the squad that will represent the junior Proteas at the World Cup.”
SA U19 Men’s Squad against Cricket Namibia
Muhammad Bulbulia (captain, North West), Jason Rowles (captain, Lions), Waco Bassick (Western Province), JJ Basson (Lions), Daniel Bosman (Western Province), Dayalan Boyce (Dolphins), Paul James (Western Province), Enathi Khitshini (Garden Route Badgers), Adnaan Lagadien (Western Province), Bayanda Majola (Dolphins), Bandile Mbatha (Dolphins), Lethabo Phahlamohlaka (Titans), Kamogelo Phiri (Lions), Ntando Soni (Dolphins), and Jorich van Schalkwyk (Titans).
Thursday’s action at the eight venues was highlighted by a series of goals, upsets, and domination from the top teams.
After the initial pool stages, the teams were separated into different groups and are now playing strength vs. strength in the Cup, Bowl, and Shield sections.
Each section has four pools made up of four teams and acts as a round of 16 with the quarterfinals and semi-finals looming.
In the boys’ Cup section, the teams were evenly matched, with Langenhoven Gimnasium, Hoërskool Monument, and Stellenberg High being the only teams to win both of their matches on the day.
Langenhoven, from Oudtshoorn, defeated Woodridge College 2-1 and Curro Durbanville 2-0 to put themselves in a healthy position moving forward. Stellenberg, meanwhile, thumped the same opponents 5-0 and 2-0, respectively.
Pool C was dominated by Hoërskool Monument, who claimed the scalps of Hoërskool Nelspruit and Hoërskool Outeniqua.
Fairmont High School also maintained their unbeaten run at the tournament by defeating East London’s Hudson Park 3-2 before being held to a 1-1 draw by a brave Bridge House outfit.
St John’s College, from Harare, ran riot in the Shield section and scored a whopping eight goals in two matches and conceded just one. They thumped Glenwood House 4-0 and a Rondebosch Invitational side 4-1.
Kingswood College bounced back after a disappointing opening day. The side from Makhanda racked up successive wins over Durbanville and Namibia’s Windhoek Gimnasium.
GIRLS SECTION
On day two of the girls’ competition, St Paul’s College, also from Windhoek, impressed in the Cup section.
They snatched a 1-0 win over the favourites, Stellenberg High, and whipped Hoërskool Eldoraigne 7-1.
Gauteng’s Kempton Park and EG Jansen were also on-song. They dominated their pool, beating both DF Malan and Northcliff. They’ll meet on Friday. It should be an entertaining clash.
Pool D in the Cup section was always going to be an interesting one with four evenly matched sides battling each other.
Two goalless stalemates were played out between Wynberg Girls’ High and Hoërskool Nelspruit, and Rustenburg Girls’ High, and Hoërskool Outeniqua.
Outeniqua returned later in the day to beat Wynberg 2-1 while Rustenburg edged out Nelspruit 1-0.
Download the Enhanced Sports App to catch up on all the results, pool standings, and more.
RESULTS
DAY 2
BOYS’ CUP SECTION
Pool A
Worcester Gimnasium 2-1 Pro-Ed Akademie
SACS 1-1 Punt
Punt 6-0 Pro-Ed Akademie
Worcester Gimnasium 0-0 SACS
Pool B
Langenhoven Gimnasium 2-1 Woodridge College
Stellenberg High 2-0 Curro Durbanville
Langenhoven Gimnasium 2-0 Curro Durbanville
Stellenberg 5-0 Woodridge
DF Malan 1-1 Bridge House
Fairmont High 3-2 Hudson Park
Hudson Park 2-1 DF Malan
Fairmont High 1-1 Bridge House
BOYS’ SHIELD SECTION
Pool E
St John’s 4-0 Glenwood House
Rondebosch Boys’ High Invitational 1-0 Stirling High
St John’s 4-1 Rondebosch Boys’ High Invitational
Stirling High 3-0 Glenwood House
Pool F
Hoërskool Middelburg 1-0 Hoërskool Zwartkop
Ashton College 0-0 Hoërskool Middelburg
Ashton College 2-1 Stellenbosch
Hoërskool Zwartkop 3-0 Stellenbosch
Pool G
Hoërskool Upington 1-1 Strand
Kempton Park 1-0 Hoërskool Eldoraigne
Hoërskool Eldoraigne 3-0 Strand
Kempton Park 2-0 Hoërskool Upington
Pool H
Kingswood College 2-0 Durbanville
St Dunstan’s College 1-0 Windhoek Gimnasium
Kingswood College 2-0 Windhoek Gimnasium
Durbanville 6-0 St Dunstan’s College
BOYS’ BOWL SECTION
Pool I
Penryn 3-2 Charlie Hofmeyr
Hugenote 2-0 Paarl Boys High Invitational
Charlie Hofmeyr 1-0 Paarl Boys High Invitational
Hugenote 4-0 Penryn
Windhoek High School 1-1 HTS Drosdty
Oudtshoorn 3-2 Somerset College Invitational
Windhoek High School 2-0 Oudtshoorn
HTS Drosdty 7-0 Somerset College
Pool L
Paarl Gimnasium Invitational 3-2 Northcliff
Redhill School 1-0 St Dominic’s
St Dominic’s 4-1 Northcliff
Redhill School 2-1 Paarl Gimnasium
GIRLS’ CUP SECTION
Pool A
St Paul’s College 1-0 Stellenberg High
Hoërskool Eldoraigne 2-2 Peterhouse
St Paul’s College 7-1 Hoërskool Eldoraigne
Stellenberg 5-0 Peterhouse
Pool B
Fairmont High 7-1 Paarl Gimnasium Invitational
Durbanville 3-1 Hoërskool Monument
Durbanville 8-0 Paarl Gimnasium Invitational
Fairmont High 1-1 Hoërskool Monument
Pool C
Kempton Park 1-0 DF Malan
EG Jansen 4-0 Northcliff
EG Jansen 2-1 DF Malan
Kempton Park 3-2 Northcliff
Pool D
Wynberg Girls’ 0-0 Hoërskool Nelspruit
Rustenburg Girls’ High 0-0 Hoërskool Outeniqua
Hoërskool Outeniqua 2-1 Wynberg Girls’ High
Rustenburg Girls’ High 1-0 Hoërskool Nelspruit
GIRLS’ SHIELD SECTION
Pool E
Worcester Gimnasium 1-1 La Rochelle
Glenwoodhouse 1-0 Windhoek Gimnasium
La Rochelle 1-0 Glenwood House
Windhoek Gimnasium 0-0 Worcester Gimnasium
Pool F
Linden 1-1 Kingswood College
York High 6-0 Robertson
Linden 6-1 Robertson
York High 3-1 Kingswood College
Pool G
Stellenberg Invitational 1-0 Pro-Ed Akademie
Stirling High 2-0 Strand
Stirling High 1-0 Pro-Ed Akademie
Stellenberg Invitational 1-0 Strand
Pool H
Hudson Park 1-1 Woodridge College
Ashton College 1-1 Hoërskool Hermanus
Woodridge College 1-0 Hoërskool Hermanus
Ashton College 3-2 Hudson Park
GIRLS’ BOWL SECTION
Pool I
Langenhoven Gimnasium 3-0 Rustenburg Girls’ High Invitational
HTS Drosdty 2-0 Langa Hockey Club
HTS Drosdty 3-1 Langenhoven Gimnasium
Langa Hockey Club 0-0 Rustenburg Girls’ High Invitational
Pool J
Brackenfell 2-0 St Dominic’s
Punt 1-0 Hoërskool Upington
Brackenfell 1-1 Hoërskool Upington
Punt 6-0 St Dominic’s
Pool K
Durbanville Invitational 2-0 Oudtshoorn
Hugenote 2-1 Bridge House
Hugenote 5-0 Oudtshoorn
Durbanville Invitational 3-0 Bridge House
Pool L
Curro Durbanville 1-0 St Dunstan’s College
Fairmont High Invitational 1-0 Charlie Hofmeyr
Fairmont High Invitational 4-0 St Dunstan’s College
Charlie Hofmeyr 1-1 Curro Durbanville
St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, enjoyed an outstanding first day at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival, winning four games without conceding a goal. Photo: Brad Morgan.
St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, kept four clean sheets and won all four of their games on their way to the summit of Pool C on the first day of action at the Standard Bank St Mary’s Waverley HockeyFestival on Thursday.
The prestigious hockey extravaganza features 32 of the best teams in South Africa and runs through until Sunday.
Rhenish and St Stithians College for Girls are in second and third place respectively, with seven and six points. However, unlike St Mary’s DSG, they have each played three games.
Coach Nolwazi Nkabinde‘s St Mary’s side was solid in defence and a menace when on the attack.
The KwaZulu-Natal team rocketed to a 5-0 victory over Windhoek High in their first match of the festival. Four hours later, they subjected Clarendon to a second loss of the day, beating the East London side 1-0.
St Cyprian’s began their campaign with a 0-3 loss at the hands of Rhenish. Matters did not get much better for them because they ran into an on-fire St Mary’s DSG in their second encounter. Nkabinde’s charges slotted two goals without a reply to claim their third win.
The ladies from Kloof rounded off an outstanding day with a 1-0 win over the hosts, St Mary’s Waverley.
Rhenish, like St Mary’s DSG, kept a clean sheet in each of their matches. However, unlike the KZN girls, they didn’t claim a 100 percent record. The Stellenbosch school outplayed Clarendon 3-0 and followed that with another 3-0 victory over St Cyprian’s. In their last match, though, they were held to a 0-0 draw by St Mary’s Waverley.
St Stithians registered two wins and a loss on their way to third place in the pool at the close of day one. They won 1-0 against Pretoria High School for Girls, breezed past Windhoek High 2-0, and then lost to Clarendon in the late afternoon.
The hosts, St Mary’s Waverley, recorded all three possible results. They began their campaign with a 1-1 draw against St Cyprian’s. Then, they gathered steam and rolled to a 3-0 victory over Pretoria High School for Girls. In their last outing, against the table toppers, St Mary’s DSG, they fell to the ladies from KZN in a tight contest.
Windhoek High will be seeking redemption after a tough first day when they run out onto the pitch on Friday morning. They have a tough assignment against Rhenish in the first of Pool C matches. St Stithians, who will be aiming to keep pace with the leaders, will take St Cyprian’s at the same time.
RESULTS
Pool C
St Mary’s Waverley 1st XI 1-1 St Cyprian’s
St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, 5-0 Windhoek
Rhenish 3-0 Clarendon
St Stithians 1-0 Pretoria High School for Girls
St Mary’s Waverley 1st XI 3-0 Pretoria High School for Girls
Rhenish 3-0 St Cyprian’s
St Mary’s DSG Kloof 1-0 Clarendon
St Stithians 2-0 Windhoek High
St Mary’s Waverley 1st XI 0-0 Rhenish
St Mary’s DSG Kloof 2-0 St Cyprian’s
Windhoek 0-0 Pretoria High School for Girls
Clarendon 1-0 St Stithians
St Mary’s DSG Kloof 1-0 St Mary’s Waverley 1st XI
Hoërskool Waterkloof made a strong start at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival, winning all three of their matches on the opening day. Photo: Hoërskool Waterkloof on Facebook.
Thursday’s pool stages of the St Mary’s Waverley Festival loaded up on action, with Hoërskool Waterkloof taking an early lead in Pool A after winning all three of their matches.
They showcased skill, teamwork, and a devastating counterattack to claim maximum points.
The Pretoria school started their run of victories with a 2-0 win over Somerset College.
They were given a scare by The Wykeham Collegiate (TWC) in their second game but pulled off a 1-0 win.
In their third clash, they found Pearson a tough nut to crack, but two stunning length-of-the-field goals took them into a 2-0 lead and, ultimately, a 2-1 victory.
Durban Girls’ College(DGC) was not far behind after two impressive victories and a draw. Their strong play kept the defending champion in contention as the battle for the top spot intensified.
The KwaZulu Natal girls beat Penryn 3-0 in their opener before edging out the St Mary’s Waverley Festival XI 1-0. They had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Somerset College.
Die Hoërskool Menlopark also grabbed two wins and a draw. They occupied third place with seven points at the end of the day.
Coach Brad Brook‘s team had a slow start as they finished their first match against the St Mary’s Festival XI in a goalless stalemate. However, they stepped up their game against Somerset College in their second outing, scoring a 2-0 victory, and they repeated that scoreline in a win over TWC.
In Pool D, St Anne’s Diocesan College strung together three wins on the trot to sit atop the standings. The games themselves were tight, however.
Coach Morné Odendaal‘s side scored narrow 1-0 wins over Collegiate Girls’ High School and Herschel Girls School before a more emphatic 3-1 victory against Paarl Girls’ High, who failed to pick up a win in three matches. They struggled to find momentum and will be eager to reverse course on Friday.
Paarl Gimnasium and Oranje are lurking should St Anne’s experience any setbacks on day two. Both teams won two and drew one on Thursday.
RESULTS
POOL A
POOL D
Paarl Gim 5-0 Kingsmead
Our Lady of Fatima 0-0 Oranje
Paarl Girls’ High 0-5 Herschel
St Anne’s 1-0 Collegiate
Kingsmead 0-2 Herschel
Paarl Gim 1-0 Our Lady of Fatima
Collegiate 0-1 Oranje
Paarl Girls’ High 1-3 St Anne’s
Collegiate 1-1 Paarl Gim
Oranje 3-0 Paarl Girls’ High
Herschel 0-1 St Anne’s
Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof breezed through the first day of the Standard Bank St Mary’s Waverley Festival, winning four out of four games, to finish Thursday on top of Pool B.
The hockey extravaganza features 32 teams and runs through until Sunday.
Coach Jenny King‘s charges achieved a maximum haul of 12 points, while the next best teams, Eunice and St John’s DSG, are tied on seven points, but Eunice had a superior goal difference and sits in second place.
From their first fixture, against Roedean, Bloemhof made their intentions clear with a 5-0 rout. Liela van Zyl led the scoring with a brace and Marie Steyn, Bella Visser, and Elré Oosthuizen added a goal each.
The Stellenbosch side found St John’s DSG to be a far tougher challenge, but they came away with a 1-0 win, courtesy of a strike from Daniela Viljoen. Nina Louw‘s solitary goal then clinched victory for them when they faced Garsfontein in the afternoon.
The decline in goal output did not point to Bloemhof engaging autopilot in their successive 1-0 victories. King said her players maintained high energy and intensity levels in all of their matches. They matched that with smooth transfers through the midfield and connections down the flanks.
That consistency led them to a 3-1 win over St Andrew’s School for Girls in their last encounter of the day. Liela van Zyl struck twice, and Nina Louw added a third in the victory.
Eunice had as bright a start as Bloemhof, romping to a 4-0 win over Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School. They followed up with a 4-1 victory over Roedean before they stumbled against St John’s DSG, going down 0-1. Coach Nika Coertzen‘s charges, then, finished the day with a goalless draw against Garsfontein.
St John’s DSG began with a 0-0 draw against Affies. The ladies from Pietermaritzburg followed that up with a 0-1 loss to the log leaders, Bloemhof in the mid-morning. St John’s needed a victory, and they picked up an important one with a 1-0 defeat of Eunice. In their last match of the day, they faced a familiar foe, their city rivals, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High, and triumphed 2-0.
Bloemhof will seek to continue their great run when they go up against Affies on Friday morning. St John’s has an assignment against Roedean and Eunice will face off with St Andrew’s as the race for the honours in Pool B heats up.
RESULTS
Pool B
St Andrew’s 2-2 Garsfontein
St John’s DSG 0-0 Affies
Bloemhof 5-0 Roedean
Eunice 4-0 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High
Affies 1-0 Garsfontein
Bloemhof 1-0 St John’s DSG
Eunice 4-1 Roedean
St Andrew’s School for Girls 2-0 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High
Bloemhof 1-0 Garsfontein
St John’s DSG 1-0 Eunice
Affies 0-0 St Andrew’s School for Girls
Roedean 0-0 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High
Bloemhof 3-1 St Andrew’s
Eunice 0-0 Garsfontein
St John’s 2-0 Pietermaritzburg Girls
GIRLS SECTION
