The back-to-back Gauteng Development League (GDL) champions, Highlands Park, suffered their first loss of the season, going down at home, on Monday, when they became Joburg City’s third victim in succession this season.
Gone are the days when a select few dominated the league. The underdogs are making their presence felt this season, and the usual bullies are feeling the pressure seven rounds into the 2025 edition of Africa’s top development competition.
Highlands Park was unbeaten through six rounds, but that clean record was brought to a sudden and emphatic stop by Joburg City, who inflicted a humbling 3-0 defeat on coach Sifiso Mnguni’s charges at Balfour Park.
Highlands Park’s lacklustre performance in front of their home fans might have had something to do with the fact that they hadn’t played any competitive football for almost a fortnight, which included missing out on the Bayhill Cup, in Cape Town, over the Easter weekend.
Nonetheless, The Lions of the North became the latest team to fall victim to Joburg City.
It’s a far cry from Joburg City’s showing last season when they finished a lowly 16th in the 18-team league. This season, they have beaten School of Excellence, Seven’s Academy, and have now added Highlands Park to their hit list.
Those three wins are half the number they won all of last season.
While Highlands Park dropped points, Supersport United hung on to first place with a 2-0 victory over Seven’s Academy, on Saturday, and a 2-1 victory over Elspark United, on Monday, to complete a successful weekend of away fixtures for coach Tumelo Ndaba’s unit.
Kaizer Chiefs was also clinical, beating School of Excellence 3-1, on Saturday, before adding to Seven’s Academy’s misery with a 2-1 defeat, on Monday.
Kathorus Hyper Academy also enjoyed a fruitful weekend, securing 1-1 draws against TS Galaxy, on Saturday, and Jomo Cosmos, on Monday.
In other fixtures, Mamelodi Sundowns continued their climb up the log standings after charging to a 5-0 win over TS Galaxy. East Rand Athletic Club lost 1-3 to Remember Elite Sport Academy, while Panorama beat Rockefvs FC 1-0.
FIXTURES
Saturday, 26 April
School of Excellence 1-3 Kaizer Chiefs TS Galaxy 1-1 Kathorus Hyper Academy Jomo Cosmos 1-2 Panorama FC Tuks 1-1 Wits Junior Seven’s Academy 0-2 Supersport United
Monday, 28 April
Highlands Park 0-3 Joburg City Mamelodi Sundowns 5-0 TS Galaxy Kathorus Hyper Academy 1-1 Jomo Cosmos Randburg AFC 2-0 Tuks East Rand Athletic Club 1-3 Remember Elite Sport Academy Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 Seven’s Academy Elspark United 1-2 Supersport United
Panorama 1-0 Rockefvs FC
In 2022, South African College High School (SACS) defeated Bishops [Diocesan College] 3-1 in the final to lift the title.
A year later, SACS was dethroned by Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), and the boys from Stellenbosch returned in 2024 to claim back-to-back titles after beating SACS again.
Frankly, it’s been the Western Cape show at Hibbert, and the only team outside the province that’s won it is Grey High School, back in 2021.
This year’s tournament takes place from Wednesday, 30 April, to Saturday, 3 May. Included in the lineup are five strong Western Cape teams: SACS, PRG, Bishops, Paarl Gimnasium, and debutants, Parel Vallei High School.
SuperSport Schools Plus hockey writer Avuyile Sawula takes a deep dive into each team’s current form, what to expect from them, and key talking points.
Paul Roos Gimnasium
It’s only fair to begin with PRG, the reigning champions of the Hibbert Shield and three-time winners of the tournament.
Coach Michael Baker’s boys, whether they like it or not, are considered one of the favourites to win the title. They’ve had a good start to the season and are unbeaten, despite having been forced to grind out some victories and sometimes win ugly.
It’s a young PRG side that coach Baker has at his disposal, but they’re showing character, fight, and a desire to win against all odds.
The last time they were in action, they scored a 3-2 win over Bishops, in Cape Town. Believe it or not, that was Baker’s first win in the city since joining PRG at the beginning of 2024.
They have some quality players in their arsenal, including skipper Christo Swanepoel and vice-captain Seth Paterson. Reuben Gouws and Caleb Cilliers scored against Bishops, and if they’re given any space, they’ll punish the opposition.
It should also be an interesting tournament for goalkeeper Josh Boden, who will be called upon to make crucial saves more often than usual when needed.
They might be a young team, but PRG will bring the heat to Gqeberha. They’ve been drawn in Pool B and will face Clifton College, Maritzburg College, and Selborne College.
The start of the 2025 schoolboy hockey season in the Western Cape has been strange, in the sense that we’ve barely seen SACS in action. They were on an international tour to The Netherlands while other teams were in local action.
Last Friday, SACS played their first match on South African soil against Parel Vallei and won that game 4-1, away from home. Reece Theunis scored a brace while skipper Jo Le Roux also found the back of the net, along with Cameron Cordeiro.
SACS played far from their best game, but they managed to win, which is something that’s in their DNA. They conceded first, but the comeback was strong, and they used their opportunities at the other end of the park.
Coach Sam Holmes’s side also has a new face in the team, Daniel de Wet, who joined the school this year from Namibia’s Private School Swakopmund.
The boys in blue and white will also be boosted by the return of Litha Kraai and Matthew Lassen, who missed Saturday’s match while participating in the Junior Africa Cup in Windhoek.
Their Pool A opponents – St Alban’s College, Pearson High, and Grey College – know they face a huge challenge from the Cape Town powerhouse.
Paarl Gimnasium has put together some outstanding seasons in recent years, and it feels as if this could be another of them.
Coached by the experienced Jacques Grobler, the boys from Paarl have enjoyed a steady start to the 2025 campaign and they’re coming into their own as it progresses.
Festival hockey isn’t always an indicator of a team’s direction, and that was evident at the Founders Hockey Festival, where they recorded a mixed bag of results.
It’s in their derby clashes, however, where they’ve come alive. In the past three weeks, they’ve handed Affies a 4-1 defeat and beat Grey College 4-2 in Bloemfonteinin their most recent outing.
Gim is a side that often flies under the radar; they don’t do too much talking, but they always turn up when a challenge awaits.
They were considered the underdogs against Grey College because Grey produced a “promising” Nomads Hockey Festival showing in March. Again, though, coach Grobler’s side rose to the occasion and did all their talking on the AstroTurf.
What I’m getting at is that this Paarl Gim side shouldn’t be underestimated. They may not have the presence of a big star, like Litha Kraai, but their trust and belief in one another means they will come out firing as a unit.
Gim is in Pool C and will face Grey High, Westville Boys’ High, and St Stithians College.
Parel Vallei will be chomping at the bit and eager to make their mark at the Hibbert Shield. Photo: Parel Vallei High School
Parel Vallei High School
The term “surprise package” is often bandied about, and in 2025, Parel Valleicould be given that title, although, given the quality in their ranks, their success is hardly a surprise.
The boys from Somerset West will make their debut at the Hibbert Shield this year, and much is expected from them after a strong start to the season.
Led by coach Michael van Rensburg, Parel Vallei is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Underestimate them at your peril!
Their last outing might have resulted in a 1-4 loss to SACS, but there were many positives to take away from that game, including how they pressed and restricted SACS from scoring field goals. They also posed a threat when on the counterattack.
The one element of their game coach Van Rensburg will want to work on is the ability of his charges to bounce back and remain in the fight after conceding early or surrendering a lead.
Parel Vallei is blessed with some very talented players, including skipper JP van der Walt, Luka Meets, Stephan Malan, and Luca Jordan, who played his 50th game for the school last Friday.
Their debut tournament will see them face Bishops, Hoërskool Garsfontein, and Durban High School(DHS) in Pool D.
The Bishops’ 1st XI has been ascending as the season has progressed. They could be a dangerous opponent at the Hibbert Shield. Photo: St Alban’s College.
Bishops [Diocesan College]
While the other Western Cape sides head to Hibbert in good form, Bishops will be aiming to make a big statement in Gqeberha.
The southern suburbs’ team is slowly but surely finding its feet after a bumpy pre-season.
They recorded some positive results at the Independent Schools Hockey Festival in Johannesburg, earlier this month, and topped that up with a win over Durbanville in the Western Cape league.
A 2-3 loss against a high-quality opponent, Paul Roos, last weekend will hurt, but that result will also serve as encouragement to Bishops that they are there or thereabouts.
Coach Ryan Julius was disappointed last year when they went down in the quarterfinals against Garsfontein. They will again face the Pretoria school this year in a pool match. No doubt, they would like to avenge that costly defeat.
Bishops has a young team and one feels it’s only a matter of time before they find their rhythm, start clicking, and firing on all cylinders.
Their Pool D opponents are Parel Vallei, Garsfontein, and Durban High School.
GROUPS
Pool A: SACS, St Alban’s College, Pearson High School, Grey College Pool B: Paul Roos Gimnasium, Clifton College, Maritzburg College, Selborne College Pool C: Grey High, Paarl Gimnasium, Westville Boys’ High, St Stithians College Pool D: Durban High School, Bishops Diocesan College, Parel Vallei, Hoërskool Garsfontein
FIXTURES
Wednesday, 30 April
Grey High School
07:30 – SACS vs St Alban’s College 08:45 – Paul Roos vs Selborne College 10:15 – Grey High vs Paarl Gimnasium 11:30 – DHS vs Bishops 13:00 – Parell Vallei vs Garsfontein 14:15 – Westville vs St Stithians College 15:45 – SACS vs Pearson 17:00 – Paul Roos vs Clifton College 19:00 – Grey High vs St Stithians College
Collegiate AstroTurf
09:00 – Grey College vs Pearson 10:15 – Maritzburg College vs Clifton College 18:15 – DHS vs Garsfontein
Thursday, 1 May
Grey High School
07:30 – Selborne College vs Clifton College 08:45 – SACS vs Grey College 10:15 – Paul Roos vs Maritzburg College 11:30 – Bishops vs Garsfontein 13:00 – DHS vs Parel Vallei 14:15 – Grey High vs Westville 15:45 – St Alban’s College vs Grey College 17:00 – Selborne College vs Maritzburg College 18:30 – Bishops vs Parel Vallei
Collegiate AstroTurf
08:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Westville 09:45 – Pearson High vs St Alban’s College 14:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs St Stithians College
Friday, 2 May
Grey High School
07:30 – 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool D 08:45 – 1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool C 10:15 – 2nd Pool A vs 1st Pool D 11:30 – 2nd Pool B vs 1st Pool C 15:00 – Loser of quarterfinal 1 16:15 – Loser of quarterfinal 2 17:45 – Semifinal 1 19:00 – Semifinal 2
Collegiate AstroTurf
07:30 – 3rd Pool A vs 4th Pool D 08:45 -3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C 10:15 – 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D 11:30 – 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C 15:00 – Loser 3rd Pool A/4th Pool D vs Loser 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C 16:15 – Loser 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D vs Loser 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C 17:45 – Winner 3rd Pool A/4th Pool D vs Winner 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C 19:00 -Winner 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D vs Winner 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C
Saturday, 3 May
Grey High School
07:30 – 13th Place vs 14th Place 08:45 – 11th Place vs 12th Place 11:30 – 5th Place vs 6th Place 13:00 – Bowl Final 14:15 – 3rd/4th Play-off match 15:45 – u14 Final 17:00 – u16 Final 19:00 – Final
Queen’s College was able to transform a titanic first-half battle into a comfortable 40-22 win over their arch-rivals, Selborne College, in their King Price Derby Series match, in Komani, on Saturday.
The Rec Ground has often been a graveyard for visiting teams and that proved to be the case in a classic showdown as the home team ran away with the game in the second half after leading just 15-14 at the break.
Queen’s are at their most dangerous when they start building momentum and begin to run the ball at will, and that approach enabled them to celebrate their 167th school reunion on a spectacular note.
With Thina Fenako prominent in the midfield and Mveli Mqulo always a threat from the back, Fenako and speedy wing Ncutu Kepe each crossed for a brace of tries.
Selborne delivered a typically gutsy performance and finished off the scoring with a try by prop Robert John-Osunkwo, but they were unable to plug the gaps in the second half as the Queenians took control with an entertaining display of flowing rugby.
The visitors, to their credit, had the better of the early exchanges and it was only determined defence by Queen’s which kept them from crossing the line.
As they pressed upfield, the home side was rewarded for a committed chase. After kicking ahead, quick work by their backs saw Fenako burst over for his first try.
Selborne still dominated territory, though, and they were finally rewarded when a forward charge saw Liam Hansen cross the line for their first points.
After conceding a penalty, Selborne went over for a second try, scored by Connor Maree, to lead for the only time in the match.
Queen’s had a golden chance to retake the lead, but a great try-saving tackle saw centre Sbabalwe Magwebu lose the ball over the line.
They, however, got their noses back in front when the lively Mqulo chipped ahead and gathered his kick to score and give the home side a one-point lead at halftime.
After the break, Queen’s found their rhythm on attack and a superb cross-kick from Mqulo saw Kepe grab the ball out of the air and outpace the Selborne defence for his first try.
The hosts began to build scoreboard pressure with penalties by Mqulo and electrifying bursts by forwards Jeffrey Niland and Sambesiwe Vetman, which had the Selbornians scrambling in defence.
That put Queen’s on the front foot and the result was never in doubt once they had established a telling lead, despite Selborne’s persistence with their third try late in the game.
In Gqeberha, Grey High registered their biggest win over Dale College since 2013 when they cruised to a decisive 43-3 victory.
Despite their dominance, it was a game filled with errors, while a number of injuries and cards shown by the referee also disrupted the rhythm of the encounter.
The home team crossed for four tries in the first half to establish their dominance and led 24-3 at the break.
In East London, Graeme College capitalised on several Cambridge errors to power their way to a 50-10 win after leading 24-10 at halftime.
The home side was impressive in the early part of the match but Graeme played an intelligent game, setting up inside Cambridge’s half, and when Cambridge made mistakes in the wrong areas Graeme was able to take charge and run in eight tries.
The match between Hudson Park and Marlow Agricultural was cancelled because of a water-logged field.
The Daniel PienaarTigers roared up front, but, eventually, HTSBrandwag had enough gas in the tank to see off their Kariega arch-rivals in a 22-19 blockbuster at the Daniel Pienaar on Saturday.
This clash doubled as a Tinara Cup match and Brandwag now has the inside lane to that trophy after they defeated MuirCollege, the third of the three competing schools, earlier this season. Daniel Pienaar is the current Cup holder.
Saturday’s showdown was another titanic struggle between two well-matched sides, with Daniel Pienaar showing excellent cohesion among their forwards, while the energetic Brandwag backs, led by centre Damian le Roux, often had the Tigers scrambling in defence.
The educated boot of Ashley Liesing kept Daniel Pienaar in the hunt as he slotted four penalties and a conversion, although he will be disappointed at twice not having found touch late in the game from penalties when his team trailed by three points and needed to make the most of their attacking opportunities.
The home forwards bossed the Brandwag pack early on and they took the lead 6-3 as the teams exchanged penalties.
Then, in the 20th minute, Brandwag sent out a clear signal of their attacking intent when Le Roux sliced through the defence in midfield and raced in for their first try, converted by Derono Potgieter.
From there, the Brandwag offensive effort began to constantly test the Tigers’ defence, but from the restart in the second half an obstruction saw Liesing kick his third penalty to put Daniel Pienaar back in front at 9-8.
He was at it again soon afterwards when the visitors infringed at a scrum, but Brandwag were rewarded for their attacking endeavours when a late Tigers tackle took Le Roux out of the play and the referee ruled a penalty try to edge the visitors 15-12 ahead.
The fluctuating nature of the game was underlined when Daniel Pienaar scrumhalf Rozario Grootboom produced a brilliant individual effort from a scrum on the Brandwag 10-metre line, racing down the blindside and outpacing the cover defence to gather his chip for a try in the corner.
Liesing added the conversion as the Tigers hit the front again, only for substitute wing Rezanio Petrus to show off his running skills when Brandwag created space down the left as he dodged past defenders to score their third try.
This time Angelo Adams added the two extra points to make it 22-19 with 12 minutes left and although both teams had their chances on attack in the closing stages, the defences stood firm as Brandwag grabbed the bragging rights.
At Pearson, in Gqeberha, Outeniqua romped to a comfortable win over the Summerstrand outfit after leading 14-10 following a well-contested first half.
The Kwaggasattacked relentlessly from the start and it was only through stout defence that Pearson was able to win a penalty to clear their lines.
Livewire scrumhalf Denilo Jordaan scored their only try, with Sibu Mkhontwana adding a conversion and a penalty.
The visitors scored twice in the first half and then shut out their opponents after the break, running in three more converted tries for an emphatic 35-10 win.
In Kariega, Humansdorp outfit Nico Malan was equally dominant, running in seven tries and leading 22-7 at halftime en route to a 43-14 victory over Muir College.
WINDHOEK: Jason Rowles claimed an incredible five-wicket haul to set South Africa Under-19 Men on their way to a one-sided 10-wicket win over Cricket Namibia in the opening game of their three-match 50-over series in Windhoek on Monday.
The slow left-arm spinner sent down six overs in which he returned five wickets for just eight runs. Thirty-one out of his 36 deliveries were dots, with his unbelievable figures key to rolling over the hosts for 95 at the Namibia Cricket Ground.
Adnaan Lagadien then plundered nine fours and a six in a dashing unbeaten 65 off 47 balls to help the away side chase down their target inside 12 overs and go 1-0 up in the series. Match two takes place on Wednesday.
Before that, the junior Proteas will take full pride in this win after delivering a complete performance from the time they won the toss and bowled, right through until the end.
Fit-again Lions fast bowler JJ Bason (2/32) struck in the third over when he got rid of Muller Michael for a duck, before possibly the only passage of play that went well for the Namibians over the next 10 overs.
This was when Zacheo Jansen van Vuuren struck a top score of 41 and put on 41 with Malan Morkel (10) for the second wicket, allowing their side to reach 49 for one.
But Ntando Soni (1/22) then began the slide by dismissing the latter, with the former following just under three overs later when he was removed by another Dolphins player, Bandile Mbatha (1/9).
The slide continued as Rowles worked his magic and no other Namibia player managed to reach double figures. In the end they collapsed and were all out in 28 overs, which included losing nine wickets for 46 runs.
Lagadien was then in no mood to hang around, and together with Jorich van Schalkwyk (23* off 25 balls), chased down the target with 38.1 overs to spare.
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).
Rhenish made their case as one of the teams to beat with a perfect record of four wins from four matches on the first day of competition. Photo: Rhenish Girls’ High School on Facebook.
The 25th edition of the National All Girls’ Sport and Cultural Festival burst into action at Wynberg Girls’ High School, in Cape Town, on Monday.
Under clear skies and in a buzzing atmosphere, some of South Africa’s top hockey talent showcased their skills on day one of the three-day competition.
In Pool A, Rhenish Girls’ High School made an early statement by stamping their authority on proceedings from the start. They powered through their fixtures, compiling a flawless four-out-of-four record.
The Stellenbosch school opened their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over a resilient Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria (Affies). Building on that momentum, Rhenish then showed off their attacking prowess in a convincing 3-1 win over Danville Park Girls’ High School.
Later in the day, they added two even more resounding victories, overwhelming Queenstown Girls’ High School 4-0 before completing their schedule with a 5-0 trouncing of St. Michael’s School for Girls.
With a potent attack and rock-solid defence, Rhenish, the reigning Fairtree Super 12 champions, have firmly positioned themselves as early title contenders.
Meanwhile, Affies finished the day in second place, claiming three wins after their loss to Rhenish. The Pretoria outfit rose from their first match defeat to record an impressive 4-0 victory over St Michael’s School for Girls. They went on to overpower Danville 3-0 and Queenstown 4-0.
Collegiate Girls’ High School mirrored Rhenish’s success in Pool B, closing the day unbeaten and at the summit of their group. They enjoyed an outstanding day, scoring 17 goals while keeping a clean sheet in every one of their four matches. Their results included a 1-0 defeat of Oranje in a key clash.
The Gqeberha school combined slick passing with clinical finishing to dispatch their opponents and quickly established themselves as serious challengers for the overall crown.
While Pools A and B saw dominant performances, the teams in Pools C and D treated spectators to tighter battles, with narrow margins deciding most of the matches.
Eunice High School emerged as the standout team in Pool C and finished the day atop the standings, having scored three impressive wins. They edged out Paarl Girls’ High School 2-1 in a tense opener, before narrowly defeating the spirited hosts, Wynberg Girls’ High School 1-0. In their final game of the day, Eunice found another gear, comfortably brushing aside Clarendon High School for Girls with a dominant 4-0 win.
Paarl Girls’ High bounced back from their tight loss to Eunice by securing second place in the pool after picking up two victories. They dispatched Clarendon 5-0 and secured a solid 3-0 win over Wynberg to keep themselves firmly in contention for the later stages of the tournament.
In Pool D, Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof enjoyed a dream start to their campaign, winning all three of their matches, which left them sitting pretty on top of the group after the day’s play. Their consistent performances on both ends of the field showcased their tactical discipline and technical skill.
Rustenburg Girls’ High School also produced some exciting hockey and finished the day in second place, behind Bloemhof. They will be aiming to continue building momentum as they eye the quarterfinals.
It was a tough opening day for the hosts, Wynberg Girls’ High, who ended it still in search of a first win. Despite showing tremendous heart and playing in front of a supportive home crowd, the hosts were unable to convert their opportunities into goals. They’ll be eager to regroup and come out fighting on day two.
RESULTS
Pool A
Affies 0-1 Rhenish|
Queenstown 1-0 St Michael’s
Danville 0-3 Rhenish
Affies 4-0 St Michael’s
Rhenish 4-0 Queenstown
Affies 3-0 Danville
Danville 2-0 St Michael’s
Affies 4-0 Queenstown
Rhenish 5-0 St Michael’s
A massive showdown awaits Meadows, in Balgowan, on Saturday, 3 May, when Michaelhouse hosts Hilton College in the first of their annual derby matches. Both scored one-sided wins on Saturday ahead of their big rivalry clash.
Michaelhouse hosted their brother school, Zimbabwe’s Peterhouse, and, unusually, the match was played on Baileys instead of Meadows, which ‘House coach James Fleming described as “a muddy mess” after heavy recent rains.
No doubt, the decision to move the match was also made with an eye on the coming weekend’s clashes.
It’s believed that the Michaelhouse 1st XV last played on Baileys in 1955, which, coincidentally was the same year that Peterhouse was founded by former Michaelhouse Rector, Fred Snell.
Despite all the familial connections, Michaelhouse was not in a charitable mood on Saturday and they ran riot against their brother school.
At half-time, they had powered their way into a 33-0 lead. Then, in the second half, they tacked on 35 more points to run out 68-0 winners.
The pack laid the foundation, and the backs revelled in the freedom they were given to express themselves. Fullback Alex Jankowitz went over for two tries. So, too, did outside centre Rourke O’Sullivan, and scrumhalf Dan Aissing, who also enjoyed the space afforded him, bagged a brace, also.
William Ridl, Luke Mitchell, Nick Baker, and Dom Sesink-Clee added further five-pointers as Michaelhouse tallied 10 tries in total. Unfortunately, for Peterhouse, Stefan Moolman had his kicking boots on and he goaled nine of them to add salt to the wounds of the tourists.
Hilton, meanwhile, visited St Charles College, who are celebrating their 150th anniversary. Sadly, for Saints, Hilton wasn’t in the mood to give them any more reasons for celebration.
The home team was hobbled by injuries and illnesses, and Hilton captain Liyema Nela and company took full advantage of that.
It was all over bar the shouting in the first half, with Hilton powering their way into a 40-0 lead at the break. From there, they went on to a 74-14 win, scoring 12 tries.
Three players – Zander Vorster, Ricky Adonis, and Guy Fender – dotted down twice each. Further tries were scored by Jacques Olivier, André Boshoff, Emmanuel “Jerry” Dankwah, Khazimla Makali, Mholi Khuzwayo, and Andrew Schnell.
Flyhalf Liyema Nela added 12 points from six conversions, and John Grubb scored two more with another conversion.
At Kearsney College, the One-Stripe, well beaten by Hilton earlier in the season, continued their resurgence by edging out Glenwood by a single point in a high-scoring clash, beating the Green Machine 32-31.
It was a second loss of the season for Glenwood, who were also beaten at Maritzburg College, They were unbeaten during the Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, drawing 26-26 with Monument while defeating Milnerton 37-34 and Dale 33-12.
RESULTS
Michaelhouse 68-0 Peterhouse
St Charles College 14-74 Hilton College
Kearsney College 32-31 Glenwood High School
The schoolboy hockey season has been in full swing for at least two months now, but the action will ramp up this week at the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield Hockey Tournament, which takes place at Grey High School, in Gqeberha.
The prestigious event pits many of the country’s top sides against each other.
It runs from Wednesday, 30 April, to Saturday, 3 May.
The Hibbert Shield will be LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App and DSTV Channel 216.
Sixteen teams from across South Africa will be welcomed to The Windy City. Included in the star-studded lineup are the defending champions, Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), who are drawn in Pool B. They edged out their Western Cape rivals, South African College High School (SACS), in last year’s final.
Both PRG and SACS will be back for another crack at the silverware. SACS lifted the shield in 2022, while PRG has claimed the title for the past two years.
The boys from Stellenbosch have started the season like a house on fire and defeated Bishops 3-2 in their last outing. SACS, meanwhile, recorded a 4-1 win over Parel Vallei on the weekend.
Coached by Sam Holmes, SACS will be out to make their mark in Pool A, but they will need to go through St Alban’s College, Pearson High, and Grey College to make the quarterfinals.
PRG takes on the KwaZulu-Natal duo of Clifton College and Maritzburg College, as well as Selborne College, in Pool B.
Maritzburg College has built up considerable momentum as the season has progressed and they’re into their stride. They impressed at the King Edward VII Easter Hockey Festival, winning all of their games.
Their winning streak continued on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Pretoria Boys High in the South African capital city.
The hosts, Grey High, are in Pool C and face Paarl Gimnasium, Westville Boys’ High, and St Stithians College. It’s a tough group. While Westville has endured some struggles this season, coach Cam Mackay’s sides always improve as the season progresses.
At issue is the fact that only two of the four teams will make it through to the quarterfinals.
Grey has enjoyed smooth preparation for the event, scoring two wins in the past week – 4-0 over Pearson and 5-1 over Dale College on the weekend.
Westville’s most recent outing was against one of the season’s top teams, Jeppe High School for Boys. The Griffin raced into a 2-0 lead, but Jeppe rode out the early setbacks and claimed a 5-2 win.
Pool D is wide open. with no clear favourite. Durban High School, Bishops, Parel Vallei, and Hoërskool Garsfontein will battle it out for the two quarterfinal places.
DHS is in good form, and a 2-1 win over Northwoodover the weekend will boost their confidence, while Parel Vallei has enjoyed a strong season thus far. They will be eager to make a massive mark in their debut outing.
Click HERE for a full overview of the tournament’s history, schools, and more.
GROUPS
Pool A: SACS, St Alban’s College, Pearson High School, Grey College Pool B: Paul Roos Gimnasium, Clifton College, Maritzburg College, Selborne College Pool C: Grey High, Paarl Gimnasium, Westville Boys’ High, St Stithians College Pool D: Durban High School, Bishops Diocesan College, Parel Vallei, Hoërskool Garsfontein
FIXTURES
Wednesday, 30 April
Grey High School
07:30 – SACS vs St Alban’s College 08:45 – Paul Roos vs Selborne College 10:15 – Grey High vs Paarl Gimnasium 11:30 – DHS vs Bishops 13:00 – Parell Vallei vs Garsfontein 14:15 – Westville vs St Stithians College 15:45 – SACS vs Pearson 17:00 – Paul Roos vs Clifton College 19:00 – Grey High vs St Stithians College
Collegiate AstroTurf
09:00 – Grey College vs Pearson 10:15 – Maritzburg College vs Clifton College 18:15 – DHS vs Garsfontein
Thursday, 1 May
Grey High School
07:30 – Selborne College vs Clifton College 08:45 – SACS vs Grey College 10:15 – Paul Roos vs Maritzburg College 11:30 – Bishops vs Garsfontein 13:00 – DHS vs Parel Vallei 14:15 – Grey High vs Westville 15:45 – St Alban’s College vs Grey College 17:00 – Selborne College vs Maritzburg College 18:30 – Bishops vs Parel Vallei
Collegiate AstroTurf
08:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Westville 09:45 – Pearson High vs St Alban’s College 14:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs St Stithians College
Friday, 2 May
Grey High School
07:30 – 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool D 08:45 – 1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool C 10:15 – 2nd Pool A vs 1st Pool D 11:30 – 2nd Pool B vs 1st Pool C 15:00 – Loser of quarterfinal 1 16:15 – Loser of quarterfinal 2 17:45 – Semifinal 1 19:00 – Semifinal 2
Collegiate AstroTurf
07:30 – 3rd Pool A vs 4th Pool D 08:45 -3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C 10:15 – 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D 11:30 – 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C 15:00 – Loser 3rd Pool A/4th Pool D vs Loser 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C 16:15 – Loser 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D vs Loser 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C 17:45 – Winner 3rd Pool A/4th Pool D vs Winner 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C 19:00 -Winner 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D vs Winner 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C
Saturday, 3 May
Grey High School
07:30 – 13th Place vs 14th Place 08:45 – 11th Place vs 12th Place 11:30 – 5th Place vs 6th Place 13:00 – Bowl Final 14:15 – 3rd/4th Play-off match 15:45 – u14 Final 17:00 – u16 Final 19:00 – Final
Northwood 8th-man Jamie Wimble, who scored one of the Knights’ three tries, pulls off a tackle in DHS’s narrow 22-19 win over Northwood on Van Heerden’s Field, on Saturday. Photo: Brad Morgan.
Durban High School(DHS) was forced to come from behind, down 0-12 at halftime, to beat a committed Northwood School 22-19 in front of a packed crowd on Van Heerden’s Field, in Durban, on Saturday. It was a fascinating battle between two outstanding teams.
The first half was one of frustration for the home side. Unforced errors abounded, while the Knights, with their hard-hitting defence and up-for-it forward pack were also able to create errors from Schooland force some turnovers to boot.
DHS is a physical outfit. That’s one of their calling cards. Unless an opposing team fights fire with fire, they’re in for a long day, but Northwood brought the fire to a big battle up front. The Horseflies had the edge in the set scrums, but not enough to significantly impact the game. Scrumhalf Jed Mun-Gavin did a good job of feeding the visiting backline.
Coach Jacques Deen declared himself especially happy with Northwood’s mauling, and it was the maul that brought them the opening points of the game in the 13th minute when, from a maul inside the DHS 22, the drive splintered and three players broke clear. The last defender made a tackle, but with two men in support all that was needed was a simple pop-pass, and the visitors were over for a try.
The scoreboard remained static until, with time almost up in the first half, Northwood had a lineout just over five metres out, on the left-hand touchline. An accurate throw to the front of the lineout was quickly shifted to a pod near the back of the lineout. As the DHS defenders shifted their focus, 8th-man, Jamie Wimble, ran a sharp line, cutting against the grain, and took a short pop-pass. He crashed through one tackle and was over the line for another five-pointer. Trevor van Volenstee added the extras.
DHS needed to score early in the second stanza if they were going to claw their way back into the contest. Their response was predictably furious.
Early on, under pressure, in their 22, Northwood conceded a penalty and DHS kicked into the left-hand corner, setting up a lineout. The Horseflies executed it well and powered their way over for their first points of the contest, courtesy of hooker Okuhle Mbanjwa.
It didn’t take long for DHS to score again, and this time it came from their skipper, Daniel Ikotela, with the industrious flank racing over for a five-pointer.
When DHS captain Daniel Ikotela went over for a try, it was a pivotal moment in the match, finally giving the home side a little breathing space, up 22-12 after a successful conversion kick. Photo: Brad Morgan.
When a grubber from scrumhalf Jaydon Roberts was bobbled by the Northwood defence, Ikotela toed the ball ahead and it sat up invitingly for him. Just outside the visitors’ 22, he snatched it out of the air, then stepped off his right foot and handed off Savio Stevens. He was over 10 metres to the left of the uprights, and when Jordan van Wyk nailed the conversion it was all-square at 12-12.
In the 64th minute, DHS took the lead for the first time when Van Wyk knocked over a penalty from just inside the Northwood 22. It was a lead, but hardly a comfortable one.
Then, under pressure, the Knights botched a lineout near their try line, which forced them to dot down and concede a five-metre scrum.
DHS fed their powerhouse centre, Zingce Simka, but two Northwood tacklers quickly wrapped him up. School, then, executed three pick-and-goes in front of the visitors’ uprights before releasing it to the left. There was Simka again, and he charged over to add another try to his healthy season’s tally.
Van Wyk enhanced the total by two points, and the tide had turned with DHS 22-12 to the good. Northwood, though, is a never-say-die outfit and they had the last say in the match.
With time almost up, they launched a quick attack from a penalty, up to the DHS 22. Then, a flowing backline move created space on the left touchline and, after outflanking the covering defenders, they were in for a third try, scored beneath the posts.
The conversion was a formality, but the contest was over and DHS had scored a hard-fought 22-19 victory.
As the players shook hands and shared hugs, the mutual respect they shared was a heartwarming and pleasing end to a fantastic battle. Northwood’s Jacques Deen commented: “With Peter [Engledow] and [DHS forwards’ coach] Ronnie [Uys] and their boys and our boys, there is big respect. They’re two terrific schools, two rugby schools. That respect is earned.”
Respect earned and respect given. Photo: Brad Morgan.
“What a game! We were out of it,” DHS coach Peter Engledow told SuperSport Schools Plus afterwards.
“It’s just one of those days. We’ve come off a hard Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival, and we’re straight back into school, the same as Northwood. It was a tough week with the rain. We haven’t trained. Conditions are tough, as well.
“I’m delighted with the character. We had some hard words at halftime. To come back and score the points that we did, and to win the game was amazing. It was 22-19. We should have kept it at 22-12. But what a comeback by the boys. Really good character!”
Northwood’s Jacques Deen was proud of his side’s effort: “I think there were moments when we were truly outstanding. We stuck to what we did, and it worked.
“Our mauling was exceptional again, but we missed one or two lineouts after that. When we played to the edges, we were dangerous. We scored in that moment [at the end of the game] there.”
The margins between victory and defeat were slim, but DHS edged it. In 2024, the sides drew 7-7 at Northwood. Then, at DHS, the home team scored an 18-11 victory. This time, there were only two points in it.
“It’s small moments, small margins, and these boys need to get to a level that they can believe they can do it,” Deen reflected.
“I think there were a lot of positives, but I said to the boys now, ‘What’s done is done. We get another opportunity in the third term to play them again. Did people think we were able to do it? No. I think this team still has the ability to be one of the top teams.”
Two massive tests lie ahead of DHS in the coming week. They face Stellenberg and Paarl Gimnasium – lest anyone needs a reminder, very impressive winners by 43-31 over Grey College in Bloemfonteinon Saturday – at the Absa Wildeklawer Rugby Festival in Kimberley, on 1 May and 3 May respectively.
Engledow commented with a smile: “I said at halftime, we’re staring at 100-0 against Gim if we’re going to do that! Before we get to Gim, though, we’ve got to get through Stellenberg, who are a very well-coached team. There are a lot of good people involved at Stellenberg. I have a lot of respect for them.”
SCORES
u19 – DHS I 22 Northwood I 19; DHS II 12 Northwood II 7; DHS III 22 Northwood III 12; DHS IV 29 Northwood IV 10; DHS V 0 Northwood V 14; DHS VI 10 Northwood VI 11
u16 – DHS A 24 Northwood A 14; DHS B 8 Northwood B 10
u15 – DHS A 38 Northwood A 3; DHS B 45 Northwood B 7; DHS C 19 Northwood C 14
u14 – DHS A 22 Northwood A 5; DHS B 50 Northwood B 0; DHS C 44 Northwood 7
Heidelberg Volkskool het hul uitstekende NWU Prestige-veldtog stylvol afgesluit deur vir Montana met 30–23 te troef in die finaal van dié netbalreeks.
In ‘n naelbytstryd het Volkies se tegniese vaardighede en strategiese spel uiteindelik die deurslag gegee. Hul verdediging het Montana se aanval effektief aan bande gelê, terwyl hulle self met akkuraatheid en spoed punte aangeteken het.
Montana het dapper weerstand gebied en tot die bitter einde aanhou geveg, maar Volkskool se toonaangewende spel het hulle as welverdiende kampioen onderskei.
In die uitspeelstryd om die derde plek het Hoërskool Klerksdorp hul staal gewys deur vir Potchefstroom Gimnasium met 25–18 te klop. Klerksdorp se konsekwente spel en vinnige reaksievermoë het aan hulle die bronsmedalje besorg. In die wedstryd om die vyfde plek het Marais Viljoen en Hoërskool Pietersburg teen mekaar te staan gekom, met Marais Viljoen wat met ‘n kragtige vertoning die oorhand verkry het om met 37–25 te seëvier.
Zwartkop het sesde plek opgeraap nadat hulle vir Wesvalia met 32–20 verslaan het. Die Zwarries het hul teenstanders met slim spelpatrone en doeltreffende afronding uitoorlê. Die sewende en agtste plekke is gedeel tussen Potchefstroom Volkskool en Bergsig Akademie, nadat hulle in ‘n uiters spannende kragmeting met 24–24 gelykop gespeel het.
In die stryd om die negende plek het Die Anker daarin geslaag om vir Hugenote met 25–19 die loef af te steek, danksy ‘n stewige tweede helfte waarin hulle hul teenstanders se aanvalle doeltreffend gestuit het. Lichtenburg het die 10de plek ingeneem deur vir Jeugland met 28–23 te troef.
Die NWU Prestige-reeks het weereens vanjaar die ongelooflike diepte en talent van skolenetbal in Suid-Afrika beklemtoon. Heidelberg Volkskool se onwrikbare vasberadenheid en spanwerk het hulle verdienstelik as kampioene van 2025 gekroon.
Queen’s College was able to transform a titanic first-half battle into a comfortable 40-22 win over their arch-rivals, Selborne College, in their King Price Derby Series match, in Komani, on Saturday.
Heidelberg Volkskool het hul uitstekende NWU Prestige-veldtog stylvol afgesluit deur vir Montana met 30–23 te troef in die finaal van dié netbalreeks.