The annual water polo interprovincial tournament starts in East London today.
All the results from the third day will be updated as we receive them throughout the day.
Results | Day 3
u19
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u16
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u15
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u14
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The 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial (IPT) kicked off on 7 December in East London, with the senior teams opening the event. On Sunday, it was the turn of the u16s to get in on the action.
The girls’ competition delivered an array of entertaining and high-scoring contests, which were confirmation for some that their planning had been on the mark while, for others, it might be a case of back to the drawing board.
Central Gauteng A, Nelson Mandela Bay, and KwaZulu-Natal A started strongly and finished the day unbeaten.
Jenna Blaauw, Cadha Mosehla, and Rylee Rogers netted four times each to help power Central Gauteng A to a 25-0 thrashing of Eastern Gauteng.
It was an impressive showing on both ends of the pool from the winners. Coach Masimbonge Namba‘s side dominated the game throughout, stacking goal after goal while denying Eastern Gauteng any opportunities to retaliate.
They built on their good work in the morning with another emphatic victory in their second outing, handing the KwaZulu-Natal B side a 17-5 defeat.
Matters didn’t improve much for Eastern Gauteng after their big loss to their neighbours. They were well beaten by Nelson Mandela second time out, going down 5-18.
Meanwhile, in a very tight, evenly contested clash, Western Province A and Buffalo City shared a 6-6 draw. Province, though, sneaked a win after a penalty shootout, which they won 3-1.
Kara Batting starred for the home team, firing five goals into the back of the Province net, while Megan Phillips also got in on the act. Province goals were spread wider among their players, with Jemma Pearse scoring twice, and Jade Jarvis, Charlotte Wiltshire, Holly Strydom, and Abigail Weatherall also slotting.
Coach Chad Gabriels‘ Western Province A made light work of Central Gauteng B in their second match, cruising to a 22-2 victory, which was the second-highest score of the day.
Zimbabwe fell 3-12 to KwaZulu-Natal A in their opener, but they made it into the winners’ column with a 10-3 victory over Central Gauteng B later in the day.
Girls u16 Day One Results
Eastern Gauteng 0-25 Central Gauteng A
Western Province A (3) 6-6 (1) Buffalo City
Nelson Mandela Bay 7- 4 Western Province B
Zimbabwe 10-3 Central Gauteng B
Central Gauteng A 17–5 KwaZulu Natal B
Buffalo City 6-10 KwaZulu Natal A
Eastern Gauteng 5-18 Nelson Mandela Bay
Western Province A 22-2 Central Gauteng B
KwaZulu Natal B 2-10 Western Province B
Zimbabwe 3–12 KwaZulu Natal A
Day 2 Fixtures
08:00 – Eastern Gauteng vs KwaZulu Natal B
08:55 – Western Province A vs KwaZulu Natal A
09:50 – Central Gauteng A vs Nelson Mandela Bay
10:45 – Buffalo City vs Central Gauteng B
11:40 – Eastern Gauteng vs Western Province B
12:35 – Western Province A vs Zimbabwe
13:30 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs KwaZulu Natal B
14:25 – KwaZulu Natal A vs Central Gauteng B
15:20 – Western Province B vs Central Gauteng A
16:15 – Buffalo City vs Zimbabwe
Sunday, day two of the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London was highlighted by a showdown between last year’s finalists, Western Province A and Central Gauteng A.
In 2023, it took both sides winning through to the title decider and a penalty shootout to decide the competition in favour of Province, but on Sunday, with the new format ensuring the top sides meet in pool action, Central Gauteng pulled off a 12-10 victory.
Greg Pryce, the Defender of the Tournament last year, showed off his scoring ability, striking four times for Central Gauteng, and Jack Wilkins matched him with four of his own. The victory, though, was forged by a composed and efficient team effort.
Reflecting on the positives from his team’s win, coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho identified their resilience as something that pleased him. “We needed to adapt better to what the referees were calling, so that is something that we need to look at and work on. But the fact that the boys could still push through, even though we had kick-outs – and the kick-out count was quite lopsided – we still were able to defend them many times despite being a man down, and then go up, attack, and score. That’s a big positive for me.”
De Carvalho said he would like to see his side’s spacing and passing improve. “We missed one or two good opportunities, where, for example, the pass to the centre-forward was two metres short, and it was a tip-in, so we missed that. There were little things like that, which we needed to do a bit better.
“I’m actually really happy with the guys,” he quickly added. “They went through everything and they were composed enough at the right times. We scored goals when we needed them, which was really good.”
Western Province kept their great rivals under pressure throughout. After falling 0-2 down in the early going, they quickly pulled it back to 2-2, but Central Gauteng then edged in front again and they maintained a one to two-goal lead throughout the contest until close to the end when they opened up a three-goal advantage. The Capetonians scored the last goal but it was Central Gauteng’s day and they won by two.
Judah Dos Santos excelled in the Central Gauteng goal, but, as the coach pointed out, he was cleverly assisted by his defenders, who limited and defined Western Province’s scoring channels.
In the evening, De Carvalho’s charges faced the Aussie Crocs. The boys from Brisbane had edged out KwaZulu-Natal A 15-14 in an exciting clash on Saturday evening, and they added another win when they beat Nelson Mandela Bay 17-13 in the midday heat. Nelson Mandela Bay’s Calum Emslie stole the spotlight in that clash, however, netting nine times.
The Crocs’ winning run was emphatically halted by Central Gauteng A, however, with the Gautengers cruising to a 22-10 victory.
With the win, they put their hands up as the title favourites. However, the new format, could see them meeting Western Province A again later in the event, and there was little to separate the sides on Sunday.
Encouragingly for De Carvalho’s side, Alexander Kelbrick, a prolific scorer for Northerns at last year’s IPT, was dialled in for the game against the Australians and he was rewarded with a four-goal haul. Central Gauteng is blessed with scoring threats from all parts of the pool, and now, with Kelbrick finding his scoring form, that’s another problem for their opposition to deal with.
KwaZulu-Natal, after a narrow defeat in their opener, bounced back with wins over Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay. Coach Rob Ambler was pleased with how they finished against Buffalo City, breaking open a tight contest in the latter stages of the game, whereas they had let slip the previous day’s match in the late going against the Aussie Crocs.
In the morning, KwaZulu-Natal A beat Buffalo City 13-8 and they continued to show improvement in their evening clash with Nelson Mandela Bay, roaring to a 22-8 win.
Western Province A also easily handled Nelson Mandela Bay in an early morning encounter, posting a 20-6 win. Their showdown with KwaZulu-Natal A late on Monday should be an exciting clash. Much will depend on how KwaZulu-Natal performs and recovers from a morning meeting with Central Gauteng A.
In a tightly contested clash between Central Gauteng B and Western Province B, the inland team again came out on top, also by two goals, winning 10-8.
SCORES
Western Province B 8: Migael Terblanche (2), William Robinson (2), Milo Letschert (1), Frantz Wetzl (1), Matt Forbes (1), Luke Cartwright (1). Central Gauteng B 10: Simon Mussett (3), Ethan Horn (3), Chris Chapman (2), Francois Hartslief (1), Erik Arwidi (1).
Nelson Mandela Bay 6: Calum Emslie (3), Spencer Adshade (2), Oliver Martin (1). Western Province A 20: Ross Stewart (4), Nicholas Fall (3), Bradley Warneke (3), Thomas Truter (2), Mac Lecuona (2), Jandro Rojo-Roos (2), Matthew de Villiers (1), Arkin Marais (1).
KwaZulu-Natal B 22: Kyron de Kock (4), Robert Smith (4), Matthew Botha (3), Ruan Basson (3), Keagan Elliott (2), Andrew Boucher (2), Troy Rees-Jones (1), Ryan Spooner (1), Drew Hollingsworth (1), Zaid Asmal (1). Eastern Gauteng 4: David Emslie (2), Michael Oliver (2).
Northerns 11: Marthinus Richter (5), Aidan Butler (2), Kieron Potgieter (2), Zander van Niekerk (1), Christon Richter (1). Zimbabwe 7: Sibusiso Sibanda (4), Garrick Duff (2), Dylan van Hoof (1).
Buffalo City 8: Liam Hansen (2), Thomas Caswell (2), Connor Maree (2), Sean Audie (1), Kairon Roux (1), KwaZulu-Natal A 13: Tristan Uys (4), Mitchel Garreau (2), Luca Sandri (2), Ethan Lyne (2), Kirk Wilson (1), James Pohl (1), Max Scully (1).
Nelson Mandela Bay 13: Calum Emslie (9), Coel Trollip (2), Oliver Martin (2). Aussie Crocs 17: Benjamin Spell (4), Kairo Lynch (3), Angus Cope (3), Joseph Gallagher (2), James Martin (2), Jack Plowman (1), Giacomo Hernandez (1), Cameron Medley (1).
KwaZulu-Natal B 9: Robert Smith (3), Drew Hollingsworth (1), Matthew Botha (1), Nicholas Naude (1), Kyron de Kock (1), Ryan Spooner (1), Western Province B 14: Milo Letschert (3), Struan Valentine (2), Luke Cartwright (2), William Robinson (2), Aiden Laubser (2), Matt Forbes (1), Blake Brown (1), Franz Wetzl (1).
Western Province A 10: Ross Stewart (5), Nicholas Fall (2), Arkin Marais (1), Connor Melling-Williams (1). Central Gauteng A 12: Greg Pryce (4), Jack Wilkins (4), Marc Smith (2), Ross Rovelli (2).
Zimbabwe 14: Garrick Duff (4), Sibusiso Sibanda (3), Jarryd Reed (2), Chika Mgbemena (2), Kayden Bhana (1), Tian Muller (1), Ruan Nel (1). Eastern Gauteng 8: Michael Oliver (3), Daniel Stead (2), Cole Lamberti (1), David Emslie (1), Nathan Whelan (1).
Northerns 0. Central Gauteng B 17: Erik Arwidi (3), Francois Hartslief (3), Darien Salovy (2), Chris Chapman (2), Mukhetwa Maemu (2), Travis Donnelly (2), Logan du Preez (1), Kyle Kennerley (1), Ethan Horn (1).
Nelson Mandela Bay 8: Calum Emslie (5), Oliver Martin (2), Rolan Swanevelder (1). KwaZulu-Natal A 22: Luca Sandri (4), Thomas Taylor (3), Ethan Lyne (3), James Pohl (3), Tristan Uys (3), Mitchel Garreau (3), Max Scully (2), Brogan Jones (1).
Zimbabwe 9: Garrick Duff (4), Sibusiso Sibanda (3), Ruan Nel (2). Western Province B 17: Luke Cartwright (6), Milo Letschert (3), William Robinson (2), Struan Valentine (2), Migael Terblanche (1), Jayden Bosman (1), Matt Forbes (1), Sebastian Kastern (1).
Aussie Crocs 10: Benjamin Spall (3), James Gallagher (2), Jack Plowman (2), James Martin (1), Angus Cope (1), Kairo Lynch (1) Central Gauteng A 22: Alexander Kelbrick (4), Jack Wilkins (3), Nicholas Searle (2), Declan Wood (2), James Crick (2), Mark Hudson (2), Karabo Mamaregane (2), Sebastian Bruinders (1), Harry Wilkins (1), Greg Pryce (1), Marc Smith (1), Ross Stuart (1).
Day 3 Fixtures
07:00 – Western Province A vs Buffalo City
08:05 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Northerns
09:10 – Central Gauteng A vs KwaZulu-Natal A
10:15 – Western Province B vs Eastern Gauteng
11:20 – Aussie Crocs vs Western Province A
12:25 – Zimbabwe vs Central Gauteng B
13:30 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Buffalo City
14:35- Northerns vs Western Province B
15:40 – Western Province A vs KwaZulu-Natal A
16:45 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Central Gauteng B
17:50 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Central Gauteng A
18:55 – Northerns vs Eastern Gauteng
19:10 – Aussie Crocs vs Buffalo City (Joan Harrison West)
Central Gauteng A catapulted to the summit of Pool B on the first day of action in the u16 boys’’ section of the 2024 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Buffalo City on Sunday.
Coach Siyabonga Guzana‘s side arrived in Buffalo City determined to enjoy themselves, entertain the crowd, and push themselves to perform at their best. They achieved all three on Sunday. They cruised to a victory over Western Province B in their opener and then edged out the defending champions, KwaZulu Natal, by a single goal in their second outing.
In their morning encounter, Central Gauteng A roared to an emphatic 6-1 victory over Western Province B. Ryan Morley beat the Province goalie twice, while Craig Toet, Luke Shipway, Roan Wessels, and Danilo Guiricich added a single goal each. Rupert Robinson scored a consolation goal for Samuel Hanssen‘s side, but that did little to dent Gauteng’s confidence.
They were upbeat when they splashed into the pool to tackle KwaZulu Natal, one of the powerhouses of the sport. Coach Jason Sileno‘s talented team is one that some view as the favourites and, despite going down, they showed why those people feel that way, giving Central Gauteng as good as they got.
They pushed each other to the limit and were separated by only one goal after 11 had been scored at the end of play, with Guzana’s squeezing past KZN 6-5. Craig Toet and Danillo Guiricich led the scoring with a brace each, while Aiden Khoury and Ryan Morley struck, too. Thomas Francke scored two goals for KZN, while Garrick Phillips, Thomas Aylward, and Musawenkosi Mponda weighed in with a goal each.
Both units could have scored more goals had their respective defences been lax in their approach. Instead, KZN and Gauteng executed 10 blocks between them, with six of those belonging to Gauteng.
Sileno’s charges went into their match on the back of a spirited 13-8 win over Northerns A in which Aylward and Francke notched hat-tricks and Levi Thom scored a brace. There were further goals from Andrew Schnell, Taylor Seiler, Garrick Phillips, Oliver Ludwig, and Keegan Vogt. That victory over Northerns left KZN in second place in the group after the end of the day’s action.
Gauteng will play the first match of Pool B at 09:20 on Monday when they go up against Northerns A in an all-Gauteng clash. The Jukskei derby is expected to produce fireworks. However, the first encounter of the u16 boys’ section will feature Pool C stragglers Northerns B and Eden Districts at 07:30.
SCORES
Nelson Mandela Bay 7: Jed Paterson (2), Dane Paterson (2), Carter Rosser (1), Johan Moolman (1), Tiago Williams (1). Buffalo City 5: Daniel Woodin (3), Michael Russell (1), Nicholas du Toit (1).
KwaZulu Natal 13: Thomas Aylward (3), Thomas Francke (3), Levin Thom (2), Oliver Ludwig (1), Andrew Schnell (1), Taylor Seiler (1), Garrick Phillips (1), Keegan Vogt (1). Northerns A 8: Christiaan Truter (3), Ruan Engelbrecht (2), Ettienne van der Merwe (1), Joshua Bergh (1), Ben Swarts (1).
Zimbabwe 11: Blaise Scheepers (3), Patrick Duff (2), Bongani Dube (2), Tristan Harris (1), Daniel Oxden-Willows (1), Joshua Edwards (1), Tapfuma Taundi (1). Eden Districts 4: Luca Whitehead (3), Rorke Bubanj (1).
Western Province A 13: Benjamin Bigara (3), Matthew Fenn (3), James Malan (2), Timothy Young (2), Aiden Turrell (1), Alex Barrett (1), Caleb Harley (1). Central Gauteng B 4: Matthew Peacock (2), Gui-Nam Chen (1), Tegan Fisher (1).
Central Gauteng A 6: Ryan Morley (2), Craig Toet (1), Luke Shipway (1), Roan Wessels (1), Danilo Giuricich (1). Western Province B 1: Rupert Robinson (1).
Northerns B 1: Stephan van Tonder (1). Eastern Gauteng 16: Luke Laporte (6), Connor Cockroft (4), Matthew Craukamp (2), Daelan Brijmohun (1), Campbell Hustler (1), Daniel Rheeder (1), Samkelo Maphaphu (1).
Nelson Mandela Bay 11: Carter Rosser (3), Taye Colesky (2), Christian Chandler (2), Stefan Polderman (2), Dane Paterson (1), Adam Ball (1). Central Gauteng B 1: Brayden Macfie (1).
KwaZulu Natal 5: Thomas Francke (2), Musawenkosi Mponda (1), Garrick Phillips (1), Thomas Aylward (1). Central Gauteng A 6: Craig Toet (2), Danilo Guiricich (2), Ryan Morley (1), Aiden Khoury (1).
Zimbabwe 14: Blaise Scheepers (5), Nicholas Roukounis (2), Tapfuma Taundi (2), Troy Reed (1), Joshua Edwards (1), Liam Chicksen (1), Bongani Dube (1), Tristan Harris (1). Eastern Gauteng 1: Connor Cockroft (1).
Western Province A 17: Matthew Fenn (6), Benjamin Bigara (4), James Malan (3), Alex Barrett (1), Connor Mortlock (1), James Pinnock (1), Andrew Reynolds (1). Buffalo City 2: Cullen Mortlock (1), Daniel Woodin (1).
Western Province B 5: Cole Abrahams (2), Ross Prinsloo (1), Christopher McLagan (1), Rupert Robinson (1). Northerns A 9: Ettienne van der Merwe (3), Oliver Oberholzer (1), Caleb Bowden (1), joshua Bergh (1), Liam Joao-Palm (1), Adran Robinson (1), Siwon Lee (1).
Western Province u16A made light work of their opposition in their first two games at the 2024 edition of the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Buffalo City on Sunday. The tournament runs through until 11 December.
Province has been so good in front of goal that they have two of the top three goal-scorers in the tournament after the opening day of action in the age group. Matthew Fenn tops the charts with nine goals to his name while Benjamin Bigara is in third place, with seven.
The Capetonians’ James Malan has scored three goals on the counterattack and leads all players in that statistic.
Coach Ross van Schoor’s side was beaten by KwaZulu-Natal in the final of last year’s event, and they arrived at Buffalo City with their sights set on going one better this time around.
They got matters off on the right foot. Bigara and Fenn slammed hattricks as Province trounced Central Gauteng B 13-4 in their opener. Timothy Young and James Malan struck twice each, while Alex Barrett, Caleb Hurley, and Aiden Turrell also made it onto the scoresheet.
Gauteng responded with a brace from Matthew Peacock and further goals from Tegan Fisher and Gui-Nam Chen. However, those four goals were not enough to challenge the 2023 runners-up.
Western Province’s performance against Central Gauteng B was, however, only a teaser of their capabilities. They were in white-hot form when they splashed into the pool to face Buffalo City. The home side headed into the tie hoping to improve on their showing in the age group’s opening match, an Eastern Cape showdown, which Nelson Mandela Bay edged 7-5.
Coach Khanyisa Mpumlwana watched from the poolside as the local side was dragged this way and that, like a ragdoll, by Western Province. Matthew Fenn fired six goals into the back of the net, while Benjamin Bigara netted four. James Malan registered a hattrick, and Alex Barrett, Connor Mortlock, James Pinnock, and Andrew Reynolds also scored.
Western Province scored 17 times in total and gave up only two goals in their big win over Buffalo City. Those two victories rocketed them to the top of Pool A.
Nelson Mandela Bay also recorded two victories, one over Buffalo City and the other over Central Gauteng B. However, their margins of victory were far tighter than those recorded by Western Province. They only just reached double figures in their contest against Central Gauteng B, although they posted a convincing 11-1 win but not even that 10-goal winning margin enabled them to close the goal-difference gap on Western Province A.
Zimbabwe swooped in and took pole position in Pool C after victories over Eden Districts and Eastern Gauteng. South Africa’s northern visitors kicked off their campaign with an 11-4 victory over Eden before decimating Eastern Gauteng 14-1. Those victories thrust them to the head of the class in their pool.
Eastern Gauteng headed into their tie against Zimbabwe with their morale boosted by a 16-1 trouncing of Northerns B, only for their hopes of topping the group to be deflated.
Pool C stragglers Northerns B and Eden Districts will kick off the action in the u16 section on Monday morning.
Results
Nelson Mandela Bay 7: Jed Paterson (2), Dane Paterson (2), Carter Rosser, Johan Moolman, Tiago Williams. Buffalo City 5: Daniel Woodin (3), Michael Russell, Nicholas du Toit.
KwaZulu Natal 13: Thomas Aylward (3), Thomas Francke (3), Levin Thom (2), Oliver Ludwig, Andrew Schnell, Taylor Seiler, Garrick Phillips, Keegan Vogt. Northerns A 8: Christiaan Truter (3), Ruan Engelbrecht (2), Ettienne van der Merwe, Joshua Bergh, Ben Swarts.
Zimbabwe 11: Blaise Scheepers (3), Patrick Duff (2), Bongani Dube (2), Tristan Harris, Daniel Oxden-Willows, Joshua Edwards, Tapfuma Taundi. Eden Districts 4: Luca Whitehead (3), Rorke Bubanj.
Western Province A 13: Benjamin Bigara (3), Matthew Fenn (3), James Malan (2), Timothy Young (2), Aiden Turrell, Alex Barrett, Caleb Harley. Central Gauteng B 4: Matthew Peacock (2), Gui-Nam Chen (1), Tegan Fisher.
Central Gauteng A 6: Ryan Morley (2), Craig Toet, Luke Shipway, Roan Wessels, Danilo Giuricich. Western Province B 1: Rupert Robinson.
Eastern Gauteng 16:Luke Laporte (6), Connor Cockroft (4), Matthew Craukamp (2), Daelan Brijmohun, Campbell Hustler, Daniel Rheeder, Samkelo Maphaphu. Northerns B 1: Stephan van Tonder.
Nelson Mandela Bay 11: Carter Rosser (3), Taye Colesky (2), Christian Chandler (2), Stefan Polderman (2), Dane Paterson, Adam Ball. Central Gauteng B 1: Brayden Macfie.
KwaZulu Natal 5: Thomas Francke (2), Musawenkosi Mponda, Garrick Phillips, Thomas Aylward. Central Gauteng A 6: Craig Toet (2), Danilo Guiricich (2), Ryan Morley, Aiden Khoury.
Zimbabwe 14: Blaise Scheepers (5), Nicholas Roukounis (2), Tapfuma Taundi (2), Troy Reed, Joshua Edwards, Liam Chicksen, Bongani Dube, Tristan Harris. Eastern Gauteng 1: Connor Cockroft.
Western Province A 17: Matthew Fenn (6), Benjamin Bigara (4), James Malan (3), Alex Barrett, Connor Mortlock, James Pinnock, Andrew Reynolds. Buffalo City 2: Cullen Mortlock, Daniel Woodin.
Western Province B 5: Cole Abrahams (2), Ross Prinsloo, Christopher McLagan, Rupert Robinson. Northerns A 9: Ettienne van der Merwe (3), Oliver Oberholzer, Caleb Bowden, Joshua Bergh, Liam Joao-Palm, Adran Robinson, Siwon Lee.
The Western Province u19 A girls’ team got their hunt for a Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament title off to a solid start by recording two victories on the second day of the tournament in East London on Sunday.
Province entered the event as one of the teams to watch, and rightfully so after reaching the IPT and Currie Cup finals in the past 12 months.
Early in the morning, they made their presence felt when they defeated a gritty and resilient Nelson Mandela Bay side 12-6. All eyes were, however, on their second outing of the day against their archrivals, Central Gauteng A.
Coach Kelsey Thomson’s team began their tournament with a nervy 9-4 win over Buffalo City on Saturday and were expecting a tougher battle against Province. The last two meetings between the teams had ended in favour of Gauteng, and the Western Cape side was keen to avenge those defeats.
The teams, surrounded by a packed crowd on all sides of the Joan Harrison Swimming Pool, delivered a cracking game of water polo from chukka one to chukka four, with both challenging the other’s resilience.
Province went ahead in the first half and led 3-1 lead at halftime after an Alexa De Villiers brace and a strike by Hannah Banks. Meanwhile, Francesca de Villiers was on target for Gauteng.
The third chukka featured a defensive masterclass from coach Etienne Le Roux‘s Western Province side as they shut down their opponents from all angles, mostly restricting them to shots from long range.
Shot-stopper Iviwe Tracy Oduore sparkled in goal and made several top saves to keep her side in front.
Central Gauteng managed to beat her twice, however, through Amy Smith and Tori Tanner-Ellis in the third chukka, but Emma Catto replied for the Capetonians, and De Villiers slotted a third to stake Province to a 5-3 lead heading into the final chukka.
The last eight minutes of the match were all about game management for Province while Gauteng was desperate to level matters. They created a number of chances but their finishing lacked accuracy and they were punished when Roxanne Uys scored with four minutes to play.
The defending champions left it too late and had to settle for a consolation goal from Anastasia Hambakis. Uys, though, quickly responded for Western Province to make it 7-4 at the final whistle.
Reacting to his team’s performance, Le Roux said he was impressed with how they defended and how they managed to shut down a quality Gauteng outfit.
“Defence is one of the biggest things I have focused on with the team,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus. “We had long chats about not conceding silly goals.
“Our first game wasn’t great. We did concede a few silly ones. To concede only four against a very strong Gauteng team, I’m super impressed with them. There was lots of defending and blocking, which was good to see.”
Le Roux, who moved to the Western Cape earlier in 2024, is a former Gauteng coach, which might have helped his game plan for Sunday’s showdown. He believes Western Province’s win stands them in good stead going forward.
“With the format changing, it’s going to be hard. There are still a lot of tough games left, and we can’t afford to slow down,” he said. “The job is not done.
“This win was very good for the team, especially after the Currie Cup, where they lost in the final. It’s a great confidence booster.”
Another massive result on Sunday was achieved by Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB), who handed the more fancied KwaZulu-Natal a 14-9 loss.
NMB had come out on the wrong end of a tough opener against Western Province, going down 6-12 on Saturday, but they showed impressive fighting spirit in that contest.
It was again on display against KZN, with Nelson Mandela Bay coming on strongly after half-time to overtime a deficit and, eventually, charge to a comfortable victory.
Coach Grant McKenzie was ecstatic with the win. “The performance was far better,” he said.
“I think against Western Province we were a bit unsettled, and we tightened up a little bit. It was more about team dynamics. I’m much happier with our defensive efforts, but it doesn’t stop here,” he added, sounding a warning to NMB’s future opposition.
Meanwhile, both Western Province B and Central Gauteng B maintained their unbeaten runs. Zimbabwe picked up their first win, convincingly outplaying Northerns, and Buffalo City A remained winless despite a valiant effort against KwaZulu-Natal.
RESULTS
Scores
Western Province B 11: Kirsten Bottger (6), Kelly Cadiz (2), Anna Lieberman, Gabriela Stuart-Reckling, Tatum Malherbe. Buffalo City B 10: Mia Smit (2), Slayde Herman (2), Shenlyn Grotjohn (2), Caroline Kretzmann (2), Courtney Linke, Emma Booyens.
Western Province A 12: Alexa De Villiers (4), Hanna Banks (3), Emma Catto, Sofia Walker, Amy Van Breda, Julia Luckoff, Isabella Tooley. Nelson Mandela Bay 6: Teagan Harty (2), Elizabeth Horn, Anna Olivier, Jessica Stevens, Matipa Karimazondo.
Central Gauteng B 8: Amy Stubbs (2), Taylor Billett (2), Kiara Cronje, Simphiwe Zulu, Mia Duffy, Humairaa Bodiat. Eastern Gauteng 6: Maddison Griffin (3), Megan Venter, Caitlin Scrimgeour, Erin Blackburn, Megan Venter.
Zimbabwe 23: Tyla Love (4), Emily Taylor (3), Olivia Accorsi (3), Lucy Wood (3), Chloe Ralphs (2), Ryley Jardine (2), Taya Smyth (2), Tayleigh Taylor, Danike Swan. Northerns 3: Jorja Ross (3).
KwaZulu-Natal 14: Inge Southey (5), Caitlin McMurray (2), Lara Mervis (2), Amber Lewis (2), Kayleigh Nieuwstad, Georgina Strachan, Kayla Andrews. Buffalo City 4: Roxy-Lee van Eek (2), Meka Loots, Erin Batting.
Eastern Gauteng 6: Maddison Griffin (2), Emma Spronk (2), Megan Venter, Caitlin Scrimgeour. Western Province B 12: Kirsten Bottger (6), Kelly Cadiz (2), Tatum Malherbe, Bailey Donnachie, Sarah Palframan, Anna Lieberman.
Western Province A 7: Roxanne Uys (2), Alexa De Villiers (2), Hannah Banks, Emily Van Heerden, Emma Catto. Central Gauteng A 4: Francesca De Villiers, Amy Smith, Tori-Tanner Ellis, Anastasia Hambakis.
Central Gauteng B 7: Aimee Hattingh (3), Kiara Cronje, Taylor Billett, Mia Duffy, Amy Stubbs. Zimbabwe 6: Taya Smyth (2), Tyla Love, Emily Taylor, Tayleigh Taylor, Lily Bean.
Buffalo City B 18: Slayde Herman (6), Caroline Kretzmann (4), Shenlyn Grotjohn (3), Courtney Linke (2), Emma Booyens, Bella Graham, Cami de Villiers. Northerns 8: Jorja Ross (5), Danel Schoeman, Lore Snyckers, Gabriella Grobbelaar.
Nelson Mandela Bay 14: Teagan Harty (3), Jessica Stevens (3), Lucy Rutherfoord (2), Anna Christensen Pinto (2), Matipa Karimazondo, Amie Jenner, Rebecca Botha. KwaZulu-Natal 9: Kayla Andrews (2), Gemma Malherbe (2), Amber Lewis, Lara Mervis, Caitlin McMurray, Inge Southey (2).
Western Province B 9: Kirsten Bottger (6), Bailey Donnachie, Sarah Palframan, Anna Lieberman. Zimbabwe 5: Taya Smyth (2), Lucy Wood, Tayleigh Taylor, Lily Bean.
Day 3 Fixtures
07:00 – Western Province A vs Buffalo City A
08:05 – Eastern Gauteng vs Northerns
09:10 – Central Gauteng A vs KwaZulu-Natal
10:15 – Western Province B vs Central Gauteng B
11:20 – Zimbabwe vs Buffalo City B
12:25 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Buffalo City A
13:30 – Northerns vs Western Province B
14:35 – Western Province A vs KwaZulu-Natal
15:40 – Eastern Gauteng vs Buffalo City B
16:45 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Central Gauteng A
17:50 – Northerns vs Central Gauteng B
Can anyone stop the Central Gauteng Lions dominance at the annual Cricket South Africa u16 Girls’ Week which is hosted in Johannesburg from today?
The hosts were crowned the champions of last year’s week, which was hosted in Pietermaritzburg. The Lions defeated Easterns by five runs on the final day of the week to conclude the tournament undefeated.
The first three days of the week’s matches will be contested over 50 overs while the final two days will be Twenty/20 matches.
The Fixtures | Day 1
Central Gauteng Lions vs North West (Dlamini Oval, St Stithians College)
Western Province vs Easterns (Jameson I, St Stithians College)
Free State vs Titans (Jameson II, St Stithians College)
Dolphins vs Eastern Province (Ridgeway, St Stithians College)
Boland vs Mpumalanga (Steyn City II)
Limpopo Impalas vs Garden Route Badgers (Steyn City Oval)
Northern Cape vs Eastern Cape Inyathi (Alan Lawson Oval)
Tuskers vs Kei (HeronBridge Oval)
A fantastic crowd lined all sides of the Joan Harrison East Swimming Pool for the eagerly awaited clash between KwaZulu-Natal u19A and the Aussie Crocs on the opening day of the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London.
Saturday’s showdown proved that the visitors, from Brisbane, have the firepower to challenge for the title. They came away with a thrilling 15-14 victory, but KZN will feel they let slip a win.
With Ross Strauss, in the first half, and Akabongwe Ngcobo, in the second half, performing well in goal for the South African side, KZN owned the edge for almost the entire match. In fact, when the Crocs scored to go 15-14 up, with less than a minute remaining, it was the first time they had led the contest.
In the early going, they created some good scoring opportunities, but Strauss, who represented South Africa at the World Aquatics Men’s u18 Water Polo Championships in Argentina in July, showed why he earned that selection with some spectacular stops.
It was truly a game that could have gone either way, with the frame of the two goal boxes being regularly struck throughout the enthralling clash.
As time ticked down, the Aussies pulled level at 12-12 when coach Rob Ambler‘s KZN side lost some of their shape. However, they responded well once they had been hauled in by the Crocs, and Tristan Uys rocketed two shots into the back of the visitors’ net to stake KZN to a two-goal lead.
Credit to the Aussie Crocs, though. They kept their cool while KZN, just when they needed to control possession, became loose and ceded it. With 48 seconds remaining, they fell behind for the first time in the contest, and they couldn’t pull it back.
Crocs’ coach Simon Daley, a former South African, said his players had prepared at home by staying in action for their local clubs. However, they played warm-up matches against UCT, Western Province u16 A, and Western Province u19B before the IPT, which proved to be invaluable.
Commenting on the pressure of representing Australia, Daley said: “There were 500 people watching. We have never been in a stadium so big, with such great interest. For our guys, this is a story they will remember for the rest of their lives.
“We were a bit like deer in the headlights,” he added, “but massive credit to KwaZulu-Natal. What a game of water polo in the end! Yes, we got over the line, but I have always said water polo is alive and well in South African schools.”
He was pleased with his team’s composure and finishing when the game was on the line, Daley said: “We’ve been practicing that. We worked on that with Western Province. In every game we played, we were challenged.
“Changing the philosophy of these youngsters, and just believing in our tactics, and going down to the last second, we converted and shut them out and won the game.”
Joseph Gallagher paced the Crocs with four goals, while Angus Cope and James Martin struck three times each.
Tristan Uys was the primary goal threat for KZN, netting six times. Thomas Taylor, who performed well wide on the right, scored twice.
Central Gauteng A, beaten in a heart-stopping penalty shootout by Western Province A in last year’s final, was given a good workout by Buffalo City, but Gauteng’s quality came through in the end as they recorded a 17-7 victory.
They’ll produce better games as the tournament progresses, but coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho‘s boys played with confidence and enjoyment, which positively impacted their performance.
Ross Stuart and Karabo Mamaregane led the scoring, firing in three goals each, as 10 players got their names onto the scoresheet.
Liam Hansen and Thomas Caswell both netted twice for Buffalo City.
In the first match of the tournament, Central Gauteng B romped to a 21-5 win over Eastern Gauteng.
Travis Donnelly enjoyed his outing, topping the scoring chart with five goals, while Logan du Preez and Francois Hartslief claimed hat-tricks. Michael Oliver bagged a double for Easterns.
KwaZulu-Natal B, who made the semi-finals in 2023, had to work hard to get by Zimbabwe, but they eventually won by four goals, registering a 15-11 win.
Their goals were spread around, with nine players netting, led by Kyron de Kock, who scored three times. That mark was matched by Zimbabwe’s Garrick Duff, Chika Mgbemena, and Ruan Nel, but Sibusiso Sibanda, with two goals, was the only other Zimbabwean to make it onto the scoresheet.
Day two, on Sunday, will see the defending champions, Western Province A making their bow when they face Nelson Mandela Bay at 08:05. A 14:35, they’ll tackle Central Gauteng A in a major showdown.
The Aussie Crocs will try to build up further momentum when they take on Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City. KwaZulu-Natal will aim to get their challenge back on track in a late morning meeting with Buffalo City.
SCORES
Central Gauteng B 21: Travis Donnelly (5), Logan du Preez (3), Francois Hartslief (3), Simon Mussett (2), Darien Salovy (2), Calder Millington (1), Chris Chapman (1), Erik Awidi, Kyle Kennerley (1). Eastern Gauteng 5: Michael Oliver (2), Nathan Whelan (1), Reece Coetzer (1), Daniel Stead (1)
Central Gauteng A 17: Ross Stuart (3), Karabo Mamaregane (3), Jack Wilkins (2), Marc Smith (2), Harry Wilkins (2), Ross Rovelli (1), Nicholas Searle (1), Greg Pryce (1), Alexander Kelbrick (1), Sebastian Bruinders (1). Buffalo City 7: Thomas Caswell (2), Liam Hansen (2), Mitchell Höll (1), Sean Audie (1), Connor Maree (1).
Aussie Crocs 15: Joseph Gallagher (4), Angus Cope (3), James Martin (3), Jack Plowman (2), Kairo Lynch (1), Benjamin Spall (1), Giacomo Hernandez (1). KwaZulu-Natal 14: Tristan Uys (6), Thomas Taylor (2), Adrian Truter (1), Luca Sandri (1), James Pohl (1), Kirk Wilson (1), Matthew Lortan (1). Mitchel Garreua (1).
KwaZulu-Natal B 15: Kyron de Kock (3), Ryan Spooner (2), Keegan Elliott (2), Drew Hollingsworth (2), Andrew Boucher (2), Troy Rees-Jones (1), Matthew Botha (1), Buyani Dlamini (1), Robert Smith (1). Zimbabwe 11: Ruan Nel (3), Garrick Duff (3), Chika Mgbemena (3), Sibusiso Sibanda (2).
Day 2 Fixtures
07:00 – Western Province B vs Central Gauteng B
08:05 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Western Province A
09:10 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Eastern Gauteng
10:15 – Northerns vs Zimbabwe
11:20 – Buffalo City vs KwaZulu-Natal A
12:25 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs Aussie Crocs
13:30 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Western Province B
14:35 – Western Province A vs Central Gauteng A
15:40 – Zimbabwe vs Eastern Gauteng
16:45 – Northerns vs Central Gauteng B
17:50 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs KwaZulu-Natal A
18:55 – Zimbabwe vs Western Province B
18:55 – Aussie Crocs vs Central Gauteng A (Joan Harrison West)
The Central Gauteng u19A girls’ recorded their first victory at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in East London, defeating Buffalo City 9-4 on Saturday, the opening day of the tournament.
The defending champions were far from their best in the Joan Harrison West Swimming Pool but managed to get the job done in the final two chukkas of the match. They were challenged by a motivated Buffalo City side, which was boosted by the support of the home crowd.
The opening chukka was thrilling, and both teams threw the kitchen sink at the other in the early going.
Tori Voke opened the scoring for Buffalo City, much to the delight of the locals, but Tori Tanner-Ellis equalised for Gauteng against the run of play at the other end of the pool.
Emily Carle made it two for coach Kelsey Thomson‘s charges before Voke struck again to level matters.
Under pressure, the hosts defended bravely in the latter part of the first chukka, with Erin Batting and Meka Loots leading the way and pulling off crucial blocks, while goalkeeper Rania Khan remained firm at the back.
In the second chukka, however, Gauteng started to find their groove and they opened up a gap by scoring three goals to one in the quarter.
Tanner-Ellis and Emma Pelicot imposed themselves on the match while Julianna Saffy kept Buffalo City’s hopes alive with a cracker of a goal.
Saffy’s strike was, however, cancelled out by the dangerous Amy Smith, who fired in from five metres out to take her team into a 5-3 lead at halftime.
The third chukka was a low-scoring affair, but Gauteng continued to build confidence and add goals to the scoreboard.
They were more fluid, they played better as a unit, and their swift movement of the ball resulted in goals by Courtney Calenborne and Francesca De Villiers.
Buffalo City stubbornly resisted, but their efforts were in vain as they squandered several opportunities in the fourth quarter.
That opened the door for Mia Loizides and Julia Joseph to add to Central Gauteng’s tally, which secured a hard-fought victory for the defending champions.
It was a grind for Gauteng to get by the local side, but it was also the kind of testing opening match that should stand them in good stead ahead of their heavyweight clash with Western Province A on day two.
In other matches on the opening day, Central Gauteng B got their campaign off to a rollicking start with a whopping 22-5 win over Buffalo City B.
It was a dominant performance by coach Wade Brand’s team from the first to the final whistle.
Amy Stubbs was at the forefront of their attack and scored six times. Every member of the Gauteng team also got onto the scoresheet, which underlined their dominance of the game.
The final match of the day was between Eastern Gauteng and Zimbabwe.
Eastern Gauteng’s Caitlin Scrimgeour stole the show, netting seven times to help her side to a 10-5 win.
RESULTS
Scores
Central Gauteng B 22: Amy Stubbs (6), Holly Franks (3), Aimee Hatting (2), Cecilia Petersen (2), Kiara Cronje (2), Emily Townshend (2), Simphiwe Zulu (2), India-Rose Cope, Rachel Rostron, Taylor Billett. Buffalo City B 5: Caroline Kretzmann (3) Chuma Magobongo, Cami de Villiers.
Central Gauteng A 9: Tori Tanner-Ellis (2), Emily Carle, Emma Pelicot, Amy Smith, Courtney Calenborne, Francesca De Villiers, Mia Loizides, Julia Joseph. Buffalo City A 4: Tori Voke (3), Julianna Saffy.
Eastern Gauteng 10: Caitlin Scrimgeour (7), Erin Blackburn (2), Maddison Griffin. Zimbabwe 5: Danike Swan (2), Emily Taylor, Taya Smyth, Tayleigh Taylor.
Day 2 Fixtures
07:00 – Western Province B vs Buffalo City B
08:05 – Nelson Mandela A vs Western Province A
09:10 – Eastern Gauteng vs Central Gauteng B
10:15 – Northerns vs Zimbabwe
11:20 – Buffalo City A vs KwaZulu-Natal
12:25 – Eastern Gauteng vs Western Province B
13:30 – Western Province A vs Central Gauteng A
14:35 – Zimbabwe vs Central Gauteng B
15:40 – Northerns vs Buffalo City B
16:45 – Nelson Mandela Bay vs KwaZulu-Natal
17:50 – Zimbabwe vs Western Province B
The annual water polo interprovincial tournament starts in East London today.
All the results from the opening day will be updated as we receive them throughout the day.
Results | Day 1
u19
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u15
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u14
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u13
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