Paarl Gimnasium continued their impressive form with a 2-1 win over Bloemhof in Stellenbosch. Photo: JB – LookonImages
Schoolgirls’ hockey action returned with a bang in the Western Cape on the weekend, with three top sides, Rhenish Girls’ High School, Paarl Gimnasium, and Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof, all taking to the turf.
Much was expected from Rhenish and Bloemhof,who fell short in the All Girls’ Festival a week prior, while Paarl Gim was brimming with confidence after their Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge triumph.
The Gim girls, coached by Danelle van Zyl, made the short trip to Stellenbosch to face Bloemhof in an eagerly anticipated clash
It was a tough and tightly contested affair between the rivals, but the final result favoured the girls in green and gold, who came away with a 2-1 victory.
Imke Koegelenberg scored a tap-in goal early on, before Anya Swanepoel, who has caused havoc from penalty corners this season, sealed the win with a penalty stroke late in the game.
Paarl Gim will have a bye this coming weekend before returning to action against Parel Vallei.
While Gim enjoyed their victory, Rhenish was held to a 1-1 draw by Herschel Girls School on home turf.
Coach Chris Gerber’s side dominated most of the match and created multiple opportunities, but they failed to take advantage of them.
Pippa Viljoen’s strike for Rhenish was cancelled out by a reply from Anna Sherren, and there was nothing to separate the sides when the final whistle sounded.
Meanwhile, Paarl Girls’ High recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over Somerset College. Coach Marc Landman‘s side took the victory on the back of Halle Williams’ brace and a goal from Charlotte Louw.
Springfield Convent School was the other big winner on the weekend after they defeated La Rochelle, in Paarl. Jenna Kalis found the back of the net, scoring the all-important only goal of the contest for the Cape Town school. The victory will boost Springfield’s confidence ahead of a meeting with Herschel this coming weekend.
St Cyprian’s School continued their strong season with a 5-2 win over Parel Vallei, while Fairmont Highwas held to a 2-2 draw by DF Malan. In Mossel Bay, Hoërskool Outeniqua pulled off an impressive 3-2 win over Hoërskool Punt.
RESULTS
Rhenish 1-1 Herschel
Springfield Convent School 1-0 La Rochelle
Hoërskool Outeniqua 3-2 Hoërskool Punt
Rustenburg Girls’ High 0-0 Durbanville
Paarl Girls’ High 3-0 Somerset College
Fairmont High 2-2 DF Malan
Paarl Gimnasium 2-1 Bloemhof
St Cyprian’s School 5-2 Parel Vallei
The Midstream College girls’ 1st XI impressed in a 3-0 win over Hoërskool Eldoraigne. Photo: Midstream College on Facebook.
Pretoria dished up a tasty menu of hockey on the weekend, including a massive derby between Hoërskool Garsfontein and Hoërskool Waterkloof.
Competition between the schools’ boys’ and girls’ teams was incredibly tight throughout all the age groups and took place over two days.
The Garsiesgirls’ first team delivered a composed and disciplined performance to edge out the visiting Waterkloof side 1-0.
In the boys’ 1st XI clash, Garsfontein, after a second successive top four finish at the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield, was favoured against Klofies.
It was an intensely contested match, but Garsfontein broke it open in the fourth chukka, striking twice, both through the outstanding Luken Brunette, from penalty corners, to snatch victory.
Despite the losses of their senior teams, Waterkloof enjoyed some success in the junior ranks, where their u15 sides, especially excelled.
Midstream College faced Hoërskool Eldoraigne in league matches.
The girls’ win went the way of Midstream, who defended soundly and took advantage of three chances to run out 3-0 winners.
Victory went the other way in the boys’ game, with Eldoraigne claiming a 3-1 win after going behind in the first chukka.
The Eldos‘ u16 boys’ side caught the eye with a solid 5-0 win in their showdown with Midstream.
RESULTS
Girls
u19 – Garsfontein I 1-0 Waterkloof I; Garsfontein II 1-2 Waterkloof II; Garsfontein III 1-1 Waterkloof III
u16 – Garsfontein A 2-2 Waterkloof A; Garsfontein B 0-1 Waterkloof B; Garsfontein C 1-0 Waterkloof C
u15 – Garsfontein A 0-2 Waterkloof A; Garsfontein B 0-2 Waterkloof B
u14 – Garsfontein A 2-1 Waterkloof A; Garsfontein B 0-1 Waterkloof B; Garsfontein C 0-2 Waterkloof C
BOYS
u19
Garsfontein 2-0 Waterkloof – A
Eldoraigne vs Midstream College
GIRLS
u19 – Eldoraigne I 0-3 Midstream I; Eldoraigne II 1-0 Midstream II; Eldoraigne III 2-2 Midstream III
u16 – Eldoraigne A 0-3 Midstream A; Eldoraigne B 0-4 Midstream B
u15 – Eldoraigne A 1-0 Midstream A; Eldoraigne B 0-3 Midstream B
u14 – Eldoraigne A 1-1 Midstream A; Eldoraigne B 0-0 Midstream B; Eldoraigne C 0-1 Midstream C
BOYS
u19 – Eldoraigne I 3-1 Midstream I; Eldoraigne II 1-2 Midstream II
u16 – Eldoraigne A 0-5 Midstream A; Eldoraigne B 0-3 Midstream B; Eldoraigne C 2-0 Midstream C
Hoërskool Montana het hul rekening in die Skild-afdeling van die Noordvaal Cup seëvierend afgeskop danksy ‘n skitterende terugvegpoging Saterdag in Pretoria.
Die Monties het ‘n rustydagterstand van 17-22 uitgewis met ‘n uitstaande vertoning in die tweede helfte om uiteindelik met 36-25 teen Hoërskool Pietersburg as oorwinnaars uit die stryd te tree.
Die Monties, óók bekend as die Wit Bulle, se Sam Schoeman (linkervleuel) het oorgeduik vir twee van sy span se vyf drieë en sy ervaring, dis Schoeman se tweede jaar van eerstespan-rugby, het sterk deurgekom. Voorlangs het die werkesel-slot, Kyle Bronkhorst, vir die besoekers deurgaans besig gehou met sy inklimspel.
Alhoewel die Pieties met ‘n nederlaag huiswaarts moes keer, het hulle steeds beïndruk teen ‘n goed afgerigte Montana-span, en kan kan hulle heelwat selfvertroue uit die vertoning put vir die pad vorentoe.
Ryno Mienie gaan van krag tot krag op heelagter en hy was persoonlik verantwoordelik vir 20 van sy span se 25 punte. Nes Schoeman, het Mienie ook tweekeer agter die doellyn gaan kuier en ook met twee doelskoppe en twee strafdoele geslaag.
Hoërskool Secunda se agsteman, Franko Rossouw, het van voor gelei in sy span se sege van 39-13 oor Hoërskool Hugenote van Springs, in Secunda. Rossouw het sy aanvalsvernuf benadruk met ‘n tweekuns aan drieë en terselftertyd ‘n platform help skep vir die gevaarlike senter-kombinasie van Bismark Jansen en Armand Underhay, wat ook twee keer gedruk het, om hul vaardighede uit te stal.
Rossouw en oopkanflank, Sifiso Hlungwane, is albei nog sterk aanspraakmakers vir plekke in die Pumas se Cravenweekspan.
Hoërskool Ben Vorster het in Tzaneen die bordjies teen Hoërskool Die Anker verhang deur met 26-12 oor die besoekers van Brakpan koning te kraai. Die kragmeting was in gebroke spel beslis, waar die Buffels straks op sy gevaarlikste is, en dit pas vir buitesenter, Tumi Ramohlale, wat nie net soos ‘n wafferse losvoorspeler die bal jag nie, maar ook uitblink op die aanval.
Hoërskool Piet Retief het ‘n koue verwelkoming in die Skild-afdeling ontvang, met Heidelberg Volkskool wat hom met 57-15 slae gegee het. Haker, Henru Coetzer, was vernietigend en het met die Skild-afdeling se eerste driekuns aan drieë vorendag gekom. Agterlangs het linkervleuel, Pieter Greyling, ook die besoekers al hul dae gegee.
Queen’s College dominated territory in the second half of their King Price Derby Series clash against Dale College, in Qonce, on Saturday, to win another furiously contested Eastern Cape battle 21-13.
Despite conceding a try after the break, Queen’s dictated much of the action in the second period as they spent the majority of the time in the home team’s half.
They eventually put the result beyond doubt when a series of forward drives saw big prop Amyoli Ngxongwana force his way over. Fullback Mveli Mqolo added the conversion and the final whistle went soon afterwards.
Despite suffering another defeat, Dale need not feel disappointed for they fought all the way, despite the pressure they came under in the second half.
They opened the scoring with a penalty from flyhalf Sonwabise Dyani and stayed in the match until the closing stages.
After conceding a try when Queen’s centre Splash Mgwebu burst through in the 13th minute, Dyani made it a one-point game at the break with his second penalty seven minutes later.
Dale was then cruelly punished shortly after the restart when an attack deep into the Queen’s half resulted in flying wing Ayathanda Mtyando, arguably the fastest player in the Komani outfit, pulling off an interception and racing 70 metres to score under the poles.
Ncutu Kepe made it 14-6 with the conversion and Queen’s looked to be taking control.
However, the Dalians’ fighting spirit was epitomized in the 42nd minute when they broke down the left side and hooker Lakhanya Mbewu received the final pass to beat the cover defence over 20 metres for an outstanding try.
Dyani’s conversion closed the gap to one point, but the Dalians were seldom able to spend any length of time in the Queen’s half after that.
Instead, their defensive qualities were constantly put to the test as the Queen’s forwards pounded away at the line. While they stood up well, it seemed inevitable that the dam wall would finally break, and it was Queen’s College who claimed the bragging rights.
In Kariega, Brandwag and Kingswood fought out a fiery battle, which saw the home side receiving a yellow card and Kingswood a red card for foul play in the 27th minute.
The match was in the balance until the closing minutes when, with Kingswood trailing 7-12 and on the attack, a loose ball was kicked ahead by Angelo Adams and wing Dwayne Louw latched onto it to outsprint the defence in a thrilling 60-metre run to secure a 19-7 win for Brandwag.
Centre Wendell Uithaler was outstanding for Brandwag and showed his running ability by sidestepping the defence for their first try in the 12th minute.
Adams added the conversion and both sides had more chances to score but could not capitalise on them in the first half.
Three minutes after the restart Kingswood knocked the ball on and Rezanio Petrus claimed possession to speed through a gap before unloading to Uithaler for his second try.
Kingswood often looked threatening but failed to finish off their moves until the powerful James Mackenzie took a final pass from a backline move to speed over for their only try of the match.
In Gqeberha, Framesby took control of their match from the start, scoring a try in the fourth minute en route to a resounding 48-21 win over their East London opponents, Hudson Park.
They ran in four tries in each half, often finding gaps in the Hudson defence, which they cleverly exploited.
Hudson must be commended for staying in the fight and they were rewarded with two further tries in the second half after trailing 7-22 at the break.
In an enthralling contest, Wynberg Boys’ High got off to a fast start and kept Grey High at bay to record a hard-fought five-point win. Photo: Wynberg Boys’ High on Facebook.
Wynberg Boys’ High held on for yet another victory over their Eastern Cape rivals, Grey High, in a pulsating finish to their King Price Derby Series encounter at the Kolisi Field, in Gqeberha, on Saturday.
The Cape Town outfit must take full credit for their 32-27 win, after managing the game well in the second half when they played into the teeth of the strong westerly wind, which was blowing down the field.
While Grey crossed for three tries after the break, Wynberg was able to get over the whitewash twice to hold onto the lead they had built up by halftime (20-7).
Those tries earned them a 10-point advantage (32-22) with just minutes remaining, but they had to withstand a desperate late surge by Grey, in which fullback Meyer Prinsloo was prominent.
As time began to run out, Prinsloo started an attacking move which resulted in prop Daniel Naude crossing for a try to make it 32-27 with a minute remaining.
Receiving the ball after the kick-off, Prinsloo made another scything run down the left touchline, but this time Wynberg was able to snuff out the danger by tackling him into touch. They secured the lineout ball and kicked it out to register a memorable win.
Inside centre Yaqeen Ahmed was the standout backline player for Wynberg, capitalising on a solid display up front by the forwards, led by burly prop Luqobo Makwedini.
Ahmed struck two penalties in the first 11 minutes and then put over a brilliant touchline conversion after a long period of pressure saw right-wing Albert Lourens go over in the righthand corner.
As Wynberg continued to apply pressure, using the wind to their advantage, they were awarded a penalty try, which gave them a comfortable cushion at the break. At that stage, Grey was also down to 13 men because of two yellow cards.
In the first half, the home scored through prop Ross Atkinson, with his try converted by Prinsloo.
When they turned, Grey worked their way back into the game through a penalty by Ray-Dylan Wilkinson and then Naude’s first try, converted by Prinsloo, to close the gap to three points.
Wynberg, though, was often able to find a way through and tries by captain Jaythen Orange and wing Chad Campbell cancelled out further Grey scores by centre Bradley Myburgh and Naude.
It eventually allowed the Capetonians to secure a narrow, but well-merited win, extending their unbeaten run against Grey to six years, with two more years lost to Covid-19.
In Makhanda, St Andrew’s College delivered a powerful defensive effort after trailing 3-10 in the first half to defeat their city rivals Graeme College 17-10 on Graeme’s Somerset Field.
Despite conceding an early penalty, slotted by Will Stevens, Graeme controlled most of the first 20 minutes and used their territorial advantage to run in two unconverted tries by lock Akho Ntonjeni.
The visitors then fought their way back into the match and, by retaining possession for longer periods, they were able to send Sivatho Mjali over for a converted try, which made it 10-10 at the break.
The second half was extremely tense, but St Andrew’s took a crucial lead with a well-worked try after Oli Johns put through a perfect grubber for Ali de Kock to score. Stevens added the conversion.
The remainder of the game was played in typical derby day fashion, with players from both teams throwing everything at each other.
The Graeme backline often looked dangerous, but St Andrew’s was well-organised and committed in defence, and that team effort saw them hold on for victory.
SCORERS
Wynberg 32 (20) – Tries: Albert Lourens, penalty try, Jaythen Orange, Chad Campbell. Penalties: Yaqeen Ahmed (2). Conversions: Ahmed (2); Grey High 27 (7) – Tries: Ross Atkinson, Daniel Naude (2), Bradley Myburgh. Penalty: Ray-Dylan Wilkinson. Conversions: Meyer Prinsloo (2).
St Andrew’s 17 (10) – Tries: Sivatho Mjali, Ali de Kock. Penalty: Will Stevens. Conversions: Stevens (2). Graeme 10 (10) – Tries: Akho Tonjeni (2).
Pretoria Boys High went down big in the early going but fought back well to make a good and entertaining game of it against Hilton College. Photo: Pretoria Boys High School on Facebook.
Hilton College hosted Pretoria Boys High on Gilfillan Field on Saturday, seeking to follow up a 25-20 win over Michaelhouse with another quality victory.
With the leaves of the trees that overlooked the fields turning from green to brown and all shades between, it was an ideal day for rugby in a beautiful setting.
From the opening kick-off, Hilton immediately forced their way into the visitors’ half and began to play the game where they wanted to play it.
After exerting pressure for a while, a quick tap from Zander Muller was halted close to the try line. But Hilton quickly went the other way, to the blind side, with scrumhalf Zander Vorster feeding flyhalf Liyema Nela, who, cleverly, slipped a pass back inside and lock André Boschoff was in space and over for a try.
A high tackle gave the home team another opportunity to kick themselves deep into the Candies‘ territory, with a lineout to come. But the referee, Danie Joubert, played an excellent advantage, and a sweetly judged chip out wide from centre Tristan Uys sat up invitingly for left-wing Ricky Adonis. He didn’t need a second invitation. He grabbed the ball out of the air, rounded the PBHS defence and was in under the poles.
Nela made the easy conversion and Hilton led 12-0 after 15 minutes.
Boys High did themselves no favours when they conceded a penalty, which allowed Hilton to kick into the 22 and keep applying the pressure on the visitors, who had barely staged an incursion into the hosts’ half.
Eventually, from a quick tap, it took only two phases for Josh Grant to power over for the home team’s third try. Nela added the extras, and Hilton was cruising at 19-0, scoring at just shy of a point a minute.
If they were to have any chance of victory, Pretoria Boys High desperately needed to score next. They did.
From a lineout, about 30 metres out, the visitors’ Banele Mashaba shed a tackle in midfield and burst towards the Hilton try line. After a thrilling run, he was stopped with the whitewash almost within arms’ reach, but the ball went wide quickly and their tall lock, Pieter Lindeboom, was over in the right-hand corner.
Unfortunately for Boys High, the ball toppled off the tee as Blake Mager was attempting the conversion, forcing him to take a hurried drop kick, and they were unable to add two more points.
The visitors, though, were the next to strike, too. Beginning from a lineout in a similar position to the previous one which had produced a try, the Candies set up a maul. When it splintered, they entered Hilton’s 22. Phase after phase, they kept possession and probed, shifting the ball left, right, then left again.
With a keen eye for a gap, scrumhalf Michael Fourie sniped around the right of a ruck, cut back left, and, when he was tackled, one-handed a pass out wide to centre Tyler Mason and he dived over in the corner for a try.
It was 19-10 at the break. Hilton had been cruising, but Pretoria Boys High’s late first-half fightback had made a game of it.
Brad Macleod-Henderson‘s charges snatched back the momentum from the visitors within five minutes of the restart.
From a scrum wide on the left, around the 22, Hilton captain Liyema Nela received the pass from Zander Vorster. Inside centre Tristan Uys cut inside, drawing the attention of the defence, and left-wing Ricky Adonis drifted into a gap between two defenders to rip through the Boys High defence. It was a textbook training ground move, and he was over under the uprights. Nela’s successful conversion made it 26-10.
An excellent chase from Nela, then, forced the visitors to dot down behind their own try line, giving Hilton an inviting five-metre scrum right in front of the posts. A simple pick up and drive for the line brought Zander Muller another five-pointer and Nela turned it into a seven-point play to extend the hosts’ advantage to 23 points.
PBHS struck back in the 53rd minute. After a clean take at the back of a five-metre lineout, they mauled towards the try line, breaking open Hilton’s defences. When the hosts illegally dragged the maul to ground, the referee signalled a penalty try.
He had warned the home team twice previously. Not only did they surrender seven points, but they were reduced to 14 men, with a yellow card being shown.
Even though they were a man down, it was Hilton who scored next. They’re well organised and patient when the try line is nearby. They keep it tight, mostly, and advance metre by metre. This time, though, they sent the ball wide to Ricky Adonis and he nudged a grubber into the left-hand corner, won the race to it, and was over for his hat-trick.
Pretoria Boys High had the final say, with some sharp handling and a blind side attack bringing Callum Nel a try in the corner, despite a valiant attempt from Guy Fender to prevent him from dotting down.
Blake Mager nailed the kick from the touchline to make it 38-24.
SCORES
Hilton College 38 (19) – Tries: Ricky Adonis (3), André Boschoff, Josh Grant, Zander Muller. Conversions: Liyema Nela (4); Pretoria Boys High 24 (10) – Tries: Pieter Lindeboom, Tyler Mason, penalty try, Callum Nel. Conversion: Blake Mager.
RESULTS
u19 – Hilton College I 38 Pretoria Boys High I 24; Hilton College II 45 Pretoria Boys High II 0; Hilton College III 27 Pretoria Boys High III 7; Hilton College IV 22 Pretoria Boys High IV 7; Hilton College V 7 Pretoria Boys High V 26; Hilton College VI 7 Pretoria Boys High VI 24; Hilton College VII 19 Pretoria Boys High VII 15; Hilton College VIII 34 Pretoria Boys High VIII 21
u16 – Hilton College A 10 Pretoria Boys High A 33; Hilton College B 17 Pretoria Boys High B 12; Hilton College C 14 Pretoria Boys High C 12; Hilton College D 0 Pretoria Boys High D 60
u15 – Hilton College A 23 Pretoria Boys High A 24; Hilton College B 7 Pretoria Boys High B 45; Hilton College C 7 Pretoria Boys High C 24; Hilton College D 7 Pretoria Boys High D 44
u14 – Hilton College A 22 Pretoria Boys High A 34; Hilton College B 0 Pretoria Boys High B 38; Hilton College C 0 Pretoria Boys High C 64
St Charles flyhalf AJ Bosman passes as Maritzburg College hooker Theo Boshoff lines up a tackle on the number 10. Photo: Justin Waldman Sports Photography.
St Charles College is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2025 and that meant that Old Orchards was jam-packed and electric for Saturday’s showdown between the Saints 1st XV and Maritzburg College on St Charles’s Old Boys’ Day. What an atmosphere!
Saints have had their fair share of injuries this season, and they were trounced by Hilton College at home last weekend, but they were a different team on Saturday, giving College a thorough workout before the Red, Black, and White came away with a tough 26-16 victory.
Saints started brightly, forcing the visitors deep into their 22, where they conceded a penalty. In a strong sign of their intent, St Charles opted against a kick at goal and instead set up a lineout five metres from the College try line. It didn’t work out, but it was clear that the home team had their sights set on an upset.
They were the first to score, too, when, in the seventh minute, a beautifully judged cross-kick from flyhalf AJ Bosman picked out right-wing, Likuthi Mbalana, between two defenders. He juggled the ball, gathered it in, and raced through, executing a flashy dive next to the uprights to finish off the try-scoring move.
Bosman, the architect of the try, knocked over the conversion to add two more points to the Saints’ haul.
For the next 10 minutes, the teams probed and thrust at one another in the middle of the field, but when the home side won a penalty, about 28 metres out, on the left, Bosman took a shot at goal and nailed it to put St Charles 10-0 clear.
Four minutes later, Maritzburg College was on the board. They attacked from a lineout and worked their way up to the hosts’ try line, but Saints turned possession over and counterattacked. Number eight, Raphael Ajibade, put in a chip as he sped down the right touchline, but he was beaten by a nasty bounce, and College launched a counter from their 10m line.
Moving the ball from left to right, they found space on the right flank, where wing Caleb Scheepers put in a chip over fullback Phiwe-Junior Dlamini. Again, the bounce of the ball favoured the visitors and centre Jordan Thackeray snapped up the ball and dragged hooker Dresden Coetzee defender over the try line for five points. It appeared as if he might have spilled the ball forward in the act of scoring, but the referee was decisive in his determination that it had been forced down, and College had their first points.
Jordan Thackeray fight off the tackle of Dresden Coetzee to score Maritzburg College’s opening try against St Charles College. Photo: Justin Waldman Sports Photography.
Dom du Toit, whose place-kicking has impressed since he took over the kicking duties, was on target and the gap between the sides shrank to three points.
Conceding that try brought a strong response out of St Charles, and they played a lot of rugby in College’s half without being able to reap a reward before halftime. Still, with a narrow lead at the break, coach Craig Dwyer‘s boys had the home supporters excited.
Maritzburg College started the second half well, playing the game in the St Charles half. They inched their way towards the Saints’ try line through their forwards before attacking the blind side, on the left. Thackeray almost sliced through for a try, but, after he was brought down, the ball was quickly recycled to the right, with an inviting flat pass to Mian Pretorius helping College over for a second five-pointer and the lead.
Dom du Toit, unusually, didn’t land the conversion. Five minutes had been played in the second stanza.
Within two minutes, though, St Charles had nosed ahead, thanks to a successful penalty kick from AJ Bosman.
From the restart, College worked their way deep into Saints’ territory, dialling up the pressure as they maintained possession through numerous phases, denting the hosts’ defensive line as they drove the ball up with their forwards. When that pressure brought them a penalty, they turned down what would have been an easy kick at goal and kicked to touch.
St Charles, though, forced a fumble out of prop Indiphile Moltshwa as he dived to dot down and, for a moment, the home side breathed a little easier. They had a five-metre put-in.
Sharp defence from College, however, resulted in Saints making a mess of their exit and a kick that didn’t find touch led to the visiting team countering and attacking deep in College’s 22 again. Bashing it up and recycling quickly, they went right to lock Mian Pretorius and he made the dive for five for a second time.
Du Toit tacked on the extras and College pulled six points clear at 19-13.
Coach Nico Breedt‘s boys were soon back on the offensive after St Charles conceded a penalty, and an accurate touch-finder gave College a five-metre lineout. St Charles, though, repulsed the drive at the line and created a turnover and a penalty to escape a try-scoring threat.
Then, another superbly weighted chip from AJ Bosman dropped perfectly for centre Athenkosi Qumo. He ran onto the ball and accelerated into the College half. After he was brought down, the visitors were blown up for not releasing the tackled player and Bosman pointed to the uprights again. Another good kick reduced the deficit to only three points.
Maritzburg College turned to the tried and tested to open up the gap once more, banging a penalty into touch and then letting the pack chip away at the home team’s defences with their forwards. St Charles defended valiantly. Eventually, though, the dam wall broke and Owethu Kosani crashed over for a try.
Du Toit dished up two more points with his boot to put College 10 points ahead at 26-16.
Trailing by more than a single score, Saints opted for touch instead of a kickable penalty, with seven minutes left. Hooker Dresden Coetzee almost went over, but was halted a couple of metres shy of the whitewash. College soaked up the pressure and was eventually able to escape their 22.
Victory went the way of the Red, Black, and White, but St Charles, on their Old Boys’ Day, brought plenty to the contest and gave their alumni many reasons to be proud after a feisty and committed performance against their Pietermaritzburg rivals.
Clifton College vs St Alban’s College
St Alban’s dominated their clash against Clifton, running in five tries in a 38-0 win. Photo: Brad Morgan.
In Durban, Clifton College celebrated its Founders Weekend with hockey and rugby fixtures against St Alban’s College.
It’s been a tough season for the Clifton 1st XV thus far and it didn’t get any better on Saturday at the Riverside Sports Club.
Perhaps it was the occasion, and the Clifton boys were desperate to impress their old boys, but it seemed to get to them. There was no shortage of effort, but it was undermined by poor ball retention and imprecise passing, which prevented the home team from building up any rhythm.
Meanwhile, St Alban’s didn’t produce a vintage performance. They didn’t have to. They punished Clifton’s errors in the first half, slotting three penalties to take a 9-0 lead. Then, just before halftime, they forced their way over for the first try of the game. A successful conversion made it 16-0 at the break.
In the second half, St Alban’s added four more tries to pull comfortably clear and score a 38-0 victory. Vuthali Matsila starred for the Pretoria school, showing off his pace as he crossed for a hat-trick of tries, while Everett Gosling also bagged a five-pointer.
Thabiso Simelane enjoyed his outing, scoring a try, landing three penalties, and a conversion for a personal haul of 16 points. Rea Masuku also slotted a penalty.
SCORES
St Charles College 16 (10) – Try: Likuthi Mbalana. Conversion: AJ Bosman. Penalty: AJ Bosman (2); Maritzburg College 26 (7) – Tries: Mian Pretorius (2), Jordan Thackeray, Owethu Kosani. Conversion: Dom du Toit (3).
Clifton College 0 (0); St Alban’s College 39 (16) – Tries: Vuthali Matsila (3), Everett Gosling, Thabiso Simelane. Conversions: Thabiso Simelane, Rea Masuku. Penalties: Thabiso Simelane (3).
RESULTS
St Charles College vs Maritzburg College
u19 – St Charles I 16 Maritzburg College I 26; St Charles II 3 Maritzburg College II 61; Midlands I 7 Maritzburg College III 34; Linpark I 0 Maritzburg College IV 29; Ashton I 10 Maritzburg College V 19; Haythorne I 14 Maritzburg College VI 39; St Charles IV 7 Maritzburg College VII 15; Howick II 32 Maritzburg College VIII 5; Linpark II 29 Maritzburg College IX 5; St Charles V 37 Maritzburg College X 15.
u16 – St Charles A 0 Maritzburg College A 47; Midlands A 7 Maritzburg College B 55; Asibemunye 10 Maritzburg College C 31; St Charles B 8 Maritzburg College D 14; Howick A 27 Maritzburg College E 22; Siyalomula 27 Maritzburg College F 7.
u15 – St Charles 14 Maritzburg College 22; Ashton A 0 Maritzburg College B 40; St Charles B 0 Maritzburg College C 39; Howick A 16 Maritzburg College D 8.
u14 – St Charles A 0 Maritzburg College A 38; Linpark A 5 Maritzburg College B 55; St Charles B 3 Maritzburg College C 39; Howick A 0 Maritzburg College D 25; Pretoria Boys High D 14 Maritzburg College E 17
Clifton College vs St Alban’s College
u19 – Clifton I 0 St Alban’s I 38; Clifton II 14 St Alban’s II 17; Clifton III 0 St Alban’s III 53
u16 – Clifton A 17 St Alban’s A 10
u15 – Clifton A 7 St Alban’s A 26
u14 – Clifton A 24 St Alban’s A 5; Clifton B 19 St Alban’s B 38
Paul Roos’s vice-captain, Seth Paterson, impressed against Paarl Gimnasium. Photo: Janco Saunders
The term “Baker Ball” is one that hockey enthusiasts, parents, and Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) supporters have become accustomed to in Stellenbosch over the past year or so.
It describes the type of hockey PRG head coach and Director of Hockey, Michael Baker, wants his side to play.
It might sound complicated, but Baker himself would argue otherwise and tell you that his style of play is based around good defence, moving the ball quickly, having players who can run fast, pressing teams, and capitalising when opportunities are created.
That style of play was in motion on Friday night when they rolled to a dominant 6-2 victory over Paarl Gimnasium at the Maties AstroTurf.
It was a masterclass by the boys from Stellenbosch, who entered the game after claiming bronze at the Hibbert Shield, in Gqeberha, the week before.
Paarl Gim also has a strong side this year and they took home silver at the Hibbert Shield, so it was a showdown between two of the top sides in the country.
The occasion held extra significance for the home side, who made a guard of honour for their skipper, Christo Swanepoel, to celebrate his 100-plus games for the school.
He achieved the milestone at the Hibbert Shield against Maritzburg College, but, back at home, a special jersey handover was shared in front of his schoolmates, parents, and spectators.
Then, it was on to the game and Paarl Gim made a good start, with Ryan van der Merwe opening the scoring in the first chukka.
While it gave the visitors the lead, that goal also sparked Paul Roos to life and they quickly replied with two goals of their own, through Ruan Strauss and Caleb Cilliers, to take a 2-1 lead into the half-time break.
PRG kicked into gear in the third chukka, and when Seth Paterson and Callum van Oudtshoorn linked up to put Cilliers on goal, the home team looked well in control of the contest.
Gim has a never-say-die attitude, though, and they pulled one back through Stefan Wiehahn, who struck from the top of the D.
Christo Swanepoel played in a custom-made jersey to celebrate his 100th game for PRG. Photo: Janco Saunders
With a slim one-goal lead, Paul Roos lifted their intensity in the fourth chukka and that brought about rich rewards.
Van Oudtshoorn, who was a key conduit between the backs and forwards throughout the game, finally got his name onto the score sheet, and Charlie Boucher followed suit to make it 5-2.
That goal was especially meaningful. It was Boucher’s first in two-and-a-half years after he was ruled out of action because of a serious injury when he was playing u14 hockey.
Appropriately, Paul Roos skipper Christo Swanepoel completed the goal-scoring to seal an emphatic 6-2 win for the home side.
“It was a weird week in the build-up because I felt we didn’t do much wrong at Hibbert. I thought my boys played well,” coach Baker told SuperSport Schools Plus after the game.
“We just played against a really good team in the semis and lost to them in shootouts. But with the energy and chats going around, we were all of a sudden underdogs against Gim, so it wasn’t hard to find motivation.”
While PRG might’ve lent more on individual brilliance in the past, the 2025 side’s calling card is their teamwork, and that’s something that had pleased Baker.
“I’m proud of my boys because that performance represents how hard they work and how good they can be on their day,” he said.
“Again, we are getting some good results, and no one can pinpoint which individuals stand out for us because we truly are playing well as a unit. Just super proud of my boys.”
PRG will next shift their focus to Paarl Boys’ High, a much-improved team, who suffered a close 2-3 loss against Grey College on the weekend.
Paarl Gim, meanwhile, has a bye before returning to face Parel Vallei later this month.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OTHER BOYS’ RESULTS FROM THE WESTERN CAPE.
Felixton College was crowned the SPAR KZN Hockey North Coastal Regional champion when they defeated Grantleigh 2-1 on penalties after the final had finished goalless, at Grantleigh on Saturday.
The victory made Felixton the seventh team to book a berth at the SPAR KZN Tournament Grand Finals, which will be hosted by St Mary’s DSG Kloof, on 26 and 27 July.
They join AshtonBallito (Durban North Regional), Maris Stella (Durban Central Regional), St Mary’s, DSG Kloof (Highway Regional), Epworth School (Pietermaritzburg Central Regional), St Anne’s Diocesan College (Pietermaritzburg North Regional), and Kingsway High (Durban South Regional) in the lineup.
The North Coastal region’s hockey has been dominated by two powerhouses, Grantleigh, the seven-time winners, and Felixton, who has twice lifted the title.
They got the competition off to a sparkling start, meeting in the first game of the day. It didn’t disappoint, with the hosts, Grantleigh, snatching a 1-0 victory after a thrilling encounter.
Felixton regrouped and bounced back with a 2-0 win over John Ross College in their second outing. That was the beginning of a five-match winning streak, which included them outclassing Empangeni 7-0, beating Eshowe 3-0, overpowering Richards Bay 6-0, and scoring another 3-0 win, this time over St Catherine’s.
During that run, they scored 21 goals without reply to collect 20 points, which left them in second place after the round-robin stage of the tournament.
Grantleigh, the defending champion, had their eyes set on another title and they began the defence of the title they won last year on the right note with their tight 1-0 win over Felixton. That was just the beginning.
They, too, won their next five games, recording 3-0 defeats of St Catherine’s, John Ross College, and Empangeni, to go with a 6-0 hammering of Richards Bay and a big 5-0 win over Eshowe.
Those results left Grantleigh with the maximum 24 points on offer in the round-robin stage of the tournament. Finishing top of the standings, also, secured them another meeting with Felixton, this time for the silverware.
In their second match of the day, Felixton was better prepared than they were in the morning. They rose to Grantleigh’s level. There was nothing to separate the sides after regulation time had run out in the title game.
A penalty shootout, though, decided the contest 2-1 in favour of Felixton.
The next leg of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls Hockey Tournament takes place on 17 May when the KZN South Coastal teams meet at Creston College.
STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA – NOVEMBER 18: Kevin Foote (Junior Springbok Head Coach) during the SA Rugby U19 academy media opportunity at Markotter Stadium on November 18, 2024 in Stellenbosch, South Africa. (Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images)
The Junior Springboks fell short in their bid to capture the Under-20 Rugby Championship when they lost to New Zealand in Gqeberha on Sunday, but SA U20 head coach Kevin Foote said the players can take huge positives from their courageous effort against the young Kiwis.
New Zealand held on to beat the Junior Springboks 48-45 in front of close to 15,000 spectators at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium to retain the title in dramatic fashion, after South Africa led 26-24 at the break.
Speaking to the media afterwards, Foote said his players can be proud of their effort, although they just fell short in a brilliant, high-scoring, and hugely entertaining match.
“There are a lot of positives to take from that performance; we are on a massive journey together and I’ve only met Riley Norton and the guys back in November, so we are definitely working hard on our game model and principles which everyone understands now,” said Foote.
“From a character and leadership perspective, we are in in a good place, and the lessons we learnt will be of huge benefit as we approach the World Rugby U20 Championship next month in Italy.”
The South Africans played their part in a breathtaking attacking game, which delivered more than 90 points and went down to the wire, with New Zealand under huge pressure and playing with 13 men at the end.
“I think Melusi (Mthethwa, the team’s backline coach) has done a great job in terms of our attack and I really feel that the players have clarity on how we want to play,” said Foote.
“We played some exciting and brilliant attacking rugby during the tournament and just to hear the crowd get behind us when we started to light it up was exceptional.
“We know we are not the finished product, and we know we have a lot of work to do, but I do think our attack has come a long way and the guys are loving the way we are attacking.”
Foote said the Junior Bok coaching staff are keen to send some players back to their provincial unions to play in the SA Rugby U21 Cup competition: “We will take it case by case, but some players will go back to their provinces to play in the U21 competition,
“It’s a strong competition and the players are well-coached there, and we are keen for them to keep going. There will be some whose load we will have to manage, but we will do our medicals and take it case by case.”
SA U20 captain Riley Norton, who again had a solid game at lock, was also full of praise for the players’ efforts, on and off the field, during the tournament.
“To have played these high-pressure games against such quality opposition before the World Champs is going to be vital for us,” said Norton.
“The lessons we learnt, the connections and relationships we have managed to build, not only on the field but off-field as well, and the trust we managed to create, are extremely important to us.”
Norton also praised the Eastern Cape crowd for their support during the thrilling encounter: “It was a massive honour for us to play in front of such a passionate crowd. They came out in numbers on a Sunday afternoon, and we are privileged to represent them and play for the country. We want to say thank you to the people of Gqeberha for the support and hospitality throughout our three-week long stay here.”
