SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge uMvoti and oThukela Regional - Wembley College, Greytown: KZN Saturday 30 May

Back again, Wartburg Kirchdorf School successfully defended their title and hoisted the uMvoti and oThukela Regional trophy for the eighth time at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge that Wembley College hosted on Saturday 30 May. 

Wartburg met Greytown High School in a fiercely fought final where they managed to win the game 1 nil. 48 seconds into the game, Wartburg secured their first set play. The ball was sent to the top of the D, redirected to the player on the post who attempted to net their first goal. The result was a retake due to an unfortunate foul halting the shot. 

Wartburg had to dig deep as Greytown’s defenders blooped four more times in the circle giving the defending champs five takes of their short corner set pieces. Nearing 4 minutes into the game, Iminathi Mnqayi finally broke the cycle and netted the tournament winning goal. The ball was sent up to Mnqayi, wasting no time she zapped a shot off, finding the back of the box. 

A second before the final hooter sounded, Greytown kept everyone on the edge of their seats as they earned their second short corner of the game. In the all or nothing corner, Wartburg held their composure and managed to neatly clear the ball from danger, securing their eighth title. 

There was no one team that dominated the day, with all teams having a mixed bag of results. At the conclusion of the pool games, both Hamilton College making their second appearance and Greytown High School were all squared up on points, goals for and goals against. A quick penalty shoot-out ensued where Greytown were victorious 1 nil to finish second in the pool. 

Watching it go. Both Wartburg Kirchdorf School’ Shalom Matsika and Wembley College’s keeper, Stacy Sims-Handcock watch the ball roll dangerously close to the goals during the deciding 8 second penalty shootout in the uMvoti and oThukela Regional of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge that Wembley College hosted on Saturday 30 May, Pic by Val Adamson.

In the first semi-final, first in pool A - Wembley College met second in pool B – Wartburg. At the blast of the final whistle, both teams were level on nil nil. The game decider moved to a penalty shootout. After the first round, both teams had slotted in two goals out of their three attempts. A sudden death followed. Wembley went first but were unable to convert while Wartburg’s Phiwo Ntobela charged into the circle, meeting Wembley’s keeper, Stacy Sims-Handcock, rolling off the convergence, Ntobela scooped the ball in just before the dreaded 8 second whistle claiming the first slot for the final.

In the second semi-final, first in pool B – Domino Servite School met second in pool A – Greytown. In similar fashion – the final whistle sounded with no goals being scored and the decided then proceeded to a penalty shootout. In a marathon, the longest in the sixteen years of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge, Greytown eventually won in a riveting round of ten shootouts. Sbonga Ngwane netted the first of the third round of sudden death, taking her teams tally up to four. Ngwane charged in, balancing herself midway, attempting her first shot. Domino’s keeper, Emma Schobben defended easily but unfortunately, the ball rebounded in Ngwane’s favour, wasting no time to knock in the ball under Schobber. Domino’s Mayenzeke Mlaba bravely made a run with the ball but was greeted by a determined Sinothando Ngwenya who resolutely knocked the ball well out of play, obtaining their pass to the final. 

Stand in umpire, Talia Kotze from Wembley College was acknowledged for her hard work with the whistle and was awarded the title of Umpire of the Day. She happily stood in for Ladysmith High School and oversaw the three penalty shootouts. Shalom Matsika from Wartburg could not contain her excitement when she won a Princess stick in the fun treasure hunt lucky draw. 

Wartburg is the final team to advance to the Grand Finals being hosted by St Mary’s D.S.G. in Kloof in July. They will meet Our Lady of Fatima, (Durban North Regional); Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South Regional); St John’s D.S.G. (Pietermaritzburg Central Regional); St Anne’s Diocesan College (Pietermaritzburg North Regional) and St Mary’s D.S.G. (Highway Regional); Durban Girls’ College (Durban Central Regional); Grantleigh School (North Coast Regional); St Patrick’s College (Ugu and Sisonke Regional) and Ferrum High School (Northern KZN Regional).

Results

Final

Wartburg Kirchdorf School 1 vs Greytown High School 0

Third place playoff

Wembley College 1 vs Domino Servite School 0

Fifth place playoff

Hamilton College 3 vs Hermannsburg School 0

Semi-Final

Wartburg Kirchdorf School 0 (3) vs Wembley College 0 (2)

Domino Servite School 0 (3) vs Greytown High School 0 (4)

Standings

1 Wartburg Kirchdorf School; 2 Greytown High School; 3 Wembley College; 4 Domino Servite School; 5 Hamilton College; 6 Hermannsburg School; 7 Estcourt High School

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge uMvoti and oThukela Regional - Wembley College: Saturday 30 May

Wrapping up the ten tournaments around KZN, Wembley College in Greytown hosts the uMvoti and oThukela Regional on Saturday 30 May.

Historically, one of the smallest regionals grows to eight participating schools, they will be divided into two pools with the first game tipping off at 7.30am. The games will last a total of 20 minutes running time, with the cross-pool playoffs allowing for a penalty shootout to reveal a result. 

Joining host school, Wembley College in Pool A is Hamilton College who are making their second appearance, Estcourt High School and Greytown High School take up the other two slots. Competitors in Pool B are Domino Servite School; Wartburg Kirchdorf School; Hermannsburg School and Ladysmith High School.

There will be 12 pool games with a winning team earning 4 points. If two teams draw having netted equal goals, they will both share 2pts, while a goalless draw increases a teams tally by 1 point, A loss registers zero points. Once all the pool games have concluded, the first cross-pool playoff takes place for seventh place. The two semi-finals will be played after that. The two teams that finished third in their pools will face each other in the fifth placed playoff. 

At 1.30pm the two defeated teams from the semi-finals will meet for the third place playoff. Shortly after that the main game commences for the honours of hoisting the regional trophy. Five teams have had this honour with Wartburg being the current defending champions. They have seven titles to their name followed by Ladysmith High School who have their name engraved three times on the trophy. Host school, Wembly have been victorious in this regional twice while both Greytown and Domino Servite winning once. 

Matrics participating in the challenge will have the opportunity to win a year’s bursary at eta College, a leading Sport Science, Coaching and Management tertiary institution in Durban. The bursary will be awarded at the Grand Finals which takes place at St Mary’s D.S.G. at the end of July.

The victorious team from this regional will head to the Grand Finals where they will meet nine other regional champs in July. They will meet Our Lady of Fatima, (Durban North Regional); Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South Regional); St John’s D.S.G. (Pietermaritzburg Central Regional); St Anne’s Diocesan College (Pietermaritzburg North Regional) and St Mary’s D.S.G. (Highway Regional); Durban Girls’ College (Durban Central Regional); Grantleigh School (North Coast Regional); St Patrick’s College (Ugu and Sisonke Regional) and Ferrum High School who were victorious last weekend at the Northern KZN Regional.

For more information, follow the tournament on Facebook: SparSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament and Instagram sparkznhockey or TikTok spar.kzn.hockey or use the hashtags: #ChixWithStix  #HeartoftheCommunity #SuperLocal #MyKZNSPAR #MySPAR 

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Northern KZN Regionals - Ferrum High School: Saturday 23 May

Ferrum has done it again, successfully defending their title, the host school walked away with their eleventh title in the Northern KZN Regional at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge on Saturday 23 May. 

In a fiercely fought regional final, the home team, Ferrum High School took on arch-rival Hoërskool Pionier from Vryheid. At the blast of the final whistle, the scoreline was all tied up on 1 all. 

The fast-flowing game pinballed between the two goals, Ferrum created the opening attack, earning their first set piece with only 33 seconds on the clock. Immediately, they were awarded their second short corner after another infringement in the circle by a Pionier defender. Standing firm, Pionier successfully halted the attack and responded by rocketing the ball up to a quick thinking forward who fired off the first shot that was miraculously saved by an outstretched foot of keeper, Lané le Roux. 

Deflection. An important save, Ferrum High School’s Lané le Roux desperately saves an early Hoerskool Pionier attempt in the opening minutes of the final of the Northern KZN Regional of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge that took place at Ferrum High School on Saturday 23 May. Pic by Rogan Ward.

Ferrum continued building pressure earning another two more short corners but were unable to find holes in a tight Pionier backline. Nearing 13 minutes of play, a break down the left by Pionier’s Charissa Volschek, beating the last defender before she neatly slotted in her shot for the opening goal. The tempo around the park stepped up a level as the players on the field were visibly energised, with both teams fired up by the goal, and the supporters rallying behind their teams. 

Three minutes later, Ferrum were back on the hunt in the Pionier circle. In a tense moment in the mouth of the goals, a penalty stroke was awarded for a lifted ball. A focused Sphe Ninela, calmly dragged her flick left, just beyond an outstretched, diving Mishke de Bruyn, levelling the score.

Moving to a penalty shootout, Pionier set off first with goalscorer Charissa Volschek adding to her teams’ tally. Ferrum’s Lariska Nell knocked in her attempt with Pionier’s Anje Erasmus and Ferrum’s Ava Strydom both securing goals in the second round. With the pressure mounting, Sarah Kgonono fired in her shot as she pierced the circle finding the right post. The ball ricocheted out of reach resulting in a dash for Pionier. Ferrum’s Ninela confidently strode goalwards, veering right and knocking in her attempt under de Bruyn, securing victory for the defending champs. 

It wasn’t an easy ride for the defending champs who had to overcome two penalty shootouts on their way to victory. In their first semi-final they met Vryheid High School who made it to the finals in 2024. The final score was nil nil at full time. Nell and Ninela both knocked in their attempts while le Roux kept a clean sheet in their penalty shootout. In the second semi, Pionier met Newcastle High School who finished second last year. In the early parts Newcastle dominated by Pionier skilfully slotted in two goals, giving them the ticket to advance to the regional final. 

The two finalists were drawn in the same pool and in their earlier clash, drew nil nil after a fierce 20 minutes of play. Ferrum topped their pool winning their remaining games while Pionier drew two of their fixtures, their second against Amajuba High School who held strong against the two times winner. 

Post CoViD, Ferrum have featured in every single final, with three of their games being decided through penalty shootouts, their second shootout against Pionier who were successful in 2022. Since Pionier’s victory five tournaments ago, Ferrum have reclaimed their domination in this area with five wins. 

In the build up to the semi-finals, Mercy Chituku from Vryheid High School walked away with a gorgeous Princess Stick as she won the fun lucky draw. Umpire of the Day went to neutral representative, Eric Blandin de Chaplin who was complimented for his consistent skills throughout the day, including the final.

Only one more regional remains in the ten challenges ahead of the Grand Finals in July. Ferrum is the ninth team to have earned a spot at the main concluding event, they will meet Our Lady of Fatima, (Durban North Regional); Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South Regional); St John’s D.S.G. (Pietermaritzburg Central Regional); St Anne’s Diocesan College (Pietermaritzburg North Regional) and St Mary’s D.S.G. (Highway Regional); Durban Girls’ College (Durban Central Regional); Grantleigh School (North Coast Regional) and St Patrick’s College (Ugu and Sisonke Regional).

This weekend Wembley College will host schools from Greytown, Ladysmith, Wartburg and surrounds for the uMvoti and oThukela Regional on Saturday 30 May.

Results

Final

Ferrum High School 1 (3) vs Hoërskool Pionier 1 (2)

Semi-Finals

Ferrum High School 0 (2) vs Vryheid High School 0 (0)

Newcastle High School 0 vs Hoërskool Pionier 2

Pool A

1 Ferrum High School 9pts; 2 Hoërskool Pionier 6pts; 3 Amajuba High School 2pts; 4 Sarel Cilliers High School 1pt

Pool B

1 Newcastle High School 15pts; 2 Vryheid High School 9pts; 3 Dundee High School 5pts; 4 St Dominic’s Newcastle 5pts; 5 Utrecht High School

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Northern KZN Regional - Ferrum High School: Saturday 23 May

Nearing this year’s conclusion, the penultimate tournament heads to Ferrum High School in Newcastle for the Northern KZN Regional in the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge on Saturday 23 May. 

This is the ninth tournament in the set of ten challenges that travels around the province. Nine teams will be taking to the turf at Ferrum. Divided into two pools, host school Ferrum will be joined by Amajuba High School; Hoërskool Pionier and Sarel Cilliers High School in Pool A. Heading up Pool B are Dundee High School; Newcastle High School; St Dominic’s Newcastle; Utrecht High School and Vryheid High School. 

The games will be a demanding, quick fire 20 minutes running time that get underway at 8am. The first two teams to tip off are local teams Newcastle taking on St Dominic’s followed by the home team meeting Amajuba. After all the pool games have been concluded, the top two teams from each pool will play in a cross-pool playoff, with the two winning teams clashing for the honours of the regional champion. 

Points will be awarded to each team after each fixture: a win adds four points to the log, while a draw with goals adds two points and a goalless draw only increases the tally by one point. A loss results in zero points. 

Four teams have had the honour of raising the trophy in this area, with Ferrum on the prowl for their eleventh title. Pionier has earned the title twice while Sarel Cilliers and St Dominic’s both have their names engraved once on the trophy. 

Matrics participating in the challenge will have the opportunity to win a year’s bursary at eta College, a leading Sport Science, Coaching and Management tertiary institution in Durban. The bursary will be awarded at the Grand Finals which takes place at St Mary’s D.S.G. at the end of July.

The winning team from this regional will advance to the Grand Finals in July, meeting the nine other victorious teams from the various other challenges. The Northern KZN Regional winner will meet Our Lady of Fatima, (Durban North Regional); Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South Regional); St John’s D.S.G. (Pietermaritzburg Central Regional); St Anne’s Diocesan College (Pietermaritzburg North Regional) and St Mary’s D.S.G. (Highway Regional); Durban Girls’ College (Durban Central Regional); Grantleigh School (North Coast Regional) and most recently, St Patrick’s College (Ugu and Sisonke Regional).

The tournament wraps up next weekend with the tenth challenge, where Wembley College greets their opposition from Greytown, Ladysmith, Wartburg and surrounds for the uMvoti and oThukela Regional on Saturday 30 May.

For more information, follow the tournament on Facebook: SparSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament and Instagram  sparkznhockey or TikTok spar.kzn.hockey or use the hashtags: #ChixWithStix  #HeartoftheCommunity #SuperLocal #MyKZNSPAR #MySPAR 

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Sisonke & Ugu Regional - Kokstad College: Saturday 9 May

The popular SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge travels to Kokstad College where 12 schools take to the field for the Sisonke & Ugu Regional on Saturday 9 May. 

One of the biggest tournaments geographically in the challenge, teams from the south coast through to Matatiele participate in this vibrant regional. Host school, Kokstad College will have two fields running games concurrently. The 12 teams will be divided into two pools, each of the games runs for 20 minutes. There are 30 pool games, followed by the cross-pool playoffs that will feature the top two teams from each pool. The winners of each semifinal advance to meet in the regional final. 

Points will be awarded after each game: four points for a win, two points for a draw with goals, a single point for a goalless draw and then zero points for a loss. The final three fixtures allow for a penalty shootout if the games result in a draw. 

Getting the day underway, defending champs – St Patrick’s College meet travelling team, Hoërskool Suid-Natal in the opening game for Pool A. On the second field host school, Kokstad College take on Southcity Christian School in the opening fixture for Pool B. Joining St Patrick’s and Suid-Natal are Bergview High School; iXopo High School; Port Shepstone High School and St Monica’s Diocesan. Filling up Pool B are Creston College; King Edward High School; Mt Currie Secondary and Scottburgh High School. 

Five teams have had the honour of advancing to the Grand Finals representing this area. St Patrick’s are on the hunt for their third title after winning the last two consecutive years. King Edward has hoisted the trophy five times, the last in 2022. Kokstad have their name engraved three times, while Creston College had two successes in the earlier years and Suid-Natal were victorious once in 2023. 

Winding down the regionals, three more teams remain to earn their spot at the Grand Finals which takes place at St Mary’s D.S.G. at the end of July. Seven teams have already secured their spot: The winner of this challenge will meet Our Lady of Fatima, (Durban North Regional); Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South Regional); St John’s D.S.G. (Pietermaritzburg Central Regional); St Anne’s Diocesan College (Pietermaritzburg North Regional) and St Mary’s D.S.G. (Highway Regional); Durban Girls’ College (Durban Central Regional) and most recently XYZ from the North Coast Regional.

One lucky Matric pupil stands a chance to win a year’s bursary at eta College, a leading Sport Science, Coaching and Management tertiary institution in Durban. At each of the regionals, Matrics can enter the lucky draw in the hopes of winning this great prize. The bursary will be awarded at the Grand Finals. 

For more information, follow the tournament on Facebook: SparSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament or Instagram  sparkznhockey or TikTok spar.kzn.hockey or use the hashtags: #ChixWithStix  #HeartoftheCommunity #SuperLocal #MyKZNSPAR #MySPAR 

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Durban Central Regional - 3 Schools Trust: Sunday 22 March

Just over midway in the 2026 SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge, teams participating in the Durban Central Regional take to the turf for the sixth regional, at 3 Schools Trust on Sunday 22 March, hosted by St Henry’s Marist College.

St Henry’s welcomes Durban Girls’ College; Durban Girls’ High School; Inanda Seminary Secondary School; a combined team representing Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu and defending champs, Maris Stella School. 

Six schools will be vying for the title in this year’s challenge, with home team - St Henry’s taking on Durban Girls’ College in the opening fixture. The first game gets underway at 8am, with all of the 15 round robin games lasting 25 minutes. During the round robin, running time is allocated for the games, except for the final that allows for a penalty shoot-out if the concluding game ends in a draw. 

Leading up to the final, victorious teams will be awarded 4 points on their log, while teams that tie will both earn the same number of points. A goalless draw will see each team adding 1 point to their tally, while a game tied with goals will each earn 2 points. A loss registers zero points. Once all the games have been played, the top two teams will meet for the regional final. 

Four teams have already earned their spot for this year’s Grand Finals which takes place at St Mary’s D.S.G. in July. First to book their place was Our Lady of Fatima (DBN North Regional) followed by Amanzimtoti High School (DBN South Regional); St John’s D.S.G. (PMB Central Regional) and St Anne’s Diocesan College (PMB North Regional). Teams in the Highway area will be duelling it out the prior day (Saturday 21 March) at Westville Girls’ High School. The final four spots will be revealed as the challenge continues to travel around KZN in May. 

Three teams playing in this regional have advanced to the Grand Finals. Durban Girls’ College dominated with 14 wins since the tournament’s inception in 2011. Maris Stella broke their long standing record, earning their first Grand Finals appearance last year. Durban Girls’ High School went on to the Grand Finals three times when they participated in the Durban South Regional in the early days of the tournament. 

Matrics participating in the challenge will have the opportunity to win a year’s bursary at eta College, a leading Sport Science, Coaching and Management tertiary institution in Durban. The bursary will be awarded at the Grand Finals.

All the games will be livestreamed on the SuperSport Schools app, so if you can’t get to the sidelines, you can catch all the action online.

For more information, follow the tournament on Facebook: SparSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament and Instagram sparkznhockey or TikTok spar.kzn.hockey or use the hashtags: #ChixWithStix; #HeartoftheCommunity; #SuperLocal; #MyKZNSPAR #MySPAR

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Highway Regional - Westville Girls’ High School: Saturday 21 March

Nearing the halfway mark, Westville Girls’ High School hosts the Highway Regional, the fifth regional out of ten in the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge on their astro turf on Saturday 21 March.

In one of the more competitive regions, eight hopeful teams walk on to the pitch in the hopes of claiming the Highway trophy. One-time winners, Westville Girls’ High School will lead the charge with home ground advantage, taking on Curro Hillcrest; Gelofte Skool; Hillcrest High School; Kloof High School; Pinetown High School; defending champs, St Mary’s D.S.G and Thomas More College.

The teams will be split into two pools for this tournament, with St Mary’s D.S.G.; Hillcrest; Westville Girls’ and Gelofte being drawn in Pool A and Thomas More; Curro; Kloof and Pinetown filling out Pool B. All games will be a quickfire 20 minutes long. Once the pool games are all wrapped up, the teams will then meet in a cross-pool playoff, with the semi-finalists playing an extra game. 

Games tip off early at 7.30 with the defending champions, St Mary’s D.S.G. taking on Gelofte Skool in the opening fixture. St Mary’s have lifted the Highway Regional trophy an impressive 14 times and also gone on to win the overall title on seven occasions since the tournament began in 2011.

In the build up to the final, after each game the teams will be awarded points on their logs. A win results in 4 points, while a draw with goals adds 2 points to the team’s tally, a goalless draw only increases your total by 1 point while a goalless draw registers zero points. 

Five more tournaments are still to be played in the 16th challenge. Currently four teams have secured their berth at the Grand Finals that will be taking place at St Mary’s D.S.G. in July. They are Our Lady of Fatima (DBN North Regional) followed by Amanzimtoti High School (DBN South Regional); St John’s D.S.G. (PMB Central Regional) and St Anne’s Diocesan College (PMB North Regional).

At each of the regionals, Matrics participating in the challenge can enter a lucky draw with the possibility of winning a year’s bursary at eta College, a leading Sport Science, Coaching and Management tertiary institution in Durban. The bursary will be awarded at the Grand Finals.

If you are unable to get to watch the action live, you can catch the action on SuperSport Schools with all the games being on the SuperSport Schools app.

For more information, follow the tournament on Facebook: SparSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament and Instagram sparkznhockey or TikTok spar.kzn.hockey or use the hashtags: #ChixWithStix; #HeartoftheCommunity; #SuperLocal; #MyKZNSPAR #MySPAR

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Pietermaritzburg North Regional - St Anne’s Diocesan College: Sunday 15 March

A familiar name secured victory in spectacular fashion at the Pietermaritzburg North Regional, with host school St Anne’s Diocesan College holding the trophy aloft at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge on Sunday 15 March. 

The defending champs, St Anne’s managed to defeat The Wykeham Collegiate in the regional final, earning their twelfth title. Having won their earlier round robin game, St Anne’s walked on as favourites meeting long-time rivals, Wykeham. The final consisted of two 15 minute halves, with a 5 minute half time. The home team had a flawless first half, netting two well crafted goals. Their first was off a short corner awarded after nearly 5 minutes of play. Vice-Captain, Willow Crawford capitalised on being in the right place at the right time after their set piece didn’t quite go according to plan. 

Seven minutes later, Belle Hofmeyr added one more after a quick free hit just outside the circle was rapidly sent her way. Wasting no time, Hofmeyr, lurking just inside the circle, rerouted the pass goalwards, beyond Elam Ndakisa, keeper for The Wykeham Collegiate, knocking in the defending champs second. 

In the second half, St Anne’s still seemed to dominate with magical bursts in the Wykeham’s circle. Ndakisa was up for the challenge, a third of the way through the second half, her skill was put to the test. The first, the St Anne’s attacker was meters away from the right hand post, Ndakisa bearing down on her, the solo striker sent the ball on its way, but the ball veered right. Two minutes later, an impressive run down the left found St Anne’s in a good position with numbers in the circle. The ball was worked to the top of the D, with a St Anne’s forward extending her stick out and deflecting the ball towards the left-hand post. In desperation, Ndakisa just managed to stop the ball sliding her right foot out and edging it out of danger. 

Wykeham perked up tremendously after their great defending. With eight minutes remaining, Hannah van Wyk found herself in space, stretching her legs, charging towards the St Anne’s goals. Finding herself in a one-on-one situation, quick thinking, keeper for the home team, Lili-Anna James calmly came right out to meet van Wyk, sliding neatly, halting the brave attempt. 

With just over three minutes left in the final, Wykeham earned a well-deserved short corner, The ball flew up to the top of the circle, then was passed left under the stick of the first striker. The player to the left redirected the ball to the right where McKenzie Du Bourg was set up to fire in a shot from just inside the circle. The scoreline was now on 2-1. 

The tempo of the visitors was raised some more, with mounting pressure Wykeham again pierced into St Anne’s circle, looking severely threatening but time was not on their side, the final whistle sounded securing victory for St Anne’s. 

Leading up to the final, Courtney van Wyngaard, a Grade 11 student from Riverwood College was over the moon when she won a Princess Stick in the lucky draw prize. Delighted with her new treasure, she unwrapped it and went off to play with it. 

Young Jordan Licen from Treverton College was acknowledged for his decisive decisions with the whistle and was presented with the Umpire of the Day award. 

St Anne’s Diocesan College is the fourth team to reserve a place at the Grand Finals that will be taking place at St Mary’s D.S.G. in July. Ten teams in total from around KZN will converge for the Finals. The three teams that have secured their spot already are Our Lady of Fatima (DBN North Regional); Amanzimtoti High School (DBN South Regional) and most recently, St John’s D.S.G. (PMB Central Regional). 

Results

Regional Final

St Anne’s Diocesan College 2 vs The Wykeham Collegiate 1

Round Robin Results

1 St Anne’s Diocesan College 16pts; 2 The Wykeham Collegiate 12pts; 3 Howick High School 8pts; 4 Treverton College 3pts; Riverwood College 0pts

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge PMB Central Regional - Epworth School: Saturday 14 March

For the fourth consecutive year, the Pietermaritzburg Central Regional was decided in a nail-biting penalty shootout with St John’s D.S.G claiming their fourth title at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge hosted by Epworth School on Saturday 14 March. 

St John’s met host school and defending champs, Epworth School in the regional final that flowed to all corners of the astro. Both teams had moments of pure brilliance where they crafted fantastic attacks after mounting pressure, bursting into each other’s circles, only for magical defence to turn play around, sending it back to the other side.  

Epworth earned three short corners; the first surge was after 68 seconds of play. St John’s were up for the challenge and didn’t allow the set pieces to pierce their defence. On the other end, St John’s had two short corners. Their first was an elaborate run around, with the ball being injected to the top of the circle, moving left, then back to the injector who pushed it back up to the tip of the circle before the player at the top of the D was in possession again. Epworth’s defenders tracked the ball carefully, charging down the ball before the attacker could finish her flamboyant shot. St John’s second set piece was awarded with only 12 seconds left on the clock. Slowing things down, St John’s went back to basics with a skilful, simple manoeuvre of pushing the ball to the castle, and fired off a ferocious flick that was neatly stopped. The score remained on nil nil after fulltime. 

Six players lined up for both teams with the responsibility of taking the penalty shootouts. First to go was St John’s Ananbele Balmer who drifted to her left, slotting the ball under a diving Epworth keeper, Kenya Zwane. Siphokazi Mpantshane stepped up to take the first round for Epworth. Mpantshane made quick work of levelling the scoreline as she charged towards St John’s goal, spinning around – foxing the goalie, Deborah Lock with her 360, slotting in her shot. 

In the second round, Emma Williams trotted in for St John's also veering left before changing tack, keeping the ball away from Zwane and knocking it in the middle of the goals. Young Owami Mthethwa had the task of levelling the score for Epworth. Unlocking her bravery, Lock danced off her line to confront Mthethwa who was advancing keenly. The bold move by Lock cut down the angle for Mthethwa, with a retreating Epworth’s striker, hurriedly trying to knock in her shot but was unable to, by an ‘on-the-ball’ Lock.

Stepping up in the final round, Kate van Breda had the opportunity to claim victory for St John’s if she managed to slot her shot in. She followed in similar fashion to Williams, resulting in a regional winning goal. The final score for St John’s was 3 to 1 goal for Epworth. 

A budding talent, representing St John’s with the whistle, a sincerely cheerful Marcel Diaz had an impressive day overseeing the hotly contested games. Grade 12 learner, Cara MacFarlane from Epworth School walked away with a brand-new Princess hockey stick in the lucky draw prize that was held in the 20 minute break ahead of the finals. 

The top ten teams will converge at the Grand Finals being held in July at St Mary’s D.S.G.. St John’s is the third team to secure their spot, joining Our Lady of Fatima (DBN North Regional) and Amanzimtoti High School (DBN South Regional). St Anne’s Diocesan College were crowned champion the following day (Sunday 15 March) in the Pietermaritzburg North Regional. Another six teams remain to be decided with the tournament travelling around KZN in the coming weeks. 

Results

Regional Final

Epworth School 0 (1) vs St John’s D.S.G. 0 (3)

Round Robin Results

1 St John’s D.S.G. 24pts; 2 Epworth School 20pts; 3 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School 16pts; 4 Maritzburg Christian School 6pts; 5 Carter High School 3pts; 6 Russell High School 3pts; 7 Alexandra High School 2pts

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Pietermaritzburg Central and North Regionals Saturday 14 March & Sunday 15 March

Action-a-plenty awaits schools from the greater Maritzburg area in the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge with Epworth School hosting the Pietermaritzburg Central Regional on Saturday 14 March and St Anne’s Diocesan College welcoming schools for the Pietermaritzburg North Regional on Sunday 15 March.

The busy weekend of hockey will see 12 schools taking to the turf in the hopes of being crowned regional champion. On Saturday, joining Epworth School on their astro are Alexandra High School; Carter High School; Maritzburg Christian School; Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School; Russell High School and St John’s D.S.G. 

On the prowl for their fifth title, Epworth School looks forward to defending the Pietermaritzburg Central Regional on their astro on Saturday 14 March for the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge. Lining up for the host team are Cara Macfarlane and Siphokazi Mpontshane. Pic by Val Adamson

Sunday sees five schools head to St Anne’s for the annual contest. The guest schools are Howick High School; Riverwood College; Treverton College and The Wykeham Collegiate. 

The weekend’s fixtures have all teams meeting in a round robin format, with games in the Central Regional lasting 20 minutes, and 25 minutes in the North Regional. A victorious team will earn themselves 4 points on the log, while drawn games – both teams will share the points. If both teams have the same number of goals, they will each earn 2 points while a goalless draw will add 1 point to your tally. A loss registers zero points. 

There have been five schools that have had the honour of representing their regions at the Grand Finals since the tournament’s inception in 2011. The top ten schools from around KZN converge on St Mary’s D.S.G. in the hopes of being crowned overall champion in the challenge. Both hosts schools are defending champs.

Leaders of the pack. St Anne’s Diocesan College’s Hannah Schwegmann (vice-captain), Holly Hofmeyr (captain) and Willow Crawford (vice-captain) prepare to defend their title in the Pietermaritzburg North Regional at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge. The only matrics donning the St Anne’s kit this year, the trio will be welcoming teams onto their turf on Sunday 15 March. Pic by Val Adamson

The two home teams will be walking on to the fields as defending champs. St Anne’s have lifted the regional trophy 11 times while Wykeham Collegiate have three. In the Central tournament, Girls High have their name engraved on the trophy seven times, followed by Epworth with four wins and St John’s three successes. 

Two teams have already secured their spot at the Grand Finals in the 2026 edition. First to qualify was Our Lady of Fatima waving the Durban North Regionals flag and joining them is Amanzimtoti High School from the Durban South Regional who were victorious last weekend. 

Matrics present on the day should keep an eye out for eta College. The leading Sport Science, Coaching and Management tertiary institution in Durban is offering a year’s bursary at eta College, which one lucky player could win. The bursary will be awarded to a lucky young lady at the Grand Finals.

All games at these two tournaments will be livestreamed by SuperSport Schools, so if you can’t make it to the sidelines to support, you can still catch all the action online. 

For more information, follow the tournament on Facebook: SPARSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament and Instagram  sparkznhockey or TikTok spar.kzn.hockey or use the hashtags: #ChixWithStix #HearthoftheCommunity #SuperLocal #MyKZNMySPAR 

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Durban South Regional - 3 Schools Trust Astro: Saturday 7 March

Amanzimtoti High School hosts the second tournament of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge inviting teams for the Durban South Regional which takes place at 3 Schools Trust Astro on Saturday 7 March.

Eight teams will take on this year’s challenge in the hopes of raising the trophy and advancing to the prestigious Grand Finals where nine other regional winners from around KwaZulu Natal will converge. The Grand Finals concludes the challenge at St Mary’s D.S.G. at the end of July. One team has secured a spot, Our Lady of Fatima was crowned the Durban North Regional champion on Sunday (1 March).

All smiles, teammates Nandy Mseleku and Elihle Ncwane from Kingsway High School gear up to defend their title at the upcoming Durban South Regional. Amanzimtoti High School welcomes teams to the 3 Schools Trust for this SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge on Saturday 7 March. Pic by Val Adamson

Defending champs, Kingsway High School will meet host school, Toti in the first game of the fixtures. The day gets underway at 7.30am with each game lasting a rapid 20 minutes. A victorious team will earn 4 points, with teams that draw sharing the same number of points. A draw with goals earns 2 points, while a goalless draw earns the teams 1 point each. Zero points will reflect on a losing team’s log. For teams that dominate, their tally will be capped at a maximum of 7 goals recorded.

The schools participating have been split into two Pools, with Amanzimtoti and Kingsway being joined in Pool A by Port Natal Skool and Queensburgh Girls’ High School. Pool B will have Durban Academy; Kuswag Skool; New Forest High School and Werda Skool. Once the pool games have concluded, the teams will all get the chance to participate in a positional cross pool play-off. The top two teams from each of the pools will meet in a semi-final, with the losing teams heading to the bronze medal game and the two successful teams clashing for the regional honours.

In the cross pool play-offs, teams ending with a level score will head to a nail-biting penalty shoot-out where three players from each team will have the opportunity to edge their opponents out.

Four teams have represented the area at the Grand Finals, with host school Toti leading the charge with 6 appearances at the Grand Finals. Kuswag have their name engraved on the trophy three times, including the inaugural tournament in 2011and two times since COVID. Sharing the honour of three wins is Durban Girls’ High School, who moved across to the Durban Central Regional in recent years. Adding their name to the list, Kingsway High will be keen to defend their title and claim their second title.

Matrics participating in the challenge will have the opportunity to win a year’s bursary at eta College, a leading Sport Science, Coaching and Management tertiary institution in Durban. The bursary will be awarded at the Grand Finals.

All the games will be livestreamed on the SuperSport Schools app, so if you can’t get to the sidelines, you can catch all the action online.

For more information, follow the tournament on Facebook: SparSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament and Instagram sparkznhockey or TikTok spar.kzn.hockey or use the hashtags: #ChixWithStix; #HeartoftheCommunity; #SuperLocal; #MyKZNSPAR #MySPAR

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Durban North Regional - Crawford La Lucia: Sunday 1 March

Securing their seventh title in the Durban North Regional, Our Lady of Fatima return as champions in the opening fixture in the 16th year of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge that took place at Crawford La Lucia on Sunday 1 March.

In a replay of the 2025 final, Fatima took on defending champions, Ashton International College in the concluding game. Having put on a very methodical performance throughout the day, Fatima met a determined Ashton who were keen to keep the trophy they had doggedly won in a hard-fought battle. This year was no different; Ashton put up a valiant fight, faltering Fatima’s dominance. For the first time that day, Fatima’s keeper, Kayla Driver, was on her toes as Ashton edged play into Fatima’s circle on several occasions but were just unable to make any impact.

Charge. Turning around the play, Zoey Seppings from Our Lady of Fatima defends scuppering Ashton International College’s Emmerson van Zijl valiant attempt to break the solid Fatima defence during the final of the Durban North Regional of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge that took place on Sunday 1 March at Crawford La Lucia.  Pic by Val Adamson

 On the other end, Stella Fourie was perfectly poised, slotting in Fatima’s first goal as she pierced her opponent's circle after 150 seconds, quickly gathering herself and punching in a feisty shot, slotting it into the left-hand corner beyond Ashton’s last line - Isabella Baxter. Two minutes later, Fatima’s Charly-Rose Boyle charged down the centre of the field, finding some freedom to drift right as she entered the circle. At pace, she attempted a spirited shot that flew right of the post.

After 12 minutes of play, Rachel Da Sousa was stationed on Ashton’s post. Yet another attack from Fatima found their forwards on the baseline, quickly moving the ball goalward. Da Sousa was there on hand to pounce on the pass, confidently knocking it in identical fashion to Fourie’s earlier goal.

The final eight minutes, Ashton bravely retaliated, with several surges into Fatima’s circle spurred on by vice-captain, Emmerson van Zijl threatening runs, but the advances were shut down by a composed defence. The final whistle blasted with Fatima victorious with their two class goals.

In the build up to the final, Ashton met Reddam House uMhlanga. Reddam who have been growing in stature at this tournament have regularly featured in the top four in recent years. Reddam held Ashton to a nil nil draw after full time. The game being decided in a penalty shootout. After three rounds, the scoreline was level with both teams netting one goal each. The tempo raised with the game now going into a round of sudden death. Reddam were first to go with their attempt sadly going wide. Capitalising on her earlier goal in the penalty shootout, Kimberly Johnson ran the ball in for Ashton, sliding left scooping the ball in, just beyond the travelling Reddam keeper Kaela Magjee, claiming their spot in the regional final.

In the second semi, Fatima met long time rival, and previous regional winners Danville Park Girls’ High. In a display of pure dominance, Fatima bamboozled Danville with an emphatic win of 5 nil.

Eighty two goals were scored in total after 23 games in suffocating heat, with Fatima netting 21 goals in their pool games and seven in the medal games, while Ashton earned 17 in their pool games and another two in their silverware games.

Umpire of the Day was awarded to hard working Tyler Tomset representing Ashton. In the build up to the finals, one young player from each school had the opportunity to win a Princess hockey stick in a fun lucky draw. Participating for the first year in the Ashton first team, Grade 9 Caylea Duncan earned herself the magnificent prize.

Fatima is the first of ten teams to book their berth at the Grand Finals taking place in July. This coming weekend, teams from Amanzimtoti, the Bluff and Queensburgh take to the turf at 3 Schools Trust for the second fixture in the challenge, the Durban South Regional.

Results

Final

Ashton International College 0 vs Our Lady of Fatima 2

Semi Finals

Ashton International College 0 (2) vs Reddam uMhlanga 0 (1)

Our Lady of Fatima 5 vs Danville Park Girls’ High 0

Pool A

1 Ashton International College 13pts; 2 Danville Park Girls’ High 13pts; 3 Crawford La Lucia 5pts; 4 Reddam House Ballito 2pts; 5 Curro Salt Rock 1pt

Pool B

1 Our Lady of Fatima 16pts; 2 Reddam House uMhlanga 12pts; 3 Durban North College 5pts; 4 Northlands Girls’ High School 4pts; 5 Crawford North Coast 1pt

SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Durban North Regional - Crawford La Lucia: Sunday 1 March

Launching into the sixteenth year, this year’s SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge action unfolds at the Durban North Regional hosted by Crawford La Lucia on Sunday 1 March.

The first of the ten KZN regionals welcomes ten schools from the area. Split into two pools, the teams will take to the pitch for their pool games, followed by the top two teams from each pool going head-to-head in the cross-pool semi-finals revealing the challengers who will meet in the regional final.

Game faces on! Poised and ready to defend their title, Ashton International College’s Anna Angelopolous (captain) and Emmerson van Zijl (vice-captain) hope to lead their team to their fifth victory in the Durban North Regional of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge that will be hosted by Crawford La Lucia on Sunday 1 March.  Pic by Val Adamson

Defending champs, Ashton International College take on the home team, Crawford La Lucia in the first game for Pool A, joining them are Danville Park Girls’ High School; Curro Salt Rock and Reddam Ballito. The second game of the tournament welcomes Our Lady of Fatima and Reddam uMhlanga participating in Pool B. Northlands Girls’ High School; Durban North College and Crawford North Coast have also been drawn into this pool.

A total of 23 games will be played in this regional with all games lasting a quick fire 20 minutes. A successful team will add 4 points to their log, while the loser acquires zero points. In a case of a goalless draw, both teams earn 1 point but if two teams managed to net the same number of goals, they will each earn 2 points.  A maximum of seven goals will be recorded if a team dominates. If the playoffs end with the scores being level, three players from each team will head to a penalty shootout.

Emerging from this regional, the first finalist representing the suburbs north of Durban will head to the Grand Finals where they will meet the nine other finalists from around the province. Four schools have had the honour of participating at the concluding tournament. 

Defending champions, Ashton earned a third place last year, the best result for a team from this region. Ashton have gone on to the Grand Finals four times, sharing this record with Danville Park Girls’ High School. Our Lady of Fatima’s claimed victory in the inaugural regional, and has their name engraved six times on the trophy. Host school, Crawford La Lucia have also gone on to the Grand Finals once and with home turf advantage, will be keen to reclaim the title.

Matrics participating in the challenge will have the opportunity to win a year’s bursary at eta College, a leading Sport Science, Coaching and Management tertiary institution in Durban. The bursary will be awarded at the Grand Finals which takes place at St Mary’s D.S.G. at the end of July. 

For more information, follow the tournament on Facebook: SparSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament and Instagram  sparkznhockey or TikTok spar.kzn.hockey or use the hashtags: #ChixWithStix  #HeartoftheCommunity #SuperLocal #MyKZNSPAR #MySPAR 

SPAR Women's Challenge Back with a Bang

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa: The SPAR Women’s Challenge series is back with a bang and changes to the rules and prizes in the associated SPAR Grand Prix offer local runners massive new financial incentives.

For the first time since 2019, the SPAR Women’s Challenge races will be open to thousands of women in each of the six cities nationwide.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, no races were run in 2020. In 2021, SPAR came to the rescue of the elite runners by hosting six races in a limited format. This was done in accordance with Covid-19 protocols giving the top runners an opportunity to compete and to earn money. 

Social runners were able to take part in a SPAR Women’s Virtual Challenge, running on their own and sharing their experiences online.

In 2022, the six races were spread out over six months, but numbers remained limited, with social runners once again taking part in a Virtual Challenge. 

The 2023 SPAR Women’s Challenge will return to its original format and will again be open to thousands of women runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. The popular 5km Fun Run is back and will be staged alongside the classic SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge, which incorporates the prestigious SPAR Grand Prix.

Former SPAR Grand Prix winner, Kesa Molotsane, is thrilled that the races are once again open to all.  “The SPAR Women’s Virtual Challenge was a brilliant idea, but there is nothing quite like a real SPAR Women’s Challenge event,’ she said. ‘It’s so exciting to encounter the different cultures and personalities at these races.  We were very grateful to SPAR that we were able to compete during the pandemic, but I think we all missed the festive atmosphere that always surrounds the SPAR Women’s Challenges.”

Kesa added, “I am looking forward to seeing new, exciting talent that always emerges every year. There may have been runners who couldn’t run in the restricted races but now have the chance to show what they can do.”

SPAR Group’s National Sponsorship and Events Manager, Charlene Subbarayan, is also delighted that the SPAR Women’s Challenges will once again involve thousands of women. “SPAR is all about promoting healthy living and good health means a healthy lifestyle so what better way, than to get everyone out in the open air, training for the SPAR Women’s Challenge series. The SPAR Women’s Challenge offers us a way of thanking our customers by providing them with a day of fun and entertainment, with plenty of spot prizes at all the races,” she said. 

“We are so happy that we can once again welcome thousands of women of all ages to our 10km races and 5km Fun Runs. Our target national entry is 70 000 women in 2023,” added Subbarayan.    

The President of Athletics South Africa (ASA), James Moloi, said the SPAR Women’s Challenge series is an important part of the South African athletics calendar. “Many women get a taste for running after training to take part in these unique women-only races. The SPAR Grand Prix races also offer the elite runners an opportunity to test themselves and the presence of international athletes, who are drawn to the race by the lucrative prize money. This has spurred our domestic runners to improve their times,” he said.    

In the SPAR Grand Prix, there are several exciting developments. In recent years, the dominance of athletes from Ethiopia and Namibia has made it difficult for the South Africans to earn the top prizes. This year, local athletes will win prizes in addition to the overall prize pool. In the 6 races, the first 2 South Africans across the finish line will win R10 000 and R5 000 respectively. They are eligible to collect the overall prizes as well, starting at R30 000 for a win, R25 000 for second place and R21 000 for third.

The prize pool for the overall SPAR Grand Prix has been similarly structured. The winner will receive R200 000, second place R100 000 and the prizes go down to tenth place. This year there will also be a separate ‘competition within a competition’ for South African athletes, with the 5 top local runners taking home a total of R185 000 in addition to the money they win in the overall SPAR Grand Prix. First place will score a handsome R75 000.

The total prize purse across the SPAR Grand Prix is now R1.9 million, 14% up on 2022.

Another important change comes in the number of races to count for the final points table. In previous years, the total points scored by an athlete over the 6 races counted. This, however, placed runners who had to miss 1 or 2 races because of international commitments or injury at a disadvantage. This year, a runner’s four best performances in the SPAR Grand Prix races will count for points. This means that a runner can miss two races and still be competitive.

The SPAR Women’s Challenge series incorporating the SPAR Grand Prix 10km races will be held in Cape Town, Gqeberha, Durban, Mbombela, Tshwane and Johannesburg.

Ends.

2023 SPAR GRAND PRIX CALENDAR

Cape Town – Sunday, 23 April 2023 – Green Point Common

Gqeberha – Saturday, 27 May 2023 – Pollok Beach, Summerstrand

Durban – Sunday, 25 June 2023 – Kings Park Stadium

Mbombela – Saturday, 15 July 2023 – Mbombela Stadium

Tshwane – Saturday, 5 August 2023 – SuperSport Park

Joburg – Sunday, 1 October 2023 – Marks Park Sporting Club