SA School Sports

AT Northwood, a boy ascends from being a squire to the ultimate accolade, a Northwood Knight – a proud member of the Durban North schools’ community of Old Boys.

The Kearsney College first hockey team had a challenging fixture versus Northwood this past Saturday. Two weeks ago they played Northwood in a night league semi final and beat them 8-0 in a game where everything went to plan for them but perhaps  Northwood weren’t at their best that evening as  they are a much better side then that score line reads.

College visited Northwood this weekend and met a well-respected Durban team. It was always going to be a challenge to win convincingly at Northwood after a hard fought 1 - 0 the previous week.

The Northwood 1^st hockey team put in their most polished performance of the season so far, when they dispatched Michaelhouse 4 – 0 on Saturday.

The Northwood 1^st hockey team continued their winning momentum when they beat Hilton College 2 – 0 on Saturday, 9 May, 2015.

For much of the year the race for the No.1 spot was a three horse race with Waterkloof taking the early lead with a powerful start to the first term and going into the last month of the season it looked like the Pretoria team might have done just enough to secure the top spot for 2013.

There is no doubt that since Darryn Gallagher was appointed head of hockey at Northwood, the school has been making waves.But what does he do - and what does the Durban North school want to achieve on the hockey pitch?

The annual Oppenheimer Cricket Week in Pietermaritzburg, once again sponsored by that great benefactor of the game, Jonathan Oppenheimer, kicks off on Saturday, September 21 and runs until Tuesday, September 24.

A thoroughly convincing victory by Westville over Maritzburg helps to cement their place at the top of KwaZulu-Natal Soccer rankings having enjoyed a very productive season.

With the start of the final cricket season of 2013 there is plenty of cricket that is about to be squeezed into a few very competitive months and if the weather plays the game we are in for a treat of schoolboy cricket.

It has been a long time coming but finally we have compiled rankings for soccer although it is only for one province of the country.

A season of some of the world’s best school boy rugby has all but come to a close and for the players who ran out for the last time for their school they will be left with that supreme pride that comes from wearing their teams badge and playing to their best ability. A memory that will live with them for decades.

It was a tightly fought season which saw three teams vying for the top spot almost from the start of the season and at various stages all three, Affies, Outeniqua had a taste at being the number one side in the country.

However it is perhaps fitting that it is Affies who can lay claim to the top team in South Africa after completing the season without being defeated, without drawing and winning every single match. It is a supreme effort by a side that played the country’s most powerful teams and still remained competitive scoring heavily in most of their matches.

It is perhaps a pity that somewhere along the line Affies and Paarl Gim never met, as on paper there was very little to choose between the two teams, however Gimmies were held to a surprise draw by Oakdale in what was their only ‘blemish’ on an otherwise spotless season so perhaps finishing in second spot is justified.

A strong finish by Grey College, after an indifferent start to their season put pressure on Outeniqua for the third spot, but the consistency of Outeniqua helped them to finish in the Top three after suffering just the one defeat at the hands of Paarl Gim.

It was another great season and our thanks to the thousands of players, coaches and the avid fans of schoolboy rugby that showed sustained interest in the rankings, offered advice and suggestions and supported us. Rankings are not an absolute science but by factoring in the strength of the opponents, margin of victories and the actual results it is hoped that a team’s current form can be judged.

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Selborne College were pushed all the way by Dale College who produced one of their better performances this season but at the end succumbed to the overall skill shown by Selborne.

The unbeaten run continue for Paarl Gim and Affies who brushed aside this week’s opposition with very little worries.

Victories by Paarl Gim, Affies and Grey College consolidated their status as the leading teams in the country as the second half of the school rugby season kicked off this past week.

A high pedigree Cape School’s Week dominated proceedings in the SA School Rugby scene this past week where there were one or two surprise results and some expected victories for the big names.

The match lived up to be a tough one in the mould of  “David vs Goliath”. Northwood currently ranked as the top KZN team  side took the game to Kearsney in the first chukka with 11 circle entries compared to Kearsney’s  1.

Matt de Sousa turned the Kearney defence inside out on numerous occasions but Northwood failed to take their chances. Dylan Middleton in goals backed up by some solid defending kept the Northwood tsunami at bay. 3 minutes before the end of the first chukka Northwood were rewarded for their efforts when they were awarded a penalty corner. A composed Matt de Sousa converted the one-on-one penalty  giving Northwood the lead going into the second chukka.

Having weather the storm Kearsney came out a lot more confident in the second chukka and went looking for the equaliser. Bili Ntuli wnet on a few excellent attacking runs into the Northwood 22 yard area keeping the solid Northwood defence on their toes. Half way into the second chukka Kearsney created an opening and were awarded a penalty corner which Ryan Wallace converted. Both sides were playing extremely positive hockey and this resulted in a very open free flowing game.

In the third chukka with the scores now even and all to play for, both sides made every effort to gain an advantage. Eventually the Kearsney defence were found wanting and Matt de Sousa once again converted a penalty corner that Northwood were awarded. The never say die attitude of the men in Maroon made for a thrilling finish and with 40 seconds remaining Dylan Griffiths managed to find some space in the circle and scored a goal to clinch a draw and set up a penalty shootout.

Dylan Middleton in the Kearsney goal rounded off an excellent evening saving all three of Northwood’s first attempts whilst the Kearsney players (ryam Wallace and Kyle Madsen) managed to convert their first two penalties. It was then left up to Bili Ntuli to score the decider and secure the win.

He calmly converted his penalty which  resulted in Kearsney College becoming the 2013 Night League Champions. The only other time Kearsney had won the trophy was in the inaugural year of the competition in 2006.

Goal scorers: Match:  M de Sousa - Northwood (2), Ryan Wallace (1), Dylan Griffiths (1)

Penalty shootout: Ryan Wallace, Kyle Madsen, Bili Ntuli

Final result: Kearsney 5, Northwood 2  

The top five all recorded wins over the weekend which ensured that their positions didn’t change and it is a pity that the much anticipated Kearsney v Maritzburg College had to be cancelled due to a flu epidemic.

Please note that two outstanding results for Pretoria Boy’s High have been included which had a small bearing on this week’s rankings. This weekend there is the big “Battle of the Jukskei” when Pretoria Boy’s meet St. John’s College which will give both teams a chance to move up the table.

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A huge effort by Oakdale finally has brought the mighty Paarl Gim bulldozer to a temporary halt although they will no doubt feel the 17-17 draw was more of a speed hump than an arrestor bed.

The Wynberg machine continues on its merry way with yet another victory in what is turning out to be an outstanding season for the Cape Town outfit.

It was yet another emphatic win by Paarl Gim who managed to steam roll their way over Wynberg to keep their dream of remaining unbeaten very much alive at this stage of the season.

There is some massive hockey taking place this week and it is the Girl’s in particular that will be very busy with several high profile matches on the go and the much anticipated ISSF Festival taking place in Pietermaritzburg.

Facing the possible thought of slipping out of the Top 10 Maritzburg College faced a mighty challenge from Glenwood who on their day are able to mix it with the best in the business.

Waterkloof fought bravely in their match against Affies and almost pulled off one of the upsets of the season this past weekend.

Several huge encounters have taken place already this week and a few more will be decided over the weekend.

Wynberg clinched two comfortable victories in the past week to cement themselves on the No.1 spot although the chasing pack is not far behind.

Affies didn't play this weekend which gave their players what many would say was a well earned break after playing several gruelling matches on the trot. Even though this was apparently not Affies choice they did get the opportunity to recharge the batteries for a demanding season that lies ahead.

There are now two unbeaten teams occupying the top two positions and virtually nothing separates them at this stage of the season.

Wynberg continue to rule the roost after completing another resounding win and now stretch their unbeaten run to 10 matches as underline just how dominant they are at present.

Paarl Gim managed a clean sweep at the Wildeklawer tournament to keep their number one spot secure after having now strung together a run of eight wins on the trot.

A highly successful KZN tour by Rondebosch Boy’s High which saw the Cape outfit thrashing Maritzburg College, earning a solid win against Michaelhouse and drawing against Northwood has helped boost them into the Top 10.

A supreme effort from Paarl Gim against Outeniqua over the weekend catapulted Gimmies into pole position and in the process extended their unbeaten run this season.

The match between Northwood and Maritzburg College was billed as the “Battle for KZN”, the undisputed Kings of KZN for the past few decades, Maritzburg College and the new kids on the block Northwood.

Northwood vs Maritzburg College – cracker of a hockey match in store. The success of the Northwood first hockey team in winning 12 matches from 12 starts is a fantastic achievement and can be put down in large part to the school’s appointment a few years ago of Darryn Gallagher as director of hockey.

Yet another crushing victory for high riding Outeniqua see the Kwagga’s firmly entrenched at the top of the table and few will argue that it is well deserved.

Yet another win for Northwood this time over Hilton College saw the KZN outfit extend their unbeaten run to 11 matches and leap in to the No. 1 spot!

The hockey season is now fully underway with most of teams busy with a long season on the Astro. Check out this weeks fixtures and results.

Among the many matches that were played out over the past week it was perhaps the Wynberg v Rondebosch and Pretoria Boy’s High v Maritzburg College clashes that were the most eagerly anticipated.

The hockey season promises to deliver some spectacular play and already we are seeing some traditional powerhouses losing ground to other teams who have seemingly closed the gap.

For most schools action resumes on the rugby fields across the country although several of the big name teams are taking a rest after an intensive Easter campaign.

The rugby season is in full swing with most of the teams having started their 2013 campaign and as the second school term starts there is going to be nonstop action for several months to come.

The hockey season has exploded into a very tight contest this season with several teams causing some shock results against the traditionally stronger teams. The many festival matches that have been recently played were hotly contested and allowed us to get a feel for the type of form in the teams.

The sticks are out and the astro is looking perfect for another massive hockey season which will see some of the top teams clashing in the many festivals that will take place in the next few weeks.

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The first term is over and the cricket kit is put away for a few months before old rivalries resume near the end of the year.

A thumping victory by Rondebosch over Bishops sees them edge ever closer to the number one spot as the season draws to an end and it underlines the depth of the ‘Bosch to be competing at the very top for the past three years.

For many teams it was the first match of the season but already there are some positive signs that the coaches and players have put in some serious off season training with some spectacular rugby predicted for the season.

Although the usual suspects continue to show why they are at the very top of school rugby it is encouraging to see the traditionally small teams stepping up and we can expect not a few surprises this season.

Pupils and coaches from top rugby playing schools in KwaZulu-Natal got a rare inside perspective on the one of the main ingredients behind The Sharks success when the Super Rugby team shared it's philosophy on the importance of team culture with the schoolboys and their coaches.

There was considerable movement on the table over the past week as most of the teams were engaged in numerous matches in a short space of time which tested the depth of the various sides.

Waterkloof who were the finalists against Rondebosch in the Coke T20 Challenge cling on to the top spot although the gap between them and the rest has shrunk appreciably. Affies take the second best slot thanks to a win against Waterkloof and a good showing during the Independent Schools Festival. Rondebosch who are now the champions of the T20 format, deservedly get back into the top three and had it not been for their surprise loss against St.Andrew’s Bloem they could have been challenging for the No.1 position.

One of the big movers is St.Andrew’s College who are now on a seven match winning streak and they burst into the Top 10 after enjoying an excellent week which included a stunning nine wicket win over Affies. St.Alban’s also have put together some good results and went undefeated at the Independent School’s Festival . Paul Roos Gym also break into the Top 10 after stretching their winning streak to four matches which has included brushing aside Wynberg twice.

The equation used for these rankings are not based purely on a win/loss ratio and in order to grade the various wins against stronger or less stronger teams a formula has been used to give as realistic evaluation of the team’s form. Click here to see how the rankings are worked out.

Please continue to send us your thoughts, opinions and suggestions on the rankings to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.    We are looking forward to hearing from you!

After another full week of cricket it is still Waterkloof you remain unbeaten and are firmly entrenched at the top of the table although several interesting results have caused some movement in both directions.

Wynberg have tumbled down the table after suffering what must be viewed as a surprise defeat by the rapidly improving Paul Roos side who outplayed Wynberg to record a comprehensive five wicket victory. Wynberg are now grimly fighting to stay in the top ten and the win has rocketed PRG into the top 20.

Kingswood has also enjoyed a good week after thrashing Muir College and has managed to punch their way to the top half of the rankings. KZN powerhouse Westville, after a somewhat indifferent start to the season seem to be back to full strength now and they have made up some ground to get back into the top 10 after a welcomed win over Northwood who they beat by six wickets. This now extends their winning streak to seven matches as they look to forget their poor early season tour to the Cape.

Jeppe Boy’s continue to impress as they took care of business against the young Pretoria Boy’s outfit who are yet to show the form of last year but the experience will no doubt forge them into a stronger team in the matches ahead.

Please continue to send us your thoughts, opinions and suggestions on the rankings to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.    We are looking forward to hearing from you!

This week’s rankings have a new look as more teams have played the minimum of four matches to be included and several other teams have submitted their up-to-date results.