Excitement mounts for St Dunstan’s Easter Sports Festival
We had a sit down with the captains of the hockey, rugby and netball teams that will be participating in this year’s festival, to take a trip down memory lane.
It’s almost time for the St Dunstan’s Easter Sports Festival again, and this year the City Times is again the proud media sponsor.
“This will be my first time competing in the festival,” said Gugu Madlala, netball captain and headgirl of the college.
“Last year I was a spectator, and it was a great experience, tons of fun and a very serious environment with good pressure.
“I can’t wait to compete this year; it was a good vibe last year, we even had a Benoni Derby (Benoni High School vs St Dunstan’s).
“It was our first time playing them last year, and I hope we can play them again this year,” said Corbin Greenslade, hockey captain and headboy of the college.
What started as a rugby festival with twelve schools in 2014, the St Dunstan’s College Easter Sports Festival has grown into a multi-sport event allowing pupils from different backgrounds to compete and socialise in a competitive sporting environment, the first of this kind on the East Rand.
Schools from across South Africa and Zimbabwe all pull together for a few days to compete in sports such as hockey, netball and rugby.
What are you most looking forward to about this year?
“We can’t wait to show everyone how we are growing, not only as individuals but also as a team.
“We just wait to make sure all our games are nail biters,” said rugby captain, Wian de Jager.
“We can’t wait to show what our team has, we need to be consistent this year.
“Last year we started off a bit rusty, this year will be different,” said hockey captain, Jenna Harris.
Who is your rival team that you are looking forward to facing this year?
“We are the rival team,” Madlala said giggling
“We are the team to beat.”
Greenslade, agreeing with Madlala, said: “If you can beat the St Dunstan’s netball girls, you can beat anyone.”
What are your best memories from last year?
“The dinner is a tradition, and was one of my best memories from last year because of the time and fun you had with your team and school.
“But if I had to pick my most memorable moment, it would have to be Kylie van Wyk from our team who scored a back stick shot in the top corner on the first day of the festival, that, none of us will ever forget,” said Harris.
“I definitely agree with the dinner being a memorable moment, because for my first time there, it was like wow.
“Seeing everyone there for sport, and also becoming closer to my team, was really the most memorable moment for me,” said Madlala.
“Playing against St Benedict’s was a challenge, but a great memorable moment, or maybe playing against Redhill, and winning because we had lost against them before,” said de Jager.
“I would probably have to say playing against St Benedict’s because rugby and netball had finished for the day, and so everyone from the festival crowded around our hockey game, and that brought a massive vibe, and it was just great to be a part of it,” said Greenslade.
There are two schools that would really love to be a part of the festival, not only because its an exciting event to compete and spectate at, but also because they have tough teams that have what it takes to compete with.
St Dunstan’s assists two schools each festival to attend, but they are urging people for assistance in helping them sponsor these schools.
The schools are Unity Secondary School and Kingsway High School netball teams, and are in desperate need for sponsors.
They will need assistance with the following: full kit, tekkies, transport to and from the festival, as well as about three practice sessions and tickets and transport to and from the tradition dinner at Emperors Palace.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, and assist in putting smiles on children’s faces, or just require some more information on the sports festival, contact St Dunstan’s College on 011 746 6500 and ask for Mandy Lachenicht or Julie Symons.
