KZN’s top 10 girls’ hockey teams to lock horns
Twenty-nine games will be battled out at St Mary’s DSG and Thomas More College in the hunt for the 2015 SPAR KZN regional hockey champion.
KZN’S top 10 girls’ first teams will converge in Kloof for the SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament finals, which take place at St Mary’s DSG and Thomas More College on 25 July and 26 July.
Twenty-nine games will be battled out in the hunt to be the 2015 champion. The 10 teams who have been victorious in their regionals around KZN will take each other on in the conclusion to this annual tournament, now in its fifth year. Ten regionals have been played through the early part of this year, with the finalists from each region participating in the grand finals.
Favourites are the in-form teams from St Mary’s DSG and Durban Girls’ College, which are just outside the top 10 rankings in South Africa for girls’ first teams. Not far down the list are Pietermartizburg Girls’ High School and St Anne’s College.
Durban Girls’ College is the defending champion, having raised the trophy in the last two years.
Teams that will compete in the tournament are Ferrum Hoërskool from Newcastle; Amanzimtoti High School from the Durban south regional; Ashton International College from the Durban north regional; defending champions, Durban Girls’ College from the Durban central regional; Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High and St Anne’s College from the Pietermaritzburg central and northern regionals; St Mary’s DSG from the Highway regional; King Edward High School from the southern KZN regional; Empangeni High School from the northern KZN regional; and Wartburg Kirchdorf High School from the inland KZN regional.
Another vital ingredient to this tournament is the growth of umpires. At each regional, one umpire was selected as the ‘most promising umpire’ and they have been invited to officiate at the grand finals.
The most promising umpires are Ansie Joubert (St Dominic’s Academy) from the northern KZN regional; Jason Naidoo (Kingsway High School) from the Durban south regional; Ziyaana Booley (Northlands Girls’ High) from the Durban north regional; Pam Daniel (Durban Girls’ High School) from the Durban central regional; Craig Warren (Treverton) from the Pietermaritzburg central regional; Bryn Merton (Grace College) from the Pietermaritzburg north regional; Chiara Benati (St Mary’s DSG – making her second appearance) from the Highway regional; Tessa van Vuuren from the southern KZN regional (also is making her second appearance); Storm Blignaut (St Catherine’s) from the northern KZN regional; and Sarah Wheeler (Greytown High School) from the inland regional (making her fifth appearance).
MD of SPAR, Rob Philipson, said a tournament of this size requires some great teamwork and good strategies to win.
“I would like to thank everyone involved: the tournament director, Les Galloway, the technical team, the schools, coaches, managers and teachers and the girls and their parents, who have worked together to create and develop this winning event,” said Philipson.
Pool matches will be played on Saturday, 25 July from 8.30am at St Mary’s and Thomas More in Kloof. On Sunday, 26 July, the play-offs will start at 8.30am at St Mary’s.
