TZANEEN – Ben Vorster High School brought young hockey talent to the forefront during the recent school holidays, hosting its own u/14 hockey tournament, the RAM Ben Vorster Friendship Festival, from April 2 to 5.

The festival saw six visiting schools, HTS Middelburg, Monument High School, Zwartkop High School, Ligbron High School, Lydenburg High School, and Curro Nelspruit, join the Vossies for a competitive week of full-length matches.

The primary goal of the festival was to provide young players with valuable match experience under pressure in a structured, competitive format. According to organisers, it also served as an opportunity to build connections with other top hockey schools in the country.

What set the festival apart were its unique rules, designed to add excitement and strategic variety to the games.

Two special cards, the orange and pink cards, were introduced. The orange card allowed a team to remove an opposing player from the field for two and a half minutes, while the pink card doubled the value of any goals scored during that same time frame.

These twists were well-received and added a dynamic edge to the matches.

Ben Vorster’s boys’ team emerged as champions of the festival, while the girls’ team secured a strong second-place finish. Ligbron High School’s boys finished in second place, and HTS Middelburg’s girls claimed the top spot in the girls’ division.