2026 Catholic Schools Hockey Festival opens with intense competition at Brescia House School
Young hockey players battled it out across multiple age groups as the Catholic Schools Hockey Festival officially got underway at Brescia House School.
The 2026 Catholic Schools Hockey Festival got off to an exciting and highly competitive start on May 29, as participating schools battled it out on the field at Brescia House School.
Participating schools include Assumption Convent School, Brescia House School, De La Salle Holy Cross College, Marist Brothers Linmeyer, Holy Rosary School for Girls, St Catherine’s School, St Dominic’s School for Girls, St Teresa’s School, and Veritas College.
Teams competed fiercely throughout the day in various age-group categories, including U14, U15, and the prestigious first team U18 division.
Players showcased their determination, skill, and teamwork as schools went head-to-head in tightly contested matches.
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The tournament atmosphere was energetic and vibrant, with supporters lining the sidelines and schools rallying behind their teams in a strong display of school spirit.
Brescia House School first team coach Dylan Casey expressed his excitement as the long-awaited festival officially got underway. “A lot of planning has gone into it and a couple stressful days, but we’re happy to finally be underway.
“I think the vibe is good so far. The team is playing well, the camaraderie amongst the Catholic schools is very good, and I think that just sort of leads towards what the aim of the whole festival is.”
Casey emphasised that while competition remains fierce, the broader purpose of the event is to strengthen relationships among Catholic schools through sport. “I think, at the end of the day, it’s not about who wins or who loses. It’s more about participation and, like I say, camaraderie between Catholic schools.
“We just hope everyone has a good time and we can try to build this into something bigger and, hopefully, we get more Catholic schools in the future.”
While pride and bragging rights are at stake across the junior divisions, Casey said the only official trophy up for grabs will be awarded in the U18 section on May 30. “There is a trophy at the end for the U18 section, which is tomorrow, but for U16 and the junior section, it’s more just for pride and for bragging for one year, until next year.”
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Among the teams making an impression on opening day was Marist Brothers, competing in the tournament for the second time.
Caldene Burgers, mistress in charge of hockey at Marist Brothers, praised the determination shown by her squad. “We are participating in the tournament for the second time now.
“I’ve got my U16 girls here, mixed with some of the junior girls, and they are playing their hearts out, defending to their cores. Our defence is amazing; our goalkeeper is amazing. They are doing much better from the previous year, and that means our team is growing.”
@caxtonjoburgnorth WATCH: Teams from Assumption Convent School, Brescia House School, De La Salle Holy Cross College, Marist Brothers Linmeyer, Holy Rosary School for Girls, St Catherine’s School, St Dominic’s School for Girls, St Teresa’s School, and Veritas College played their hearts out on the first day of the 2026 Catholic Schools Hockey Festival hosted by Brescia House School. Video: Xoliswa Zakwe #caxtonlocalmedia #newsupdate #Localnews #Communitynews #southafricatiktok🇿🇦🇿🇦 #johannesburg ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North
Despite the tough competition, Burgers remained hopeful for strong performances from her side throughout the remainder of the tournament. “We need to work on getting the ball into our section, and what I’m hoping for, at least, is a goal or a win, and for our girls to just play well and enjoy themselves.”
The action is set to continue on May 30, when teams return to the field for another round of fixtures before advancing to the semi-finals and the finals, where the champions of the 2026 Catholic Schools Hockey Festival will be crowned.
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