A diverse lineup for Cape Town International Hockey Tournament
The hockey season in the Western Cape has reached its halfway point, the SASHOC National Weeks have come and gone, and the re-opening of schools means it’s time for the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament (CTIHT).
The CTIHT has featured on the province’s hockey calendar since its inception in 2003 and is hosted annually in the first week of term three.
This year’s tournament will see 60 boys’ and girls’ teams battle it out for the silverware. The action kicks off on Wednesday, 23 July, before concluding with the respective finals on Sunday, 27 July.
Six venues – the Central Hockey Club, Hartleyvale Stadium (A & B), Pinelands High School, South African College High School (SACS), the University of Cape Town (UCT), and the Western Province Cricket Club (A & B) – will host the jam-packed programme.
The playing field is dominated by local sides, with a sprinkling of schools from the United Kingdom (UK), Zimbabwe, and Namibia set to add some international spice to the event.
Adding to the intrigue is the fact that new champions will be crowned in both the girls’ and boys’ sections after Paarl Gimnasium decided not to participate. Last year, the Paarl Gim boys defeated a SACS Stayers team 2-1 in the final, while the girls thumped Somerset College 10-0 to lift the trophy.
How the tournament works
The tournament is separated into two parts, with both the boys’ and girls’ events featuring “Evolve” and “Elite” sections.
The boys have 16 teams in both sections, with the traditionally stronger sides competing in the Elite section. The girls’ competition is slightly smaller, with 16 Elite teams but only 12 Evolve sides.
Among the top challengers in the Elite section are SACS, Somerset College, Paarl Boys’ High, Reddam House Constantia, and Parel Vallei.
Pool A includes SACS, Somerset College, Windhoek Afrikaanse Private School, and St George’s Weybridge, from Surrey, in the UK.
SACS won the tournament in 2023, and they’ll be focused on making a strong start when they face Somerset College in the tournament’s opening game on Wednesday morning.
Paarl Boys’ High will battle it out in Pool B against Worcester Gimnasium and visiting sides Reed’s School, also from Surrey, and Windhoek Gimnasium.
Parel Vallei, one of the favourites, takes on Durbanville High, Millfield School, renowned for its remarkable record of producing international sportsmen and sportswomen, and Kingston Grammar, which also boasts a proud hockey tradition, in Pool C.
Pool D will be contested by Hoërskool Outeniqua, Reddam, King Edward’s School, from Birmingham, in the UK, and a Western Province Invitational side.
The girls’ Elite section is wide open, and it features a mouthwatering fixture list. Several teams will fancy their chances in the absence of Paarl Gim, including their great rivals, Paarl Girls’ High.
Coach Marc Landman‘s girls are drawn in Pool D where they’ll take on Zimbabwe’s Chisipite, Durbanville High, and Hoërskool Bellville.
Reddam House Constantia, HMS La Rochelle, and Worcester Gimnasium will tackle St Paul’s College, from Windhoek, in Pool A.
St Paul’s is one of the sides to keep an eye on after they impressed at the Belgotex Easter Hockey Tournament earlier this year.
Pool B will be contested by Hoërskool Outeniqua, Somerset College, Millfield, and Windhoek Afrikaanse Private School.
Parel Vallei shares Pool C with Curro Durbanville, Kingston Grammar, and Windhoek High School.
Past editions of the tournament have been disrupted by bad weather and heavy rain, but the forecast looks promising, and spectators should be able to witness a full week of hockey.
You can catch the action LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App and follow SuperSport Schools Hockey for all the updates.
Click HERE to see all the tournament fixtures.
