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All set for the inaugural St Anne’s Cup

By CS Chiwanza , in Hockey | Featured Hockey | News , at 2024-05-15 Tags: , , , , ,

 

St Mary's DSG's Sibabalwe Mfaweza recently helped the KZN Raiders to a fifth-place finish at the u21 IPT. Saints' Elizabeth Anderson was the leading goal scorer at the event.
St Mary’s DSG’s Sibabalwe Mfaweza recently helped the KZN Raiders to a fifth-place finish at the u21 IPT. Saints’ Elizabeth Anderson was the leading goal scorer at the event.

Eight of the country’s top hockey-playing girls’ schools will converge on St Anne’s Diocesan College to do battle for the inaugural St Anne’s Cup, starting on Friday morning.

Eunice, St Mary’s DSG (Kloof), Durban Girls’ College (DGC), Waterkloof, St Anne’s, Menlopark, Beaulieu College and St John’s DSG will be aiming to make history by becoming the winners of the inaugural event.

“St Anne’s [has] always had a vision to create a platform for young female athletes to showcase their skills and engage in friendly competition. We recognised a gap in the calendar for a full-chukka tournament, and we knew it was time to make it happen,” the host’s coach Morné Odendaal said.

Odendaal and the rest of the St Anne’s team are aiming to turn the tournament into a highlight on the school sports calendar. They appear to be halfway towards that goal even before the first edition has kicked off. Earlier this year, DGC’s coach Chardinay Penniston, and Carla Ann Mackay, the St Mary’s coach, shared that winning the St Anne’s Cup was one of their goals for the season.

Both teams have been in good form and will be in contention for the title. Most recently, St Mary’s thumped Thomas More College 8-0 on Tuesday. It’s the latest in a sequence of wins that they have strung together since a 2-3 loss to DGC in April.

Reflecting on her team’s performance against Thomas More, Mackay said: “The girls played a good brand of attacking hockey, so I’m hoping we can just continue this good form over a very exciting weekend of hard hockey.”

DGC, meanwhile, has maintained an unbeaten run that dates back to the St Mary’s Festival in Johannesburg. In their last three matches, Penniston’s charges have produced emphatic results, defeating their opponents 5-0, 5-1, and 5-0. If they maintain that kind of form, a second title in less than three months could be on the cards.

While St Mary’s and DGC appear to be the favourites on paper, they will be wary of the challenge posed by the other competitors, in particular, Eunice.

Nika Coertzen’s team has sailed in choppy waters in their past few games. They lost to Oranje in their Free State derby last week and will be keen to show that they are over that defeat. They made the final at the St Mary’s Festival, and their goal at the St Anne’s Cup will be to go one better.

Odendaal explained the hosts’ goals for the tournament: “Our aim is to foster a competitive atmosphere where teams can test themselves and grow, all while having fun and demonstrating good sportsmanship. We believe that strong competition brings out the best in players and coaches, leading to lasting memories and valuable experiences.”

To help create those lasting memories, St Anne’s has ensured that all teams will be accommodated on the Hilton school’s campus.

“This unique arrangement encourages participants to spend more time together, promoting camaraderie and allowing for friendships that extend beyond the hockey field,” Odendaal said.

“The St Anne’s Cup is more than just a tournament. It’s an opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together.

“Our goal is for these relationships to endure long after the tournament ends.”

POOLS

Pool A

St Anne’s, Durban Girls’ College, Waterkloof, Beaulieu College

Pool B

St Mary’s DSG, Eunice, Menlopark, St John’s DSG

FIXTURES

Friday

08:00 – St Anne’s vs Beaulieu, 08:00 – Waterkloof vs DGC, 09:15 – Eunice vs St John’s, 10:30 – St Mary’s vs Menlopark, 11:45 – DGC vs Beaulieu, 13:00 – St Anne’s vs Waterkloof, 14:15 – St Mary’s vs Eunice, 15:30 – St John’s vs Menlopark.

Saturday

08:00 – St John’s vs St Mary’s, 08:00 – Menlopark vs Eunice, 09:15 – St Anne’s vs DGC, 09:15 – Waterkloof vs Beaulieu, 13:00 – A3 vs B4, 13:00 – A4 vs B3, 14:15 – A2 vs B1, 15:00 – A1 vs B2.

Sunday

08:00 – 5th & 6th, 08:00 – 7th & 8th, 09:15 – 3rd & 4th, 10:30 – Final.

CS Chiwanza
error: Sorry ol' chap, those shenanigans are not permissible.