All set for the Kearsney Hockey 5s, powered by Belgotex Sport
The countdown is on to the annual Kearsney Hockey 5s, powered by Belgotex Sport, with the first push-back happening at 08:00 on Friday morning.
The event features eight boys’ high school teams, six girls’ high schools, and 12 boys’ primary schools’ sides.
Westville Boys’ High are the defending champions. In last year’s final, they scored a comfortable 6-1 win over Kearsney College. Both are likely to be in the mix for the title again.
Clifton College, with an exciting group of young players coming through, including SA u16 representatives Georg Wolhuter and Ryde Brisset, might fancy their chances. They hit a purple patch, scoring some stunners to defeat Hilton College in the third-place playoff last year.
Hilton, as always, should be a contender, while Michaelhouse should be considered a dark horse. They made impressive strides in the 2024 season.
Ashton International (Ballito) is a wild card. While they might not be quite up to the level of their competition in the 11-a-side game, with fewer players on the pitch those gaps tend to narrow.
Adding spice to the mix are Pretoria’s St Alban’s College and Garsfontein. They contested the fifth-place playoff last year, with St Alban’s taking the match 6-3. It wouldn’t be a surprise should either make more noise this time around.
The Griffin will have a shot at defending their boys’ title, but a new girls’ champion will be crowned because St Anne’s, who beat Danville Park Girls’ High 5-3 in the 2023 final, won’t be returning.
Taking their place, however, will be St Mary’s DSG, who produced an outstanding season on the Astro, culminating in a runner-up finish at the Fairtree Super 12. They’ll be viewed as the team to beat, but they’ll have to adjust to the five-a-side game. Getting the tactics right will be crucial.
In KZN, the third term is when hockey is played in the primary schools, so the primary school entry is the largest of the three divisions, with 12 teams in action.
Hockey Fives is the format used in the Youth Olympic Games, and one that is a great equaliser; due to the limited number of players on the field at one time – four outfielders and a goalkeeper – teams can put out a quality line-up at all times.
It’s also highly entertaining, with players able to shoot from anywhere on the park. That includes hitting from long distance and throwing overheads from way out to test any goalkeeper that might not be fully focussed.
TEAMS
Boys’ High School Teams
Clifton, Ashton, Hilton, Garsfontein, Kearsney, St Alban’s, Michaelhouse, Westville
Girls’ High School Teams
Curro Hillcrest, Thomas More, Maris Stella, Danville, St Mary’s, Ashton
Boys’ Primary School Teams
Cowan House, Atholl Heights, Kloof, Penzance, Ashton, Treverton, Highbury 1, Highbury 2, Hillcrest, Bonisanani, Winston Park, Westville Senior Primary
FIXTURES
(BHS – Boys’ High Schools, GHS – Girls’ High Schools, all other Boy’s Primary Schools)
Friday, 16 August
Court 1
08:00 – Clifton vs Ashton (BHS)
08:30 – Hilton vs Garsfontein (BHS)
09:00 – Kearsney vs St Alban’s (BHS)
09:30 – Cowan House vs Atholl Heights
10:00 – Kloof vs Penzance
10:30 – Ashton vs Treverton
11:00 – Curro vs Maris Stella (GHS)
11:30 – Highbury 1 vs Cowan House
12:00 – Highbury 2 vs Hillcrest
12:30 – Atholl Heights vs Bonisanani
13:00 – Penzance vs Treverton
13:30 – Clifton vs Kearsney (BHS)
14:00 – Highbury 1 vs Highbury 2
14:30 – Michaelhouse vs Westville (BHS)
15:00 – Bonisanani vs Kloof
15:30 – Garsfontein vs Westville (BHS)
16:00 – Kearsney vs Ashton (BHS)
16:30 – Ashton vs Penzance
17:00 – Clifton vs Westville (BHS)
17:30 – Highbury 1 vs Bonisanani
18:00 – Highbury 2 vs Cowan House
18:30 – Hillcrest vs Treverton
19:00 – Westville Senior vs Penzance
19:30 – Winston Park vs Kloof
20:00 – Michaelhouse vs St Alban’s (BHS)
Court 2
08:00 – Curro Hillcrest vs Thomas More (GHS)
08:30 – Maris Stella vs Ashton (GHS)
09:00 – Highbury 1 vs Hillcrest
09:30 – Highbury 2 vs Bonsanani
10:00 – Westville Senior vs Winston Park
10:30 – Danville vs Thomas More (GHS)
11:00 – Clifton vs Michaelhouse (BHS)
11:30 – St Alban’s vs Garsfontein (BHS)
12:00 – Hilton vs Ashton (BHS)
12:30 – Kloof vs Westville Senior
13:00 – Winston Park vs Ashton
13:30 – Danville vs Ashton (GHS)
14:00 – Hillcrest vs Cowan House
14:30 – St Mary’s vs Maris Stella (GHS)
15:00 – Westville Senior vs Atholl Heights
15:30 – St Alban’s vs Hilton (BHS)
16:00 – St Mary’s vs Thomas More (GHS)
16:30 – Treverton vs Winston Park
17:00 – Curro Hillcrest vs Danville (GHS)
17:30 – Michaelhouse vs Ashton (BHS)
18:00 – St Mary’s vs Ashton (GHS)
18:30 – Kearsney vs Garsfontein (BHS)
19:00 – Ashton vs Atholl Heights
19:30 – Hilton vs Westville (BHS)
20:00 – Garsfontein vs Ashton (BHS)
Saturday, 17 August
Court 1
07:30 – Highbury 1 vs Kloof
08:00 – Bonisanani vs Ashton
08:30 – Westville vs Kearsney (BHS)
09:00 – St Alban’s vs Ashton (BHS)
09:30 – Maris Stella vs Thomas More (GHS)
10:00 – Ashton vs Curro Hillcrest (GHS)
10:30 – St Mary’s vs Danville (GHS)
11:00 – Winston Park vs Cowan House
11:30 – Highbury 2 vs Penzance
12:00 – Highbury 1 vs Atholl Heights
12:30 – Hillcrest vs Bonsanani
13:00 – Ashton vs Kloof
13:30 – Westville vs Treverton
14:00 – Clifton vs St Alban’s (BHS)
14:30 – Hilton vs Michaelhouse (BHS)
15:00 – Westville vs Garsfontein (BHS)
15:30 – Treverton vs Bonisanani
16:00 – Kloof vs Hillcrest
16:30 – P3 vs P4 (3/4) (GHS)
17:00 – P5 vs P6 (5/6) (BHS)
17:30 – P1 vs P2 (1/2) (GHS)
18:00 – P1 vs P2 (1/2) (BHS)
18:30 – Prize giving
Court 2
07:30 – Highbury 2 vs Winston Park
08:00 – Cowan House vs Penzance
08:30 – Clifton vs Hilton (BHS)
09:00 – Garsfontein vs Michaelhouse (BHS)
09:30 – Treverton vs Atholl Heights
10:00 – Westville Senior Primary vs Hillcrest
10:30 – Hilton vs Kearsney (BHS)
11:00 – Clifton vs Ashton (BHS)
11:30 – St Alban’s vs Michaelhouse (BHS)
12:00 – Kearsney vs Ashton (BHS)
12:30 – Thomas More vs Ashton (GHS)
13:00 – Maris Stella vs Danville (GHS)
13:30 – St Mary’s vs Curro Hillcrest (GHS)
14:00 – Winston Park vs Penzance
14:30 – Highbury 2 vs Atholl Heights
15:00 – Cowan House vs Ashton
15:30 – Highbury 1 vs Westville
16:00 – P7 vs P8 (7/8) (BHS)
16:30 – P5 vs P6 (5/6) (GHS)
17:00 – P3 vs P4 (3/4) (BHS)
Sunday, 18 August
Court 1
08:00 – Hillcrest vs Penzance
08:25 – Westville vs Highbury 2
08:50 – Kloof vs Treverton
09:15 – Cowan House vs Treverton
09:40 – Highbury 1 vs Winston Park
10:05 – Atholl Heights vs Penzance
10:30 – Prize giving
Court 2
08:00 – Highbury 1 vs Ashton
08:25 – Bonsanani vs Cowan House
08:50 – Atholl Heights vs Winston Park
09:15 – Ashton vs Hillcrest
09:40 – Highbury 2 vs Kloof
10:05 – Bonsanani vs Westville
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