All set for the Our Lady of Fatima Coastal Hockey Festival
All roads lead to Our Lady of Fatima, where 11 of the country’s top hockey-playing girls’ schools will converge for the first edition of the Coastal Hockey Festival, from 6 to 8 March.
“The inspiration behind this hockey festival came from a desire to create an opportunity that truly adds value to schoolgirl hockey, beyond just match results,” Matthew Smith, Our Lady of Fatima’s Director of Hockey, told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“We wanted to bring together strong hockey schools from around the country in an environment that promotes high-quality competition and, most importantly, learning.”
The institution has nailed the brief by assembling an impressive line-up that features many established powerhouses of the girls’ game.
Our Lady of Fatima will be joined by four other KwaZulu-Natal teams: St John’s DSG, Durban Girls’ College (DGC), St Mary’s DSG Kloof, and St Anne’s. They’ll face competition from Eunice High, Hoërskool Waterkloof, Hoërskool Menlopark, Helpmekaar Kollege, Oranje Meisieskool, and St Stithians College.
Smith explained that the festival was designed to expose players to different playing styles and competitive standards.
“Players will gain valuable game time against top opposition, which is crucial for development, and will develop confidence and decision-making under pressure,” Smith said.
The festival also sets the 2026 hockey season in motion with the first competitive outings for the participating teams.
It will, furthermore, provide coaches with a proper platform to test combinations, assess players in demanding match conditions, and present them with lessons to take back to their own programmes. It will offer the participating schools a welcome opportunity to get themselves on the front foot heading into the new season.
“We want teams to leave not only having competed at a high level but feeling challenged and better prepared for their seasons,” Smith explained.
He added, though, that he would like to see the visiting sides not focusing solely on on-field activities at the expense of the other benefits of the festival.
“We want to prioritise sportsmanship, camaraderie, and shared experiences between schools, which is something we believe is vital in school sport,” he said.
Smith and the organising committee have long-term plans for the festival. They hope the 2026 festival will be the first edition of an event that will become a permanent fixture on the hockey calendar.
“As organisers, our goal is to create a professionally run, well-structured event that players and coaches look forward to attending each year,” he concluded.
FIXTURES
Friday, 6 March
07:30 – 08:45: St John’s vs Eunice; 08:55 – 10:10: Our Lady of Fatima vs Waterkloof; 10:20 – 11:35: DGC vs Menlopark; 11:45 – 13:00: St Stithians vs St Anne’s; 13:10 – 14:25: St Mary’s vs Helpmekaar; 14:35 – 15:50: St John’s vs Oranje; 16:00 – 17:15: DGC vs Eunice; 17:25 – 18:40: Our of Fatima vs Helpmekaar; 18:50 – 20:05: St Stithians vs Oranje; 18:20 – 19:35: St Anne’s vs Waterkloof.
Saturday, 7 March
07:30 – 08:45: St Mary’s vs Menlopark; 08:55 – 10:10: DGC vs Waterkloof; 10:20 – 11:35: Our Lady of Fatima vs Oranje; 11:45 – 13:00: St John’s vs Helpmekaar; 13:10 – 14:25: Menlopark vs Eunice; 14:35 – 15:50: St Stithians vs St John’s; 16:00 – 17:15: St Mary’s vs Oranje; 17:25 – 18:40: DGC vs Helpmekaar; 18:50 – 20:05: Our Lady of Fatima vs Menlopark; 18:20 – 19:35: St Stithians vs Waterkloof; 19:45 – 21:00: St Mary’s vs Eunice.
Sunday, 8 March
07:30 – 08:25: Helpmekaar vs Oranje; 08:35 – 09:30: Our Lady of Fatima vs Eunice; 09:40 – 10:35: St Mary’s vs Waterkloof; 10:45 – 11:40: St Stithians vs DGC; 11:50 – 12:45: St John’s vs Menlopark.
