DAY 1 | Big guns make a statement on opening day in Bloemfontein
Selborne College, the defending champions, along with Affies, Glenwood High School, and Northwood, were among the winners on Thursday at the ITEC Water Polo Tournament, being hosted by Grey College in Bloemfontein.
Day one’s festivities started with a high-scoring clash between Affies, and Stirling High School. The Pretoria-based side was in superb form, and got off to the best possible start by scoring a mammoth 21 goals, while their relentless defence allowed only four goals in.
Last year’s winners, Selborne College, were challenged by Pretoria Boys High in their first encounter of the tournament.
Selborne came into the tournament off the back of a sixth-place finish against an elite field in last weekend’s SAC Shield in Makhanda, and they showed signs of the toll that tournament had taken when they lost concentration at times in the match.
Nonetheless, star scorer, Liam Hansen, netted a hattrick, while a brace from Armand Van Rooyen, and solitary goals from Thomas Caswell, Daniel Breetzke, and Connor Maree sealed the win for the Eastern Cape side.
Pearson High School was also in action on the opening day and will be disappointed after going down 11-19 to Durban’s Glenwood High School in a goal fest.
Another Kwa-Zulu Natal outfit that impressed was Northwood School, who produced a gritty performance against Jeppe High School for Boys.
The Knights were on the front foot from the get-go and led 5-2 in the second chukka. They continued their dominance in the final two chukkas, adding a further eight goals, to dismantle a disjointed Jeppe side 13-7.
The last match of the day was a non-tournament fixture, featuring Grey High against Grey College, with the team from Gqeberha claiming an impressive 13-7 win.
The hosts will need to dust themselves off as a blockbuster of a day awaits them on Friday, with four tough matches against Northwood, Stirling, Jeppe, and one of the tournament’s favourites, Affies.
The day’s action will commence with a clash between Stirling and Jeppe at 08:00, while Grey High and Pretoria Boys High will conclude matters at 19:00.
All the action will be live on SuperSport Schools.
Results: Day 1
Affies 21-4 Stirling High School
Glenwood High School 19-11 Pearson High School
Selborne College 8-5 Pretoria Boys High
Northwood School 13-7 Jeppe Boys High School
Grey High School 13-7 Grey College
Day 2, Friday, 02 February @Grey College
08:00 – Stirling High School vs Jeppe; 09:00 – Pretoria Boys High vs Glenwood; 10:00 – Grey College vs Northwood; 11:00 – Grey High vs Selborne; 12:00 – Grey College vs Stirling High School; 13:00 – Pretoria Boys High vs Pearson; 14:00 – Northwood vs Affies; 15:00 – Jeppe vs Grey College; 16:00 – Grey High vs Pearson High School; 17:00 – Glenwood High vs Selborne College; 18:00 – Grey College vs Affies; 19:00 – Grey High vs Pretoria Boys High.
