Fixtures and teams in action at the Brian Baker tournament in Makhanda
The 13th edition of the annual Brian Baker tournament takes place this weekend in Makhanda where 20 of the country’s best girls’ water polo teams will battle for early season supremacy.
The tournament, hosted by Kingswood College, commences on Thursday, with the final scheduled for Sunday at 12:00.
The early season showdown offers an opportunity for some schools to improve on their performances from last year’s tournament, while the established top teams will be aiming to assert their dominance for yet another year.
The hosts, Kingswood College, finished in fourth place last year after reaching the semi-finals, where they were fell 2-6 to Durban Girls College. They were subsequently beaten by Herschel in the third and fourth place play-off.
The defending champions are the Gauteng powerhouse, St Stithians College, who are coming off a spectacular season in which they went unbeaten and won 65 games. Saints are in group D alongside Herschel, St Mary’s Waverley, Collegiate, and East London dark horses, Stirling High School.
The 2024 campaign will also be a last hurrah for Saints’ coach, Etienne Le Roux, who departs Johannesburg for the Western Cape in March. He’ll be taking up a post at Rondebosch Boys’ High.
Stellenbosch’s Rhenish High School will face Roedean, Diocesan Schools for Girls (DSG), Pearson High and Hudson Park.
All eyes will be on pool B, where the home side will be in action. They’ll open their challenge against another Eastern Cape side, Woodridge College, before testing themselves against Reddam House Constantia, St Anne’s Diocesan School, and Crawford College (Lonehill).
Former South African player, Hannah Muller’s Clarendon Girls feature in Pool C in Makhanda. They enjoyed a good season in 2023, which included a win in their Stayers tournament.
Muller will also aim to make use of her experience coaching Buffalo City at last year’s Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament, where she would have gained insight into many of the players who will be playing in Makhanda.
Clarendon’s expectations will be high as they go up against tough opposition from St Dominic’s, Durban Girls College, Reddam House Bedfordview, and Alexander Road High School.
With such a high-quality field, there are sure to be plenty of tightly contested clashes to thrill the spectators throughout the weekend.
The clash between St Stithians College and St Mary’s Waverley, which happens on the opening day, certainly promises a stirring showdown.
On day two, an Eastern Cape derby between Hudson Park and Pearson High School will get the ball rolling ahead of the playoffs, which begin on Saturday.
Groups
Pool A: Roedean, Diocesan School for Girls, Pearson High School, Rhenish, Hudson Park.
Pool B: Reddam House Constantia, Kingswood College, St Anne’s, Crawford, Woodridge College.
Pool C: Clarendon School for Girls, St Dominic’s, Durban Girls’ College, Reddam House Bedfordview, Alex Road.
Pool D: Herschel, St Stithians College, St Mary’s Waverley, Collegiate, Stirling High School.
Fixtures
Thursday, 25 January
Pool 1
13:00 – Kingswood College vs Woodridge; 14:00 – Clarendon vs Alex Road; 15:00 – St Dominic’s vs Durban Girls’ College; 16:00 – Reddam House Constantia vs Crawford; 17:00 – Kingswood College vs St Anne’s; 18:00 – Reddam House Bedfordview vs Clarendon.
Pool 2
13:00 – Diocesan School for Girls vs Hudson Park; 14:00 – Collegiate vs Stirling High School; 15:00 – St Stithians College vs St Mary’s Waverley; 16:00 – Pearson High School vs Rhenish; 17:00 – Diocesan School for Girls vs Roedean School; 18:00 – Herschel vs Collegiate.
Friday 26 January
Pool 1
07:00 – Stirling High School vs St Mary’s Waverley; 08:00 – Roedean School vs Rhenish; 09:00 – Hudson Park vs Pearson High School; 10:00 – Collegiate vs St Mary’s Waverley; 11:00 – Herschel vs St Stithians College; 12:00 – Kingswood College vs Crawford; 13:00 – Roedean School vs Hudson Park; 14:00 –Stirling High School vs Herschel; 15:00 – St Stithians vs Collegiate; 16:00 – Hudson Park vs Rhenish; 17:00 – Kingswood College vs Reddam House Constantia; 18:00 – St Stithians College vs Stirling High School; 19:00 – St Mary’s Waverley vs Herschel; 20:00 – Pearson High School vs Roedean School.
Pool 2
07:00 – Durban Girls’ College vs Alex Road; 08:00 – Reddam House Constantia vs Woodridge College; 09:00 – St Anne’s vs Crawford; 10:00 – Clarendon vs St Dominic’s 11:00 – Reddam House Bedfordview vs Alex Road; 12:00 – Rhenish vs Diocesan School for Girls; 13:00 – Reddam House Constantia vs St Anne’s; 14:00 – Durban Girls’ College vs Reddam House Bedfordview; 15:00 – St Dominic’s vs Alex Road; 16:00 – St Anne’s vs Woodridge; 17:00 – Diocesan School for Girls vs Pearson High School; 18:00 – Clarendon vs Durban Girls’ College; 19:00 – St Dominic’s vs Reddam House Bedfordview; 20:00 – Crawford vs Woodridge.
Saturday 27 January
Pool 1
07:00 – Pool A 2nd vs Pool B 3rd; 08:00 – Pool B 2nd vs Pool A 3rd ;09:00 – Pool C 3rd vs Pool D 2nd ; 10:00 – Pool D 3rd vs Pool C 2nd; 11:30 – Loser 41 vs Loser 43; 12:30 – Loser 42 vs Loser 44; 14:00 – Pool A 1st vs Winner 44; 15:00 – Pool B 1st vs Winer 43; 16:00 – Pool C 1st vs Winner 42; 17:00 – Pool D 1st vs Winner 41; 18:30 – Loser 47 vs Loser 49; 19:30 –Loser 48 vs Loser 50.
Pool 2
07:00 – Pool A 4th vs Pool B 5th; 08:00 – Pool B 4th vs Pool A 5th; 09:00 – Pool C 4th vs Pool D 5th; 10:00 – Pool D 4th vs Pool C 5th; 11:30 –Loser 53 vs Loser 56; 12:30 – Loser 54 vs Loser 55; 14:00 –Winner 53 vs Winner 56; 15:00 – Winner 54 vs Winner 55; 17:00 – Loser 57 vs Loser 58; 18:00 – Winner 57 vs Winner 58.
Sunday 28 January
Pool 1
07:00 – Winner 47 vs Winner 50; 08:00 – Winner 48 vs Winner 49; 09:00 – Loser 51 vs Loser 52; 10:00 – Winner 51 vs Winner 52; 11:00 – Loser 63 vs Loser 64; 12:00 – Winner 63 vs Winner 64.
13:00 – Prize Giving
Pool 2
07:00- Loser 59 vs Loser 60; 08:00 – Winner 59 vs Winner 60; 09:00 –Loser 45 vs Loser 46; 10:00 – Winner 45 vs Winner 46.
