SuperSport Schools Plus

Kearsney, Hilton, and Clifton grab emphatic wins in KZN openers

By Avuyile Sawula , in Water Sports | Featured Water Sports | News , at 2025-01-19 Tags: , , , , ,

Kearsney College got their season off with a win against Michaelhouse. Photo: Kearsney College
Kearsney College got their season off to a winning start against Michaelhouse. Photo: Kearsney College

There were 50 goals scored between Kearsney, Hilton, and Clifton College on the first weekend of schools’ water polo action in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.

Kearsney beat Michaelhouse 11-8 in home waters, while Hilton thumped Glenwood High 15-1, and Clifton breezed to a 24-2 win over St Charles College.

It was a display of dominance from the three teams, who enter the new season aiming to build on the foundations laid in 2024.

Kearsney, led by coach Nicholas Rodda, was impressive last season, while Hilton and Clifton have welcomed new coaches, with Paul Martin moving from Clifton to Hilton, and Pierre Le Roux returning from New Zealand to take charge of Clifton.

Kearsney won the Northwood Stayers tournament at the end of 2023 and then built on that platform in 2024 by winning the Reef Cup, before going on to land the KZN Top 10 and St Stithians Invitational Water Polo titles. They picked up where they left off against Michaelhouse.

Head Boy Luca Sandri, who featured for KZN at the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial tournament, was the enforcer and scored four times.

He was joined on the scoring sheet by SA Schools’ star James “Chippa” Pohl, Thomas Aylward, and Thomas Francke, who all netted braces. Levi Thom also scored to help the Botha’s Hill boys to victory.

Kearsney had only a one-hour session during the week to prepare for the clash. Given that limitation, Rodda was impressed by his side’s performance.

The DHS defenders get their arms in the air to block a shot from Northwood's powerful KZN Schools' player, Lian Terblanche at Northwood on Saturday, 18 January 2025. Photo: Brad Morgan.
The DHS defenders get their arms in the air to block a shot from Northwood’s powerful KZN Schools’ player, Lian Terblanche, at Northwood on Saturday, 18 January 2025. Photo: Brad Morgan.

“The lack of preparation was not ideal, but the boys coming back relatively fit was good,” he said.

“We were hoping for a solid win while bleeding some new youngsters into the team and giving them an opportunity to play at 1st team level.

“We are looking for more competition within the squad to push players ahead of our first time in a long time back at the KES Water Polo Tournament.”

Kearsney faces Durban High School (DHS), Northwood, Glenwood, and Maritzburg College in the coming weeks, but they won’t be attending the prestigious SAC Shield in Makhanda. Their focus will, instead, be on their trip to Johannesburg for the KES tournament in March.

In other matches around the province, DHS, led by SA Schools’ defender, Kirk Wilson,  scored an impressive 9-3 win at Northwood. while Westville Boys’ High outplayed Maritzburg College, winning 15-8.

The KZN sides will resume action next weekend without Westville, Clifton, and Hilton, who will all be in the Eastern Cape for the SAC Shield.

RESULTS

Kearsney College 11-8 Michaelhouse
Hilton College 15-1 Glenwood High School
Maritzburg College 15-8 Westville Boys’ High
Durban High School 9-3 Northwood
Clifton College 24-2 St Charles College

Avuyile Sawula
error: Sorry ol' chap, those shenanigans are not permissible.