KZN breaks WP hoodoo in u16 boys’ final, Central Gauteng wins girls’ title

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) A and Western Province (WP) A delivered a memorable u16 boys’ final in St David’s Marist Inanda‘s Jubilee Pool on Wednesday, with a shootout needed to separate the sides after regulation time ended 10-10.

KZN A took the honours from the spot by a 3-2 margin to be crowned the champions of the 50th Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament.

To claim the title, they overcame a 4-7 deficit and, later, an 8-10 deficit, and they also kept the Capetonians to six goals below their goal scoring average.

KZN, also, reversed the results of 2023, when the sides contested the u13 final, and 2024, when they competed for the u14 title.

In 2023, Western Province A won 6-2, and in 2024 they won 8-4. Finally getting one over their nemesis was, no doubt, a massively satisfying outcome for KZN A.

Max Mills scored five times for KZN in the title game, while WP A’s dynamic duo, Noah Reiback and James Swart, scored four and three goals respectively. Swart was the tournament’s top goal scorer, with 29 to his name. Reiback finished with 24, and Mills scored 21.

Central Gauteng A took down Buffalo City 6-3 to claim the bronze medals, while Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) and Central Gauteng B shared a 6-6 draw in the fifth-place playoff before NMB won 5-4 in a shootout.

Northerns A scored a 9-7 win over Central Gauteng B to finish seventh, and Zimbabwe ran out 9-7 winners over Northerns B to end ninth.

Girls

Central Gauteng A gave the local supporters plenty of reasons to cheer after beating KwaZulu-Natal A 7-4 in the girls’ u16 final, which brought together the highest scoring teams in the competition.

In total, Central Gauteng A netted 75 times in seven games, while KZN A scored 68 goals, nine more than Western Province A, who scored 59 times.

Central Gauteng A’s win in the final was their second over KZN A. They had eked out a 9-8 victory in a group stage clash.

Eden Districts, one of the smaller regions, excelled by claiming third place with a 7-4 win over Western Province A. Earlier in the event, when they met Western Province B, they scored a narrow 7-6 victory.

Central Gauteng B finished fifth. They won 2-0 in a penalty shootout over Nelson Mandela Bay after their game had ended 5-5.

Buffalo City secured seventh with a 9-7 win against Zimbabwe, and Western Province B raced to an 11-2 win over Northerns in the ninth-place playoff. WP B’s Jessica Gray was the tournament’s top goal scorer with 20, which included four against Northerns.

June Stander, of Central Gauteng A, and Micha Danilewitz, of Western Province A, shared second spot with 17 goals each.

Boys

9th: Zimbabwe 9: Johnathan Bird (3), Samuel Tivadar (2), Christian Smith (2), Dwayne Chiyangwa (1), Daniel Hutchings (1). Northerns B 7: André Robberts (2), Ethan Zambelli (2), Alex Stedall (2), Conner Slater (1).

7th: Northerns A 9: Christopher Jansen van Vuuren (3), Jacque Dippenaar (2), Gunther Taute (2), Ryan Fuller-Good (1), Daniel Janse van Rensburg (1). Central Gauteng B 6: Bart Dorrenstein-Rowley (2), Charlie Caudle (2), Adam Duffy (1), Ethan Bennett (1).

5th: Nelson Mandela Bay 6 (5): Christian Horne (2), Caleb Levey (2), James de Lange (1), Luke Parker (1). Western Province B 6 (4): Jack Grout (3), Matthew Robinson (2), Ryan Dales (1).

3rd: Central Gauteng A 6: Benjamin Vine (1), Matthew Nash (1), Andrew Ochse (1), Blake Morton (1), Fedor Sadovnik (1), Nathan Mansfield (1). Buffalo City 3: Nathan Wiese (2), Joshua Talbot (1).

Final: KwaZulu-Natal A 10 (3): Max Mills (5), Jed Reilly (3), Jake Frederic (1), Bradley van Loggerenberg (1). Western Province A 10 (2): Noah Reiback (4), James Swart (3), Luca Orgill (2), Dominic Zulch.

Girls

9th: Western Province B 11: Jessica Gray (4), Erin Willard (2), Skye Priede (2), Caibella Oliver (1), Isla Roos (1), Jorja Turner (1). Northerns 2: Aimee Noonan (1), Carina van Schoor (1).

7th: Buffalo City 9: Nicola Schwarz (3), Kayden Glasgow (2), Eva Saffy (2), Abigail Tesmer (2). Zimbabwe 7: Jordan Carlisle (2), Tiffany Small (2), Mazvitaishe Zuze (1), Kiana Marais (1), Tiana Myburgh (1).

5th: Central Gauteng B 5 (2): Emma Harmzen (3), Jaime Napier (1), Olesego Moleme (1). Nelson Mandela Bay 5 (0): Kate Wilson (2), Jasmine Apps (1), Gina Lindhorst (1), Charlotte van Bochove (1).

3rd: Eden Districts 7: Méla Loubser (3), Tatum Dace (1), Mia Gibson (1), Rosslyn Squair (1), Cate Harrison (1). Western Province A 4: Carolyn Lord (1), Anna Sherren (1), Micha Danilewitz (1), Joy Waller (1).

Final: Central Gauteng A 7: Keira Holland (2), Jessica McCamlie (2), Georgia van der Walt (1), June Stander (1), Hannah van Heerden (1). KwaZulu-Natal 4: Amy Aaron (2), Maggy Matthews (2).

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Brad Morgan

A product of Clifton (Nottingham Road) and St Andrew's School (Bloemfontein), Brad Morgan played schools' provincial cricket and hockey. He has worked in radio, online and for newspapers. He also previously handled media matters for the Natal Canoe Club, which hosts the Dusi Canoe Marathon, and for the Midmar Mile. Brad has, furthermore, co-authored books on the Dusi Canoe Marathon and the Comrades Marathon. He holds no particular biases towards South African sports teams but, beyond South Africa's borders, is a big fan of the Green Bay Packers and Liverpool FC. Brad enjoys photography and music, and likes working to some good dub techno in the background.

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