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Late goal burst lifts Rondebosch over St John’s in SAC Shield final


The Rondebosch Boys' High team, alongside coaches Jared Wingate-Pearse and Etienne Le Roux after winning the 2025 SAC Shield in Makhand. Photo: Toni Butterworth
The Rondebosch Boys’ High team, with their coaches, Jared Wingate-Pearse and Etienne Le Roux, after winning the 2025 SAC Shield in Makhanda. Photo: Toni Butterworth

Rondebosch Boys’ High claimed the honours at the St Andrew’s College (SAC) Shield after a hard-fought but convincing 12-7 win over St John’s College in the final in Makhanda on Sunday.

‘Bosch, who entered the tournament after impressing in the pre-season and the opening round of the SACS Nite Series, was, by far, the most impressive team throughout the four-day event.

They played entertaining water polo, scored bucketloads of goals, and defended strongly.

Coach Jared Wingate-Pearse’s charges were drawn in Pool B, along with Paul Roos Gimnasium, Hilton College, St John’s, Selborne College, and Grey High School.

They dominated their pool, scoring 52 goals and conceding just 35.

The Cape Town school kept their winning record going in the knockout stages, handing SACS a 13-9 defeat in the quarterfinals before rolling to an 11-6 win over Selborne in the semi-finals. St John’s defeated another southern suburbs power, Bishops Diocesan College, 8-6 in their semifinal.

‘Bosch was not about to let history repeat itself. They went down a goal behind early on but quickly recovered to take control of the contest.

After the first chukka, they led 3-1, thanks to goals from Luke Burger, James Pinnock, and stalwart Noah Reiback.

St John’s came out fighting in the second chukka, with coach Vlado Trninic’s charges tigerishly refusing to go down without a fight. They netted three goals through Christopher Chapman, Sebastian Bruinders, and Luke Towell but Rondebosch kept chipping away and another Reiback strike, followed by a Rupert Robinson goal, lifted them into a 5-4 lead at the halfway mark.

The third quarter, the “championship chukka,” was tightly contested and produced four goals, two for each side, as the action intensified.

Rondebosch Boys' High head coach Jared Wingate-Pearse celebrating with his team after their SAC Shield truimph in Makhanda. Photo: The Rondebosch Boys' High team, alongside coaches Jared Wingate-Pearse and Etienne Le Roux after winning the 2025 SAC Shield in Makhand. Photo: Toni Butterworth
Rondebosch Boys’ High head coach Jared Wingate-Pearse celebrating with his team after their SAC Shield triumph in Makhanda. Photo: Toni Butterworth

Jack Robinson, Rupert’s brother, and Joshua Ripsold extended ‘Bosch’s lead before Nicholas Searle scored twice for St John’s to make it Rondebosch 7, St John’s 6, heading into the final chukka.

With the game on the line, the Johannesburg outfit was outplayed in the final chukka and mustered only a consolation goal scored by Ethan Wilcocks. ‘Bosch, meanwhile, racked up five more goals, with Reiback striking twice more before the Robinson brothers completed their doubles.

Kieran Bennewith added another as Rondebosch completed a deserved victory to ensure the SAC Shield remains in the Western Cape. Last year, it went to SACS.

The bronze medal match was between Bishops Diocesan College and Selborne College. Both sides were eager to end their campaigns on a high after missing out on the title game.

It was Bishops, under the guidance of coach Jabulani Sibiya, who delivered the necessary performance and recorded a 9-4 win to take third place, one year after going down in the final to SACS.

Hilton College finished as the best of the KwaZulu-Natal teams, in fifth place, while Clifton College claimed seventh spot.

Grey High School had a tournament to forget, going winless after Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) beat them in the playoff for 11th and 12th.

Scorers in the final

Rondebosch Boys’ High 12: Noah Reiback (4), Rupert Robinson (2), Jack Robinson (2), Luke Burger, James Pinnock, Joshua Ripsold, Kieran Bennewith. St John’s College 7: Nicholas Searle (2), Simon Mussett, Luke Towell, Sebastian Bruinders, Ethan Wilcocks, Christopher Chapman.

RESULTS DAY 4

11th/12th – Paul Roos Gimnasium 9-8 Grey High School
9th/10th – St Andrew’s College 9-5 Westville Boys’ High
7th/8th – Clifton College 9-7 St Stithians College
5th/6th – Hilton College 10-9 SACS
3rd/4th – Bishops Diocesan College 9-4 Selborne College
1st/2nd – Rondebosch Boys’ High 12-7 St John’s College

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