Monument defies the odds to claim first-ever Noordvaal Championship title
Hoërskool Monument‘s first boys’ hockey team etched themselves into their school’s history books by capturing top honours at the Noordvaal Hockey Championships, hosted in Tzaneen, Limpopo, for a first time on the weekend.
The A Section of the annual tournament, which was held at Merensky Landbou Akademie, began on Thursday and concluded with the final on Saturday.
With the silverware up for grabs, Monnas rose to the occasion and beat the defending champions, Helpmekaar College 2-0.
In last year’s showpiece, coach Tiaan Meyer’s side played in the B Section and finished in fifth place behind Hoërskool Transvalia.
This year, they entered the tournament intent on making a bigger splash. They were drawn in Pool A, alongside Midstream College, from Pretoria, and Potchefstroom Gimnasium.
The side from Krugersdorp opened their account with a nervy 1-0 win over Midstream. Then, on day two, they defeated Potch Gim 2-0 to set themselves up nicely for the knockout stages.
With their confidence boosted, thanks to their top of the group finish, Monnas convincingly handled Hoërskool Middelburg in the quarterfinals, winning 3-0.
Later in the day, Meyer’s charges took on HTS Witbank in the first of the semi-finals. Monument kept their momentum flowing, outscoring their opponents 3-1. Helpmekaar, meanwhile, matched that scoreline in their semi-final win over Nelspruit.
Monnas kept their foot on the gas in their final day showdown against Helpmekaar, striking twice without reply to finish the tournament as the only unbeaten side.
Reflecting on their performances over the weekend, coach Meyer said he and fellow coach Jake Franklin, and Monument’s Head of Hockey, Divan Geyser, were pleased with how the team had conducted itself, and with the style of hockey that they had produced.
“The coaching staff and I are extremely delighted with the weekend we had. Words cannot describe the joy we have experienced,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“We admire the grit that these boys have shown. We are immensely proud of them, and it has been a privilege to be part of such an exceptional group of youngsters.
“This Noordvaal win marks the first time in our school’s history for the first boys’ team to progress to the semi-finals and final of this tournament, so it is a standout moment,” he added.
The tournament also marked the end of a busy season for Monument.
After a total of 46 matches played, Meyer said he was pleased with the progress of the team, adding that they would look to further build upon their encouraging season in 2025.
“We have had a fairly decent season, considering the number of games we have played,” he said.
“We are in a building phase with our current first team and have been showing improvement throughout the year. We have had the opportunity to play some top-quality sides and we are always keen to learn and improve.
“A lot has been learned and we are looking to improve next season. Fortunately, we have only three Grade 12 learners in our side this year, and that bodes well for next year, and we look forward to competing at various tournaments,” he concluded.
The school’s Head of Hockey and 1st XI assistant coach, Divan Geyser, believes winning the tournament will also encourage other learners to take up the sport.
Geyser has been at the school for nine years and told SuperSport Schools Plus that the Noordvaal Hockey Championships’ win had been in the works for quite some time.
“It’s been a long-term project to build the school’s boys hockey programme at Monnas,” he shared.
“We want more players playing the sport, so winning a tournament like this is a huge achievement for the boys, coaches, and the school.
“For our programme, it’s immense. It will encourage more learners to play the sport and that will improve the sport at the school as a whole.”
While Monnas claimed top honours in the A Section, there was also joy for Pretoria’s Hoërskool Zwartkop which won the B Section.
They defeated Hoërskool Linden 1-0 in the final, improving by two places on their third-place finish in the 2023 tournament.
U18A Noordvaal Standings
Monument
Helpmekaar College
Hoërskool Nelspruit
HTS Witbank
Hoërskool Waterkloof
Hoërskool Rustenburg
Midstream College
Hoërskool Middelburg
Hoërskool Pietersburg
Potchefstroom Gimnasium
Hoërskool Noordheuwel
Sasolburg High School
U18B Noordvaal Standings
Hoërskool Zwartkop
Hoërskool Linden
Hoërskool Evander
Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom
Montana High
Hoërskool Ben Vorster
Merensky Landbou Akademie
Dr Malan
Hoërskool Transvalia
Kempton Park
Bergsig Academy
Driehoek
