Monument eyes back-to-back Noordvaal Cup titles
The Noordvaal Hockey Cup is set to light up Polokwane from 7-9 August, with top hockey teams from across the region converging at Hoërskool Pietersburg.
Hoërskool Monument will be in the spotlight as the defending champion and clear favourite in Pool A, where they’ll be challenged by Hoërskool Waterkloof and Hoërskool Rustenburg.
Monument coach Divan Geyser is confident that his squad has the means to defend their title, but he remains mindful that tournament hockey can be unpredictable.
“The preparations have been good,” he said. “It is always a challenge getting back after the long school holidays, but we were fortunate enough to have a couple of players involved in the provincial set-up, so a lot of our boys stayed sharp during the break.”
After lifting the trophy in 2024, Monument will be out to make a big statement, but this time they will be carrying a target on their backs.
“There are more teams performing really well this year,” Geyser said. “We feel confident that we have the team to go back-to-back, but anything can happen in tournament hockey. As this will be our last outing of the season, we want to send our matric players off in style.”
Their opening clash, at 08:00 on Thursday, will be a stiff challenge against Waterkloof, which could set the tone for the rest of the tournament. Geyser believes his side is ready to rise to the occasion.
“The boys are definitely up for the challenge,” he reckoned. “We’ve had good warm-up games, and we’re still undefeated against the teams in our pool this season, so we’re feeling positive. But, on the day, anyone can win it.”
Meanwhile, Hoërskool Zwartkop, who will face Hoërskool Sasolburg and HTC Witbank, are also eager to test themselves. Their Head of Hockey Marthinus Gouws said the winter break has challenged Zwarries‘ match readiness.
“It was a tough one to play our first game after the break, especially with limited preparation,” he said. “Even though we beat Potch Gim, both teams were rusty in the first half. We’ll need to step it up a lot if we want to be competitive at Noordvaal.”
The tournament features a round-robin group phase on the first day, with knockouts and placement games taking place on Friday. The final day, 9 August, will determine the overall rankings, with the title game scheduled for 15:55.
POOLS
Pool A: Hoërskool Monument, Hoërskool Waterkloof, Hoërskool Rustenburg
Pool B: Helpmekaar Kollege, Hoërskool Middleburg, Hoërskool Pietersburg
Pool C: Hoërskool Nelspruit, Paarl Gimnasium, Midstream College
Pool D: HTC Witbank, Hoërskool Zwartkop, Hoërskool Sasolburg
FIXTURES
Thursday, 7 August
08:00 – Monument vs Waterkloof (Game 1)
09:05 – Helpmekaar vs Middelburg (Game 2)
10:10 – TBC v Potch Gim (Game 3)
11:15 – TBC vs Zwartkop (Game 4)
WATERBREAK
12:30 – Monument vs Rustenburg (Game 5)
13:35 – Helpmekaar vs Pietersburg (Game 6)
14:40 – TBC vs Midstream (Game 7)
15:45 – TBC vs Sasolburg (Game 8)
WATERBREAK
17:00 – Waterkloof vs Rustenburg (Game 9)
18:05 – Middelburg vs Pietersburg (Game 10)
19:10 – Potch Gim vs Midstream (Game 11)
20:15 – Zwartkop vs Sasolburg (Game 12)
Friday, 8 August
08:00 – 1st Group A vs 2nd Group D (Game 13, 1-8)
09:15 – 1st Group B vs 2nd Group C (Game 14, 1-8)
10:30 – 1st Group C vs 2nd Group B (Game 15, 1-8)
11:45 – 1st Group D vs 2nd Group A (Game 16, 1-8)
WATERBREAK
13:00 – 3rd Group A vs 2nd Group D (Game 17, 9-12)
14:15 – 3rd Group B vs 2nd Group C (Game 18, 9-12)
15:30 – Loser 13 vs Loser 14 (Game 19, 5-8)
16:45 – Loser 15 vs Loser 16 (Game 20, 5-8)
WATERBREAK
18:00 – Winner 13 vs Winner 14 (Game 21, 1-4)
19:15 – Winner 15 vs Winner 16 (Game 22, 1-4)
Saturday, 9 August
08:00 – Loser 17 vs Loser 1 (Game 23, 11-12)
09:35 – Winner 17 vs Winner 18 (Game 24, 9-10)
11:10 – Loser 19 vs Loser 20 (Game 25, 7-8)
WATERBREAK
12:45 – Winner 19 vs Winner 20 (Game 26, 5-6)
14:20 – Loser 21 vs Loser 22 (Game 27, 3-4)
15:55 – Winner 21 vs Winner 22 (Game 28, 1-2)
