Oranje produces masterclass to win St Anne’s Cup
Oranje delivered a masterclass in teamwork on their way to a 3-0 win over Our Lady of Fatima to claim the title at the St Anne’s Cup in Hilton on Sunday afternoon.
Oranje’s goals came from Xylia Choene, Kayla du Preez, and Daniella Grobbelaar.
It was their first participation in the St Anne’s Cup, but their third trophy of the year. Under the guidance of former St Anne’s Director of Hockey, Morné Odendaal, the Bloemfontein school has been a consistent force this season, also winning the St Mary’s Waverley Festival and National All Girls’ Festival.
In addition to the title, three Oranje players were also recognised for their outstanding work on the Astro.
Marichelle Crous took home the Player of the Tournament Award, while Dané Janse van Vuuren shared the Goalkeeper of the Tournament Award with St Anne’s netminder, Lilli-Anna James. Kirstin Booysen was named the Best Defender alongside Inati Ngcobo, also from St Anne’s.
“When this group started the journey for the 2026 season, the goal was simple: to play a beautiful brand of hockey that people would stop and watch. A team that played with freedom, intensity, courage, and connection. Somewhere along the way, that vision turned into something special,” Morné Odendaal, the Oranje coach, said after the final.
Oranje was the most well-rounded side at the tournament. Their forwards were ruthless, and they headed into the final with 22 goals to their name, while their defence had allowed only two goals.
They needed to maintain that discipline to defeat an Our Lady of Fatima side that netted 14 times and conceded twice on their way to the title game.
Reflecting on his team’s performance in the final, Odendaal said: “Their work rate off the ball was outstanding. Players constantly moved to create options and make the ball carrier look good.”
Oranje didn’t allow Our Lady of Fatima to settle into their stride. Odendaal’s charges hit the ground running and scored just over a minute into the contest. Our Lady of Fatima was still trying to recover when Oranje struck again a minute later.
After that punch to the gut, credit to Our Lady of Fatima, coach Matthew Smith‘s charges regrouped and swung the pendulum in their favour with good passing. They almost pulled back a goal eight minutes into the match, but were denied by Dané Janse van Vuuren, who pulled off a great save.
The Durban North school was unrelenting and came close again from a penalty corner two minutes later, but Oranje’s short corner defence stood firm.
“Mentally, the group handled pressure well. They stayed composed in key moments and trusted the process and structure,” Odendaal said. “We defended as a unit, pressed well, and forced teams into low-percentage areas.”
Early in the second chukka, Our Lady of Fatima tested Oranje’s defence again, spending the first five minutes in their opponent’s half. They went unrewarded, though.
One of the hallmarks of Oranje’s game throughout the tournament was their discipline and consistency. They stuck to their guns as they absorbed the pressure from Our Lady of Fatima.
“We converted defence into attack very quickly. Counter-attacking opportunities became genuine goalscoring threats within seconds,” Odendaal said.
Those words described the manner in which Oranje turned the tables on Our Lady of Fatima in the blink of an eye and extended their lead three minutes before the break with a penalty corner conversion.
In the second half, Our Lady of Fatima’s defence was sturdy and denied Oranje goals. They also took the attack to the Bloemfontein side, but a common refrain is that defences win titles, and that proved to be the case on Sunday.
“The team kept standards high regardless of the opposition or scoreline. The intensity without the ball stood out. The willingness to track, recover, and compete in small moments gave us control in games,” Odendaal said.
Our Lady of Fatima won a penalty corner shortly before the final whistle, creating one last opportunity to get the ball past Oranje’s tight defence, but there was no give.
Odendaal returned to Oranje this season. Previously, in a magnificent first stint with the school, he coached his sides to 380 wins in 400 matches. This year, he passed 400 wins with Oranje.
Looking back on the season, he said: “What started as a dream slowly became a fairytale, as this group went on to win three cups in a row. But more important than the trophies is the way they achieved it. The girls played a brand of hockey that reflected who they are. They were brave on the ball, relentless without it, and fully committed to each other.
“They entertained, they inspired, and they represented the badge with pride. Most importantly, they played for each other.
“The connection, energy, and togetherness within the squad were special to watch.”
RESULTS
Final: Oranje 3-0 Our Lady of Fatima
3rd/4th place: St Anne’s (3) 0-0 (1) St Mary’s DSG Kloof
5th/6th place: Durban Girls’ College 2-0 St Stithians College
7th/8th place: Eunice 5-2 The Wykeham Collegiate
9th/10th place: Helpmekaar 1-1 Ashton College
11th/12th place: Epworth School 3-2 Hoërskool Noordheuwel
Semifinals
Oranje 3-1 St Mary’s DSG Kloof
Our Lady of Fatima 4-1 St Anne’s
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