Player Profile: Luken Brunette (Hoërskool Garsfontein)
There was joy for many, disappointment for others, when the 2025 SASHOC National Week concluded at Maritzburg College, in Pietermaritzburg, earlier this month.
Among those who were celebrating and basking in the glory of their child’s achievement were Freddie and Rista Brunette, the parents of Luken Brunette.
Luken, who hails from Pretoria’s Hoërskool Garsfontein, captained Northern Gauteng A to a monumental third-place finish, behind only Southern Gauteng A and the winners, Western Province A.
It was the best finish for Northerns in almost 10 years and signalled the growth of schoolboy hockey within the Pretoria region.
“I’m very proud of what we achieved at IPT. We set a goal for ourselves, which was the semifinals, and we reached it,” Brunette told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“We wanted to go further and win, but it was tough against Western Province in the semis.
“For us, it was just about making history. I think the last time Northerns made a semifinal in the A-section was 10 to 12 years ago, so we wanted to make history and medal.”
On a personal level, that was the best interprovincial tournament for Brunette, who has been involved with Northerns hockey since his junior years.
He joined Garsfontein in grade eight after a stint at Laerskool Constantiapark, where he first picked up a stick.
“I started when I was in grade two, and my brother was in grade seven,” he recalled.
“I was always joining his training sessions, picking up the stick, and loving it.
“I also liked rugby a lot, but I broke an arm in the Afsluiting (end-of-season event), and after that, I stuck with hockey from grade six and just went up from there.”
Brunette entered the gates of Garsfontein in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic and didn’t get to play as much hockey as he would’ve liked.
The tide started to turn in grade nine, and he was selected for the u16 SA Schools side for the first time at the age of 15 after an impressive IPT in Stellenbosch.
The dangerous drag flicker continued to up his game and the following year made his first team debut.
“It’s been a journey since I got to Garsies, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he reckoned.
“After the junior years, I played for the first team in grade 10, and we won the Northerns Cup and finished fifth at IPT and fourth at the Hibbert Shield.
“Grade 11 was also great. Even though we lost two matches at IPT and still finished in 10th place, I managed to make the SA u17 team, which was an achievement.
“This year, we did well at IPT and beat Grey College for the first time at the Hibbert Shield, and I made the SA u18 team. All in all, it’s been amazing.”
During his school career, the 18-year-old has played in the JHL (Johannesburg Hockey League), PSI (Pro Series Indoor) and for the TUKS 1 outfit while also training with the Tuks high-performance squad.
At first, he played centre link but was moved by former coach Nick Bérichon to centre back, a position he has excelled in over the past two seasons.
Apart from drag flicking, Brunette has worked hard on his defending.
“I think as a player you must always try and improve, and that’s something I’ve done over the years,” he said. “My distribution and defending are my best attributes. My attacking is also good, but that’s not what I do a lot in games.
“There are some techniques I learnt as a youngster from my brother, who was a good hockey player as well, and I still use those to this day.”
Brunette plans to study Actuarial Science at the University of Pretoria in 2026. Closing in on the end of his school career, he thanked some of the coaches who’ve helped him along the way and his parents, who have attended many of his matches.
“There are many coaches who played a big role, but from grades 8-10 it was Nick Bérichon, and he’s the one who converted me from centre link to centre back, and that changed my career.
“He left at the end of grade 10, and coach Steven Paulo and meneer Rihann van der Merwe took over and also had a massive influence on my hockey.
“My parents have also been there for me, and they always comfort me when I’ve had tough games.
“They make plans for me to get to where I need to be and play, so I will always be grateful for them.”
The Garsfontein skipper will lead his side for the last time at the Guschkie Top Schools Hockey Tournament, which takes place at Grey College in August.
You can catch that event LIVE on SuperSport Schools.
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