Players to Watch – St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival 2026
The annual St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival is upon us. Spectators can expect the 25th edition to deliver thrilling contests. Below, we highlight some of the players worth keeping an eye on through the next four days.
Catch all the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools
Marichelle Crous – Oranje
The Oranje captain gives her team a strong point of reference. She provides a strong presence in the middle of the park. She is one of the best midfielders going into the festival.
Crous is a great defensive asset. She is strong in one-on-one contests and easily gains control in physical duels. She brings calm to her side with composure in tight spaces and shows a natural ability to balance both attacking and defensive responsibilities.
Crous has an impressive work rate at the back and in attack. She drives most of Oranje’s transitions and is influential in dictating Oranje’s tempo.
“What has elevated her game is her growing control over tempo and her understanding of when to speed the game up or slow it down. She is becoming more influential in dictating play, staying available, and driving transitions with intent,” Morne Odendaal, the Oranje coach, shared.
Chanette Jansen van Vuuren – Menlopark
The Menlopark captain is one of the most experienced players coming into the competition. This is her fifth appearance at the festival, having made an early debut at the showpiece. Menlopark will be looking to her midfield skills to help them through matches.
“Chanette is a highly intelligent midfielder with exceptional game IQ, consistently reading play and making smart decisions under pressure. Her ability to break lines through individual skill and precise elimination passing makes her a constant attacking threat,” Brad Brook, the Menlopark head coach, said of the midfielder.
Jansen Van Vuuren has an outstanding work rate on both sides of the ball. She is brilliant at controlling the tempo for her side. She also poses a significant threat during penalty corner situations.
Jamie da Silva – St Mary’s DSG Kloof
Da Silva is one of the most electric forwards in school-girl hockey. The St Mary’s DSG Kloof learner has a skillset that allows her to find the target from anywhere in the circle. In addition to her shooting skills, Da Silva is an adept dribbler and is excellent in one-on-one duels against defenders.
She is quick and light on her feet and is a threat in counterattacks. Da Silva has a high work rate and a never-give-up attitude, which will keep St Mary’s DSG Kloof on track even in seemingly hopeless situations.
Sarah-Ellen Groenewald – Rhenish
Groenewald is one of the top talents at this year’s edition of the festival. The Rhenish learner has vast experience at all levels. She was part of the Boland’s title-winning side and was selected for the SA u18 team.
“Her big strength is that she can break a line with really good hand skills. She can also set players up to be in great positions to score goals,” Chris Gerber.
The versatile midfielder and forward’s ability to get herself in good positions and great eye when in possession will be a big plus for Rhenish.
Alanda Rademeyer – Paarl Gimnasium
Rademeyer had an exceptional 2025 season and looks to have picked up from where she left off last year. She was a big reason behind Paarl Gim’s title-winning campaign at the Fairtree Super 12 tournament. The forward is one of the best strikers in the country; she was a fixture in Boland’s u16 team in 2024 and 2025.
Paarl Gim will try to feed the ball to her as much as possible because anything is possible with her up front.
Kayla du Preez – Oranje
No one has had as good a start to the season as Kayla du Preez. The Oranje midfielder’s star sparkled brightly at the Our Lady of Fatima-hosted Coastal Festival earlier this month. Du Preez walked away from the competition with the Player of the Tournament award.
“Kayla has shown consistent growth through her work ethic and commitment to improving her game. What stands out most about Kayla is her ability to take feedback, apply it, and turn it into performance. She has actively worked on the key areas of her game and is now starting to master them,” Odendaal revealed.
Du Preez is one of the best finishers in the game and can create something from nothing. Her creativity, coupled with her great decision-making and her growing confidence in one-on-one situations, is a boon for Oranje.
“She is becoming more decisive, more direct, and more impactful under pressure, a sign of a player taking real ownership of her game,” Odendaal said.
