Rhenish eager to get Super 12 title defence underway
The Rhenish Girls’ High first hockey side has produced another brilliant season under the guidance of head coach Chris Gerber.
After a stellar showing in 2024, the girls from Stellenbosch picked up from where they left off, dominating most of their opponents while excelling at both ends of the field – scoring plenty of goals while conceding few.
They went unbeaten throughout the season in the Western Cape and experienced just two hiccups at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival and All Girls’ National Festival in May.
In their most recent outings, against top opposition, Rhenish defeated fellow Super 12 qualifiers, Paarl Gimnasium and HMS Bloemhof, 1-0. Now their attention has shifted to the prestigious Fairtree Super 12 Tournament.
The annual event runs from Thursday, 7 August, at Oranje Meisieskool, in Bloemfontein, and finishes on Saturday, 9 August.
Rhenish won the whole thing a year ago when they defeated St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) 3-1 on penalties after the final ended level at 1-1 in regulation time.
Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus ahead of the tournament, coach Gerber said his charges have prepared well for the event and are ready to get going. “The girls are in a good space heading into the Super 12,” he said.
“They have worked hard and done everything they possibly could to be prepared and ready for the challenge of Super 12.”
Since their first appearance in the Super 12 in 2017, the Stellenbosch-based has qualified for the tournament five times.
In their maiden appearance, they placed sixth. Two years later, in 2019, they finished fourth. Three years on, in 2022, they ended in 11th place. Then, in 2023, they sneaked into the top four. In 2025, they were crowned the champions.
Gerber admitted that being the defending champions creates a level of pressure, but it’s top tournaments like these that Rhenish likes to embrace.
“I think it does bring some pressure. However, that is what motivates us as a team,” he explained. “This Rhenish team thrives under pressure, and they live for this type of opportunity.
“We have prepared extremely well and will not leave any stone unturned, but we are taking it game by game and will take on each game as a new challenge.”
When asked what he would like to see from his side, the coach said: “I would like to see our girls making it count and owning the opportunity. If they manage to do this, we will be unstoppable.”
Rhenish has been drawn in Pool A and will face Eunice High School, Oranje, Bloemhof, Hoërskool Waterkloof, and St Mary’’s DSG, Kloof.
Squad: Grace Hobbs, Pippa Viljoen, Chelsey Woolf, Jasmine Aitken, Amy-Leigh Gibson, Frankie Henn, Emma Lurie, Lily Newton, Shene Du Plessis, Nicola van der Merwe, Puck Bakker (vc), Ruby Cilliers, Sarah Oscroft, Katherine Sickle, Leah du Plessis (c), Sarah-Ellen Groenewald.
Rhenish’s fixtures at the Super 12
Thursday, 7 August
07:30 – Rhenish vs St Mary’s DSG (Kloof)
12:30 – Rhenish vs Waterkloof
17:30 – Rhenish vs HMS Bloemhof
Friday, 8 August
09:10 – Rhenish vs Oranje
17:30 – Rhenish vs Eunice
