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SACS Nite Series down to the wire in Cape Town

By Avuyile Sawula , in Water Sports | Featured Water Sports | News , at 2024-02-26 Tags: , , , ,

The 2024 SACS Nite Series will culminate with an exhilarating final this week, with four teams still in the running for a place in the title decider after five gruelling rounds of water polo action.

The annual tournament began on 24 January. Now, just over a month later, new champions could be crowned at the SACS Aquatics Centre on Tuesday night.

SACS claimed top spot in last year’s campaign, after edging out Paul Roos 10-6 in the final.

However, they’ve found the going a lot harder this year, with their arch-rivals, Bishops Diocesan College being the team on everybody’s lips.

Coach Jabulani Sibiya’s side has been unstoppable in the series, winning all of their matches, to finish on top of the log with 15 points.

They’re followed in second place by surprise packages, Rondebosch Boys’ High, who have asserted themselves as a title contender.

Jared Wingate-Pearse’s charges were unbeaten in the first three rounds of the tournament before coming up short against Bishops and Paul Roos.

They finished with nine points, 54 goals scored and 40 conceded, which suggests they still have some work to do on their defence, still.

SACS, on the other hand, had a bumpy start to their campaign. In round one, they were thumped 11-5 by Bishops. Then Rondebosch put on an attacking masterclass to claim a 7-5 win in round two.

One could argue that SACS, under coach Devon Card‘s guidance, resurrected their season in the final three rounds of the tournament.

They scored emphatic wins over Paul Roos, Wynberg Boys’ High, and Reddam House Constantia, netting 42 goals while conceding half that number, 21.

That comeback secured the hosts side a third-place finish, and an opportunity to retain their title in front of their home supporters.

For Stellenbosch’s Paul Roos Gymnasium, winning the series would soften some of the blows they have taken in a challenging season.

They’ll enter their semi-final clash against the hosts on the back of a disappointing defeat at the hands of Clifton College in the final of the Vides Water Polo Tournament in East London earlier this month, where the title was decided from the penalty spot.

For Wynberg Boys and Reddam House, the final day of the series will be about finishing on a high note and collecting a win. Reddam are currently winless, but they will draw inspiration from their fourth-place finish at the Vides Tournament.

The action begins at 17:00, with the first of two semi-finals between Bishops and Rondebosch, while SACS and Paul Roos will battle it out for a spot in the final at 18:00.

The final starts at 20:00, and it will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools.

Round 6 Fixtures

17:00- Bishops vs Rondebosch
18:00- SACS vs Paul Roos
19:00- Wynberg Boys High vs Reddam
20:00- FINAL

Previous rounds’ results

Round 1

Bishops 11-5 SACS
Rondebosch 14-6 Reddam House Constantia
Paul Roos 11-6 Wynberg Boys High

Round 2

Wynberg 10-8 Reddam House Constantia
Rondebosch 9-7 SACS
Bishops 16-9 Paul Roos

Round 3

Rondebosch 11-4 Wynberg Boys High
Bishops 20-6 Reddam House Constantia
SACS 13-9 Paul Roos

Round 4

SACS 17-7 Wynberg Boys High
Bishops 10-9 Rondebosch
Paul Roos 14-8 Reddam House Constantia

Round 5

Paul Roos 12-10 Rondebosch
Bishops 11-2 Wynberg Boys High
SACS 12-5 Reddam House Constantia

Avuyile Sawula
error: Sorry ol' chap, those shenanigans are not permissible.