SA’s best in action at 30th St Andrew’s Squash Festival
One of South Africa’s longest-running and most prestigious schools’ squash events, the Saint Andrew’s Squash Festival, takes place in Bloemfontein from 9-11 February, and celebrates its 30th anniversary with a jam-packed programme featuring top teams from around the country.
The hosts, St Andrew’s School, traditionally one of the powerhouses of the game, are overseen by SA Schools’ selectors Margo Morgan and Calvin Deutschmann, who are also the organisers of the event. Deutschmann, one of the country’s leading coaches, is a junior men’s national selector, too.
The Saint Andrew’s A team will be thrown straight into the fire in their opening fixture when they face off with Hoërskool Zwartkop. Last year, Zwartkop won the Top Schools Tournament, which brings together the champion schools from the different provinces. St Andrew’s finished second.
However, during the 2023 St Andrew’s Squash Festival, the hosts were victorious against Zwartkop, beating them 4-2. They also beat Selborne College, third at the Top Schools event, 6-0. It should be noted, though, that no winner of the event is declared, thus its designation as a festival.
However, 2024 is a new year, and the teams’ personnel have changed, so there is much to be learned about the schools participating in Bloemfontein.
The strength in depth of St Andrew’s is reflected in the fact that their 2nd team will also be in action. In 2023, they were unbeaten at the festival, sweeping the Michaelhouse and St John’s College 2nd teams, drawing with the Maritzburg College 1st team, and beating the Kingswood College and Queen’s College 1st teams.
Only two other schools will field 1st and 2nd teams this year: Pretoria Boys High and St John’s College.
From Gauteng, the representatives are St John’s, Zwartkop, Parktown Boys’ High, King Edward VII, Pretoria Boys High, and St Stithians College.
The Western Cape’s sides are Diocesan College (Bishops) and Paul Roos Gimnasium.
Queen’s College, Grey High School, Kingswood College, St Andrew’s College, and Selborne College fly the flag for the Eastern Cape.
The hosts, St Andrew’s, represent the Free State, along with Grey College and St Dominic’s College.
Westville Boys’ High, Michaelhouse, Glenwood High School, and Kearsney College carry the hopes of KwaZulu-Natal.
A number of returning coaches have been long-time supporters of the festival, with Calvin Deutschmann attending all 30 editions of the event.
Winston Paxton (Selborne) attends for the 29th time and Andrew Morgan (Kearsney College) for the 20th time, while Mike Bester (St Stithians), Des Alcock (St Andrew’s College), Craig Stephens (Pretoria Boys High), Richard Fietze (Queen’s College) and Mark Johnston (St John’s) have all spent more than a decade bringing their teams to the festival.
FIXTURES
Friday: 9 February 2024 Time: 14:15
| Fixture | Venue | ||
| St Andrew’s A | VS | Zwartkop Hoërskool | St Andrew’s 1 & 2 |
| St Andrew’s B | VS | Parktown Boys’ High | St Andrew’s 2 & 3 |
| Selborne College | VS | St John’s College A | St Michael’s 1, 2 & 3 |
| Grey High A | VS | King Edward VII | Varsity 1 & 2 |
| Maritzburg College | VS | Queen’s College | Varsity 3, 4 & 5 |
| Michaelhouse | VS | Pretoria Boys High A | Ramblers 1 & 2 |
| Kingswood College | VS | Pretoria Boys High B | Ramblers 3 & 4 |
| Kearsney College | VS | Grey College | Grey College 1 & 2 |
| Westville Boys’ High | VS | Bishops Diocesan College | Oudstudente 1 & 2 |
| St Dominic’s College | VS | St Stithians College | Eunice 1 & 2 |
| St Andrew’s College | VS | Paul Roos Gimnasium | Municipals 1 & 2 |
Friday 9 February 2024 Time 15:30
| Glenwood High | VS | St John’s College B | St Michael’s 1, 2 & 3 |
Friday: 9 February 2024 Time: 19:15
| Fixture | Venue | ||
| St Andrew’s A | VS | King Edward VII School | St Andrew’s 1 & 2 |
| St Andrew’s B | VS | Bishops Diocesan College | St Andrew’s 2 & 3 |
| Kearsney College | VS | St John’s College A | Varsity 4 & 5, share crt 4 |
| Pretoria Boys High B | VS | St John’s College B | Varsity 3 & 4, share crt 4 |
| Pretoria Boys High A | VS | Selborne College | Varsity 1 & 2 |
| Grey High | VS | Michaelhouse | Oudstudente 1 & 2 |
| St Andrew’s College | VS | Glenwood High | Eunice 1 & 2 |
| Paul Roos Gimnasium | VS | Kingswood College | Municipals 1 & 2 |
| Westville Boys’ High | VS | Grey College | Grey College 1 & 2 |
| Zwartkop Hoërskool | VS | St Dominic’s College | Ramblers 1 & 2, use Crt 1 only till 20h00 |
| Maritzburg College | VS | St Stithian’s College | Ramblers 2, 3 & 4, use court 2 till 20h00 only, then use Crt 3 & 4 |
| Parktown Boys’ High | VS | Queens’ College | St Michael’s 1, 2 & 3, if loadshedding @ 20h00, move to Grey College 3 & 4 |
FIXTURES
Saturday: 10 February 2024 Time: 09:30
| Fixture | Venue | ||
| St Andrew’s A | VS | Grey High | St Andrew’s 1 & 2 |
| St Andrew’s B | VS | St John’s College B | St Andrew’s 2 & 3 |
| Michaelhouse | VS | St John’s College A | Varsity 1 & 2 |
| Zwartkop Hoërskool | VS | King Edward VII School | Oudstudente 1 & 2 |
| Kingswood College | VS | Parktown Boys’ High | Municipals 1 & 2 |
| St Andrew’s College | VS | Maritzburg College | Varsity 3, 4 & 5 |
| Kearsney College | VS | Pretoria Boys’ High A | Ramblers 1 & 2 |
| Glenwood High | VS | Pretoria Boys High B | Ramblers 3 & 4 |
| Grey College | VS | St Dominic’s College | Grey College 1 & 2 |
| Selborne College | VS | Bishops Diocesan College | Eunice 1 & 2 |
| Westville Boys’ High | VS | St Stithian’s College | St Michael’s 2 & 3 |
| Paul Roos Gimnasium | VS | Queens College | St Michael’s 1 & 2 |
Saturday: 10 February 2024 Time: 14:30
| Fixture | Venue | ||
| St Andrew’s A | VS | Michaelhouse | St Andrew’s 1 & 2 |
| St Andrew’s B | VS | Glenwood High | St Andrew’s 2 & 3 |
| Maritzburg College | VS | Grey High | Eunice 1 & 2 |
| Paul Roos Gimnasium | VS | St John’s College A | St Michael’s 1 & 2 |
| Kingswood College | VS | St John’s College B | St Michael’s 2 & 3 |
| Grey College | VS | King Edward VII School | Grey College 1 & 2 |
| Kearsney College | VS | St Stithians College | Ramblers 1 & 2 |
| Selborne College | VS | Zwartkop Hoërskool | Oudstudente 1 & 2 |
| Parktown Boys High | VS | Bishops Diocesan College | Municipals 1 & 2 |
| St Dominic’s College | VS | Queen’s College | Ramblers 3 & 4, move to Varsity 5 if there is load shedding |
| Westville Boys’ High | VS | Pretoria Boys High A | Varsity 1 & 2 |
| St Andrew’s College | VS | Pretoria Boys High B | Varsity 3, 4 & 5, use all three courts to start – courts will be needed if there is load shedding@ Ramblers. |
FIXTURES
Sunday: 11 February 2024 Time: 08H30
| Fixture | Venue | ||
| St Andrew’s A | VS | Selborne College | St Andrew’s 1 & 2 |
| St Andrew’s B | VS | Maritzburg College | St Andrew’s 2 & 3 |
| St John’s College A | VS | Westville Boys’’ High | Ramblers 1 & 2 |
| St John’s College B | VS | St Andrew’s College | Ramblers 3 & 4 |
| King Edward VII School | VS | Michaelhouse | Eunice 1 & 2 |
| Kingswood College | VS | Glenwood High | Varsity 3, 4 & 5 |
| Grey College | VS | Pretoria Boys High A | Grey College 1 & 2 |
| Parktown Boys’ High | VS | Pretoria Boys High B | Grey College 3 & 4 |
| Grey High | VS | St Stithians College | St Michael’s 1, 2 & 3 |
| St Dominics College | VS | Paul Roos Gimnasium | Municipals 1 & 2 |
| Queens College | VS | Bishops Diocesan College | Varsity 1 & 2 |
| Kearsney College | VS | Zwartkop Hoërskool | Oudstudente 1 & 2 |
