SA’s cream of the crop head to Gqeberha for the Hibbert Shield
The schoolboy hockey season has been in full swing for at least two months now, but the action will ramp up this week at the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield Hockey Tournament, which takes place at Grey High School, in Gqeberha.
The prestigious event pits many of the country’s top sides against each other.
It runs from Wednesday, 30 April, to Saturday, 3 May.
The Hibbert Shield will be LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App and DSTV Channel 216.
Sixteen teams from across South Africa will be welcomed to The Windy City. Included in the star-studded lineup are the defending champions, Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), who are drawn in Pool B. They edged out their Western Cape rivals, South African College High School (SACS), in last year’s final.
Both PRG and SACS will be back for another crack at the silverware. SACS lifted the shield in 2022, while PRG has claimed the title for the past two years.
The boys from Stellenbosch have started the season like a house on fire and defeated Bishops 3-2 in their last outing. SACS, meanwhile, recorded a 4-1 win over Parel Vallei on the weekend.
Coached by Sam Holmes, SACS will be out to make their mark in Pool A, but they will need to go through St Alban’s College, Pearson High, and Grey College to make the quarterfinals.
PRG takes on the KwaZulu-Natal duo of Clifton College and Maritzburg College, as well as Selborne College, in Pool B.
Maritzburg College has built up considerable momentum as the season has progressed and they’re into their stride. They impressed at the King Edward VII Easter Hockey Festival, winning all of their games.
Their winning streak continued on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Pretoria Boys High in the South African capital city.
The hosts, Grey High, are in Pool C and face Paarl Gimnasium, Westville Boys’ High, and St Stithians College. It’s a tough group. While Westville has endured some struggles this season, coach Cam Mackay’s sides always improve as the season progresses.
Paarl Gim, with an impressive 4-2 win over Grey College in Bloemfontein, showed they’re ready to challenge, while St Stithians shone at the Saints Easter Festival, where they went five for five.
At issue is the fact that only two of the four teams will make it through to the quarterfinals.
Grey has enjoyed smooth preparation for the event, scoring two wins in the past week – 4-0 over Pearson and 5-1 over Dale College on the weekend.
Westville’s most recent outing was against one of the season’s top teams, Jeppe High School for Boys. The Griffin raced into a 2-0 lead, but Jeppe rode out the early setbacks and claimed a 5-2 win.
Pool D is wide open. with no clear favourite. Durban High School, Bishops, Parel Vallei, and Hoërskool Garsfontein will battle it out for the two quarterfinal places.
Bishops will be on the hunt for revenge after they missed out on a semifinal spot last year when they went down to Garsies in the last eight.
DHS is in good form, and a 2-1 win over Northwood over the weekend will boost their confidence, while Parel Vallei has enjoyed a strong season thus far. They will be eager to make a massive mark in their debut outing.
For results, match reports, articles, and highlights, follow SuperSport Schools Hockey on Facebook.
Click HERE for a full overview of the tournament’s history, schools, and more.
GROUPS
Pool A: SACS, St Alban’s College, Pearson High School, Grey College
Pool B: Paul Roos Gimnasium, Clifton College, Maritzburg College, Selborne College
Pool C: Grey High, Paarl Gimnasium, Westville Boys’ High, St Stithians College
Pool D: Durban High School, Bishops Diocesan College, Parel Vallei, Hoërskool Garsfontein
FIXTURES
Wednesday, 30 April
Grey High School
07:30 – SACS vs St Alban’s College
08:45 – Paul Roos vs Selborne College
10:15 – Grey High vs Paarl Gimnasium
11:30 – DHS vs Bishops
13:00 – Parell Vallei vs Garsfontein
14:15 – Westville vs St Stithians College
15:45 – SACS vs Pearson
17:00 – Paul Roos vs Clifton College
19:00 – Grey High vs St Stithians College
Collegiate AstroTurf
09:00 – Grey College vs Pearson
10:15 – Maritzburg College vs Clifton College
18:15 – DHS vs Garsfontein
Thursday, 1 May
Grey High School
07:30 – Selborne College vs Clifton College
08:45 – SACS vs Grey College
10:15 – Paul Roos vs Maritzburg College
11:30 – Bishops vs Garsfontein
13:00 – DHS vs Parel Vallei
14:15 – Grey High vs Westville
15:45 – St Alban’s College vs Grey College
17:00 – Selborne College vs Maritzburg College
18:30 – Bishops vs Parel Vallei
Collegiate AstroTurf
08:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Westville
09:45 – Pearson High vs St Alban’s College
14:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs St Stithians College
Friday, 2 May
Grey High School
07:30 – 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool D
08:45 – 1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool C
10:15 – 2nd Pool A vs 1st Pool D
11:30 – 2nd Pool B vs 1st Pool C
15:00 – Loser of quarterfinal 1
16:15 – Loser of quarterfinal 2
17:45 – Semifinal 1
19:00 – Semifinal 2
Collegiate AstroTurf
07:30 – 3rd Pool A vs 4th Pool D
08:45 -3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C
10:15 – 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D
11:30 – 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C
15:00 – Loser 3rd Pool A/4th Pool D vs Loser 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C
16:15 – Loser 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D vs Loser 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C
17:45 – Winner 3rd Pool A/4th Pool D vs Winner 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C
19:00 -Winner 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D vs Winner 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C
Saturday, 3 May
Grey High School
07:30 – 13th Place vs 14th Place
08:45 – 11th Place vs 12th Place
11:30 – 5th Place vs 6th Place
13:00 – Bowl Final
14:15 – 3rd/4th Play-off match
15:45 – u14 Final
17:00 – u16 Final
19:00 – Final
Collegiate AstroTurf
10:15 -15th Place vs 16th Place
