Silverware on the line at 50th Vides Water Polo Tournament
The prestigious Vides Water Polo Tournament, hosted by Selborne College in East London, will return for its 50th anniversary event this coming weekend.
The tournament, which attracts some of the country’s top water polo-playing schools, runs from 12 to 14 February at Selborne’s main pool and the Clarendon High School for Girls’ Aquatic Centre.
It promises to be yet another thrill-packed event, with schools from the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal in action.
St David’s Marist Inanda is the defending champion after defeating St Andrew’s College 9-5 in last year’s final.
Coach Dean Whyte’s charges are in Pool C and will take on Grey High, Glenwood House, and Paarl Boys’ High.
St David’s will be expected to get the job done against Boishaai and Glenwood House, but they’ll be pushed hard by a Grey High outfit that’s brimming with confidence.
The boys from Gqeberha, under the guidance of coach Ridge Snelling, have played some impressive water polo this season.
They impressed at the SAC Shield in Makhanda last month before finishing second at the Grey High Water Polo Tournament earlier this month.
Meanwhile, last year’s runners-up, St Andrew’s, will lock horns with Wynberg Boys’ High, Woodridge College, and Stirling High in Pool D.
The boys from Makhanda recently won the Grey High tournament, and they’ll back themselves to finish top of their group.
Wynberg will have other ideas, and they’ll head to East London eager to improve on last year’s ninth-place finish. Woodridge and Stirling finished in 10th and 12th, respectively, in 2025.
The hosts, Selborne, are in Pool B with Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), Pearson High, and Bloemfontein’s Grey College.
Selborne fell short in the semifinals last year and had to settle for a bronze medal after beating Clifton College on the final day.
Pool A will be contested by Reddam House Constantia, Michaelhouse, St Alban’s College, and a Collegians invitational team.
The action at Selborne kicks off on Friday with a meeting between St Andrew’s and Woodridge at 15:10, while Paarl Boys’ High takes on St David’s at Clarendon.
Groups
Pool A: Reddam House Constantia, Michaelhouse, St Alban’s College, Collegians.
Pool B: Selborne College, Paul Roos, Pearson High, Grey College.
Pool C: St David’s Marist Inanda, Grey High, Glenwood House, Paarl Boys’ High.
Pool D: Wynberg Boys’ High, St Andrew’s College, Woodridge College, Stirling High.
Fixtures: (Please note*: The fixtures below are group stage matches. Playoff matches will be updated as the tournament progresses)
Thursday, 12 February
@Selborne College
15:10 – St Andrew’s vs Woodridge; 16:00 – Michaelhouse vs St Alban’s; 16:50 – Selborne vs Pearson; 17:40 – Grey High vs Glenwood House.
@Clarendon
15:10 – Paarl Boys’ vs St David’s; 16:00 – Reddam House vs Collegians; 16:50 – Wynberg vs Stirling; 17:40 – Paul Roos vs Grey College.
Friday, 13 February
@Selborne College
08:00 – Reddam House vs St Alban’s; 08:50 – Selborne vs Grey College; 09:40 – Paarl Boys’ vs Grey High; 10:30 – St Andrew’s vs Wynberg; 11:20 – Collegians vs St Alban’s; 12:10 – Selborne vs Paul Roos; 13:00 – St David’s vs Grey High; 13:50 – Stirling vs St Andrew’s.
@Clarendon
08:00 – Michaelhouse vs Collegians; 08:50 – Pearson vs Paul Roos; 09:40 – St David’s vs Glenwood House; 10:30 – Stirling vs Woodridge; 11:20 – Michaelhouse vs Reddam House; 12:10 – Pearson vs Grey College; 13:00 – Paarl Boys’ vs Glenwood House; 13:50 – Wynberg vs Woodridge.
