St Stithians and Roedean blast off at Brian Baker Tournament
St Stithians College, Reddam House Bedfordview, and Roedean made strong starts, winning all their group games on the first day of the Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament, in Makhanda, on Thursday.
The annual showpiece, hosted by Kingswood College and DSG Makhanda, runs through to Sunday afternoon, when the 2026 winner will be crowned.
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After finishing fourth in 2024 and ninth in 2025, St Stithians is eager to live up to the school’s hard-earned reputation as a water polo powerhouse. They got their campaign off to a strong start with victories over Kingswood and Clarendon.
Cadha Mosehla and Daniella Sassenberg each scored a brace in Saints‘ 8-5 win over Kingswood in the opening match of the tournament.
Mosehla, who starred for Central Gauteng in their run to the title at the 2025 Schools Water Polo South Africa (SWPSA) Water Polo IPTs, added a hat-trick in St Stithians’ 9-3 win over East London’s Clarendon later in the day.
Those wins catapulted St Stithians to the top of Pool A, which also features Kingswood, Clarendon, St Dominic’s, and Alexander Road.
Roedean charged to the top of Pool B with wins over Stirling High and Rhenish.
Ané du Plessis netted four goals, and Gabriella Morell added three more as Roedean overpowered Stirling 10-5. The Johannesburg school, which finished fifth last year, followed that up with a comfortable 12-5 win over Rhenish.
Those back-to-back victories sent them to the summit in Pool B, where they are up against Durban Girls’ College (DGC), DSG Makhanda, Stirling, and Rhenish.
Last year’s runner-up, Reddam House Bedfordview, defeated Collegiate and St Mary’s Waverley on their march to the top of Pool C. The ladies from Gauteng are in the same group as the Herschel, who won the title in 2024 and 2025, Glenwood House, St Mary’s Waverley, and Collegiate.
Caitlin Scrimgeour and Gemma Caminsky led the charge for Reddam House Bedfordview with a brace each in their 7-4 win over Collegiate. Jessica McCamille and Scrimgeour, then, stood tall and scored hat-tricks in their 6-4 win over St Mary’s Waverley.
There is parity in Pool D after the opening day. Reddam Constantia House, Pearson, and St Anne’s DSG each scored a single win and are tied on three points after Thursday’s assignments. For them, Friday will be moving day.
RESULTS
Pool A
St Stithians 8 (Cadha Mosehla 2, Danielle Sassenberg 2, Keira Holland, Jessica Eblen, June Stander, Leila Springer). Kingswood 5 (Lucy Nagel 4, Kate Wilson).
St Dominic’s 14 (Emma Harmzen 6, Emma Davies 4, Julianna da Conceicao 2, Abigail Sandwell, Olivia Branders). Alexander Road 4 (Jenna Charles 2, Kaysen Francis 2).
Clarendon 18 (Megan Phillips 6, Quinn Carr 3, Kate van Biljon 2, Jenna Botha 2, Holley Jacobs, Kate Booyens, Eva Saffy, Jodi Carr, Khloe Hurn). Alexander Road 1 (Kaysen Francis).
St Stithians 9 (Cadha Mosehla 3, June Stander 2, Keira Holland 2, Jessica Eben, Taylor Dukes). Clarendon 3 (Jenna Botha, Keira Naidoo, Jodi Carr).
Kingswood College 7 (Lucy Nagel 4, Madison Edwards, Lily Collins, Iviwe Ntloko). St Dominic’s 2 (Emma Davis 2).
Pool B
Roedean 10 (Ané du Plessis 4, Gabriella Morell 3, Esmé du Plessis, Ambrin McEwan, Nadia Dohmen). Stirling 5 (Nicola Schwatz 3, Kirsty Ikin, Jordan van Eek).
DSG Makhanda 8 (Alexandra Ovendale 2, Sage Hawkins 2, Michaela Blaine 2, Gina Lindhorst, Alexandra Miller). Stirling 4 (Nicola Schwartz, Abigail Tesmer, Jorja Linke, Jessica Greeff).
Rhenish 3 (Genevieve Ward 2, Isla Roos). Durban Girls’ College 13 (Isabella Stephenson 2, Anri Human 2, Jazlyn Moolman 2, Laura Nel 2, Leah Kent 2, Lia Janse van Rensburg, Bailey Bartlett, Lascala Pengelly).
Durban Girls’ College (3) 3 (Baily Bartlett, Lara Nel, Leah Kent). DSG Makhanda (2) 3 (Cate Harrison 2, Alexandra Ovendale).
Roedean 12 (Gabriella Morell 4, Esmé du Plessis 3, Ané du Plessis 2, Nadia Dohmen 2, Ambrin McEwan). Rhenish 5 (Genevieve Ward, Charlotte Joubert, Emily van Selm, Bailey Black, Dani Henn).
Pool C
Reddam House Bedfordview 7 (Caitlin Scrimgeour 2, Gemma Caminsky 2, Amber Visser, Jessica McCamlie, Annabelle Morton). Collegiate 4 (Charlotte van Bochove, Emily de Witt, Jamie Brown, Brigid Guest).
St Mary’s Waverley 2 (Jenna Blaauw, Georgia van der Walt). Glenwood House 4 (Mia Gibson 2, Rosslyn Squiar, Emma Loubser).
Herschel 15 (Samantha Miller 3, Tess Anderson 3, Jessica Bosch 3, Jemma Pearse 2, Ruby Lamb 2, Holly Deneys, Charlotte Wiltshire). Collegiate 3 (Alexis Fourie, Amy Wilmot, Brigid Guest).
Reddam House Bedfordview 6 (Jessica McCamille 3, Caitlin Scrimgeour 3). St Mary’s Waverley 4 (Jenna Blaauw, Kathryn Thorburn, Georgia van der Walt, Alexis James).
Pool D
Pearson 11 (Kayla-Linke Seyffert 3, Danica Smith 3, Alivia Attwell 3, Alexi du Plessis, Sarah Whitehead). Woodridge 1 (Ava Pledger).
Reddam House Constantia 7 (Holly Strydom 3, Abigail Weatherall 2, Isabella Batistich, Lauren Helm). Hudson Park 9 (Kayden Glasgow 5, Kara Batting 2, Baily Lake, Amy Fortuin).
St Anne’s DSG 11 (Farrann Elliot 4, Maggy Matthews 3, Keira Sim, Jessica Bosman, Inez Letschert, Ella Chalupsky). Pearson 7 (Danica Smith 3, Caitlyn Gimmill 2, Kayla-Linke Seyffert, Milan Janse van Rensburg).
Reddam House Constantia 18 (Tayla Bosman 6, Jessica Bester 3, Joy Waller 2, Samantha Nimb 2, Holly Strydom 2, Summer-Lee Wain 2, Isabella Batistich). Woodridge 0.
