Strong starts for local teams at Cape Town International Hockey Tournament
Western Cape sides, Somerset College, Paarl Girls’ High, and Paarl Gimnasium took charge of Pools A, B, and C, while Chisipite, from neighbouring Zimbabwe, rose to the top of Pool D, after the first day of action at the Cape Town International Hockey Tournament on Wednesday.
The 19th edition of the annual event has 64 teams split between u19 boys’ and girls’ sides participating, with 20 teams competing for the honours in the Elite Girls section.
Last year’s finalists, Millfield Green Stripe and Kingston Grammar, did not return to this year’s tournament, which left Paarl Gim as the top-ranked side from 2023 ahead of the event.
On day one, Ian Naude‘s charges lived up to their billing, kicking off their campaign in style, with back-to-back emphatic victories.
In their first outing, they tackled the UK side, Uppingham, and overran them 9-0. Karea de Ridder led the scoring with the first hattrick of the tournament. Anya Swanepoel netted a brace, while Marika Neethling, Jone de Winnaar, Alanda Rademeyer, and Isabella Nel, also found the back of the net.
They followed up that big win with a comprehensive 8-0 demolition of Windhoek High. Neethling scored twice. Anine le Roux matched her, while Ridder and Rademeyer were again on the scoresheet, where they were joined by Tanya Pieterse and Minke Botha.
Unsurprisingly, those results have left Paarl Gim perched on top of Pool C.
Paarl Girls’ High kicked off their challenge with a 5-0 drubbing of Bellville. Nina Cilliers led the scoring with a double, while Halle Williams, Rouxne Pentz, and Lisa Craven also scored.
A few hours later, they hammered Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool 7-0. As she did in the morning, Cilliers led the scoring with a brace. Williams, Craven, and Pentz, who also scored in their side’s opener, were again on the score sheet, where they were joined by Elize Janse van Vuuren and Charlotte Louw.
Coach Anri Keevy’s charges finished ninth last year, but based on their showing on the opening day they have their sights set on loftier heights this time around.
Those big victories catapulted Paarl Girls’ High to the top of Pool B, which they lead on goal difference over Parel Vallei, who scored five goals and conceded one in their victories over Clifton College (Bristol, UK), and Bellville.
The two Paarl girls’ schools were the only sides to finish the opening day without conceding a goal.
Somerset, the winners of the Belgotex Easter Hockey Tournament, entered the tournament as the second-highest-ranked team after finishing fourth last year, just behind Paarl Gim.
However, they didn’t enjoy as strong a start as Paarl Gim and Paarl Girls’ High, with Ainsleigh de Kock‘s charges kicking off their campaign with a 1-1 draw against last year’s Evolve section winners, St Paul’s. Lara Gouws found the back of the net for Somerset while Leila Grogli scored for the Windhoek school.
De Kock’s team found its range when they faced AKS Lytham. Annabelle Hamel and Nina Benson scored a goal each to lead them to victory.
Unlike the other groups, the competition in Pool A is tight after the opening day’s play. Somerset College is tied on four points with Hoërskool Kempton Park but enjoys a better goal difference. The Western Cape side scored three and conceded one goal, while Kempton Park scored two and conceded one.
Behind them are Durbanville High and St Paul’s, who drew both of their matches, scoring two and conceding two
Zimbabwean side Chisipite cantered to the top of Pool D with wins over Springfield Convent School and Hoërskool Outeniqua.
The Kanyiwe Tafuma-coached side registered a 2-0 win over Springfield in their first match, thanks to goals from Alexia Pitcher and Zarina Makwarimba. Later in the day, Chisipite again won by a 2-0 margin, this time over Outeniqua, with Emma Reilly and Tanya Masamba striking for the Zimbabweans.
Chisipite’s two wins has left them equal on points with Windhoek Gymnasium, who also recorded two victories, defeating Outeniqua 2-1 and Rustenburg 1-0. However, Chisipite, with plus-four goals, tops the standings on goal difference from Windhoek Gymnasium, which was plus-two after their two wins.
Unfortunately, day two’s fixtures have been cancelled after the South African Weather Service issued a level 8 weather warning for some areas of the Western Cape, including Cape Town. The organisers will revise the playing schedule, which will be updated once those changes are available.
RESULTS
Pool A
Somerset College 1-1 St Paul’s College
Durbanville High School 1-1 Hoërskool Kempton Park
Somerset College 2-0 AKS Lytham
St Paul’s College 1-1 Durbanville High School
Hoërskool Kempton Park 1-0 AKS Lytham
Pool B
Hoërskool Bellville 0-5 Paarl Girls’ High
Clifton College 1-2 Parel Vallei
Hoërskool Bellville 0-3 Parel Vallei
Clifton College 7-0 Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool
Paarl Girls’ High 7-0 Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool
Pool C
Worcester Gymnasium 1-0 Curro Durbanville
Paarl Gimnasium 9-0 Uppingham
Windhoek High School 0-8 Paarl Gimnasium
Pool D
Windhoek Gymnasium 2-1 Hoërskool Outeniqua
Chisipite 2-0 Springfield Convent School
Rustenburg 0-1 Windhoek Gymnasium
Chisipite 2-0 Hoërskool Outeniqua
