Top sides chase Hibbert Shield glory
The Standard Bank Hibbert Shield, sometimes referred to as the “Champions League” of schoolboy hockey, is once again upon us.
The prestigious annual tournament, hosted by Grey High in Gqeberha, runs from 24 to 27 April. Matches will be played at the Rectory AstroTurf and at Collegiate Girls’ High.
It’s a tournament that sees the cream of the crop assembling in the Windy City for competitive action with the famous Shield up for grabs.
All the matches will be LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App and on DSTV Channel 216.
With only days remaining before the first push-back, SuperSport Schools Plus writer Avuyile Sawula takes a deep dive into the groups, casting an eye over the teams, the interesting talking points, and what to expect.
Pool A
The hosts, Grey High, Parel Vallei, St Alban’s College, and Durban High School (DHS) will contest Pool A.
At first glance, it appears to be a relatively straightforward group for the top sides. However, a closer look suggests this could be the pool of death.
That’s because three teams – Grey High, Parel Vallei, and DHS – are playing outstanding hockey this season, while St Alban’s has also made significant progress.
DHS will arrive in the Eastern Cape as the only unbeaten team among the 16 sides taking to the field. Coach Keegan Hezlett and his charges have been in excellent form, securing notable victories over Parel Vallei and Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG) at the Belgotex Coastal Cup and, more recently, Northwood School.
Grey High will be looking to end their Hibbert Shield hoodoo, having last lifted the title in 2021.
Last year, coach Andrew Beynon‘s side had to settle for ninth place after a difficult tournament. However, they enter this year’s event among the favourites after starting the season strongly.
Last Friday, they defeated PRG 2–1 on the Rectory Astro. Their challenge will be to back up that performance.
Parel Vallei will make their second appearance at the tournament. Last year, they finished just outside the top 10 on debut. Coach Michael van Rensburg will be hoping they can improve significantly on that showing this time around. PV boasts a solid squad, featuring some outstandingly talented players, who will trouble their opponents.
The opening Pool A clash sees St Alban’s take on DHS at 07:30 on day one.
Pool B
After bowing out in the semifinals of last year’s tournament, PRG will aim to go one step further in 2026 to have a crack at winning the event for a fourth time.
Coach Michael Baker and his charges are in Pool B for a second year and will take on Clifton College, St Stithians College, and Selborne College.
PRG defeated both Clifton and Selborne last year but will lock horns with Saints for the first time.
It’s been a relatively slow start to the season for the Stellenbosch side, who have suffered losses to DHS and Grey High so far. Tournament hockey, however, is where PRG tends to come alive, and coach Baker will be urging his troops to bring their A-game.
It won’t be an easy ride with the other three sides also eager to make an impression. Clifton, under coach Calvin Price, finished seventh last year, and they’re playing better hockey this year.
After impressing at the Saints Easter Hockey Festival, they played to a thrilling 3-3 draw with Glenwood High last week – a fixture that provided them with good preparation ahead of the Hibbert Shield, and also a reminder that they will need to be at their best to beat the best.
Selborne has looked promising, but coach KJ Friend‘s side has not yet hit its stride this season, although their best win of the season, 1-0 over Jeppe at the Nomads Festival, was an eye-catching result.
They went down 1-2 to Pearson in their last outing and will aim to use the Hibbert Shield to dial up some confidence. Meanwhile, Saints will be chasing synchronicity after a lengthy break.
Pool C
The defending champions, SACS, are in Pool C, where they will face Westville Boys’ High, Garsfontein, and Grey College.
SACS won their second Hibbert Shield title last year after beating Paarl Gimnasium 6-3 in the final.
As they pursue a third title, coach Sam Holmes will know that progressing from the group won’t be easy.
On paper, the Cape Town outfit should finish in the top two positions, but with the shock results that this season has produced, anything could happen.
Westville will likely be their biggest challenger. After starting the season slowly, the Griffins have found their form and are performing well under coach Harold Siyaya.
They had put together a nice run of victories before succumbing to a narrow 0-1 defeat to Jeppe High School for Boys in Johannesburg on Friday, so they’ll be eager to get back to winning ways immediately.
Westville doesn’t have the best record at the Hibbert Shield, but they appear to be in a position to change that narrative in 2026.
For Garsfontein, consistency and improvement will be the items on their agenda.
The Pretoria school sparkled, reaching back-to-back semifinals in 2024 and 2025, but coach Steven Paulo will ask for more from his players.
Their schedule includes a meeting with Grey College, whom they beat in last year’s quarterfinal. It has been an up-and-down season thus far for the Bloemfontein boys, but their clash with Garsfontein should be an interesting, cagey affair.
Pool D
In an unpredictable Pool D, it could come down to goal difference to determine which sides progress to the quarterfinals.
The group will be contested by Paarl Gimnasium, who made the final last year, Bishops, Pearson High, and the newcomers, Jeppe High School for Boys.
The addition of Jeppe has been greeted with excitement and anticipation from hockey enthusiasts. They further bolster an already loaded 16-team field.
Unbeaten in 2025, Jeppe has made an uneven start to 2026 under coach Gareth Heyns, but last week’s win over an in-form Westville side was a welcome boost before the challenge of the Hibbert Shield.
They’ll have to navigate tricky opponents in Bishops, Pearson, and Paarl Gim.
Bishops might have lost 2-4 against SACS last Friday, but they showed great improvement, played some good hockey in patches, and fought to the last whistle, scoring twice in the fourth chukka.
Pearson, meanwhile, has been on a fantastic run, which included a clean record at the KES Easter Festival. After beating Selborne earlier this month, they were victorious against Outeniqua in George last weekend.
Paarl Gim will also be buzzing heading into Hibbert Shield after recently claiming a hard-fought 3-2 win over Grey College. Pool D, just like all the groups, will be hotly contested.
GROUPS
Pool A: Parel Vallei, St Alban’s College, Durban High School, Grey High School
Pool B: Paul Roos Gimnasium, Clifton College, St Stithians College, Selborne College
Pool C: SACS, Westville Boys’ High, Garsfontein, Grey College
Pool D: Jeppe High School for Boys, Paarl Gimnasium, Bishops, Pearson High
FIXTURES
Friday, 24 April
@Grey High School
07:30 – St Alban’s vs DHS
08:45 – Parel Vallei vs Grey High
10:15 – Paul Roos vs Clifton
11:30 – Selborne vs St Stithians College
13:00 – SACS vs Westville
14:15 – St Alban’s vs Parel Vallei
15:45 – Jeppe vs Bishops
17:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Pearson High
18:30 – DHS vs Grey High
@Collegiate Girls
08:45 – Jeppe vs Paarl Gim
10:15 – Bishops vs Pearson
11:30 – Garsfontein vs Grey College
15:45 – Clifton vs Selborne
17:00 – Paul Roos vs St Stithians College
18:30 – SACS vs Grey College
Saturday, 25 April
@Grey High School
07:30 – Westville vs Garsfontein
08:45 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Bishops
10:15 – St Alban’s vs Grey High School
11:30 – DHS vs Parel Vallei
13:00 – Jeppe vs Pearson
14:15 – Clifton vs St Stithians College
15:45 – SACS vs Garsfontein
17:00 – Paul Roos Gimnasium vs Selborne
18:30 – Westville vs Grey College
Playoff fixtures will be provided at the conclusion of the pool stages.
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