Top sides to battle it out for Old Petrian’s water polo title
The 2024 water polo season reaches a fever pitch on the highveld as one of its most prestigious events splashes into action in Johannesburg this coming weekend.
From Thursday, 22 February, at 10:00, St Peter’s College opens its doors as they host the Old Petrian’s Annual Girls U19 Water Polo Tournament, which culminates in the final at 15:40 on Sunday afternoon.
Two venues, the Wahoo Aquatic Centre, in Sunninghill, and St. Peter’s Girls Prep, will host the five-day extravaganza, which brings together 27 of the best teams from around South Africa and one from Zimbabwe.
Three-time winners, St. Stithians have set their sights on successfully defending the title they won in 2023. From 2019 to 2023, they had an incredible run, winning three trophies in five years, and that included 2021 when their run was interrupted by Covid-19, and 2022, when Crawford College (Lonehill) scooped their maiden title.
While Coach Etienne Le Roux‘s charges are expected to progress from the group stages, it will not be a cakewalk for them. They are in Pool A, where they go up against three previous winners, Rand Park, Herschel and Crawford.
Going on recent form, Herschel will be the team to beat. The Cape Town school made it to the final in 2023 and they will, no doubt, be aiming to go one better and earn their second Old Petrian’s title. At the end of January, Herschel, also, won the Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament in Makhanda, also against a high-quality field. They’ve clearly established their title credentials.
Pool B includes two previous winners, St. Mary’s Waverley and Stirling. The more recent winner of those two was Stirling, who lifted the trophy in 2017. They will be up against Springfield, Roedean, Kingsmead and Zimbabwe’s Chisipite. Of all the pools, this could be the most open one, where all seven teams have a chance of progressing further.
However, Roedean’s strong showing in the Prestige Cup last weekend suggests they’re a contender for the overall honours.
The third pool is led by five-time champions, Reddam House Constantia. Coach Nick Tinkler‘s side has won more Petrian titles than any other school, and they will be keen to add a sixth to end an eight-year drought. While their group matches will be challenging, Reddam is expected to conquer the group. Their competitors include the hosts, St Peter’s, who would dearly like to add a second title to the one they claimed in 2012.
KwaZulu Natal has two representatives at the tournament, St Anne’s and Durban Girls’ College (DGC). While Pool D contestants, St Anne’s, might not be on a short list of potential champions, DGC will bear watching.
The 2023 semi-finalists and 2016 champions come into the tournament high in confidence after winning the National Aquatics Festival in Durban earlier in the month. They swept the group stages and beat St Mary’s Waverley 11-9 on penalties after a thrilling final had ended 7-7.
DGC will not be easily shrugged aside. They face Reddam House Constantia, Collegiate, Pretoria High School for Girls, Rustenburg, St Peter’s and St Dominic’s in their group.
Coach Hannah Muller’s Clarendon is on the hunt for a third title and leads Pool D. To progress, they’ll have to wrestle their way past 2018 champions Pearson, the two Reddams (Bedfordview and Helderfontein), St Anne’s, Westerford and Wynberg.
Previous winners (last five years)
St. Stithians – 2023
Crawford – 2022
St. Stithians – 2020
St. Stithians – 2019
Pearson – 2018
Thursday
Centre: 10:00 – Reddam Constantia vs Rustenburg; 10:35 – Reddam Helderfontein vs St Anne’s; 11:10 – Durban Girls vs St Peter’s; 11:45 – Reddam Bedfordview vs Westerford; 12:20 – Pretoria Girls vs St Dominic’s; 12:55 – Pearson vs Wynberg; 13:30 – St Peter’s vs Collegiate; 14:05 – Clarendon vs Westerford.
St. Peters: 10:00 – Crawford vs St Stithians; 10:35 – Kingsmead vs St Mary’s; 11:10 – Hudson vs Kingswood; 11:45 – Herschel vs Rand Park; 12:20 – Roedean vs Springfield; 12:55 – Crawford vs Kingswood; 13:30 – Chisipite vs Stirling; 14:05 – Alex Road vs St Stithians; 14:40 – DSG (Makhanda) vs Springfield; 15:15 – Herschel vs Hudson; 15:50 – Kingsmead vs Roedean; 16:25 – DSG vs Stirling; 17:00 – Durban Girls vs Rustenburg; 17:35 – Pearson vs St Anne’s; 18:10 – Pretoria Girls vs Reddam Constantia; 18:45 – Reddam Bedfordview vs Reddam Helderfontein.
Friday
07:00 – Alex Road vs Rand Park; 07:35 – Chisipite vs St Mary’s; 08:10 – St Stithians vs Kingswood; 08:45 – Stirling vs Springfield; 09:20 – Crawford vs Herschel; 09:55 – DSG vs Kingsmead; 10:30 – Kingswood vs Alex Road; 11:05 – Chisipite vs Springfield; 11:40 – Rand Park vs Hudson; 12:15 – St Mary’s vs Roedean; 12:50 – Herschel vs St Stithians; 13:25 – Stirling vs Kingsmead; 14:00 – Hudson vs Alex Road; 14:35 – Roedean vs Chisipite; 15:10 – Kingswood vs Herschel; 15:45 – Kingsmead vs Springfield; 16:20 – Rand Park vs Crawford; 16:55 – St Mary’s vs DSG; 17:30 – Herschel vs Alex Road; 18:05 – Kingsmead vs Chisipite; 18:40 – Hudson vs Crawford; 19:15 – DSG vs Roedean; 19:50 – Rand Park vs St Stithians
St Peters Girls Prep Pool
07:00 – St Dominic’s vs Collegiate; 07:35 – St Anne’s vs Wynberg; 08:10 – Durban Girls vs Pretoria Girls; 08:45 – Pearson vs Reddam Bedfordview; 09:20 – Rustenburg vs St Peter’s; 09:55 – Clarendon vs Wynberg; 10:30 – St Dominic’s vs Reddam Constantia; 11:05 – Westerford vs Reddam Helderfontein; 11:40 – Collegiate vs Rustenburg; 12:15 – Clarendon vs St Anne’s; 12:50 – St Peter’s vs Pretoria Girls; 13:25 – Wynberg vs Reddam Bedfordview; 14:00 – Collegiate vs Reddam Constantia; 14:35 – Clarendon vs Reddam Helderfontein; 15:10 – Rustenburg vs Pretoria Girls; 15:45 – Reddam Bedfordview vs St Anne’s; 16:20 – St Dominic’s vs Durban Girls; 16:55 – Pearson vs Westerford; 17:30 – Pretoria Girls vs Collegiate; 18:05 – Clarendon vs Reddam Bedfordview; 18:40 – Reddam Constantia vs Durban Girls; 19:15 – Reddam Helderfontein vs Pearson; 19:50 – St Dominic’s vs St Peter’s
Saturday
07:00 – Westerford vs Wynberg; 07:35 – Reddam Constantia vs St Peter’s; 08:10 – Clarendon vs Pearson; 08:45 – Collegiate vs Durban Girls; 09:20 – Wynberg vs Reddam Helderfontein; 09:55 – Rustenburg vs St Dominic’s; 10:30 – St Anne’s vs Westerford
11:30 – EXHIBITION MATCH
12:30 – Play-off; 13:05 – Play-off; 13:40 – Play-off; 14:15 – Play-off; 14:50 – Quarterfinal Bowl; 15:25 – Quarterfinal Bowl; 16:00 – Quarterfinal Bowl; 16:35 – Quarterfinal Bowl; 17:10; Quarterfinal Cup; 17:55 – Quarterfinal Final Cup; 18:40 – Quarterfinal Final Cup; 19:25 – Quarterfinal Final Cup
St Peters Girls Prep Pool
07:00 – Stirling vs St Mary’s; 07:35 – Crawford vs Alex Road; 08:10 – DSG vs Chisipite; 08:45 – Hudson vs St Stithians; 09:20 – Stirling vs Roedean; 09:55 – Kingswood vs Rand Park; 10:30 – Springfield vs St Mary’s; 12:30 – Quarterfinal Final Shield; 13:05 – Quarterfinal Shield; 13:40 – Quarterfinal Shield; 14:15 – Quarterfinal Shield
Sunday
07:00 – 25th-28th Play-off; 07:35 – 25th-28th Play-off; 08:10 – 17th-20th Play-off; 08:45 – 17th-20th Play-off; 09:20 – 5th-8th Play-off; 09:55 – 5th-8th Play-off; 10:30 – 27th/28th; 11:05 – 25th/26th; 11:40 – 23rd/24th; 12:15 – 19th/20th; 12:50 – 17th/18th; 13:25 – 15th/16th; 14:00 – 11th/12th; 14:35 – 7th/8th
@Wahoo Aquatics Centre
07:00 – Semifinal Plate; 07:35 – Semifinal Plate; 08:10 – Semifinal Shield; 08:45 – Semifinal Shield; 09:20 – Semifinal Bowl; 09:55 – Semifinal Bowl; 10:30 – Semifinal Cup; 11:20 – Semifinal Cup; 12:10 – Shield Final; 12:50 – Bowl Final; 13:30 – Plate Final; 14:05 – 5th/6th; 14:45 – 3rd/4th; 15:40; Cup Final
