Top teams in action at high-quality Belgotex Sport Coastal Cup
Introduced in 2023, the Belgotex Coastal Cup has wasted little time in carving out a place among South Africa’s premier boys’ hockey festivals. In a crowded calendar, it stands tall alongside the Nomads and Founders festivals, which also take place this weekend.
From Friday, 27 March to Monday, 1 April, the spotlight falls on Durban, with matches to be played at the Riverside Sports Club and Durban High School (DHS).
What sets the Coastal Cup apart is its layered structure. While the 1st XI competition delivers the headline acts, the inclusion of u14 and u16 age groups gives the festival a broader purpose. It is as much about development as it is about results.
Younger players are afforded rare opportunities to test themselves against unfamiliar opposition, while also drawing inspiration from watching their schools’ flagship sides competing in a high-performance environment.
The tournament was conceived through the combined vision of three influential figures in KwaZulu-Natal hockey: Cam Mackay of Westville Boys’ High School, Michael Baker, formerly of DHS, and Keegan Pearce of Clifton College. While Mackay remains in his role, Baker has since taken the reins at Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), and Pearce now leads the programme at Kearsney College. Their fingerprints, however, remain all over the event.
Baker, in particular, returns to Durban with Paul Roos for what promises to be a compelling subplot. That narrative comes sharply into focus on the opening day with the “Baker Bowl” clash between DHS and Paul Roos.
Few individuals have left as profound an impact on a school’s hockey programme as Baker did at DHS, where he transformed a struggling outfit into the leading force in KwaZulu-Natal. Now, he pits his current charges – one of the country’s benchmark teams -against his former side. It is a fixture rich in intrigue and, almost certainly, quality.
Westville’s players, meanwhile, face an early examination of their resolve against St Andrew’s School. The Bloemfontein outfit arrives in Durban with momentum, having won four of their five matches at the Tony Godding Festival, their only defeat coming against Grey High School. A productive outing at the NWU Hockey Festival, where they won three and drew 3-3 with the Pukke u21 side, further underlined their credentials. For Westville, it is a chance to reset after a testing start to the season.
Clifton College, by contrast, have been one of the early pace-setters in KwaZulu-Natal. Their campaign has been bolstered significantly by the return of captain Ryde Brisset, whose recovery from shoulder surgery has restored both composure and class to their ranks. A former South African u17 representative—selected while still an u16—Brisset’s pedigree has been evident in his performances.
Equally influential has been goalkeeper Georg Wolhuter, another South African representative at the 2024 Dato Mirnawan Cup. His presence between the posts has provided Clifton with a reliable last line of defence, often turning tight contests in their favour.
SA u17 player, Martin de Bruyn will look to impress for Paarl Boys’ High in 2026. Photo: Poppie TerblancheTheir opening fixture, though, offers no gentle introduction. Paarl Boys’ High arrive with growing confidence after an impressive 2025 season that saw them close the gap on the Western Cape’s elite. Their campaign ended on a high note with a victory over their arch-rivals, Paarl Gimnasium, underlining their upward trajectory. Unbeaten at the Coastal Cup in 2025, Boishaai will be intent on maintaining that standard.
Another side that showed significant growth last year is Michaelhouse. Their 2025 Coastal Cup campaign highlighted both resilience and attacking flair. Wins over Garsfontein and St Alban’s set the tone, but it was their dramatic comeback against Parel Vallei that truly captured attention. Trailing 1-3, ‘House produced a blistering final chukka, scoring three unanswered goals to snatch a memorable 4-3 victory.
Central to their ambitions again is Thandanani Zuma, a South African u17 representative, whose influence stretches across both attack and midfield. Michaelhouse open against St Alban’s College, a side they edged 1-0 in last year’s competition.
Garsfontein, perennial contenders at the high-quality Hibbert Shield, begin their campaign against Parel Vallei. The Western Cape outfit looks formidable once more, having pieced together an impressive pre-season run that has included convincing wins over Reddam House Constantia, Outeniqua, and Worcester Gimnasium, before adding a notable 2-1 victory against Bishops, behind two goals from Luka Meets.
Bishops themselves enter the Coastal Cup for the first time, taking on event regulars, Hoërskool Menlopark, in their opener. Despite a somewhat inconsistent 2025 season, the Cape Town school’s pedigree is unquestionable. Their ambition will be to re-establish themselves among the Western Cape’s leading lights, alongside the likes of SACS and Paul Roos.
Menlopark, however, will have to wait an extra day before launching their campaign, with their opening fixture scheduled for Saturday. The same applies to Glenwood High, who showed encouraging signs of progress last season. For them, the Coastal Cup represents an opportunity to measure that growth against a strong, diverse field.
FIXTURES
1st XI
Friday, 27 March
Riverside 1
16:00 – Westville vs St Andrew’s School
17:30 – DHS vs Paul Roos
19:00 – St Alban’s vs Michaelhouse
Riverside 2
16:00 – Menlopark vs Bishops
17:30 – Clifton vs Paarl Boys’ High
19:00 – Garsfontein vs Parel Vallei
Saturday, 28 March
Riverside 1
07:45 – Garsfontein vs St Andrew’s School
10:15 – St Alban’s vs Glenwood
11:45 – Clifton vs Menlopark
13:15 – Paul Roos vs Michaelhouse
14:45 – St Andrew’s School vs Bishops
16:15 – DHS vs Paarl Boys’ High
17:45 – Westville vs St Alban’s
19:15 – Glenwood vs Parel Vallei
Sunday, 29 March
Riverside 1
08:00 – Menlopark vs Glenwood
09:30 – Clifton vs Bishops
11:00 – Garsfontein vs Paarl Boys’ High
14:30 – St Andrew’s School vs Glenwood
16:00 – DHS vs Menlopark
17:30 – Westville vs Paul Roos
19:00 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Michaelhouse
Riverside 2
19:00 – Clifton vs Parel Vallei
Monday, 30 March
Riverside 1
08:00 – DHS vs Parel Vallei
09:30 – St Alban’s vs Paul Roos
11:00 – Westville vs Bishops
12:30 Garsfontein vs Michaelhouse
Under-16
Friday, 27 March
Riverside 1
14:30 – Westville vs Pearson
Riverside 2
14:30 – Clifton vs Paarl Boys’ High
Saturday, 28 March
Riverside 2
08:00 – Garsfontein vs Parel Vallei
09:00 – St Alban’s vs Michaelhouse
10:00 – DHS vs Paul Roos
11:00 – Menlopark vs Bishops
15:00 – DHS vs Paarl Boys’ High
16:00 – St Alban’s vs Glenwood
17:00 – Garsfontein vs Michaelhouse
18:00 – Clifton vs Menlopark
19:00 – Westville vs Paul Roos
Sunday, 29 March
Durban High School
09:00 – Pearson vs Bishops
10:00 – Glenwood vs Parel Vallei
11:00 – DHS vs Menlopark
12:00 – Garsfontein vs Paarl Boys’ High
13:00 – Westville vs St Alban’s
14:00 – Paul Roos vs Michaelhouse
15:00 – Clifton vs Bishops
16:00 – DHS vs Parel Vallei
17:00 – Menlopark vs Glenwood
18:00 – Garsfontein vs Pearson
Monday, 30 March
Riverside 2
08:00 – Pearson vs Glenwood
09:00 – Clifton vs Parel Vallei
10:00 – St Alban’s vs Paul Roos
11:00 – Westville vs Bishops
12:00 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Michaelhouse
Under-14
Riverside 1
09:15 – Paarl Boys’ High vs Michaelhouse
Riverside 2
12:00 – Westville vs Pearson
13:00 – St Alban’s vs Michaelhouse
14:00 – Glenwood vs Parel Vallei
Durban High School
08:00 – St Alban’s vs Glenwood
09:00 – Garsfontein vs Parel Vallei
10:00 – Clifton vs Menlopark
11:00 – DHS vs Paul Roos
15:00 – Menlopark vs Bishops
16:00 – Clifton vs Paarl Boys’ High
17:00 – Garsfontein vs Pearson
Sunday, 29 March
Riverside 1
12:30 – Paul Roos vs Michaelhouse
13:30 – Clifton vs Parel Vallei
Riverside 2
08:00 – Clifton vs Bishops
09:00 – Pearson vs Glenwood
10:00 – DHS vs Paarl Boys’ High
11:00 – Westville vs St Alban’s
14:00 – Menlopark vs Glenwood
15:00 – Garsfontein vs Paarl Boys’ High
16:00 – Pearson vs Bishops
17:00 – Westville vs Paul Roos
18:00 – DHS vs Parel Vallei
Monday, 30 March
Durban High School
08:00 – DHS vs Menlopark
09:00 – St Alban’s vs Paul Roos
10:00 – Garsfontein vs Michaelhouse
11:00 – Westville vs Bishops
