Western Cape teams out to make their mark at Hibbert Shield
The last three finals of the annual Standard Bank Hibbert Shield Hockey Tournament, hosted by Grey High School, in Gqeberha, were contested by Western Cape sides.
In 2022, South African College High School (SACS) defeated Bishops [Diocesan College] 3-1 in the final to lift the title.
A year later, SACS was dethroned by Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), and the boys from Stellenbosch returned in 2024 to claim back-to-back titles after beating SACS again.
Frankly, it’s been the Western Cape show at Hibbert, and the only team outside the province that’s won it is Grey High School, back in 2021.
This year’s tournament takes place from Wednesday, 30 April, to Saturday, 3 May. Included in the lineup are five strong Western Cape teams: SACS, PRG, Bishops, Paarl Gimnasium, and debutants, Parel Vallei High School.
SuperSport Schools Plus hockey writer Avuyile Sawula takes a deep dive into each team’s current form, what to expect from them, and key talking points.
Paul Roos Gimnasium
It’s only fair to begin with PRG, the reigning champions of the Hibbert Shield and three-time winners of the tournament.
Coach Michael Baker’s boys, whether they like it or not, are considered one of the favourites to win the title. They’ve had a good start to the season and are unbeaten, despite having been forced to grind out some victories and sometimes win ugly.
It’s a young PRG side that coach Baker has at his disposal, but they’re showing character, fight, and a desire to win against all odds.
The last time they were in action, they scored a 3-2 win over Bishops, in Cape Town. Believe it or not, that was Baker’s first win in the city since joining PRG at the beginning of 2024.
They have some quality players in their arsenal, including skipper Christo Swanepoel and vice-captain Seth Paterson. Reuben Gouws and Caleb Cilliers scored against Bishops, and if they’re given any space, they’ll punish the opposition.
It should also be an interesting tournament for goalkeeper Josh Boden, who will be called upon to make crucial saves more often than usual when needed.
They might be a young team, but PRG will bring the heat to Gqeberha. They’ve been drawn in Pool B and will face Clifton College, Maritzburg College, and Selborne College.
SACS
The start of the 2025 schoolboy hockey season in the Western Cape has been strange, in the sense that we’ve barely seen SACS in action. They were on an international tour to The Netherlands while other teams were in local action.
Last Friday, SACS played their first match on South African soil against Parel Vallei and won that game 4-1, away from home. Reece Theunis scored a brace while skipper Jo Le Roux also found the back of the net, along with Cameron Cordeiro.
SACS played far from their best game, but they managed to win, which is something that’s in their DNA. They conceded first, but the comeback was strong, and they used their opportunities at the other end of the park.
Coach Sam Holmes’s side also has a new face in the team, Daniel de Wet, who joined the school this year from Namibia’s Private School Swakopmund.
The boys in blue and white will also be boosted by the return of Litha Kraai and Matthew Lassen, who missed Saturday’s match while participating in the Junior Africa Cup in Windhoek.
Their Pool A opponents – St Alban’s College, Pearson High, and Grey College – know they face a huge challenge from the Cape Town powerhouse.
Paarl Gimnasium
Paarl Gimnasium has put together some outstanding seasons in recent years, and it feels as if this could be another of them.
Coached by the experienced Jacques Grobler, the boys from Paarl have enjoyed a steady start to the 2025 campaign and they’re coming into their own as it progresses.
Festival hockey isn’t always an indicator of a team’s direction, and that was evident at the Founders Hockey Festival, where they recorded a mixed bag of results.
It’s in their derby clashes, however, where they’ve come alive. In the past three weeks, they’ve handed Affies a 4-1 defeat and beat Grey College 4-2 in Bloemfontein in their most recent outing.
Gim is a side that often flies under the radar; they don’t do too much talking, but they always turn up when a challenge awaits.
They were considered the underdogs against Grey College because Grey produced a “promising” Nomads Hockey Festival showing in March. Again, though, coach Grobler’s side rose to the occasion and did all their talking on the AstroTurf.
What I’m getting at is that this Paarl Gim side shouldn’t be underestimated. They may not have the presence of a big star, like Litha Kraai, but their trust and belief in one another means they will come out firing as a unit.
Gim is in Pool C and will face Grey High, Westville Boys’ High, and St Stithians College.
Parel Vallei High School
The term “surprise package” is often bandied about, and in 2025, Parel Vallei could be given that title, although, given the quality in their ranks, their success is hardly a surprise.
The boys from Somerset West will make their debut at the Hibbert Shield this year, and much is expected from them after a strong start to the season.
Led by coach Michael van Rensburg, Parel Vallei is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Underestimate them at your peril!
Their last outing might have resulted in a 1-4 loss to SACS, but there were many positives to take away from that game, including how they pressed and restricted SACS from scoring field goals. They also posed a threat when on the counterattack.
The one element of their game coach Van Rensburg will want to work on is the ability of his charges to bounce back and remain in the fight after conceding early or surrendering a lead.
Parel Vallei is blessed with some very talented players, including skipper JP van der Walt, Luka Meets, Stephan Malan, and Luca Jordan, who played his 50th game for the school last Friday.
Their debut tournament will see them face Bishops, Hoërskool Garsfontein, and Durban High School (DHS) in Pool D.
Bishops [Diocesan College]
While the other Western Cape sides head to Hibbert in good form, Bishops will be aiming to make a big statement in Gqeberha.
The southern suburbs’ team is slowly but surely finding its feet after a bumpy pre-season.
They recorded some positive results at the Independent Schools Hockey Festival in Johannesburg, earlier this month, and topped that up with a win over Durbanville in the Western Cape league.
A 2-3 loss against a high-quality opponent, Paul Roos, last weekend will hurt, but that result will also serve as encouragement to Bishops that they are there or thereabouts.
Coach Ryan Julius was disappointed last year when they went down in the quarterfinals against Garsfontein. They will again face the Pretoria school this year in a pool match. No doubt, they would like to avenge that costly defeat.
Bishops has a young team and one feels it’s only a matter of time before they find their rhythm, start clicking, and firing on all cylinders.
Their Pool D opponents are Parel Vallei, Garsfontein, and Durban High School.
GROUPS
Pool A: SACS, St Alban’s College, Pearson High School, Grey College
Pool B: Paul Roos Gimnasium, Clifton College, Maritzburg College, Selborne College
Pool C: Grey High, Paarl Gimnasium, Westville Boys’ High, St Stithians College
Pool D: Durban High School, Bishops Diocesan College, Parel Vallei, Hoërskool Garsfontein
FIXTURES
Wednesday, 30 April
Grey High School
07:30 – SACS vs St Alban’s College
08:45 – Paul Roos vs Selborne College
10:15 – Grey High vs Paarl Gimnasium
11:30 – DHS vs Bishops
13:00 – Parell Vallei vs Garsfontein
14:15 – Westville vs St Stithians College
15:45 – SACS vs Pearson
17:00 – Paul Roos vs Clifton College
19:00 – Grey High vs St Stithians College
Collegiate AstroTurf
09:00 – Grey College vs Pearson
10:15 – Maritzburg College vs Clifton College
18:15 – DHS vs Garsfontein
Thursday, 1 May
Grey High School
07:30 – Selborne College vs Clifton College
08:45 – SACS vs Grey College
10:15 – Paul Roos vs Maritzburg College
11:30 – Bishops vs Garsfontein
13:00 – DHS vs Parel Vallei
14:15 – Grey High vs Westville
15:45 – St Alban’s College vs Grey College
17:00 – Selborne College vs Maritzburg College
18:30 – Bishops vs Parel Vallei
Collegiate AstroTurf
08:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs Westville
09:45 – Pearson High vs St Alban’s College
14:00 – Paarl Gimnasium vs St Stithians College
Friday, 2 May
Grey High School
07:30 – 1st Pool A vs 2nd Pool D
08:45 – 1st Pool B vs 2nd Pool C
10:15 – 2nd Pool A vs 1st Pool D
11:30 – 2nd Pool B vs 1st Pool C
15:00 – Loser of quarterfinal 1
16:15 – Loser of quarterfinal 2
17:45 – Semifinal 1
19:00 – Semifinal 2
Collegiate AstroTurf
07:30 – 3rd Pool A vs 4th Pool D
08:45 -3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C
10:15 – 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D
11:30 – 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C
15:00 – Loser 3rd Pool A/4th Pool D vs Loser 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C
16:15 – Loser 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D vs Loser 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C
17:45 – Winner 3rd Pool A/4th Pool D vs Winner 3rd Pool B vs 4th Pool C
19:00 -Winner 4th Pool A vs 3rd Pool D vs Winner 4th Pool B vs 3rd Pool C
Saturday, 3 May
Grey High School
07:30 – 13th Place vs 14th Place
08:45 – 11th Place vs 12th Place
11:30 – 5th Place vs 6th Place
13:00 – Bowl Final
14:15 – 3rd/4th Play-off match
15:45 – u14 Final
17:00 – u16 Final
19:00 – Final
Collegiate AstroTurf
10:15 -15th Place vs 16th Place
