Western Cape’s top guns ready for key derbies
While some of the country’s top hockey-playing schools lock horns at St Anne’s Diocesan College in the St Anne’s Cup this weekend, many Western Cape sides will be in action in local derbies.
It’s a bumper weekend of hockey action as teams aim to add more wins to their record before breaking for the mid-year exams early next month.
There are three enticing fixtures to keep an eye out for on Friday night, and it all starts in Stellenbosch where HMS Bloemhof welcomes Rustenburg Girls’ High.
Bloemhof, after taking home silver at the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival, has struggled to find the form that carried them all the way to the final in Johannesburg, but they will be confident heading into the clash against Rustenburg.
They may not be playing their best hockey currently, but a recent 2-1 victory over Reddam House Constantia, courtesy of goals by Mari Steyn and Nina Louw-Stanich, came at a much-needed time.
Coach Jenny King‘s side heads into the match as the favourites to win, but they’ll be wary of the threats posed by the Cape Town side.
Not far away from that clash, also in Stellenbosch, will be Rhenish Girls’ High taking on Paarl Girls’ High.
Rhenish, after losing in the final of the All Girls’ Festival and drawing 1-1 with Herschel Girls School, got back on track in emphatic style with a 6-2 win over St Cyprian’s School last week.
It was a clinical performance from coach Chris Gerber’s side, who used their chances, were defensively sound and looked like their old selves again.
They welcome back coach Marc Landman, who left Rhenish at the beginning of the year to take on the project at Paarl Girls’ High.
They’ve also done relatively well recently and beat La Rochelle 3-0 last week, thanks to goals from Anne Nel, Cassie Fairbairn and Halle Williams.
Girls’ High has nothing to lose, and they can be expected to throw the kitchen sink at Rhenish.
While Stellenbosch’s showdowns promise to entertain, Somerset will also be treated to a humdinger when Parel Vallei (PV) hosts Paarl Gimnasium on home turf.
Coach Wayne Coetzee’s Parel Vallei side has pulled off some outstanding results this year but getting one over the fiery and confident Gim would be quite the upset.
It won’t be easy to pull off it off because the Gim girls are playing some of their best hockey currently.
Both sides recorded 2-1 wins in their last outings, with PV beating Somerset College while Gim got by Bloemhof.
Gim, led by coach Danelle van Zyl, are well rested after a bye and will head to Somerset looking to cause havoc.
In other matches scheduled for Friday, Reddam House Constantia faces Springfield Convent School, and St Cyprian’s School tackles DF Malan in a league match.
In George, York High takes on Langenhoven Gimnasium.
There are several league fixtures on Saturday, with the Stellenberg High School versus Herschel Girls School one to watch. It promises to be a cracker.
WESTERN CAPE GIRLS’ FIXTURES
Friday, 23 May
18:10 – York High School vs Langenhoven Gimnasium
18:45 – Reddam House vs Springfield Convent School
19:00 – HMS Bloemhof vs Rustenburg Girls’ High School
19:00 – Parel Vallei vs Paarl Gimnasium
19:20 – St Cyprian’s School vs DF Malan
19:30 – Rhenish Girls’ High vs Paarl Girls’ High
Saturday, 24 May
09:30 – Durbanville vs Tygerberg High
10:00 – Fairmont High School vs Rustenburg Girls’ High
10:00 – Wynberg Girls’ High vs Curro Durbanville
10:30 – Stellenberg vs Herschel Girls School
11:00 – Outeniqua vs Framesby
