WP, Central Gauteng dominate SA Schools water polo squad
The 2023 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament, which concluded on Wednesday in Gqeberha, showed that three teams – Western Province A, Central Gauteng A and KwaZulu-Natal A – were the class of the field, and that fact was clear when the SA Schools squad was announced following a cracking final between Western Province A and Southern Gauteng A.
The champions, who won 8-7 from the spot after the sides had finished regulation time level at 8-8, had six players named in the 15-man squad, including the winner of the Best Goalkeeper Trophy, Jordan de Sousa, the co-winner of the Best Attacker Trophy, Nicholas Fall, and the Player of the Tournament, Thomas Wiltshire.
Joining them in the green and gold were their teammates Noah Bigara, Johannes Reyneke, and Zack Cicero.
Central Gauteng A produced five SA Schools players, with Tristan Grimmet sharing the Best Attacker Trophy with Nick Fall. Greg Pryce, meanwhile, was the recipient of the FerFam Best Defender Trophy. The other Central Gauteng players named in the national line-up were Caleb van Loggerenberg, Benjamin Scher and Nicholas Pearce.
KwaZulu-Natal had three of their players get the seal of approval from the national selectors: Stef Swart, Mitchell Slade and Warwick Field.
Swart is the son of Justin Swart and Slade the son of John Slade, both of whom played rugby for the Sharks, among others.
Nelson Mandela Bay‘s Tawfiq Akomolafe completed the line-up.
Western Province coach Jabulani Sibiya was named the national coach, while Jon-Marc Carvalho, the coach of the Central Gauteng A side, was appointed team manager.
Lucky Letshabo and Dasch Barber were the two picks from the referees.
SACS, the top team in South Africa in 2023, had four of their players selected for the national side, while St John’s College produced three national players.
SA Schools Squad
Jordan de Sousa (Bishops, Western Province), Nicholas Fall (SACS, Western Province), Thomas Wiltshire (SACS), Noah Bigara (SACS, Western Province), Johannes Reyneke (Paul Roos, Western Province), Zack Cicero (SACS, Western Province), Tristan Grimmet (St David’s Marist Inanda, Central Gauteng), Greg Pryce (St John ‘s College, Central Gauteng), Caleb van Loggerenberg (St John ‘s College, Central Gauteng), Benjamin Scher (St Stithians College, Central Gauteng), Nicholas Pearce (St John ‘s College, Central Gauteng), Stef Swart (Hilton College, KZN), Mitchell Slade (Clifton College, KZN), Warwick Field (Westville Boys’ High, KZN), Tawfiq Akamolafe (Grey High School, Nelson Mandela Bay).
