Wynberg out to crash Grey High’s Reunion celebrations
Wynberg Boys’ High School first-team hockey coach Ben Wiley has admitted his side will be in for a tough outing when they take on Grey High School, in Gqeberha, on Friday night.
The boys from Cape Town have made the trip to the Windy City to face the Azzurri on the occasion of their 169th Reunion.
The clash kicks off at 18:20 and will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools.
Through the early part of the season, Wynberg has quietly flown under the radar.
They made their way to Johannesburg for the Nomads Hockey Festival, which was hosted by Jeppe High School for Boys, in March.
There, coach Wiley’s young guns recorded a mixed bag of results, but they would’ve been pleased with how they ended the festival after beating King Edward VII (KES), a team that has enjoyed a solid season, 4-2 on the final day, courtesy of strikes by Ethan Daniels (2), Mustafa Kajee and Ethan Smith.
Upon their return to Cape Town, they faced Fairmont High School in a league fixture and they came away with a 3-0 win, with Noah Laubscher grabbing a brace and Kajee scoring again.
That was their last outing, back in April. Wiley said preparing for the big clash with Grey High has not been without its challenges.
“It has been a bit frustrating to have this break right at the start of the season, but it has given us time to improve on some issues we identified on our tour upcountry,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“The boys have been working hard in this off time and are ready to show their improvements. It is always a special trip to Grey High. The schools have cultivated this nearly 30-year tradition, and we are always welcomed with hard performances and fierce competition.
“This year, their team looks good. Their performances thus far have shown a well-structured and disciplined unit. We are going to need to be at our best to win this one.”
While some results haven’t gone their way in the 2025 season, Wynberg has played an entertaining brand of hockey, but their finishing has let them down at times.
Executing well and using every chance they create will be key against a Grey High side looking to get back to winning ways following the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield, where, after finishing ninth, they would have felt they underperformed.
“We need to start well,” Wiley said. “If we have a strong first chukka and assert ourselves in the game, then we will be able to dictate the game. If we start slowly, we will invite the pressure from a quality team.”
The three-week break might just play into Wynberg’s hands with Grey having undertaken a strenuous schedule, including the Hibbert Shield, featuring many of the country’s best sides, over the past weekend.
Wiley insists, though, that his team is focused on implementing its strategies and isn’t paying too much attention to what’s been going on in Grey’s camp.
“We made the mistake at Nomads of going a goal behind in a couple of games, and we made our own lives difficult when playing against strong opposition,” he said.
“The team has a lot of belief, and they know if they turn up and apply themselves, then they can compete with anyone in the country,” he ended optimistically.
