Zwartkop hockey boys kick off season against Klerksdorp
The schools’ hockey season hits full throttle this weekend, and it includes Hoërskool Zwartkop welcoming Hoërskool Klerksdorp to Pretoria on Friday for matches between the boys’ 1st, u16, and u14 teams.
It will be the first time that the schools have met since 2018.
Zwartkop heads into the season full of confidence after a strong 2024 during which they played 34 games, won 22, lost only 8, and drew four.
The school’s Boys’ Hockey Director, Marthinus Gouws, told SuperSport Schools his 1st XI has 350 caps of experience between them.
“Our preparation is going to plan,” he said, “although one always feels that we can do more.”
There has been a change to the coaching setup at Zwartkop, as Gouws explained: “We have had a change in coach from last year, with our previous coach moving to Noordheuwel to take up the reins as 1st team boys’ coach there. We are lucky enough to have snatched up Connor Flowers to take over.”
First games present special challenges, Gouws admitted, and Friday’s outing will be no exception with the Zwartkop team needing to adjust to the change of coach.
“It is an entirely new playing philosophy and structure that might take a match or two to get used to. First games are always a nervy affair with the new boys needing to get used to the higher intensity of the game and the new players,” he said.
The Pretoria school should not find it too difficult to gel, though. At least half of their successful 1st team of 2024 was in grade 11, and that has given them a base from which to build.
“We are lucky to have had almost a 50/50 split for the last two years,” Gouws said, before detailing the make-up of 2025’s squad: “Eight of the 16 are matric learners, seven are in Grade 11, and one from Grade 10.”
