Dates for 2025 SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Regionals and Finals Announced

Turning fifteen, the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge celebrates an incredible milestone as it continues to be a much-anticipated highlight in the school sports calendar.

Since the Challenges inception in 2011, there have been 1,114 teams participating with 16,710 players taking to the turf. Over 3,300 coaches, managers and referees have assisted in 143 tournaments.

Growing the love of hockey. Celebrating the 15th anniversary of SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge, Nozipho Mkhize (Advertising and Sponsorship Manager, SPAR KZN), Les Galloway (Tournament Director and Head of Hockey, SchoolGirl Sport), and Nomfundo Shezi (Sponsorship Controller and Events) are pictured at the 2025 tournament announcement at one of the venues, Durban Girls’ College. Pic: Val Adamson

Fifteen years later, the tournament has had 130 victorious teams proudly hoisting their trophies at their respective regionals. The tournament comprises ten regionals across KZN, with a Grand Final rounding off the annual challenge where the ten regional winners meet in a highly competitive weekend of hockey. So far, 32 schools have participated in the Grand Finals, with only three schools being crowned the overall Grand Finals champions: St Anne’s College, St Mary’s D.S.G. and Durban Girls’ College.

Tipping off the sporting year for SPAR KZN, the first of ten hockey tournaments takes place at Curro Hillcrest with the Highway Regional on Saturday 8 March. In the first of three back-to-back weekends, the Durban Central Regional heads to Durban Girls’ College’s turf the following day on Sunday 9 March. St John’s D.S.G. welcomes teams for the Pietermaritzburg Central Regional on Saturday 15 March followed by Treverton School hosting the Pietermaritzburg North Regional for the first time, on Sunday 16 March.

Mid-April is the slot for concluding the Durban based challenges, with Werda Skool hosting the Durban South Regional at the 3 Schools Trust turf in Glenwood on Saturday 12 April. Then Ashton International College is the venue for the Durban North Regional the next day on Sunday 13 April.

The final four regionals roll out in an action-packed May. Another milestone, within the milestone year, Grantleigh School holds the 150th overall regional in KZN. Schools located around Richards Bay and Empangeni take to the scenic field on Saturday 10 May for the KZN North Coastal Regional. Heading south, one of the biggest geographic regions will run out onto the Creston College turf on Saturday 17 May for the Southern KZN Regional with teams from Sisonke & Ugu participating.

For the penultimate regional, Ladysmith High School is the host for the uMvoti and oThukela Regional on Saturday 24 May. Wrapping up the 2025 challenges, St Dominic’s Newcastle will greet teams from Dundee, Vryheid, Pongola, Glencoe and Newcastle on Saturday 31 May for the Northern KZN Regional.

Once all the ten regionals have been played, the top teams will congregate at St Mary’s D.S.G. in Kloof for the Grand Finals on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July.

All games will be live streamed on SuperSport Schools. For more info like the tournament’s Facebook page (SparSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament) or follow on Instagram (sparkznhockey). 

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SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge Northern KZN Regional Ferrum High School: Saturday 11 May

Concluding this year’s SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge regionals, Ferrum High School hosts ten teams for the Northern KZN Regional on Saturday 11 May.

The day gets underway with a cracker of a game, host school and eight times regional champion, Ferrum High School take on two times winner, Pionier Hoërskool. The challenge tips off at 8am, with games lasting 20 minutes only, and play running one way.

Step to it. St Dominic’s Newcastle’s Aphelele Mkhwanazi and Sphe Mabona are gearing up to defend their title at the upcoming Northern KZN Regional at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge that takes place at Ferrum High School on Saturday 11 May. Pic by Val Adamson

The ten teams participating have been divided into two pools. Ferrum High School leads Pool A, with Pionier Hoërskool, Utrecht High School, Vryheid High School and Pongola High School. Defending champions, St Dominic’s Newcastle heads up Pool B, together with Dundee High School, Amajuba High School, Newcastle High School and one time winner, Sarel Cilliers High School.

A successful team will earn themselves 4 points on the leaderboard, if two teams draw with goals, they both share 2 points, and if two teams draw but were unable to score any goals, they both will have 1 point added to their tally. A losing team will acquire zero points.

After the pool games, the top team in pool A will take on the second top team in pool B in the first semi-final. The first placed team in pool B will meet the second placed team in pool A in the second semi-final. Fifteen minutes later the winners of the cross-pool games will meet in the regional final to reveal who the 2024 champion will be, and the final team to qualify for the Grand Finals.

Nine teams from around KZN have already qualified for the Grand Finals that will be held at St Mary’s D.S.G. in Kloof in July. They are Durban Girls’ College (Durban Central Regional), The Wykeham Collegiate (Pietermaritzburg North Regional); St John’s D.S.G. (Pietermaritzburg Central Regional); Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North Regional), St Mary’s DSG (Highway Regional); Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South Regional); Grantleigh School (KZN North Coastal Regional); St Patrick’s College (Ugu and Sisonke Regional) and Ladysmith High School (uMvoti and oThukela Regional).

All games will be live streamed on SuperSport Schools. For more info like the tournament’s Facebook page (SparSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament) or follow on Instagram (sparkznhockey). 

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SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge uMvoti and oThukela Regional Saturday 4 May

The penultimate tournament in the 2024 SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge heads to Greytown High School for the uMvoti and oThukela Regional on Saturday 4 May.

Seven teams will take to the Greytown pitch with the tournament running in a round-robin format. In the familiar style to the KZN SPAR hockey challenges, all games will be a quick-fire 20 minutes long, with play only going one way.

Focused on the task at hand. Ladysmith High School’s Deputy Head Girl, Anzel Warmenhoven and Angelique Adams gear up to defend their uMvoti and oThukela Regional at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge being hosted at Greytown High School on Saturday 4 May.Pic by Val Adamson

Poi nts will be awarded after each game; the top two teams will then face each other in the regional final. For a win, 4 points will be awarded, a draw with goals will amount to 2 points each, and a goalless draw nothing up 1 point each. A loss will register zero points.

Joining host school, Greytown are Domino Servite; Estcourt High School; Hermannsburg School; Ladysmith High School; Wembley College and Wartburg Kirchdorf School. Taking to the field first are Greytown and Wembley College, tipping off at 8am, followed by Hermannsburg meeting Domino Servite in the second fixture.

 An array of teams have raised the regional trophy since the tournament’s inception in 2011 and gone on to the Grand Finals. Most recently, two times winner, Ladysmith High School is the defending champion, with their name engraved in 2012 and 2023 on the trophy. Wembley College also appear twice, for 2011 and 2021. Two teams’ names appear once, host Greytown were victorious in 2018 and in 2022, Domino Servite represented the area. Wartburg Kirchdorf have six wins under their belt, dominating from the years 2013 to 2017 and then again, in 2019.

The victorious team from this regional will meet nine other successful teams from around KZN in the Grand Finals that takes place at St Mary’s D.S.G. in Kloof in July. Eight teams have already qualified, they are Durban Girls’ College (Durban Central Regional), The Wykeham Collegiate (Pietermaritzburg North Regional); St John’s D.S.G. (Pietermaritzburg Central Regional); Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North Regional), St Mary’s DSG (Highway Regional); Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South Regional); Grantleigh School (KZN North Coastal Regional) and St Patrick’s College (Ugu and Sisonke Regional).

All games will be live streamed on SuperSport Schools. For more info like the tournament’s Facebook page (SparSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament) or follow on Instagram (sparkznhockey). 

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Results and wrap up Ugu and Sisonke Regional SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge

A new team will engrave their name on the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge trophy when host school, St Patrick’s College were victorious in the Ugu and Sisonke Regional that took place at their picturesque setting in Kokstad on Saturday 20 April.

St Patrick’s is the fifth team to be crowned in this region since the tournament’s inception in 2011, having defeated defending champions and one-time winners, Suid Natal Hoërskool in an enthralling final.

In the lead up to the regional final, both teams finished second in the logs after their four pool games. St Patrick’s finished two points behind a determined Port Shepstone High School who earned 12 points in Pool A. In Pool B King Edward topped the log with 13 points, followed by Suid Natal on 10 points.

After the pool games, the challenge progressed to a cross pool positional playoff. In a coastal derby - Sheppie met Suidies in the first semi-final, and in the second semi-final, an inland derby - King Edward took on St Patricks. At the conclusion of the semis, Suidies had a change to protect their title, meeting St Patrick’s in the regional final.

The conclusion of three of the four main games were decided on the spot, with three players from each team participating in an 8 second penalty shootout. In the first semi-final, Suid Natal and Sheppie drew 1 all at full time and Suid Natal went up by a single goal in their very first run, with no other goals being netted in the remainder of the penalty attempts.

In the bronze medal game, Sheppie found themselves for the second time at the spot, this time facing King Edward High School. The full-time whistle blew with both teams unable to slot the ball into the back of the box, drawing on nil nil. A jack-in-the-box keeper, Reitumetsi Pakkies from King Edward pulled out some awe-inspiring saves, closing down all of Sheppies runs, diving all over the place in some epic charge downs.

In the all-important final, St Patrick’s were first to score. 14 minutes into the game, Courney Kitching calmly slapped in the opening goal after a great attack down the right side. She was camped out at the goal mouth and was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, slotting in her teams first.

A minute later, St Patrick’s were brought back down to earth as Suidies also charged down the right, crossing the ball to an alert Luca Meyer who nailed in the equaliser. For the remainder of the final, both teams were unable to find a hole in their opponents defence, to get the challenge-winning goal. At the final whistle the score was 1 all with both teams gearing up for the penalty shootout.

Suid Natal’s keeper, Anrika Badenhorst did well in her first standing in the penalty shootouts, closing down all of Sheppie’s attempts. In the final a young, crafty St Patrick’s Rayne Kitching side stepped Badenhorst, rounding her to the left and then trickled the ball over the line for the only goal in the penalty shootout. St Patrick’s keeper, Sikhona Mcebesi kept a clean sheet in her first defence that day in a penalty shootout,

Most Promising Umpire went to Bergview High School’s Arne Pieterse who had a fantastic day officiating with the whistle.

St Patrick’s College is the eighth KZN  team to gain a spot at the Grand Finals that will be held in July at St Mary’s D.S.G. The seven other teams that have secured their spot already are Durban Girls’ College (Durban Central Regional), The Wykeham Collegiate (Pietermaritzburg North Regional); St John’s D.S.G. (Pietermaritzburg Central Regional); Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North Regional), St Mary’s DSG (Highway Regional); Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South Regional) and Grantleigh School (KZN North Coastal Regional).

Results

1 St Patrick’s College, 2 Suid Natal Hoërskool, 3 King Edward High School, 4 Port Shepstone High School, 5 Southcity Christian School, 6 Kokstad College, 7 Curro Creston, 8 St Monica’s Diocesan, 9 Ixopo High School, 10 Bergview College 

Pool A

1 Port Shepstone High School 12 points, 2 St Patrick’s College 10 points, 3 Kokstad College 6 points, 4 St Monica’s Diocesan 6 points, 5 Ixopo High School 0 points

Pool B

1 King Edward High School 13 points, 2 Suid Natal Hoërskool 10 points, 3 Southcity Christian School 5 points, 4 Curro Creston 3 points, 5 Bergview College 1 point

ENDS