The defending champion, Affies Meisies, started strongly and punched their ticket to the quarter-finals of the Pullen section of the Pullen and Howell Tournament on Saturday in Johannesburg.
The event, hosted by Northcliff High, Hoërskool Noordheuwel, St Andrew’s School for Girls, and St Mary’s Waverley, concludes on 1 August.
Coach Nicolene Terblanche‘s side won the title last year in a penalty shootout, edging out their Pretoria rivals, Hoërskool Garsfontein, in the final.
Affies laid the groundwork for a top-eight finish by recording two wins and a single draw in their Pool A campaign, which gave them seven points and first place in their group.
They began with a 1-1 draw against Steyn City School. Then, Terblanche’s charges found their stride in their next two fixtures, scoring five unanswered goals. They edged out St Dominic’s College 1-0 before defeating Northcliff 4-0.
Their reward is a quarterfinal clash with St Mary’s Waverley, who finished second in Pool D.
Noordheuwel, like Affies, recorded two wins and a single draw in their pool phase campaign, which left them top of Pool B.
They opened their challenge with a 1-0 win over Helpmekaar, before thumping Roedean 7-0 later in the day. In their last group game, they shared a 3-3 draw with Garsfontein.
Noordheuwel will meet their arch-rivals, Monument, in the quarter-finals. Monnas placed second in Pool C with four points from one win, one draw, and a loss.
St Andrew’s School for Girls withstood the challenges of St Stithians, Monument, and Dr EG Jansen on their way to the summit of Pool C. They eased to a 2-0 win over St Stithians in their opening tie, overcame Monument 1-0 in their second outing, and then edged out EG Jansen 2-1 in their final group match.
They will face Helpies in the quarter-finals. Helpmekaar won two and lost one in Pool B to finish in second place in the group.
Waterkloof loudly proclaimed their title intentions by scoring a mammoth 26 goals in their three games without conceding.
Coach Omari Pienaar-Geyer’s side overwhelmed Beaulieu 10-0 in their first outing. They bettered that in their second match, downing Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge 11-0. In their last Pool D game, they cruised to a 5-0 victory over St Mary’s Waverley.
Klofies tackle Steyn City, the second-placed team from Pool A, in the quarter-finals. Steyn City posted two wins and one draw, which left them level on points with Affies Meisies, but in second place with an inferior goal difference.
The quarterfinals take place on Tuesday.
Results
Pool A
Affies 1-1 Steyn City
St Dominic’s 3-1 Northcliff
Affies 1-0 St Dominic’s
Steyn City 3-0 Northcliff
Affies 4-0 Northcliff
Steyn City 2-1 St Dominic’s
Pool B
Garsfontein 6-0 Roedean
Noordheuwel 1-0 Helpmekaar
Helpmekaar 2-1 Garsfontein
Noordheuwel 7-0 Roedean
Garsfontein 3-3 Noordheuwel
Helpmekaar 1-0 Roedean
Pool C
St Andrew’s College 2-0 St Stithians
Monument 2-0 EG Jansen
St Andrew’s College 1-0 Monument
St Stithians 1-0 EG Jansen
St Andrew’s College 2-1 EG Jansen
Monument 0-0 St Stithians
Pool D
Waterkloof 10-0 Beaulieu
St Mary’s Waverley 3-0 Trinity House
Waterkloof 11-0 Trinityhouse
St Mary’s 2-0 Beaulieu
Waterkloof 5-0 St Mary’s Waverley
Beaulieu 4-2 Trinityhouse
- Resolute Reddam House wins back-to-back CTIHT titles - 2026-07-27
- Boyall leads Our Lady of Fatima to maiden SPAR KZN hockey title - 2026-07-26
- DHS counterpunches their way to win over Jeppe - 2026-07-26
