Hoërskool Garsfontein and HMS Bloemhof will have an opportunity to finish off the season with silverware when they face off in the final of the Challengers’ Cup in Paarl on Monday.
They booked their spots in the title-deciding match after producing entertaining hockey throughout the weekend.
Monday’s final starts at 11:20 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport Schools.
Both outfits were in Pool B and produced similar runs to reach the final.
Garsies won four of their five matches and recorded one draw, which was against Durbanville on the second day.
Bloemhof, meanwhile, lost one match, going down 1-2 against Garsfontein, which left the Pretoria school in first and the Stellenbosch side in second in their pool, resulting in both progressing to the final four.
Garsfontein faced their Pretoria rival, Affies, the 2025 winners, in the semi-finals and pulled off a gritty 3-1 victory.
Vice-captain Jana Seebach shone, netting a brace for coach Essex Mbekeni‘s side before Hannah Liebenberg sealed the win.
It was an impressive performance from Garsies, who defeated Paarl Girls’ High 2-0 earlier in the day.
The second semi-final was an all-Cape affair between Bloemhof and one of the newcomers, Stellenberg High.
Stellies made a blistering start and led 1-0 after the first chukka, courtesy of a Zanay Gerber goal.
As the contest unfolded, both sides created numerous chances to score, but the defences stood firm. Then, in the fourth chukka, Bea van den Berg levelled for Bloemhof.
With no further goals being scored, the match headed to a penalty shootout. Bloemhof held their nerve, netting three times to Stellenberg’s once, and advanced to their second major final in the past year after contesting the Super 12 final in 2025.
In other matches, St Anne’s DSG defeated Durban Girls’ College 1-0 in an all-KZN clash, and Fairmont High got the better of Durbanville, scoring a 3-1 win.
Parel Vallei downed DF Akademie 2-0, and Paarl Girls’ High ended the day with a 1-0 win over Rustenburg Girls’ High.
The final day’s action begins at 09:10 with a match between St Anne’s and Fairmont at La Rochelle Girls’ High.
Results
St Anne’s DSG 1-0 Durban Girls’ College
Garsfontein 3-1 Affies
Bloemhof (3) 1-1 (1) Stellenberg
Fairmont High 3-1 Durbanville
Parel Vallei 2-0 DF Akademie
Paarl Girls’ High 1-0 Rustenburg Girls’ High
