With the annual Fairtree Super 12 Hockey Tournament just a week away, teams are finalising their preparations before heading to Bloemfontein for the prestigious event, and some of them were on fire in impressive victories on the weekend.
The tournament runs from 6 to 9 August at Oranje Meisieskool in Bloemfontein, with 12 of the best teams in the country competing for the prestigious title.
Paarl Gimnasium, who’ll face Reddam House Constantia in the opening match of the Super 12, first had to contend with Paarl Girls’ High on Saturday in a big derby clash.
Coach Danelle van Zyl’s side was ruthlessly efficient throughout the encounter despite allowing Girls’ High a sniff in the second half, and romped to a 5-1 victory.
They started the game with high intensity and rattled Girls’ High with two goals in two minutes from penalty corners, both converted by Alanda Rademeyer.
Girls’ High finally settled and got into a rhythm in the second chukka, delighting the home crowd by pulling one back through Margit Naude, who struck from a penalty corner.
Gim, however, quickly restored their two-goal advantage when Rademeyer linked up with Annika Mouton, who made it 3-1 heading into the break.
Paarl Girls’ High made a good start to the second half, and their captain, Charlotte Louw, had an opportunity from a PC, but her shot went wide of the mark.
Soon after, Gim made it 4-1 when Ghita Husselman tapped in at the far post after a scrappy PC.
The visitors’ skipper, Anya Swanepoel, completed the scoring with a drag flick in the third chukka, which proved to be the final goal of the game.
The win meant Gim secured their third straight interschools victory against Girls’ High, who last won in 2023.
In Bloemfontein, Collegiate Girls’ High produced an impressive performance to beat Oranje 4-2 on Friday night.
The girls from Gqeberha performed brilliantly, putting the home side under heavy pressure and making good use of their goal-scoring opportunities. They were also rock solid defensively and kept Oranje’s dangerous PC at bay for the majority of the match.
Kate Brennan opened the scoring from a short corner before Kerrin Gillies struck twice: the first from a penalty stroke and the second from a short corner. Sophia Jansen’s field goal sealed the win despite a late charge by Oranje.
Rhenish Girls’ High was also victorious in a big Stellenbosch derby, defeating their local rival, HMS Bloemhof.
Coach Chris Gerber‘s side made it two wins in two weeks after they beat Paarl Gim 1-0 a week ago.
Katherine Sickle, Nicola van der Merwe, Chelsey Woolf, and the dangerous Sarah-Ellen Groenewald were all on the scoresheet as Rhenish won 4-2.
At the Super 12, their challenge begins with a match against Menlopark.
Pearson High picked up two wins in Bloemfontein, getting by Eunice 1-0 and thumping St Michael’s 7-0.
Herschel Girls School and St Cyprian’s School played to a 2-2 draw in Cape Town.
Stellenberg beat Durbanville 2-0 in their interschools derby, thanks to goals by Juané Meiring and Stella Zwiegers.
Parel Vallei High won their final home game, beating Rustenburg Girls’ High 2-1, courtesy of an Elrie Pienaar brace.
Results
Paarl Gimnasium 5-1 Paarl Girls’ High
Collegiate 4-2 Oranje
Pearson 1-0 Eunice
Parel Vallei 2-1 Rustenburg Girls’ High
Herschel 2-2 St Cyprian’s
Stellenberg 2-0 Durbanville
Rhenish 4-2 HMS Bloemhof
Oranje 4-1 Pearson
Pearson 7-0 St Michael’s
Collegiate 3-1 Eunice
