The KZN U18A side will again have the advantage of playing on home courts when they defend the title the province won at the inaugural SASHOC Indoor Hockey Inter-Provincial Tournament in December 2025.
Only two players from that team will be back in action: Clifton College‘s Georg Wolhuter and Tye Milne.
Goalkeeper Wolhuter was included in the SA U18A side last year, while Milne, a defender, was chosen for the SA U18B side.
Kearsney‘s Dylan Forbes, and Luc Boyall and the squad’s other goalkeeper, Dean Hart, both from Northwood, were selected for the SA U16A side, while Caleb Phipson, their schoolmate, was included in the SA U16B team.
Boyall was also included in the South African Schools side after the SASHOC National Week earlier this year, and will represent South Africa at the FIH Fives World Cup in December.
One of the most interesting inclusions is that of Clifton’s Nabil Bejia. He, too, has national colours, but those are in water polo. He will head off to Cape Town after the indoor IPT to try to help the KZN U18 team capture the honours in the pool.
Durban High School (DHS) won the KZN Coastal Indoor Hockey League u18 title, and Keagan Brauns, Oyitanda Begjane, and Matt Potgieter will represent their interests in the indoor IPT.
Northwood topped the round-robin portion of the KZN Coastal Indoor Hockey League, but fell 5-6 to DHS in the semifinals. Their contingent, apart from the three players already mentioned, also includes Blake and Ryan Herselman.
Sean Baker, also from Northwood, led KZN Coastal to the title in 2025 and retains the coaching reins.
The U18 B team features four Clifton boys, including Dan Holliday, who scored the opening goal in KZN Coastal’s stunning victory over Western Province in the final of the SASHOC National Week. He’s joined by his regular frontline partner, Dan Rea, and his Clifton teammates, Luke Carolan and Locke Makohliso.
Kloof High has two players in the line-up, Chase Scott and Zack Scott, while DHS supplies Eben Peters and Jesse Gobey, and Keegan Orban and Troy Wurdemann are from Westville Boys’ High. Northwood’s Hamza Amla, a strong performer for their 1st cricket team, completes the line-up alongside Kearsney’s Thando Marafane.
KZN COASTAL TEAMS
U18A
Blake Herselman (Northwood), Caleb Phipson (Northwood), Dean Hart (Northwood), Dylan Forbes (Kearsney), Georg Wolhuter (Clifton), Keagan Brauns (DHS), Luc Boyall (Northwood), Matt Potgieter (DHS), Nabil Bejia (Clifton), Oyintanda Begjane (DHS), Ryan Herselman (Northwood), Tye Milne (Clifton).
U18B
Chase Scott (Kloof High), Daniel Holliday (Clifton), Daniel Rea (Clifton), Eben Peters (DHS), Hamza Amla (Northwood), Jesse Gobey (DHS), Keegan Orban (Westville), Locke Makohliso (Clifton), Luke Carolan (Clifton), Thando Marafane (Kearsney), Troy Wurdemann (Westville), Zack Scott (Kloof High).
Coach: Keegan Gibbon
Manager: Bonga Mngoma
U18C
Bjorn Bengtson (Clifton), Chad Lee (Westville), Gareth Henning (Hillcrest High), Hayden Thorpe (Ashton), Jay Garrett (Curro Hillcrest), Jordan Hatcher (Northwood), Khulekani Zuma (Kearsney), Mitchell Hooper (Northwood), Riley Hooper (Northwood), Smanga Hlatswayo (DHS), Zachary Bensingh (Thomas More), Zachary Green (Northwood).
Coach: Matthew Bonnet
Manager: Wandile Ngcungama
U16A
Alex Verster (Clifton), Aya Njenje (DHS), Bonga Dlomo (DHS), Christo Badenhorst (Kearsney), Connor Els (Northwood), Hlompo Morake (DHS), Lord Makgoto (Glenwood), Luke Lambert (Westville), Ryan Willis (Northwood), Sachin Moothoo (Westville), Scott Simpson (Northwood), Tyler Hawkins (Westville).
Coach: Wade Paton
Manager: Sam Radebe
U16B
Caleb du Plessis (Northwood), CJ Esau (Westville), Cooper Jones (Northwood), Jonas Brophy (Thomas More), Liam Maharaj (Northwood), Luqmaan Mahomed (Westville), Matthew van Wyk (Kearsney), Miguel Suarez (Clifton), Ntsephe Deyi (Northwood), Rhiley Gardner (Thomas More), Rowan den Bakker (Kearsney), Taine Lawson (Westville)
Coach: Brent Phillips
Manager: Justice Simelane
U14A
Daniel Bester (Clifton), Kyle Munro (DHS), Lakhiwe Mdlovu (Westville), Liso Gqweta (DHS), Matthew Kirton (Northwood), Mvelo Zulu (Northwood), Rory Woodroffe (Kearsney), Samkelo Zondo (DHS), Siphumeze Gwiji (Glenwood), Sisanda Buthelezi (Westville), Yusuf Amla (Northwood).
Coach: Chris Stewart
Manager: Bagcine Gqweta
U14B
Brody Robertson (Ashton), Khweiz Zuma (Kearsney), Liam Ralph (Northwood), Lubanzi Bhengu (Glenwood), Phetholo Motsatsi (DHS), Ruben van Heerden (Northwood), Solami Masomi (Northwood), Thomas Visagie (Westville), Tristin Thomas (DHS), Troy Muller (Glenwood), William Linginton (Kearsney).
Coach: Wandile Ngcungama
Manager: Thomas Rist
U14C
Khanyiso Ngidi (Kearsney), Devon Clark (Westville), Lwandle Mazubane (Glenwood), Ben Snaith (Clifton), Ryan Palmer (Westville), Ronaldo Moodaly (Northwood), Josh van Kooten (Westville), Esihle Mpanza (Clifton), Ryder Ely (Northwood), Leyton Lunn (Northwood), Timothy Crawley (Glenwood).
Coach: Ayakha Mthalane
Manager: Ben Hulett
