15 December 2023
Three KwaZulu-Natal players were named in the South African Schools squad at the conclusion of the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Gqeberha on Wednesday, where the boys’ u19 team finished third and the u16 side claimed the title after a thrilling final.
KZN also finished as the runners-up in the u15, u14 and u13 competitions.
Westville Boys’ High‘s Warwick Field (feature photo), who has represented KZN in five sports, received his SA Schools colours, while Clifton College‘s Mitchell Slade and Hilton College‘s Stef Swart, the KZN captain, also cracked the nod. Slade is the son of former Sharks’ lock John Slade, while Swart is the son of former Sharks’ winger Justin Swart.
Central Gauteng’s Nicholas Pearce, with 22 goals, was the top goal scorer in the tournament, while Slade, with 20, and Field, with 19, filled the second and third spots on the list.
Three teams separated themselves from the rest in the u19 division, but it was Western Province A and Central Gauteng A who kept the KZN A side out of the final, with the former recording a 9-4 win over KZN in the semi-finals, and the latter winning 9-6 in the last game of Pool A, which drew a massive crowd.
KZN can rest assured, however, that the strength in depth in the province was not in question after the KwaZulu-Natal B team finished fourth in the u19 division. It was KZN A vs KZN B in the final outing for both sides, the third-place playoff, with the A team stretching away to a 17-5 victory.
Results
KZN A
KZN A 20-3 Zimbabwe
KZN A 21-1 Eastern Gauteng
KZN A 17-5 Northern Tigers
KZN A 14-3 KZN B
KZN A 6-9 Central Gauteng A
KZN A 11-5 Western Province B
KZN A 4-9 Western Province A
KZN A 17-5 KZN B
KZN B
KZN B 21-9 Zimbabwe
KZN B 2-18 Central Gauteng A
KZN B 5-17 KZN A
KZN B 13-9 Northern Tigers
KZN B 17-3 Eastern Gauteng
KZN B 11-10 Nelson Mandela Bay
KZN B 8-25 Central Gauteng A
KZN B 5-17 KZN A
SA Schools Squad
Jordan de Sousa (Bishops, Western Province), Nicholas Fall (SACS, Western Province), Thomas Wiltshire (SACS), Noah Bigara (SACS, Western Province), Johannes Reyneke (Paul Roos, Western Province), Zack Cicero (SACS, Western Province), Tristan Grimmet (St David’s Marist Inanda, Central Gauteng), Greg Pryce (St John ‘s College, Central Gauteng), Caleb van Loggerenberg (St John ‘s College, Central Gauteng), Benjamin Scher (St Stithians College, Central Gauteng), Nicholas Pearce (St John ‘s College, Central Gauteng), Stef Swart (Hilton College, KZN), Mitchell Slade (Clifton College, KZN), Warwick Field (Westville Boys’ High, KZN), Tawfiq Akamolafe (Grey High School, Nelson Mandela Bay)
Under-16
The u16 final was a terrific contest between two fired-up teams, KZN and Western Province, who had played to a heart-stopping 9-9 draw in the pool stages of the competition.
There was next to nothing to separate the sides in the final, too, with the teams knotted at 4-4 when regulation time ended.
KZN, though, had Hilton College’s Trent Chubb in goal, and he was spectacular in the penalty shootout that followed, which KZN took 4-1, leading to the customary swim of the players, coach and manager after securing the title.
Results
KZN 10-4 Central Gauteng B
KZN 9-9 Western Province
KZN 26-3 Zimbabwe
KZN 21-3 Nelson Mandela Bay
KZN 19-1 Eastern Gauteng
KZN 6(3)-6(2) Buffalo City
KZN 4(4)-4(1) Western Province
Under-15
The KZN u15 boys finished as runners-up to Western Province after a hard-fought final, which the Province side won by a single goal. In the pool stages, the Capetonians had won by four goals, but they were the only team to get the better of KZN.
A thrilling semi-final victory over Central Gauteng A put KZN into the title-decider. At the end of regulation time, it was 7-7. It was also level after the five penalty shots had taken place, leading to sudden death, with KZN taking the win 7-6 from the spot.
Results
KZN 23-0 Northern Tigers
KZN 4-8 Western Province A
KZN 7-3 Buffalo City
KZN 24-3 Eastern Gauteng
KZN 13-4 Central Gauteng B
KZN 11-1 Western Province B
KZN 7(7)- 7(6) Central Gauteng A
KZN 6-7 Western Province A
Under-14
KZN had to settle for silver in the under-14 section. They enjoyed a smooth run to the final, winning almost every game comfortably, with Central Gauteng A, whom they beat 7-4 in the semi-finals, coming closest to ending their unbeaten run.
In the title-decider, however, Western Province emphatically managed that feat, claiming a 7-0 victory.
Results
KZN 20-0 Nelson Mandela Bay B
KZN 9-1 Buffalo City
KZN 8-2 Western Province B
KZN 14-0 Central Gauteng B
KZN 18-3 Northern Tigers
KZN 9-1 Nelson Mandela Bay A
KZN 7-4 Central Gauteng A
KZN A 0-7 Western Province A
Under-13
Western Province proved to be KZN’s kryptonite, again, in the u13 final, with the Province boys recording a 6-2 win. In the semi-finals, KZN produced an outstanding performance to down Central Gauteng A 8-2. KZN B finished in eighth place.
Results
KZN A
KZN A 14-0 Buffalo City B
KZN A 8-1 Central Gauteng B
KZN A 28-2 Northern Tigers B
KZN A 28-1 Zimbabwe
KZN A 10-1 Boland
KZN A 8-2 Central Gauteng A
KZN A 2-6 Western Province A
KZN B
KZN B 2-5 Central Gauteng A
KZN B 5-3 Eden District
KZN B 2-1 Nelson Mandela Bay A
KZN B 9-2 Zimbabwe
KZN B 8-14 Western Province B
KZN B 8-10 Central Gauteng B
KZN A 5-10 Buffalo City A
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