SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge 10 and 11 March

SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge

PMB Central Regional: Saturday 10 March at PMB Girls’ High
PMB Northern Regional: Sunday 11 March at St Anne’s College

 

The eighth SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge tournament heads to Pietermaritzburg for the back-to-back Central and Northern Regionals on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 March.

 

Defending the Central Regional, St John’s DSG are determined to remain champions. The first team was announced last week and is looking defensively good. Leading the team is coach Binks Robertson, with Tiffany Jones as assistant coach/manager Jones has played in the Premier Hockey League and also for KZN Coastals and prides herself on her attacking game.

 

Defending the Northern Regional, St Anne’s sterling record in this tournament has their name engraved six times on the trophy. With new coach, Robin Jones, the young and enthusiastic team are eager to return to the Grand Finals. Having just returned from Berlin, Jones competed in the recent Indoor World Cup where the South African men finished eleventh overall.

 

Joining the Yellow Sticks are previous champs, Pietermaritzburg Girl’s High School who have an impeccable record in this tournament with six regional victories, Epworth, Alex, Howick, Russel, Maritzburg Christian School (M.C.S.) and making their first appearance Newton High.

 

The programme for the PMB Central Regional hosted by PMB GHS is a pool format, with St John’s, Epworth, Alex and Newton in the first pool and PMB GHS, Howick, Russel and MCS in the second. Once the pool games are completed, the tournament progresses to a cross pool semi-final, followed by a fourth, then third pool playoff, with the regional final ending off the day.

 

Hosts, St Anne’s have scheduled a round robin tournament for the PMB Northern Regional. Schools that will be participating are one-time winner, The Wykeham Collegiate, Carter, Grace College, Treverton and Voortrekker. The regional final will feature the first and second on the Round Robin log.

 

Both tournaments will score 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw with goals, 1 point for a goalless draw and nil points for a loss. Games in both tournaments will be 25 minutes long.

 

The two regional winners will join Ferrum Hoërskool, representing the Northern KZN Region, the first team to secure their berth at the Grand Finals at St Mary’s DSG on 21 and 22 July.

 

Pictured: Host school, St Anne’s will be back to defend their title for the seventh time in the SPAR KZN School Girl’s Hockey Challenge Pietermaritzburg Northern Regional, leading the charge are vice-captain, Daniella Rhodes and captain, Gabriella Von Hone.