Firing up the 2019 SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge, the first two regionals tip off in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday 3 March.Host for the Pietermaritzburg Central Regional is St John’s D.S.G. while up the road, The Wykeham Collegiate will play host to the Pietermaritzburg Northern Regional. The central games get underway at 07.30am and half an hour later for the northern regional. The top two teams for both regionals will duel it out for their regional final at 01.25pm at The Wykeham Collegiate, and at 02.50pm at St John’s D.S.G. The prize givings will follow the finals for each regional.
Central hosts, St John’s are one times winners having advanced to the Grand Finals in 2017, they take on defending champs Epworth School together with six times victrix, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School. Also part of the central regional are Russell High, Alexandra High, Maritzburg Christian School and Carter High.
Wykeham have also earned the regional title once in the second tournament in 2012. St Anne’s College have dominated the area winning the regional crown seven times. Hoping to topple Saint’s domination are school teams from Voortrekker High, Grace College, Howick High and Treverton and of course hosts, The Wykeham Collegiate.
Both regionals will be using the round robin format with a win earning them 4 points, a draw with goals 2 points, a goalless draw 1 point and a loss zero points. The match duration will last 20 minutes of rolling time.
Following the first two Pietermaritzburg regionals, the tournament then travels to Durban for the Durban North and Durban Central Regionals taking place the weekend after. Once all the regionals have concluded, the regional finalists converge on the Grand Finals which takes place on 20 and 21 July at St Mary’s D.S.G.
Sticks at the ready. (Above)
Anticipating the action of the 89th and 90th tournaments, sticks hovering above a pyramid of 90 balls, representing the overall number of tournaments played in the nine years of the SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge are Grace Kitshoff from St Anne’s, the PMB Northern Regional champs Cara Waud, Captain of Epworth, the PMB Central Regional champs Kelsey Dellar from St John's D.S.G. and The Wykeham Collegiate's Jade Brandis.
Anticipating the action of the 89th and 90th tournaments, sticks hovering above a pyramid of 90 balls, representing the overall number of tournaments played in the nine years of the SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge are Grace Kitshoff from St Anne’s, the PMB Northern Regional champs Cara Waud, Captain of Epworth, the PMB Central Regional champs Kelsey Dellar from St John's D.S.G. and The Wykeham Collegiate's Jade Brandis.
We heart hockey. (Below)
Pictured placing the 89th and 90th ball on the pyramid of balls, representing the overall number of tournaments played in the SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge are captains representing hosts schools The Wykeham Collegiate' Jade Brandis and Kelsey Dellar from St John's D.S.G. Jumping into action are Cara Waud, Captain of Epworth defending champs for the PMB Central Regional and Grace Kitshoff from St Anne’s, defending champs for the PMB Northern Region.
Pictured placing the 89th and 90th ball on the pyramid of balls, representing the overall number of tournaments played in the SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge are captains representing hosts schools The Wykeham Collegiate' Jade Brandis and Kelsey Dellar from St John's D.S.G. Jumping into action are Cara Waud, Captain of Epworth defending champs for the PMB Central Regional and Grace Kitshoff from St Anne’s, defending champs for the PMB Northern Region.
Thank you to Jonathan Burton for the photographs.
News supplied.
