Image: TeamPhotoSA Western Province u16A easily handled their rivals in the initial pair of matches at the 2024 edition of the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament held in Buffalo City on Sunday. The tournament continues until 11 December. Province has excelled in scoring, boasting two of the top three goal-scorers in the tournament […]
Western Province u16A easily handled their rivals in the initial pair of matches at the 2024 edition of the Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament held in Buffalo City on Sunday. The tournament continues until 11 December.
Province has excelled in scoring, boasting two of the top three goal-scorers in the tournament after the first day of competition in the age group. Matthew Fenn leads the scoring with nine goals, while Benjamin Bigara stands in third place with seven.
The Capetonians’ James Malan has netted three goals during counterattacks, leading all players in this category.
Coach Ross van Schoor’s team was defeated by KwaZulu-Natal in last year’s final, coming into Buffalo City with the ambition of improving on that result this year.
They kicked off in great style. Bigara and Fenn both achieved hat-tricks as Province overwhelmed Central Gauteng B 13-4 in their opening match. Timothy Young and James Malan each scored twice, while Alex Barrett, Caleb Hurley, and Aiden Turrell contributed to the scoreline.
Gauteng countered with two goals from Matthew Peacock along with additional contributions from Tegan Fisher and Gui-Nam Chen, but those four goals fell short against the 2023 runners-up.
However, Western Province’s performance against Central Gauteng B was merely a preview of their potential. They were in blistering form as they dove into the pool to face Buffalo City. The home team entered the match seeking to better their performance from the age group’s opening game, which saw Nelson Mandela Bay narrowly win 7-5 in an Eastern Cape matchup.
Coach Khanyisa Mpumlwana observed from the poolside as the local side was tossed around like a ragdoll by Western Province. Matthew Fenn scored six goals, while Benjamin Bigara added four. James Malan achieved a hat-trick, and Alex Barrett, Connor Mortlock, James Pinnock, and Andrew Reynolds also found the back of the net.
Western Province amassed 17 points in total and conceded only two goals in their decisive victory over Buffalo City. These two wins propelled them to the top of Pool A.
Nelson Mandela Bay also managed two wins, one against Buffalo City and the other against Central Gauteng B. However, their victory margins were considerably narrower than those of Western Province. They just crept into double figures in their match versus Central Gauteng B, although they secured an impressive 11-1 victory, which still wasn’t enough to lessen the goal-difference gap to Western Province A.
Zimbabwe seized the lead in Pool C following victories over Eden Districts and Eastern Gauteng. The northern visitors of South Africa began their campaign with an 11-4 triumph over Eden before dominating Eastern Gauteng 14-1. These wins positioned them at the top of their pool.
Eastern Gauteng approached their match against Zimbabwe buoyed by a 16-1 demolition of Northerns B, only to see their aspirations of topping the group come crashing down.
The bottom teams in Pool C, Northerns B and Eden Districts, will commence the action in the u16 category on Monday morning.
SCORES
Nelson Mandela Bay 7: Jed Paterson (2), Dane Paterson (2), Carter Rosser (1), Johan Moolman (1), Tiago Williams (1). Buffalo City 5: Daniel Woodin (3), Michael Russell (1), Nicholas du Toit (1).
KwaZulu Natal 13: Thomas Aylward (3), Thomas Francke (3), Levin Thom (2), Oliver Ludwig (1), Andrew Schnell (1), Taylor Seiler (1), Garrick Phillips (1), Keegan Vogt (1). Northerns A 8: Christiaan Truter (3), Ruan Engelbrecht (2), Ettienne van der Merwe (1), Joshua Bergh (1), Ben Swarts (1).
Zimbabwe 11: Blaise Scheepers (3), Patrick Duff (2), Bongani Dube (2), Tristan Harris (1), Daniel Oxden-Willows (1), Joshua Edwards (1), Tapfuma Taundi (1). Eden Districts 4: Luca Whitehead (3), Rorke Bubanj (1).
Western Province A 13: Benjamin Bigara (3), Matthew Fenn (3), James Malan (2), Timothy Young (2), Aiden Turrell (1), Alex Barrett (1), Caleb Harley (1). Central Gauteng B 4: Matthew Peacock (2), Gui-Nam Chen (1), Tegan Fisher (1).
Central Gauteng A 6: Ryan Morley (2), Craig Toet (1), Luke Shipway (1), Roan Wessels (1), Danilo Giuricich (1). Western Province B 1: Rupert Robinson (1).
Northerns B 1: Stephan van Tonder (1). Eastern Gauteng 16: Luke Laporte (6), Connor Cockroft (4), Matthew Craukamp (2), Daelan Brijmohun (1), Campbell Hustler (1), Daniel Rheeder (1), Samkelo Maphaphu (1).
Nelson Mandela Bay 11: Carter Rosser (3), Taye Colesky (2), Christian Chandler (2), Stefan Polderman (2), Dane Paterson (1), Adam Ball (1). Central Gauteng B 1: Brayden Macfie (1).
KwaZulu Natal 5: Thomas Francke (2), Musawenkosi Mponda (1), Garrick Phillips (1), Thomas Aylward (1). Central Gauteng A 6: Craig Toet (2), Danilo Guiricich (2), Ryan Morley (1), Aiden Khoury (1).
Zimbabwe 14: Blaise Scheepers (5), Nicholas Roukounis (2), Tapfuma Taundi (2), Troy Reed (1), Joshua Edwards (1), Liam Chicksen (1), Bongani Dube (1), Tristan Harris (1). Eastern Gauteng 1: Connor Cockroft (1).
Western Province A 17: Matthew Fenn (6), Benjamin Bigara (4), James Malan (3), Alex Barrett (1), Connor Mortlock (1), James Pinnock (1), Andrew Reynolds (1). Buffalo City 2: Cullen Mortlock (1), Daniel Woodin (1).
Western Province B 5: Cole Abrahams (2), Ross Prinsloo (1), Christopher McLagan (1), Rupert Robinson (1). Northerns A 9: Ettienne van der Merwe (3), Oliver Oberholzer (1), Caleb Bowden (1), joshua Bergh (1), Liam Joao-Palm (1), Adran Robinson (1), Siwon Lee (1).
CS Chiwanza is a former poet and now dedicates his time to narrating the stories of Southern African sports. He humorously notes that those who can’t master a skill often resort to teaching or writing. He understands the proper way to grip a cricket bat and how to hold a wobbleball, yet lacks the proficiency to earn a spot on a competitive team. Thus, he opts to write. Nevertheless, he excelled at the dart grip and frequently engages in friendly competitions against his wife and children.
