The fourth regional in the 2016 edition of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge, the Durban Central Regional will take place at the 3 Schools Trust, hosted by Maris Stella School.
The growing regional welcomes eight schools at this year’s tournament; including the tournaments overall and regional defending champions, Durban Girls’ College. The team to beat will be up against St Henry’s who finished off second last year. They are joined by host school Maris Stella School, Holy Family College, Durban Girls’ High School; Port Natal Hoërskool, Inanda Seminary and the INK Team; and newcomers to the tournament – the INK team – a team of players selected from schools in the Inanda, KwaMashu and Ntuzuma districts.
Making their second appearance at the tournament is the Inanda Seminary team who are eager to improve from their standings last year, having played some good hockey against some formidable teams last year.
“The team from Inanda is one of the success stories of the tournament.” enthused Tournament Director, Les Galloway. “As newcomers last year, they were understandably not as experienced as the other seasoned schools, but they rose to the challenge and gave it their all. We are delighted to welcome them back this year, and to welcome another team from the INK area for their inaugural tournament. It is through the efforts of all the dedicated sports coaches and managers at schools in KZN that we are able to develop the game at school level. It can only spell great things for the future of hockey in the province and beyond.”
The Durban Central Regional is hot on the heels of the two Pietermaritzburg Regionals that takes place the day before at two venues in the capital. The tournament then has a bit of a break until the Durban South Regional, hosted by Kingsway High School also at the 3 Schools Trust on Saturday 9 April and the Durban North Regional at Danville Park Girls’ High on Sunday 10 April. Wrapping up the April regionals, St Patricks in Kokstad will host the Southern KZN Regional on Saturday 16 April.
MD for SPAR KZN, Rob Philipson stated, “We are delighted with how this tournament has grown. It is only six years old and already we are seeing the footprint of the tournament, and the game, grow. With schools in the outlying areas building astro turfs, with schools that have never had hockey as an extra-curriculum option, wanting to get involved and play. A huge thumbs up to everyone involved!”
The winner of this regional will join the brand new finalist, Sarel Cilliers from Glencoe who won the Northern KZN Regional two weeks ago, and the teams that will be crowned the day before in Pietermaritzburg along with seven other teams from around KwaZulu Natal at the Grand Finals that will be hosted at St Mary’s DSG in July.
