๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ด ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ and this weekend our U13A hockey girls once again proved exactly what that means.
Competing at the ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ ๐ก๐ถ๐ธ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น, hosted by Eunice Primary School in Bloemfontein, the team emerged as the winners of the Plate Final after producing a remarkable series of performances against strong opposition from across the country.
Along the way, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐, one draw and just a single narrow defeat, finishing the tournament in outstanding fashion and proudly bringing the Plate title back to Graaff-Reinet.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ.
Of the schools that Union defeated or drew against during the festival, four boast senior first-team programmes currently ranked among the top 20 in South Africa – ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ and the determination with which they competed.
The tournament began with a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Brescia House School before the girls bounced back with a 1-0 victory over Durban Girlsโ Primary, courtesy of a goal from ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฏ๐.
A goalless draw followed against Laerskool Garsfontein before Union found their rhythm with a 2-0 win over Truida Kestell Primary, with ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฟ and ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป finding the back of the net.
Further victories followed against Laerskool Fichardtspark (1-0), St Maryโs School, Waverley (1-0) and Kenmare Primary School (2-0), with ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฟ continuing her excellent goalscoring form and ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ adding another goal to her tally.
The team then defeated DSG, Makhanda, thanks to a goal from ๐ญ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐๐ before rounding off a memorable weekend with another 1-0 victory over St Maryโs, Kloof in the Plate Final, where ๐ญ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ once again scored the decisive goal.
Congratulations must go to our goalscorers whose finishing played an important role throughout the festival. ๐๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ฒ, ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐พ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ, whose teamwork and resilience carried them through nine demanding matches.
Special mention must also be made of the players who earned ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ honours during the tournament: ๐๐บ๐บ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ (three matches), ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฎ๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ช๐ฎ๐น๐ (two matches), ๐ง๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ต ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐๐ฎ๐๐น๐ฎ ๐ข๐๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ and ๐๐ฎ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ.
Their individual performances reflected the spirit and determination shown by the entire group.
We are incredibly proud of these young hockey players and their coach. ๐ช๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ, ๐ด๐ถ๐ฟ๐น๐, ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐๐น ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
Congratulations to Union High Schoolโs U13A hockey coach, ๐๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฎ, who was announced as the ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ at the 2026 Nika Coertzen Hockey Festival, hosted this weekend in Bloemfontein.
This special recognition is a reflection of the time, dedication and care that Ina invests in her players and we could not be prouder of this well-deserved achievement.