On Saturday, 8 August we were pleased to recognise a special milestone for five of our Union High School, Graaff-Reinet 1st team hockey players.
Ahead of the #Interschools2026 match against Hoër Volkskool, Headmaster Mr William Pringle and coach Mr Calvin Beck presented the girls with certificates to mark the occasion. 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘁𝗼𝗻, 𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗶 𝗩𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 and 𝗟𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗔𝗻𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘆 have each reached 𝟭𝟱𝟬 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘀 for the 1st team, while 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 and 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗽 have reached 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘀.
Behind each of those numbers are many practices, matches, early mornings and hours spent together on the turf. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 and to Union hockey over the years.
Grade 12 100+ cap plaques
On Tuesday our five Grade 12 hockey players were awarded their 𝟭𝟬𝟬+ 𝗰𝗮𝗽 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀 in the Derek Light Technical Area at the Union High School, Graaff-Reinet AstroTurf – a special tradition reserved for players who complete their Union hockey careers having represented the school in more than 100 first-team matches.
For these girls, 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗳 – of practices and early mornings, long trips and tough matches, friendships, lessons, victories and disappointments and the privilege of pulling on their Union kit time and again.
Together, they are affectionately known within the team as the 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝟱 – five girls who have shared so much of their Union hockey journey alongside one another and who now leave their names and numbers together at the AstroTurf they have called home.
𝗟𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗔𝗻𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘆 – 162 caps 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘁𝗼𝗻 – 156 caps 𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗶 𝗩𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 – 151 caps 𝗔𝗺𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 – 134 caps 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗽 – 101 caps
Captain Leigh-Ann is ending her school hockey career on an extraordinary 162 caps – 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆.
𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘧, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 – 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻.
May you always look back on this little corner of the turf and remember just how much of yourselves you gave here.