๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ to The Diocesan School for Girls for making the trip to Graaff-Reinet this past Saturday for a morning of junior hockey.
Our girls enjoyed valuable game time against quality opposition. The ๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐ side recorded a 4-2 win, while the ๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐ team went down 0-3. The ๐จ๐ญ๐ฏ๐ team lost 0-3, the ๐จ๐ญ๐ฏ๐ girls played to a 0-0 draw, and the ๐จ๐ญ๐ฏ๐ side shared the honours in a 1-1 draw.
Our senior hockey teams welcomed Queenstown Girls’ High School on Saturday for a competitive morning of hockey.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฏ ๐ฏ-๐ฌ ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ, who showed great composure and determination against a physical GHS side. The girls stuck to their game plan, worked hard for one another and were rewarded with an excellent team performance. Special mention goes to ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ผ๐ป ๐ช๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ, ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น๐๐ป ๐ง๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฝ, ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ถ ๐ฉ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ for their standout contributions.
Other results saw the 2nd team narrowly lose 0-1, the U14 side go down 0-1, the U16A team lose 1-3 and the U16B side lose 1-2.
๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ to our U16C team, who earned ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐บ honours after showing tremendous resilience to score a late winner and secure a memorable 3-2 victory.
Our First Team produced two dominant displays, recording a 6โ0 victory against St Michaelโs and following it up with a convincing 7โ1 win over Hangklip.
Against St Michaelโs, the girls produced a strong all-round performance where our structure looked solid against a competitive side. We controlled the tempo of the match well and made sure we capitalised on our opportunities.
In the second match against Hangklip, the girls started brilliantly and created numerous goal-scoring chances. However, frustration began to creep in as we failed to convert opportunities, which led to forcing passes and trying to create goals too quickly. Our final decision-making inside the circle was not at our usual standard. Despite this, the girls once again showed the strength and quality within our First Team.
Overall, it was a very positive weekend and a true team effort from every player involved. Well done to all the girls on their performances.
Standout players this weekend were: Antonio Adams, Katelyn Trollip, Misha Newton, Leigh-ann Murray and Abonani Matushe.
Other results from the weekend: Friday โข UHS 2nd Team vs SMS 1st Team: Lost 1โ8 โข UHS U/14A vs SMS U/14A: Lost 0โ3 โข UHS U/16A vs SMS U/16A: Won 2โ1 Saturday โข UHS U/16B vs SMS U/16A: Lost 0โ2 โข UHS U/16C vs SMS U/14A: Lost 0โ10 โข UHS 1st Team vs SMS 1st Team: Won 6โ0 Hangklip Fixtures โข UHS U/14A vs Hangklip 3rd Team: Won 12โ0 โข UHS 2nd Team vs Hangklip 2nd Team: Won 3โ0 โข UHS 1st Team vs Hangklip 1st Team: Won 7โ1
The junior rugby and hockey teams experienced a day of mixed results against strong opposition.
Rugby: The U/13A side produced an impressive 36โ12 victory, while the U/11A (5โ17), U/11B (0โ40) and U/13B (0โ40) teams battled hard but came up short.
Hockey: There were excellent wins for the U/11A team (2โ1) and U/13B team (1โ0). The U/11B, U/13C and U/13A sides were narrowly defeated 1โ0 in closely contested matches.
Well done to all players and coaches for their effort, commitment and sportsmanship throughout the day.
Well done to ๐๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐พ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ-๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฎ (U14B), ๐จ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐น๐ถ (U16A) and ๐๐๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ (U14A) on their selection to the Eastern Province hockey sides.
๐๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐พ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ-๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฎ, ๐จ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐น๐ถ and ๐๐๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ
Our senior and junior U13A hockey teams enjoyed a busy weekend of fixtures against Framesby and St Dominic’s Priory.
Friday, 15 May Well done to our ๐จ๐ญ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ, who opened the weekend of hockey with a good, hard-fought match against Framesbyโs U14A side this afternoon. After leading for much of the game, a late comeback from Framesby saw the match end 4-3 in their favour. ๐ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ง๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ช๐ณ๐ญ๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ.
It was a positive outing overall, highlighted by ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ-๐ฌ ๐๐ถ๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ against St Dominic’s Priory, while the U16A side added another solid result with a 2 – 0 victory and the U14As recorded a 5 – 0 win against St Dominic’s.
The U16B girls drew 2 – 2 against Framesbyโs U16C team and although the U16C side went down 4 – 0 to Framesbyโs U16B team, their effort and commitment throughout the match did not go unnoticed.
Saturday, 16 May
On Saturday, Union High School, Graaff-Reinet’s senior hockey girls hosted Hoรซrskool Framesby for a set of home fixtures.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ with an exciting 5 – 3 win in a high-tempo match, while the 2nd team also produced a solid performance to claim a 3 – 1 victory.
The U16A, U16B and U14A teams faced tough opposition and unfortunately went down in their matches, while the U16C side responded well with a determined 2 – 0 victory.
A very special congratulations to ๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ต๐ฒ, ๐จ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐น๐ถ and ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ on reaching the milestone of their 50th cap for Union High School’s 1st hockey team, awarded ahead of yesterdayโs match against Hoรซrskool Framesby.
Thank you for the ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป and ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ you bring every time you step onto the field, girls – ๐ฎ๐ข๐บ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ฏ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ค๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด.
The team faced two tough fixtures against strong local opposition, gaining valuable experience and lessons along the way.
Match 1: Union vs Langenhoven Gimnasium (Final) The hosts came out firing from the start, applying relentless pressure through well-executed up-and-under kicks that unsettled Unionโs back three. Costly errors allowed Langenhoven to capitalize, racing to a commanding 34โ7 lead at halftime.
Union, however, showed immense resilience in the second half. By changing their attacking strategy, they clawed their way back to level the score at 34โ34. Unfortunately, fatigue set in, and two lapses in concentration led to quick tries for the hosts. The final whistle saw Union defeated 48โ34, but the spirited comeback highlighted the teamโs adaptability and fighting spirit.
Match 2: Union vs Oudtshoorn High School Unionโs second fixture was against Oudtshoorn High, who entered the game brimming with confidence after a big win over Fish Hoek. Anticipating wide attacks, Unionโs defense closed down the wings effectively, but this left gaps in midfield which Oudtshoorn exploited twice.
In the second half, Unionโs reserves made a strong impact, dominating possession. However, forced errors and โwhite line feverโ proved costly. Despite their efforts, Union went down 35โ12. While not the desired result, the match showcased the teamโs ability to adapt defensively and highlighted areas for growth.
Positives and Highlights Resilience & Adaptability: The ability to change attacking strategies mid-game and fight back from a large deficit. Defensive Lessons: Exposure to varied opposition tactics will strengthen Unionโs defensive responses in future fixtures. Player of the Tournament: A special congratulations to Josh Arends, whose outstanding performances earned him this accolade.
Off-Field Experiences The tour was not only about rugby. The team enjoyed a memorable outing to an ostrich farm, learning about different species and products, and even feeding the ostriches. Recovery sessions with compression boots and massages were a special treat, ensuring the players were well looked after.
Hockey Report
This was our first time attending the Langenhoven Gymnasium Festival. Initially, there was some disappointment around sacrificing a long weekend for only three games. However, once we arrived, the festival atmosphere quickly changed our perspective and it became clear that the girls truly needed this experience. From the start, we established ourselves as the team to beat at the festival. Results: โข UHS 1st Team Girls vs Langenhoven Gymnasium: UHS won 1โ0 Our girls dominated from the start to secure a 1โ0 victory. Despite some challenging decisions from the umpires throughout the game, what stood out most was the teamโs composure. The girls remained calm and did not allow external factors to affect their performance. A true mark of the First teamsโ class and maturity. โข UHS vs Dirkie Uys: UHS won 10โ0 โข UHS vs King Edward High School: UHS won 8โ0 Across all matches, the UHS displayed excellent attacking hockey and disciplined structures. Man of the Match Awards: โข Leigh-ann Murray (x2) โข Amy Waddelow โข Katelyn Trollip
It was especially rewarding to hear positive feedback from other coaches and spectators, who described our brand of hockey as exciting to watch. More importantly, they acknowledged the respect and humility shown by our players throughout the tournament. We are proud not only of the results, but of the manner in which our girls represented the school, playing with intensity and always upholding the school values. Well done, girls!
๐ข๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ข๐ก๐ฌ of the 2026 Langenhoven Gimnasium Sports Fest in Oudtshoorn.
The U/11A team delivered a dominant performance to win 24โ0, displaying excellent teamwork and defensive discipline. The U/13A side continued the winning momentum with a strong 19โ0 victory, controlling the game from start to finish.
Hockey
In hockey, the U/11A team produced an outstanding performance against Kroonvaleโs U/13A side, securing an emphatic 8โ0 win. Their attacking play and finishing were exceptional, highlighting a well-rounded team effort.
Some partnerships hold a special kind of significance – and this is one of those.
As part of our ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ initiative, Glen Harry Game Reserve just outside Graaff-Reinet, has come on board in support of the ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ-๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. With every goal scored by our 1st Girlsโ Hockey team this season, their contribution will help provide care, comfort and practical support to those in our community facing cancer.
Glen Harry Game Reserve – one of the oldest game farm establishments in South Africa – offers a unique Karoo experience, allowing visitors to connect freely with its vast, wildlife-rich landscape. Under the management of Katjana Ott, it remains a place where nature, history and conservation meet in a truly special way.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ข๐๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐บ๐๐ฐ๐ต-๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐. Daughters Layla, Alexa and Sophia are proud Union girls, while Joseph and Katjana are ever-present behind the scenes – always willing to lend a hand in the organisation of school fundraising efforts and events.
๐๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐, they also pour enormous energy into events like Thru the Karoo and Tri the Karoo, both of which require significant planning and commitment and contribute greatly to the broader community.
Kat herself is an accomplished endurance athlete, regularly competing in triathlons, marathons and Ironman events – bringing the same passion, discipline and drive to everything she does. She also has a wonderful creative touch, often adding beauty to Union occasions through her thoughtful floral arrangements.
