School sports bonanza
Teams from all over country to take party in Bay events
THE Bay’s sports fields will be abuzz this weekend with a number of junior festivals being held at various venues. At Westering High, East will take on West in the start of the three-day Co-Ed Sports Festival starting today and running through until Monday.
This is the ninth hosting of the biennial event and a total of 16 schools from the Eastern and Western Cape will take each other on in rugby, hockey (boys and girls), and netball.
The netball and hockey codes will play all three days while rugby takes a break on Sunday.
Cape Town will be represented by Camps Bay, Milnerton, Fairmont and Fish Hoek, while East London will be sending sides from Cambridge, Port Rex and Stirling. Port Alfred will join the likes of Bay schools Alexander Road, Linkside, DF Malherbe, Framesby, Cillie, Pearson and Victoria Park.
The rugby fixtures for tomorrow are:
At Grey High, Selborne will have their credentials seriously tested when they play Western Cape powerhouse Paarl Gymnasium in the Standard Bank Cape Schools Rugby Week tomorrow. Although Paarl Gym are fielding a youthful team, their strong rugby history means there is never a weak Gym team and Selborne will be fully aware of the challenge that awaits them.
The 18th Cape Schools Week sees 10 teams competing from tomorrow to Wednesday.
Hosts Grey High warmed up for the week with an emphatic win over Graeme on Wednesday and will be looking to maintain that form when they tackle Rondebosch in the opening day’s final game.
Like Selborne, Muir have a testing opener when they take on a SACS team who have proved highly competitive in Cape Town this season, beating their close rivals Rondebosch, Bishops and Wynberg.
Tomorrow’s fixtures are: 9.30: Dale v Boland Landbou, 10.45: SACS v Muir, 12.00: Queen's v Standard Bank XV; 1.15: Paarl Gym v Selborne; 3pm: Rondebosch v Grey High
Meanwhile, defending champions PE Sundowns will be out to retain their title in the Engen U17 Knockout Challenge at John Nance Sport Centre in the Gelvandale Sport Complex.
The tournament kicks off at noon today and finishes on Sunday.
Sundowns’ opening game against St George’s will be an interesting match as it will be a repeat of last year’s final.
The New Brighton side’s team manager, Milsa Gxakuma, says the team is ready to fight for their title.
Besides the Port Elizabeth teams, the event will feature sides form Addo, East London, Grahamstown and Thornhill.
A Chippa United U17 team will also make their debut in the tournament.
In another highlight, after three days of training, pupils will be given the opportunity to show off their rugby skills at the 2015 G4S Africa Rugby tournament taking place at Pearson High School today.
The three Bay primary schools competing in the tournament are Emzomcane, Isaac Booi and Emsengeni, all based in Zwide.
In its fourth year, G4S Secure Solutions have been successfully organising the event in partnership with Bhubesi Pride Foundation.