Grantleigh College’s Nkanyezi Xulu and Kelly Braithwaite will welcome teams to the North Coast Regional of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge on Saturday 20 May. Pic by Val Adamson

Wrapping up the ten regional tournaments of the 2023 SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge, Grantleigh College hosts the North Coast Regional on Saturday 20 May.

In a round robin format, seven teams from the area will be stepping onto the astro turf for a day of fun, skilled hockey. Teams will have 18 minutes to shine in an action-packed programme that tips off at 8am. After 21 quick-fire round robin games, the two top teams will face off again in the final that will reveal the regional champion.

Hosting the day are defending champions, Grantleigh College. Joining them on the turf are Empangeni High School; Eshowe High School; Felixton College; John Ross College; Richards Bay Christian School and St Catherine’s School.

In the 21 rounds, each of the winning teams will earn 4 points on the leaderboard. If the teams draw but both net the same amount of goals, they each get 2 points, a goalless draw will see only a single point being added to each of the teams’ scorecards, and a loss amounting to zero points.

Both Empangeni High School (2012 – 2015) and Grantleigh College (2011, 2016, 2017, 2022) have each impressively won the North Coast title four times, while Felixton College have had their name engraved on the trophy twice in the years 2018 and 2019.

At the end of each of the ten regionals, a team is crowned, and that team has the honour of representing their area at the competitive conclusion to the hockey challenge, the Grand Finals that takes place at St Mary’s DSG in Kloof in July. The victorious team from this regional will travel to Kloof where they will meet the nine other regional champions from around KZN.

Teams that have already secured a place for the Grand Finals are Danville Park Girls High School (Durban North Regional); St Mary’s DSG (Highway Regional); Kuswag Hoërskool (Durban South Regional), Durban Girls’ College (Durban Central Regional); The Wykeham Collegiate (Pietermaritzburg North Regional); Suid Natal Hoërskool (Sisonke and uGu Regional) and St Dominics Newcastle (Northern KZN Regional). The eighth (uMvoti and oThukela Regional) and ninth (Pietermaritzburg Central Regional) teams will be revealed at their regionals the weekend prior to the North Coast Regional.

For spectators that are unable to get to the side of the pitch, the last regional and the Grand Finals will be live streamed by SuperSport Schools on their mobile app or website.

For more info like the tournament’s Facebook page or follow on Instagram.