Overview
Over the Easter long weekend, Maritzburg College’s 1st XV rugby, 1st XI hockey and 1st tennis teams took part in various festivals around the country and produced some excellent results!
Hockey
Maritzburg College’s 1st XI hockey team delivered a stellar performance at the King Edward VII School (KES) Easter Festival! The boys went unbeaten, winning all five of their matches with sheer determination and commitment.
- vs Helpmekaar: won 4-1
- vs Selborne: won 3-0
- vs Queens College: won 2-0
- vs Parktown Boys’ High: won 6-0
- vs Hoërskool Eldoraigne: won 2-0
Goals for: 17, Goals against: 1
From the first whistle to the final goal, the boys played with heart and passion, and each game was a testament to their hard work and dedication, proving that they are a force to be reckoned with on the field.
Report (1st XI coach and Hockey Director, Mr Mark Sanders)
The College 1st Hockey Team travelled up to King Edward VII School for the annual KES Easter Festival. The games started on Thursday 17th and ended on Monday 21st.
The College boys started their campaign against Helpmekaar, who were one nil up in the first 30 seconds of the game. This sparked the boys into action and they started to play some very attractive hockey, scoring four unanswered goals in the remainder of the game.
Friday was a day off and a chance for reflection and recovery after day 1 of the festival. The boys enjoyed some well-earned down time.
Saturday was essentially the toughest day with a 07:30 game against Queen’s College – always a tough game as they are hard runners with some exceptional speed. In the end it was comfortable 2-0 win. Later the same day College took on Selborne College who are a well-drilled, structured team who can punish their opponents at any stage. College remained steadfast in their structure creating many opportunities, and the final result of a 3-0 win is testament to boys discipline and willingness to play a good brand of hockey.
College then played Parktown on Sunday afternoon, touted as one of Johannesburg’s teams to watch. What could have been a tough game resulted in College dismantling Parktown beating them 6-0. College dominated from start to finish and scored some wonderful team goals. Every player contributed to this result.
The last game against Hoerskool Eldoraigne had the potential of becoming difficult game as they are a very physical side. College continued to play their best hockey dominating defensively and giving their opponents very little space and time to secure a well-earned 2-0 victory.
Congratulations to all the boys and staff for an outstanding festival.
Rugby
The Maritzburg College 1st XV travelled to the St John’s College Rugby Festival for two scheduled matches, against a Golden Lions Invitational XV and Hoerskool Nelpspruit.
Report (1st XV coach, Mr Nico Breedt)
College 1st XV rugby attended the St John`s Easter Rugby Festival where they played two fixtures.
The first fixture was against the Lions invitational xv. The boys came out firing and within 10 minutes from the start led comfortably with three tries scored to nothing. In an attempt to give every one of the 23 members of the squad a run, many substitutions were made for the remainder of the game. Although challenging with so many different combinations, the players were commended for sticking to structure and played some very entertaining rugby, winning comfortably.
The second fixture was against a much more formidable opponent, in the form of some big men from Nelspruit. College battled in the scrums but remained competitive throughout and with 15 minutes to go, were leading 13-12.
However, the performance was riddled with silly errors and poor decision-making, and Nelspruit was good enough to capitalize on these, which saw College deservedly lose the encounter.
A tough lesson to learn but undoubtably a valuable one and the experience will stand the boys in good stead for the season ahead.
- vs Golden Lions Invitational XV: won 43-0
- vs Hoerskool Nelspruit: lost 13-22
Tennis
Swimming
Congratulations to P Lamb, T Pillay and J Mumford on their outstanding performances at the recent SA Senior Nationals and SA Schools Swimming events!
SA Senior Nationals
P Lamb competed at the SA Senior Nationals in Gqeberha from 9–13 April, swimming against the country’s top talent. He took part in five events, achieved four personal bests, and earned a spot in the B Final for the 400IM, where he placed 8th. An impressive effort at this elite level!
SA Schools Swimming
Held in Bloemfontein from 4–8 April, the SA Schools meet saw two of our swimmers shine:
T Pillay – took part in four events and one relay, and made two Finals:
- 50 Fly – 11th
- 200 Breast – Final (6th)
- 100 Breast – Final (8th)
- 4×100 Medley Relay – 4th
J Mumford took part in five events and made four finals.
- 50 Fly – Silver
- 100 Fly – Silver
- 100 Free – Final (7th)
- 50 Free – Final (7th)
Well done, boys! Your hard work and determination in the pool continue to make College proud.
Canoeing
Congratulations to College’s Josh Worthmann on his selection for the Olympic hopes team!
The team selected will represent South Africa at the European Regatta, in Racice, Czech Republic from 18-21 September 2025. This regatta races in age categories, not just U18, and Josh will race in a Double, K2 with his partner from Johannesburg, Daniel van Eeden. Good luck Josh!