The 2026 South African Hockey U21 IPT got underway in Gqeberha on Monday with an opening day that delivered emphatic statements, hard-earned victories and an immediate reminder of the depth of talent coming through the South African game.
Across the men’s and women’s tournaments, some of the traditional contenders wasted little time making their intentions known, while the invited South African U18 teams showed that they are certainly not in Gqeberha simply to make up the numbers.
Women: Big Statements on Opening Day
Northern Blues got the women’s tournament underway with an impressive 3-0 victory over WP Peninsula. Ella Shuttleworth opened the scoring after just seven minutes before Olivia Dillon doubled the advantage four minutes later. Peninsula managed to stem the tide for much of the contest, but Emily Macquet added the third from a penalty corner in the final minute to complete a strong opening performance for the Blues.
If that was a statement, North West and Western Province responded with exclamation marks.
North West produced one of the standout performances of the opening day with an 8-0 victory over Free State. Thabelani Metu and Carolien Wessels were amongst the scorers as North West took control of the contest and never allowed Free State a route back into it.
Western Province then matched that eight-goal haul, defeating hosts Eastern Province 8-0. Jodie Blows was amongst the early scorers for Province before Ruby Kraus added to the tally late on as WP opened their campaign in ruthless fashion.
There is, of course, a long way to go in a tournament where the games arrive quickly and momentum can change just as fast. But after one day, there are already teams who have made it very clear that they intend to be part of the conversation at the business end of the week.
Men: Province Start Fast, U18s Make Their Mark
Western Province opened the men’s competition with a convincing 5-1 win over WP Peninsula at Grey High School. Reuben Sendzul struck from a penalty corner inside the opening minutes before Province continued to build their advantage, with Aiden Blatch also amongst the scorers. It was exactly the kind of opening performance Province would have wanted in a short and unforgiving tournament.
The battle between Northern Blues and the SPAR KZN Raiders was far tighter, with KZN emerging with a 2-1 victory to get their campaign off to a valuable winning start.
Southern Gauteng had to show significantly more patience against Free State.
For more than three quarters the Free State defence frustrated their opponents and kept the game scoreless. Eventually the pressure told in the 52nd minute when Seleka Tau broke the deadlock with a field goal. Miguel de Jesus then added the second in the final minute to secure a 2-0 victory for Southern Gauteng and three points that were considerably harder earned than the final scoreline might suggest.
Perhaps one of the most eye-catching results of the men’s opening day, though, belonged to the SA U18 Boys.
Playing up an age group against North West, the national U18 side produced a superb performance to claim a 3-0 victory. It was a result that will have caught the attention of the rest of the tournament and underlined exactly why their inclusion at the U21 IPT offers such value to the next generation of South African players.
And that is perhaps the biggest takeaway from Day One. The U21 IPT is ultimately about winning a national title, but it is also the first major step in identifying and developing the group of players who will shape the next cycle of South African hockey.
After just one day in Gqeberha, some names have already started putting their hands up. And the tournament is only getting started.
