On the eve of the most recent cold front, the SPAR Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge team gathered at the VUT sports grounds in Vanderbijlpark for the final installment of the fun-filled hockey extravaganza in 2023.
Girls from Hoërskool Transvalia, Hoërskool Hugenote, Hoërskool Eldoraigne, Hoërskool Wessies, Hoërskool Wittenberg, Hoërskool Noordheuwel, Hoërskool Valia and Hoërskool Wesvalia congregated on the same Astro that we visited earlier in October for the U13 Challenge.
A busy day was planned with each team scheduled to play 7 matches.
The players participated in a dance-off, some with school war-cries, to the delight of the spectators and players who gathered to watch during the water breaks.
In all, we managed to complete 20 matches but the constant interruptions by the weather meant we were more than an hour behind with too many fixtures left to complete and unfortunately, a decision needed to be made. The coordinator and the coaches deliberated briefly and it was decided that the winner would be …
The winner on the day, that would lift the wonderful SPAR Trophy, would be determined by most goals scored after each team had played 5 matches. The cold front rolled into Gauteng pushing moist air and multiple lightning breaks our way and as lightning on a wet Astro is considered unsafe, the teams were called off the field whenever the siren would sound that inclement weather was in the vicinity. Better safe than sorry, as the saying goes.
Hoërskool Noordheuwel emerged as the victors but everyone had a great day and in the end, hockey is the winner.
