The National All Girls Sport and Cultural Festival took place over the long weekend, from Wednesday, 1 May to Saturday, 4 May at Potchefstroom High School for Girls in Potchefstroom, North West. Rustenburg was well represented in this year’s festival. Seven teams travelled to Potchefstroom to compete among some of the best in the country. Cross Country (4 learners), Debating (4 learners), Hockey (16 learners), Master Chef (2 learners), Netball (10 learners), Squash (4 learners) and Tennis (5 learners) were the teams entered into the festival. Each team were accompanied by a member of staff. Eight members of staff were part of the trip to Potchefstroom. The learners relished their time at the festival, experiencing both victories and setbacks. Yet, it was the camaraderie, shared joy, and sense of unity among the learners that truly defined their experience.
Cross Country
Day 1: Team Results (4km) in NWU Sports Campus
RESULTS: Rustenburg Placed 3rd overall. Skye Micklethwaite 6th, Ella Gardner 8th, Abygael Kew 14th and Lily Irish 23rd.
The team took the first challenge on as they met the other competing schools at NWU Sports Campus. The Potchefstroom heat on the first day of the event was rather challenging.
Each of the groups was 40-strong, and our girls did admirably. After the race, we settled down to a great lunch at our accommodation at the NWU Sports Village.
Day 2: (4km individual race)
RESULTS: Skye Micklethwaite 6th, Ella Gardner 8th, Abygael Kew 14th and Lily Irish 23rd.
The individual race was challenging as the weather warmed up very quickly. Runners had to keep hydrated to avoid heat rush during the race. Our runners were focused and didn’t for one moment allow the heat to stand in the way. This is evident in their results.
Day 3: Cross Country race at Potchefstroom School for Girls (2 laps of 2 km relay race)
RESULTS: Rustenburg Girls finish in 3rd position
Early morning drive onto the Potchefstroom School for Girls campus to a dedicated Cross Country track! A quick walk-through and warm-up and then they were off. The track was mainly grass, well marked with no chance of going off course.
It was an absolute pleasure accompanying this group. They were so positive, easy-going and supportive of one another. They ran their best races, even when not running for their own team. While our Cross Country season had barely started, they were running against girls who had just finished a track season; they truly can be very proud of their achievements.
Tennis
Rustenburg was in group A in the log and had their first game against Eunice Girls High School on the first day of the tournament as round 1. Rustenburg dominated their singles and doubles, making sure to take every possible chance.
The team had to use their strengths and work towards winning in their next round. The next round was against Pretoria Girls High School, a very dominant team to play against. Even though the weather was very hot and dry, we used every skill we had to take over the games and finish with an overall win. The day was long and the team started to show tiredness from playing 2 tough matches and were getting ready for the last game against Parktown High School. This is when the team gave their last shot and showed the other team their true strength. They won their matches with great results from both the singles and doubles, giving them a chance to gain confidence, following such a long day and facing very tough schools.
The second day approached and this meant a long day ahead to show the schools what they were capable of. They played against Oranje Girls High School and despite losing all their matches, they still fought for every point and came out not feeling discouraged but in good spirits. In the second round, they faced Bloemhof High School and they were hungry for victory. The match didn’t go as they planned, but they were not going to give up. They played in the scorching heat but pushed through every moment they had. The last match approached, and they went in with heads held high. They played against Clarendon High School. These were very strong competitors, who were fast on court. We lost that match, but we were confident and lost with dignity.
The final day came and we found ourselves facing La Rochelle High School for positions 7 and 8. The team struggled a lot but gave every bit of fighting spirit. They lost that day, but no doubt played their best game and they were proud of what they achieved. Despite experiencing some losses, they took every opportunity to identify where their shortcomings were and worked hard to play better. It was tough every day, playing against really strong schools, but the team got mentally tougher. Rustenburg won 3 out of the 7 matches they played and achieved an overall position in 8 out of 16 schools at the tournament.
The results are below:
| Thursday 2 May | Score | |
| Rustenburg Girls High vs Eunice Girls High School Round 2Rustenburg Girls High vs Pretoria Girls High SchoolSchool Round 3Rustenburg Girls High vs Parktown High SchoolSchool | 12-6 ( Won) 17-1 ( Won) 11-7 ( Won) | |
| Friday 3 May | ||
| Round 4 Rustenburg Girls High vs Oranje Girls School Round 5 Rustenburg Girls High vs Bloemhof Girls School Round 6 Rustenburg Girls High vs Clarendon High School | 0-18 ( Lost) 3-15 ( Lost) 3-15 ( Lost) | |
| Saturday 4 May | ||
| Rustenburg Girls High vs La Rochelle School | 6-12 ( Lost) | |
Netball
The All Girls’ Netball Team embarked on a journey to Potchefstroom filled with great enthusiasm. Setting both team and individual goals for the tournament, they were ready for the challenges ahead. Being a touring team, they hadn’t had the opportunity to play many competitive matches together.
Competing at the world-class facilities of the NWU sports complex, the team encountered not only formidable opponents but also the intense heat of the North West. Despite facing these challenges, they steadily gained confidence and learned valuable lessons with each game they played.
Though fatigue set in during the playoff matches, their fighting spirit remained unwavering. Going head-to-head with renowned netball powerhouses like Oranje, Eunice, and Bloemhof, they showcased impressive performances that they can take pride in.
The experiences gathered during their time at All Girls’ will undoubtedly serve as a valuable asset in the upcoming season.
| Opposition | Score |
| Pool matches | |
| Durban Girls | Lost 18-27 |
| Wynberg Girls | Won 23-14 |
| Oranje | Drew 24-24 |
| Bloemhof | Lost 21-27 |
| Play Offs 9th-12th position | |
| Eunice | Lost 6-24 |
| Play Off 11th/12th position | |
| Danville | Lost 28-34 |
Thank you to the team sponsors – The Ferguson family and ARB Electrical Wholesalers (The McGregor family).
Hockey
The Rustenburg first team participated in the outdoor hockey code where they played their matches at NWU astro.
They had four pool matches on day 1 and started the day with a 3-0 win over Pretoria Girls High School. Their second game was against La Rochelle and they won 2-0. The last two pool games were against opponents who are repeatedly ranked in the top 5 in the country. Rustenburg took on Affies in the first of the tough competition and only lost 1-0. The girls played their best game and the result doesn’t show the effort that was put into the game. Their last pool game of the day was against Oranje where they drew 0-0. This game was a defensive masterclass from every player in the Rustenburg team. Coach Olu prepared his team well for a very well-oiled Oranje side.
After the pool games, the girls were 3rd in their pool and ended up playing for a 9-16th playoff. On day 2 their first playoff game was against St Michael’s which they won 3-0. The win meant they had to play Danville for the 9-12 playoff. Unfortunately, after regulation time the game tied 0-0 and the teams went to showdowns and Rustenburg lost 2-0 which meant going into the last day, they would be playing for 11/12th.
Their last game of the tournament was against La Rochelle whom they played before in the pool stages. The final score for the 11/12th playoff game was 2-0 in Rustenburg’s favour, which awarded us 11th place.
Coach Olu looked at his stats and was very happy with the progress of his team. After being placed in a tough pool, the girls ended on a high playing some excellent hockey together.
Squash
The Rustenburg Squash team comprised of Isla Barbour, Morgan Hunter, Grace Bowley and Leila King, participated in the All Girls’ Festival, securing the 5th position out of 9 schools. The team had a memorable experience marked by camaraderie and sportsmanship on and off the court.
Matches were split between the squash courts at The High School for Girls, Potchefstroom and the Potchefstroom Country Club where teams competed in a round-robin tournament. This meant a demanding 4 matches a day on day 1 and 2 and 1 match on the final day of the festival. The results were as follows:
| Score | |
| Pretoria High School for Girls | (won) 0-16 |
| Danville Park Girls’ High School | (won) 5-15 |
| Collegiate Girls’ High School | (lost) 1-16 |
| Eunice High School for Girls | (lost) 3-16 |
| High School for Girls, Potchefstroom | (won) 0-16 |
| Hoër Meisieskool La Rochelle | (won) 10-6 |
| Paarl Girls’ High School | (lost) 2-16 |
| Clarendon High School for Girls | (lost) 0-16 |
Our Rustenburg team seized the opportunity to forge new friendships and demonstrated impeccable sportsmanship throughout the event. Beyond the competitive aspect, the festival served as a valuable learning platform. The team honed their techniques and deepened their understanding of international squash rules, gaining invaluable experience for future competitions.
Overall, the event was a success, fostering personal growth and strengthening the team’s bond while showcasing their dedication to the sport.
Debating
Led by our captain, Tamsyn Arendse, the Debating team comprised of Zahra Pandie, Ayla Makda, and our youngest member, Gia Davids, demonstrated remarkable resilience and talent in the girls’ school debating tournament. Despite being a newly formed team, they secured victories in two debates, showcasing their potential and unity. Tamsyn Arendse also managed to place 9th best speaker overall.
Master Chef
The Master Chef competition was participated in by two of our matric students, Anna Zylstra and Mia Odendaal. It consisted of a workshop on Thursday, hosted by the wonderful Roots Academy in Potchefstroom. The following day, the learners were put to the test. The competition began with various school teams attempting to beat egg whites and cream to stiff peaks.
Following this, they were presented with a mystery box challenge and tasked with creating two dishes: a sweet soufflé and a savoury dish with chicken and potatoes. Overall, our learners had a lot of fun, and there was a great sense of camaraderie among the learners from all the schools. In the end, we placed 10th.
