Stayers Hockey and Netball Festival
The Rustenburg Sports Department held the third edition of the Stayers Festival, which this year featured the addition of netball. The event provided an excellent platform for coaches to identify and select their new U19 squads for 2025. The tournament included participants in both hockey and netball, with teams from:
| Hockey | Netball |
| Camps Bay Milnerton Paarl Gim Rustenburg Reddam Wynberg | Camps Bay Milnerton Springfield Rustenburg Reddam Wynberg |
It was refreshing to include some new schools in the festival and witness its growth and diversity.
The festival was especially beneficial for our teams, as it allowed us to have a better understanding of what our various squads will look like in 2025. Most of the matches were particularly close, which was encouraging for the first-team coaches who introduced a substantial number of younger players, given the opportunity.
Water Polo: Mackenzie Cup
The U19 water polo team participated in the Mackenzie Cup, hosted by Reddam Constantia from Friday, 13 September – Sunday, 15 September. Despite having a small squad of just 10 players and limited preparation time, they improved on their 2023 results.
The tournament began with a challenging match against Herschel. Rustenburg struggled initially but showed significant improvement in the final two chukkas. In their second group game, the team faced Fish Hoek and secured a 9-4 victory.
The team’s first playoff match was an exhilarating encounter against the Reddam Invitational team. The game ended 7-7, leading to a penalty shootout where the players demonstrated remarkable composure, converting all three penalties successfully.
In the quarterfinals, Rustenburg went up against Reddam A, the host team and eventual tournament champions. With a smaller bench compared to their opponents, fatigue set in, and they lost their next match to Collegiate.
Their final game against Pearson was a nail-biter, with the lead changing hands multiple times. Despite their valiant effort and determination, they lost at the last minute but walked away with their heads held high, feeling a sense of achievement.
Olivia Figaji finished the tournament as the top 3 goal scorer with 17 goals.
Special thanks to interim coach Meghan Maartens and manager Olive De Sousa for their support. The team gained valuable experience and lessons from this tournament.
| Team | Result | Scorers |
| Herschel A | Lost 2-11 | Jade Jarvis 1Olivia Figaji 1 |
| Fish Hoek | Won 9-4 | Emily Readhead 3, Jade Jarvis 3, Olivia Figaji 2, Jessica Gray 1 |
| Reddam Invitational | Won 7-7 (3-1 penalties) | Olivia Figaji 4, Jade Jarvis 2, Jessica Gray 1, Penalties: Olivia F, Olivia N, Jade J. |
| Q Final: Reddam A | Lost 4-18 | Jade Jarvis 2, Olivia Nejthardt 1, Olivia Figaji 1 |
| Playoff: Collegiate | Lost 4-8 | Oliva Figaji 5, Jade Jarvis 2, Olivia Nejthardt 1 |
| 7th/8th place: Pearson | Lost 7-8 | Oliva Figaji 4, Jade Jarvis 2, Olivia Nejthardt 1 |
Omission: from the last newsletter
Water polo: Gracie Hyland
- Gracie was part of the U14 Tigers team, her team placed 1st overall.
Open Water Swimming
Caitlin Evans (Grade 8) made an impressive mark at the Junior World Open Water Swimming Championships held in Alghero, Italy, from 6-8 September. Competing in the 14-15 age group, Caitlin swam the 5km event, finishing 29th with a time of 1:09:06. She also took part in the 4x1500m Open Mixed Relay, where her team earned a commendable 15th place. Caitlin’s participation in this prestigious international event highlighted her talent and dedication, marking a significant achievement in her swimming career. Well done Caitlin, we are very proud of your achievements.
Caitlin Evans at the Junior World Open Water Swimming Championships
Golf
Congratulations to Zoey Rhoday on an Impressive Performance at the Regional Champion of Champions Tournament!
Zoey Rhoda (Grade 9), our reigning ladies’ club champion from King David Mowbray, recently competed in the prestigious Regional Champion of Champions tournament at the Clovelly Golf Club. This esteemed event brought together the finest club champions from across the Western Province, all vying for the title of regional champion and a chance to advance to the National Finals at Pecanwood Golf and Country Estate.
In the Women’s A Division, Zoey demonstrated exceptional skill and determination, competing against a highly talented field. Her outstanding performance earned her a well-deserved second place with a total gross score of 76, finishing just 5 strokes behind the leader.
We are immensely proud of Zoey’s remarkable achievement and her dedication to the sport. Her hard work and commitment have truly shone through, and we are excited to celebrate this success with the RGHS family.
Congratulations, Zoey! We look forward to cheering you on as you continue to excel on your golfing journey.
