Football
We were pleased to participate in the Rhenish Pre-season Tournament on the 8th of March. The event provided an action-packed morning, with our team facing exceptionally skilled opponents. These matches served as an excellent opportunity to prepare for the level of competition that lies ahead as the season progresses.
I commend all players for their dedication and resilience throughout the day, particularly in the challenging heat that began early in the morning in Stellenbosch. Your commitment and effort did not go unnoticed, and we are confident that this experience has better equipped the team for the upcoming season.
RGHS placed 3rd in the tournament. Thank you for your continued hard work, and I look forward to the exciting challenges ahead.
Netball
On Friday, 14 March, and Saturday, 15 March, the U19 netball team participated in the Springfield Netball Festival. This event served as a preseason tournament for six of the netball teams from the southern suburbs area. It provided an excellent opportunity for all teams to apply the skills and structures they had developed during the off-season and to gauge their progress compared to their local rivals.
The tournament began positively for Rustenburg, as they played their first match against Springfield’s 2nd team. Rustenburg demonstrated dominance on the court, securing a comfortable victory with a final score of 37-19. In their second game, Rustenburg faced Reddam. The team was prepared for a tough challenge but struggled to counter the dynamic twin duo leading Reddam’s attacking side. Despite their best efforts, Rustenburg was defeated 18-33.
On Saturday, the team returned with renewed energy and a determination to improve on their previous performance. The results from Saturday’s matches were as follows:
- Rustenburg vs St Cyprians: 23-21 (Win)
A challenging game, with Rustenburg maintaining strong control over their center pass, which ultimately helped them secure the win. - Rustenburg vs Springfield: 23-23 (Draw)
A closely contested match that ended in a well-fought draw, showcasing the team’s resilience. - Rustenburg vs Wynberg Girls: 35-16 (Win)
Despite being short-handed, the team delivered a dominant performance. Some younger players stepped up in place of the U19s, who had to dash off for a performance at the Concert in the Park. Their efforts were commendable, and the match ended on a positive note for the team.
Overall, the weekend was a success. There were many valuable takeaways for Head Coach Vanessa Lingeveldt, and the team has gained useful insights as they prepare for the upcoming season. We are looking forward to seeing how the season unfolds and are confident that the team will continue to grow and excel.
Hockey
Aaaand they’re off!!!
In horse-racing fashion, the hockey season has gotten off to a flying start. With our U14 and U19 teams already up to 6 games into the season, before the midway mark in March, it’s already shaping up to be another bumper season of hockey.
Rhenish Quest for the Best
True to tradition, the U14 team was invited and participated in the Rhenish Quest for the Best Hockey Festival, hosted by Rhenish Girls’ High School. Watching the team grow from strength to strength during the course of the weekend was nothing short of inspirational, ending the weekend with not only a strong performance but a strong result too, which will boost the morale of the team, going into their second pre-season tournament on 20-22 March.
With all of that happening, the U19 team welcomed the challenge of being the exhibition evening game at the festival, playing against the country’s best hockey team, in Rhenish Girls’ High School. While it was clear to see why they are ranked number 1 in the country, the competitive nature of the Rustybugs shone through in what ended up being a tightly contested affair – much to the surprise of the local supporting crowd.
Congratulations to Ella Gardner, Zoe-Jane Cole, Agcobile Kota (All Grade 9), and Ife Mbamalu (Grade 10) who made their respective debut appearances for the U19A team during the pre-season matches vs Rhenish.
Rhenish Quest for the Best Results:
| Date | Team | Opponent | Result | Scorers |
| 8 March | RGHS U14A | Reddam U14A | Drew 0-0 | |
| 8 March | RGHS U14A | Rhenish U14A | Lost 0-2 | |
| 9 March | RGHS U14A | Fairmont U14A | Drew 0-0 | |
| 9 March | RGHS U14A | La Rochelle U14A | Drew 0-0 | |
| 9 March | RGHS U14A | Springfield U14A | Won 1-0 | Laura Williams |
U19A vs Rhenish:
| Date | Team | Opponent | Result | Scorers |
| 8 March | RGHS U19A | Rhenish U19A | Lost 2-5 | Ally Goulding x 2 |
| 9 March | RGHS U19A | Rhenish U19A | Lost 1-10 | Ally Goulding |
Springfield Festival
For the second year running, our PGSGU neighbours, Springfield Convent, hosted the Springfield festival. The event saw a changed RGHS U19 team, making full use of their High-Performance Squad to expose the team to the challenges of U19-level hockey – a challenge warmly accepted by the team over the two days. Playing against some of the province and country’s top hockey schools, the team produced some impressive results, and are well on their way to a season packed with loads of hockey.
Springfest Results:
| Date | TEAM | Opponent | Result | Scorers |
| 14 March | RGHS U19A | Wynberg U19A | Drew 1-1 | Emily Gray |
| 14 March | RGHS U19A | Paarl Girls U19A | Drew 0-0 | |
| 14 March | RGHS U19A | Parel Vallei U19A | Drew 0-0 | |
| 15 March | RGHS U19A | Paarl Gim U19A | Lost 0-2 | |
| 15 March | RGHS U19A | Springfield U19A | Won 1-0 | Hayden Hatfield |
| 15 March | RGHS U19A | St Cyprian’s U19A | Lost 0-1 |
Congratulations to Danica Muller (Grade 11) and Grace Irish (Grade 11) who reached the milestone of 50 caps for the U19A team.
Biathlon
Tamryn Van Aswegen (Grade 9), has been selected for the Girls U17 WP Biathlon team. Tamryn will be competing in the 48th SA Biathlon Championships, which will be held in Oudtshoorn on Saturday, 22 March. She will participate in the 800-meter run and the 100-meter freestyle swim. We wish Tamryn all the best.