St Charles College athlete breaking records!

Saints on Top Form with an athlete breaking over 40 year records!

At the Saints Athletics Championships, hosted at the city athletics stadium, a number of records were broken, including two records which stood for over 45 years:

Sports Overview:

St Charles College has enjoyed a successful run in our Spring sports codes, with Team of The Week nominations streaming in for a variety of teams and codes, including an unbeaten U15A tennis team, an excellent victory for our U16A football team against Westville, as well as our 1^st XI cricket team also beating Westville in a crunch pool game in the One Insurance Eston T20 tournament.

On a representative front, we were pleased to receive news that Mitchell Hansen (grade 10) has been included in the KwaZulu-Natal U18 Golf team and joins Ethan Apollos (also grade 10) as our most recent provincial sportsman (Ethan was selected for the provincial U16 football team).

We were also privileged to recently host Olympic Water polo Referee, Dion Willis, at St Charles College for a Referee & New Rules Course. Coaches and players from across the province gained valuable insight from one of the world’s top officials. Dion has refereed at multiple Olympic Games – including the Tokyo 2020 women’s semi-final – and currently serves in key international leadership roles.

1^st Team Football Report (by Head of Football, Gary Ritchie)

All roads headed to Hilton College for the Jody Momple Cup (formerly known as the FA Cup), with 24 boys teams headed for glory. St Charles College were drawn in Group G and faced Treverton High in their opening encounter on Etheridge Field. It was a 4-0 victory for the boys from Harwin Road, with Gubhuza Mlambo with a well-taken hattrick. With only the top team in every group going into the Cup quarterfinals the next game was a must win match for St Charles College, the match ebbed and flowed with Saints going 1-0. Edendale struck back, and at full time the match headed for penalties. St Charles College were clinical with the penalties, not missing a shot.

Sunday was play-off day, and St Charles College faced a tricky in ML Sultan in the quarters, and the boys were up for the challenge and played attractive football. With wave after wave of attacks, St Charles College won a penalty and Captain Sithole sent the ‘keeper the wrong way.

Semi-finals loomed with a mouth-watering match against Michaelhouse and it was the Saints who came out with several great chances in the opening ten minutes. It was goalless at half-time with everything to play for. Early in the second half, St Charles College won a corner and it was a great header from Ethan Apollos at the far post to make it 1-0. Michaelhouse equalised with 3 minutes to play, penalties would be the decider. It was not to be for the boys of Harwin Road who went down 4-2 from the spot.

7’s Rugby Report (by Head of Rugby, Craig Dwyer)

St Charles College participated in the annual Nashua Sevens Tournament hosted by Maritzburg College on Saturday, 6 September 2025, entering two squads: an U15A team and an U18A team. The day itself was marked by wet and miserable conditions, hardly ideal for sevens rugby or expansive, running play. Ball handling and execution were always going to be difficult, yet credit must go to both Saints teams, who embraced the spirit and flair of sevens despite the weather. Their commitment, energy, and attacking intent stood out across the tournament.

Much of the focus going into the tournament was on the U15 group, who had endured heartbreak in recent weeks. They narrowly lost to Hilton in the final play of the St Charles College Sevens and again fell short at the death in the Glenwood Sevens. Understandably, the boys arrived at Maritzburg College hungry to set the record straight, eager to end their season with silverware. Training in the week leading up to the tournament reflected this determination. The emphasis was on intent, intensity, and visualising what it would feel like to lift the trophy. The squad prepared exceptionally well, and by Thursday’s final session there was a strong sense that they were ready for something special. Their campaign began with a narrow loss to Maritzburg College in the opening pool fixture. However, they quickly regrouped, winning the remainder of their pool matches and booking their place in the final, a rematch against the hosts, College.

The final was an enthralling contest. College raced into a 12-0 lead, but the boys in Blue and Gold demonstrated remarkable composure, belief, and fighting spirit. They clawed their way back, ultimately overturning the deficit to win 17-12 in emphatic fashion. It was a fitting reward for their resilience and a proud moment for the team, ending their season as well-deserved champions of the Nashua Sevens.

The U18A side also impressed throughout the tournament. They opened their account with strong pool victories over DHS and Maritzburg College, which secured their place in the final. There they faced a formidable Westville outfit, who ultimately proved too strong on the day. Despite the disappointment of the loss, the U18’s can hold their heads high. They showed quality, determination, and pride in representing St Charles College, finishing as tournament runners-up.

Both the U15 and U18 squads embodied the values of St Charles College rugby, leaving everything on the field and ensuring that the jersey was left in a better place for those who will follow in 2026.

A special thanks must go to Maritzburg College and the organisers for hosting a well-run tournament under difficult conditions.