Maritzburg College vs Westville:
Maritzburg College enjoyed a full and spirited weekend of winter fixtures against Westville, with boys across the age groups giving their all on both the rugby and hockey fields. The fixtures provided a valuable early-season test, marked by strong sportsmanship, determination, and standout performances.
RUGBY
College fielded teams across all age groups in a large and competitive block of fixtures on 21 March. The programme delivered a number of impressive early-season victories, particularly among the junior sides.
Highlights included:
- Convincing wins for the 4th XV (40–0) and 6th XV (42–0), and hard-earned victories for the 2nd and 3rd XV teams, as well as the 9th and 10th XV teams.
- A competitive outing for the 1st XV, who went down 10–26 in a well-contested encounter.
Across the board, the College teams showed great resilience and commitment, laying a strong foundation for the season ahead.
1st team report (Mr H Marnitz, 1st XV coach and Director of Rugby)
College opened their season with a tough away fixture against Westville in challenging conditions, with a wet field and regular bursts of rain.
Westville started strongly, earning an early 50/22. The resulting phase of play led to a penalty try and a yellow card, putting College on the back foot from the outset. Despite this, College began to build pressure and enjoyed good possession inside the Westville 22. However, an unfortunate spilled ball allowed Westville to capitalise with a 90-metre runaway try, extending their lead to 14–0.
College responded well, opening their account through a penalty by D. du Toit. Westville, however, extended their lead through a strong carry by their eighth man from close range. College showed resilience and fought back, with a powerful carry by N. Ngubane resulting in a well-earned try.
On the day, Westville demonstrated a superior kicking game and were clinical in capitalising on College’s mistakes. They ran out deserved winners with a final score of 26–10.
College will now turn their attention to two upcoming fixtures against SACS and Jeppe at the PBHS Festival over the holidays.
HOCKEY
College’s hockey players took to the turf over 20–21 March, delivering several noteworthy results across the 15 fixtures played.
Key performances included:
- A strong and composed win for the 1st XI (3–1).
- A resilient effort by the 14A side, securing a 2–1
In total, College’s hockey teams recorded four wins, eight losses, and three draws, scoring 23 goals and conceding 34, reflecting the competitive nature of the weekend’s fixtures.
1st XI report – Mr Mark Sanders (Director of Hockey and 1st XI coach)
College made a slower-than-expected start, absorbing sustained pressure from an energetic and determined Westville outfit who were clearly eager to set the tone. Westville’s intensity was evident as they won most of the 50/50 balls, and they capitalised on a defensive error as College rotated play at the back, taking a 1–0 lead into halftime.
Some subtle structural adjustments, coupled with firm words around hunger and desire, saw College emerge transformed in the second half. With renewed purpose, they lifted the tempo and produced an exhilarating display, netting three unanswered goals.
Luthando Shelembe opened the scoring with a composed tap‑in at the far post following a disrupted penalty corner. Liyema Sishi added a well‑executed counterattack goal, pushing the ball past the advancing Westville goalkeeper. Matthew Smith sealed the turnaround with a superbly taken drag flick.
The intensity and speed shown by College after the break demonstrated their quality and resilience, setting an encouraging benchmark ahead of the upcoming NOMADS and KES Easter Festivals.
A fantastic start to the season for the Red, Black and White. Well done, College!
Volleyball
Maritzburg College’s volleyball teams kicked off their 2026 campaign with a competitive outing at the recent Pre‑Season Tournament, delivering determined performances against strong opposition. The 1st team enjoyed a solid run through the group stages, securing convincing 2–0 wins over Northwood 2nd and Kloof 1st. Despite an early 2–0 loss to Westville 1st, the team’s consistent play saw them advance to the semi-finals. College went down 2–0 to Northwood 1st, before bouncing back with a focused and energetic performance to defeat Westville 2nd 2–1 in the 3rd/4th playoff, and finished the tournament in 3rd place out of nine teams—a promising result for the season ahead.
Canoeing
Ocean racing inter Schools race: Saturday 21 March DUC Durban
u/18: Keegan Vogt 1st, James Gotte 6th, Josh Worthmann 7th and Nathan Curry 8th
U/16: Brett Gotte DNF
Weekend of Growth and Grit
The matchups against Westville offered valuable early-season experience across both rugby and hockey. The boys demonstrated the trademark College spirit, courage, teamwork, and commitment, while gaining important insights to build on as the season unfolds.
Maritzburg College looks forward to carrying this momentum into the upcoming fixtures and further developing the depth and strength of its sporting programme in 2026.
