WATER POLO
Kearsney Water Polo Night Series:
Northwood beat DHS 13-4
Westville beat Maritzburg College 14-4
Kearsney beat Hilton 11-9
Kearsney produced a determined and hard-fought performance in Round 5 of the Night Series, securing an impressive 11–9 victory over Hilton in a tightly contested encounter.
The opening chukka set the tone for the evening, with both sides trading goals in an evenly balanced 3–3 quarter. Hilton struck first from the penalty spot, but Kearsney responded immediately through Max Mills. James Whatmore and Oliver Ludwig added composed finishes from action to keep Kearsney level in a fast-paced start.
The second chukka remained fiercely competitive. Max Mills converted from extra man after strong work to earn the advantage, while Thomas Aylward and Thomas Francke found the net from action to ensure the teams went into half-time locked at 6–6. Defensive efforts from Christiano Sandri and key steals helped absorb Hilton’s pressure during a tense middle period.
In the third chukka, the intensity lifted further. Francke converted from extra man to edge Kearsney ahead before Hilton responded twice to take a narrow lead. Francke stepped up again with a composed finish to level matters at 8–8 heading into the final quarter, setting up a decisive finish.
Kearsney showed maturity and composure in the fourth chukka. Aylward broke the deadlock early before Francke added another from action, capitalising on disciplined build-up play. Although Hilton converted a late penalty to close the gap to 10–9, Dru Mills sealed the victory with a crucial goal from action, assisted by Francke, to secure the 11–9 result.
Goalie Rourke Stacey contributed important saves at key moments, while defensive blocks and steals across the pool highlighted a collective effort.
It was a resilient Night Series performance — composed under pressure, clinical in key moments, and reflective of a side growing in confidence and cohesion as the tournament progresses.
U15 Dallas Hutton Tournament
The U15 Kearsney side delivered an outstanding all-round performance to claim the Dallas Hutton Tournament title, finishing top of the standings and sealing the championship with a composed victory in the gold final.
Hosted by Northwood, Kearsney set the tone early in Friday’s pool stages with an emphatic 10–4 win over Grey College.
That momentum carried into Saturday, where the boys showed both attacking firepower and defensive discipline. A dominant 9–1 result against Westville Boys’ High underlined their intent, before a statement 14–3 victory over Northwood confirmed their place as serious title contenders. Kearsney closed out the pool phase with a clinical 10–0 win over Curro, securing their spot in the semi-finals unbeaten and brimming with confidence.
In Sunday’s semi-final, Kearsney faced a physical Affies side but rose to the occasion with a commanding 13–0 performance. The defensive structure was exceptional, limiting opportunities while transitioning quickly into attack and capitalising efficiently in front of goal.
The Gold final saw Kearsney meet Grey College once again. In a composed and mature display, Kearsney controlled the tempo and executed their game plan effectively, securing an 8–5 victory to lift the trophy. The team showed patience in possession, resilience under pressure, and clinical finishing at key moments to close out the match.
Across the tournament, Kearsney demonstrated depth, discipline and cohesion. Their defensive consistency, coupled with relentless attacking pressure, resulted in a deserved championship performance.
GOLF
Kearsney grade 11 golfer Harry Clayton won the KZN Closed Championships at Victoria Country Club in Pietermaritzburg at the weekend. It was a tense tournament which went down to the wire, with the leaderboard shifting throughout the final round.
Clayton stayed calm under pressure, signing for rounds of 68, 71 and 68, to finish on 207, six under par.
In the closing holes, he had Matthew Gouws, Kearsney’s 2025 golf captain, just one shot back, leaving little room for error. But he found the fairways, and hit the greens; remaining composed when it counted.
The tournament is a closed men’s tournament for KZN players only.
