Maritzburg College sports wrap up, featuring some great wins!
1st Basketball team crowned Champions at the AISJ Festival.
Huge congratulations to the College Basketball 1st Team, who were crowned overall champions at the AISJ Festival! It was an outstanding tournament for the RedBlackWhite with wins against AISJ, Kings Linbro Park, St Stithians, Westville, St David’s, St Benedict’s, St Charles — and a dominant 47–20 victory in the final against Kings Linbro to seal the title! Outstanding work from the Maritzburg College 1st Basketball Team!
Summary of results
- 34–23 vs AISJ
- 35–12 vs King’s Linbro
- 42–31 vs St Stithians
- 31–20 vs Westville
- 39–25 vs St David’s
QF vs St Benedict’s won 36-31
SF vs St Charles College won 41-32
Final vs Kings Linmbro won 47-20
Well done to every player and member of the coaching staff — you’ve made us all incredibly proud!
The Maritzburg College 16A basketball team also excelled at the Michaelhouse basketball festival on the weekend finishing as the winners!
Summary of Results U16A MHS Basketball tournament:
- Won 15-12 MHSB
- Won 30-22 Kearsney
- Won 27-10 DHS
- Won 24-6 Treveton
- 1st in Pool B
QF Won 35-13 vs Westville SF Won 44-23 vs Northwood Final Won 23-22 vs MHSA
Fixtures vs Michaelhouse| 23-24 January 2026 (selected codes)
Maritzburg College and Michaelhouse met in a highly anticipated fixture block over the weekend, renewing one of South African school sport’s most storied rivalries. Across cricket, basketball and water polo, College teams displayed characteristic grit, skill and school pride in a weekend of fiercely contested encounters.
The junior cricket teams recorded impressive victories, underlining the College’s growing depth.
On the courts, basketball teams enjoyed a highly successful set of results against Michaelhouse, with many sides securing convincing wins and several matches decided by narrow margins.
In the pool, the U14A water polo team produced a thrilling victory, adding to an overall weekend defined by commitment, competitiveness and positive momentum throughout the sporting programme.
Basketball: College Dominance in Key Fixtures
Maritzburg College’s basketball teams delivered an outstanding set of results against Michaelhouse, particularly in the middle and junior age groups, recording victories in 12 of the 17 fixtures, including:
- A clean sweep by the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th teams
- Impressive wins by the 16A, 16B and 16C teams
- Strong performances by the 15C, 15D, 15E, 14A, 14B and 14E sides
Many of these matches were decided by narrow margins, reflecting the intensity and high standard of basketball between the two schools.
1st Team report vs Michaelhouse (Mr Jacques Wilcock – MIC and 1st team coach)
The 1st basketball team took on Michaelhouse in a midweek fixture where they were victorious 68-39.
A slow start from both teams saw the 1st quarter end 11-7 in favour of College who struggled to find their touch around the basketball. A more focused approach was taken as the team pushed Michaelhouse forcing multiple errors and increased the lead and hold on the game. N Mbele was crucial in securing a healthy point difference with 16 points.
1st Team report AISJ Tournament (Mr Jacques Wilcock – MIC and 1st team coach)
The 1st team travelled to Midrand, Johannesburg to participate in the AISJ Invitational Tournament. A challenging match up against the hosts AISJ in the tournament opener saw College being pushed as they tried to find their feet, the team managed to avoid an early loss as they won 34-23. Facing some prominent Gauteng schools in the pool stages was no easy feat, however, strong performances carried the team past the likes of St Stithians, Kings School Linbro Park and St Davids along with KZN rival Westville Boys. With a total of 181 points scored and 111 points concede in the pool stages, saw College place first in pool A.
St Benedict’s lay in wait in the Quarter Finals, traditionally a tricky match-up. College took the lead early but found it difficult to pull away as the St Benedict’s players kept themselves in range with some great 3 point shooting, a scrapy 36-31 victory saw College progress into the top four to meet neighbors St Charles College. Two teams very familiar with each other meant the game could go either way. College played aggressive defense forcing crucial turnovers that allowed them to tick the score over and find ways to put St Charles under pressure. A strong close to the game saw the lead reach double digits for the first time, once again College ensured Pietermaritzburg is indeed red as they were victorious 41-32 to secure their first ever final at the tournament.
Coming into the final with the taste of silver following their narrow defeat last time they played in a final saw the team push themselves and fight for the championship. A dominant start saw them 30-8 ahead, the moment just kept on going as the game became a bit slower due to both teams having tired bodies. Eventually, with a dominating performance College proved too much, winning the final 47-20 against Kings School Linbro Park and becoming 2026 AISJ Tournament champions. W Mbanjwa scored 26 points and C Fynn with 21 points during the knockout phase. A fantastic team performance as each individual ensured their team roles were fulfilled allowed them team to achieve the elusive championship.
Results:
Won 34-23 vs AISJ
Won 35-12 vs Kings School Linbro Park Won 42-31 vs St Stithians
Won 31-20 vs Westville Won 39-25 vs St David’s
QF won 36-31 vs St Benedict’s SF won 41 – 32 vs St Charles
F won 47 -20 vs Kings school Linbro Park.
U16A report MHS Tournament
The U16A team delivered outstanding performances at the annual Michaelhouse u16 tournament, finishing as champions while remaining undefeated. The boys showed consistency, resilience, and composure throughout the day, culminating in a tightly contested final against Michaelhouse. In a high-pressure finish, the team secured a 23–22 victory, winning the tournament by a single point. This result reflects the squad’s defensive discipline, teamwork, and ability to execute under pressure, as per S Mazibuko, u16A coach.
Results:
Won 15-12 vs Michaelhouse B Won 30-22 vs Kearsney
Won 27-10 vs DHS Won 24-6 vs Treverton
QF Won 35-13 vs Westville SF Won 44-23 vs Northwood
Final Won 23-22 vs Michaelhouse A
Cricket: Hard-Fought Contests Across the Age Groups
Cricket fixture results reflected the fine margins that define this rivalry.
1st XI report (Mr Robbie Coutts Ist team coach)
The Maritzburg College 1st XI travelled to Balgowan to take on the hosts, Michaelhouse, in a two-day fixture.
College captain Reece Willson won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch with a dead grass covering that suggested it would play on the slower side. Openers Akhil Bharath and Kyle De Bruyn applied themselves well to put together a solid 47-run opening partnership. De Bruyn was the first to depart after a composed innings of 26, and Bharath followed soon after. With the dismissal of Dax Jursa, College slipped to 58 for 3.
The Michaelhouse spinners bowled with good control, varying their pace and maintaining consistent pressure. A combination of disciplined bowling and poor shot selection prevented College from building meaningful partnerships. The next highest stand after the opening partnership was a 24-run 9th wicket partnership between Dom Du Toit and Greg Hosking. College were eventually bowled out for 120 in the 44th over.
College made an excellent start with the ball as Willson claimed three wickets in his opening spell, while Matt Bisset added a fourth to leave Michaelhouse reeling at 25 for 4. Although a 33-run partnership for the 5th wicket offered some resistance, the College bowlers maintained control and wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. A vital 33-run partnership for the 9th wicket pushed Michaelhouse past the 100 mark and within touching distance of College’s first-innings total. Du Toit cleaned up the tail, taking the final two wickets to end the Michaelhouse innings just four runs behind.
College’s second innings began poorly, with both openers dismissed with the score on 19. As bad light became an increasing factor, the Michaelhouse spinners once again played a key role. When play was eventually halted, College had lost two further wickets and, at 50 for 4, momentum had swung back in favour of the home side.
Day two required a stabilising partnership from College, but unfortunately it never materialised. The largest stands were 15 runs for both the 6th and 7th wickets. College will be disappointed not to have capitalised on several loose deliveries from the Michaelhouse spinners, allowing them to settle into a rhythm and build pressure. College were dismissed for 98.
Between innings, home-ground advantage came into play as Michaelhouse rolled the pitch. With the surface slightly harder, the new ball came nicely onto the bat, which the Michaelhouse openers exploited. The quick start gave the hosts the upper hand in the chase, though College remained competitive by taking wickets at regular intervals. At 84 for 5, College were still very much in the contest, but only one further wicket fell as Michaelhouse reached the target with six wickets down, securing a four-wicket victory.
Scores in brief
College 120 all out Michaelhouse 116 all out
De Bruyn 26 Willson 4 for 24
College 98 all out Michaelhouse 103 for 6
Willson 3 for 27
Michaelhouse won by 4 wickets
In the lower age groups, College enjoyed several excellent performances:
- The 15A team secured a determined six-wicket victory, highlighted by an unbeaten 59 from Emerson.
- The 15B side produced a commanding nine-wicket win, skittling Michaelhouse for 66 before chasing the target with ease.
- Strong wins were also recorded by the 15C, 15E, 14B, 14C and 14D teams, underlining the depth of College cricket.
Water Polo: Strong Resistance Against a Powerful Michaelhouse Line-Up
Water polo fixtures played against over the weekend saw Michaelhouse holding the upper hand in the senior and junior matches. College sides continued to battle valiantly, with the 14A team producing a notable 17–16 victory, a testament to resilience and composure under pressure.
1st team report (Mr Darren Sherriff – Director: Aquatics)
Michaelhouse opened the scoring before Maritzburg College responded well to take a 2–1 lead. College maintained this advantage at the end of the first chukka. Michaelhouse then fought back strongly in the second chukka, overturning the score to lead 5–4. They maintained their momentum for the remainder of the match and held onto their lead to secure an 11–8 victory.
A Weekend True to the Spirit of the Rivalry
The Maritzburg College–Michaelhouse sporting fixture once again lived up to its reputation as a showcase of competitive excellence, character and sportsmanship. Both schools are to be commended for the spirit in which the matches were conducted and for providing young sportsmen with invaluable experiences at the highest level of school sport.
Maritzburg College congratulates all players, coaches and officials involved and looks forward to continuing this proud tradition in future seasons.
Canoeing
College’s canoeists featured strongly in the weekend school canoe races on upper Umgeni.
U/18
Josh Worthmann 2nd Nathan Curry 4th Matt Rawson 5th
In the Slalom and Kayak cross SA selections for African championships, the boys also produced excellent results.
Slalom
Scott Venniker 1 st James Gotte 2 nd Fynn Venniker 4 th Joshua Craig 7 th
Kayak Cross individual
James Gotte 3 rd
Joshua Craig 6 th Fynn Venniker 7 th
Kayak Cross head to head
Joshua Craig 3 rd