Sports News from St Charles College weekend matches played.
Saints 7’s (as reported by Head Coach, Craig Dwyer)
St Charles College proudly hosted its annual Sevens Rugby Tournament on Saturday, 2nd August 2025. What began as a crisp and frosty morning soon transformed into a clear and beautiful day, providing perfect conditions for an exciting day of Sevens rugby.
This year’s tournament welcomed 16 teams, divided across four competitive pools. The Under-17 competition featured Pools A and B, with notable participation from Michaelhouse, Hilton College, Westville Boys High, St Charles College, and Howick High School. The Under-15 category was equally competitive, with Pool A comprising of Hilton, Michaelhouse, Westville, and St. Charles College, while Pool B welcomed Michaelhouse B, Howick High School, Westville Boys B, and St Charles College B.
The tournament was an excellent opportunity for St Charles College to blood some of our emerging young talent. Despite facing numerous injuries and player unavailability in the senior age group, the day presented a fantastic platform for the next tier of players to step up and proudly don the Blue and Gold jerseys and show us what they are capable of – while it was a mixed bag of results for the U17’s, the day was invaluable in terms of growth and player development. Several young players stood out, showcasing promising potential and putting their hands up for selection as we look ahead to the 2026 season.
In the Under-15 age group, both St Charles College teams delivered outstanding performances, advancing to their respective finals. Both finals were tightly contested and offered thrilling spectacles for all in attendance. Ultimately, Westville and Hilton College emerged victorious in their respective Under-15 finals.
The Under-17 competition was dominated by Westville, who clinched both Pool A and Pool B trophies, underlining the strength, depth, and commitment to their impressive Sevens program.
Overall, the day was a celebration of rugby, school spirit, and sportsmanship. The campus was alive with energy, and the quality of rugby on display was a testament to the hard work put in by players and coaches alike.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to all participating schools for playing their part in what was a great day of rugby. Special appreciation must also be extended to the organisers, staff, and volunteers whose efforts made the day a success. Best wishes to all teams for the remainder of the Sevens season, we hope to see you all back again in 2026.
Tennis League
This term the Tennis season has kicked off with a bang. The Saints 1st team and U15A’s faced a determined and skilled Maritzburg College. Playing away, at Kershaw for the seniors and Maritzburg College for the juniors, both the singles and doubles formats were tightly contested (3 points for a win; 2 for a tie-breaker win and 1 for a tie-breaker loss). In the end, St Charles College won the 1st and U15A matches 11-7.
Football vs Michaelhouse (as reported by Head Coach, Gary Ritchie)
On Saturday, St Charles College kicked off their opening spring football fixture against Michaelhouse on Harwin field. It was perfect weather conditions for both teams to express themselves and the boys in Blue & Gold were quickly into their stride with a good, fast tempo that had the Michaelhouse defence on the back foot. Early on, the hosts won a free kick on the right-hand side of the field, about 30 metres out. Covhan Baatjies stepped up and unleashed a thunderbolt of a free kick, which struck the crossbar and stayed out. Soon after, Gubhuza Mlambo showed his good first touch and the Michaelhouse defender made contact with the player in the box – but play went on. After absorbing the early pressure, Michaelhouse grew into the game and created some chances with excellent inter-play, but the match went into half-time goalless.
The first 10 minutes of the second half was all Michaelhouse and they could have scored but goalkeeper Thandolwethu Zama made an excellent save with a one-on-one with the striker. The match then seemed to flatten out as both teams had felt the intensity of the first half. When the final whistle blew, the match ended in a goalless draw. The encounter was played in a very good spirit and this was shown in the exchanges of handshakes and quiet conversations post-match.
Photo credit: Dean Riley