Turning fifteen, the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge celebrates an incredible milestone as it continues to be a much-anticipated highlight in the school sports calendar.
Since the Challenges inception in 2011, there have been 1,114 teams participating with 16,710 players taking to the turf. Over 3,300 coaches, managers and referees have assisted in 143 tournaments.
Fifteen years later, the tournament has had 130 victorious teams proudly hoisting their trophies at their respective regionals. The tournament comprises ten regionals across KZN, with a Grand Final rounding off the annual challenge where the ten regional winners meet in a highly competitive weekend of hockey. So far, 32 schools have participated in the Grand Finals, with only three schools being crowned the overall Grand Finals champions: St Anne’s College, St Mary’s D.S.G. and Durban Girls’ College.
Tipping off the sporting year for SPAR KZN, the first of ten hockey tournaments takes place at Curro Hillcrest with the Highway Regional on Saturday 8 March. In the first of three back-to-back weekends, the Durban Central Regional heads to Durban Girls’ College’s turf the following day on Sunday 9 March. St John’s D.S.G. welcomes teams for the Pietermaritzburg Central Regional on Saturday 15 March followed by Treverton School hosting the Pietermaritzburg North Regional for the first time, on Sunday 16 March.
Mid-April is the slot for concluding the Durban based challenges, with Werda Skool hosting the Durban South Regional at the 3 Schools Trust turf in Glenwood on Saturday 12 April. Then Ashton International College is the venue for the Durban North Regional the next day on Sunday 13 April.
The final four regionals roll out in an action-packed May. Another milestone, within the milestone year, Grantleigh School holds the 150th overall regional in KZN. Schools located around Richards Bay and Empangeni take to the scenic field on Saturday 10 May for the KZN North Coastal Regional. Heading south, one of the biggest geographic regions will run out onto the Creston College turf on Saturday 17 May for the Southern KZN Regional with teams from Sisonke & Ugu participating.
For the penultimate regional, Ladysmith High School is the host for the uMvoti and oThukela Regional on Saturday 24 May. Wrapping up the 2025 challenges, St Dominic’s Newcastle will greet teams from Dundee, Vryheid, Pongola, Glencoe and Newcastle on Saturday 31 May for the Northern KZN Regional.
Once all the ten regionals have been played, the top teams will congregate at St Mary’s D.S.G. in Kloof for the Grand Finals on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July.
All games will be live streamed on SuperSport Schools. For more info like the tournament’s Facebook page (SparSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament) or follow on Instagram (sparkznhockey).
Top: The sky’s the limit. Celebrating the 15th anniversary of SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge, Les Galloway (Tournament Director and Head of Hockey, SchoolGirl Sport), Nozipho Mkhize (Advertising and Sponsorship Manager, SPAR KZN) and Nomfundo Shezi (Sponsorship Controller and Events) are pictured at the 2025 tournament announcement at one of the venues, Durban Girls’ College.
Supplied.