Team Eastern Cape looks set to secure multiple podium finishes and surpass their 2025 medal count when the final day of the Winter National School Sport Championship is contested on Monday.
The team has excelled to proceed to the knockout stages and finals in rugby, hockey and football.
In 2025, the Eastern Cape team claimed four medals — one netball gold, two silvers from rugby and a bronze medal from netball.
The U15 rugby boys’ team has made it to the semifinals and will face either the runners-up of Group A, Free State, at 9.15am.
The final is set for 1.35pm.
The Eastern Cape boys’ team, coached by Nelson Mandela Bay’s head coach, Ashwell Stride, finished their group B unbeaten after beating KwaZulu-Natal 12-0 in a game heavily affected by the rain at Stirling High School.
They also beat Limpopo 32-0 on the opening day on Saturday, and then on Sunday blazed past Mpumalanga 36-0 to qualify for the final four of the competition.
“We did well over the past two days. The boys really adapted well on day one, bearing in mind we played in harsh weather conditions,” Stride said.
“There are two more games now. We have to win and come back with gold.”
Stride was part of the management of the Eastern Cape boys’ team that were runners-up to the Western Cape in the final in 2025.
“I feel this year, our team is slightly stronger than the one last year. I’m pretty confident that we will use the hometown advantage to be able to beat any team on Monday,” he said.
The Eastern Cape girls’ team is in the girls U15 semifinals as well and will be looking to proceed through to the final or at least win bronze.
Their road to the knockout stages included beating group B opponent Mpumalanga 10-5 on Saturday and also getting the better of Limpopo and KZN on Sunday.
The girls’ U15 final will be at 12.45pm on Monday.
In hockey, the girls’ U14 side proceeded to the final after winning seven of their eight games.
They will face KwaZulu-Natal in the Hockey5s format final at the Stirling Astro Turf from 10.30am.
KwaZulu-Natal beat them earlier in the round robin on Sunday.
Eastern Cape hockey team head coach Claire Samery applauded her troops for achieving the feat and was adamant that they would not be beaten twice by KwaZulu-Natal.
“The girls identified which areas KZN beat us in in the round robin. We actually fixed some of those areas we fell short on in the remainder of our games on Sunday.
“We are confident that we will match them in the final and come back with the gold medal.”
Read: Eastern Cape boxers dominate national champs in Cape Town
The U14 boys missed out on the right to fight for medals.
In football, the U15 and U17 finals for girls and boys will be held at the Buffalo City Stadium from 11am.
The Eastern Cape U15 girls and U17 boys will be fighting for medals in front of their home supporters.
The U17 boys booked their place in the final after defeating Free State 4–1 on penalties in a thrilling semifinal encounter on Sunday.
The young stars will now face either North West or KwaZulu-Natal in Monday’s championship final at the BCM Stadium.
The U15 girls will contest the bronze medal.
Eastern Cape Football for Schools secretary Zolile “Ace” Mpobole was optimistic about the province’s chances.
“In KZN last year, we couldn’t come back with a medal.
“We have two teams that made the semifinals who will be gunning for podium finishes either way,” he said.
Volleyball finals will be at Hudson Park, WSU Potsdam and Clarendon.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.