Saints double makes schools hockey history

 

My sporting highlight of the week? ………….

The St Stithians Girls College won the Pullen Cup tournament, the premier local girls hockey knockout competition, beating Noordheuwel in the final last Saturday.

The Pullen Cup is named after Rob Pullen, a former South African international player and national mens coach. He was director of sport at St Andrew’s Girls’ School when, in 2006, it was decided by the organisers of girls hockey that they needed the equivalent of the Aitken Cup – the long-standing boys hockey knockout tournament – as well as a junior competition similar to the U15 boys Boden Trophy. So, they introduced an U19 and an U16 tournament and named them after Rob Pullen and Ros Howell, who was the head of hockey at St Mary’s at the time and, like Pullen, a former national player and national senior team coach.

The interesting thing is that, this year, St Stithians won both U19 competitions. It’s the first time that’s happened. The Boys College won the Aitken Cup back in May when they beat Jeppe, in a one-on-one shootout after clawing their way back from 2-0 down to level matters with seconds remaining in normal time. It was my highlight of the week back then, and I remember noting that there can be fewer things in sport more dramatic than the eight-second contests between shooter and ‘keeper that are used as a tie-breaker in hockey these days.

The Pullen and Aitken tournaments have, in recent years been dominated by two schools. St Mary’s won the girls title eight times out of the 16 it has been played, and were the defending champions going into this year’s edition. Jeppe have won the Aitken Cup more times than anyone else and they had six consecutive titles under their belts when Saints stopped their run this year.

I’ve always found victories by the underdogs stirring so, while I know that long term winners don’t set up those records by chance – it’s usually because they work harder than anyone else – it’s great, as an outsider, to watch newcomers go into the contest with no respect for the history and a fierce determination to make their own. 

St Stithians did that this year, twice. It sets things up nicely for next year. Will those former champions bounce back, or are we seeing the start of a new dynasty? We are lucky to have schools so closely matched in Joburg schools sport. It’s what has kept me a keen follower of it for all these years.

Roll on 2024.