News24 | St Mary’s hockey festival returns for 26th edition, with 32 schools set to compete

• The St Mary's Waverley Hockey Festival, now in its 26th year, will host 32 schools from 25 to 29 March.
• The tournament has grown significantly since its inception in 2000, introducing a promotion-relegation system and expanding to include netball competitions.
• The event serves as a platform for developing elite players, with many alumni representing South Africa.

The St Mary's Waverley Hockey Festival returns from 25 to 29 March, bringing together 32 schools from across South Africa. The long-running tournament, now in its 26th year, has grown into one of the country's most sought-after girls' school hockey events.

While the festival officially begins on 25 March with team registration, practice sessions, meetings and a welcoming function, the competitive matches get under way the following day.

The four-day festival will see schools competing in a packed programme of high-intensity matches, with teams playing across two astroturf fields on the school campus.

According to Quix Quicke, head of sport at St Mary's, the tournament has come a long way since its modest beginnings in 2000.

"Rose Hall, who was the SA hockey captain and coached the Olympic team in Athens, was our hockey coach here," Quicke said.

"I think we were the first girls’ school in Johannesburg to get an astro, and part of the agreement for getting it was that we would host a tournament."

The event initially began as a much smaller gathering.

"It started as a one- or two-day tournament with about 12 teams, and now it has grown to 32 teams over four days," Quicke said.

"This is the 26th year of the festival, although we didn't host it in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid."

Over the years, the tournament has expanded alongside improvements to the school's facilities.

"At the start, we had one astro and very little else. We used to braai under a pear tree, and that's where you'd buy your bacon and egg roll," Quicke said with a laugh.

"Now we have two full astroturfs, a pavilion and a proper tech area. The festival has grown enormously over the years."

The competition's format is designed to keep matches fast-paced and competitive.

"The matches are only 25 minutes one way, so the emphasis is on scoring goals. If you don't score, you can't move forward, which makes the games incredibly exciting," Quicke said.

"A good move at a key moment can put you in the top group, and a bad move can drop you into the bottom group, so every moment matters."

Schools begin the tournament in four pools of eight teams, playing seven pool matches before the competition splits into different sections that ultimately lead to the semi-finals and final.

Quicke said:

The selection process had changed over time to create more opportunities for new schools, while maintaining a competitive standard.

"For many years, once a school was in the tournament, they stayed in it, which meant other schools couldn't get an entry," Quicke said.

To address this, the festival introduced a promotion and relegation system linked to a B-section tournament, in which the bottom two teams in the main festival are relegated each year. In comparison, the top two teams from the B section are promoted.

"There are many schools that want to get into the festival, so teams know they have to perform to keep their place," Quicke said.

Beyond the competition itself, the festival has also become a key platform for developing future elite players.

"We keep a list on our festival app of players who have competed here and later gone on to represent the senior South African team. We're probably sitting at about 30.

"It's also wonderful to see many of those players coming back later as coaches at their schools."

The tournament has also evolved in recent years to include another code, expanding opportunities for girls' sport.

"Five years ago, we were advised to add netball as well. Initially, it was an under-16 tournament, but it later changed to under-15," Quicke said.

"This is the fourth year that netball has officially been part of the festival, and there are about 24 teams taking part."

While hockey matches run across all four days, the netball competition takes place on the Friday and Saturday of the festival.

Quicke said organising the large-scale event required months of preparation and coordination.

"In the early years,s I mostly ran it myself with the odd bit of advice, but now we have a sponsorship committee, a marketing committee and a big team of pupils who help during the tournament.

"Planning starts almost immediately after the festival ends. If the tournament finishes at the end of March, we start planning again in May."

Sponsors have also played a crucial role in sustaining the tournament over the years.

"It's been exciting to see sponsors take an interest in girls' sport," Quicke said.

"We started years ago with a small sponsor from FNB, then Investec came on board, and now Standard Bank is our main sponsor. Without companies taking an interest in girls' sport, a tournament like this simply wouldn't be possible."

For the host school, however, the highlight remains the atmosphere the festival brings to campus each year.

"What we look forward to every year is the vibe. For those four days, the school becomes an absolute hive of activity," Quicke said.

“The pavilion overlooking the two hockey fields creates a fantastic atmosphere. There’s always a crowd there, and it really adds to the excitement.”

Matches run continuously throughout the day, creating a fast-moving schedule that keeps players and spectators engaged.

"It's incredibly fast, high-intensity hockey, and the standard is very high," she added.

Looking ahead, Quicke hopes the festival will continue providing young players with an opportunity to experience top-level competition.

"It's been amazing to see the growth from a small event with a marquee on the grass field to what it is today. We hope to keep it going and continue giving players the chance to experience a tournament like this.”

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