Lowveld hockey games to set the Astro on fire
The Lowveld has always had a strong presence in senior hockey, with players from the region featuring strongly in both the men’s and ladies’ senior provincial sides, from our days as Eastern Transvaal to the present as Mpumalanga.
This year has seen an increased presence of Ehlanzeni senior players representing Mpumalanga at national level at u/21, ladies’ IPT and men’s and ladies’ SA country districts. The association also saw a number of our junior players making an impact in the Mpumalanga schools’ sides. Many of these sides were coached and/or managed by Ehlanzeni senior players. A number of local umpires also participated at the recent national tournaments, held prior to and during the June break.
It currently has six clubs, 14 teams playing in the men’s and ladies’ league. The season generally starts early March with a knockout competition which is followed by their league hockey. The clubs involved have a long history with hockey and have strong ties with the schools in the area, with many senior players involved in hockey within the schools.
With the development of the game from grass to Astro, it made sense for the league to follow suit with LVCC Hockey and Cricket moving to Penryn and contributing to the Astro installation at the school.
The men’s section comprises of 10 teams and two sections. The ladies are 7 teams and two sections. After the June break it was shifted into round two of the league, which is scheduled to finish end of August - just in time for the start of the exciting new hockey format of fives, a shorter and pacier game.
Currently LVCC tops the first league logs of both the men’s and the ladies’ league, but with much hockey still to come, anything can happen.
The men’s second league is hotly contested. The ladies’ second league sees the continued rivalry between LVCC 2 and White River 2 heating up, however Kanyamazane 1 ladies are never to be underestimated, as the teams have found out the hard way.
Fixtures are played on Sundays with the odd midweek fixture under lights, and are rotated between the three Astro venues of Penryn, Curro Nelspruit and Uplands.
This past Sunday saw the start of the post-break second round hosted by Nelspruit Hockey Club at Penryn. The results are as follows:
The day started on a solemn note with a moment’s silence for a long-standing member and supporter of Xerox Nelspruit and Ehlanzeni Hockey, Deborah Payne, who passed away the start of the weekend. So it was only fitting that the Nelspruit Hockey Club won both their games in memory of “Aunty Debs”.
LVCC 2 made a late comeback from being 4-0 down in the third quarter, but the real stars of the days were the respective teams’ goalies, who made some spectacular saves. As usual, no matter whom you supported, skills and awesome saves are always applauded.
Back at full strength, with all the schools back from break, we should see a much more hotly contested field this coming weekend. The midweek break will be one to watch, and with all the men’s sides on show this weekend, it is sure to be a doozy.
The games this week take place midweek at Penryn and on Sunday at Uplands, hosted by White River Hockey.