Top players to do battle in elite series

OVER the past six weeks, Cape Town has been blessed with some of the top hockey playing nations visiting these shores.

The current men’s Olympic champions, Germany, were the biggest drawcard, along with the South African women’s team, who have been playing some outstanding hockey in the last few weeks.

They trained at and visited different schools during this time. It was marvellous to see them taking the game to the people, especially the younger generation.

The Western Province season only kicks off in early April and already a number of competitive games will be taking place next Saturday and Sunday at Hartleyvale in the Princess Pro Series.

The Princess Pro Series is an initiative started in 2011. It is rated as the best hockey event in South Africa for senior elite players.

The top 80 players in the province are split into four equally strong franchises, that will battle it out for bragging rights and the title of champions.

A core group of 30 players have been training in the off-season, under the guidance of South African high-performance coach, Kurt Cerfontyne.

They have been joined by the next best 50 players and the squads are then split into four equal groups to create the four teams that will contest the Pro Series.

Cerfontyne and the convenor of selectors of both the men’s, Pierre le Roux, and women’s, Marion Perkins, sides then have the task of splitting the teams equally.

In lieu of the joint IPT tournament in Johannesburg having been brought forward to April 25, this series will serve as the only trials for selection.

The selectors have indicated that they intend to name the provincial squads by no later than March 16.

It is a tremendously early start to the season, although all the athletes would have been training or playing for the national squads.

Next weekend promises to showcase the best our province has to offer.