8 August 2023
In Johannesburg, on Friday, 5 August, the extraordinary school hockey journey of DHS captain Leruo Ditlhakanyane came to a close with a narrow 2-3 loss for the Blue Typhoon against Jeppe in a showdown between two teams ranked within the top 10 in South Africa.
The arrival of Ditlhakanyane at School, along with the leadership of Director of Hockey, Michael Baker, has coincided with a period of extraordinary success for DHS hockey, resulting in the school producing record numbers of provincial players and elevating it to among the strongest programmes in South Africa.
Start of the journey
The versatile skipper’s hockey journey, though, began roughly 1 300 kilometres from Durban, in George, in the Western Cape. His early introduction to the game came about because of his sister, he said: “I remember my sister used to play hockey, and I was still in pre-primary school, so after school she would play in the garden, so I would join her.”
What was that initial experience like, of holding a hockey stick in his hands and putting stick to ball? “It felt natural. I just went with it,” he reckoned in a recent chat with Pinnacle Schools.
Having learnt the game playing in the garden, he attended trials at Holy Cross Primary in George when he entered grade one. Two of his closest friends tried out, too, so the choice was simple.
From the start, Leruo’s control stood out. “I was a very skilful player, so my coach put me in as right-link,” he said. “As the years progressed, I moved to centre-back. I played in the midfield and at centre-back.”
He was selected to play for Eden at the under-13 Inter-provincial Tournaments in grades six and seven. That second year, the event was held in Pietermaritzburg and that’s when he caught the eye of DHS. But there were many others who recognised his talent. He was, after all, named the Defender of the Tournament.
Choosing DHS
He had options when it came to selecting a high school, but his dad had a big say in his decision. His father had also spoken with Michael Baker, and he believed in Baker, not only as a coach, but also as a mentor for his son. That’s why Leruo chose to make the long-distance move to DHS.
He explained: “I was mostly pushed by my father. He was very interested in the morals that DHS implements in the kids, so he drove the DHS way, and I decided to come here.”
Baker was looking for young talent that he could work with, players that he could develop, not only on the field but off of it, too. The group of boys that joined Ditlhakanyane at the Horseflies that first year was talented, although somewhat raw. Most of them would make the journey through the ranks to 1st team level with him.
Early success
On the park which, for DHS at that time, was the Riverside Sports Club, the blue and gold enjoyed a very strong season in the junior age group.
Lerou said: “Under-14 is seen as the easiest age group. In our under-14 year, we dominated. I think we lost only one game that year. That was a really good year for us. The majority of us from that under-14 team are now playing together in the 1st team.”
There were also one or two additions who provided the team with a big boost, as Leruo explained: “One of the guys, Lulonke Gono, was in the under-13 C team. He came to DHS because of the academics. But he came to a couple of training sessions and we saw he could be good.”
Gono was more than good. He became a special player in the side, patrolling the defence at the back, while being a fantastic distributor of the ball. In 2022, after representing the KZN Coastal u18 A side, he was selected in the South African under-17 High Performance Squad.
In 2023, though, with the backing of Director of Hockey Baker, he focussed on his academics once more, choosing not to play in the u18 IPT. Many leading coaches believe he would have made the South African Schools A team if he had made himself available for selection. Instead, he is poised to attend medical school.
Leruo, meanwhile, was selected not only for the South African Schools team in 2022, he also cracked the nod for the South African u21 team, while still in grade 11! In early 2023, he was part of the team that won the Africa Junior Cup in Egypt.
DHS hockey star on target as SA lifts Junior Africa Cup | Pinnacle Schools (pinnacle-schools.com)
At home, though, the start of the 2023 season, with a talented, but young line-up, was not an easy one for the DHS 1st team. They needed to pull in one direction, Leruo said: “In the beginning of this year, it was difficult, because we were always fighting with each other on the field and there were problems. But off the field, we were a good bunch, because we all stay in the BE, and Mr Baker put a couple of things together. We had to say what each other’s weaknesses were and also say positive things about them.
“That helped us grow as a team, and after that we gelled. Our side is in the top five in the country. I think that is a good representation of how much we have grown as a team.”
Michael Baker’s magical DHS hockey makeover | Pinnacle Schools (pinnacle-schools.com)
Captaincy
As captain, he had to play a role, too, to get the best out of his side. He explained his approach to leadership: “Before games, I try to install a positive attitude in my team. In the game, there are only positive comments. If someone messes up, we have only positive comments.
“Off the field, we must be good to other people. When it’s your time to play, they come and support, which also helps the team.”
Sharing some of the factors behind the incredible rise of DHS hockey, Lerou said: “The year before us was the start of the programme. We implemented a trust in the process. Before, we had to go to electives, from grade 8 to grade 11, and that helped. Also, training and doing everything at 100 percent. I think that will have left the DHS shirt in a better place when we leave.”
The rapid improvement throughout the ranks of DHS hockey – the under-14 and under-16 teams also rank among the best in South Africa – has been further supplemented by the addition of The Coliseum, School’s impressive Blue and Gold Astro, right next to the Blackmore House boarding establishment.
The Coliseum
“It’s a tough place to play,” Leruo reckoned. “The way that we carry ourselves in games, we believe we are the better team on the park. We’re not arrogant, we’re confident. It was difficult before we had the ‘turf. Now, though, I think it has helped us tremendously.
Blue and Gold Astro a big win for DHS and KZN hockey | Pinnacle Schools (pinnacle-schools.com)
“Mr Baker is allowed to organise sessions whenever he needs to, so we have a couple of early morning sessions, late evening sessions. Loadshedding also affects other times that we could use other turfs. But now, we can base our sessions around loadshedding, at our own place.”
“The boys also use it during exam periods, when they are free, so that also helps.”
Director of Hockey, Michael Baker, challenges hockey players to make use of the new Astro outside of team practice times, to work on areas of their games that need improvement, Leruo said. His message has clearly been taken to heart. The proof lies in the on-field product.
At the conclusion of the Under-18 Interprovincial Tournament in Bloemfontein, three DHS boys – Leruo Ditlhakanyane, Lethabo Bogacwi and Keelan Henry – were included in the South African Schools A team, which Leruo went on to captain. Aldridge Maasdorp made the SA u18 B team. Meanwhile, after the Under-16 IPT, Josh Mungherera, Bhavesh Naicker and Sitchaba Siyoyo were included in the SA u16 A squad, with Christopher Abrahams in the B squad.
DHS leads KZN Coastals hockey selections | Pinnacle Schools (pinnacle-schools.com)
A tried and tested approach
As a player who made the South African under-21 side while in grade 11, Leruo Ditlhakanyane was recognised as a danger man by every team DHS faced. Yet, no matter the level, even when playing under-21 internationals, he said his game remains consistent: “I try to stick to the same way I have always played, because I think that is how I was selected [for national teams]. I call myself a team player.
“Especially this year, I feel we have a very talented bunch, so this year I just needed to focus on my role, whereas, at other times, I needed to focus on doing other things. I keep the gameplan the same and do what is needed of me.
“It has helped to focus on what I have to do, which would benefit the team in a better way than if I had to do everything else, and I am appreciative of that.”
Being a versatile, skilful player comes with some positives and some slight negatives, he admitted: “I don’t always enjoy being asked to play a more defensive position, because I like to attack, but in the SA Schools series I played centre-back. I was required to play there, because of the make-up of our team. As a hockey player, it helps me, because versatility is a big thing they ask for in the national set-up.”
The future
Looking to the future, he revealed that he has aspirations of achieving even greater things in hockey: “As a sportsman, I have always dreamed of playing in a national set-up. From there, I would also like to move overseas to experience the best of the best hockey, because a lot of our national players move there, where they get paid. In South Africa, they don’t pay. That would be a good opportunity for me.
“Also, in terms of my future purpose, I am considering something like being a physio, which I could do with the team.”
He has spoken with some South African hockey players who play professionally in Europe, but there is still some more work that needs to be done to make a move happen, Leruo said.
Already, though, he has identified where he would ideally like to play: “The best league in the world is the Bundesliga 1. That’s where the best of the best play. We currently have two South Africans playing there, Mustapha and Dayaan Cassim. That’s the end goal, which I would like to reach.”
Indoor hockey
While he has excelled in field hockey, Leruo has also made as big an impact in indoor hockey. He made the KZN Raiders men’s team at the beginning of 2022. Now, he’s also a member of the South African men’s squad, and South Africa’s sixth place finish at the 2023 FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup is proof that there is serious talent in the country.
Leruo is also extremely serious about the indoor game, which he revealed by saying that his choice of university has to include a proper focus on indoor hockey. If not, that tertiary institution will not be considered.
The indoor game has benefitted his play positively, he added: “Indoor has helped me get into the national set-up. It is also a good way of helping my outdoor experiences. There are different situations in indoor, which you can implement in outdoor.”
His hockey journey thus far, he said, would not have been possible without the influence of DHS Director of Hockey, Michael Baker: “Mr Baker is a key factor in everything for me. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
“He’s pushed me. He’s held me accountable for my actions. I think everyone would say he is the most genuine person out there. Without him, a lot of people wouldn’t be where they are today.”
“As he is, so is his school”
And DHS, too, has made a telling impact, he added: “The blue and gold is something special. We have a saying in the hall, ‘As he is, so is his school’. That saying produces good things from the students. Wherever you go, you think of that saying, and you make sure you do the right things. It produces men of character.”
His hockey achievements have been eye-opening. Yet, Leruo shared, there was something very special about running out for DHS: “Playing for the blue and gold, I don’t think I have experienced a feeling better than that,” he concluded.
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