19 November 2025
(Feature photo: Number one in South Africa! The Westville Boys’ High Sevens’ 1st team)
Westville Boys’ High celebrated another year of exceptional sporting achievements on Friday evening at their annual Sports Awards.
Old boy, Robbie Koenig, one of the world’s leading tennis commentators served as the guest of honour and doled out some insightful wisdom from his time on the ATP Tour and as a commentator interacting with the best players in the world.
In 2024, Westville enjoyed a spectacular sporting year. The guest of honour at the awards last year was old boy, Ethan Hooker, soon to become a Springbok, and amidst the celebrations his presence also showed where the Griffins‘ next challenge lay – lifting their rugby programme to greater heights. Challenged accepted, challenge aced.
For the first time in the 70-year history of the school, the 1st XV was unbeaten. It was, in fact, the only 1st XV playing a top tier schedule that was unbeaten in the country.
Three players – Zekhethelo Siyaya, Jadrian Afrikaner, and Lwandile Mlaba – were selected for the South African Schools‘ side, while five more – Bandile Mncwango, Lwandile Simelane, Liam Simpkins, Jade-Will Koopman, and Sean McGough – were included in the Sharks’ Craven Week squad.
Siyaya, who scored an unprecedented hat-trick of tries in successive years for SA Schools vs SA Schools A, received the Mickey Arthur Trophy for Sporting Excellence.
Then, the Sevens team contested the Toyota High School Sevens Series and won the national title, beating Northwood in the final in Potchefstroom. Along the way, they downed Waterkloof in the quarterfinals and Grey College in the semi-finals.
Avumile Lisa was named the Player of the Final. He was also included in the Dream Team, along with Lux Sonokonkono, and Ezra Karolisin.
Thanks to those outstanding, memorable achievements, the 1st XV was named the Team of the Year, while 1st XV coach, Zander Erasmus, was named the Coach of the Year.
There was strength in depth, too. As Director of Rugby, Dusty Noble, noted in his rugby report for the Sports Awards: “Between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd teams, we played 31 games and lost only three.”
Speaking of strength, Westville’s “superpower” in recent years has been its exceptional performances across numerous sporting codes and in 2025 it was no different. Twenty-four Griffins, staff included, won national honours in 14 sports.
KwaZulu-Natal teams benefitted from the efforts of 169 Westville boys, while Westville staff graced provincial cricket, hockey, football, indoor hockey, rugby, softball, and water polo sides – 22 of them in total.
A quick glance at some of the highlight through the long list of sports offered at Westville Boys’ High:
Athletics
Westville finished fourth in the Aquellé High School Series out of 20 schools, with Caleb du Toit winning gold in the u15 long jump at the KZN Provincial Athletics Championships.
Badminton
WBHS placed second overall at the SA High School Champs.
Iain England and Xavier Maistry reached the singles semi-finals and won silver in the doubles. They both made the SA u19 squad.
Basketball
Putting out 22 teams is an achievement in itself, and winning the Jenny Orchard Invitational by beating Maritzburg College in the final at College is another huge feather in the cap of the basketball programme.
Lusekho Sikhulume was selected for the SA u18 team.
Chess
Westville made the final 16 in the national Alexander Forbes Battle Boards National Chess Tournament, and Olebogang Mkhize was crowned the KZN junior champion.
Cricket
The 1st XI won the W100 title for a fifth year in succession, thanks to an extraordinary performance from the team’s captain, Seth Simpson, beating a strong DHS team in the final after going down to the Horseflies in the final of the Clifton T20.
The u16 title also went Westville’s way, and the Westville u14s lifted the W100 title, too, on their way to an exceptional year that featured only one defeat and many overwhelming victories. The u15s lost in the final.
Both the 1st XV and u14s ranked in the top 10 in South Africa, with the u14s stealing the spotlight by climbing to second place.
The overall win rate for Westville sides was an outstanding 70 percent.
On an individual level, Dayalan Boyce represented the SAu19 team in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Seth Simpson, meanwhile, with his cricket achievements to the fore, was named the Errol Stewart Sportsman of the Year.
Cross country
Competing in the Durban Schools Cross Country League, and up against 22 schools, Westville’s u15s won their league, while the u17s finished in second place.
Cycling
It was an exceptional year for mountain biking, which made massive strides in its third year as a school sport.
Connor Hawkins received his national colours for track, while Angus Copeland doubled up, receiving his KZN colours for downhill and enduro. Bryce Muzzell and James Malan also received KZN colours for enduro.
Westville finished second in the KZN Schools MTB Series.
Football
Last season, Bande Gumede and Ayanda Mdlalose joined PSL club, AmaZulu. This year, they’ll be joined by Bayanda Dlamini, while Dayyan Fudu and Curt Rogers have signed with Durban City.
Fudu slotted a 1st team record 30 goals in 2025.
The 1st team, also, won the KZN Coastal League title, going unbeaten through a very tough competition. Overall, they lost only seven of 38 games in a very busy season.
At the junior level, the u14A team won the Northwood Neil Tovey Tournament and the KZNHSFA Mancosa u14 Cup.
Golf
The Westville 1st team won the KZN Schools Golf Championship at the Kloof Country Club.
Jamie Smith and Tylo Naidoo were selected for the KZN Schools A team, while Daniel Tarr, Ryan Perumal, Grant Cox, and Geoffrey Poplett were included in the KZN Schools B team, which underlined the exceptional depth in the WBHS golf programme.
Jamie Smith received his national colours.
Hockey
It was a rebuilding season for Westville’s hockey teams. Still, 28 players received their KZN colours for either A, B, or C teams.
The depth of the hockey programme was also revealed in the unbeaten records of the u16D and u16F sides, with Westville dominating other schools in lower (C to F teams) competition.
Narrow defeats were the order of the day, unfortunately, with the 1st, u16A, and u14A sides losing a combined 16 games by a single goal. However, with many players having now picked up experience in higher age groups, 2026 should deliver an interesting and better season.
Director of Hockey, Cameron Mackay, served as the SA u18 team‘s video analyst, and Pius Nkosi was the Manager of the SA u17 team at the Dato Mirnawan Cup, in Malaysia. In total, seven staff members served KZN’s provincial teams.
Indoor Hockey
Westville’s teams excelled in indoor hockey, with the school putting out a record eight sides.
The u14A side won their league, while the u14C side finished second in the B League. The u16A team won the A League and the B team made the semi-finals of the A League, too.
Meanwhile, the 2nd team won the u18 B League, which earned them promotion to the A League in 2026. The A team missed out on the semi-finals by a single point.
For the first time, a schools’ hockey Inter-Provincial Tournament will be hosted by SA Schools Hockey (SASHOC) in December. It takes place around the highway region and will feature 15 Westville boys in action.
Softball
The Westville 1st team dominated their league, going undefeated, and the depth of the sport at the school was underlined by the 2nd team placing third out of 19 sides.
KZN teams loaded up on Westville talent, with 14 players earning their provincial colours.
Squash
Westville’s squash programme enjoyed one of its better seasons ever. The 1st team went unbeaten at the prestigious St Andrew’s School Squash Tournament, winning four of their five ties, and drawing the other while facing some of the country’s best sides.
Ronav Pillay was selected for the KZN Schools u19A team, with another six player earning their provincial colours.
Surfing
Westville continues to build its surfing programme and, no doubt, given the support of the school, it, too, will soon begin to challenge those schools based nearer the coast.
Swimming
Once again, Westville laid claim to having the best schools’ swimming team in South Africa.
The school won the Affies’ Gala, the Alan Burt Memorial Gala, the Nestor Pierides Gala, the Durban and Districts Gala, and the Top Schools Gala.
It’s worth noting that the only thing more challenging than getting to the top is staying there. Yet Westville has now done that with almost monotonous regularity and excellence.
Art Mpungose added a cherry on the top by earning his national colours.
Tennis
Despite featuring a young side, with half of 2024’s all-conquering unit having matriculated last year, the Westville Boys’ High 1st team put together another superb year.
They finished fourth at the Gerrie Berner Tennis Tournament, facing the best teams from around the country. Then, at the Kearsney Tennis Tournament, once again facing the best of the best, they placed second.
Westville boys also partnered players from St Mary’s DSG to two titles at the St Anne’s Mixed Doubles Tennis Invitational.
Rhys Vorwerk and Lindo Gcwensa made SA Schools sides, with Gcwensa a shining example of the valuable opportunity Westville offers those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Daniel Naidoo was included in the SA u17A team. And there is more outstanding talent filtering through in the younger age groups…
Volleyball
Westville’s volleyball programme produced one of its strongest campaigns yet in 2025, with the schools eight teams delivering an overall win rate of 67 percent.
Both the u14A and u16A teams went unbeaten, claiming both the league and Top Four titles, while the u15A side lifted the Top Four title. The 1st team finished in third place.
Five players earned selection for the KZN Shadow Squad.
Water Polo
With seven players having matriculated at the end of 2024, Westville’s 1st water polo team faced a testing year. It took a while, but by the latter part of the season, and into the fourth term, they became a tough challenge for the province’s big guns.
Nothing underlined the potential of the 1st team more than a big 7-1 win over Clifton at the Northwood Stayers tournament. Clifton went on to win the title.
Everraud Raynard won his South African colours at u15 level, while three staff members represented the green and gold: Nathan Jacob won his u20 national colours, Todd Howard turned out for the men’s team, and Matt Stringer served as a referee at the World Aquatics Championships.
These companies all deserve a shout-out for playing their part in the Griffins’ success by providing sponsorships: the CMH Group, Suzuki, Sigma Accounting, Manuchar, Bluff Meat Supply, Belgotex Sport, Bidvest, Reebok, aQuellé, Hawk, Puma, Cargo Bulk Movers, and Nashua.
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