22 April 2026
KZN water polo players shine for SA Schools in Australia
KwaZulu-Natal was strongly represented in the SA Schools u18 and SAu16 water polo teams that made waves at the Australia Youth Water Polo Championships, held in Brisbane, during the April holidays.
The SA Schools u18 side – featuring Kearsney College‘s Max Mills, Tom Aylward, and Thomas Francke, and Clifton College‘s Jamie Nicolau (see feature photo) – navigated a difficult challenge and won gold in the Gold Section, edging out Sydney’s SNB Breakers 5-4 in a penalty shootout after the final had finished deadlocked at 10-10.
The match demonstrated the South African side’s strong fighting spirit after the team had fallen behind early and trailed heading into the second half. They brought it back to 10-9 in their favour before the Breakers levelled to force the shootout.
After scoring 36 goals and placing second in their group, the SA side scored three emphatic playoff wins in succession, beating the Mantas Blues 19-7, the Polo Bears 21-6, and the Hunter Hurricanes 13-4. They were extended in the semi-finals, needing a shootout to eliminate the Melville Sharks.
With far less time to prepare together than their Australian opposition, getting combinations right was a challenge for the SA Schools side. Coach Jon-Marc De Carvalho resolved that issue by turning to established provincial combinations. It worked.
The SA School u16 team – including Kearsney’s Dru Mills and Cristiano Sandri, Casey Marks and Lincoln Burger of Hilton College, and Clifton’s Max Fowlds and Josh Watson – also captured gold, competing in the u18 Boys Green Division.
They also contested the Gold Division of the u16 Boys competition, going unbeaten through the group stage before adding wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals. They were eventually stopped in the final, going down 12-14 in a tight contest to a formidable Sydney University side.
Dru Mills was the South African team’s leading goal scorer, netting 22 times, which was the fifth highest mark in the tournament.
Clifton College 1st XV claims hard-fought win
The Clifton College 1st XV visited Zululand on the weekend. With a Bloemfontein showdown against St Andrew’s School called off, Clifton instead scheduled a showdown with Richards Bay High. They faced a tough challenge, with nine players out of action with injuries picked up in Johannesburg at the St Stithians Easter Festival.
At Saints, they produced mixed results. They were level at 7-7 at halftime against the Mzwandile Mali XV, but lost their way in the second half, going down to a 21-34 defeat. They were far better against St John’s College (Harare), who had beaten St Stithians 24-21 in their first outing.
Clifton College coach, Jose Dos Santos, said: “Against St John’s, the guys were unreal. We were 18-3 up, but then we let the game go.” In the end, St John’s scraped a 22-18 win, but there were encouraging signs from Clifton. The long list of injuries hurt, though.
Against Richards Bay, that list grew, and the numerous changes to the Clifton lineup resulted in an uneven performance. With so many players missing, Clifton lacked continuity, Dos Santos explained.
“It was a game of two halves. At least, we managed to pull it through. Unfortunately, we lost our captain to a dislocated shoulder.”
At halftime, Richards Bay led 6-0, but Clifton played better with the wind at their backs in the second half and recorded a 26-15 victory.
Dos Santos said he hopes to have at least two players for a Saturday showdown with Suid-Natal in Port Shepstone. With so many players out, it’s going to be another tough challenge for the Durban school.
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