15 September 2026
The Clifton Water Polo Tournament gets underway on Thursday morning, with Kearsney College and Michaelhouse meeting at 11:20 in the opening match of an event that promises to be one of the most competitive of the schoolboy water polo season.
The tournament enjoys sponsorship from Shundeez Clothing, Thekwini Toyota Durban, Prime Human Performance Institute, Capitol Caterers, and 24.
Sixteen teams will compete through to Sunday, when the final is scheduled for the late afternoon, but ask which teams might win the event and you might get 16 different answers.
Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools
Clifton Director of Sport and 1st team water polo coach Pierre le Roux, the most capped international in South African water polo history, believes the tournament is wide open.
“I can’t put a finger on it and say that’s my out-and-out favourite, that’s the team to watch, because there are five or six that I think can win it,” he reckoned.
Le Roux’s own Clifton side is among those contenders, but the school’s second team could prove one of the tournament’s wild cards.
Clifton has entered a second side this year, but Le Roux is quick to point out that the label does not tell the full story.
“We’ve entered a second team, but it is really not a second side. These are my U16s and U17s.
“If you look at my last two years, they were national champions [at inter-provincial level]. They made the final of every tournament. I just don’t have space for them in my first side because I have so many matrics, but I have to start preparing them for next year.
“That team consists of guys who are provincial champions, guys who made the finals of the Ian Mellier and Ken Short tournaments. They’re a dangerous team.
Matches between the two Clifton teams in training have been extremely competitive, Le Roux admitted. “They don’t see themselves as a second side, but actually as a team that wants to prove a point, I think they really can. That’s my surprise team. I’m really hoping that they can step up,” he said.
The quality within the second team is underlined by the presence of Max Fowlds, who has just returned from representing the SA U16A side. “He can’t make my first team because I have Caleb Malumbete and Izah Roux, SA U18 and SA U17 goalkeepers,” Le Roux explained.
“We have national players in the second team! In almost any other team in the country, Max would probably be a starting goalkeeper.”
Clifton heads into its own tournament in good form, with the side unbeaten in the KZN Winter League, even though the lineup included many of the players who will turn out for the second side. Clifton’s matric boys were busy with trial examinations during the Winter League, which created opportunities for the younger players.
Clifton’s first team opens against Durban High School (DHS), a team they didn’t play in the Winter League. That will present some challenges, but one thing is clear, DHS, under coach Donn Stewart, will be competitive.
There are many contenders, and Hilton College, last year’s champions, remain firmly in the mix under Paul Martin.
“Paul is always very strong,” Le Roux said.
“Hilton will be in the running. They have an SA U18 centre back, Bradley van Loggerenberg. He’s a very good player. They have a good goalkeeper. They have quality. I know Paul will have prepared that team well. They will be fit.”
Kearsney has put together an impressive record in recent seasons, winning the Saints Invitational in 2024, and reaching the semifinals of the KES Water Polo Tournament earlier this year.
” Kearsney still has that strong side,” Le Roux said.
Northwood, meanwhile, has already shown that they can trouble the leading teams. “Scott Mantle, at Northwood, has a good team. They beat Kearsney recently in the Winter League,” Le Roux said.
“You can never underestimate Westville and Northwood. They are teams that can beat anyone on their day, and they’ve got good coaches. Their structures are good.”
Le Roux also expects his alma mater, St John’s, to feature prominently.
“St John’s will always be competitive. They will always be there, knocking on the door. They will be there at the business end of the tournament.”
SACS, who won the Clifton Water Polo Tournament in 2023 and 2024, returns with a strong side, while their Western Cape rivals, Paul Roos Gimnasium, feature another quality outfit. They contested the Clifton Water Polo Tournament final for three successive years, from 2021 to 2023.
“SACS is one of the top teams in the Western Cape. You know you’re getting quality from them. Paul Roos, as well, has been a good side in recent years,” Le Roux said.
Then there is Affies, a side Le Roux believes could make a significant impact. He sees similarities between the Pretoria school and the Clifton team that finished third at last year’s tournament.
“Affies, last year, was a team that I thought underperformed, in my mind. They were a stayers’ side, like us, all Grade 11s, so I am expecting a lot of them this year because their team, very much like mine, hasn’t changed much.
“They won the Grey College Water Polo Tournament at the beginning of the year, and they have had a very good year so far.
“The only thing they haven’t had is enough of the bigger games. They haven’t played the Cape schools. Affies is a side to watch. I’m very mindful of them.
“You’re getting big, fast, strong Afrikaans boys that love a bit of aggression. If players can’t handle that, they’re going to struggle.”
Reddam House Constantia is another potential danger. “They have some outstanding players,” Le Roux said. “The last time we played them, we really struggled to shut them down, and we’re playing them on Friday morning.
“We’ve spoken a lot about individual responsibilities, making sure we lock their players up, because we saw they had a couple of big upsets in the SACS Nite Series.”
And then there is Selborne College, whose East London base means they are perhaps less familiar to many of the KZN and Cape schools.
“That’s why I like having Selborne here because you don’t know what you’re going to get,” Le Roux enthused.
“They’re big, and they’re strong, and they’re aggressive. They’re fast, and they’re clinical, and their coach, Storm Siebert, is a national player, so he has been around the block a few times. He’ll have something prepared.”
A bigger Clifton experience
While the 1st teams will naturally dominate the attention, Clifton has expanded the tournament this year by introducing five prep school exhibition matches.
“The big inclusion this year is the prep schools,” Le Roux said.
“We have five prep school exhibition matches happening. They are all local schools this year. We want to find out from the visiting schools what they would want to do.
“It would be nice next year to invite St John’s and their prep school, and SACS and their prep school, and start building from that, to bring the youngsters, to show them what 1st team sports are doing. It’s lekker for them.”
The initiative is part of Clifton’s broader approach towards developing sport throughout the school.
Shaun Ferreira, the Clifton Prep coach, has been appointed Director of Water Polo, with Clifton’s Directors of Sport increasingly taking responsibility for their respective codes across the entire school. The aim is to create a more cohesive pathway from Grade 1 through to Grade 12.
Ferreira will also be on the Clifton 1st team’s bench during the tournament.
For Le Roux, the real attraction of the prep-school involvement is the opportunity to give younger players an experience they will remember.
“We want our Prep 1st team to walk in and play the curtain raiser to our College first team on Thursday, playing in front of a huge crowd, with our boys going ballistic on the side of the pool.
“Hopefully, it’s something special for them.”
The timing of the tournament adds another layer of intrigue. The teams are emerging from their pre-seasons, making it difficult to know exactly where each side stands, while the SACS Water Polo Tournament follows just a week later.
The two events require different approaches. Matches at SACS are shorter and more frequent, meaning teams need to adapt quickly.
“You have to try to prepare for both if you want to be competitive,” Le Roux reckoned.
And, as the water polo community gathers in KwaZulu-Natal, Clifton will once again provide an opportunity for players, coaches, and families to enjoy the social side of the sport.
The Parents’ Social, introduced at last year’s tournament, returns on Saturday evening.
“It was a big hit last year. The parents really enjoyed that,” Le Roux said.
With a deep field, several genuine contenders, and a Clifton second team capable of upsetting the established order, there should be no shortage of intrigue when Kearsney and Michaelhouse dive in on Thursday morning.
The tournament may have a defending champion in Hilton College, but few would be brave enough to predict who will lift the trophy on Sunday afternoon.
TEAMS
Pool A: Clifton, Durban High School (DHS), Reddam House Constantia, Selborne
Pool B: Paul Roos, Kearsney, Michaelhouse, Clifton 2
Pool C: Westville, St John’s, Affies, Maritzburg College
Pool D: Hilton, SACS, KES, Northwood
FIXTURES
Thursday, 17 September
Game 1: 11:20 – Kearsney vs Michaelhouse (Pool B)
Game 2: 12:10 – Maritzburg College vs Westville (Pool C)
Game 3: 13:00 – Hilton vs Northwood (Pool D)
Game 4: 13:50 – Clifton Prep vs Umhlali (Prep)
Game 5: 14:20 – Clifton vs DHS (Pool A)
Game 6: 15:10 – Paul Roos vs Clifton 2 (Pool B)
Game 7: 16:00 – St John’s vs Affies (Pool C)
Game 8: 16:50 – Selborne vs Reddam House (Pool A)
Game 9: 17:40 – SACS vs KES (Pool D)
Friday, 18 September
Game 10: 07:00 – Kearsney vs Clifton 2 (Pool B)
Game 11: 07:50 – Clifton vs Reddam (Pool A)
Game 12: 08:40 – Northwood vs SACS (Pool D)
Game 13: 09:30 – St John’s vs Maritzburg College (Pool C)
Game 14: 10:20 – Hilton vs KES (Pool D)
Game 15: 11:10 – Westville vs Affies (Pool C)
Game 16: 12:00 – Paul Roos vs Michaelhouse (Pool B)
Game 17: 12:50 – Selborne vs DHS (Pool A)
Game 18: 13:40 – Hilton vs SACS (Pool D)
Game 19: 14:30 – St John’s vs Westville (Pool C)
Game 20: 15:20 – Kearsney vs Paul Roos (Pool B)
Game 21: 16:10 – Clifton vs Selborne (Pool A)
Game 22: 17:00 – KES vs Northwood (Pool D)
Game 23: 17:50 – Affies vs Maritzburg College (Pool C)
Game 24: 18:40 – Clifton 2 vs Michaelhouse (Pool B)
Game 25: 19:30 – Reddam vs DHS (Pool A)
20:30 – Welcome Dinner
Saturday, 19 September
07:30 – DPHS vs Highbury (Prep)
Playoffs
Game 26: 08:00 – 1st A vs 2nd B, QF 1
Game 27: 08:50 – 1st B vs 2nd A, QF 2
Game 28: 09:40 – 1st C vs 2nd D, QF 3
Game 29: 10:30 – 1st D vs 2nd C, QF 4
Game 30: 11:30 – 3rd A vs 4th B
Game 31: 12:20 – 3rd B vs 4th A
Game 32: 13:10 – 3rd C vs 4th D
Game 33: 14:00 – 3rd D vs 4th C
Game 35: 15:40 – Loser 25 vs Loser 26
16:30 – Chelsea vs DPHS (Prep)
Game 36: 17:20 – Winner 26 vs Winner 27, SF1
Game 37: 18:10 – Winner 28 vs Winner 29, SF2
19:00/19:30 – Parents Social
Sunday, 20 September
Game 38: 07:00 – Winner 30 vs Winner 31
Game 39: 07:50 – Winner 32 vs Winner 33
Game 40: 08:40 – Loser 30 vs Loser 31
Game 41: 09:30 – Loser 32 vs Loser 33
Game 42: 10:20 – Winner 38 vs Winner 39 (9th/10th)
Game 43: 11:10 – Loser 38 vs Loser 39 (11th/12th)
Game 44: 12:00 – Winner 40 vs Winner 41 (13th/14th)
Game 45: 12:50 – Loser 40 vs Loser 41 (15th/16th)
Game 46: 13:40 – Winner 34 vs Winner 35 (5th/6th)
Game 47: 14:30 – Loser 34 vs Loser 35 (7th/8th)
Game 48: 15:20 – Loser 36 vs Loser 37 (3rd/4th)
Game 49: 16:10 – Winner 36 vs winner 37 (1st/2nd)