29 September 2026
Clifton College, Northwood, and the winner of the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, Hilton College, had only a few days’ rest before packing their bags and heading down south to the SACS Water Polo Tournament in Cape Town, where Hilton again excelled.
Clifton was missing some of the players who helped the team to a strong third place in Durban. Their absence and a smaller squad cost them.
At SACS, matches are all-out affairs from the first whistle to the last. There are no timeouts. And they last only five minutes each way. There is no opportunity to rest, nor to slip up against a field made up of 20 of the best teams in South Africa.
Northwood, 14th at the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, was in every game in Durban, but the breaks went against them. In Cape Town, though, the Knights showed what they could do with better luck.
After posting mixed results on Thursday, day one of the tournament, which included a 4-6 defeat against Clifton, they went on an impressive run, winning all four of their matches on Friday, starting with an upset 5-4 win over the defending champion, St John’s College. They followed up with a 5-2 win over Pretoria Boys High, a 4-2 victory over Paul Roos, and a 3-2 win against Selborne College.
Clifton, meanwhile, dropped points in a 3-3 draw with Selborne, a team they had outplayed 11-3 in Durban.
That was one of two results – the other was a 4-4 draw with Pretoria Boys High in their last Pool B game – which allowed Northwood to move above them and finish fourth in the pool, which earned them a place in the quarterfinals at Clifton’s expense.
Meanwhile, Hilton College ruled Pool A, going undefeated, with seven wins and two draws. They set out their stall from the first day, beating St Alban’s 6-3, Grey College 11-1, Grey High 5-3, and St Andrew’s College 5-2.
Unfortunately for Northwood, they drew Hilton in the quarterfinals, and coach Paul Martin and his boys were in no mood to be the victims of an upset. Instead, they dictated the match, running out convincing 7-2 winners.
In the other quarterfinals, SACS downed Rondebosch 4-2, St John’s edged out Wynberg 6-5, and Bishops, who had compiled a perfect record of nine wins from nine matches in Pool B, won 8-5 against St Stithians.
Hilton ended St John’s aspirations of back-to-back titles in the semi-finals, recording an emphatic 5-2 win, while Bishops won a tightly contested encounter against SACS 3-1 to qualify for the title game.
Before that showdown, SACS edged out St John’s 6-5 in the bronze medal playoff.
Then, in a clash of two unbeatens, Hilton, at last, fell to defeat, with Bishops scoring a 5-3 victory.
Sometimes, in knockout competitions, the best teams don’t make it to the final. However, most would agree that the two best sides reached the final of the SACS Water Polo Tournament. Most would also agree that Bishops proved themselves to be number one, with Hilton College a very strong number two.
For Northwood, the tournament was a triumph, demonstrating what they’re capable of achieving.
For Clifton, it was a disappointment – they always aim to be in title contention – but there were understandable reasons for that.
RESULTS
Thursday, 24 September
Pool A
Hilton 6-3 St Alban’s
SACS 9-2 Grey College
St Andrew’s 5-1 St Benedict’s
SACS 5-3 St David’s
St Stithians 5-4 Wynberg
Hilton 11-1 Grey College
SACS 7-3 St Benedict’s
Wynberg 3-1 Grey High
St Stithians 4-2 St David’s
St Andrew’s 4-2 St Alban’s
St Benedict’s 7-3 Grey College
St David’s 3-1 Grey High
St Stithians 7-3 St Alban’s
Wynberg 3-2 St Andrew’s
Hilton 5-3 Grey High
St David’s 7-1 Grey College
Wynberg 6-1 St Alban’s
Hilton 5-2 St Andrew’s
Grey High 9-2 St Benedict’s
SACS 4-2 St Stithians
Pool B
Rondebosch 4-3 Paul Roos
Clifton 3-3 Selborne
Bishops 6-1 Pretoria Boys
St John’s 6-4 Jeppe
Northwood 11-2 Parktown
Rondebosch 5-1 Selborne
St John’s 5-2 Paul Roos
Bishops 10-4 Jeppe
Pretoria Boys 8-4 Parktown
Clifton 6-4 Northwood
Paul Roos 6-3 Jeppe
Rondebosch 16-2 Parktown`
Bishops 11-5 Northwood
St John’s 3-2 Clifton
Selborne 8-4 Pretoria Boys
Clifton 17-0 Parktown
Bishops 5-2 Paul Roos
St John’s 9-5 Selborne
Jeppe 3-4 Pretoria Boys
Rondebosch 9-3 Northwood
Friday, 25 September
Pool A
St Andrew’s 9-3 Grey College
SACS 4-1 St Alban’s
St Stithians 6-2 Grey High
Wynberg 6-2 St David’s
Hilton 10-2 St Benedict’s
SACS 4-4 St Andrew’s
St David’s 7-1 St Alban’s
Hilton 6-1 St Stithians
Grey High 8-4 Grey College
Wynberg 8-5 St Benedict’s
St Andrew’s 3-3 St David’s
St Stithians 11-0 Grey College
SACS 8-1 Grey High
Hilton 4-2 Wynberg
St David’s 10-4 St Benedict’s
St Andrew’s 3-2 St Stithians
Grey High 7-2 St Alban’s
Hilton 4-4 SACS
Wynberg 9-1 Grey College
St Benedict’s 2-2 St Alban’s
Pool B
Jeppe 7-1 Parktown
Bishops 4-1 Selborne
Northwood 5-4 St John’s
Paul Roos 7-1 Pretoria Boys High
Rondebosch 3-2 Clifton
Jeppe 6-2 Selborne
Paul Roos 10-0 Parktown
Bishops 7-2 Clifton
St John’s 5-3 Rondebosch
Northwood 5-2 Pretoria Boys High
Selborne 13-1 Parktown
Bishops 6-2 St John’s
Clifton 3-2 Jeppe
Northwood 4-2 Paul Roos
Rondebosch 7-3 Pretoria Boys High
Bishops 11-1 Parktown
Clifton 10-1 Paul Roos
Northwood 3-2 Selborne
Rondebosch 5-5 Jeppe
St John’s 5-2 Pretoria Boys High
Saturday, 26 September
Pool A
Grey High 4-1 St Andrew’s
St Stithians 7-5 St Benedict’s
Hilton 4-4 St David’s
St Alban’s 2-1 Grey College
SACS 1-1 Wynberg
Pool B
Selborne 4-1 Paul Roos
Northwood 4-2 Jeppe
Clifton 4-4 Pretoria Boys High
Bishops 4-3 Rondebosch
Quarterfinals
St John’s 6-5 Wynberg
SACS 4-2 Rondebosch
Hilton 7-2 Northwood
Bishops 8-5 St Stithians
Semifinals
Hilton 5-2 St John’s
Bishops 3-1 SACS
3rd/4th
SACS 5-4 St John’s
Final
Bishops 5-3 Hilton