17 September 2026
(Feature photo: The man in the no. 12 cap. Richie Port, played his 100th match for the Clifton 1st team in their win over DHS)
Clifton College made an emphatic statement on the opening day of the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, overcoming Durban High School (DHS) 16-6 on Thursday to underline their ambitions on home turf.
The hosts’ opening fixture was preceded by the first of five primary school exhibition matches, with Clifton Prep taking on Umhlali Prep in front of a large and loud crowd. The youngsters were treated to a cracking atmosphere and a memory-making occasion.
Rain fell steadily throughout the day, but it did little to dampen the enthusiasm around the pool, with the crowd raising the volume for Clifton’s convincing victory.
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For Richie Port, it was an especially memorable occasion as the match marked his 100th appearance for the Clifton 1st team.
Coach Pierre le Roux‘s charges made a confident start, moving into a 3-1 lead before DHS settled and fought their way back to 3-4.
Clifton responded with two goals in quick succession before halftime, taking a 6-3 advantage into the interval.
After the break, the hosts shifted through the gears. They applied relentless pressure in defence and pulled steadily clear, with Clifton responding with a goal shortly after every occasion on which DHS found the net.
The victory was built on a suffocating defensive effort, although Clifton will know there is room for improvement after conceding five penalties. DHS converted three of them, with goalkeeper Caleb Malumbete saving one and another striking the frame of the goal.
Malumbete was a standout performer for Clifton, not only pulling off some fine saves but also shining with his accurate passing, which often caught out DHS. His combination with Izah Roux in goal for Clifton is a rare luxury for the home team.
While Clifton enjoyed a comfortable finish, the day’s most closely fought contest came earlier, when Northwood pushed defending champions, Hilton College, all the way before going down 11-12.
The Knights showed outstanding resilience throughout, repeatedly closing the gap whenever Hilton threatened to establish some breathing room. They were ultimately left to rue two missed penalties, chances that could have changed the outcome of a contest that went right down to the final whistle.
Kearsney College and Michaelhouse opened the tournament, with ‘House threatening throughout, but Kearsney maintaining a narrow advantage to secure a 12-10 victory.
While Clifton’s 1st team has a shot at securing their quarterfinal place when they take on Reddam House Constantia at 07:50 on Friday morning, Kearsney could lock up their spot even earlier with a win over Clifton 2 in the day’s first match at 07:00.
Clifton 2 will feel disappointed by their showing against Paul Roos Gimnasium (PRG), with PRG romping to a 14-6 win. Clifton 2 lacked the defensive pressure and clinical finishing of their first side, but they will know they’re capable of far better, which will give them plenty of motivation for their meeting with Kearsney.
It was a rock-solid start for Paul Roos, who, unusually, finished in the bottom half of the standings in 2026. Their defensive structure kept Clifton 2 at a distance, forcing the locals into long-range shots, too many of which were off target.
Westville Boys’ High broke clear of Maritzburg College in the second chukka after a tit-for-tat start to their game, and tallied the highest total of the day, recording a 17-11 victory.
Perennial contenders and last year’s runners-up, St John’s College, faced Affies in a tricky opener. However, coach Jon-Marc De Carlvalho‘s charges handled the pressure well, scoring a comfortable 12-7 victory.
Selborne College claimed the honours against Reddam House Constantia, winning 13-9 in the second-last match of the day, setting up a clash with Pool A’s other winner, Clifton College, on Friday afternoon, which could decide the group winner.
Thursday’s final game saw SACS, a regular title contender, taking on King Edward VII (KES).
The Cape Town side made a steady start to their latest campaign, running out 12-7 winners.
After the opening day’s action, Pool D has staked a claim as potentially the most intriguing. Based on Thursday’s performance, Northwood’s clash with SACS and Hilton’s showdown with SACS on Friday should be thrillers.
The meeting between Kearsney College and Paul Roos should provide a better idea of the form of those sides, while Westville versus Affies will be a key game in Pool C. Before that, though, Affies faces a tough test from Michaelhouse.
RESULTS
Pool A
Clifton College 16-6 DHS
Selborne 13-9 Reddam House Constantia
Pool B
Kearsney College 12-10 Michaelhouse
Paul Roos 14-6 Clifton 2
Pool C
Westville Boys’ High 17-11 Maritzburg College
St John’s 12-7 Affies
Pool D
Hilton College 12-11 Northwood
SACS 12-7 KES
FIXTURES
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)