30 October 2026
(Feature photo: Coach Chelci Rodda with her record-setting team)
“They have that Jack Russell personality, where they just go. They play against the bigger boys – because we do have a smaller side – and they keep at it. They will go and go until that last whistle blows.”
That is how Kearsney College under-15 coach Chelci Rodda described the character of her team that enjoyed an extraordinary two-year run, collecting eight titles and establishing itself as one of the country’s most formidable junior water polo sides.
Their ability to keep fighting, particularly when the odds are against them, was a defining characteristic.
It was evident at the KZN Top 10, where they edged out Clifton College 5-4 in the semifinals, then Hilton College 7-6 in the final to claim Kearsney’s first KZN Top 10 under-15 title in 18 years.
It was also on full display at the Nick Rey U16 Water Polo Tournament, where, despite playing against older boys, they produced a remarkable late comeback against Clifton College before prevailing in a penalty shootout.
For Rodda, though, success is about considerably more than trophies.
“I hold my boys to a high standard. I want them to be at first team level in the way they play, the attitude around the pool, the attitude in the pool, and how they treat other teams. They must carry those standards until they are in the first team,” she said.
“The way Nick [Director of Aquatics and Kearsney first team coach, Nick Rodda] and I coach, and our approach to life in general, is that you build boys to where you want them to go.
“You can’t just take a boy who is good, but who doesn’t have the mental strength to play first team and can’t understand the pressure, and then throw him into the first team, and expect him to do well.
“If you take a Grade 9 that has that mental strength, the physical strength, and that drive to play and win, you are setting up the first team for the next three years to do really well.”
That philosophy has served Kearsney exceptionally well, with the school enjoying a highly successful run under the guidance of Nick Rodda, who represented the South African water polo team at the Tokyo Olympics.
While the first team has made its presence felt, winning the Reef Cup in March 2024, the Saints Invitational in October of that year, and the overall KZN Top 10 title in both 2024 and 2025 (they finished one point behind the winner, Hilton College, in 2026), the school’s junior ranks have quietly built an impressive legacy of their own.
Chelci Rodda has been central to that success, guiding the same group of players from under-14 in 2025 to under-15 in 2026.
The results have been remarkable. Across those two seasons, Kearsney collected eight tournament titles, regularly overcoming some of the country’s strongest water polo-playing schools, including Bishops, Rondebosch Boys’ High, SACS, Wynberg Boys’ High, St John’s College, St Stithians, Hilton College, and Clifton College.
In 2025, they played 33 matches, winning 28, drawing one, and losing only four.
Their first success came at the Curro Under-15 Tournament, where they were the only under-14 side in the competition. They followed that up by winning the Rondebosch Boys’ High Under-14 Water Polo Tournament, beating SACS 8-5 in the final.
At the Hilton College Under-14 Water Polo Tournament, they defeated another Western Cape powerhouse, Rondebosch, 7-5 in the final.
If 2025 was impressive, 2026 proved even better. Kearsney put together a 30-match unbeaten run, collecting several major titles along the way.
In February, they won the Dallas Hutton Under-15 Water Polo Tournament at Northwood, beating Grey College 8-5 in the final.
At the beginning of March, they captured the Indigo Cup at Parktown Boys’ High, claiming the title for the second time in three years.
Their route to the trophy included victories over Maritzburg College, Pretoria Boys High, St David’s Marist Inanda, Jeppe, St Benedict’s, SACS, Michaelhouse, and Hilton College. They defeated Hilton 8-5 in the final, although a 5-5 draw against St Stithians provided a reminder that their progress was not always straightforward.
In September, in a competition featuring 20 of the best teams in the country, Kearsney achieved another significant milestone, becoming the first KwaZulu-Natal school to win the Ian Melliar Cup at Wynberg Boys’ High.
Kearsney defeated St Stithians, the team that had held them to a draw at the Indigo Cup, 7-4, in the quarter-finals before producing an outstanding performance against Bishops in the semi-finals. They raced into a 6-1 lead after the opening chukka and went on to secure an emphatic 15-9 victory.
In the final, they again made a fast start, leading Wynberg 4-1 after the first chukka before completing a convincing 12-6 triumph.
Hilton finished third, beating Bishops 12-8 in the bronze-medal playoff.
Back home, next added the KZN Top 10 title. It was a particularly satisfying achievement, ending an 18-year wait for Kearsney to win the under-15 competition.
Their Jack Russell spirit was arguably even more evident at the Nick Rey U16 Water Polo Tournament at Durban High School (DHS).
Playing against older opposition, Kearsney found themselves three goals behind Clifton with just 90 seconds remaining in the final. Refusing to concede, they struck three times, including twice in the final 45 seconds, to force a 7-7 draw.
They then held their nerve in the penalty shootout, winning 3-2 to claim another title.
Along the way, they also recorded victories over Jeppe, Affies, St John’s, Thomas More, DHS, St Charles, and St Stithians.
Their versatility was further highlighted at the Northwood Stayer Water Polo Tournament in mid-October. Seven members of the under-15 squad stepped up to help Kearsney’s first team finish as the runner-up, despite competing against under-17 opposition.
For Rodda, that successful transition reflects the close relationship between the junior and senior programmes.
“Nick and I both coach very similarly. We both have the same approach to dealing with the boys. That’s why, when the boys go to the first team, they fit in so well with Nick’s coaching and expectations,” she explained.
She believes the under-14 and under-15 age groups are among the most challenging to coach because the responsibility extends well beyond teaching the technical and tactical aspects of water polo.
Under-14 players, in particular, are adjusting to a new school environment and finding their feet.
“They are new in the school, and they’re out of their depth, and don’t know where they fit in. You have to be their support, help them, and build a relationship with them,” she said.
“You have to build a relationship with them, where you can get when they are having a bad day, or something is off, and you can deal with that.”
Kearsney’s two-year coaching rotation helps create that continuity, with the coach moving up with the same group from under-14 to under-15.
“At Kearsney, we do a two-year rotation. You go with the team from under-14 up to under-15. That helps nurture that relationship and helps to create that bond,” Rodda said.
Despite the extraordinary success, she is equally keen to ensure the players retain their enjoyment of the game.
“It’s not always about winning. Yes, we have done extremely well, but, like I told my boys, if we don’t win a game or a tournament, it’s not the end of the world.
“I want them to enjoy the game, enjoy playing, and enjoy the team that they have with them. I think that’s very important.”
There is also a personal commitment behind the success. Rodda has continued to devote herself to coaching while juggling the demands of family life, with a baby and another daughter at home.
“It has been a bit harder because I have a baby now and another daughter. Coaching with the two of them has been complicated. However, I still love it. It is still one of my big passions,” she said.
“I love coaching. I really enjoy it. I don’t think I’ll stop any time soon.”