Woodridge College enjoyed a series of hard-fought encounters on the rugby and hockey fields and the netball court against York High in the annual derby at the Woodridge campus.
The weekend started on Friday afternoon with netball and hockey encounters in which some excellent team and individual skills were on display.
The Woodridge first netball team came up against a powerful York outfit and, after trailing by one goal at the end of the second quarter, upped their game and drew level in the third quarter.
The final quarter was a real tussle, with both teams fighting hard to gain the ascendancy.
York eventually gained the upper hand and won the last quarter to finish 21-17 winners.
Woodridge goal shooters Jemma Lindstrom and Amore Baard had excellent matches, with shooting averages of 88% and 82%, respectively.
The first team boys’ hockey match proved to be a thriller, in which the powerful York team won 5-2, a scoreline that belies the closeness of the encounter.
From the start, Woodridge were under pressure as York gave them no room to move and played at a fast pace.
As the game progressed Woodridge adjusted to the pace, with the second half being closely fought as Tristan Torrance and Benjamin Tyrell scored goals to close the final margin.
More hockey and rugby matches were played in superb weather on Saturday.
The first team girls’ hockey match was an exciting affair in which Woodridge quickly ran up a 3-0 lead.
Thereafter York showed determination and fought back strongly, scoring two goals in quick succession.
The rest of the game saw the teams fighting hard for the ascendancy, with some close encounters in and around the circle.
Woodridge, though, had done enough to clinch the game when the hooter went in an excellent result for the home team.
Tamryn Louw, in particular, shone for Woodridge with some deft stickwork which saw her gain ground for her team at important times during the match.
As always, the perceived success of the derby hinged on the first rugby team result as the players pitted their skills and techniques against each other.
In the first half, Woodridge dominated and at times played scintillating rugby but could not always make use of the opportunities they created.
However, the team were rewarded after orchestrating two excellent plays which resulted in tries by Kuhle Sqwepu and Mbako Gaolathe.
A conversion by Phumelela Mbiza made the halftime score 12-7 to Woodridge.
In the second half Woodridge did not dominate despite playing with a slight wind at their backs, and York took the upper hand by winning possession from the scrums and lineouts and coming tantalisingly close to scoring on numerous occasions.
The determination of Woodridge’s defence kept them out and, often under pressure, they fought back to gain much-needed relief via kicks to touch.
Despite the onslaught, Woodridge remained composed and disciplined and were rewarded with a third try by VanGinkel Venter, which had the home crowd cheering, followed by a conversion and a penalty by Mbiza which took the game out of York’s reach.
The final score of 22-12 in Woodridge’s favour brought the derby day to a fitting end.
After a long, enforced layoff and limited interschools contact, a derby weekend such as this is good for morale and the upliftment of spirits at the respective schools.
All those involved must be commended on the quality of the contests and spirit in which all matches were played — a true example of what sporting talent we have in SA.
Spirit of occasion shines through in thrilling Woodridge-York derby
Hard-fought rugby, hockey and netball matches for both schools
Image: SUPPLIED
Woodridge College enjoyed a series of hard-fought encounters on the rugby and hockey fields and the netball court against York High in the annual derby at the Woodridge campus.
The weekend started on Friday afternoon with netball and hockey encounters in which some excellent team and individual skills were on display.
The Woodridge first netball team came up against a powerful York outfit and, after trailing by one goal at the end of the second quarter, upped their game and drew level in the third quarter.
The final quarter was a real tussle, with both teams fighting hard to gain the ascendancy.
York eventually gained the upper hand and won the last quarter to finish 21-17 winners.
Woodridge goal shooters Jemma Lindstrom and Amore Baard had excellent matches, with shooting averages of 88% and 82%, respectively.
The first team boys’ hockey match proved to be a thriller, in which the powerful York team won 5-2, a scoreline that belies the closeness of the encounter.
From the start, Woodridge were under pressure as York gave them no room to move and played at a fast pace.
As the game progressed Woodridge adjusted to the pace, with the second half being closely fought as Tristan Torrance and Benjamin Tyrell scored goals to close the final margin.
More hockey and rugby matches were played in superb weather on Saturday.
The first team girls’ hockey match was an exciting affair in which Woodridge quickly ran up a 3-0 lead.
Thereafter York showed determination and fought back strongly, scoring two goals in quick succession.
The rest of the game saw the teams fighting hard for the ascendancy, with some close encounters in and around the circle.
Woodridge, though, had done enough to clinch the game when the hooter went in an excellent result for the home team.
Tamryn Louw, in particular, shone for Woodridge with some deft stickwork which saw her gain ground for her team at important times during the match.
As always, the perceived success of the derby hinged on the first rugby team result as the players pitted their skills and techniques against each other.
In the first half, Woodridge dominated and at times played scintillating rugby but could not always make use of the opportunities they created.
However, the team were rewarded after orchestrating two excellent plays which resulted in tries by Kuhle Sqwepu and Mbako Gaolathe.
A conversion by Phumelela Mbiza made the halftime score 12-7 to Woodridge.
In the second half Woodridge did not dominate despite playing with a slight wind at their backs, and York took the upper hand by winning possession from the scrums and lineouts and coming tantalisingly close to scoring on numerous occasions.
The determination of Woodridge’s defence kept them out and, often under pressure, they fought back to gain much-needed relief via kicks to touch.
Despite the onslaught, Woodridge remained composed and disciplined and were rewarded with a third try by VanGinkel Venter, which had the home crowd cheering, followed by a conversion and a penalty by Mbiza which took the game out of York’s reach.
The final score of 22-12 in Woodridge’s favour brought the derby day to a fitting end.
After a long, enforced layoff and limited interschools contact, a derby weekend such as this is good for morale and the upliftment of spirits at the respective schools.
All those involved must be commended on the quality of the contests and spirit in which all matches were played — a true example of what sporting talent we have in SA.
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