Author: Grocott's Mail Contributors

In an action packed weekend of sport, Graeme College enjoyed a dominant showing in the Bailey Cup tennis tournament, while their rugby and hockey sides competed in various fixtures. The Graeme tennis stars lived up to their reputation, winning the Bailey Cup for the fourth year in a row. It was a worthwhile tournament, which had the top two players in the U10, U12, U14, U16 and U18 age groups from Graeme, St Andrew’s, Kingswood and Port Alfred competing. The junior rugby teams enjoyed an unbeaten record over the weekend, with only one draw preventing an all winning weekend against…

Overnight leaders Andrew Hill and Shaun-Nick Bester put the hammer down from the start to surge to stage and overall victory on the final day of the PwC Great Zuurberg Trek mountain-bike race at Addo on Sunday 27 May. The TIB-Silverback-Best4Sport team won their second stage of the three-day event at the Zuurberg Mountain Village just outside Port Elizabeth to take the title in 8:53:46. After a sluggish start to the event, RSA Web’s Stuart Marais and Renay Groustra placed second on today’s 50km stage to rise to fourth in the general classification. Yesterday’s winners, Aiden Connelly and Rogan Smart (Bike…

Sunday, 20 May, saw the end of this summer’s Get Out and Run Trail Run Series. The recent series was created by Kerry Currie and Mark Riley, both local business owners and avid trail runners. The aim of the series was to promote the natural beauty of Grahamstown’s surrounds, and share Makana’s outdoor playground with as many people possible. “Grahamstonians are well acquainted with Mountain Drive and Featherstone Kloof, and these spaces are utilised by hikers, runners, mountain bikers, and recreational motorcyclists. What few people seem to realise, is that if they go just a few kilometres further, there is…

Siya Kolisi will lead the Springboks against England in the forthcoming Castle Lager Incoming Series while Pieter Steph-du Toit has been entrusted with the captaincy for Saturday’s historic Test in Washington against Wales.  Rassie Erasmus, the SA Rugby Director of Rugby, confirmed the two appointments on Monday morning at a media conference at the team hotel in Johannesburg. Erasmus, who took over the coaching reins of the Springboks after his appointment in April, also confirmed the Springboks’ 26 man travelling squad for the Welsh encounter in Washington. The squad members not involved in the Welsh match will stay behind in Johannesburg to continue with…

Rassie Erasmus, the SA Rugby Director of Rugby, has included 17 uncapped players in his first Springbok squad of 43 for the four Tests next month, against Wales in the USA and Castle Lager Incoming Series at home against England. The Bok squad consists of a mixture of exciting new players who have performed well in Vodacom Super Rugby and the Guinness PRO14, combined with a number of experienced stalwarts. The squad consists of 24 forwards and 19 backs and the 26 players with Test experience have a combined total of 627 caps. The 17 uncapped players are Ox Nche…

Grahamstown’s Jason Meaton took home first place in the Zambian Mine2Mine Road Race on Sunday 20 May. Keaton defended his title over the daunting 140km race from Kansanshi Mine to Kalumbila Mine. Meaton won the same race last year when it was 120km in length. He managed to finish the new, extended route in a time of 3:34:03, beating Michael Olokani and Ray Keane in a sprint to the finish. Meaton, who specialises in mountain-biking, said it was a challenge adjusting to the surface. He originally focused on the King of the Mountains title, before he realised that he was in…

The Joza Youth Hub is celebrating its annual Open Day tomorrow (Saturday 26 May), and all the partners who make it possible are working around the clock to make this year’s event the best one yet. The event will take place in Ncame Street, next to Makana Housing Department opposite the Joza Post Office. The Toy Library will organise game activities and open the traffic playground for younger children. The Access Music Project entertain the crowd and offer dance classes, as well as a course for parents in how children can be assisted with their homework. The Joza Reading and Chess…

St Andrew’s College pupils Brendan Mouritzen and Daniel Zahn have both represented the South African Schools Rowing Union on tour to the United Kingdom over the last two weeks. Having trained together over the Easter holidays at Roodeplaat, in Pretoria, the boys competed at both Gauteng Senior Championships and the South African National Championships in preparation for the tour. There, they posted exceptional times over the two kilometres event, qualifying for the final of Men’s A Coxless Pairs racing alongside the best and brightest talent South Africa has to offer. Having departed on 2 May, the boys were based on…

Several of St Andrew’s College hockey teams form part of this year’s Makana hockey league, alongside Kingswood College and Graeme College. The recent matches saw the St Andrew’s U16D’s lose 2-1 to the Kingswood U16C’s in a very close encounter. Graeme College Second Team defeated St Andrew’s Fourth Team 1-0 in another hotly contested match-up. The SAC Second Team continued their winning ways with a 5-0 win over Port Alfred First Team, with Matthew Mackenzie, Jacques Hoefnagels and Warrick Leach making valuable contributions with their effort and skill.

Graeme College’s hockey sides travelled up to East London on Friday 11 May to battle through three very evenly contested fixtures, while the Junior School side took on the SAP Fourth Team. The rugby sides played a full day of fixtures on Saturday 12 May, with the junior sides playing against various schools, while the senior school travelled to Port Rex themselves. In the hockey fixtures, the Graeme U15 side won 1-0, 2nds drew 1-1 and the ist XI won 2-1. At home the Graeme Junior School side won 4-0 against the SAP 4ths. The Graeme junior school sides had a great…