Thirteen North Coast hockey masters have begun their bid for international silverware.
The Masters Hockey World Cup kicked off in Cape Town on Saturday and will continue until next Monday, drawing some of the best over-35 hockey players from across the globe.
It has strong North Coast representation, with eight local players selected to South African teams and five more picked for two International Alliance teams.
Most teams had played two games at the time of print, with our local hopefuls experiencing a mixed bag of results.
The women’s 35 team – which includes Shelley Jones, Rochelle van Staden and Jaclyn Capazario – has been the pick of the bunch so far, delivering two wins from two.
They bested Ireland 2-0 in their opening game before trouncing Australia’s IMC team 8-0 on Sunday, during which Jones got on the score sheet with a goal in the 53rd minute.
Danielle Robert-Hardman and Joanne le Roux have so far claimed one win from two in the women’s 35 IMC team – essentially the ‘B’ team in the age group.
They lost 3-0 to Germany in their opener, before bouncing back to beat France 3-0 in a game in which Robert-Hardman notched her first goal in the 19th minute.
It has been a difficult tournament so far for the women’s 40 team, which includes Genevieve Chisholm and Lauren Glossop, who have so far been unable to register a victory in a strong group.
They lost 2-0 to Argentina, before falling 1-0 to Australia’s IMC team the next morning.
Zenon Jagiela is the sole local male representative in the South African teams and his men’s 35 IMC team have so far scored one draw, a 4-4 thriller against Germany, and a 4-0 loss against the SA men’s 35 team.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Grant Wills and Clyde Milsom have represented the men’s 40 International Alliance team, while Lauren de Klerk, Bronwyn Thorpe and Chantel Robert have turned out for the women’s 40 International Alliance line-up.
The men registered a goalless draw against Kenya, while all four other games played by the International Alliance teams have ended in losses.
Find a full list of results and live scoring at masters.altiusrt.com
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
