20 years in the making: Kearsney’s U15A claims Ian Melliar Tournament title

Kearsney's victorious U15 water polo team, with manager Manzini Zungu and coach Chelci Rodda.

Kearsney College’s U15A water polo team made history by becoming the first KwaZulu-Natal school to win the prestigious Ian Melliar U15 Water Polo Tournament in its 20-year history. Hosted annually by Wynberg Boys’ High School in Cape Town, the tournament attracts some of the country’s leading U15 water polo teams.

Displaying some outstanding performances and resilience in two penalty shoot-outs, Kearsney faced a demanding weekend of high-level competition, against 20 of the strongest school water polo teams..

The tournament got off to a challenging start for Kearsney. After an early flight to Cape Town, the team had just an hour after landing before taking to the pool against Rondebosch Boys’ High. Despite the difficult circumstances, Kearsney fought to an 11-11 draw, with the match going straight to a sudden-death penalty shoot-out. Kearsney lost 0-1 on penalties.

The team responded strongly in the remainder of the group stages, winning their next three matches against St John’s (7-4), SACS (7-5) and Grey High (10-4). Finishing second in their group meant Kearsney had to take the longer route to the quarter-finals, facing St David’s in a crossover match. Kearsney secured a 7-4 victory to book their place in the quarter-finals.

The quarter-final against St Stithians was another dramatic encounter. Kearsney found themselves trailing for much of the match and were 7-9 down with just two minutes remaining. Showing tremendous composure under pressure, the team fought back to level the match at 9-9 and force yet another penalty shoot-out. This time, Kearsney held their nerve, winning the shoot-out and advancing to the semi-finals.

In the semis, Kearsney faced one of the tournament favourites, Bishops. The team produced an exceptional opening quarter, racing into a 6-1 lead. Despite Bishops’ efforts to fight their way back into the contest, Kearsney controlled the remainder of the match and secured an impressive 15-9 victory to earn a place in the final.

The final saw Kearsney take on hosts Wynberg Boys’ High, with the home crowd firmly behind the Cape Town side. Kearsney once again demonstrated their ability to perform under pressure, establishing a 4-1 lead by the end of the first quarter. The team continued to control the match throughout, with Wynberg unable to close the deficit. Kearsney eventually secured a convincing 12-6 victory, to claim the title.

Kearsney’s success was also reflected in three individual awards: Cai Terblanche was awarded Most Valuable Player of the Tournament; whilst Kai and Blake Gaines were selected for the Tournament Team.

Tournament Results
Pool games:
• Kearsney lost to Rondebosch 11-11 on penalties
• Kearsney beat St John’s 7-4
• Kearsney beat SACS 7-5
• Kearsney beat Grey High 10-4
• Kearsney beat St David’s 7-4 in crossover match

Quarter-final: Kearsney beat St Stithians 9-9 on penalties

Semi-final: Kearsney beat Bishops 15-9 

Final: Kearsney beat Wynberg 12-6