The finalists have been confirmed at the SA Hockey IPT B Section following a decisive fourth day at The Hockey Farm in Emalahleni.
North West B and SACD will contest the women’s final after convincing semi-final victories, while North West and the SG Nuggets secured the top two positions in the men’s competition to set up a repeat meeting on Day Five. For all four finalists, one victory now separates them from promotion to the 2027 SA Hockey IPT A Section.
North West B continued their unbeaten women’s campaign with a 5–0 semi-final victory over the KZN Mynahs, although the scoreline only told part of the story.Having lost by the same margin during the group phase, the Mynahs kept North West scoreless throughout the opening half. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 31st minute when Irene Strydom opened the scoring.
Marika Neethling doubled the advantage in the 44th minute before North West pulled away in the final quarter. Ahlumile Moni added the third in the 47th minute, Chanel Genis struck in the 51st and Dinelle van Jaarsveld completed the scoring two minutes later. Five different goalscorers contributed to a fourth successive victory for North West B, who head into the final having scored 15 goals and conceded just once.
SACD booked their place alongside them with a 3–0 victory over hosts Mpumalanga in the second semi-final. Chenelle Roux gave the Country Districts side an early advantage with a ninth-minute opener. Nabeelah Bodenham extended the lead in the 20th minute, leaving Mpumalanga with a two-goal deficit at the interval.
Jayda van Antwerp added SACD’s third in the 45th minute to put the result beyond doubt and secure a return meeting with North West B. The final offers SACD an opportunity to reverse their 3–1 defeat during the group phase, while North West B will look to complete a perfect tournament with the title and promotion.
In the men’s competition, the SG Nuggets began their double-header with a narrow 2–1 victory over the KZN Mynahs, securing their place in the final. Reza Rosenberg opened the scoring in the 27th minute to give the Nuggets a half-time lead. The Mynahs responded through Tyrone Laaks in the 45th minute, bringing the teams level heading into the final quarter.
Clayton Tait provided the decisive moment in the 52nd minute, restoring the Nuggets’ advantage and securing their third successive victory, each by a single goal.
SACD then produced a remarkable turnaround against Mpumalanga, recovering from two goals down to win 5–2 and finish third in the group. The hosts made a flying start as Van Sittert Wehann scored in the fourth and ninth minutes to establish an early two-goal cushion.
Vaughn van Reenen began the SACD comeback in the 27th minute, reducing the deficit before half-time. Gertian van der Linde equalised in the 33rd minute before Vaughn van Reenen completed his brace two minutes later, putting the Country Districts side ahead for the first time.
Grant Prins extended the advantage in the 45th minute, and Jonathan Ting-Chong rounded off the scoring in the 59th as SACD celebrated their first victory of the tournament.
The final men’s encounter brought together the two confirmed finalists, with North West defeating the SG Nuggets 3–0 to finish the group phase unbeaten and in first place.
Declan Erens opened the scoring in the seventh minute before Ryan Venter doubled the lead in the 24th. Juan Martin added the third in the 47th minute to complete an impressive result ahead of the teams’ title decider.
North West finished with ten points, one ahead of the Nuggets. SACD ended third with five points, followed by the KZN Mynahs on four and Mpumalanga without a point.
Thursday’s result gives North West the advantage of a convincing win over their final opponents, but the Nuggets have already demonstrated their ability to find decisive goals in tight contests. On Day Five, the group standings count for nothing as the top two meet again with promotion on the line.
After four days of competition, the stage is set. Two titles, two promotion places and one final opportunity to take the next step await at The Hockey Farm.
SA Hockey IPT B Section – Day 4 Results
SA Hockey IPT B Section – Day 5 Fixtures
10:00 – Women Bronze Medal – Mpumalanga vs. KZN Mynahs
12:00 – Men Bronze Medal – SACD vs. KZN Mynahs
14:00 – Womens Final – SACD vs. North West B
16:00 – Mens Final – SG Nuggets vs. North West
