Hockey interprovincial tournaments provide thrilling World Cup audition

The 2026 Hockey Interprovincial Tournament (IPT) came to a close at the University of Johannesburg on Saturday, 9 May with two gripping finals underpinned by a week of elite hockey.

Despite the biting cold supporters packed the stands to watch some of the country’s best players battle it out on the pitch.

The men’s final was one of the matches of the tournament as Western Province survived a fierce Southern Gauteng comeback to retain their title after a dramatic shootout.

The women’s final was just as intense, with Southern Gauteng edging Northerns Blue in a tightly contested Gauteng derby by scoring the only two goals of the final in the fourth quarter to secure their first national title since 2021.

“The hockey was as good as it’s been in a while just based on the quality of players that we’ve had available now,” said Inky Zondi, the South African women’s head coach.

Usually staged towards the end of the year, this year’s IPTs were moved earlier to help national coaches and selectors in the run-up to the Hockey World Cup in August.

“The reason it was at this time [of year] was for the national selection panel to have a look at the group that we’ve been working with as well as any incoming players,” Zondi said.

Key selection battleground

It gave the selectors and coaches an opportunity to assess general form and tactical ability as well as who could cope with the pressure in a physically and mentally demanding week, he added.

“The players who could produce moments and create impact on their team environment, given whatever their team was trying to achieve, whether that’s a playoff or a match that gets you a certain type of game the next day.”

Such scrutiny was placed on the performances at the IPTs because the women’s squad in particular is entering something of a transition period ahead of the World Cup.

Several experienced players have moved on, opening the door for newer talent to step in.

Veteran midfielder Kristen Paton, for example, who boasts 80 caps, recently announced her retirement, while long-serving captain Quanita Bobbs has not featured for the national side since the African Hockey Cup of Nations last year and might not for the World Cup.

“Now we can reinvent ourselves, because generally what happens is, over time, the longer players become personalities in teams and you create teams around those people,” Zondi said. “It’s an opportunity for new players to step into that and for us to rework that mantra.”

The IPTs provided a glimpse into that next generation.

Southern Gauteng striker Bianca Wood finished as the women’s top scorer with five goals, while Paris-Gail Isaacs played a pivotal role in Southern Gauteng’s title-winning campaign and was named player of the tournament.

Northerns Blues midfielder Baylee Engelke earned the young player award after an energetic tournament.

Zondi also highlighted the performances of the goalkeepers, particularly Western Province’s Marlise van Tonder, who excelled under immense pressure in two penalty shootouts and was named goalkeeper of the tournament.

“The performances of the goalkeepers in the last two days in the shootouts were also encouraging because it’s a key part of the game,” he said.

On the men’s side, several established national players impressed, including Brett Horn, Sihle Ngubane, Jethro Eustice and Dalpiarro Langford.

Mustapha and Dayaan Cassiem, South Africa’s powerhouse hockey duo, were absent due to overseas club commitments, but will be crucial in the men’s pursuit of a meaningful World Cup campaign.

Closing the international gap

Unlike many of the world’s top hockey nations, South Africa’s men and women remain amateur set-ups. Most players balance hockey with work or studies, while international opponents compete professionally year-round.

“At the moment, we know we’re not the most experienced, but we’re really excited about the opportunity to show what we can do on the international stage,” Zondi said.

“We’re not going there to make up the numbers.”

For Zondi, the biggest obstacle is not talent, but resources.

“The biggest thing we’ve known and noticed is [that] in order to support performance at the elite level, you need resources. You need funding and structures that create a sustainable platform for performance to happen over periods of time,” he said. “And it simply is too challenging without that.

“If you look at the men’s team, for example, we have a plethora of players playing overseas who are adding extreme value to high-value teams and leagues all over the world. They get to do that because they are supported financially.”

Turning to the World Cup

The women’s side will now enter a final preparation phase before the World Cup. A national camp and internal squad series are planned to further assess competitiveness before the squad is trimmed down.

The team is also hoping to play Namibia before travelling to Europe for additional preparation matches before the tournament.

The men will receive crucial international exposure when South Africa hosts the FIH Nations Cup from 11 to 20 June. Victory for South Africa, like they did in 2022, would secure promotion to the Pro League.

Assuming the federation can scrounge up the money, this would be a significant step towards regular competition against the world’s best sides.

“The thing I’m certain about is that we will have a competitive team,” Zondi said. “We may not be the team we were two years ago just because we’ve lost many senior players, but our journey has been clear for us to develop a style of play that matches the skills of our players.

“A competition like the World Cup is not just a chance for us to try and play against the best teams in the world, but for us to make sure we firmly put ourselves in stature among the global hockey ranking.”

The Hockey World Cup takes place in the Netherlands and Belgium from 15 to 30 August. DM