Five players that were included in the South African U21 women’s hockey team that will take part in the Junior Africa Cup, were part of the Hoër Meisieskool Oranje and Eunice High School teams in Bloemfontein during their school careers.
The team includes Ane Janse van Vuuren (2022 in Oranje), Germarie Spershott (2023,Oranje), Kayla Swarts (2021 in Eunice ), Lilly-Anne Theron (2023, Eunice) and Taheera Augousti (2023 in Eunice).
South Africa, the defending champions, will head to Namibia from 30 November to 8 December with the goal of qualifying for the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Junior World Cup 2025.
Following a highly competitive run to the semi-finals at the recently completed IPT, the teams has been announced with the ambition of regaining their crown as African champions and securing passage to the FIH Junior World Cup.
The team features four of the Paris 2024 Olympians. Augousti, Mokoena, Swarts and Paris-Gail Isaacs will be looking to bring their Olympic experience to the team and will be central to the goals of success.
There is also a core of the team that represented the country at the FIH Junior World Cup in Chile in 2023 including Jenna Blaauw, Spershott, Rea Phume, Caylin Maree and Katlego Bodibe. Their experience will be pivotal in the South African challenge.
