Video
GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - A week of top-class squash awaits when South Africa’s leading players gather in Mossel Bay for the 66th Growthpoint Jarvis-Kaplan interprovincial tournament from 6 - 10 July.
Spectators will also have the chance to view some of the action on an all-glass court installed in the Mossel Bay Town Hall.
The prestigious team event will be hosted in the Garden Route district for the first time, with tournament director and SA Country Districts (SACD) captain JP Brits expecting an exciting battle for the country’s premier provincial honours.
Matches will be played in Mossel Bay, Great Brak River and George. More than 200 players - including teams from Zimbabwe and Namibia - are expected to compete, and spectators are invited to attend free of charge.
VIDEO: Brits shows off the all-glass court in Mossel Bay while setting up
Video: Linzetta Calitz
On the local front, the Garden Route has quite a few names in the SACD teams that supporters can be on the lookout for, including: Brits (Mossel Bay), Hanrie Duits (Great Brak River), Leandri van Onselen (Mossel Bay), Christian Swanepoel (George), Ian de Jager (George), Oz Campbell (Knysna), Mikhail Schabort (George), Ross Smorfitt (George), Luan van Zyl (Mossel Bay), Ruan Botha (George) and Janré Olivier (Mossel Bay).
For the full programme, click HERE.
The Capital Fruit SACD men’s and women’s A teams return as defending champions after lifting the Jarvis and Kaplan Cup trophies in Gqeberha last year. The men will be chasing a sixth consecutive title, while the women are aiming to claim the Kaplan Cup for the seventh time.
Despite their impressive recent record, Brits, expects another fiercely contested tournament, with Northerns, Western Province and Joburg Squash all capable of mounting serious title challenges.
“SACD are looking forward to a real challenge and it is always a great week when the competition for the trophies is close,” he said.
“We have another strong men’s team, led by South Africa’s number one, Dewald van Niekerk, although there are a few changes in the order this year.
“Northerns will be a major threat with brothers Damian and Luhann Groenewald occupying the top two positions and promising young Judah Phillips in their line-up. Western Province are also dangerous with the experienced Ruan Olivier at one, which gives them plenty of strength.”
Brits believes the women’s Kaplan Cup competition will be just as competitive.
SACD A will rely on the experience of Lizelle Muller, Alexa Pienaar and Keschia Schlebusch, while the younger Bianke Pienaar and Chante Leppan will have the opportunity to prove themselves on one of the country’s biggest stages.
“We have two young players at the bottom of our order and it will be a good test to see how they handle the pressure of Kaplan Cup competition,” said Brits.
“Again, Northerns will be very strong with Helena Hudson at number one and they have actually been seeded first, ahead of us.”
Brits said hosting the tournament marked an important milestone for the region. “After moving to Mossel Bay about two-and-a-half years ago, I felt bringing the tournament here would benefit the local community, so we applied and were delighted when our bid was successful,” he said.
The all-glass court will serve as the showcase venue throughout the week, while the permanent facilities in Mossel Bay are also excellent.
“The local municipality have been fantastic in supporting the event and we’re looking forward to welcoming players from around the country for what promises to be an outstanding week of squash.”
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
