Following a thrilling series of pool stage matches, multiple teams emerged as title contenders on Monday by securing their places in the semi-finals at the U-16 SASHOC (SA Schools Hockey) Nationals tournament in Bloemfontein.

In the opening round, Southern Gauteng won all five of their matches in the Girls A-section, finishing top of Pool A, while Boland reached the summit of Pool B.

Boland were set to face Western Province in the penultimate round on Tuesday, and Southern Gauteng were gearing up for a clash against Southern Free State, after the host province edged KZN Coastals on goal difference to snatch a coveted spot in the last four.

In the Boys’ A-section, Southern Gauteng (Pool A) and Western Province (Pool B) went unbeaten to finish the first round at the top of their groups.

Southern Gauteng set up a semi-final fixture against KZN Inland, while Western Province were scheduled to meet Boland, as all four teams kept their title hopes alive.

Meanwhile, the B-section competitions also progressed to the playoff stages after some hard-fought pool contests.

Limpopo were set to face Western Province and KZN Inland were up against Northern Gauteng in the girls’ semi-finals.

Northern Gauteng were set to meet Boland and Eastern Province were facing Eastern Gauteng for a place in the boys’ final.

Following the conclusion of the U-18 and U-13 SASHOC Nationals, the annual schools hockey festival is preparing for an exciting final day of action on Wednesday, with the U-16 tournament finals bringing the inter-provincial series to a close.

All the action between South Africa’s top young hockey players can be watched live on the SuperSport Schools app.