There were six Varsity Hockey stars in the SA Women’s hockey side that claimed the Bronze medal at the Champions Challenge in Glasgow last week.
In a gruelling tournament which saw the teams play six Test matches in eight days the SA side secured third place with a late goal against Spain after they had been desperately unlucky to lose their semifinal 2-1 to Ireland.
Ilse Davids, who was part of the Maties side that took the inaugural Varsity Hockey title last year, said that the bronze medal was definitely the highlight of her international career.
“It is the first Champions Challenge medal we have won since I joined the team, so it was really great,” she told varsitysportssa.com.
Davids was joined in the team by fellow Maties ace Quinita Bobbs, UJ captain Beradette Coston and the NWU-Pukke trio of Anel van Deventer, Celia Evans and Sulette Damons.
She said that playing in the Varsity Hockey tournament last year had given them a serious competitive edge, as they have all cemented themselves in the national squad.
“Varsity Hockey is fantastic, I was chatting to the girls in the team and it definitely stregthens your hockey because it is so competitive,” she explained.
Davids added that although the men’s turn this year, she wishes that they could play both at the same time as the tournament had such a positive influence last year.
“It would be great if they could have men’s and women’s Varsity Hockey running at the same time, it is such a great tournament,” she said.
Davids will be in the stands in Stellenbosch to cheer on the Maties team on their home leg of the tournament and will be in action herself as Maties clash with Cape rivals UCT in league action on Friday night.
“We are playing UCT on Friday night and then we will definitely all be out there on Saturday to cheer the guys on. There has been a lot of work that has gone into it and I am sure it will go well this weekend,” she said.
