By Johnathan Paoli
Bishops Diocesan College has successfully defended their King Edward VII School (KES) Water Polo Tournament title on Sunday, overcoming a spirited challenge from St David’s Marist Inanda to secure a 12-8 victory in a pulsating final in Johannesburg.
Bishops captain James Malan lifted the trophy for a second consecutive year on Sunday, confident in his team’s abilities.
“We are just a team that’s hungry for success. We have worked so hard for this moment. We’ve been training since 4 January, and that’s the earliest we’ve ever had pre-season,” Malan said.
The Cape Town outfit capped an unbeaten run through the tournament with a composed performance in the title decider, having edged St David’s 9-8 in a tightly contested group-stage encounter earlier in the competition.
From the outset, the final lived up to expectations.
Spectators packed into the centre at the King Edward VII school, were treated to an intense, high-quality contest between two well-drilled sides who had navigated difficult semifinal clashes to reach the showpiece match.
Bishops shaded the opening exchanges and went into halftime with a 7-5 lead.
Tim Young, Ryan Dales and Jack Grout each found the back of the net, while Harry Ford and Matt Fenn struck braces to give the defending champions a narrow cushion.
St David’s, however, refused to yield.
PHOTO: Bishops Diocesan College Facebook page/Supplied
Matthew Peacock, Connor McJannet, David Latilla-Campbell, Cooper Haworth and Giorgio Ferreira kept the Johannesburg side firmly in the contest, matching Bishops stroke for stroke in a gripping first half.
In the third chukka, Bishops began to assert greater control, outscoring their opponents three goals to two to extend their advantage.
The Capetonians then turned the screw in the final quarter, managing the tempo effectively before sealing the result late on when Ford completed his hat-trick.
Danilo Giuricich added a consolation goal for St David’s, but the outcome was beyond doubt.
The triumph adds to an already impressive start to the season for Bishops, who have also claimed the South African College High School (SACS) Shield and the Nite Series titles, underlining their status as one of the country’s premier schoolboy water polo sides.
“Just to get the result means the world to us. All the matrics, it’s our last one, and we have a goal to win everything this year, and so far, we are on track,” Malan said.
Bishops topped Pool A without suffering a defeat, before dispatching Hilton College 9-3 in the quarterfinals.
A high-scoring semifinal against SACS followed, with Bishops prevailing 13-11 in a thrilling encounter to book their place in the decider.
St David’s route to the final was equally dramatic.
They defeated Rondebosch Boys’ High School 11-5 in the quarterfinals, before edging Kearsney College in a tense semifinal that ended 8-8 in regulation time.
The Johannesburg side advanced after winning the penalty shootout 3-1, setting up a much-anticipated rematch with Bishops.
Reflecting on his team’s sustained success, Malan credited the culture within the squad as a defining factor.
“We have a really good team culture. We’re just mates with each other. It doesn’t matter if a guy is in grade 10 or 12. Those friendships bind us together in and out of the pool, and I think that’s what makes this team so good,” he explained.
In the third-place playoff, SACS drew 7-7 with Kearsney before clinching victory in a 3-2 shootout.
Other notable Day 3 results included St John’s College defeating St Andrew’s College 4-1 and Rondebosch Boys’ High School overcoming Hilton College 7-4.
Bishops finished top of the final standings, followed by St David’s, SACS and Kearsney College.
The KES Water Polo Tournament is a prestigious event that showcases the best water polo-playing boys’ schools in the country.
In 2025, Bishops emerged as the champions after defeating Hilton College in a penalty shootout.
With their second consecutive title win, Bishops will look to extend their winning run when they return to action at the upcoming Mazinter Cup later in the year.
PHOTO: Bishops Diocesan College Facebook page/Supplied
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