The football teams of Cloetesville and Luckhoff High Schools emerged victorious at Saturday’s Stellenbosch High Schools Cup finals held at Coetzenburg Athletics Stadium. Cloetesville High claimed first place in the girls under-19 and boys under-19 finals, while Luckhoff High School walked away with the boys under-17 title.
In the under-17 boys final, Luckhoff High trounced Makapula High School by 6 goals to 1, with Deano van Rooyen and Ashley du Preez both scoring two goals each. In the under-19 division, Cloetesville High School illustrated their dominance on the pitch. The Cloetesville High under-19 girls team started the winning streak, emerging 3-1 victors over Luckhoff High. In the main match of the day, the under-19 boys final, Cloetesville High faced Luckhoff again, this time scoring a 4-0 win, with a trio of goals by the impressive Curwin Williams.
The tournament – which was launched on 4 September this year – pitted the leading high school football teams from the Stellenbosch area against each other in the contest to claim top honours. Schools which participated in the tournament this year included Luckhoff High School, Cloetesville High School, Makapula High School, Kayamandi High School, Hottentots Holland High School, Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenzicht High School and Kylemore High School.
The tournament forms part of a Football Development Programme, led by Stellenbosch University (SU), which aims to invest in the development of football skills within the communities surrounding Stellenbosch, and to create an elite football environment at the University. “We are committed to investing in the communities surrounding our campus, and we are excited by the immense talent of the football players in these communities,” says Professor Julian Smith, Vice Rector: Community Interaction and Personnel at SU.
“Our aim is to build the SU Football Programme into the leading football development programme in South Africa. I am confident that we are more than capable in this regard, given our world class facilities, expertise in the field of sport science and our geographical location,” says Professor Leopoldt van Huyssteen, Head: Operations at SU.
Ms Anita Nel, Senior Director: Innovation and Business Development at SU and CEO of Innovus, the SU’s industry interaction and innovation company, says: “We are serious about football. We are proud to be able to play a role in the development of this popular sport and support the creation of future football stars.”
The huge success of the Stellenbosch High Schools Cup - held for the first time this year - is testament to the immense football talent and enthusiasm for the sport that exists in the area. With the backing of the SU Football Development Programme, the sport is set to grow even further in stature and popularity. For more information, visit
www.stellenboschfootball.co.za 
