message from the headmaster
Welcome to the 43rd Annual Water Polo Tournament
It is with great pride and pleasure that I welcome all players, coaches, supporters, and spectators to the 43rd Annual King Edward VII School Water Polo Tournament.For more than four decades, King Edward VII School has had the privilege of hosting one of the country’s premier school water polo tournaments. We are proud to continue this longstanding tradition of excellence, competition, and sportsmanship.A defining feature of our tournament is the state-of-the-art Mark Stevens Aquatics Centre, which allows for uninterrupted play regardless of weather conditions. This outstanding facility ensures a safe, professional, and enjoyable environment for all participants and visitors. A new addition to the centre this year is our magnificent scoreboard, which further enhances the experience for players and spectators alike. We extend a special word of thanks to Mark and Lindsey Stevens for their generous and ongoing support of King Edward VII School — their commitment continues to play a significant role in the growth and success of aquatics at KES.We are honoured to host the outstanding schools competing this weekend. Your presence strengthens the quality of the tournament and reflects the shared commitment to excellence that defines school sport at its best.My sincere thanks go to everyone who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this event possible. In particular, I would like to acknowledge:• The dedicated staff of King Edward VII School
• Eugene Marx, Sports Director
• Keenan van Rooyen, Master in Charge of Water Polo
• Ms Derron van Eeden, Event Organiser
•Mr Dion Willis and all referees
• Annè Badenhorst and the First Aid team
• Mr Anthon Keyter and the estate teamWe are deeply grateful to our loyal and generous sponsors. A special word of thanks to Standard Bank, Spur, Opal Sports, Afrihost and Tiger Wheel and Tyre for their valued and continued support. Your contributions play a vital role in the success of this tournament.To all our athletes and visitors, I wish you a memorable and enjoyable weekend. Compete with determination, uphold the highest standards of sportsmanship, and embrace the spirit of camaraderie that makes occasions such as this so special.Let the games begin.David Lovatt
HEADMASTER
message from Standard bank
Standard Bank is proud to once again partner with King Edward VII School to host this exciting tournament. As a bank heavily invested in education in South Africa, we also equally recognise the critical role that sport plays in a well-rounded education and the development of strong character.
Aligned with our core purpose, Africa is our home; we drive her growth, our role in the festival reflects our deep dedication to the growth of our continent and its people, most importantly our youth.
We believe this platform does not only nurture the young people who participate in it but shapes them to be responsible, resilient, and inspired future leaders. That is why we are so passionate about supporting youth development.
Through our collaboration with King Edward VII School, an institution renowned for its distinguished history of excellence, we also recognise that growth is not always easy – it is not linear, but is built through discipline, sacrifice, resilience, and moments of self-belief. And it is strengthened by challenges and carried forward by purpose.
We know that when one young person grows, families grow, communities grow, and our country grows. As we continue to support festivals like this one, we see ourselves as more than just a bank, but a committed partner in a child’s journey to greatness.
Our goal is to unlock opportunities by building strong relationships that enable collective success. Our partnership with King Edward VII School is therefore grounded in a shared belief in excellence, empowerment, and opportunity. This spirit of teamwork and cooperation defines our commitment to you.
To the parents, we want to say to you, thank you for continuously encouraging and supporting your children to be the best they can be in a forever changing world. To the learners, play with passion, lead with integrity, but most importantly, have fun on the field. Know that every match is a chance for you to grow.
We look forward to an incredible tournament of growth and excellence.
Thank you.Tshiamo Molanda
Head, Youth and Mass Market Personal and Private Banking, Standard Bank South Africa
history
THE EDWARDIAN CUP
THE NATIONAL SCHOOLS WATER POLO TOURNAMENT CELEBRATING 42 YEARS
This prestigious event is held every year on the first weekend in March. In the early sixties there was little, or no “official” water polo played at the School. There was, however, a close connection between the School and the Old Edwardian Society Swimming and Water Polo Club. The Old Boys Club was formed in 1935 and for many years used the School pool as their headquarters. They always entered a junior team in the Johannesburg leagues made up entirely of boys from the School. These boys who played in the Old Edwardian's junior teams used to organise games after school galas, much to the consternation of the swimming masters of the time, as “it spoiled their swimming styles”. Springboks such as Leon Nahon, Gary Bonney, Robbie Schwartz, Mike Renwick and Jake Kneebone learned their water polo while at School but playing for the Old Boys.The Society Swimming section has always promoted both junior swimming and junior water polo. In the sixties it was normal for the club chairman, Roley Wright, to manage and swim in a junior league team on Friday nights, and then on Saturday afternoons collect and supervise the juniors for their league game, before proceeding to his own league games. The junior team was virtually the School team, and to improve the standard, Roley Wright introduced a Friday afternoon training session. The training session was soon expanded, and invitations were extended to other local schools to send teams down to Old Eds on Friday afternoons. As a result, matches started being organised. The Friday afternoons became very popular, although most schools could at that stage only field a single team. Some Springbok water polo players were asked to give their time to help with the coaching. Bill Otto, the then Springbok captain, and Jake Kneebone were amongst those that helped.From the Friday afternoon games, the idea of a tournament was mooted, and the first tournament was held shortly thereafter at the Old Eds Pool. Roley Wright served as organiser, coach and referee. The first tournament was a huge success and was won by King Edward. Because of the number of teams entered, the tournament took the whole day and it was obvious that another format was needed. This was done by dividing the tournament into A and B pools and round robins played in each section. For a few years the A section was played at Marist Observatory. Myles Fowlds, another Old Eds player was organiser and referee at Marist Observatory while Roley continued to organise the B section at Old Eds. This change also saw the first presentation of the “Old Edwardian Cup”, the same trophy that teams compete for today. This trophy was largely financed by Roley Wright himself.The game steadily became more popular as a school sport. Some boys who had played water polo at school became teachers and their enthusiasm was contagious and soon schools such as King Edward VII, Parktown, St Stithians and Jeppe were fielding teams in all age groups. The school’s body grew stronger and eventually took over the running of the tournament.Today the King Edward VII School’s tournament is the most prestigious one in the country, hotly contested by the Gauteng founder Schools as well as the Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Border and Free State schools, which are also taking part.Courtesy of Roley Wright, founder of the Edwardian Cup Tournament.
FIXTURES
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PREVIOUS WINNERS
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