Mossel Bay – A week of top-class squash awaits when South Africa’s leading players gather in Mossel Bay, Western Cape, for the 66th Growthpoint Jarvis-Kaplan interprovincial tournament from July 6 to 10.
The prestigious team event will be hosted in the Garden Route district for the first time, with tournament director and SA Country Districts captain JP Brits expecting an exciting battle for the country’s premier provincial honours.
The Capital Fruit SACD men’s and women’s A teams return as defending champions after lifting the Jarvis and Kaplan Cup trophies in Gqeberha last year.
The men will be chasing a remarkable sixth consecutive title, while the women are aiming to claim the Kaplan Cup for the seventh time.
Despite their impressive recent record, Brits expects another fiercely contested tournament, with Northerns, Western Province and Joburg Squash all capable of mounting serious title challenges.
“SACD are looking forward to a real challenge, and it is always a great week when the competition for the trophies is close,” Brits said.
“We have another strong men’s team, led by South Africa’s No 1, Dewald van Niekerk, although there are a few changes in the order this year.
“Northerns will be a major threat with brothers Damian and Luhann Groenewald occupying the top two positions and promising young Judah Phillips in their line-up. Western Province are also dangerous with the experienced Ruan Olivier at No 1, which gives them plenty of strength.”
Brits believes the women’s Kaplan Cup competition will be just as competitive.
SACD A will rely on the experience of Lizelle Muller, Alexa Pienaar and Keschia Schlebusch, while the younger Bianke Pienaar and Chante Leppan will have the opportunity to prove themselves on one of the country’s biggest stages.
“We have two young players at the bottom of our order, and it will be a good test to see how they handle the pressure of Kaplan Cup competition,” said Brits.
“Again, Northerns will be very strong with Helena Hudson at No 1, and they have actually been seeded first, ahead of us.”
Brits said hosting the tournament marked an important milestone for the region, with SA Country Districts last staging the event in Potchefstroom in 2015.
“After moving to Mossel Bay about two-and-a-half years ago, I felt bringing the tournament here would benefit the local community, so we applied and were delighted when our bid was successful,” Brits said.
“Thanks to Access Courts we have been able to install an all-glass court in the Town Hall, which will serve as the showcase venue throughout the week, while the permanent facilities in Mossel Bay are also excellent.
“The local municipality has been fantastic in supporting the event, and we’re looking forward to welcoming players from around the country for what promises to be an outstanding week of squash.”
The A section teams are:
Women: 1 Northerns A, 2 Capital Fruit SACD A, 3 Joburg Squash A, 4 Western Province A, 5 Capital Fruit SACD B.
Men: 1 Capital Fruit SACD A, 2 Northerns A, 3 Western Province A, 4 Joburg Squash A, 5 Eastern Province A, 6 Capital Fruit SACD B.
