Our U19A boys and girls travelled to the Oakhill Open Water Festival in Knysna for the fourth consecutive time last weekend. It is a special experience for the players and they can count themselves truly blessed to have reaped such a spectacular reward for all their hard efforts in training and their commitment to the sport.

The festival takes place over four days in two constructed pools in the Knysna harbour, making for a truly unique experience. It is a festival rather than a tournament and so the atmosphere is one of great camaraderie and friendship amongst the teams, an ethos that is strongly emphasised by the organisers. Nevertheless it is pleasant to report that the boys won all seven of their matches by considerable margins (every outfield player scored at least one goal) and the girls also performed fantastically to dominate all but one of their seven matches.

Christopher Timm was voted as the best boys’ goalkeeper of the festival and Winona Autagavaia was the top goal scorer in the girls' division. The Pinelands players did us proud with their flawless manners, admirable sportsmanship, fervent spirit and irrepressible charisma.

Christopher Timm (Best Boys’ Goalkeeper) and Winona Autagavaia (Top Goal Scorer)