Port Elizabeth plays host to the five-day annual inter-provincial team squash championships from Monday 9th-Friday, 13th July, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the 5th consecutive year.
The Jarvis and Kaplan Cups were both inaugurated in 1960 but at different venues. The Kaplan Cup was donated by Dorothy Kaplan, wife of Cecil Kaplan, a “Springbok” player.
From one section, the event grew to include a B section, which plays for the Ransom Trophy. At one stage the entries were such that there was a need for the C section which competed for the Silver trophy.
2007 sees six teams in the A section with 10 in the B section.In the past decade the Kaplan Cup has been dominated by Western Province and Gauteng with Western Province victorious in 2000, 2001 followed by 3 consecutive wins from 2004.
Gauteng’s wins were in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2003 while Easterns registered their first and, so far, only triumph in 1999.
Competition will be knife edged this year with National champion, Tenille Swartz, having moved to Western Province where together with Karen van der Westhuizen, Siyole Lusaseni, National under 19 champion, Milnay Louw, and Sacha West, she hopes to add to their string of victories and justify their number 1 slot.
Second seed is Northerns spearheaded by Farrah Fenner and Vivienne Doeg, with Sonia Pinter, Cara Willoughby and Sonika Fritz completing the line-up. Gauteng sees Diana Argyle, Claire Nitch, former 9 times winner of the national title, Adel Weir, Mary Ann Boden and Sharon Le Roux doing battle.
Easterns have sprung a surprise with the inclusion of Annalize Naude, now based in the Netherlands. Naude, a former graduate of RAU University, is ranked 17 in the world and should have the measure of the other number 1 players. Often sporting pink, orange or red hair depending on her mood, her presence will definitely provide the interest.
Experienced Angie Clifton-Parks slots in at 2 followed by Nicola Helwick, (who wore Western Province colours for the past few year), Lindy Jordaan, Susan Tricker and Michele Kohne. Kwa-Zulu Natal and the home province, Eastern Province fill the fifth and sixth seeded positions.
This year sees two mother/daughter combinations with Marianne Baptista and daughter Robyn in Northerns colours and Celeste Tucker with daughter Cheyna playing for Gauteng.16-year-old-Cheyna has been selected to represent South Africa at the Junior Women’s World Individual and Team championships in Hong Kong from 1st -11th August.
Robyn, who has just annexed the National number 1 ranking at the S A Schools Under 16 inter-provincial championships in Bloemfontein, will accompany the team to play in the Individual Championships.
A factor which in some ways is perturbing is that there are a number of 40 + women players but Angie Clifton-Parks (E), the World Masters 40-44 champion is ranked 5 in the country: Vivienne Doeg (N) (7), Leora Greenwood (Kzn) (9), Sonia Pinter (N) (11), Sharon Le Roux (G) (19) .
On the balancing side there is an increased number of under 19 players : Milnay Louw (WP), the number 1 player to represent South Africa in Hong Kong; Christine Ferreira, Isabel Lamprechts (FS) ; Cheyna Tucker (G), Robyn Baptista (N); Maxine Windelberg (Midlands), Simone Sahd (Bor) wearing senior provincial colours.
The A section will play a round robin format while the B section is divided into two pools of five with crossover and then positional play-offs. Londt Park and Westview clubs are the two venues with morning and afternoon sessions.
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