Hockey: Coach Pierre le Roux knew his men's hockey first team of young players were not going to have it all their own way, but is still disappointed that they didn't manage to defend their title at the national Champion of Champions title in Port Elizabeth at the end of September. As they did in the Western Province league, UCT went up against vastly more experienced sides that included national players fresh off the Athens Olympics. Alas, UCT bowed out in the semi-finals, where they lost out 2-4 to the Durban Institute of Technology (DIT). Le Roux he believes his side should have beaten DIT (two early concedes put them on the back foot for the rest of the match), and could well have got the upper hand over eventual competition winners the University of Pretoria. Not the desired outcome, but the event has given Le Roux's young wards, many for the first time, a taste of the country's top club contest. "It was a great way to get the guys exposed to the Champs," says Le Roux. "We're in the building stages. We're just hoping to keep building."

The UCT Staff Cricket team will be starting its abbreviated 2004/2005 season of social cricket soon. The team invites staff members and students who have a few hours on the occasional Sunday and fancy themselves a McGrath or a Tendulkar to join up, and call Megan Morris at 650 3735 or e-mail him at memorris@bremner.uct.ac.za. The side will be playing games in Somerset and Strand, among other venues. The UCT cricket club is also toying with the idea of a 20-over social league on Wednesdays - similar to the Pro20 Series - and the staff team would like to include a side in that event as well.