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www.thevillagenews.co.za
11 November 2020
MY ESPORT
Curro Hermanus esport champions The DeadEnders from Curro Hermanus were the senior Curro Minecraft Esports Competition winners. From left to right are Dewald Liebenberg, Lubin Venter, Malan Liebenberg, David Lindemann and Daniel Manchest. Absent: Matthew Wellington. PHOTO: Curro Hermanus
D
ue to the lockdown regulations over the past few months, schools haven’t been able to continue with sport. So, the private education provider, Curro Holdings, decided to make the best out of a bad situation by forming teams for competitive Minecraft (a video game where one has to build, explore and survive).
edition of Minecraft which is used to help teach science, technology, engineering and maths skills.
The first competition finals (Curro Clash Minecraft Esport League) was held on 11 July this year. Angela Schaerer, the Technology Business Relationships Manager at Curro, says that during lockdown esports became an amazing opportunity because learners couldn’t connect via traditional sports or clubs. According to her, the world of Minecraft has created the perfect digital environment for learners to collaborate and play.
The learners went head-to-head against approximately 70 teams from other Curro schools across South Africa, and they did exceptionally well.
The students are using the education
The second competition finals were held on 30 and 31 October and three of Curro Hermanus’s teams competed: The Ender Gamers (U11), The DeadEnders (U13) and The Hermits (U13).
The Ender Gamers made it all the way through to the finals and secured their spot in second place in their category. Both judges and spectators were wowed by their skill and teamwork throughout the competition. The school’s two U13 teams, The Hermits and The DeadEnders, battled it out against each other in
the quarterfinals, and in the end The DeadEnders went through to the semi-finals where they beat the Sweaty Skeletons from Curro Aurora to reach the finals. They showed wonderful talent and teamwork in the final on Saturday 31 October and beat The Ravens from Curro Durbanville to take home gold in the senior section. We are sure to see these young teams continue to grow and develop in their future competitions. Esports are currently growing in popularity worldwide, and schools like Curro are leading the way in South Africa in terms of computer programming being used for educational purposes as well as esports. Curro Hermanus is so proud of these learners for their dedication and skill, and for being such great ambassadors for the school. Well done!
The Hermits showed wonderful talent and teamwork throughout the competition. From left to right are Joshua Wakeford, Christian Vusindawa, Spencer Whitebooi, Karah Meiring, Juan Bernardu, Mackenzie Lewis, Hanlo van Rensburg and Angelique Hamman. Absent: Jaco Swanepoel. PHOTOS: Supplied
Local teen signs with a professional esports organisation Fifteen-year-old Kai van der Riet, a learner at Generation Schools Hermanus, recently signed as a professional Fortnite player with national esports organisation, The Punishers. Founded by Bruce Wallett (Gogadad) and co-owned by Isabel de Sousa, the esports team is managed by one of South Africa's first big names in Fortnite, James ‘Hutchie OG’ Hutcheson. Kai’s esports journey took off in 2019 when he started playing competitively, his first major tournament being the Schools Cup which was held in Johannesburg. This year, Kai continued honing his Fortnite skills and earned enough in tournament winnings to buy himself a new gaming computer. Kai’s future plans are to complete his IGCSEs at Generation School, and then to attend university to study computer science. The teen’s mother, Barba-
ra, says that if anyone has a child who shows a particular talent in esports and has a chance at success in gaming, it is important for the parents to be fully supportive. “We are very proud of Kai's achievements,” she says. “It takes incredible skill to play Fortnite, and discipline to balance it with schoolwork. We would like to give a big thank you to The Punishers for giving Kai this amazing opportunity." James ‘Hutchie OG’ Hutcheson and well-known player, Bradley ‘Gogabee’ Wallet offer one-on-one Fortnite coaching which can be booked via the team’s website www.the-punishers.com.
Fifteen-year-old Kai van der Riet from Generation Schools Hermanus is an up-and-coming local Fortnite player who recently signed with The Punishers, a South African esport organisation.
PHOTO: Barbara Hayn
The U11 Ender Gamers team from Curro Hermanus secured second place in their category. From left to right are Ryan Beineke, Francois Scholtz, Mason Carolus, Blake Smith, London Sargeant and Noah Lindemann.
