“St Stithians Girls’ Preparatory School, Courtrai Primary School and Helen Frans Special School emerged as champions at the 2026 RCS Rising Star Tennis National Schools Finals in Benoni, highlighting the importance of school-level competition in developing South African tennis talent. The tournament represents an important opportunity to strengthen participation, competitive experience and the development of future players across different school categories.”
South African School Tennis Celebrates Rising Stars as National Championships Showcase 891 Entries
South African school tennis continues to demonstrate encouraging growth following the conclusion of the seventh annual RCS Rising Star Tennis National Schools Finals in Benoni, Gauteng. The championship brought together talented young players from across the country, culminating in victories for St Stithians Girls’ Preparatory School, Courtrai Primary School and Helen Frans Special School.
The three-day national tournament, which concluded on 1 November 2026 at the Gauteng East Tennis Association Complex in Lakefield, Benoni, represented another important milestone for a programme increasingly recognised for expanding access to tennis among primary-school learners and learners at special schools.
The competition featured qualifying school teams and wildcard entrants across four categories, providing a national platform for emerging players to demonstrate their abilities, develop competitive experience and represent their schools and communities.
St Stithians and Courtrai Secure Primary School Titles
St Stithians Girls’ Preparatory School emerged victorious in the primary-school girls’ division, while Courtrai Primary School claimed the boys’ championship.
St Stithians delivered a strong performance in the girls’ final against Laerskool Saamtrek of North West, securing a 2-0 victory to become national champions.
The achievement followed a competitive tournament featuring teams that had progressed through regional and provincial qualification stages. Laerskool Saamtrek also demonstrated impressive determination by reaching the final as ninth seeds after defeating top-seeded Laerskool George-Suid in the semifinals.
In the boys’ division, Courtrai Primary School finished first, followed by Laerskool Mooirivier in second place and Highbury Preparatory School in third.
These results illustrated the competitive depth emerging within South African school tennis, with schools from several provinces contributing to the national championship.
Helen Frans Special School Dominates Wheelchair Tennis
One of the championship’s most significant highlights came from the wheelchair tennis categories, where Helen Frans Special School from Limpopo secured both the girls’ and boys’ national titles.
The school’s double victory represented an outstanding achievement and reinforced the importance of inclusive sporting opportunities for learners with disabilities.
Vukuzenzele Special School finished second in the girls’ wheelchair tennis division, followed by Ithembelihle LSEN School in third.
In the boys’ category, Kwazamokuhle School for the Disabled secured second place, while Meerhof Special School finished third.
The inclusion of wheelchair tennis within the national championship structure highlights the programme’s commitment to making tennis accessible to learners with different abilities.
Rather than treating disability sport as an isolated activity, the competition provides opportunities for participants to compete within a broader national school-tennis environment.
This approach can help strengthen participation, visibility and recognition for wheelchair tennis while encouraging schools to embrace inclusive sporting programmes.
Participation Growth Highlights Expanding National Interest
The 2026 edition recorded 891 school-team entries nationwide, representing a 6.7% increase compared with the previous year.
The milestone marked the programme’s largest participation level since its introduction during the 2019/20 season, when 361 school teams entered.
The growth demonstrates how school-based initiatives can help introduce tennis to learners who might otherwise have limited opportunities to participate.
Since its establishment, Rising Star Tennis has more than doubled its scale, creating a structured competitive pathway that connects school participation with district, provincial and national competitions.
The programme’s continued expansion also reflects the contributions of schools, teachers, coaches, parents, sporting administrators and commercial partners.
By providing a recognised competitive structure, the initiative gives young players opportunities to experience organised tennis while developing confidence and sporting discipline.
Removing Financial Barriers Through Free Participation
An important feature of the RCS Rising Star Tennis programme is its commitment to providing free participation for primary-school learners and learners at special schools.
The approach addresses one of the challenges associated with tennis in South Africa: the financial costs that can limit access to equipment, coaching, facilities and organised competitions.
By removing entry fees for participating learners, the programme creates opportunities for schools and communities to introduce children to the sport without requiring families to meet tournament participation costs.
According to the programme’s reported participation figures, more than half of the entries in 2026 came from no-fee schools.
This represents an important development because it demonstrates the potential for school tennis to reach learners beyond traditionally well-resourced sporting environments.
The initiative also supports a broader objective of increasing participation across different communities, allowing talent to emerge from a wider geographical and socioeconomic base.
A Competitive Pathway From Schools to National Tennis
The Rising Star Tennis programme operates through a structured progression involving district competitions, provincial finals and national championships.
This pathway allows learners to develop gradually while gaining experience against increasingly competitive opponents.
For participating schools, the opportunity to represent their province at a national championship can become a significant sporting achievement.
Moreover, the experience gained through competition can help players develop important qualities, including discipline, resilience, concentration, teamwork and sportsmanship.
Although tennis is primarily an individual sport, school competitions introduce a team-based environment in which players learn to support one another and represent a shared institution.
The national finals therefore serve as more than a competition for medals. They provide a learning experience that can influence young athletes’ development both on and off the court.
Recognition for Schools, Coaches and Communities
The achievements in Benoni also reflect the work undertaken by schools and communities throughout the qualification process.
Players must develop their skills through training and regular participation before progressing through district and provincial competitions.
Coaches and teachers play important roles in identifying promising learners, organising practice sessions and supporting athletes during tournaments.
Parents and guardians also contribute through encouragement, transportation and participation in school sporting activities.
These combined efforts help create an environment in which young players can develop their abilities and remain engaged with sport.
The championship further demonstrates the importance of partnerships between sporting organisations and private-sector sponsors.
RCS, which has supported the programme since its establishment, continues to contribute to an initiative aimed at expanding access and creating opportunities for young tennis players.
Tennis South Africa has also emphasised the programme’s importance in breaking barriers and inspiring future champions.
The partnership illustrates how sustained investment can help school sport grow while providing meaningful opportunities for learners.
South African Tennis Benefits From Grassroots Development
Grassroots competitions remain an important component of the broader tennis development system.
While professional tennis attracts considerable attention through international tournaments and established players, school competitions provide opportunities for younger athletes to begin developing their sporting careers.
The Rising Star Tennis programme contributes to this foundation by encouraging participation, introducing competitive experiences and creating opportunities for learners to represent their schools.
The growth recorded in 2026 suggests that more schools are recognising the benefits of tennis as a sporting and educational activity.
For some learners, participation may remain recreational. For others, school competition could become the beginning of a longer journey through junior tennis and potentially higher levels of competition.
However, sustained development requires continued investment in coaching, facilities, equipment and opportunities for regular play.
The national championship provides an important platform, but long-term success depends on maintaining participation throughout the year.
Looking Ahead to the Eighth Edition
With the 2026 national finals completed, attention will increasingly turn towards the next edition of Rising Star Tennis.
The programme’s continued growth presents opportunities to involve additional schools, strengthen participation in underserved communities and expand inclusive sporting opportunities.
Maintaining free participation will remain particularly important for ensuring that financial circumstances do not prevent learners from discovering tennis.
Further development of school facilities, coaching support and local competitions could also help strengthen the pathway between introductory participation and competitive tennis.
The programme’s organisers, schools and partners will have an opportunity to build on the momentum created by the 891 entries recorded this year.
Conclusion: School Tennis Continues to Create Opportunities
The 2026 RCS Rising Star Tennis National Schools Finals provided a celebration of achievement, participation and inclusion.
St Stithians Girls’ Preparatory School, Courtrai Primary School and Helen Frans Special School emerged as national champions, while schools from across South Africa demonstrated the growing strength of grassroots tennis.
The championship’s participation increase, together with its commitment to free entry and wheelchair tennis, highlights the value of initiatives that make sporting opportunities accessible to young people.
As South African tennis continues developing its future generations, school competitions such as Rising Star Tennis remain an important foundation for encouraging participation, discovering talent and building a stronger sporting culture.
The success of the 2026 championship ultimately extends beyond the winners’ podium. It reflects the potential of tennis to bring schools and communities together while creating opportunities for learners to develop confidence, skills and a lasting connection with sport.
