A total of 16 players from the Steinhoff Maties Hockey Club are in action in the brand new SA Premier Hockey League (PHL).

The league – which is based on the same concept as the Indian Premier League for cricket – will be played in Johannesburg over the four weekends of September.

The South African U/21 teams will also play in the PHL. The men play as the Golden Gate Gladiators and the women play as the Namaqualand Daisies. The Maties in the Golden Gate Gladiators team are Alex Stewart, Rob McKinley, Charlie Bowren and Matt de Sousa, while Tarryn Glasby, Christine Seggie, Dani Cairns and Alegra Dijkstra play for the Daisies.

Maties are represented in other teams as well.

Keenan Horne and Reece Arendse play for the Garden Route Gazelles. Fellow Matie Dylan Swanepoel was also meant to be in this team, but had to withdraw due to injury. James Drummond and Jacques Bleeker represent the Maropeng Cavemen, while Luke Schooling will be in action for the Drakensberg Dragons.

Three Maties women – Nicole La Fleur, Natasha Rootenberg and Heather McEwan – all play for the Wineland Wings.

Action started this weekend and after the first matches, the Garden Route Gazelles are top of the men's leader board with the Maropeng Cavemen in second place. The Wineland Wings are second on the women's leader board.

For more information visit www.premierhockeyleague.co.za