The SPAR All Girls Festival is poised to roar back into life this weekend when about 400 pupils and coaches travel to East London for another sporting extravaganza.

The annual festival, which this year will cater for primary schools, has been on an enforced hiatus due to the pandemic.

Festival organiser Bev Forword said Clarendon Primary were delighted to be able to host this year’s action from Friday to Sunday (March 25 to 27).

“It is amazing that it has been two years since we had to call off the All Girls Sports Festival,” she said.

“Now we are ready to get back onto the field of play and we are naturally hoping everything goes according to plan this time.”

Forword said there was an air of anticipation among the young sportswomen as they prepared for the festival.

“There is great excitement as our girls get ready to once again experience the joy of being able to participate, something they have sorely missed,” she added.

Ten schools from around the country will take part in the event, which was last hosted by Eunice in Bloemfontein in 2019.

The schools are Clarendon, Collegiate, Balmoral, DSG, Herschel, Eunice, St Michael’s, St Peter’s, St Stithians and Springfield.

They will compete in tournaments across six different codes, comprising hockey, netball, squash, tennis, water polo and chess.

While there will be keen competition, Forword said the emphasis was on camaraderie, spirit and sportsmanship.

She added that the staging of the festival would not have been possible without the backing of their sponsors, including title sponsor SPAR Eastern Cape.

“We are grateful for their support as we look forward to a weekend of friendship, fun and loads of healthy competition,” she said.

“SPAR, as a brand with their values of passion and family, fit superbly with this national event.”

SPAR EC sponsorships and events manager Alan Stapleton said they were thrilled to support another schools event following the successful staging of the recent SPAR Eastern Cape Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge.

“It is really special to be back on board with sporting events such as these and to be able to welcome a spectrum of schools from around South Africa to East London,” he said.

“This is a great chance to compete on the sports fields, but also to have fun and to make friends with some of the schools against whom they don’t often play.”

Stapleton said the retailer’s involvement confirmed its commitment to supporting women’s sport, while also being able to interact with the youth in a competitive but fun-based environment.