On Thursday 19 February one of South Africa’s most prestigious interschool athletics competitions unfolds when Paarl Girls’ High School, celebrating their 150th anniversary, hosts the annual 4M Athletics meeting.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The birth of a tradition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The 4M story began in September 1992 when Lezel Amoraal of Ho\u00ebr Meisieskool Bloemhof proposed an athletics meeting between four distinguished rural girls’ schools: Ho\u00ebr Meisieskool Bloemhof, Rhenish Girls’ High School from Stellenbosch, and Paarl Girls’ High School and La Rochelle Girls’ High School from Paarl. Each school boasts over 150 years of tradition.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bloemhof organised the inaugural meeting in 1993 at Coetzenburg, Stellenbosch. The distinctive “4M” name was coined by Sanette Nowers, then principal of Bloemhof. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n A rotating host system was established: Paarl Girls’ High School hosted in 1994, La Rochelle in 1995, and Rhenish in 1996.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Evolution and adaptation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Initially sponsored by Boland Bank for three years, the event became self-sustaining with schools sharing transport costs. The venue moved between Coetzenberg, Paarl Boys’ High track, and Dal Josaphat before returning to Paarl in 2013 following Drakenstein Municipality’s 2009 facility upgrades.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Challenges and growth\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Covid-19 pandemic cancelled the 2021 event, but Paul van der Hoven of Rhenish Girls’ High School used this time to draft the official 4M Constitution. The 2022 return introduced safety protocols limiting attendance to 2\u2009000 people.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond athletics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1999, Letitia Snyman of Rhenish Girls’ High School proposed a 4M Swimming Gala, extending the tradition beyond athletics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today’s event represents 33 years of friendship, rivalry, tradition, and sporting excellence among institutions whose combined history spans over six centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Winner statistics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1993: Paarl Girls’ High School\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1994: Paarl Girls’ High School\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1995: Paarl Girls’ High School\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1996: Paarl Girls’ High School\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1997: Paarl Girls’ High School\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1998: Bloemhof\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1999: Bloemhof\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2000: Bloemhof\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2001: Bloemhof\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2002: La Rochelle\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2003: La Rochelle\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2004: La Rochelle\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2005: Bloemhof\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2006: Bloemhof\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2007: Bloemhof\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2008: Bloemhof\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2009: Bloemhof\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2010: Bloemhof\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2011: Bloemhof\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2012: Bloemhof\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2013: La Rochelle\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2014: La Rochelle\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2015: La Rochelle\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2016: La Rochelle\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2017: La Rochelle\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2018: La Rochelle\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2019: Paarl Girls’ High School\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2020: La Rochelle\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2021: Covid-19 pandemic\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2022: Paarl Girls’ High\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2023: Paarl Girls’ High\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2024: Paarl Girls’ High\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2025: Paarl Girls’ High<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On Thursday 19 February one of South Africa’s most prestigious interschool athletics competitions unfolds when Paarl Girls’ High School, celebrating their 150th anniversary, hosts the annual 4M Athletics meeting. The 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