E-sports meets education at Curro’s Clash National LAN competition

Winners of the Rocket League u14, Curro Brackenfell Team 1.

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Curro Schools hosted the Curro Clash National LAN 2024 competition last week as part of its Esports initiative.

The four-day competition took place in Curro Durbanville in Cape Town and Curro Krugersdorp in Gauteng, as well as online.

“Research shows that nurturing collaboration from a young age improves problem-solving, sparks innovation, and contributes to individual success," the school stated. "These vital skills are not only cultivated in the sports field but also in the expanding world of e-sports, where learners are increasingly finding opportunities to collaborate and grow.”

Following the success of the inaugural Curro Clash LAN events in 2023, 470 young gamers took part this year for a chance to win prizes sponsored by Acer for Education. The school also acknowledged the African Cyber Gaming League (ACGL) for their role in managing the tournament and making the event memorable.

Learners competed in various age groups across games like Minecraft Education, Rocket League, and Overwatch 2. As teams battled it out for a top spot, the event was also streamed on Curro Esport Twitch and Curro Sport YouTube. 

Winners of Minecraft PVP U14 Curro Durbanville.

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Magdeleen de Kock, Curro’s learning and development facilitator and Esports project lead, says Curro is leading innovation in South African education by making digital learning accessible and fun.

"Although online gaming is often misunderstood, e-sports has gained incredible popularity over the past decade for good reason,” she says. “Events like the Curro Clash LAN encourage social interaction with peers, teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking. Beyond that, learners also benefit from improved hand-eye coordination, quick thinking, and enhanced problem-solving skills.”

De Kock adds that the planning is already underway for the 2025 competition.

Winners of the Overwatch Opens, Curro Durbanville.

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