The 2013 provincial schools rugby season could go down as one of the most memorable in the history of Western Province Rugby, with the union boasting a victory-rate of 96% from 28 matches played across all age-groups.

Of those 28 youth provincial matches played in Uitenhage, Bela-Bela, Sasolburg, Vanderbiljpark, Glenwood High School, Oudtshoorn, Wellington and Polokwane during June and July, WP lost just one game.

In the process, the eight DHL Western Province teams competing at the various youth weeks around South Africa in 2013, played in – and won – seven unofficial finals.

The only side to suffer a defeat in June/July was the WP Under-18 Academy team – who lost by three points to eventual winners, SWD, in Durban; with the U18 LSEN team, the U13 Craven Week side, the U13 XV, the U16 Grant Khomo outfit, the U18 Girls Sevens side, the U16 Girls and the WP U18 Craven Week team all emerging victorious from their respective weeks.

The Province Academy XV managed to finish their campaign on a high, with a final-day victory over the Pumas, but the undoubted highlight for Province in 2013 was their Craven Week triumph in Polokwane and WP’s 100% success-rate (in five matches) against the Blue Bulls (U13, U13 XV, U16, U18 and the U18 Girls) during June and July.

“It’s exciting times for WP Rugby,” said Hein Kriek, the WP Craven Week coach, to wprugby.com.

“We definitely have the talent here in WP and it’s been heartening to see how all the youth teams have performed – the Academy team lost one match, but that was to the eventual winners, SWD, so it has been a successful time for the union.

“It’s great that WP have retained the bulk of this squad of players for next year and that so many other top players, from around the country, are looking to further their careers here next year.”

NUMBERS DON’T LIE – ALL THE 2013 SCHOOLS RESULTS:

LSEN WEEK – June 23-27 (Uitenhage, Eastern Cape):

Day 1
Western Province 76 Leopards 25

Day 2
Western Province 31 Boland 15

Day 3 (Final)
Western Province 26 Eastern Cape 12

UNDER-13 CRAVEN WEEK – June 23-28 (Bela-Bela, Limpopo):

Day 1

Western Province 31 Griquas 7

Day 2
Western Province 10 Eastern Province 7

Day 3
Western Province 20 Boland 12

Day 4 (Final)
Western Province 11 Blue Bulls 10

U13 XV – June 30 to July 3 (Sasolburg):

Day 1
Western Province 26 KZN 0

Day 2
Western Province 24 Golden Lions 0

Day 3 (Final)
Western Province 10 Blue Bulls 5

UNDER-16 GRANT KHOMO WEEK – June 30 to July 4 (Vanderbiljpark, Gauteng):

Day 1
Western Province 50 Leopards 12

Day 2
Western Province 34 Eastern Province 22

Day 3 (Final)
Western Province 22 Blue Bulls 15

UNDER-18 ACADEMY WEEK – June 30 to July 4 (Glenwood High School, KZN):

Day 1
Western Province 93 Red Valke 0

Day 2
Western Province 19 SWD 22

Day 3
Western Province 24 Pumas 5

UNDER-16 GIRLS – July 7-12 (Oudtshoorn):

Day 1
Western Province 24 Eastern Province 5

Day 2
Western Province 43 Border ‘B’ 0

Day 3 (Final)
Western Province 34 Border ‘A’ 7

UNDER-18 GIRLS SEVENS – July 4-6 (Wellington, Boland):

Day 1
Western Province 43 Golden Lions 0
Western Province 39 Griffons 0
Western Province 19 Blue Bulls 10

Day 2
Western Province 26 Griquas 0
Western Province 24 Eastern Province 0
Western Province 25 Boland 5 (Final)

UNDER-18 CRAVEN WEEK – July 7-13 (Polokwane, Limpopo):

Day 1
Western Province 40 Pumas 24

Day 2
Western Province 30 Blue Bulls 6

Day 3 (Final)
Western Province 45 Golden Lions 29