Western Province have already tasted success at two youth weeks in 2013, and the DHL WP Under-18 Craven Week team is aiming to make it three from four come next week in Polokwane.
The 2013 Coca-Cola Under-18 Craven Week will get underway on Monday, July 8, and the WP U18 team is looking to add to the success of their Under-13 and Under-16 counterparts who went through their respective campaigns unbeaten over the past two weeks.
“It’s the flagship week of schools rugby in South Africa,” said WP Under-18 coach Hein Kriek, ahead of the 50th edition of the Craven Week tournament.
“Every schoolboy in South Africa wants to play Craven Week rugby and it’s no different here in the Cape. In fact, given the depth (in the Cape) and competition for places, the players know that they have bright futures should they perform at Craven Week.
“Someone like Nizaam Carr is a prime example of a player that has come through the ranks within Western Province and it’s a great motivation for the young men in this squad to walk the same path as him and others.”
According to Kriek, the WP Under-18s have had a great build-up to the Craven Week tournament, with the squad having spent three days at the Western Province Rugby Institute in Stellenbosch (two weeks ago), before taking on EP and SWD in warm-up games (both matches having ended in favour of WP).
“It was great,” said Kriek of their three-day stay at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sports. “All three WP teams spent time there – the Grant Khomo (Under-16) squad, the Academy (Under-18) group and the Craven Week team.
“Senior Western Province players came and shared their views and helped out on the training and (DHL Stormers coach) Allister Coetzee came and spoke to the guys and spent an evening with us after doing a symbolic jersey handover.”
On a disappointing note, Western Province suffered two injury-blows in the lead-up to Craven Week, with powerhouse second row JD Shickerling and centre Ryan Oosthuizen – both from Paarl Gimnasium – being ruled out, but coach Kriek has still assembled a powerful squad to do battle in Polokwane.
“It’s a great team – the best available players have been selected in a region jam-packed full of talent,” said Kriek of his 22-man group. “They’re all 100% fit… they’re ready, willing and able to fire and to make it a week to remember.”
Paarl Gim No.8 Rikus Bothma (pictured above) – one of five players returning from last year – will skipper the Province side in Polokwane. Bothma will be joined by lock Burger van Niekerk, flank Jacques Vermeulen, flyhalf Dennis Cox and wing Grant Hermanus from the 2012 Craven Week team, whilst 14 members of this team have graduated from the Western Province Under-16 Grant Khomo Week ranks (either last year or in 2011).
Said Kriek: “The core of this team played together at Grant Khomo Week level (in 2011) and myself and Elmo Wolfaardt coached the Academy side together last year, so I know this group of players well.
“I know that the Grant Khomo team of 2011 did not have the best of weeks, winning just one from three games, but the Class of 2013 is determined to right those wrongs and (to) make this a year to remember for Western Province youth rugby.”
The 2013 Craven Week tournament kicks-off on Monday, July 8 and finishes on Saturday, July 13. All matches will be played at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, with WP kicking-off their campaign against the Pumas (at 11h30).
“We have a tough start against the Pumas on Monday,” said Kriek, who will be in charge of the WP Craven Week team for the first time. “The rest of the week’s fixtures will be determined by that opening game, so it goes without saying that we need to start well.
“The players are aware of the responsibility that they have as a Western Province team, given the high standards that the union has. But, results aside, we want the boys to learn from the week – as players and as people – and to look back at the 2013 Craven Week with fond memories.”
The DHL Western Province Under-18 Craven Week team:
15. Khanyo Ngcukana (Rondebosch BHS)
14. Grant Hermanus (Paarl Gim)
13. Jarryd Sage (Wynberg BHS)
12. Daniel du Plessis (Paul Roos Gim)
11. Dewald Naude (Hoër Jongenskool Paarl)
10. Dennis Cox (Excelsior)
9. Herschel Jantjies (Paul Roos Gim)
8. Rikus Bothma (Paarl Gim – captain)
7. Jacques Vermeulen (Paarl Gim)
6. Charlton Jonas (Hoër Jongenskool Paarl)
5. Johan Momsen (Paarl Gim)
4. Burger van Niekerk (Hoër Jongenskool Paarl)
3. Francois van der Merwe (Hoër Jongenskool Paarl)
2. Daniel du Plessis (Hoër Jongenskool Paarl)
1. Thomas du Toit (Hoër Jongenskool Paarl)
16. Ruan Brits (Hoër Jongenskool Paarl)
17. Gavin van den Berg (Paarl Gim)
18. Brett Paulse (Rondeborsch BHS)
19. Saud Abrahams (Bishops)
20. Damian Stevens (Hoër Jongenskool Paarl)
21. Siya Alam (Wynberg BHS)
22. Heinrich Buhr (Boland Landbou)
