FORMER SPRINGBOK GERRIE GERMISHUYS IDENTIFIES TALENT AT COCA-COLA U18 CRAVEN WEEK

Gerrie Germishuys has been in Kimberley this week, running his experienced eye over the available talent on show at the Coca-Cola Craven Week, with a view to luring some of it to the University of Johannesburg where he is employed in the Sport Bureau.

The remarkable thing is that this is the 33^rd Craven Week in a row that the former Springbok wing has attended and, he says, there have been some changes in that time.

“It’s all more professional now,” he said, “and the players are better conditioned.

“There has also, over the years, been a steady improvement in the standard of the players of colour.”

Germishuys puts that down to the fact that many of those players now attend traditional rugby schools on bursaries and are being taught the basics properly at an early age.

He has been impressed by the backline talent on show at the week, but bemoans the fact that many of the wings and fullbacks are too small in stature.

“Some of the players are quick, and have stepping ability, which gets them through at this level, but not later on,” he said. “To make it at a higher level you need speed, skills and size. There have not been enough players who have all of those qualities at this Craven Week.”

Germishuys believes many of the top players of colour may have a future in the Sevens game. “There is more space for them to be tricky there, and size is not so important.”

Germishuys and the UJ contingent are just one of the many tertiary institutions represented at the Coca-Cola Craven Week in Kimberley, underlining the week’s importance as a showcase of the top schools rugby talent in the country.

Of the 40 years of its existence, Coca-Cola has been part of the week for the past 26, a statistic the company is proud of.  “Coca-Cola sponsors tournaments at the highest level and we are fully aware that no country can be successful without a strong development programme in place and Coca-Cola has played a major role in finding Springboks.  More than 90 percent of the current squad have competed in one of the Coca-Cola Youth Weeks,” said Zayd Abrahams, Head of Sparkling Beverages, Coca-Cola South Africa.

Abrahams said further: “But the four weeks we are involved with, namely the Coca-Cola U13, Academy, Under 16 and Under 18 weeks are also about living for a difference and living a healthy lifestyle.  These are the messages we also promote throughout each tournament.”