Elma Smit to scout Coca-Cola® Craven Week Heroes

Coca-Cola South Africa today announced rugby anchor Elma Smit as the ambassador of the 2016 Coca-Cola® Craven Week Hero of the Day campaign.  Smit, Supersport’s first female rugby presenter and recognised as a pioneer in South African television, will be heading up a panel of experts tasked with selecting the prestigious Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day recipients at this year’s Coca-Cola® Craven Week, taking place at Kearsney College from 11 – 16 July 2016.

“The Coca-Cola® Craven Week is one of the most important stepping stones for a young rugby player in South Africa and has been producing heroes for generations.  I was immensely proud to get a call from The Coca-Cola Company to lead the Hero of the Day panel, which has already identified multiple young heroes who have gone on to achieve big things in the rugby world,” said Smit.

The Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day however is not necessarily your typical man of the match award.  He is the fullback who made that courageous try-saving tackle, the kicker who slotted a final second penalty for the win or the winger who scored an amazing intercept try. 

It is hero moments such as these which Smit and her team, made up of some of the foremost rugby experts in South Africa including key members of the national sporting, school sports media will be tasked with identifying.

Fetsi Mbele, Senior Communications Manager: Brand Experience, Coca-Cola South Africa concludes, “Coca-Cola is extremely proud to continue to support the development of South Africa’s next rugby heroes through all four of the Coca-Cola® Youth Weeks.  The Coca-Cola® Craven Week has become synonymous as the platform for showcasing the best in South African youth rugby talent – it is where South Africa’s future rugby heroes are made.  As part and parcel of this support, we are immensely excited to have Elma on board and leading our judging panel as we continue to evolve the Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day award in our pursuit to unearth the future heroes of South African rugby.  We can’t wait to have her add an extra level of expertise and unique perspective to our panel as the queen of South African rugby.”

For more information, search #WhereHeroesAreMade on Twitter or visit @Coca_ColaZA

About the Coca-Cola® Craven Week

The Coca-Cola Craven Week is an annual rugby union tournament aimed at identifying the top school rugby players in the country. The tournament started in July 1964, and is named after the legendary Springbok rugby union player and coach Dr Danie Craven.  Coca-Cola became the naming rights sponsor in 1985. There are four tournaments that take place during the Coca-Cola Youth Weeks, namely the Coca-Cola U/13 Craven Week, Coca-Cola U/16 Grant Khomo Week, Coca-Cola U/18 Academy Week and the Coca-Cola U/18 Craven Week.  Many of South Africa’s top rugby players have participated in the Coca-Cola Craven Weeks as a springboard to their professional careers including former World Cup winning captain’s John Smit and Francois Pienaar.

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands and more than 3,800 beverage choices. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable brands, our company’s portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands, 18 of which are available in reduced-, low- or no-calorie options. Our billion-dollar brands include Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Dasani, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Del Valle, Georgia and Gold Peak. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, we are the No. 1 provider of both sparkling and still beverages.  More than 1.9 billion servings of our beverages are enjoyed by consumers in more than 200 countries each day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, create a safe, inclusive work