Choosing a venue for the
Coca-Cola Craven Week often involves a trade-off between giving the players the
experience of playing on the most famous fields in the country and the risk of
appearing in a close to empty concrete bowl.
There's something depressing
about an empty stadium, with the shouts of a handful of spectators echoing
about the place. So, in some years, the SA Schools Rugby authorities have
chosen to hold the week at school venues. Hoerskool Nelspruit, Paul Roos
Gimnasium, Grey College and Affies have all hosted very successful Coca-Cola
Craven Weeks in the past.
This year the week is at the
fabulous Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elizabeth, and it has been nothing
short of fantastic. The crowds haven't been huge, although there were a good
few thousand in when the hosts, Eastern Province played their game on Monday.
Somehow the design of a modern arena like this one has taken away that empty
atmosphere, although the high quality rugby that has been seen on the first two
days has certainly contributed to that
And on Tuesday the organisers had
the great idea of bussing in school kids from the local township areas to
support the Eastern Province Country District team. There must have been 2 000
of them and they added some welcome colour and singing and, in the
somewhat forgotten - these days - spirit of Craven Week, they loudly cheered
good attacking rugby, irrespective of which side was producing it.
All part of the wonderful
experience of being at the Coca-Cola Craven Week for those who are fortunate
enough to be there.
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