Boland welcomes the U18 Coca-Cola Academy Week

The Under-18 Coca-Cola Academy Week kicked off at HTS Drosdy in Worcester on Monday, and the rugby supporters of the Boland region were out in force to support it.

Dr Ivan Meyer, the provincial minister of finance for the Western Cape, was among them and he said it was great seeing so many spectators from Boland, and from the rest of the country, showing a spirit of togetherness and respect for each other and for the game.

“Boland has a great rugby history and it’s good that this has been recognised in allowing the region to host this week,” he said. “Bringing people together at a sporting event like the U18 Coca-Cola Academy Week builds a good spirit and promotes an active healthy living in the community,” he said.

Meyer hopes the tournament will create long lasting memories and allow the players to make friends from all over the country that live the game.

“A tournament like this cannot succeed without good solid logistical support and project management from the local organization committee, SARU and Coca-Cola South Africa,” Meyer said. “People do not understand what it takes to organize a tournament of this size and SARU are very strict about the minimum requirements that need to be adhered to, to get people to organize a tournament like this takes people from different backgrounds to work together for a common cause.”

The Western Cape government is grateful to Coca-Cola and SA Rugby for what they are doing for the region though this tournament.

Meyer’s thoughts are echoed in Coca-Cola’s objectives as Fetsi Mbele, Coca-Cola South Africa Marketing Assets Manager, explains, “Not only does the Under-18 Coca-Cola Academy Week unearth talented youngsters and bind people from all over the country through rugby, it also promotes  a healthy and active lifestyle through their sport of choice.”

Photo caption from left to right: Johnny Cardoso (Coca-Cola South Africa), Jurie Roux (CEO SARU), Dr. Ivan Meyer (Provincial minister of finance for the Western Cape) and Ray Bjierre (Peninsula Beverages Company General Manager)

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