The
2014 Under 13 Coca-Cola Craven Week is under way at Glenwood Boys’ High School
in Durban and everyone here is in agreement that you would go a long way to
find a tournament that has gotten off to better start.
The
local organizers have been helped, of course, by the balmy East coast weather –
which is being lapped up by the inland teams and their supporters, and Glenwood
with its stands, pavilions and lush green field is the perfect venue for a week
like this.
The
Sharks Union pulled off a major coup by getting their Super Rugby squad involved.
They spent the opening day at Glenwood – and they were all there, Springboks
included. In a great move, the players joined the provinces that they were
affiliated to as schoolboys for the march-on at the opening ceremony, and the
team held their practice session on the field at the end of the day’s play.
The
under-13 Coca-Cola Craven Week is all about rewarding players at the end of
their primary school rugby careers, and about motivating them to continue their
development when they go to high school next year. The participation of the
Sharks on the opening day certainly went a long way towards achieving those
goals.
Yusuf
Jackson, SA Rugby’s manager of amateur rugby, who is at the week in Durban,
stresses the fact that this particular week is about giving the current top
primary schools players an opportunity to compete on a national stage.
“We
are aware that these players are at the start of their rugby careers. The
under-13 Coca-Cola Craven Week features the early developers and we don’t pay
too much attention to results at this stage,” he said.
“So,
this week is all about participation, and about making the provinces aware of
the young talent they have in their ranks. There’s no point in trying to
identify future stars at this stage because there are many players who are not
here who will develop physically in the years to come.”
At
the same time, however, it’s important that no talented players should fall
through the cracks and there are enough agents and marketing people from the
top rugby schools around the country to ensure that that doesn’t happen.
Fetsi
Mbele,
Coca-Cola South Africa Marketing Assets Manager tells us that the goals of the
tournament also extend further than what happens on the field, “Not only does the
Under-13 Coca-Cola Craven Week unearth talented youngsters it also teaches them
to live a healthy and active life through their sport of choice.”
For
the spectators, in the meantime, it’s been a feast of barefoot rugby, on a lush
emerald field, in Durban’s sub-tropical winter sunshine – it doesn’t get much
better than that.
Day 2 Results at lunch
Leopards 32 - 14 Griquas
Blue Bulls 17 -
19 SWD
Free State 12 - 24 Pumas
Namibia 5 - 12 Griffons
Zimbabwe 31 - 27 Border
CD
Ends.
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