COCA-COLA CRAVEN WEEK HEROES STAR FOR BABY BOKS: KEANU VERS

The Coca-Cola® Craven Week is where heroes are made with the vast majority of Springboks having come through its ranks. The latest generation of heroes are continuing to illustrate the proof of this statement with three past Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day winners - Curwin Bosch, Keanu Vers, and Embrose Papier, all going on to represent the South Africa U20 team which recently did service at the IRB U20 Championship in Manchester.

This year will once again see the Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day awarded in recognition of the standout, game changing hero moment of each tournament match day.  2016 will be the third year the award will be up for grabs having already seen some of its previous winners go on to achieve big things. 

Keanu Vers, who received the award in 2014 for his brilliant run that set his team mate into a gap to score a sensational try, is a prime example of this. Vers has been in the SA Rugby competition structures since 2009. He played his way up from the U13 to the U18 Youth Weeks before being selected for the SA Schools squad in 2004. He has since represented Eastern Province in their U19 inter-provincial and senior provincial competitions, as well as playing for his University in the FNB Varsity Cup.

Keanu Vers, in looking back at his Coca-Cola® Craven Week days, spoke of his pride in winning the award. “It was special to be the Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day. I won the award after day two of Craven Week and it motivated me to keep my presence felt in the competition. It certainly made my last Coca-Cola® Craven Week one to remember,” said Vers.

Fetsi Mbele, Coca-Cola South Africa’s Senior Communications Manager: Brand Experience commented, “It is great to see players like Keanu Vers, who won the Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day award at the 2014 Coca-Cola® Craven Week furthering their careers in rugby. The Coca-Cola® Craven Week is Where Heroes Are Made and players like Keanu continue to illustrate this.  The Coca-Cola® Craven Week has the potential to kick start a future in the game for all its participants and we can’t wait to see what talent will be uncovered this year. ”   

Look out for the future heroes of South African rugby taking part at this year’s Coca-Cola® Craven Week from 10 – 16 July 2016.

Be part of the conversation on Twitter – follow @CocaCola_ZA or search #WhereHeroesAreMade

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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