Coca-Cola® Hero of the day for day 5

Ngwekazi Khanya Ncusane from Western Province has been named the Coca-Cola® Hero of the day for day 5 of the U18 Coca-Cola® Craven Week.

The prestigious Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day award is presented on each day of the tournament in recognition of a game changing ‘hero’ moment.  Ngwekazi was selected for the award by a Coca-Cola appointed panel of rugby experts, led by SuperSport anchor Elma Smit.  His hero moment came after the Lions had found their way back into the game after scoring an intercept try. The Lions kicked off and the ball moved very quickly down the Western Province backline where the big eighth man was standing on the wing. There was nothing on for him when he received the ball so he tried to make something out of nothing. Ngwekazi broke through the Lions defense and chipped the ball through for his support players, setting off a move which eventually led to him scoring the match defining try.

“I saw other players wearing the Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day red shorts and when I won the award I was really pleased that I got mine too. I wish that I had the chance to wear them in a match as I believe the Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day is more prestigious than a man of the match award,” said Ngwekazi.

“A big congratulations to Khanya on his selection as the Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day.  This year’s final match was an exciting, hard fought contest. At the end of the match it was Ngwekazi's moment that separated the two teams. His award is well deserved,” added Elma Smit.

Fetsi Mbele, Coca-Cola South Africa’s Senior Communications Manager: Brand Experience concluded, “The Coca-Cola® Craven Week is Where Heroes Are Made and for many of the players here this week, this is just the beginning of a future in the game.  I look forward to following the likes of Ngwekazi as they carve out a career for themselves in South African rugby.”   

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