Springbok prop Richard Bands talks about opportunities in rugby and how to coach scrums

 

School sport around the world has changed overnight due to the coronavirus and has become more efficient and focused to allow all kids not matter their ability to express themselves the best that they can be on the sporting field. As a coach you need to stay ahead of the curve and keep yourself updated with all the new training tips and methodologies. We enable you to do this through our fortnightly webinars with a generic focus on sport. This weekend we focused on rugby. Richard Bands Springbok Rugby player and now a coach at Tuks The year seems like it has been a disaster for school leavers but it is not. There is still a way to get into professional rugby and have a successful career. He also spoke about a holistic coaching strategy and issues that he has with the way that school coaches coach scrums

Join our webinars at www.intunecom.co.za

COCA-COLA CRAVEN WEEK HEROES STAR FOR BABY BOKS: CURWIN BOSCH

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. 

Curwin Bosch, who received the award in 2014 for a game changing try, is a prime example of this.  Bosch has been one of the junior stars in SA rugby over the last few years. He was named the Coca-Cola® Craven Week Player of the Year in 2014, and in 2015 he played a key role in the success of the SA Schools and Youth Commonwealth Games teams. The former Grey High fullback made his senior provincial debut earlier this season for the Cell C Sharks.

Curwin, in looking back at his Coca-Cola® Craven Week days, spoke of his pride in winning the award. “It was an honour and privilege to be named the Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day. The competition marks the cornerstone of junior rugby in South Africa and it was fantastic to receive the award. Every player works hard to be selected for their provinces, and to be there is a privilege. The Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day award, however, was the cherry on top,” he said.

Fetsi Mbele, Coca-Cola South Africa’s Senior Communications Manager: Brand Experience commented, “It is great to see players like Curwin Bosch, 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 Curwin 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

COCA-COLA CRAVEN WEEK HEROES STAR FOR BABY BOKS: EMBROSE PAPIER

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. 

Embrose Papier, who received the award in 2015 for a brilliant game changing try, is a prime example of this. At the tender age 19 Embrose has shown immense potential to become one of the top players in the country. He advanced through the SA Rugby Youth Weeks U13 to U18 levels and featured in the SA Schools team in 2014 and 2015 before earning his call-up to the Junior Springbok squad. The Hoërskool Garsfontein matriculant represented the Vodacom Blue Bulls in the U19 provincial championship. Papier was also a member of the Youth Commonwealth Games SA 7s team that won gold in 2015.

Embrose Papier, in looking back at his Coca-Cola® Craven Week days, spoke of his pride in winning the award. “It was a great honour. I worked hard to make the team and paid special attention to the small details in my game to be the best I could be, and it paid off. Winning Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day certainly was a special reward for all the hard work,” he said.

Fetsi Mbele, Coca-Cola South Africa’s Senior Communications Manager: Brand Experience commented, “It is great to see players like Embrose Papier, who won the Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day award at the 2015 Coca-Cola® Craven Week furthering their careers in rugby. The Coca-Cola® Craven Week is Where Heroes Are Made and players like Embrose 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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Media Contact

Shawn Belluigi

Tel: 083 675 4338

Email: shawn@intunecom.co.za

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

Gerrie Germishuys shares his wisdom at the Coca-Cola Under 18 Craven week

.  A feature of the Coca-Cola Under 18 Craven Week, down the years, has been the presence of aficionados – old timers who go along, year after year because they enjoy the type of ruby played, and because they fancy themselves as spotters of emerging talent.

At the 50^th anniversary of the week in Polokwane this week is someone who is attending his 35^th consecutive week and who was, in his playing days, one of the top wings in world rugby.

Gerrie Germishuys played 20 tests for South Africa between 1974 and 1981 and scored 11 test tries.

He then became a teacher, and later a lecturer at Goudstad College of Education and then University of Johannesburg (UJ). It’s has been for those two institutions that he has been attending the Craven Week, all these years , running his expert eye over the talent and making suggestions to his colleagues in the recruitment department.

This may well be his last Craven Week in that capacity – he retires next year – but he sees himself attending the week whenever it’s in the vicinity. “I have always loved schoolboy rugby and, although it has changed as professionalism has filtered down into the schools, I enjoy the competitiveness of the games at this level.”

As someone who was once a “flair” player himself, Germishuys bemoans the fact that the game has become a bit too structured. “I saw a very good wing on Monday, clearly very fast, but his team never got the ball too him once in the game,” he says. “I understand that game plans should be enforced, but why select players like that if you are not playing to your strengths?”

Garmishuys believes the growing trend of taking contact instead of avoiding it is bad for rugby, and it’s one of the reasons why, at an international level, South African teams are unable to set up overlaps the way the Australians and New Zealand sides do.

“The pity is that, at this Craven Week, and it’s only day two, I have seen teams that play entertaining running rugby, and players with plenty of ability. I am afraid that their flair gets coached out of them at more senior levels by coaches who adopt a safety-first approach.”

Germishuys still believes that the Coca-Cola Craven Week is the greatest school rugby tournament in the world. “To have so many good players on display in one place is a feast for rugby-lovers like me. And for the universities and unions, it’s the perfect opportunity to make sure they have enough talent coming through the ranks.”

It’s reassuring to know that tomorrow’s heroes have the heroes of the past, like Gerrie Germishuys, up in the stands, taking note of what they are capable of.

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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. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 15 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees. For more information, please www.thecoca-colacompany.com or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo.