Eastern Province overcame a spirited Griquas Country Districts side in an outstanding display of team work, beating them 40-20, in their second game in the 2009 U18 Coca-Cola Craven Week on Wednesday.  (more…)

Once again Border has the privilege of hosting Craven Week where the cream of South African schoolboy rugby will display  their collective talent to local rugby fans and to the nation by  way of television broadcasts over the next week or so.

George Koekemoer in action

Household names of tomorrow will be born and talent scouts  from all over the country will be on hand to offer all sorts of  inducements to the stars of the tournament.
The good news for rugby followers in our part of the world is  that with the promise of a Super 14 franchise in the not too  distant future, the chances of retaining homegrown talent  looks better than ever. (more…)

Danie Craven

To succeed on the playing fields of rugby it is advisable  that  players be versatile, have great ability and strength of char acter to hold their own in the hurly-burly world of the modern  game. If he lived today Danie Craven would most likely not quibble  with such demands made on the players in a sport which has  entered the realms of professionalism, after all he lived his life  with very much the same qualities.

They say there are some sportsmen born to greatness and  Daniël Hartman Craven was one such athlete – both on and off  the field of play. His versatility was not limited to the rugby  field, but he was also one of the sport’s greatest admin istrators. (more…)

Want to refresh your memory about the game of rugby?
Read  our simple guide to understanding the game a little better

1. The Laws
   Laws are formulated by the International Rugby Board and   reviewed and updated  following each Rugby World Cup. For  matches played between teams made up of players 19 years of  age and younger there are modifications to the Laws which are  designed to provide greater safety for the players. There are  also modified games for players up to under 12 years of age.
2. The Aim of the Game
   The aim  is to score more points than the opposition. Any  player who is behind (more…)

RUGBY over the years always battled with its own soul of  ridding itself of the apartheid dogma prevailing during the  1960’s.
There were many voices who cried out for some form of  fairplay and to open the rugby fields to all races, but were  somehow muffled by the anti-apartheid lobby who felt that by  getting rugby booted out of international sport would cut right  to the heart of a game embraced by a white political doctrine.
Jan Preuyt, the founder of the Craven Week, was one man  who spoke out boldly against the racial policies adopted by the  political parties at the time.
For instance, on February 6, 1989,  in his capacity as executive  director of the Southern African Schools Sports Association, he  reacted to the closing of school sports facilities to blacks that  Sassu was dedicated to the abolition of racial barriers in  sport. (more…)

At the age of 37 former Springbok Mark Andrews can sit and  look back on a stellar career littered with many accolades.

From making his national team debut as a talented 22 year- old, the former lock went on play 77 Tests, including being part  of 1995s World Cup winning team.  At provincial level Andrew excelled and led the Kwa-Zulu  Natal Sharks to two Currie Cup final wins and a Super 12  final.  Following his retirement he played a season overseas in the  United Kingdom. He retired from the game some at the end of  the 2004 season at the age of 32. (more…)

Known as the tournament where future rugby stars are  unearthed, the Coca Cola Craven Week which starts in East  London this Monday is expected to attract lots of attention from  enthusiasts and talent scouts alike. From next week East London will be abuzz as former  springboks and provincial players all converge on the city with  the expectation of seeing on display some exciting and promis ing talent.

Some players can expect to be lured by the most ambitious  unions who will then include them in their academies and make  their further development a priority.
Though more hard work is needed, being at a top academy  paves the way towards a professional career for any aspirant  player.  Testament to this is the fact that  most in the current world  conquering Springbok team were discovered at past Craven  Week tournaments. Thus the tournament has become a highlight on the annual  calendar of any union worth its salt. (more…)

Size most times matters in rugby in that bigger is often considered better.

As scores of rugby teams descend on East London for the U18 Craven Week which starts on Monday, some players will stand out from the rest due to their size and weight striking fear in the hearts of the opposition. However body frame  is not the only attribute to winning games as the oval ball has constantly defied the law of physics. If the games were won by body structure only, the Leopards High School Rugby Association team from North West province would easily be crowned champions as the team boasts the biggest player in the competition. (more…)

Daily Dispatch rugby correspondent and former Border flanker Mike Godfrey thinks back on a past Craven Week

• The Craven Week is the breeding ground of many past heroes and certainly future super stars.
• Former South African opening bowler, old Dalian and Border cricketer Kenny Watson recalls that in 1974 he played fullback for Border schools.
• He remembers playing Transvaal Schools at Ellis Park and winning 9-6.
• Watson jovially recalls how his positional play that day was of vital importance. (more…)

Niel Kapp from SWD in the game between Pumas and SWD

Three players from the victorious 2008 South Western Districts Craven Week team were named in the pack of the SA  Schools’ team that was selected at the conclusion of the week in  Pretoria.

Captain and eighthman CJ Stander was named to lead the SA  Schools side and he was joined by teammates Niel Kapp (lock)  and Neetlingh Gerricke (tighthead prop), following the Eagles’  31-25 victory over Free State in the main match of Craven  Week.

Two Free State players – centre Francois Venter and flyhalf  Francois du Toit – were also named in the starting fifteen.

2008 SA SCHOOLS’ TEAM:
Ruan Smith, Shaun Malton, Johannes Gericke, Johannes  Neethling, Andries Ferreira, Neil Kapp, Helmut Lehmann, Werner
Uys, (more…)