Preview: U13 Craven Week and U16 Grant Khomo Week

Rob Ferreira High School in White River will play host to two of the most anticipated Youth Weeks on the SA Rugby calendar for the next week when 38 teams will take to the field in the U13 SA Rugby Craven Week and U16 SA Rugby Grant Khomo Week.

The 14 provincial unions will each have a team in the U13 Craven Week, with Limpopo Blue Bulls and Border Country Districts added in addition to the national teams from Namibia and Zimbabwe to make up an 18-team playing schedule. Teams will play matches on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.  

The U16 Grant Khomo Week will see the same teams in action - with a Pumas XV and SA Iqhawe Impi being added to round the number of teams out to 20. They will play matches on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The appearance of the Iqhawe Impi team is an historic first as they play in their first Craven Week. The team is made of players selected from the Carfind.co.za Iqhawe Week for non-traditional rugby schools.

 The Carfind.co.za Iqhawe Week for Under-15 boys has established itself as one of the top development competitions over the past six years, and their inclusion in the tournament will serve as a huge boost for the players and for transformation in South African rugby.

The two tournaments in White River follow a successful hosting of three Youth Weeks last week. 

The Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) Week was completed in Bloemfontein, while the SA Rugby Under-16 and SA Rugby Under-18 Girls Weeks were hosted at Jeppe High School in Johannesburg.

Hosts Phakisa Pumas will play the main match in both the Under-13 Craven Week, where they will face Thepa Trading Griffons, and in the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week, where they front up to Limpopo Blue Bulls.

The Under-13 fixtures for Monday 24 June are (field in brackets):

10h15: Free State Cheetahs v Namibia (A)

11h15: Leopards v Border Country Districts (C)

12h30: Itec Griquas v Old Mutual Zimbabwe (A)

12h30: Itec Blue Bulls v Eastern Province (B)

13h30: SWD v Sharks (C)

14h30: Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions v Border (B)

14h45: Boland v Forever Resorts Limpopo Blue Bulls (A)

15h45: DHL Western Province v ITS Valke (C)

17h00: Phakisa Pumas v Thepa Trading Griffons

The Under-16 fixtures for Monday 24 June are (field in brackets):

09h00: Everest Wealth Pumas XV v SA Iqhawe (A)

11h15: Namibia v Border Country Districts (A)

11h15: Ford Human Griquas v Old Mutual Zimbabwe (B)

12h15: Bidvest Waltons Golden Lions v Leopards

13h30: Falcons v Thepa Trading Griffons (A)

13h30: DHL Western Province v Boland (B)

14h30: Border v Sharks (C)

15h45: Blue Bulls v EP Elephants (A)

15h45: Free State Cheetahs v SWD (B)

18h00: Phakisa Pumas v Limpopo Blue Bulls (A)