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Author: hnienaber

  • First two days of 2008 Coca Cola Cravenweek’s fixtures announced

    First two days of 2008 Coca Cola Cravenweek’s fixtures announced

    THE Free State U18 team will meet the Lions in the main match on the second day of the Coca Cola Cravenweek on 8 July at Affies in Pretoria. The Blue Bulls will lock horns with South Western Districts in the main match on the first day of the tournament.

    Last year’s team from Free State had an exceptional week and this year’s team will have a difficult task to match their predecessors performances. Western Province who played in the main match at last year’s week against the Free State in Stellenbosch will play the Pumas in their first match in Pretoria.

    The fixtures for the first two day’s of the 45th Coca Cola Cravenweek held at Affies in Pretoria is:

    7 July – Griquas Country Districts vs Eastern Province Country Districts; Namibia vs Border Country Districts; Limpopo vs Boland; Western Province vs Pumas; Blue Bulls vs SWD. 8 July – Border vs Zimbabwe; Leopards vs Eastern Province; Valke vs Griquas; Kwazulu-Natal vs Griffons; Free State vs Lions.

    By Hannes Nienaber

  • Van Wyk and Malherbe to coach Free State U18’s

    Van Wyk and Malherbe to coach Free State U18’s

    DEON VAN WYK (Sentraal) and Schalk Malherbe (Jim Fouché) will coach the Free State under 18-side at this year’s Coca Cola Cravenweek that will be held at Affies in Pretoria. The Free State High School’s Rugby Association’s executive committee made the suggestion to appoint the two experienced coaches.

    “I’m trust that they will do very well with the team,” said Johan Vorster, chairman of the Free State High School’s Rugby Association. The Free State’s team did exceptionally well at last year’s Coca Cola Cravenweek held at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch. The team was coached by Jaco Swanepoel (Grey College) and Gonval Store (President Steyn). Swanepoel accepted the job as the head coach of the University of the Free State’s first team the Shimlas. “Jaco is the best coach at schoolboy level in the country and his loss is a great one to us and school’s rugby in the country,” said Vorster.

    Store who helped out last year after Pieter Swanepoel (Brandfort) had to withdraw as coach of the Coca Cola Cravenweek team also made himself unavailable to coach the team again this year. Swanepoel also decided due to his health to withdraw from the race.  

    Dries van der Wal who coached Grey College’s first team for quite a couple of years with coach the team once again in 2008. Rudolph Brits of Fichardtpark will leave the education fraternity and already resigned as administartive secretary of the Free State High School’s Rugby Association. “Rudolph’s resignation are also a huge blow for us,” said Vorster.    

    Jimmy Jimlongwe will be the Free State’s team manager at the tournament in Pretoria. The Free State Academy team will be coached by Paul Spies (Louis Botha) en Raymond Titus (Heatherdale). Deon Rodgers will be the team manager.

    The three rugby schools of Heidedal – Heatherdale, Dr. Blok and Petunia, will form a combined team which will be known as the Stallions. There were also talk that Sand du Plessis, Dr. Böhmer, Dr. Viljoen and Castlebridge will also combine to form a team. Sand du Plessis will however compete on their on own in the league, while the other three will form a combined XV.

    By Hannes Nienaber

  • Narrow defeat for SA U20 against France

    Narrow defeat for SA U20 against France

    Two good tries in the second half saw the visiting French Under-20 Training Squad register a narrow but deserved 15-10 victory over their South African counterparts in an entertaining match at Velddrif yesterday.

    The SA U20’s had the slight upper hand during the opening stages and deserved their lead of 5-0 at the break.  The French gave a much better performance in the second half and they did well to convert their superior possession into points. “I am happy with what I saw in the match. They are in the middle of their season and are also playing in the Northern Hempisphere’s under 20 Six Nations competition. While we are still at the start of the season. Some of our guys are in Super 14, Vodacom Cup and the National Sevens squads,” said Eric Sauls, coach of the South African U20-side.

    The two teams will play their second and final match on Saturday ay 4pm at the same venue. “I have a group of 36 players at the camp and will test other combinations as the ones I tested in the first match,” said Sauls.

    The national U20 coach believes there in still a lot of work to be done before the team will depart to Wales for the IRB’s U20 World Championship in June.

    Scorers:
    South Africa U20 – Tries: Omphile Seabela, Wynand Willis. France U20 – Tries: Wenceslas Lauret, Leo Griffoul. Conversion: Griffoul. Penalty: Ludoric Rado.

    By  Hannes Nienaber and www.sarugby.co.za

  • Voortrekker to host second tournament of @lantic 7’s on Saturday

    Voortrekker to host second tournament of @lantic 7’s on Saturday

    THE @lantic sevens series moves to Bethlehem on the weekend. The second tournament of the 2008-series will be hosted by Voortrekker High of Bethlehem on Saturday. One of the stars of last year’s series, Hoffman Maritz of Voortrekker, will be in action once again on Saturday.

    Voortrekker played some exhilarating sevens rugby during last year’s tournament at Jim Fouché in Bloemfontein. The squad is being strengthened this year for their home tournament. “We have two guys who missed out on selection last year due to injury. They are back in the squad and the two guys who played for us in Bloemfontein will now represent our B-side in Group D,” said Dawie Matthee, coach of Voortrekker. Maritz represented the victorious @lantic sevens team at the international sevens tournament in Dubai last year. He will definitely play a huge role in his squad’s preparation for their home tournament. 

    The matches will kick off at 8:30 on Voortrekker’s A- and B-field in Bethlehem. The final of the Cup will be played at 16:30. A selector of the South African sevens team will also be present at the tournament. 

    The teams that will participate in the tournament is:

    Group A: Voortrekker, Welkom Gymnasium, Reitz and Parys.
    Group B: Jim Fouché, Pionier High (Vryheid), Riebeeckstad and Paul Erasmus from Senekal.
    Group C: Harmony Sportacademy, Louis Botha, Sarel Cilliers from Natal and Ficksburg.
    Group D: Potch Gymnasium, Kroonstad High, Bothaville and Voortrekker B.

    By Hannes Nienaber

  • Afrika could still make South African under 20-side

    Afrika could still make South African under 20-side

    Thirteen Blue Bulls was named by Eric Sauls (coach) in his national under 20-side for a training camp in Saldanha. The camp will be held from 2 February until 11 February. The South African team will travel to the IRB under 20 World Championship in June in Wales. “The squad isn’t finalized yet and guys out of the group can still make the squad for Wales,” said Sauls. 
    A player like Cecil Afrika (fullback/wing) can still make the side. He is struggling with an injury and could make the final cut. Another omission from the squad who could be in action in Wales is Francois Hougaard (scrumhalf) of the Blue Bulls. Hougaard is in the Bulls provisional Super 14 squad. “Cecil is an extremely talented player and I can still alter my squad before the competition,” said Sauls.
    The South African team will play two matches against their French counterparts. The French team has set up camp in Vredenburg. The Free State has six representatives in the group. Three of the six players ply their trade in the midfield. Robert Ebersohn and Earl Snyman represented the South African school’s side last year, while Cameron Jacobs captained the Eastern Province team at the Coca Cola Cravenweek held at Stellenbosch. Herzon Amell (prop), Wilton Pietersen (fullback) and PW van Vuuren (hooker) completes the dozen.
    The group is:
    Gerrit-Jan van Velze, Berend Botha, Cornell Hess, Divan Kotze, Henri Bantjes, Stefan Watermeyer, Wynand Willis, Gerhard van der Merwe, Stephan Dippenaar, Oscar Mfundise, Tom Seabela, Marnitz Boshoff, Corne Fourie (all Blue Bulls), Dewaldt Duvenhage (Boland), Herzon Amell, Robert Ebersohn, Cameron Jacobs, Wilton Pieterson, Pieter-Willem van Vuuren, Earl-Jivan Snyman (all Cheetahs), Bernardo Botha, Justin Wheeler, Johan van Deventer (all Lions), Robert Kruger, BG Uys (both Leopards), Mlindazwe Nqoro, Sabelo Nhlapo, Thiphatu Marole, Wiehahn Herbst, Maphelo Mpondo (all Natal), Jean-Jacques Rossouw, Lisle Clark, Martin Muller, Mathew Turner, Mzwanele Zito, Yaasir Hartzenberg, Clark Weidemann, Clayton Steward (all Western Province).
  • Ben Vorster on top at Gerrit Maritz in @lantic sevens

    Ben Vorster on top at Gerrit Maritz in @lantic sevens

    Ben Vorster High from Tzaneen was crowned champions at the first @lantic sevens tournament of 2008 held at Gerrit Maritz High in Pretoria. They defeated Oos-Moot from Pretoria 28-5 in the final of the tournament.

    In all 16 schools participated at Gerrit Martiz High. The champions were also the early favourites to be crowned champions. The steamrolled their way through their pool matches. But they were met by a determined side of Oos-Moot in the final.

    De Wet Moolenaar of Ben Vorster was named player of the tournament, while Phillip Ylwood from the host won a laptop. The next tournament of @lantic will be held on 9 February at Voortrekker in Bethlehem. One of last year’s players to represent the @lantic sevens-team at the international sevens in Dubai, Hoffman Maritz (Voortrekker) will again be in action in the tournament.

    Results of the finals are: 

    Shield: Tuine THS won Uitsig Bowl: Tuine 42, Montana 7Plate: John Vorster THS 19, Pretoria-Noord 0Cup: Ben Vorster High 28, Oos-Moot 5

     

  • Van der Wal to coach Grey College in 2008

    Van der Wal to coach Grey College in 2008

    Dries van der Wal will coach Grey College’s first team this year after an absence of two years from the coaching fraternity. Van der Wal is also Grey College’s head of rugby. He will coach the first team with Ingo Machts after Jaco Swanepoel decided to take the head coach job at the University of the Free State.
     
    Van der Wal coached Grey College’s first team from 1984 till 2005 before leaving Swanepoel with the job as head coach. Van der Wal coached with the legendary Jos Labuschagne until 1997 when the latter retired. Labuschagne passed away last year. He and Van der Wal groomed quite a few Springboks and provincial players when they coached the first team.
     
    Grey College had a tremendous season last year and Van der Wal and Machts will have a difficult job to take the team of 2008 to the same heights. Machts was Swanepoel’s assistant the last two years and also helps with the coaching of the Free State under 19-side. 
     
     
  • Hans Coetzee to coach Golden Lions under 19

    Hans Coetzee to coach Golden Lions under 19

    Hans Coetzee, well known coach of Monument High in Krugerdorp, will help the Golden Lions with the recruiting of players. He will also caoch the Lions under 19-team with Timmy Goodwin and Marius Hurter.

    He coached Springboks like Brendan Venter, Jorrie Muller, Jaque Fourie and Heinke van der Merwe during his 18 years as first team coach of Monument. Coetzee isn’t the first school coach to move to a higher level of coaching this year. Jaco Swanepoel, coach of Grey College in Bloemfontein, will coach the University of the Free State’s rugby team this year.
    The current coach of the Golden Lions Coca Cola Cravenweek team, Oupa van der Merwe, will coach Monument’s first team this year. Coetzee will also help with the administration of school’s rugby in the province.

     

  • 2008 @lantic 7’s kicks off at Gerrit Maritz

    The 2008 @lantic 7’s series kicks off on Saturday, 26 January at Hoërskool Gerrit Maritz in Pretoria.  According to sport promoter, Willem Strauss this year’s series will consist of 16 tournaments.  “The last tournament will be a “champion of champions” tournament that will also take place in Pretoria on 25 October” said Strauss.

    The best player at each tournament will be invited to attend a training camp at which the @lantic invitation team will be chosen.   This team will participate in the Dubai 7’s amateur competition at the end of the year.  The South African schoolboys overshadowed their senior opponents during last year’s Dubai tournament and won with record scores.  One of the schoolboys who represented the @lantic invitation team, Danie Poolman of Paul Roos, has already been included in the Springbok 7’s training squad.

    The participating teams for Saturday are: Hoërskool Akasia, Hoërskool Ben Vorster, Hoërskool FH Odendaal, Hoërskool Garsfontein, Hoërskool Gerrit Maritz, Hoërskool Hartebeespoort, HTS Tuine, HTS John Vorster, Hoërskool Montana, Hoërskool Oos-Moot, Hoërskool Pretoria-Noord, Tuine, Hoërskool Uitsig, Hoërskool Wagpos, Hoërskool Die Wilgers and Hoërskool Wonderboom.

    The first match for Saturday, 26 Jan starts at 08:30 with the Cup final being played at 16:30.

    The program for the first five tournaments is as follows:

    26 Jan    Gerrit Martiz (Pretoria)
    09 Feb    Voortrekker (Bethlehem)
    16 Feb    Jim Fouche (Bloemfontein)
    23 Feb    Paul Roos (Stellenbosch)
    01 Mar    Swellendam (Swellendam)
    The remaining 11 tournaments will take place form July to October.  Nearly 400 schools will take part in this years series.

     

  • Coca Cola Cravenweek could be held at Affies in 2008

    Coca Cola Cravenweek could be held at Affies in 2008

    The Coca Cola under 18 Cravenweek will be held in Pretoria next year. Affies are the favourites to host the tournament in the Jakarandastad. There will be 440 promising young rugby players on show at the week in 2008.
    There will be two more side competing at the tournament than this year. Griqualand West Country Districts and Eastern Province Country Districts will also travel to Pretoria next year. It will be the fourth time in five years that the tournament will be hosted by a school.

    The last time the tournament was hosted by Pretoria was in 1992. Western Province and Free State contested in the main match. Nelspruit High (2003), Grey College (2004) and Paul Roos Gymnasium (2007) were the school whom had the honour of hosting this prestigious week.

    By Hannes Nienaber