All eyes on WP at U18 Coca-Cola Craven Week

All eyes will be on DHL Western Province at the u.18 Coca-Cola Craven Week starting on today at HTS Middelburg in Mpumalanga as they aim to repeat the impressive feat of finishing all the Coca-Cola Craven Week tournaments as the top province.

In the last two weeks Western Province took the honours as the unofficial champions in the u.13 Coca-Cola Craven Week, u.16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week and u.18 Coca-Cola Academy Week competitions, and with only the u.18 Coca-Cola Craven Week remaining they will be determined to finish the SARU Youth Weeks on a high note.

This impressive showing follows a clean sweep in the Coca-Cola Craven Week tournaments last year, as they won the final match in the Coca-Cola u.13 Craven Week, u.16 Grant Khomo Week and u.18 Craven Week respectively.

They are, however, expected to face tough competition in the next few days as the level of physicality among the top school players and their skills continue to improve steadily across the country.

The tournament in Middelburg will run from Monday until Saturday, and it will mark the 51st anniversary of the Coca-Cola Craven Week.

The Itec Limpopo Blue Bulls and Griquas will kick off the competition at 09:20 in the opening match on Monday, with the other big matches being SWD, taking on KwaZulu-Natal and hosts the Pumas meeting Western Province in the final match of the day. In a total of five matches will be played on the first day.

All 20 participating teams arrived on Sunday and completed their registration. More than 400 players and their management teams will be based at HTS Middelburg for the duration of the tournament.

U.18 Coca-Cola Craven Week day one fixtures:

09:20 – Itec Limpopo Blue Bulls vs Griquas

10:40 – Eastern Province CD vs Zimbabwe

12:00 – Thepa Trading Griffons vs Border

13:20 – SWD vs KwaZulu-Natal

15:40 – Pumas vs DHL Western Province