Masuka is ‘mane’ guy for Lions

Nkosikhona Masuku of the Golden Lions was named the Coca-Cola Hero of the Day for day three of the U18 Coca-Cola Craven Week at St Stithians College.

The Lions played to a 13–13 draw against Western Province on 19 July.

The prestigious Coca-Cola Hero of the Day award is presented on each day of the tournament in recognition of a

game-changing hero moment. Masuku was selected for the award by an appointed panel of rugby experts, led by Springbok legend Victor Matfield.

“We had a scrum that we had to win so I dug deep and managed to win the scrum and a penalty for my team. It is a great experience being the Hero of the Day and I hope that it will inspire others to do their best to achieve their goals,” said Masuka.

Matfield said it was a tough game and there were quite a few heroic moments from both teams.

“Nkosikhona, however, stood out and was very impressive as he dug deep and gave everything for his team at scrum time. His effort resulted in a penalty that put his team in the lead for the first time in the match,” said Matfield.

Since the Craven Week is aimed at identifying the top school rugby players in the country, Masuku could well see a professional rugby career ahead of him.

The event has seen more than 260 Springbok players come through its ranks, and this year the tournament returned to Johannesburg for the first time in 11 years.

Barbara Beauchamp, St Stithians College events manager said everyone had worked really well together in preparation for the tournament. “What’s really struck me is the number of volunteers that are involved in this project, people who are giving of their time because of their passion for the sport,” she said.

The event took three months of preparation and teamwork between the South African Rugby Union, the Golden Lions, St Stithians College and the main sponsor Coca-Cola.

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