Menlopark and Garsfontein dominate the Blue Bulls team for this year’s U18 Craven Week, writes THEO GARRUN.
As this half of the schools rugby season winds down, with many schools already into their mid-year exams, the provinces are hard at work preparing for Craven Week, which takes place in Paarl from 8-14 July.
The format of the week has been changed this year, with the Blue Bulls, Golden Lions and Western Province each fielding two sides in the 18-team tournament and Zimbabwe, Namibia, EP Country, Griquas Country and Border Country all relegated to the Academy Week.
The Blue Bulls were among the first to name their official teams. Menlopark and Garsfontein have seven representatives each, while Affies has six.
There are three players from last year’s team back again, including Garsfontein’s Diego Appollis who was in the SA Schools team last year. The others are Pretoria Boys’ High’s Kgalalelo Mathomologo and Affies flyhalf Regardt Roets.
The next outing for the Bulls is against KwaZulu-Natal at the Northern Unions day in Nelspruit on 23 June.
The final Golden Lions teams will be announced later this week, following their friendly matches against the Valke.
Blue Bulls – D Donald (Affies), J Uys (Affies), T Katete (St Alban’s), C Kamffer (Affies), R Roets (Garsfontein), J Buitendag (Garsfontein), L Potgieter (Menlopark), D Venter (Menlopark), B Van der Linde (Menlopark), R Roets (Affies), N Balloi (Menlopark), D Nordier (Affies), D Appollis (Garsfontein), J Visagie (Garsfontein), C Willemse (Garsfontein), D Pienaar (Menlopark), B Brand (Garsfonten), S Joubert (Affies), K Mothomogato (Pretoria Boys’ High), M Mombers (Menlopark), M Peterson (Eldoraigne), J Claassen (Garsfontein), S Smith (Menlopark).
Blue Bulls XV – J Britz (Menlopark), E Coutriers (Menlopark), G Viljoen (Menlopark), S Miller (St Alban’s), G Van der Bijl (Menlopark), K Jada (Pretoria Boys’ High), A Visser (Affies), G Oosthuizen (Affies), D Roelofse (Waterkloof), K Wessels (Menlo Park), B Kgatlhane (Waterkloof), R Oosthuizen (Menlopark), S Alberts (Affies), B Ndlovu (FH Odendaal), D Craford (Affies), E Swart Oos Moot), W Nkobane (Cornwall Hill), N Pienaar (Menlopark), S Mvenya (St Alban’s), J Snyman (Garsfontein), G Flusk (Garsfontein), R Daniels (St Alban’s), W Damons (Overkruin).
Photo: Theo Garrun
