Did the previous Craven Week hosted in the Windy City back in 2012 produce the best South African Schools’ side ever?
And will the crop of 2026 live up to the expectations set by their predecessors in 2012?
The last time the Craven Week was held in the Friendly City, as the locals prefer to call it rather than the Windy City, it was still named Port Elizabeth.
The matches were played in the Nelson Mandela Stadium, and the Blue Bulls were crowned unofficial champions after thrashing the Golden Lions by 47-0 in the rain.
Members of that Blue Bulls side included players like Pierre Schoeman (Scotland), Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Nico Janse van Rensburg (both Springboks).
Schoeman captained the SA Schools’ side that year. In the Blue Bulls’ opening match against Western Province, they came out on top in a match where their flyhalf Ryno Eksteen stole the show away from a certain Handré Pollard.
The latter also made the SA Schools’ side that year and played a pivotal role for the Springboks in their two World Cup-winning campaigns of 2019 and 2023.
Talking about the victorious Springboks of 2019 and 2023. The foundation for these two World Cups were partly laid back in 2012.
Besides Pollard other Springboks who went on to be part of these Springbok squads are Wilco Louw (HTS Drostdy, Boland), Ox Nche (Louis Botha, Free State), Malcolm Marx (King Edward VII, Golden Lions), Jasper Wiese (Hoërskool Upington, Griqualand West Country Districts), Jesse Kriel (Maritzburg College, KwaZulu-Natal), Jean-Luc du Preez (Kearsney College, KwaZulu-Natal) and Warrick Gelant (Outeniqua, South Western Districts).
All of them, but Wiese also represented the SA Schools’ side that year. The national schools squad also included players like Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland), Sergeal Petersen (Springboks), and Daniel du Preez (Springboks).
While Jaco van der Walt (Scotland) was also in action for the Golden Lions during the tournament.
This year’s tournament will take place from 6 to 11 July on Grey High School’s Kolisi Field. Entry to the FNB u18 Craven Week will be free for all school children, as long as they are dressed in school uniform or school tracksuits.
