Craven Week

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Craven Week in history

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:39

Craven Week, the greatest schoolboy rugby tournament in the world, seems to have been around forever. But like all living things, it had a birth.

It was a healthy birth but not universally welcomed. There were those who thought it a bad idea. Schools and schoolmasters are conservative, which is a natural reaction to the constantly changing world in which schools exist.

Some did not like the singling out of individuals. Some thought it was against the educational spirit of school sport. Some thought it smacked of professionalism. But it went ahead in 1964. The initial idea came from Piet Malan, then 1949 Springbok flank, currently the oldest living Springbok. After all the 75th anniversary of the South African Rugby Board was due and, in Potgietersrus, Malan asked Danie Craven how schools in South Africa could figure in the celebrations. Craven's Board decided to get the 15 schools unions together for a week. The man who picked up the idea and ran with it, on and one for many years, was Jan Preuyt, an East London schoolmaster, once a missionary in Nigeria.

At the time Jan Preuyt, an ex-Matie and a former Griqualand West player, was a teacher at Port Rex Technical School and chairman of Border Schools with Dummy Taylor of Queen's College as the secretary. There was no such thing as a South African Schools organisation and the SA Rugby Board was not involved. Border Schools did it all. East London then put on the first-ever Craven Week in July 1964. For many provinces it was a novelty to choose a provincial team. Western Province solved the problem by inviting its long-standing schools to nominate players and from that a team was cobbled together which did remarkably well, better in fact than some "expertly" chosen teams.

The teams taking part in the first Craven Week were Boland, Border, Eastern Province, Eastern Transvaal, Griqualand West, Natal, North Eastern Cape, Northern Transvaal, Orange Free State, Rhodesia, South West Africa, South Western Districts, Transvaal, Western Province and Western Transvaal. By 1987 there were 28 teams taking part at Craven Week. In 2000 there were be 32 teams.

In 2001 the format changed again and only 20 teams took part - the 14 provinces plus Namibia and Zimbabwe and four regional teams - Eastern Coast, Western Coast, Central and Northern. That did not last long.

This year (2010) things have not changed. There will be 20 teams - one from each province plus Limpopo, Border Country Districts, Griquas Country Districts, Eastern Province Country Districts, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The area most obviously left out is Northern Natal which includes Newcastle, Ladysmith, Dundee, Glencoe, Estcourt and Vryheid.

At that Craven Week the first SA Schools committee was chosen - Jan Preuyt (chairman), Trens Erasmus (Western Transvaal), Wouter du Toit (Transvaal), Hennie Lochner (Boland) and Meyer Sauerman (Eastern Province). In 1965 Craven Week was again held in East London, to consolidate the new foundation which very soon developed its own spirit and modus operandi. In 1974, for the first time ever, a national schools team was chosen. This was against Danie Craven's will as he wanted Craven Week to be a festival, not a competition and certainly not trials. That is why, when Australian Schools undertook their first tour in 1969, no South African Schools team was chosen.

Since 1974 a South African schools team has been chosen each year. Forget all the non-competitive stuff. There is no official winner but there is no doubt that the last match on the last day is seen as a final and the winner of that match as the Craven Week champions. Moreover, while good behaviour is a hallmark of Craven Week, there have been repeated outbursts of bad sportsmanship, mainly as a result of provincialism.

Apart from selecting national teams, Craven Weeks have been a great hunting ground for talent scouts. Many provinces go to elaborate lengths to choose their Craven Week sides and generally it is a week where kudos reigns.

The next big change came in 1980 when Danie Craven forced the Craven Week organisers to open the week to all races. That was the last year in which Rhodesia participated. South West Africa would also cease to participate when the country became Namibia.

The next big change for all rugby in South Africa came about in 1992 with the fusion of the national bodies.

Right from the 1964 start there were changes in the teams attending Craven Week. The number of teams increased as new provinces were created and with the entry of teams which had been excluded for political reasons. Each year since 1980 there has been an effort to give more players a chance to take part in Craven Week. In 1996 the quota system was introduced.

In 1987 the old SA Rugby Board introduced a Project Tournament, which by 1991 had 16 teams taking part, all based on a quota system that was at least 50-50. In 1987 the Project Tournament's selected team went on to play at Craven Week. In that team were Justin Swart, who later became a Springbok, Etienne Finn, who became a Springbok in 2001, and Louis Mzomba who became an international referee, the first Xhosa-speaker to do so. This system was more or less adopted by SARFU/SARU as the Academy Week.

For many years two teams were chosen at the end of the Craven Week - the SA Schools XV and the SA Nampak XV, which team was chosen from the Academy Week and played against SA Schools, has been replaced by the SA Academy XV. Often they played each other. In 2006 things changed. The Academy team became the South African Schools B team and played - and beat - Italy.

In 1988, after 19 years in charge, Jan Preuyt declared himself unavailable for re-election as chairman of SA Schools. His place was taken by Louis Terblanche of Western Province. In 1996 Terblanche was unavailable for re-election and was succeeded by Christo Bekker of Northern Transvaal.

Later Craven Week came to fall under the United Schools Sport Association of South Africa (USSASA) under the chairmanship of Dries van Heerden of HTS Vereeniging. He was succeeded by the present chairman, Lindsay Mould, the principal of Grey Primary School in Bloemfontein, the first to chair both High Schools and Junior Schools rugby.

On 27 April 2006 Jan Preuyt died at his daughter’s house in Cathcart on 27 April 2006 He was 83 years of age, survived by his wife, Johlene, six children and nine grandchildren. His ashes were scattered at Absa Stadium, the Border Rugby Union's headquarters in East London. The Absa Stadium was once the Border Rugby Union Ground, then the Basil Kenyon Stadium and now the Buffalo City Stadium. It had sponsors' names (Waverley and Absa) twice.

In 2010 Piet Malan, whose brainchild the Craven Week is, is the oldest living Springbok. He turned 91 on 13 February.


Craven Week: Main matches - 1971-2010

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:57

Playing the main match at Craven Week is prestigious. To some it is a final of sorts but it is not. There is no winner of the Craven Week, though the winner of the final match is regarded as the winner of a final of sorts and hence the champion.

This century Free State and Western Province have met six times in the first decade.

Final matches:

1971: Western Province vs Griquas, 11-0
1972: Western Province vs Western Transvaal, 16-9
1973: Western Province vs Transvaal, 36-7
1974: Western Province vs South Western Districts, 22-12
1975: Eastern Province vs Natal, 46-13
1976: Boland vs Free State, 13-9
1977: Eastern Province vs Western Province, 19-17
1978: Western Province vs Free State, 12-3
1979: Northern Free State vs Free State, 9-6
1980: Free State vs Transvaal, 16-6
1981: Transvaal vs Western Province, 11-7
1982: South Eastern Transvaal vs Northern Free State, 25-7
1983: Free State vs South Eastern Transvaal, 13-9
1984: Transvaal vs Eastern Province, 3-0
1985: Free State vs Transvaal, 23-15
1986: South Eastern Transvaal vs Western Province, 19-12
1987: Natal vs Transvaal, 22-22
1988: Western Province vs Free State, 16-3
1989: Transvaal vs Eastern Province, 17-6
1990: Natal vs Northern Transvaal, 18-8
1991: Northern Transvaal vs Border, 10-9
1992: Western Province vs Free State, 22-15
1993: Northern Transvaal vs South Eastern Transvaal, 25-13
1994: Border vs Eastern Province, 13-13
1995: Free State vs Boland, 15-13
1996: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 24-12
1997: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province, 29-27
1998: Griqualand West vs Western Province, 32-21
1999: Western Province vs Eastern Province, 15-11
2000: Pumas vs Boland, 19-18
2001: South Western Districts vs Blue Bulls, 26-20
2002: Western Province vs Free State, 31-16
2003: Western Province vs Free State, 22-17
2004: Free State vs Western Province, 17-16
2005: Golden Lions vs Eastern Province, 38-15
2006: Blue Bulls vs Golden Lions, 35-20
2007: Free State vs Western Province, 52-3
2008: South Western Districts vs Free State, 31-25
2009: Western Province vs Free State, 19-17
2010: Free State vs Western Province, 42-21


CW 2010: Results at a glance

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:01

Boland were unbeaten at the 2010 Craven Week - along with eventual 'winners', Free State

Two teams at the 2020 Craven Week in Welkom won all their matches - Boland and Free State - and two teams lost all their matches - Border and Border Country Districts.

Both Boland and Free State won their third matches by scoring over forty points. It is the second time that Free State have played Western Province in the main match of the Craven Week and scored big victories. The other time was in 2007 when the Free Staters won 52-3.

Day One:
Boland vs Limpopo, 41-11
Eastern Province vs Blue Bulls, 19-17
Griffons vs Eastern Province Country Districts, 28-25
Namibia vs Border Country Districts, 35-7
Western Province vs Golden Lions, 20-3

Day Two:
Free State vs Border, 35-13
Griquas vs Valke, 26-24
Griquas Country Districts vs Zimbabwe, 23-15
KwaZulu-Natal vs Leopards, 33-12
Pumas vs South Western Districts, 26-18

Day Three:
Boland vs Griffons, 36-34
Eastern Province Country Districts vs Namibia 27-18
Golden Lions vs Blue Bulls 23-20
Limpopo vs Border Country Districts, 53-0
Western Province vs Eastern Province, 58-11

Day Four:
Free State vs KwaZulu-Natal, 30-20
Griquas Country Districts vs Leopards, 27-25
Pumas vs Griquas, 38-7
South Western Districts vs Zimbabwe, 21-3
Valke vs Border, 26-22

Day Five:
Leopards vs Border Country Districts, 65-5
Zimbabwe vs Namibia, 30-21
Griquas vs Griffons, 29-7
Eastern Province vs Border, 34-20
Blue Bulls vs Valke, 38-15
Golden Lions vs Pumas, 28-11
Limpopo vs South Western Districts, 26-20
Eastern Province Country Districts vs Griquas Country Districts, 31-20
Boland vs KwaZulu-Natal, 49-23
Free State vs Western Province, 42-21

Results per team

Blue Bulls:
Lost to Eastern Province 19-17
Lost to Golden Lions 23-20
Beat Valke 38-15

Boland:
Beat Limpopo 41-11
Beat Griffons 36-34
Beat KwaZulu-Natal 49-23

Border:
Lost to Free State 35-13
Lost to Valke 26-22
Lost to Eastern Province 34-20

Border Country Districts:
Lost to Namibia 35-7
Lost to Limpopo 53-0
Lost to Leopards 65-5

Eastern Province:
Beat Blue Bulls 19-17
Lost to Western Province 58-11
Beat Border 34-20

Eastern Province Country Districts:
Lost to Griffons 28-25
Beat Namibia 27-18
Beat Border 34-20

Free State:
Beat Border 35-13
Beat KwaZulu-Natal 30-20
Beat Western Province 42-21

Golden Lions:
Lost to Western Province 20-3
Beat Blue Bulls 23-20
Beat Pumas 28-11

Griffons:
Beat Eastern Province Country Districts 28-25
Lost to Boland 36-34
Lost to Griquas 29-7

Griqualand West:
Beat Valke 26-24
Lost to Pumas 38-7
Beat Griffons 29-7

Griqualand West Country Districts:
Beat Griquas Country Districts vs Zimbabwe 23-15
Beat Leopards 27-25
Lost to Eastern Province Country Districts 31-20

KwaZulu-Natal:
Beat the Leopards 33-12
Lost to Free State 30-20
Lost to Boland 49-23

Leopards:
Lost to KwaZulu-Natal 33-12
Lost to Griquas Country Districts 27-25
Beat Border Country Districts 65-5

Limpopo:
Lost to Boland 41-11
Beat Border Country Districts 53-0
Beat South Western Districts 26-20

Namibia:
Beat Border Country Districts 35-7
Lost to Eastern Province Country Districts 27-18
Lost to Zimbabwe 30-21

Pumas:
Beat South Western Districts 26-18
Beat Griquas 38-7
Lost to Golden Lions 28-11

South Western Districts:
Lost to Pumas 26-18
Beat Zimbabwe 21-3
Lost to Limpopo 26-20

Valke:
Griquas vs Valke 26-24
Valke vs Border 26-22
Lost to 38-15

Western Province:
Beat Golden Lions 20-3
Beat Eastern Province 58-11
Lost to Free State 42-21

Zimbabwe:
Lost to Griquas Country Districts 23-15
Lost to South Western Districts 21-3
Beat Namibia 30-21


Free State dominate SA Schools

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 15:18

Free State - unsurprisingly - dominated the South African Schools team which was announced at the end of the Craven Week in Welkom on Saturday afternoon.

The team will be captained by the Free State captain William Small-Smith and includes 11 players that competed in the final game between Free State and WP.

There is only one player back from last year's SA Schools side - Andile Jho, the inside centre in the disappointing Border side.

Small-Smith will partner Jho in the midfield.

Jho, Craig Barry, Small-Smith and Johan Goosen were in last year's South African Under-18 side which is chosen by different selectors.

The back three include the exciting Western Province duo of fullback Craig Barry and Jean-Paul Lewis.

They will be joined by Boland speedster Leroy Bitterhout, who scored a hat trick of tries during his side's 49-23 victory over Kwazulu Natal on Saturday.

Free State Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen, who scored 22 points during his side's victory over WP, was also named in the team.

Goosen was also a member of SARU's Under-18 High Performance squad in 2009.

There are six players from Grey College in the side, four from Paul Roos and three from Affies.

The South African Schools team for 2010:

1 Steven Kitshoff (Paul Roos, Western Province),
2 Jason Thomas (Muir, Eastern Province),
3 Allan Dell (Queen's, Border),
4 Ruan Venter (Monument, Golden Lions),
5 Ruan Botha (Jeugland, Valke),
6 Khaya Majola (Westville, KwaZulu Natal),
7 Sikhumbuzo Notshe (Wynberg Boys' High, Western Province),
8 Nardus van der Walt (Affies, Blue Bulls),

9 Rudi van Rooyen (Affies, Blue Bulls),
10 Johan Goosen (Grey College, Free State),
11 Leroy Bitterhout (Klein Nederburg, Boland),
12 Andile Jho (Dale, Border),
13 William Small-Smith (Grey College, Free State - captain),
14 Jean-Paul Lewis (Paul Roos, Western Province),
15 Craig Barry (Paul Roos, Western Province),

16 Anrich Bitzi (Grey College, Free State),
17 Neethling Fouché (Grey College, Free State),
18 Schalk van Heerden (Affies, Blue Bulls),
19 Wiaan Liebenberg (Drostdy, Boland),
20 Kevin Luiters (Grey College, Free State),
21 Paul Jordaan (Grey College, Free State),
22 Tshotsho Mbovane (Paul Roos, Western Province).

Coaches: AJ Mercuur (Boland), Janse van der Ryst (Griquas Country Districts)

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