Show support for eager rugby talent
Local schools will take part in this weekend's SPAR KZN Primary School's rugby tournament.
THE annual gathering of KwaZulu-Natal’s young aspiring rugby players takes place at Woodburn Stadium on 22 to 24 May for the SPAR KZN Primary School’s Rugby Tournament.
The tournament now in its 17th year will have six regions participating over the three days. Local schools taking part are Clifton, Durban Preparatory, Glenwood, Penzance, Port Natal, and St Henry’s Marist College.
Others will come from Northern Natal, Southern Coastals, Pinetown and Districts, Zululand and the Midlands, and each will have three divisions with 330 boys competing in the hope of being selected to represent their province.
The Merit Division or the U13A teams will be hoping to make the team that stays in Durban for the Craven Week later this year. The U13B team will select a team that will travel to Sasolburg to play in the interprovincial there and finally the U12 age group hope to identify players that will travel to Vryheid later in the season for the U12 Interprovincial.
Heroes of the modern day game have all started their competitive careers at this tournament. Patrick Lambie who dons the Springbok jersey cut his teeth in the early years at this rugby festival. Former Sharks player now representing England Bradley Barrett also got a show in on the Woodburn Stadium grounds.
Durban-born Greg Rawlinson who has played for the All Blacks, Matt Stevens who has played for Saracens and England, Sharks, Saracens and Springbok player Alistair Hargreaves and current Shark’s player Stefan Ungerer to name but a few all participated in the KZN Primary School’s Rugby Tournament.
MD for SPAR KZN, Rob Philipson said: “It is fantastic to see the eagerness at this level amongst all the boys. This tournament has proven itself to be an essential ingredient in grooming future players and we are SPAR are delighted to be a part of it for the second year.”
The games kick off on Thursday with nine games on the programme. Teams go head to head on Friday with the finals and the awards ceremony taking place on Saturday.
