Lions end Craven Week at a high

Ten players from Krugersdorp had the opportunity to wear the white and red representing the Golden Lions in the 51st Under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week tournament – also known as the world’s biggest school rugby tournament – this year.

The players are Wikus van Biljon, Juan Lemmer, Gavin Delport, Reinhard Nothnagel, Rhyno Herbst, Jaco Holtzhauzen and Justin Brandon with Odwa Nkujan, Lem Massyn and Armand Grobler as reserves.

The Lions gave spectators some good rugby entertainment on the final day, arguably playing one of the best games in the tournament by beating the hosting team, the Pumas 39-24, but unfortunately lost against the Free State and Blue Bulls.

On day five The Golden Lions delivered a solid first-half performance against the Pumas to build up an encouraging 17-0 lead, which set them up for their second victory of the tournament.

The Lions used their point-scoring opportunities well to secure two converted tries and a penalty, while the Pumas struggled to breach their defensive line.

The Pumas, however, started the second half strongly with two early tries, but these efforts were cancelled out by a determined charge by the Lions in which they ran in four back-to-back tries.

But this did not dampen the hosts’ spirits as they finished the match with two more tries to balance matters in the second half. This, however, was not enough to undo their disappointing first-half showing.

On Saturday Eastern Province finished the Under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week as the unofficial champions for the first time in 37 years, following a 25-7 victory against South Western Districts in the final match at HTS Middelburg.

The match concluded a successful Under-18 Coca-Cola Craven Week tournament in which all 11 000 tickets available to spectators and guests of the respective provincial unions were sold out throughout the tournament.

The Port Elizabeth side last won the final match of the tournament in 1977 against Western Province.