Local young rugby players have done the Ehlanzeni District proud, with nine different schools being represented by nearly 50 stars at the upcoming Craven, Grant Khomo and Academy weeks.

The largest proportion of Ehlanzeni representation comes in the U13 age group. There, six players from Ehlanzeni will take part in the U13 Craven Week where Laerskool Nelspruit fly half Dandré Louw has been named vice captain of the team.

In the U13 Academy Week, 10 players from Ehlanzeni will represent the province. Laerskool Nelspruit and Nelspruit Primary School have the most players in the U13 Pumas teams, with five players each. Laerskool Bergland and White River both have three players in the teams.

In addition to the players, the Pumas will also be represented among the officials at the U13 Craven Week. A local referee and teacher at Laerskool Nelspruit, Alex Jonker, has been named one of the referees for the tournament. While he has refereed at national weeks before, this will be the first time that Jonker will officiate at a national week since he came out of retirement five years ago.

The U16 age group is where Ehlanzeni is least represented, but there is still a good number of rugby players taking part. In the U16 Grant Khomo Week, there are eight players, while there are a further five in the team for the U16 Academy Week.

Hoërskool Nelspruit (NHS) dominates the numbers here, with a total of 10 players between the two U16 Pumas teams. Hoërskool Rob Ferreira will have two representatives and Curro Nelspruit will have one of their own.

In the U18 age group is a total of 15 players from Ehlanzeni. The U18 Pumas team for the Craven Week will include nine Ehlanzeni players, eight of whom are from NHS, and the other from Hoërskool Bergvlam.

In the Academy Week team is a total of six local representatives. Five of them are from NHS and the sixth is from Lowveld High School.

The U13 Craven Week and Academy Week will be held in Pretoria from June 17 to 21. The U16 Grant Khomo and Academy weeks will take place over the same dates, but in Gqeberha. The U18 Craven Week will be in Krugersdorp between June 24 and 29, and the U18 Academy Week will be in Johannesburg between June 24 and 28.

Ehlanzeni representatives in the various age groups are as follows:
U13 Craven Week
• Mabutfo Pilson: White River Primary School
• Dandré Louw: vice-captain, Laerskool Nelspruit
• Mmabaledi Mashego: Nelspruit Primary School
• Brain Moosa: Laerskool Bergland
• Kian Brown: Laerskool Bergland
• Bernard Calitz: Laerskool Nelspruit.

U13 Academy Week
• Melvin Mnisi: Nelspruit Primary School
• Siya Khumalo: Nelspruit Primary School
• Siyanda Msimango: Nelspruit Primary School
• Wandile Mabunda: Nelspruit Primary School
• Caiden Heunis: Laerskool Nelspruit
• Heinke Coleman: Laerskool Nelspruit
• Malan de Klerk: Laerskool Nelspruit
• Karabo Makokga: White River Primary School
• Rossouw Dreyer: White River Primary School
• Samkelo Tloubatla: Laerskool Bergland.

U16 Grant Khomo Week
• Christiaan Viljoen: NHS
• Christiaan Botha: NHS
• Vian Louw: NHS
• Adriaan Botha: NHS
• Adrian van Wyk: NHS
• Kamogelo Monkwe: NHS
• Ewan van der Merwe: NHS
• Mpho Mushudu: Curro Nelspruit.

U16 Academy Week
• Ulrich Kleynhans: NHS
• Dirk-Arnold Joubert: NHS
• Lonwabo Mthetwa: NHS
• Lefa Ratshwene: Hoërskool Rob Ferreira
• Matimba Mndawe: Hoërskool Rob Ferreira.

U18 Craven Week
• Reghardt Vermaak: NHS
• Vaughn van Zyl: NHS
• Liam Pringle: NHS
• Tinyiko Silubane: NHS
• Ian Wood: NHS
• Kelfilwe Kamotshe: NHS
• D’Angelo Robberts: NHS
• Lindani Ndena: NHS
• Khensani Buthelezi: NHS
• Prosper Chiloane: NHS
• Kgosi Mashego: Hoërskool Bergvlam.

U18 Academy Week
• Ronaldo Janse van Rensburg: NHS
• Banele Ngwenya: NHS
• Theuns Meyer: NHS
• André Smit: NHS
• Glen Nkosi: Lowveld High School.