MEYERTON – The 2025 Bokkieweek AVS flagship national youth sports festival took place from July 7 to 11 at Hoërskool Hans Strijdom in Naboomspruit, Limpopo, showcasing rugby, netball, and boys’ and girls’ hockey across four age groups (u13, u14, u16, and u19). The week drew thousands of players and officials from AVS unions around the country, uniting sport, faith, and Afrikaner culture in one dynamic event.
AVS recently held its awards in Meyerton to acknowledge the achievements of players. A major highlight was the completion of a world-class hockey astro at the host school. Construction began on March 24, and the new facility, funded and endorsed by the festival and built in partnership with Turftech, enabled Bokkieweek participants to compete on an international-standard surface.
The astro will serve the wider Limpopo region long after the tournament ends. This year’s event also coincided with exciting developments within the AVS structure. In November 2024, a new AVS union, AVS Laeveld, was officially established, extending access to the Bokkieweek platform to sports talents from Nelspruit, Barberton, Lydenburg, and surrounding towns. AVS Laeveld will debut at Bokkieweek 2025 under president Ronel Fourie.
Equally notable is AVS Verre Noord’s leadership, with Jurg van Heerden appointed union president late in 2024. A longtime enthusiast of the event, Van Heerden emphasises sport as a vehicle for unity and self-development. Under his stewardship, Verre Noord’s youth teams have earned top honours at Bokkieweek and Somerweek, and he envisions expanding opportunities, especially in Limpopo. The spirit of Bokkieweek has always been about more than competition.
Launched in 1992 with just seven U13 rugby teams under the original name Springbokweek, the event has blossomed into the largest Afrikaner youth sports gathering in the country. It now draws nearly 5 000 young athletes and officials annually across three national tournaments, offering rugby, netball, hockey, fastball, cricket, and golf—all within a cultural and faith-based context.
Under the leadership of AVS CEO Rev. Peter Stans, the ethos of Bokkieweek is deeply rooted in Christian Protestant values and Afrikaner cultural identity. The festival aims not only to develop sporting talent but to instill discipline, respect, and perseverance in young participants.
The 2025 edition of Bokkieweek in Naboomspruit thus cemented itself as a landmark event blending excellent sporting infrastructure, expanded participation through new unions, and strong community values. Spanning sport, culture, and opportunity, it reaffirmed AVS’ mission to shape the next generation of Afrikaner youth.
