Border's Craven Week side
Selborne and Queen’s contribute the majority of players to the Border Craven Week side.
Border acknowledges that its side last year suffered before and at Craven Week through poor selection and poor administration. It failed to win a match. Drug charges were levelled at one of the Border players. He managed to get off on a technicality following a South African Rugby Union investigation. There were also allegations of alcohol abuse and late arrival for matches. All this had many parents up in arms, with several top colleges subsequently threatening a breakaway.
The Border RFU appointed its general manager Leon Botha to assist the schools in all their preparations both on and off the field. He said: “School rugby on the Border has always been our showcase, and after last year’s debacle leading up to and at the Craven Week, there’s a need to restore Border’s image.
“In 2006, the Border U18 Craven Week side were unbeaten, and we are now striving to emulate this and other Border teams who have brought honour to the province over the years.”
Botha said this year’s Craven Week A side was selected purely on merit and, despite this, was well within the South African Rugby Union quota requirements when it came to fielding non-white players. The coaching and management structures had also largely been overhauled.
Prop Dalan Berendt is the only player back from the 2007 Craven Week Border side in Stellenbosch. Sandile Buthelezi was also at Craven Week for the Border Country Districts side. The 2007 Craven Week was a most disappointing week for the Border side.
Three players were at the Academy Week last year and several at the Grant Khomo Week:
Border Academy in 2007: Lubabalo Mtembu, Sinovuyo Nyoka, S’bura Sithole
Grant Khomo Week in 2007: Grant Hartley, Louis Nel, Vernon Adams , Matthew Williams Border, Chris Cloete, Dale Sabbagh, Leon Makiwane, Sibulele Stemele. Daniel Stey, Aziyena Mandaba (centre, wing), (Queen’s College),
Border Craven Week team: Dalan Berendt (Cambridge), Grant Hartley (Queen’s College), Wesley Cloete (Selborne College), Louis Nel (Grens), Vernon Adams (Selborne College), Matthew Williams (Selborne College), Chris Cloete (Selborne College), Lubabalo Mtembu (Dale College), Sinovuyo Nyoka (Dale College), Dale Sabbagh (Selborne College), S’bura Sithole (Queen’s College), Robert Alers (Selborne College), David Russel (Selborne College), Leon Makiwane (Queen’s College), Daniel van der Vywer (Selborne College), Sibulele Stemele Selborne College), Soso September (Selborne College), Daniel Steyn (Selborne College), Sandile Buthelezi (United), Matthew King (Selborne College), Aziyena Mandaba (Queen’s College), Jarryd Buys (Selborne College)
Head coach: Brent Janse van Rensburg (Queen’s College)
Assistant coach: Fikile Blaauw (Dale College)
Manager: Isak Brink (West Bank)
