Youth Weeks throwbacks

This year will be the 53rd year since its inception that the best schoolboy players will gather at the respective tournaments – which have produced over 260 Springboks – and continue to be the arena where heroes are made.

Each week leading up to the Coca-Cola Youth Weeks, we're going to tip our hat to a Springbok player whose career took off at one of these highly esteemed competitions. By highlighting his career, we'll be touching on the impact, support and experience gained during his school years.

The Coca-Cola Youth Weeks starts in July with the U-13 Coca-Cola Craven Week and U-16 Coca-Cola Grant Khomo Week from July 4-8 at Paarl Gymnasium. The U18 Coca-Cola Craven and Academy Weeks will run from July 11-16 at Kearsney College in Durban.

Patrick Lambie

He may not yet be 26 but Patrick Lambie is already an established star and leader in the Springbok setup. Lambie is former schoolboy prodigy, who represented KwaZulu-Natal at the Coca-Cola Craven Weeks in 2007 and 2008 – his performances ensured his selection into the SA Schools team for those respective years.

He moved swiftly through the ranks, playing Currie Cup and Super Rugby for the Sharks, as well as representing the Junior Springboks before earning his first Springbok cap at the end of 2010.

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest talents in the country – paired beautifully with his leadership qualities. The off-the-chart intangibles that Lambie possesses were well recognized in his selection as captain of his Coca-Cola Craven Week team and most recently, the Sharks side for the current Super Rugby competition.