Academy Week starts in Durban
The annual Academy Week starts in Durban on 1 July 2013 with Glenwood High School as its host.
The Academy Week is a step down from Craven Week which starts a week later. Why it's called Academy Week is uncertain as it usually refers to a, institution or authority of higher learning. Perhaps it may be a good idea to get it its own name, as Craven Week and Grant Khomo Week have.
In 1980 Craven Week became open to all races but the schools were still segregated which meant that there would be white teams and then black teams. This started changing early on when the Western Province League side made itself a racially mixed team, one with a great spirit.
This was at a time when Doc Craven's mission was to build 'a new South Africa on the rugby field'. He said: 'We want the new South Africa to be experienced and to be observed on our playing fields, and if there is anybody who deviates from our ideals, he will be told there is no place for him in this new world.' He was talking about the new South Africa years before it became a fashionable term.
He was already travelling around the country with his team headed by Ian Kirkpatrick, running clinics and encouraging people to play together. Then he introduced the feeder system for clubs and the Project Week for schools. There is a sense in which the Academy Week is an extension of the Project Week.
The first Project Week was held in 1987. Teams of 18 players each were requited to be racially mixed on a 50-50 basis, except for Western Province which opted for six blacks, six whites and six coloureds. The first Project =Week was at Stellenbosch in 1987 with eight teams. The second was in Worcester, then at Philippi in the cape, then in East London and in 1991 in Mossel Bay with 18 teams. Justin Swart and Etienne Fynn played at the Project Week and went on to become Springboks. Lewis Mzomba captained Western Province in 1990 and went on to become a Test referee.
The 1991 week was the last as in the unification process SARU insisted that there be no race distinction of classification in South African rugby. The upshot of this was the 1992 Craven Week was the whitest since 1979. The inevitable results was changes – two academy weeks one for Under-19, the other for Under-17; the introduction of quotas which had immediate effect on schools rugby and in 1997 there were 25 'merit' teams and nine academy teams.
There was still a realisation that there was a vast number of excellent players in South Africa and although representative schools teams were brought down from Under-19 to Under-18 there still was a need for more players top play at a higher level. This led to the introduction of the Academy Week, The composition of such teams is now made much easier by a far more integrated South African society and far more integrated schools.
Last year Western Province were regarded as the best team at the Academy Week. So far this year they have been regarded as the best team at the Under-13 Craven Week and the best team at the LSEN Craven Week for Learners with Special Education Needs. Out of the LSEN Craven week will be chosen an SA LSEN team which will take part in the Academy Week.
This year there are teams from two foreign countries – Namibia and Kenya.
The competing teams are. Blue Bulls, Boland, Border, Border Country Districts, Eastern Province, Eastern Province Country Districts, Free State, Golden Lions, Griffons, Griffons Country Districts, Griquas, Griquas Country Districts, Kenya, KwaZulu Natal, KwaZulu Natal Country Districts, LSEN, Leopards, Leopards Country Districts, Limpopo, Namibia, Pumas, Pumas Country Districts, South Western Districts, Blue Valke, Red Valke, Western Province.
The fixtures for the first day are laid down. Subsequent fixtures will depend on the earlier results.
1 July 2013 fixtures.
A Field
08.00: Blue Falcons vs Eastern Province
09.50: Eastern Province Country Districts vs Griffons
11.10: Golden Lions vs South Western Districts
12.30: Pumas vs Free State
13.50: Red Valke vs Western Province
14.10: Blue Bulls vs Boland
Opening Ceremony
16.00: KwaZulu Natal vs Leopards
B Field
08.00: Limpopo Blue Bulls vs Border
09.50: Namibia vs LSEN
11.10: Griquas vs Griffons Country Districts
12.30: Kenya vs Griquas Country Districts
13.50: Leopards Country Districts vs Border Country Districts
14.10: KwaZulu Natal Country Districts vs Pumas Country Districts
Matches consist of two halves of 35 minutes each.
Teams
Blue Bulls Academy team: 15 Lyle Maart (Garsfontein), 14 Thabang Maponya (Southdowns), 13 Phillip Orffer (Affies), 12 Dawie Venter (Affies), 11 Bradley Mutri (Southdowns), 10 Tinus de Beer (Waterkloof), 9 Louis Storm (Menlopark), 8 Arne Van Rensburg (Garsfontein), 7 Arnold Gerber (Menlopark), 6 Sean Joyce (Waterkloof), 5 Jason Jenkins (St Albans), 4 Ashton Fortuin (Southdowns), 3 Roeloff Diedericks (Garsfontein), 2 Reinach Venter Waterkloof), 1 Jonothan Valema (Wonderboom), 16 Christo Bezuidenhout (Centurion), 17 Yolo Ngubeguhsa (Pretoria BH), 18 Derik Bezuidenhout (Affies), 19 Mpo Kanakga (Montana), 20 Junior Tjabadi (Uitsig), 21 Shelson Jacobs (Garsfontein), 22 Shevan Swart (Wilgers), 23 Luvo Claasen (Pretoria BH),
Eastern Province Academy team: Deon van der Westhuizen (Nico Malan), Allandre van Rooyen (Nico Malan), Roche van Zyl (Framesby), Ruan du Preez (Die Brandwag), Wihan Coetzer (Framesby), Johan van Niekerk (Grey High), Bulelani Sulelo (Pearson), Anru Botha (Framesby), Nathan Augustus (Pearson), Darren Domingo (Nico Malan), Linley Kritzinger (Grey High), Xavier Felix (Humansdorp), Thembani Mgudu (Grey High), Bantu Katshwa (Grey High), Heinrich Ruiters (Nico Malan), Robin Stevens (Grey High), Ben-Tonio Botha (Andrew Rabie), Jean Jacques Killian (Nico Malan), Jaco du Toit (Framesby), Remo Bruiners (Andrew Rabie), Lunati Nxele (Muir College), Noel Kapank (Humansdorp)
KwaZulu Natal Academy team: Kevin Elder (Maritzburg College), Chris Lines (Kearsney), T Tobejane (Glenwood), Lindo Ngcobo (Glenwood), Nkululeko Mcuma (Maritzburg College), Bradley Ellse (Glenwood), Tristin Blewett (Hilton), Curtis Jonas (Glenwood), Kwazi Khanyile (Glenwood), Jaco Coetzee (Glenwood), Nqobi Maseko (Hilton), Waylon Hippolite (Glenwood), Jacques Conradie (Maritzburg College), Seth van den Heever (Glenwood), Christopher Schoeman (Michaelhouse), S ekoButhelezi (Maritzburg College), Vuyo Khathide (Maritzburg College), Musikani Mazwi (Maritzburg College), Tijde Visser (Kearsney), Dewaldt van Tonder (Glenwood), Faral Mudariki (Michaelhouse), Percy Mngadi (Glenwood)
South Western Districts Academy team: Ruan Barnard (Oakdale), Curtley Prins (Outeniqua), Jayden Onckers (Oudtshoorn), JT Jackson (Oakdale), Shadward Fillies (Sao Bras), D Beukes (Oakdale), Johan Steyn (captain) (Langenhoven Gimnasium), Daniel Maree (vice-captain) (Oakdale), Jason Meseur (Haarlem), Christopher Roelofse (Outeniqua), Dreyer van Zyl (Oakdale), Hendri Storm (Outeniqua), Wynand de Necker (Outeniqua), Hanno Snyman (Oakdale), Gregory Nel (Outeniqua), Le Roux Baard (Outeniqua), Dale Links (Oudtshoorn), Bradley Sumaro (PW Botha), Jeandre Manewick (Bridgtone), Niven Langdown (Outeniqua), Elroy Havenga (Sao Bras), Lenesteyo Nomdo (Albertinia)
Western Province Academy Week team: 15 Dante van der Merwe (Paarl Boys' High) (captain), 14 Dalen Daniels (Paarl Boys' High), 13 Wayno Visagie (Paarl Gim), 12 Luan Boshoff (Paarl Boys' High), 11 Ferlin Vers (Paarl Boys' High), 10 Adriaan Carelse (Hottentots Holland), 9 Brendon Nell (Paarl Gim), 8 Charl-Francois du Toit (Paarl Boys' High), 7 Vernon Petersen (Paul Roos), 6 Ryan Davids (Excelsior), 5 Matthew le Roux (Paarl Boys' High), 4 Mitch Lingeveldt (Paul Roos), 3 Chris van Romburgh (Brackenfell), 2 Jacques van Zyl (Paul Roos), 1 Kyle Whyte (Rondebosch), 16 Cuan Hablutzel (Bishops), 17 Joel MacQuene (SACS), 18 Derick Marais (Paarl Boys' High), 19 Jaco Willemse (Paarl Gim), 20 Stef de Gouveia (Rondebosch), 21 Aidynn Cupido (Paul Roos), 22 Edwill van der Merwe (Paarl Boys' High)
Referees: Vusumuzi (KwaZulu Natal), Nicolaas van der Heever (Pumas), Blake Beattie (KwaZulu Natal), Loyiso Bosman (Border), Tony Correia (Blue Bulls), James van Oudtshoorn (Leopards), Jan Venter (BB), Relier Vermeulen (Golden Lions), Jonathan Jordaan (Boland), Mark Morris (Eastern Province), Quinten Pretorius (Golden Lions), Nathan Swartz (Western Province), Fernando Uithaler (Eastern Province.
Referees' assessors: Allan O'Connell, Keith Hendricks
Referees' coaches: Kim Smit, Mark Laurence, Johan Zurich, Dries Breytenbach
Referees' manager: Gabriel Pappas
