Theron urges Under-18s to aim high
South African Under-20 coach Dawie Theron urged all Craven Week players to continue pursuing their dreams when he spoke to them at the 50th edition.
Theron, who has been scouting for players with the potential to join SARU’s junior national ranks, was joined by Marius Schoeman, SARU Sevens Manager: Elite Player Development, and members of the Development Department.
They addressed the players at a special workshop aimed at educating them about the importance of good conditioning and the will to succeed at provincial or even national level in future.
Theron’s message to the players was that they should be 'go-getters' rather than to wait for opportunities to arise. He encouraged them to put in the hard yards at training to reach the top.
"Four of our players who started for the SA Under-20s in our bronze medal match in the IRB Junior World Championship against New Zealand – Handré Pollard, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Aidon Davis and Jesse Kriel – competed in last year’s Coca-Cola Craven Week," said Theron.
"The message we want to send to the players is if they have the talent and skills they could succeed.
"I am confident that the platforms to excel and perform at a junior level are being laid down by SARU. I believe the trick for us will be to carefully monitor and follow these talented players from here until we’ve holistically developed our juniors and prepared them for the big stage," Theron added.
The players also received specialised rugby training manuals to assist them to reach their potential and improve their chances of progressing into the senior ranks.
Rassie Erasmus, SARU’s General Manager: High Performance, will be hosting a similar workshop with the coaches on Thursday.
