The Coca-Cola under-16 Grant Khomo Week took place at the Isak Steyl Stadium in Vanderbijlpark from 1 to 5 July. Graeme College pupil Josiah Twum-Boafo was part of the EP U16 team.
The Coca-Cola under-16 Grant Khomo Week took place at the Isak Steyl Stadium in Vanderbijlpark from 1 to 5 July. Graeme College pupil Josiah Twum-Boafo was part of the EP U16 team.
On day one, the clash between the Blue Bulls and Eastern Province lived up to its billing as one of the top clashes of the day as a last-minute try by the Bulls earned them a 30-26 victory.
The clash proved to be a close encounter from the start, with EP crashing over the tryline in the fourth minute to open up the scoring. EP led 11-10 at the break.
The second half was equally tense as the teams each scored two tries in what proved to be a see-saw half. Of the 440 high-school pupils in action, over half were over 1.8 metres tall, and 88 of them tipped the scales at 90kg or more.
The skills on display and the quality of running rugby at the Coca-Cola Grant Khomo week thrilled the large crowds: the future of South African rugby is clearly in good hands.
Eastern Province lost their second match to Western Province by 22-34. Eastern Province finished the series on a high note against the Golden Lions to win 29-10.
The U16 players also received valuable tips on what it takes to reach the top in South African rugby in a workshop hosted by SARU's Development department, during the rugby week.
The workshop highlighted the things selectors look out for specifically when identifying the top players and the advantages of proper conditioning in player development.
They also received detailed training programmes to assist them in reaching their potential.
The U16 tournament is named after Grant Khomo, widely regarded one of the best rugby players South Africa has ever had.
Known as a fast centre and later a fullback, he captained the first selected African national team in the early 1950s after a late introduction to rugby at university in Fort Hare.
He went on to become a much loved and respected president of the then South African African Rugby Board.
He was named Player of the Decade in 1950 in a newspaper poll eight years after he had stopped playing and was voted the greatest rugby player by Zonk Magazine in 1961.
