Oakdale muscle fuels SWD’s 2025 Craven Week campaign
Unsurprisingly, the selectors for the South Western Districts have picked an Oakdale Landbou heavy Craven Week side for the 60th edition of this prestigious tournament later this year.
The annual tournament will be hosted from 7 to 12 July at Middelburg High School.
No less than 14 players from the team from Riversdale have been picked to represent the union in Middelburg. Only four schools are represented within the squad, with Outeniqua (6), Sao Bras (2) and Langenhoven Gimnasium (1) also contributing towards the Craven Week team.
South Western Districts will face the Free State in their opening match in Middleburg on the Monday. The selectors picked five players Kai Pratt (prop), Ruan Swart (lock), Lee-Winn Pretorius (wing), Sine Madlenkomo (hooker), and Reinhardt Viljoen (fullback) who represented the union in Krugersdorp during last year’s edition.
Another seven players who represented SWD at the Academy Week in Johannesburg last year – Jade Petersen (fullback), Christiaan Vorster (centre), Jandrian Goosen (scrumhalf), Chrizano Botha (loose forward), Tyrese Plaatjies (scrumhalf), Virgil Pockpas (flyhalf) and Liam Lightley (flanker) have been promoted to the Craven Week side.
Last year, South Western Districts only won one of their three matches in Krugersdorp. They defeated the Valke by 41-34 on the opening day. Defeats against Sharks (19-28) and hosts, Golden Lions (40-45) followed.
The Ostrich Farmers will be coached by Adriaan Jansen (head coach) and Lorenzo van der Westhuizen (assistant coach). The team manager will be Willmero Freeks.
The teams:
u18 Craven Week: 15 Reinhardt Viljoen (Oakdale Landbou), 14 Lee-Winn Pretorius (Oakdale Landbou), 13 Reshaan Damons (Outeniqua), 12 Christiaan Vorster (Oakdale Landbou), 11 Devino Bernardo (Outeniqua), 10 Virgil Pockpas (Outeniqua), 9 Jandrian Goosen (Oakdale Landbou), 8 Jacobus de Villiers (Oakdale Landbou), 7 Liam Lightley (Oakdale Landbou), 6 Jannes Snyman (Oakdale Landbou), 5 Ruan Swart (Oakdale Landbou), 4 Diaan Augustyn (Oakdale Landbou), 3 Matthew Prins (Oakdale Landbou), 2 Keenan Myners (Outeniqua), 1 Kai Pratt (Oakdale Landbou). Replacements: 16 Sine Madlenkomo (Oakdale Landbou), 17 Rezandre Gelderbloem (Sao Bras), 18 Francois le Roux (Oakdale Landbou), 19 Chrizano Botha (Sao Bras), 20 Ethan Schoeman (Langenhoven Gimnasium), 21 Tyrese Plaatjies (Oakdale Landbou), 22 Anrich Scheffer (Oakdale Landbou), 23 Jade Petersen (Outeniqua).
14 Oakdale Landbou | 6 Outeniqua | 2 Sao Bras | 1 Langenhoven Gimnasium
Academy Week: 15 Hayden Luiters (Outeniqua), 14 Rozano Stander (HTS Eden), 13 Farrell-Lee Dido (Langenhoven Gimnasium), 12 André van der Merwe (Oakdale Landbou), 11 Wayne Ganniwa (Oakdale Landbou), 10 CT Vosloo (Oakdale Landbou), 9 Cee-Jay Arends (Outeniqua), 8 Henru Nell (Outeniqua), 7 Liam van den Berg (Oakdale Landbou), 6 Jordan Kannemeyer (Sao Bras), 5 Rico Ferreira (Oakdale Landbou), 4 Jean Coetzee (Oakdale Landbou), 3 Zivan Grobbelaar (Oakdale Landbou), 2 Adrian Smith (Oakdale Landbou), 1 Kyle Burger (Oakdale Landbou). Replacements: 16 Jayden Jansen (Hoërskool Punt), 17 Ethan Kiewiet (HTS Eden), 18 Zack Meyer (Outeniqua), 19 Kane du Plessis (Oakdale Landbou), 20 Sirr Lourens (Outeniqua), 21 Caleb Williams (Oakdale Landbou), 22 Camden van Rooyen (York High), 23 Grante Savage (Outeniqua).
11 Oakdale Landbou | 6 Outeniqua | 2 HTS Eden | 1 Sao Bras | 1 Langenhoven Gimnasium | 1 York High | 1 Hoërskool Punt
