South African youngsters ready to take the Windy City by storm
This year’s Grant Khomo Week for u16 players could be filled with even more drama than its predecessor in 2023.
Enjoy all the action live on SuperSport Schools – (www.supersportschools.com)
The annual tournament showcasing the best rugby talent South Africa has to offer in the younger age group will kick off on Monday the 17th of June at Grey High School in Qqeberha, and will conclude on Friday the 21st of June.
Last year, the Blue Bulls sneaked in through the back door to claim the title of the unofficial champions of the prestigious tournament. This came after Western Province lost their place in the match against the high-flying Free State due to not adhering to SA Rugby’s regulations.
The Blue Bulls beat the Free State in a humdinger, claiming a hard-fought victory of 20-12, while Western Province was triumphant in the curtain raiser, hanging on to claim a narrow victory of 10-5 against the Golden Lions from Gauteng, and securing a clean sweep, which also included a victory over the victorious Blue Bulls earlier in the week (25-18) to go unbeaten.
2024’s tournament, however, might not provide as much drama of the field as it will on it. As the cream of the crop from the u16 ranks nationwide come together to face off, the three days of action scheduled promises to keep supporters glued to their seats with some mouthwatering champagne rugby.
The defending champions won’t be too relaxed when they kick off their title defence against the Western Province XV side. The WP XV is the union’s second stringers who also get the chance to showcase their talents at the tournament. Runners-up, the Free State, will face the unpredictable KwaZulu-Natal Sharks in their first encounter of the week.
Western Province will take on the hosts Eastern Province, in the main match of day one. This should be an interesting match-up as the side from the Eastern Cape also bulldozed their way to a three-from-three record in 2023. The arm wrestle between the two sides from the South will, without a doubt, be a fitting end to what promises to be an exciting first day in the Windy City.
The fixtures for the first day are:
Kolisi Field: 09:20 – Pumas vs Griquas; 10:40 – Golden Lions vs Boland; 12:10 – Free State vs KwaZulu Natal; 13:40 – Blue Bulls vs Western Province XV; 15:30 – Eastern Province vs Western Province.
Pollock Oval: 09:20 – Free State XV vs Border CD; 10:40 – Valke vs Griffons; 12:10 – Border vs Zimbabwe; 13:40 – South Western Districts vs Namibia; 15:30 – Limpopo Blue Bulls vs Leopards.
![Charlie Hofmeyr u16 - 2018 [captained by Cameron Hanekom]](https://ssschoolsplus.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/WhatsApp-Image-2024-11-20-at-09.03.03-400x257.jpeg)
