COCA-COLA® U18 CRAVEN WEEK HEROES TO DON GREEN AND GOLD
Three of the five Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day award winners, selected at the 2016 u18 Coca-Cola® Craven Week, have been named in today’s SA Schools squad announcement. Wandisile Simelane (Golden Lions); JC Pretorius (Pumas) and Khanya Ncusane (Western Province) were all named in the squad which will be taking on England, Wales and France.
The Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day was awarded on each match day of the Coca-Cola® Craven Week to a player who inspired or changed his team’s fortunes with a hero moment. Each of the SA Schools selectees were picked for the award by a panel of experts, including SuperSport’s Elma Smit. Their selection no doubt brought them to the attention of the SA Schools selection panel and sees them joining the squad of twenty-six players who will wear the famous green and gold later this year.
Wandisile Simelane, who hails from Jeppe High School for boys, retains his place in the squad and has been touted as one of the brightest up and coming heroes in South African rugby. He was selected for the Coca-Cola® Hero of the Day award on day three of the tournament after scoring a hat-trick of tries in the space of twenty minutes in his team’s opening match.
“My two Coca-Cola Craven Weeks have, without a doubt, provided a springboard for me to launch my career in rugby. The week provides players with opportunities like nowhere else and is very important for young rugby players to show what they are made of,” commented Simelane.
Fetsi Mbele Coca-Cola South Africa’s Senior Communications Manager: Brand Experience commented, “Coca-Cola is extremely proud to support the development of South Africa’s next rugby heroes through the sponsorship of the Coca-Cola Youth Weeks. The emergence of heroes such as Wandisile, JC and Khanya is what the Coca-Cola Youth Weeks are all about. We can’t wait to follow their progress as they forge a career for themselves in rugby.”
The Coca-Cola® SA Schools team will face Wales on Friday 12 August at the City Park Stadium in Cape Town, France on the 16th August at Bishops Diocesan College, Cape Town and England on the 20th August at Paarl Boys High in Paarl.
Clips of their interviews:
JC Pretorius
Wandesile Simelane
Khanya Ncusane
About the Coca-Cola® Craven Week
The Coca-Cola Craven Week is an annual rugby union tournament aimed at identifying the top school rugby players in the country. The tournament started in July 1964, and is named after the legendary Springbok rugby union player and coach Dr Danie Craven. Coca-Cola became the naming rights sponsor in 1985. There are four tournaments that take place during the Coca-Cola Youth Weeks, namely the Coca-Cola U/13 Craven Week, Coca-Cola U/16 Grant Khomo Week, Coca-Cola U/18 Academy Week and the Coca-Cola U/18 Craven Week. Many of South Africa’s top rugby players have participated in the Coca-Cola Craven Weeks as a springboard to their professional careers including former World Cup winning captain’s John Smit and Francois Pienaar.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands and more than 3,800 beverage choices. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands, our company’s portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands, 18 of which are available in reduced-, low- or no-calorie options. Our billion-dollar brands include Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Dasani, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Del Valle, Georgia and Gold Peak. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, we are the No. 1 provider of both sparkling and still beverages. More than 1.9 billion servings of our beverages are enjoyed by consumers in more than 200 countries each day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, create a safe, inclusive work
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