Outeniqua High School has been chosen as the host for Craven Week 2023. Craven Week is a prestigious annual rugby union tournament in South Africa, featuring the top U/18 schoolboy rugby teams from around the country. As a participant in Craven Week, Outeniqua High School competes against other top schools, representing their respective provinces. The tournament provides an opportunity for the school’s rugby team to showcase their talents, teamwork, and sportsmanship on a national stage. It also allows players to be scouted by talent scouts and potentially gain exposure for future rugby opportunities. The tournament brings together passionate rugby fans, coaches, and players from various regions, creating a vibrant and competitive atmosphere.

Outeniqua High has a rich history and reputation in rugby, and it has been a prominent participant in Craven Week over the years. Hosting Craven Week is a significant honour for the school, as it reflects the school’s strong rugby tradition and the quality of its facilities. The school applied to host the tournament in 2019 already and had to undergo inspections by SARU before the decision was made to make Outeniqua High School the host for this year’s tournament. Craven Week 2023 will be the second one of its kind to be hosted in George, the last having been hosted by Outeniqua Park in 1999, before SARU decided to rather have the tournament at school sport grounds instead of bigger stadiums.

As the host school, Outeniqua High School will, in conjunction with SWD Rugby and George Municipality, have the responsibility of organizing and coordinating the event, including the scheduling of matches, accommodation for teams, and ensuring the smooth running of the tournament. It’s a great opportunity for the school to showcase its organizational abilities and hospitality. This year, sixteen U/18 provincial teams will be competing for the Craven Week cup. This includes teams from SWD Eagles, Bulls, Lions, Sharks, WP, WP XV, Boland, Griffons, Falcons, Griquas, Pumas, EP, Free State Cheetahs, Leopards and Limpopo Bulls.

The tournament will kick off on Monday 3 July 2023, with the SWD Eagles playing the main match against WP. The tournament will run from Monday 3 July 2023 to Thursday  July 2023, with the final scheduled for Saturday 8 July 2023. According the Outeniqua High’s rugby principle, Piet Cloete, it is difficult to determine to exact amount of spectators and supporters who will be attending the event, but based on the ever growing popularity of school level rugby, the attendance of Craven week fans in the past and the fact that the tournament is hosted in George, a popular tourist destination, they are preparing to welcome a few thousand supporters per day.

Hosting Craven Week is a prestigious and exciting opportunity for Outeniqua High School, its students, and the surrounding community. Apart from boosting the school’s profile and reinforcing its position as a rugby powerhouse, it also brings attention to George, attracting visitors from all over the country, stimulating the local economy, and promoting tourism. According to Piet Cloete, the organisers have already secured some local sponsors, but would like to include more local businesses, as being part of this event will surely offer great exposure to businesses in town.

“For us as school, hosting Craven Week is part of our centenary celebration, and we would love each coach, player, parent and spectator to come and celebrate with us”, Piet Cloete stated.