Day one of the Under-13 Craven Week 2026 in Bloemfontein delivered exciting rugby, excellent entertainment and a handful of memorable upsets as South Africa’s best primary school players battled it out on Monday.
The matches were played on the main pitch at Gray College, while the neighboring Oval hosted the Under-13 Academy Week matches.
There were tries galore, clashing tackles and countless fun moments as the young players not only moved one step closer to realizing their rugby dreams, but also began to forge lifelong friendships and memories that only the game can create.
The tone was set early in the opening match when the Northern Free State Griffons fired an early warning shot by beating Namibia 20-0.
The Golden Lions then defeated their neighbors, the Valke, 22-15 after taking a 15-11 lead at halftime.
The first major setback didn’t come until the third match of the week when South Western Districts of the Garden Route produced a stunning performance to beat the Blue Bulls 51-0 after leading 26-0 at the break.
The Pumas then continued their long-standing rivalry with Griquas, recording a hard-fought 12-0 win after taking a narrow 5-0 lead at half-time.
The biggest win of the day came from Boland, who underlined his authority at the tournament with an impressive 73-0 victory over the plucky Limpopo Blue Bulls after leading 33-0 at the break.
It was an impressive performance from the Bolanders, with Conway Arries crossing for a hat-trick of tries, while Luan du Toit added a brace in a dominant all-round team performance.
The penultimate match of the day delivered a big surprise. While it wasn’t a win, it certainly felt like one for the feisty North West Leopards.
A late converted try from lively flanker Dylan Flanagan earned the Leopards a pulsating 26-26 draw against mighty Western Province.
While Province prided themselves on size and physicality, the Leopards matched them with ruthless determination, racing to an early lead and putting the Cape side under immense pressure throughout the match.
Province launched one last attack in the dying moments, but the Leopards’ desperate goal-line defense and a huge scrum on their own try line secured a famous draw. Their celebrations afterwards resembled those of a team that had just won the Rugby World Cup.
The final match of the opening day produced another surprise as Border defeated hosts Free State 24-23 in a gripping encounter on the main field at Gray College.
The visitors from the Wild Coast showed tremendous courage despite receiving three yellow cards late in the second half. A spectacular try from Lisolam Nyamfu ultimately proved to be the difference as Border held on for a famous win.
The Academy Week also produced a number of convincing victories.
The Blue Bulls defeated the Border Country Districts 45-5, the South Western Districts outscored the Limpopo Blue Bulls 50-5, while the Western Province recorded an emphatic 66-14 victory over the Valke.
Craven Week Day 1 Results:
- Border 24-23 Free State
- Western Province 26-26 Leopards
- Boland 73-0 Limpopo Blue Bulls
- Sharks 43-12 Eastern Province
- Cougars 12-0 Griquas
- Southwestern Districts 51-0 Blue Bulls
- Golden Lions 22-15 Valke
- Griffons 20-0 Namibia
Results Academy Week Day 1:
- Western Province 66-14 Valke
- Cougars 15-14 Boland
- Eastern Province vs Griffons – No result available
- Golden Lions vs Leopards – No result available
- Sharks 29-10 Zimbabwe
- Border 22-10 Free State
- South Western Districts 50-5 Limpopo Blue Bulls
- Blue Bulls 45-5 Borderland Districts – MORGANE PEAK
Morgan Piek
www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za
