Cape Town - The U18 Craven Week will return to Grey College in the Bloemfontein for the first time since 2005, when the popular schools rugby showcase plays out from July 1-6, 2019.
The flagship tournament in the SA Rugby Youth Weeks series will run concurrently with the Academy Week at Grey College, while the Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) week will be hosted at the same venue two weeks earlier from June 17-20.
The U13 Craven Week and U16 Grant Khomo Week will be hosted at Hoërskool Rob Ferreira in Mpumalanga from June 24-28, with the National Girls U16 and U18 Weeks returning to Jeppe High School in Johannesburg from June 17-21.
The U18 Craven Week and Academy Week competitions will follow the same competition format as the last few seasons, which saw the Blue Bulls, Golden Lions, Sharks and Western Province field invitational sides in addition to their regular Craven Week teams.
Zimbabwe, Namibia, will only play in the Academy Week, while Eastern Province Country Districts (CD), Griquas CD and Border CD will have the option of participating in the Academy Week. The U18 Craven Week will again feature 18 teams and the Academy Week 28 teams.
SA Rugby Youth Weeks 2019 fixtures (all subject to change, times TBC):
U18 Craven Week
Monday, July 1:
Valke v Leopards
SWD v Pumas
Western Province v Boland
Free State v Sharks
Tuesday, July 2:
Griquas v Limpopo Blue Bulls
Blue Bulls XV v Golden Lions XV
Griffons v Eastern Province
Border v Blue Bulls
Golden Lions v Western Province XV
U16 Grant Khomo Week
Monday, June 24:
Namibia v Border CD
Griquas v Zimbabwe
Golden Lions v Leopards
Valke v Griffons
Western Province v Boland
Border v Sharks
Blue Bulls v Eastern Province
Free State v SWD
Pumas v Limpopo Blue Bulls
U13 Craven Week
Monday, June 24:
Free State v Namibia
Leopards v Border CD
Griquas v Zimbabwe
Blue Bulls v Eastern Province
SWD v Sharks
Golden Lions v Border
Border v Limpopo Blue Bulls
Western Province v Valke
Pumas v Griffons
SA LSEN Week:
Monday, June 17
Valke v Blue Bulls
Western Province v Eastern Province
Boland v SWD
Free State v Pumas
Golden Lions v Leopards
Griffons v Sharks
Golden Lions EE v Gauteng XV