Gqeberha’s reputation as a hub for junior rugby excellence took another big step forward when SA rugby bosses decided the 2026 U18 Craven Week for schoolboys would be held at Grey High.
Though the region’s impact at the senior level remains underwhelming, with Test matches at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium a rarity these days, it is at the junior level where EP are making their mark.
Apart from the acclaimed Craven Week tournament from June 29 to July 4, Gqeberha will also host the international U20 Rugby Championship tournament in May.
The two-week U2O championship drew massive crowds to the Bay stadium in 2025, with 15,000 fans flocking to watch the action on the final day.
The event was such a huge success that SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said the tournament, featuring the Junior Springboks, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina, would be held in Gqeberha for the next three years.
History will be made at the 2026 Craven Week in Gqeberha event because it will be the first time the boys’ and girls’ tournaments will be held at one venue.
With the final between the best-performing teams set to be played at Grey’s iconic Kolisi field, a capacity crowd is expected to watch SA’s brightest young rugby prospects.
The competition has since become a hunting ground for talent scouts trying to find the best new players for their provinces, and many young upcoming stars see the tournament as an opportunity to further their careers.
EP was chosen to host Craven Week after a vetting process that involved site inspections at fellow bidders at the Border Rugby Union-backed Queen’s College in Komani, and the Western Province Rugby Union-aligned Paarl Gymnasium.
The last time EP hosted Craven Week was in 2012, when matches were staged at the NMB Stadium.
Craven Week started in East London in 1964 and is named after the legendary Springbok player and coach Dr Danie Craven.
With a rich pool of talented schoolboy players to draw from, EP will be going flat out to ensure they hold the region’s flag high at a rare home tournament.