Grant Khomo Week starts

Published: Sunday, 3. July, 2011 in category Southern Hemisphere

The Grant Khomo Week, named for one of South Africa's sporting greats, starts in Queenstown on Monday 4 July 2011, hosted by Queen's College. It is for Under-16 provincial teams. There are 18 teams taking part.

In days before unification and democratisation in South Africa, there were different national bodies, including the South African Coloured Rugby Board and the South African Bantu Rugby Board. In 1950 these bodies chose national teams and played a Test at the Showgrounds in Port Elizabeth. Grant Khomo was the first captain of the SA Bantu Team, which, by the way, the Bantu Springboks won the match 14-3.

Khomo, who came from Johannesburg and learnt his rugby at Fort Hare University. He also captained the Bantu national soccer team and held a Bantu national tennis title. (Bantu was the term used at the time, later changed to African.)

In 2003 the provincial Under 16 week was named after him.

Fixtures Day 1, 4 July 2011

09.00 Griquas vs Namibia
09.00 Pumas vs Limpopo
10.20 Griquas Country Districts vs Free State
10.20 South Western Districts vs KwaZulu Natal
12.50 Blue Bulls vs Boland
12.50 Griffons vs Leopards
14.10 Valke vs Border Country Districts
14.10 Western Province vs Eastern Province
15.30 Border vs Golden Lions