KNYSNA NEWS - A young, talented Knysna rugby player is still working on his dream to fly his town's flag high in Europe later this year, after being chosen to be part of an invitational team to tour France and Italy in December.

Caleb Smith, a 14-year-old Grade 8 pupil at Knysna High School, participated in the Kwagga Junior Rugby Week - one of the top U14 rugby festivals in the country - in George in March.

School players from across the country battled it out on the field, during which a team was selected for the tour.

Caleb is one of 23 players who were chosen to be part of an U14 team to participate in the Travel and Sport Invitational Tour. The tour was initially scheduled for September but has been postponed to December.

Prospective opportunities

This tour is specifically tailored to expose participants not only to the "sport essence" of the people and offerings of Italy and France, but also the prospective opportunities available to them.

For Caleb, this is a dream come true. His father, Michael Smith, said when Caleb speaks to them about his future, he always mentions his dream of playing rugby professionally abroad, and this would be a step in the right direction.

R11 360 required

Caleb has been playing rugby since he was 7 years old. It didn't take long for those around him to notice his talent, with various achievements over the years.

To go on the tour, Caleb needs to raise more than R50 000. So far, his family has managed to raise most of the funds, but still needs R11 360 to get him to Europe.

People interested in supporting Caleb can contact Smith on 0611 453 579.

Caleb is set to jet off to Europe on 4 December.

‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’