WP Under-16s booted from Grant Khomo Week 'final' after failing transformation targets - report

The Western Province Under-16 team were demoted from playing in the Grant Khomo Week's main game against Free State on Thursday for not meeting transformation targets.

According to Netwerk24, Western Province's main Under-16 team was found to have not met SA Rugby's transformation requirements in their 25-18 win against the Bulls at Hoër Landbouskool Boland in Paarl on Tuesday.

According to SA Rugby regulations for youth weeks, teams must field at least 11 players of colour in their match-day 23s.

The report added that WP had two players of colour who were injured, which forced them to call up two white centres from the Western Province XV team, who are also competing at the Grant Khomo Week.

The WP XV is essentially their "B-team".

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The demotion meant Western Province now play the Golden Lions in the game before the "final", with the Bulls meeting Free State.

Western Province had beaten Boland 41-12 in their opening match on Monday before seeing off the Bulls, while Free State beat Border 29-20 and the Lions 23-9 to qualify for the main game.

The Bulls beat the Sharks 31-27 on Monday before losing to Western Province on Tuesday, while the Western Province Under-16 XV beat Free State's Under-16 XV 50-3 and the Pumas 38-7.