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KZN Tier-2 suffers under new SARU age-banding

10 February, 2013 beet 127

One of the first questions that came up when the new SARU age-band rules were implemented was what effect will it have on the smaller schools in KwaZulu-Natal. The ruling which comes into effect this year prohibits all under-16 players from playing in under-19 (open age-group) games, something that was allowed up until the end of the 2012 season. Many of the KZN Tier-2 schools do not field an under-16 age group. Players go directly from under-15 to the open age-group. …

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Grey College Head blogs about drugs in school sport

7 February, 2013 beet 6

In his February blog new Grey College headmaster Deon Scheepers cuts straight to the chase, mentioning how the increasing overlap of school and professional rugby as well as schools using rugby as a marketing strategy is placing pressure on boys to perform well like never before.…

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Damelin Night Series: Northwood edges out George Campbell

6 February, 2013 beet 74

Northwood had to come from 6-0 down at half time to edge out George Campbell 10-6 in the first major clash of this year’s Damelin Night Series at Port Natal. The match may not have been everyone’s cup of tea due to the number of unforced errors committed but in the context of it still being the first week of February and just the second competitive game of the season for both teams following relatively easy first round matches last week, the match provided good spectator entertainment and an opportunity to gather a lot of meaningful intel on the teams.…

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St John’s Easter Rugby Festival 2013

5 February, 2013 beet 69
DATE SCHOOL SCHOOL
Thu.28Mar New Orleans 05 08 St John’s (Zim)
Thu.28Mar Presidents XV 00 52 Nelspruit
Thu.28Mar Waterkloof 57 00 Noordheuwel
Thu.28Mar Marais Viljoen 17 45 Windhoek Gim
Thu.28Mar HJS Paarl BH 36 14 Daniel Pienaar
Thu.28Mar Filton (UK) 35 29 St John’s
Sat.30Mar Noordheuwel 12 26 Windhoek Gim
Sat.30Mar Marais Viljoen 21 13 New Orleans
Sat.30Mar Presidents XV 07 33 Daniel Pienaar
Sat.30Mar St John’s 15 18 St John’s (Zim)
Sat.30Mar HJS Paarl BH 72 05 Filton (UK)
Sat.30Mar Nelspruit 17 22 Waterkloof
Mon.01Apr New Orleans 20 22 Presidents XV
Mon.01Apr St John’s (Zim) 06 40 Windhoek Gim
Mon.01Apr Filton (UK) 22 52 Nelspruit
Mon.01Apr Marais Viljoen 13 19 Daniel Pienaar
Mon.01Apr Noordheuwel 35 31 St John’s
Mon.01Apr HJS Paarl BH 20 26 Waterkloof
…
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St Stithians Rugby Festival 2013

5 February, 2013 beet 1
DATE SCHOOL SCHOOL
Thu.28Mar St Benedict’s 13 36 Wynberg
Thu.28Mar St Andrew’s 31 12 Helpmekaar
Thu.28Mar Invitation XV 33 36 St Alban’s
Thu.28Mar St Stithians 31 41 Windhoek HS
Thu.28Mar Pretoria BH 23 10 SACS
Thu.28Mar Bishops 29 13 Hilton
Sat.30Mar St Benedict’s 36 07 Invitation XV
Sat.30Mar St Alban’s 07 60 Wynberg
Sat.30Mar SACS 14 12 Windhoek HS
Sat.30Mar Hilton 23 10 Helpmekaar
Sat.30Mar Bishops 15 20 Pretoria BH
Sat.30Mar St Stithians 16 32 St Andrew’s
Mon.01Apr SACS 49 00 Invitation XV
Mon.01Apr Helpmekaar 14 34 Bishops
Mon.01Apr Windhoek 42 08 St Benedict’s
Mon.01Apr Hilton 25 26 St Alban’s
Mon.01Apr Pretoria BH 20 22 St Andrew’s
Mon.01Apr St Stithians 12 50 Wynberg
…
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Varsity Cup Young Guns: University of Free State Kovsies squad

4 February, 2013 beet 10

The University of Free State Kovies under-20’s are busy with a series of warm-up games ahead of their very testing Varsity Cup Young Guns opening match against powerful defending champions Tuks from Pretoria University on 18 February 2013.  The Kovsies have assembled a nice array of talented students from across the country…

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Western Province Rugby Institute players for 2013

4 February, 2013 beet 18

The Western Province Rugby Institute (WPRI) officially came into being in 2007. Its objective is to tap into the vast rugby talent pool that exists in the Western Cape and then to fill any positional gaps with players from outside the region. The Institute accepts that it is not the beginning point of rugby development (schools are), nor is it the end point, however what it has set out to achieve is use a one year programme to transform dedicated rugby players from “young boys into rugby playing men.” …

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Thank goodness! Affies vs Klofies is back

1 February, 2013 beet 5

There were a few years during which the two Pretoria powerhouse teams were not playing each other. Fortunately this period of “isolation” came to an end last year when the two schools squared off…

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The real Dale College head coach

31 January, 2013 beet 8

I have to extend a humble apology to coach Steve Turner, Dale supporters and other readers for misleading all with a blog that suggested Luke Smith is the new head coach at Dale.…

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New school scrum law Q&A with Boishaai’s technical guru

31 January, 2013 beet 8

Thanks to the efforts of BoishaaiPa and with the help of a few SBR bloggers who have a vested interest in what happens in the scrums, we were able to present Richard Visagie, the Paarl Boys High scrum guru with a handful of questions about the new school scrumming laws that will come into effect this season. Apart from playing over 100 games at hooker for Boland, Richard has over 30 years of school rugby coaching experience. Along the way he has coached the WP Craven Week team and is currently a WP school selector. He has been responsible for helping to shape the careers of a  number of good props (and hookers) over the years.…

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All eyes on Northwood at the Night Series

31 January, 2013 beet 28

Northwood is bound to draw the most attention from neutrals in attendance when the Damelin Night Series kicks off at Port Natal on 01 February 2013. The Durban North school would have stated their campaign to win back the floodlit rugby title they last held in 2011 as the clear-cut favourites, following months of hard work put in to assemble a team capable of challenging the very best that KwaZulu-Natal schoolboy rugby has to offer once the season proper starts in March.…

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Glenwood confirms the make up of their Night Series team

29 January, 2013 beet 24

Glenwood has confirmed that their Invitation XV team for the Damelin Night Series kicking off on Friday, 01 February 2013, will be a blend of their extended 2nd XV squad which includes loads of boys that played 4ths and 5ths rugby in 2012.…

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New Grey College Head hints at future fixture changes

28 January, 2013 beet 148

Deon Scheepers, the former Hilton teacher and 1st XV rugby coach for one season, is now firmly in the driving seat at Grey College, having taken over as headmaster from the legendary Johan Volsteedt. In a recent blog, Scheepers highlighted the importance of achieving a healthy balance between academics, culture and sport for boys at Grey.…

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Schools of the 2013 SA Super Rugby squad players

28 January, 2013 beet 72

Taking the South African Superugby wider squads for 2013 as they appear on Wikipedia, here is the long list of the 202 players with the schools that 197 of them attended. The 5 Kings foreigners are overlooked.…

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Varsity Cup Young Guns: UCT Trojans squad

25 January, 2013 beet 5

The UCT Trojans squad definitely gives the impressive they are students that can play rugby as opposed to the Maties and Tukkies who seem to be rugby players that know how to study. …

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Varsity Cup Young Guns: Tuks leaving ‘niks’ to chance

25 January, 2013 beet 26

The University of Pretoria (Tukkies) are the defending Varsity Cup Young Guns champions. With this year’s tournament about to kick-off, they have put themselves the best possible position to retain the under-20 title by naming a star-studded 57-man group. …

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Varsity Cup Young Guns: Maties squad

24 January, 2013 beet 8

When it comes to rugby, the University of Stellenbosch (Maties) has a long and proud history. They have produced 172 Springboks and 15 Springbok captains. To this day, their students form the nucleus of the Stormers, the Western Province senior and under-21 teams as well as the Vodacom Cup team.…