From the KZNRU High Schools Rugby Association
RE: PLAYING TIME FOR HIGH SCHOOL MATCHES
At our AGM in November 2014 a decision was taken to continue to play running time for our First XV games.
Correspondence was sent out by Mr. Andre Watson SARU Referees Manager to inform schools of the official times for matches.
I wrote to him requesting that KZN high schools play running time explaining our rational behind our request. I received the following response from him.
The First XV game must be 70 minutes PLAYING TIME and not RUNNING TIME. That the rest of the games are managed and curtailed if there is a need to accommodate a full set of fixtures.
I propose the following times to create uniformity in KZN.
U14 and U15 25 min running time per half
U16 30 min running time per half
Open side 30 min running time per half
First Team 35 min playing time per half
Sin bin is 10 minutes playing time for First Teams and 5 minutes running time for all other teams.
This will begin for all games played from Saturday 28th March 2015.
We need to send that DHS coach some Modurol
works wonders – ask millions of females
@star: it is a fantastic venue to train and play. Interesting, we are almost in the process of digging up the existing cricket pitches and, in consultation with Phil Russel and with a substantial financial investment, Riverside will also be our home cricket ground in 2016.
@seabass: Must say I enjoyed your new ” home ground” pavilion. Could quite easily settle in there( and the sea views were not that bad either
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@star: alwsys a slow start to the season with most of our boys playing either 1st team polo or cricket. It was our first contact session so understandably lacking structure or pattern. Played Sheppie on Saturday where we utilized our ball carrying loosies and played coast to coast with our outside backs being quite pacy and skillful, makes for an attractive brand of rugga and hopefully so decent results this season
@star. If our flankers learn to pass we should have a decent chance against all sides this year. Our U/15 & U/16 looked awesome on Saturday so things looking on the up for School at least for the next 3 years
@Horsefly: Agreed. You must also be feeling quite bullish about your season this year with 2 targeted years coming together in the open set-up. We play you on your Founders Day so I expect only the best behaviour from you and your cohorts.
Glad to see 1st team games are playing time and not running time. We all love the first team matches and feel cheated if it is running time and not playing time. DHS played playing time against Porties but running time against College
Big difference in the time the matches took to finish
@seabass: I watched your team play a knock up game against the Westville 2nds/3rds. It seemed they were still trying to find/establish their playing patterns. How has it gone since then as you have a few big games (Kearsney/Hilton) to play this season?
@beet: very happy to see games return to playing time. Lost a rugga match before due to an injury and a running clock where my frustration boiled over when the injury (opposition) should have been my concern and not the fact that valuable time (bout 10 min) was lost treating the player on the field. Takes away all that stress
@Gungets Tuft:
I say turn the clocks off to avoid confusion.
@GreenBlooded: I thought a DHS player was going to have a medical event as well. It is confusing and the clock should be turned off for “playing time” matches. Either that or the clock needs to be managed as Test clocks are, with the ref calling time on and off. That won’t happen, and nor should it. Leave it to the ref, sit back and enjoy the game …
@GreenBlooded: The Kearsney Hilton game also ended with 3 minutes left on the scoreboard clock. If the score had still been 27-22 as it was prior to KC intercept try, it might also have caused quite a bit of drama.
Also be weary when it comes to schools with field clocks. College, Hilton and Kearsney spring to mind. There is only one official time for the game and that is on the referee’s arm. Field clocks must be used as a guide only. A DHS coach had a pre-menstrual apoplexy at the ref after the game on Saturday because there was still time on the field clock at the final whistle. This DESPITE being told before the match by the referee that his watch is the official time and not the field clock – which was stopped for the mid-half water breaks.