An eighth Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival wrapped up today with the announcement of five players who each received bursaries valued at over R100 000 eachto the Sharks Academy for 2016. The recipients are:
1. Nico Peyper (EG Jansen hooker)
2. Jordan Chait (SACS captain and flyhalf)
3. Heinrich Nieuwenhuizen (Selborne College flank)
4. Jaydon Morgan (Glenwood fullback)
5. Khuthazani Mchunu (Glenwood prop)
The BIG QUESTION is how many will pitch up at the Academy in 2016. Best guess based on historical success rate is not many! Check out the list of past recipients in the table below:
| # | Year | Player | School | Result | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008 | Sbura Sithole | Queens College | Sharks Super Rugby debut in 2013. Doing well. | 100% |
| 2 | 2008 | Hendrik le Grange | HTS Middelburg | Joined the Golden Lions after school. | 0% |
| 3 | 2009 | Leon Makiwane | Queens | Left Academy to pursue athletics career. | 100% |
| 4 | 2009 | Chris Cloete | Selborne | Sharks junior 2010 – 2012. Cut in 2013. | 100% |
| 5 | 2009 | Morne Stassen | EG Jansen | Joined the Bulls after school. | 0% |
| 6 | 2010 | Neil Jordaan | Grey College | Joined the Free State Cheetahs after school. | 0% |
| 7 | 2010 | Brendan Olivier | Nico Malan | Joined the EP Kings after school. | 0% |
| 8 | 2010 | Kagiso Segole | Kearsney | Went to study in the W/Cape after school. | 0% |
| 9 | 2011 | Dries Swanepoel | Grey College | Joined the Bulls after school. | 0% |
| 10 | 2011 | Ryan Germishuys | Selborne | Joined the Bulls after school. | 0% |
| 11 | 2011 | Spho Msutwana | Dale College | At Academy for 2012. Joined EP Kings 2013. | 33% |
| 12 | 2012 | Siyabonga Tom | Glenwood | Disqualified. In NMMU Varsity Cup squad 2013 | 0% |
| 13 | 2012 | Nqoba Mxoli | Westville | Joined the Bulls after school. | 0% |
| 14 | 2012 | Wion Robertse | Paarl Gim | Sharks u19 team of 2013. | 100% |
| 15 | 2013 | Rikus Bothma | Paarl Gim | Joined the WPRI after school | 0% |
| 16 | 2013 | Matt Reece-Edwards | Kearsney | Joined the WPRI after school but returned & played Sharks u19. | 33% |
| 17 | 2013 | SJ Roux | Boland Landbou | Joined the Free State Cheetahs after school. | 0% |
| 18 | 2013 | Wandi Mazibuko | Glenwood | Joined the Sharks Academy. | 100% |
| 19 | 2014 | Justerino Davids | Dale College | Joined the Sharks Academy. | 100% |
| 20 | 2014 | Adrian Heystek | Westville | Joined the Sharks Academy. | 100% |
| 21 | 2014 | Curtis Jonas | Glenwood | Joined the Lions. | 0% |
| 22 | 2014 | Kenny van Niekerk | Glenwood | Joined the Lions. | 0% |
| 23 | 2014 | Barend Smit | HTS Middelburg | Accepted a Sharks contract but then joined the Lions. | 0% |
| AVERAGE % | 33.30% |
I have a biased view but the Sharks academy is not up to par with the rest of the country. Boys are being taken from right under their noses and they are blasé about it. I hope they get their act together otherwise they will go from bad to worse. When Hans Scriba was at the helm, it looked like and acted like a professional outfit but recently I cannot say the same of the incumbents.
With Jaques Botes coming into the fold I am sure things will turn around for the better. He seems to have a better work ethic and I have heard he is getting around and seeing what the schools have to offer in the way of future talent.
Sharks u/16 team, sharks cravenweek team, sharks acadamy team,sharks vodacom cup team not doing so well last couple of years?? Therefore curry cup and superrugby suck because there is no culture of staying and playing for the sharks. Sharks recruiting and identifying suck if all the standout kzn players end up playing bulls,province and anywhere else but in natal.
Forgotten regions are being totally ignored because of the travel time but imports done from all over eastern cape??
Hopefully i am wrong but on the surface this is the impression one gets
Wandi Mazibuko has left to join the Cheetahs
