The Beeldtrofee is divided into four school divisions competitions that play matches at under-14, under-15, under-16 and first XV levels. The four divisions are Small Schools, Medium Schools, Big Schools and Macro Schools. The Macro Schools competition sees many of the well-known for rugby Afrikaans high schools situated north of the Vaal River battle it out in a knockout style format with the winners of each age-group claiming a Beeld trophy. Macro Schools participants include Monument, Waterkloof, HTS Middelburg, Nelspruit, Florida, Marais Viljoen, Garsfontein, Centurion, Kempton Park and EG Jansen, all of whom have contribute to the high quality rugby that has made the “Beeld” a huge success over the years.
This week there has however been a bit of concern amongst the Big Schools members. The reason being, it was believed that EG Jansen, the powerhouse of Valke rugby and a key school in the Beeldtrofee for Macro Schools had put in a request to be downgraded to Big School status. If true and allowed to do so, it’s felt that EG would be too strong for their new opponents and would in all likelihood coast to victory in the Big Schools competition in 2013. A move like this would weaken the Marco school competition and defeat the purpose for which divisions were created, namely to level the playing fields. Clearly EG’s performances on average over the years suggests that there is no other place for them in the competition except amongst the Macro Schools.
All the Beeldtrofee 2012 semi-final and final results here: http://schoolboyrugby.co.za/blog/?p=932
@ Beet- Thank you- It is great to hear this and definitely for the best.
@jakes: I think there was push from the “Big” schools to prevent EG leaving the “Macro” schools division, so bottom-line is for now EG still in Beeld Trofee macro schools compo in 2013
It will definitely not be a good idea for EG Jansen to move down to Big schools league.Firstly it will lower the competition in the Macro schools section due to the fact that only a few top schools already play in this league and EG Jansen is a powerhouse in this league already. Secondly EG Jansen will be much too strong for most of the other schools in the big school league,in fact, some schools will be in for a massive hiding if they draw against EG Jansen in Big schools league. And the third reason is that this might cause an exodus of players to Kempton park, their biggest competition in the Falcons region, which will leave Kempton park on a league of their own with no competition in the Falcons region. EG Jansen management must think carefully about this move.
@BoishaaiPa: HoPE you followed the thread, those were not my words, but rather what I asked Haker if he is suggesting. Personally I do not care for the Burger knockout comp, as the log in WP is flawed to start with, with the “weaker” S-suburbs teams playing each other twice.
@Ploegskaar: If the Boishaai’s and PRG and Gims are scared, why would they play a regular ficture against these schools in the first place every year?..The Burger tournament is just set up in a different fashion here in WC with the knockout rounds coming in the semi’s against the Boland team and then the finals against the winner of EP/SWD schools. I dont see anything wrong with that.
@BOG: Thanks for the heads-up, nothing worse than people being either lofty or condescending, don’t you think?
@BoishaaiPa: Would you say more like a physical and mental punch to the nutsack?
@Haker: Of course it hurts..real bad..but its not a culture shock per se…
@Ploegskaar: The best tip which I can give you, is that they are not lofty. Anything else?
@BOG: I confess to know nothing about these lofty traditions, please give me wise tips.
@beet: Yip, starts there in the good old Goodwood and runs to the outskirts of Kuils River, Kraaifontein and Durbanville.
@Haker: As far as the departees are concerned, you mean like Zim and Namibia with the same results or standards? Concerning the inter schools, you merely confirmed my suspicions- you dont understand the traditions.
@BOG: Noboby cares what happened in the 2012 u/15F game between Affies and Grey except for the 44 players, 4 coaches and 88 parents. I bet you Mr Volsteedt doesn’t know who won if asked right now. Every Affie and Grey kid, along with thousand others know who won between the first XV this year. That’s what’s life about, bud. Its not about winning or losing, its about who won.
@Ploegskaar: I have had this one wrong for years :eek: . “Northern Suburbs” are Tygerberg, Bellville, de Kuilen etc :cool:
@Haker: I thought that was what you meant, and although you have a very interesting view on this matter, I fear that some of the powerhouse supporters will not be happy with you. With regards to my schooling, I come from a small school in what is known as the “bokslagter” region of the Northern Suburbs, where the biggest punches during inter-schools were landed on the netball courts and the inter-school winner was the school that had the least pregnant girls and smallest number of boys arrested on the day.
@Ploegskaar: You are on the right track, Boer. Look, these powerhouses will almost always dominate, but and a big but, there is always the underdog factor and in these communities it won’t go down well losing to Centurion, Tygerberg, Landbou,Glenwood,Hentie Cilliers,Oakdale. I don’t know where you come from but where I went to school I remember the pressure there used to be if we were to lose to Potch Volkies, Tom Naude,HTS Vereeniging or Stofberg.
@Haker: I am not familiar with the set-up in the north, so will take your word for it. In short it seems that you are suggesting that these schools that do not want to participate in the Beeld (Affies and PBH) are shit-scared of Waterkloof and Garsfontein, as well as the manne from Monument, EG and Kempies? Are you saying that the big 2 in Paarl plus PRG are not interested in a knockout compo in the WC for the same reasons and that they are scared that having their arses handed to them by an Outeniqua or a Tygerberg will tarnish their huge rugby powerhouse reputations? Are you saying that these schools have more to lose than to gain and that the facades of superiority and invincibility may be torn down and that the emperor may be naked after all? If that is what you are saying, you have definitely given me a different perspective and some food for thought on this matter.
@BoishaaiPa: You know, deep inside,and you don’t have to admit it, it hurts more than it should. A loss, to Gym.
@beet: Money in rugby is big. Do you honestly think there is no money for a competition like this? There are a few dads I know that can do it by themselves. Let me tell you the Greys, Affies and Paarl schools might miss it the first year but eventually the drool of losing out on all those monies will get the better. Hard cash is hard to resist. Ask professionals, politicians,officials,public safety, cricketers, hobos anyone. Why would a few schools be different???
@Haker: I dont think you quite understand the dynamics involved around Interschools..it has nothing to do with culture..all about pride and traditions…
@Ploegskaar: The reason why a certain school doesn’t participate in the Beeld is not only because of the winning at all costs factor.(on the contrary a brand new scoreboard has been erected) The real reason is very much known to the broader Pretoria public and in fact I don’t blame them. There is nothing worse having been King Gladiator for decades just to start becoming the underdog’s whipping boys. If you understood and lived in that Pretoria environment you’ll understand that social status is much worse than life or death. Its so bad its actually scary. I know in Paarl its almost a cultural shock for Boishaai to lose to Gym,in Pretoria your social status drops by a few millions.
@beet: Bud, the northern suburbs of Cape Town starts north of the N7 (becomes Vanguard Drive) and ends roughly at Joostenberg Vlakte. These Paarl/Stellenbosch snobs are going to moer you if you keep including them in the ‘burbs. With reference to a national knockout compo, it is clear that it will never become a reality if the mentioned schools in the Vaal do not even want to parttake in the Beeld and we cannot even get the fixture lists in the WC working properly to constitute a proper league (some teams play each other twice whilst there are numerous cross-regional games).
@BOG: I think you have it completely wrong. The majority of rugby players, and I’m not talking about provincial or national players, are most certainly not the better educated or financially stronger. When last have you been to a stadium or a club game? I would say 80% of the spectators are very much middle, working class. The rich guys sit in the suites and their children fade along the way. You are right about one thing, the poor children see rugby as a easy way to escape the hardships of ghetto life. I predict in 10-15 years time a white face in the national team will be surprising and it will be on merit. Rugby is a game(specially in SA) where skills are not necessarily a requirement to succeed at. If you look at the major televised professional sports I’ll put rugby, long distance running, boxing and soccer in category A and I’ll put cycling, tennis, golf and swimming in category B. Cricket is like a gategory A – or B +. I’m only discussing the African continent here. Remember rugby, although being played and followed by the coloured communities, has been up until 1994 seen as the oppressor’s game. You make up your mind who is more suited for A and B. Mark my words, its been taken over.
@Haker: During the Tournaments like St Johns or Wildeklawer the C, D and E teams goes on another inland tour…It use to be tradition to go to Windhoek. The lower junior teams (u/14 to u/16) participate in tournaments in Vredenburg and the likes….Usually in these festivals they play against other schools A and B teams and the competition is just as fierce as the likes of Putsonderwater Secondary would love to beat a Boishaai team..for them they are playing there equivalent!
@Haker: Suggesting that money will force schools to only focus on A teams, perhaps, with all respect,reflects your absence of knowledge and understanding of school history, tradition and ethos. Their participation in these tournaments certainly do not reduce their determination to involve the whole school during inter schools and derbys.As enjoyable as these weekend tournaments may be, it does not come near to an annual derby between two great schools, where virtually every learner participates.
@Haker: yes I know. The Beeld is not purely a knockout, however the main contenders seldom get eliminated at the regional stage resulting in the real compo starting at the quarters.
The festivals usually take place during holidays. Perhaps a national Top 16 could be scheduled along similar lines with 16->8->4-> over 3 match days and a final at another venue at a later date.
I’m reading everything you post with interest but I maintain that without the support of the likes of Affies, Grey Bloem and the 3 Northern Suburb big guns any national compo is going to be a watered down affair. It will also cost a fortune.
@Haker: On the contrary, the ones who are leaving, are exactly the ones who are most likely to play rugby- better educated, financially stronger ect. Perhaps the changing demographics of the country, the doubling in size of the population over the next 15 years, will counter the exodus or maybe the interest in the game may start appealing to the “lower echelons” of society, as in Wales where rugby is the “working mans” game.
@beet: As far as I know the Beeld is not only a knockout competition. There is a league in every region before the knockouts progress.
@beet: You do not listen. I said in the near future. Money will eventually cause schools to focus only on their A teams. These so called schools that care so much for their teams down to seventh or F level, where do those teams play during Kearsney and Wildeklawer? Its nice long weekends and what is nicer for a schoolboy in the 5th or 6th to go on tour then. When the u/14’s,u/15’s and u/16’s come to Kwagga tourney or the ones in Paarl, PMB or Affies, where is the C and F team players then? Do they have games arranged during those tournaments? Tell me honestly why do teams like Affies, Paul Roos, Boishaai, Grey, Monnas play these festivals? What is the real incentive for these schools in playing these festivals and THEN tell me a national tournament is not possibly already being planned.
@Haker: But we don’t even have a Beeld style knockout cup compo at senior level :shock:
To organise these knockout compos must be a nightmare. Your u14s go here, the u15s stay home, the u16 are at a different venue etc.
The Beeld is interesting to follow because it is unique but without Affies and the likes of KES and PHBS participating, it loses a bit of its sparkle. If a WP compo does not enjoy the full support of the big guns, it will be just like the Burger.
@beet: Let me tell you with money taking over its inevitable for a national tournament in the not too distant future. Most of these traditional derbies will eventually give way to some mouth watering competition rugby.
@Haker: No Affies did not say anything about not being keen on winning, they merely pointed to the win at all costs approach of cup knockout as not being a good one in their eyes. That was their argument.
As for WP, just about all the top schools play each other so it’s not too difficult to work out who the top dogs are in any given season. Looking at national rankings could possibly distort the real regional winners (see below). Cup compo’s can also be difficult to organise during a busy season (different age-groups play different schools) and could lead to teams playing each other twice during a season.
Look here:
http://schoolboyrugby.co.za/blog/?p=1124
And here:
http://schoolboyrugby.co.za/blog/?p=1117
@beet: What have WP got going? Who was the top school there if you do not look at the rankings? In one way I like the Affies set-up but do not believe that winning is not important to them. I have been to their practise sessions and was part of a conversation at a prominent school match not too long ago where an Affie coach and some of their u/16 parents were discussing the bad run they’ve had since u/14 and the influence it will have in 2 years time and let me assure you they weren’t discussing losing at all costs.
@Haker: Affies actually pulled out of the Beeld coz they don’t like the win at all costs mentality that goes hand in hand with Cup compos. W/Cape have a good thing going. Maybe the Kwaggas and Oakdale need more fixtures against CT suburb schools?
Pity us Cape schools don’t play something similiar to the Beeld Trophy. This Burger semi and finals every year not the same thing.
@BOG: Those who leave have no interest in rugby. Let them go.
@Rugger fan: Sure, it will affect schools across the board, and I know that this may just be speculation, I strongly suspect that the rugby playing community, squarely falls in those percentages.But those who are leaving, come from both urban and rural areas.
@BOG: Sure, this may well be an issue – but surely that should affect schools across the board (and perhaps urban/metro schools worse than places like Ermelo)?
I think that a reality that can no longer be ignored or avoided, is emigration and what impact it may have on something like rugby.Lest I be accused of dragging politics into this matter-no, Im simply looking at it from a rugby perspective. Pondering Panda, a polling company, conducted an opinion poll among age groups 18-24 years old and the following percentages indicated that they wish to leave the country: Whites-65%, Indian-53% , Coloured -43% and Blacks -33%. This represents an extremely high number across the board, and is certain to impact on many things, including rugby and sport in general.These polls normally allow for a 3-4% margin in error which is totally insignificant when looking at the high percentages we are dealing with here.
@Rugger fan: absolutely rugger!!
would be sad to see them go.
spoke to a headmaster of ermelo some years ago en he said he would rather play in the macro league and test the boys againts the best.
but saldly numbers also dwindled over the year they had to go back to the big schools.
Like Monnas, EG are small enough in numbers to qualify for Big School status. They are however too strong to play in that league
EGJ have been a consistently strong team over the years. I think their Macro status is well deserved.
@BoishaaiPa: Amount of teams per age group and open division.
What is the criteria that seperates the different categories?