Some good news. DHS has put their differences with Glenwood aside and all fixtures between the Durban neighbours have been reinstated with immediate effect.
Reports out of DHS are that new CEO Mike Fennell is “on a big mission and all positive.”
The new DHS Head of Rugby Dru Nass will start on 01 March 2013.
As far as the appointment of a new DHS headmaster is concerned, well this could be announced in as little as two weeks time, depending on the Department of Education approval. Here again the vibe coming out of DHS is positive and suggests they have found the right man for the job.
A great interview with an experienced schoolboy coach from College on what it takes to make it in sport. And some other interesting observations for parents!!
http://www.hssm.co.za/interviews/kwazulu-natal/2012/hunger-achieve-one-one-mike-bechet
@Gungets Tuft:
Read this
http://www.dphs.co.za/prep-patter/prep-patter-5-0
One would almost say that those words by the exec headmaster were written by DHS reps!
DHS certainly trying hard at Prep this year after quite a slack year last year
@rugbyfan: Alcohol does not change characters, it reveals them.
@GreenBlooded: @badboy: Was at the {edited} match last year and can confirm that alchohol is an issue there i got there at about 11 and the pub was the busiest place and the remarks coming from there were not good.
@GreenBlooded: You right about the alchohol thing its a bog problem.
@Queenian: The most difficult thing to control are abusive parents. We have occassional problem at youth club tournaments with parents who don’t know how to behave in a civilised fashion. Confronting them only makes the situation worse -the last thing you want is a brawl in the stands. Unfortunately when parents behave like that towards opposition players, referees, opposition coaches then the boys think it’s OK to do it themselves. You will seldom find a schoolboy match that descends into chaos where the parents on the sidelines are well behaved. Alchohol often plays a role.
@rugbyfan: Yeah, Dale stopped playing {edited} because the racial abuse got out of hand.It was always there.In my day, boys used to fake injuries to avoid playing {edited}, especially in Uitenhage.It was one thing to face it on the field, but the most hurtful was when it was coming from the parents on the sidelines.In 1999, I coached the Dale Under 14c (I had sustained a collarbone injury that year that kept me out for the whole season).My boys walked off the field before the match was over, in tears because they couldnt take it anymore.And they were winning.The ref allowed play to continue (with no Dale team on the field)…I had to beg my boys to get back on the field and finish the game, which they eventually won.
@Queenian: That is just disgusting.There is no place for such in today’s South Africa.
@Queenian: @rugbyfan: So it seems there are not only problems in KZN and Pretoria between schools.
Anyway this type of thing is not good for sport.
@Queenian: This type of thing blows my mind
@rugbyfan: At the Grey PE festival last year the Dale vs {edited} match was rained out and to my disgust one of the {edited} parents openly said “dit is goed ons wil nie teen die Kaxxxx speel nie hulle sal my seun vigs gee” i will never ever support these people and i hope they get whats coming to them.
@rugbyfan: Yes i know about this and what really worries me is nothing seems to been done about. As far as i am concerned Muir are being to gentleman like about this and should take it to the front page of the Herald on the day the final is to be held.
I was at the game 5/6 years ago when Dale played {edited} in Uitenhage and that was shocking and the parents were the biggest problem shout racists remarks from the side and was at the {edited} match last year and all the off the ball stuff happening was shocking.
@Playa: Not sure what {edited} history was with Dale why they stopped playing but there actions in the EP T20 1st team league this year can only be said to be {edited}. They were supposed to play Muir in the quarter finals were the two schools were suppose to finalize a date by the Thursday Muir were still waiting for the date when they recieved the fixtures for the semi finals with {edited} playing against Nico Malan. When Muir contacted the EP office to find out how that was possible before the quarter final had even being played the EP office said {edited}had informed them that Muir had forfeited the match. When the Muir coached contacted {edited} they said Muir had forfeited the game because they had a Post Matric playing when the Muir Coach said but nobody had contacted them and they were willing anyway for this boy to miss the game and asked who had said they would play him the only answer the {edited} coach could give was he had herd from some parent that Muir were not interested in playing. This being especially {edited} who had poached 4 boys from Muir in the last two years to bolster there cricket.
This type of behavior by some schools has got down to down right dishonesty to win at all costs.
I hope Framesby kick there butts in the final
@rugbyfan: As always…there will be some interesting battles in the EC. Dale and Queens will need magical backline play to counter these heavy packs.
@rugbyfan: Ye Queens will have a big hurdle to get past Brandwag also saw them a week ago they are really big actually though it was a mens team training i think a good old check on what they eating or taking would help.
@Playa: In the last 3 weeks i have seen Queens/Selborne/Grey PE and Brandwag training and the thing thats stands out is there are some really big boys at school boy level now. Brandwag boy are giants, Selborne also some big boys Grey PE as well, Queens well looked like Middleweights compared to them but there back looked very quick there was one boy there a black kid not sure if he is the Zim boy who really impressed me.
Come 21st March Brandwag vs Queens will be David vs Goliath hope Queens can throw a stone straight otherwise they will get steam rolled.
Going through King next Tuesday will go past Dale to see if i can see them training.
@beet: Framesby have lost nearly all there big forwards from last year so i would take at best they will be average altough there flyhalf is back who is really good thats if he does not get hurt.
@Greenwood: Thanks
It’s the Framesby game that was meant to take place at NWU-Puk. It’s been brought forward and made local.
Beet
I hear from the lightie that Glenwood will be playing a Western Cape School in a curtain raiser
when the Sharks play their 1st Super 15 game vs Stormers at Kings Park on 2nd March –
compulsory for the whole school to attend –
@CyndiAtRugby: Nah. Beast is a regular blogger who reverts to his alternate persona only when he want’s to get some anti-Glenwood rhetoric off his chest. You never hear from him otherwise.
Well done to School on a fantastic open evening yesterday! Great show!
Today will be another one just for DPHS, hope for best!!
@Grasshopper: And College is the Fly-half factory –
K Oxlee (Boks) 1960-65
JT Stransky (Boks) 1993-96
AD James (Boks) 2001-08
PJ Grant (Boks) 2007-08
H Coxwell – Natal for years
@beet: I have also been concerned about how long the guys must be registered at the schools in Grade 10. This will be the topic of the next HMA
or maybe it is a she who was scorned by a GW boy 
@Henkies: I was about to say BRILLIANT comment until you put in the “she”.
@Playa, very true on the fixtures bit. Tom was from down Dale way wasn’t he? Imtembilele…..something like that…so was DHS’s Payi….probably both good enough for 7’s if only they had not cheated the system…
I have big hopes for Cooper, Kleynheins, Adendorff, Oelofse and Whiteley. Adendorff should convert to a hooker though, too small on the flank…has the right attitude though…
We do have a Dale connection at Glenwood, Rob Hutchison an old Afrikaans teacher at Glenwood been there 30 years or so is a Dale Old Boy and in Afrikaans lessons used to tell us about his days as a Dale boarder. Also, Nicholas Strauss who played a few games for the Sharks and now in France came to Glenwood in standard 8, made a huge impact on our Under15A side. Brought with him some good old Dale training techniques….
@Grasshopper: Yeah, Im sure Glenwood will produce at least 2 more in the next 5 years.Just need to tone down on your fixture list so that the boys arent fed up with rugga by the time they finish high school.
Pity about Tom. I really saw him as a prospect in the 7s format of the game.It is what it is.
Sorry, missed one for Glenwood, Nanyak Dala – Canada flank
@Playa, all very old Boks, so it’s about time we produced a new one……maybe Kyle Cooper in a couple of years….who knows….
@Playa, my mistake, 2 Bok hookers…Don Walton and John Allan. 2 bok locks in Roger Sheriff and Mauritz Van den Berg. 2 Bok backs in Wally Clarkson and Rodney Gould….
@Horsie, please check the below and add if required;
DHS (5 Springboks)
Neville Tod
Andrew Aitken
BJ Botha
Alastair Hargreaves
Garth Williamson
Greg Rawlinson (New Zealand)
Antonie Claasen (France)
Glenwood (6 Springboks)
Wally Clarkson
Mauritz Van den Berg
Roger Sheriff
Don Walton
Rodney Gould
John Allan
Warren Whiteley (Sevens)
Brian Shabangu (Sevens)
Peter Zsitvai (Hungary)
@HORSEFLY NO.1: If you read Wynand Claasens’s book “More than Just Rugby” you will see a photo of the very young Antonie with his parents. Wynand wrote of the fact that “Springboks breed Springboks” and there are numerous examples of this. Not sure if his dad was a Springbok but I seem to remember him saying he used to wear his dad’s Springbok tie to Sunday School – not sure if it was for rugger. So if Antonie makes it into international rugby he will be the third generation of Claasen to do so – quite a feat.
What is his connection to France? How does he get to play for them.
@Grasshopper: Who are the other 2 Glenwood hookers?
@Horsie, I played against Greg Rawlinson before he went on the juice. He played 2nd’s and 3rd’s in 1996, shows boys careers can blossom after school. I believe John Allan only played 2nd’s at Glenwood. If DHS is the KZN lock factory then Glenwood is the KZN hooker factory, three boks being hookers…
@HORSEFLY NO.1: I personally think the key to success is for Anton Bresler to stay at no.5 if he wants to play international rugby. Chances are Bekker and Kruger will move abroad after this SR season. It does not mean they won’t still get picked but maybe out of sight out of mind will apply. There are a few good up and coming locks incl Peet Marais at the Sharks, so Bresler has to show consistent form as well.
@beet:
If. Antonie plays at lock then I think he will be the 4th DHS lock to play international rugby!
Surely Anton will be the 5th in a year or so, HM can only ignore him for a certain time, not forever.
Then it’ll be:
N.Tod- Bok lock
A.Hargreaves- Bok lock
A.Bresler- Bok lock
G.Rawlinson- All Black lockk
A.Claassen- French lock
School should start producing more international backs now!
@HORSEFLY NO.1: I looked on Wiki. Says he went to Middelburg. Wynand’s dad was the winner of the 1961 Comrades Marathon.
@beet:
What school did Wynand go to?
@HORSEFLY NO.1: He is Wynand Claassen’s son.
Ha ha Grassy what the heck are you doing still falling into the trap of replying to Beast ? Just ignore her I’m sure she’ll disappear eventually
DHS head boy of 2002 and 1st XV rugby captain, Antonie Claassen has been selected to represent France in the Six Nations. Congratulations Ant, we’re very proud of you!!
@beet: Where were these Western Cape recruits from? As in from which school/city/town?
@Grasshopper: From what I’ve gathered the 2 Westville recruits from the Western Cape left after just a few days. They had problems with the language barrier. Westville is a school that prides itself on good academic results. They are kinda faced with a bit of UCT scenario. Balancing rugby and good academics.
@The Beast:
NW and GWD with similar size.
Glenwood just have better rugby talent just as how NW probably have better hockey talent.
Just how the world works mate!
We have our basketballers and soccer players, WBHS their Swimmers, GWD their rugga players, Clifton their polo players, College their paddlers and hockey players, WBHS their cricketers, Kearsney their singers!
@Grasshopper: Too many nuances to what is acceptable and what is not. Seems everyone is striving for the moral middle gound :-)
The long term effects of gratuitous buying in of talent will be felt .. in the long term, where boys no longer want to come to the school unless they get top dollar and a guarantee of 1st team game time. Gone will be the surprise package coming through in Grade 10 …
It’s school sport Mr Spock, just not school sport as we know it ….
@Beast, yes everybody not supporting Glenwood, which is many. The list above is based on what I think the KZN rankings will be by year end. Because you don’t support any school just any school but Glenwood it’s hard to know what you would think of that ranking…
@GreenBlooded:
Its mainly their 1st side and I know some of the boys that they’ve recruited. Let’s just say they obviously went with quantity rather than quality!
I’ve seen their two SA U16 props.- nothing AMAZING!
MAYBE they’ll prove me wrong but I doubt it.
Just watch pressure getting the hold of Northwood!
Remember, they didn’t build a team, they bought one!
@Grasshopper: Size of schools?????
@The Beast:
Haha bad point mate!
@Grasshopper: You would love to know!!!!!!
@HORSEFLY NO.1: Don’t know how you can say that. NW have only played at Port Natal night series so far and not with their full strength team.
@Horsie, Kearsney will be tops with Westville and the rest will scrap it out for 3rd. I am guessing as follows;
1) Kearsney
2) Westville
3) College
4) Glenwood
5) Northwood
6) Michaelhouse
7) Hilton
8) DHS
9) George Campbell
……time will tell…
@Beast, maybe you do…..not sure who ‘we’ are….
@Grasshopper: But we want Northwood to be better.
@beet:
Don’t know hey, Northwood have all these new players but they haven’t once been quite convincing to me and it seems as if the hype will and has already started to get too much for them.
I really think that DHS can finish even at 5th, MHS,NW,Hilton and maybe even Kearsney are there for the taking!
We will have a good side without too many individual stars but rather a good work ethic, great fitness,skill and PACE!
All will be revealed in a little while though…
@Beast, Northwood is the same size as Glenwood…
@Grasshopper: Its because Glenwood is a big enough school and should not need anymore, that’s why you not allowed to top up.
@Greenblooded, as long as the shopping is not of an Under19 prop who arrived in grade 11 or from a local KZN school, then we should be OK. Westville have just recruited a Paarl no8 so if those rules are stuck by we should be OK. But as you are well aware the KZN schools like to burn Glenwood and don’t look at themselves, so I am predicting some more uneasiness come rugby season. For some reason Hilton, Michaelhouse, Northwood etc can buy in players but Glenwood can’t. That seems to be the rule applied…
With regards to the HMA I think the challenge this year will come to the exceptions clauses for u19s
eg. a player has to be at a school since Gr.10 – how much of Gr.10? 1 week or 1 year???
eg. if a players family relocates to KZN, he is exempt from the HMA. – define relocate??? Are their exceptions to the relocation clause.
Fun times
http://schoolboyrugby.co.za/blog/?p=1039
@Grasshopper: I think we have already heard about some shopping on this forum by some schools – positions and where they come from have even been mentioned. If what my radar is picking up is anything to go by, your prayer above may go unanswered……
@All Black: Agree completely – but let’s also hope that the ‘wrath of the other schools’ is applied fairly and consitently regardless of who the transgressor is.
As far as teachers / coaches go – that is a free market as far as I’m concerned. If a teacher / coach can get a better deal somewhere else he/she should be free to go. You cannot restrict a person’s livelyhood and earning potential by a Headmaster’s agreement.
I think everyone now knows what they have to do to keep their noses clean. Those who have been around for awhile know which boys are overage etc. If a school tries to ignore this and the other agreements that have been put in place then they deserve the wrath of all other schools in the Province. If there is doubt about playing a boy, approaching a boy, approaching a staff member etc etc. Dont do it. The message must be clear as day. No excuses. you break the agreement you are gone. These little spats have to stop and it is up to each school to play by the rules.
@Gungets, I think you are right. If suddenly team sheets have players that people have never heard of there is going to be kak! I am praying Glenwood have learnt from last year and not done any shopping. What we have is good enough, maybe not all conquering but good enough to be competitive and hopefully win 60% of their games…
Thats is a win for school rugby in general
I don’t think we are out of the woods yet with controversy this year. Need to see the team sheets for the first few rugby matches before we sound the All-Clear ….
Gee up Neddy, there’s going to be a flood …
The Durban school that so far looks on course to be getting the biggest spike out of 2013 is Northwood. Add that Glenwood and Westville are running so well and it’s still a challenge and a half ahead for DHS just to catch up, forget about taking the lead.
It’s exciting times for DHS but I think they will finish a highest of 8th in KZN tier-1 rugby this season which is not going to help change many minds about where the school is heading. So all the new staff on board are going to have to work doubly hard at their jobs to keep public perceptions about the changes occurring positive.
Great news, you se what Old Boy pressure and negotiation can do. I was one of hundreds of Old Boys pushing for this to be sorted. There is no way the fixtures would not have happened, not even the wars stopped fixtures between these two schools. Let’s hope the Westville debacle can be sorted too!
Great News this – looking forward to watching the 1st’s at the stables in Musgrave road – no doubt this is largely due to the fact that van zyl is back with the flies
Just proves that issues can be sorted out