I had a parent ask me about this last week so I thought I’d share what I know.
Basically in the Bulls, Lions and KZN regions (and there are probably others), a matric repeater is not allowed to represent his school at rugby in the local leagues or at provincial school level. He is regarded as a post-matric.
These rules came about in around 2007-2008 as part of the agreement to phase out genuine post-matrics – boys who were taking tertiary institution courses while still attending.
There have been complications though.
A few years back I came across the case of M.V.L., a Florida student who had represented the Golden Lions at Craven Week as an under-17 player in 2016. Later that year he passed matric but wanted to repeat to get better grades. As a result of having a matric certificate, he was not allowed to play in the Virsekerbeker in 2017, nor was he allowed to be picked for a Lions under-18 youth week team. This in spite of him being under-18 , the most common acceptable age for a matric student. It was harsh treatment in both regards but particularly the Virsekerbeker verdict where under-19’s are permitted to play.
In KZN in the same period, DHS had a talent sportsman named B.S., who could have added much value to their 2017 1st XV. However he too as a result of having completed matric at DHS in 2016 while still under-17, would have been excluded from sport had he chosen to stay on in the province. So he enrolled at Kingswood in Grahamstown the following year and completed a type of post-matric year there – this is permitted in the Eastern Cape.
One would have expected the rules to be more flexible towards the students who are still under-18 in their matric repeat years.
@Wyvern:
@Wonder: He would of course be eligible to play rugby and CW,not Virseker cup.Unless there’s bylaws stated otherwise which make provision for u/17 boys which imo must be the case.I merely stated the meaning of post matric which for some reason became a slang-name for an /19 rugby player,which is wrong.
@Grizzly: In 2017 Garsies had 2 u/17 players that passed matric. I spoke to the one kids dad and he made it clear that if his boy did not achieve good enough marks to study mechanical engineering he will have him repeat grade 12. He will not allow him to play rugby should he repeat.
The other boy told me that he had no interest in repeating matric just for rugby. I thought that was odd since I believed he would have had a very good change off making CW the next year when he would be u/18. Well he passed and played for Kovsies and Shimlas u/19 in 2018.
I believe both kids should have been granted the opportunity to play for their school if they decided to repeat matric for what ever reasons since they would have been u/18. A Matric certificate does not give you an edge over other kids your age. Being a year older does, rugby is a physical game you don’t have to be very clever to make it in rugby. Why should a boy that failed a year be given a second change and the younger one not?
@Grizzly: You might have a point. It is a sports related restriction and has little to do with academic best interests.
I feel that we’ve created a world of difference between repeating gr.11 and gr.12 and yet the kids who ultimately contribute to these decisions are in some cases more or less the same age. Make that decision in gr.11 and the world’s your oyster for 24 extra months. Do it in gr.12 and suffer the consequences for the next 12 months.
@Grizzly: Nie wat ek van weet nie daar was wel laas jaar een(beter punte) maar ek dink nie hy het een game vir die eerstes gespeel nie. Dit was nie omdat hy nie goed genoeg was nie.
@beet: @tzavosky: Can’t believe people make science out of this.Once you pass the exam,the matric exam,that’s it.Thats suppose to be the end of school then.If you come back to school for what ever reason,be it for better grades,rugby,girl of your dreams….. then you post,Na, after matric(IN POSSESSION OF A SENIOR SERTIFICATE).IF you didn’t finish the exam,the matric exam (not in possession of a senior certificate),then you either Pre,Voor,or in Matric, DOESN’T matter the AGE!
Going back to the examples in the main post, it seems a little unfair that a student turning 19 in the calendar year can play but a student turning 18 in the calendar year can be excluded even though he could be anything between 1 day and 24 months younger than the former.
I think the logical exception should be that a student who is still only 18 on 31 December the year should be allowed to play rugby irrespective of how many times he’s past matric before that year.
A few years back someone suggested that students should only have 5 years of high school sport eligibility, so if a student spend a 6th year in high school he would be excluded from sport. It would be unfortunate for those with learning challenges but it would put a stop to the u19 “huursoldaat” acquisitions I’m sure.
High school sport is fairly lenient towards boys turning 19. Since 2008 they have not been allowed to play at the national youth weeks and there are few other technical disqualifications for some but by in large most can still participate. For boys turning 14 in primary school, things are a lot harsher.
@Grizzly: Enige iets anders as dit is nie post matric nie.Ek verstaan van @Beet se post n post Matric mag Nie Virseker speel nie.Enige 0/19 wat nie die eindeksamen in GR12 geslaag het of nog nie geskryf het nie,kwalifiseer wel om te speel.Baie eenvoudig.
@Wonder: @Wonder: Vir my is n post matric iemand wat reeds die eindeksamen in sy gr 12 Jaar af gele het en geslaag het.
@Grizzly: Indien jy 0/19 is in graad 11 tel dit as post matriek?
@Skopgraaf243: Lol I’ve never heard that analogy before
Can I assume that you’re all for post matrics repeating just for sporting reasons?
What about a boy in matric writing three subjects in 2018 changing school in 2019 and then completing the rest of his matric ? Surely this constitutes a POST MATRIC which is not allowed in the WC.
@sewes: Het julle enige post matrics die Jaar?
So die oplossing is, dop in Gr10 of 11.
@Wyvern: Nee boet, get a minivan and stick to little league. THERE EVERYONE IS A WINNER!
@AbsolutMenlo: Praat jy van persoonlike opinie of jou trui se beleid?
@Playa: No stone throwing here, just playing with them in my hands
@AbsolutMenlo: As Playa pointed out, what happens if club rugby is non-existent i.e. like in most of the EC?
To your last point, I think the underlying issue is (and it’s a broader problem in SA schoolboy rugby) that too many schools value winning above all else…
If a boy already played first team rugby he should not be allowed to play again as an u/19 player.
I have no problem with legit u/19’s to play, but boys (men) that already made it (even represented his province) I have a problem with. If they want to be an extra year in school for academics they should rather focus on their academics and join a club for rugby.
It is a fact … schools with super star u/19’s have an advantage.
Stront man. Under the age you should be allowed to play! Andre, lost opportunity!
Wors man
@Beet: I’m sure there are many ways to skin a Maanhaarjakkals. Cash is King, Donations and Sponsorships pave the way
2 3 Maanhaarjakkals
Only Legends may be post matrics
@Playa: The EC might not always have the infra structure but we make up for it on so many other levels
@McCulleys Workshop: marritzburg’s loss i would say
@Wyvern: Throwing stones from a glasshouse
Is this even constitutional? I don’t have a problem with this. I think if genuine reasons for repeating are established, if you’re a schoolboy, play with schoolboys. One of the reasons PMs are not a problem in the EC is because options for club sport are zero to negative.
@Beet: that is just plain wrong in my eyes, no school should be able to refuse one if you want to repeat a grade for academic reasons
@Bush: yes why not. school sport in my opinion is in any case about the participation first and about achievement second
@Bush: Many of the top schools in KZN won’t allow a student to do matric over a second time at the same school, so in most cases you would have to find a new school. It’s not always easy to get into another school esp for just the matric year. You might end up having to home school him.
@Smallies: Maritzburg College had a headmaster in the 80’s who introduced that rule (he was a Michaelhouse Old Boy), if you re-wrote matric you couldn’t play firsts. It didn’t go down well and needless to say he didn’t last long, he ended up at House and was an exceptional headmaster.
@Smallies: Or even coach the lower junior teams.
Ek sou se dat as n kind matriek vir akademiese redes herhaal en hy het reeds vir sy eerste span gejol, moet hy nog steeds kan speel maar vir n laer span bv 2des of 3des
If my son’s were 17 when they finished Matric, I would have allowed them to Repeat Matric again. Even if they failed that time around. To allow them into the world at a young age would be dangerous. If the school wouldn’t let them play sport even Jukskei, they then could go play club sport.
I was 15 in matric
@Carl de Kock: I think the answer would be yes unless WK objected. Most rules only apply within the region.
For example there was a case in KZN were a youngster spent just a few days in matric before opting to repeat gr.11 purely due to academics (his school did not allow boys to repeat matric at the school so if he failed the first time his parents would have had to enrol him elsewhere). By the KZN agreement he was not permitted to play sport including chess against other KZN schools but he could play against schools from outside the province.
@Quagga: Interestingly a school in KZN accepted two new talented rugby player this year and both are believed repeating the grade they passed last year which effectively means they will be u19 in matric. So it seems like schools might also be in favour of this boost even if it comes at an extra year’s cost.
What happens if there is a post matric in Bishops for example, and they play against Waterkloof at an easter festival, will that boy be allowed to play?
If the league is u18 or u19, and you are within the age limit, you should be able to play regardless. If a school goes out of their way to recruit post matrics, just for rugby, to “win at all costs”….simple, don’t play them.
(Possibly a little rich coming from a KC boy :mrgreen:)
I’m a firm believer in a well-structured PM program, particularly for boys who generally lag their female counterparts in terms of maturity and development. If it adds all-round value to the child and can give them a few credits prior to varsity, that’s good right?
(Just a note, i’m all against PMs being brought in just for sport/to enhance sporting results)
With the changes in competitive junior structures it has brought along huge threats to two age groups of talent being u19 and u20. I know at some stage many years ago boys were repeating grade 11 to avoid the scenario described above. Could parents of talented youngsters opt to keep the boy at school a year longer to avoid the doldrums? I think it may be a realistic option for some because the risk of falling by the wayside when not playing versus the exposure high level schoolboy rugby offers to under-19 players may be enticing to some parents (and schools).