The United States may not be a considered a first, second or even third choice destination for the typical mainstream rugby career seeking school leaver with legitimate ambitions of becoming a high earning/high profile professional one day. That said the combination of the newish Major League Rugby for senior players in the States and the desire of certain decent US colleges to host rugby, is making the country a more prosperous looking destination for youngsters who are perhaps rated just one grade down from the elite players matriculating each year.
A source said that of the 40 or so teams, about 20 were of a decent standard.
News is that local scouts are twigging onto these opportunities like never before. This is resulting in a growing network to link the right kids with the right study/rugby playing opportunities.
Obviously there are also several other top sports that are catering to Saffas currently by providing world class facilities and training at US Colleges.
@Strepie: ???skerp ene
@Smallies: Ek dog hy is n boerboel met n kort stertjie?
@Strepie: Boerboel
@Smallies: Wat beteken ‘met n lang stert try vermaak’?
@Strepie: Ek reageer maar net op dit wat voor my gesit word ,as jy met my verskil en jy kan dit op n redelike oordentlike manier doen is daar nie n probleem nie ,maar moenie kom en my met n lang stert wil try vermaak nie,ek check dit nie
@Smallies: Manne dit raak darem nou te erg..
@boerboel: Jy is besig om Boishaai se naam oneer aan te doen.
@Vleis: Thanks and all of the best to your son as well.
@boerboel: nou hou dan op om jou soos n D@@S te gedra ,ek is seker dat jou ma jou maniere geleer het …..gebruik hulle bietjie my ou dis verniet
@Leelu: Thanks! He started rugby at u14 and played s/h because he was tiny – 45kgs in u14 & u15
He only grew in gr11/12. Last year, he was in the Wits VC squad as a s/h, but was disqualified one week before it started on a technicality. The other scrummies took their chances and moved ahead of him during the VC, so he moved to 12 to play for the 1st team after the VC. He did well at 12, as he got player of the match in the final of the PGC – the first time Wits won it in 52 years. This year, a new good player arrived at Wits from UWC to play 12, so he moved to wing to get some action. If this progression outwards continues, he will soon be the linesman! 
Good luck to your son!
@Smallies: tyd dat yj bietjie jou horisonne verbreed
die wereld eindig nie by grey/kovsies en bloemfontein nie-live en let live–moenie diie goed so ernstig opneem nie-dit is ligte vermaak-kindersport
@boerboel: ou teef geweld is deel van my lewe,soos wat f@tup wees deel van joune is
@Vleis: He scored a very good try against UJ. Also like his rugby tribute video. Some nice moves. Why did he change position?
My son is 1st year at Kovsies. Still a long way to go.
@Smallies: internet hardman
hor draf die shimlas op die jaar? is dit spesiaal?
@boerboel: met jou houding sou jy nie lank aan die oos rand gecope het nie ,en jou huis dokter sou vinnig vinnig n ryk man gewees het
@Strepie: jy is eintlik maar verkeerd ,ek kan jou belowe as Boishaai se personeel ooit moet uitvind wie hy is gaan hulle virseker n talkie met hom he,hoekom dink jy het ek my GCB trui uit getrek ,juis omdat ek nie die skool in n verleentheid wil stel met my uitlatings nie…
@Djou: ha ha sure
watter vak was dit?
@Chalkdust: Net n regstelling, as n ondersteuner n sekere skool se truitjie ‘aantrek, verteenwoordig hy nie noodwendig die waardes, tradisies en etos van daardie betrokke skool nie.
@Leelu: Is your lightie playing VC?
@Djou: Fair enough!
@Vleis: I had mixed feelings. Few old Garsies and Grey boys in both teams.
Despite the fact that UJ are Wits’ big rivals, I feel terrible for them tonight. UJ were up by 24 to 7 v Tuks at Tuks, but somehow lost to a converted try in the last move of the game by 26 to 24. That has to hurt!
I was following the scores on the VC website and was really hoping that UJ would get an upset win. Eish.
@Chalkdust: Jy is so baie reg. Mens moet hom net ignoreer.
@Djou: Moet julle nie aan Boerboel steur nie. Hy het die neiging om uit sy beurt te praat en simpel goed te se net om ‘n reaksie te kry. Sulke mense het gewoonlik lae selfbeeld, is boelies en floreer daarop om ander mense of hul opinies af te kraak. Hulle het ook gewoonlik shared Facebook rekeninge en gebruik platvorms soos hierdie blog om wel iets te mag se sonder om eers toestemming te vra. Ongelukkig wys sy profiel ‘n Paarl Boys’ trui en dus verteenwoordig hy die skool as ‘n geheel. In sy geval is hy spesiale tipe mens en moet hy as die swart skaap van hul ondersteuners bestempel word. Daar is ongelukkig nie medisyne daarvoor nie. Al wat mense kan doen is om te hoop dat hierdie tipe mens besef dat hy eintlik ‘n idioot is en daadwerklik ‘n poging aanwend om daagliks minder van ‘n idoot te probeer wees!
@boerboel: Ek was op Kovsies en hoewel jy so alwetend is weet jy eintlik bitter min.
Soos bv ons het presies dieselfde kursus geswot as wat by Harvard aangebied is. Selle vakke, boeke, vraestelle, ens.
Dit is so dat sommige fakulteite swakker as ander is en ook swakker is as die van ander universiteite, maar om te sê al die fakulteite in ‘n universiteit is swakker as al die fakulteite van ‘n ander is bloot ‘n swak ingeligte opinie.
@Gatskop: Hy speel vir Wits.
@Vleis: Vleis vir waater uni speel jou seun?
@Leelu: Ja Rassie en die bokke maak dit darm regtig vreeslik moeilik vir seuns om nie graag vir die bokke te speel nie. Ek hoop nog elke dag om n comeback te maak en dan onthou ek dat ek nog nooit in die eerste plek goed genoeg was om eers vir Putsonderwater se B span te speel nie….
@Leelu:
Wits refused to use that photo on their facebook page when they announced the team for the first match. They insisted that he come in for a proper photo before the second match.
se nie kovsies is swak nie-wits net overall beter
nie rocketscience
harvard is beter as stellenbosch-ek aanvaar dit
@boerboel: Ja nee jy is reg Kovsies is maar crappy hoor….so swak dat die enigste WADA geakrediteerde lab in die land by die UV is….noem ook maar net die feite ou swaap…jy kan nou ma net nie vat dat daar goeie goed in Bloem is nie ,vra bietjie vir Odie15 wat hy van kovsies dink.
@Smallies: ek noem die feite ou grote-
wits en kovsies is nie in dieselfde liga nie-dit word bewys deur die rankings
moenie kwaad raak elke keer ass jy verkeerd is nie-vat dit op die ken en beweeg aan
@Strepie: obviously nie as hy dit gedoen het met sy kak houding sou Boishaai regtig gesnuif het…net jammer hy dink dat hy julle verteenwoordig….baie sad eintlik
@Vleis: I like your son’s varsity cup photo
@Gatskop: Stem saam. Om van rugby ‘n sukses te probeer maak is nie maklik nie, veral as die kwota ding jou so nou en dan op die “ghoens” skop. Gelukkig is daar ook nou meer geleenthede. Die ideaal is nogsteeds om eendag vir die Stormers
en die Springbokke te speel, maar indien nie is daar ander geleenthede om jou droom te probeer verwesenlik.
@Smallies: Solank jy onthou, die truitjie/’blogger’ op SBR verteenwoordig nie die skool se etos en tradisies nie.
@Strepie: Die outjie gee julle skool n baie kak naam….hy kort maniere,en dit is die een ding in die lewe wat verniet is maar as jy dit nie gekry het toe jy klein was nie kan jy dit nerns koop nie
Die stof wil eenvoudig nie gaan le nie…
@boerboel: ou seun ek moan nie ,ek se dat die rankings nie heeltemal die alfa en omega is nie,jy kan bv nie landbou daar swot nie en snaaks genoeg is Kovsies se toelatings vereistes om medies te swot ook hoer as wits ,veral betreffende blanke mans studente ,maar toemaar jong dit is in elk geval nie in jou liga nie ,jy doen mos nie die oordentlikke gesprek voer ding nie….kak soek en neerhalend wees is mos wat jou tiellie laat werk
@Smallies: so jy moan dat wits bo kovsies as universiteit gerank is?
as jy nou moet raai -hoekom dink jy is dit?
@boerboel: ???jy jou swaap want jy eet die vrug van hulle navorsing….soos ek laas gese het as jy deur die kak is weet almal behalwe jy dit,jy is n baie goeie voorbeeld daarvan
@Smallies: genade-kan mos nie Wits en Kovsies in die selde asem noem nie!!
wi e gee om oor b.bakkie en mielies
@Smallies: Yes, it also depends on what the kid chooses to study, as the quality of the departments within the universities can vary significantly.
@Vleis: the rankings makes no sense to me,for instance Wits is ranked much higher that Kovsies,however Wits do not even have a Agriculture faculty,Kofsies on the other hand is a world leader when it comes to Agriculture research…so I guess it depends on one’s perseption of what a good University is
@Smallies: Yes and no.
Some US universities bend over backwards to help their athletes – e.g. my daughter’s mate has a swimming scholarship at University of Arizona (Ryk Neethling’s alma mater), which has a special library for athletes, where they can ask for a tutor to help them at any time. So that’s great; however, I’ve also heard of US universities demanding their pound of flesh, so they make their athletes do very easy degrees, which are near worthless – e.g. a mate of mine who had a golf scholarship (on the same team as John Daly) said that his degree was easier than our matric.
Also, it depends on the quality of the university – e.g. Stanford is ranked number 2 in the world, which is fantastic; however, the university that you mention (Arkansas State) is ranked at 1,267 in the world.
Compare that to Wits, which is ranked at 197 or UJ, which is is at 318.
In short, one needs to be very careful
@Beet: I see that an ex-Sharks player (Tristan Blewett) is over there playing for New Orleans in the MLR. He scored the second most tries last year and was picked for the all-MLR team…however, his try-out for the New Orleans Saints NFL team garnered MUCH more media interest!
@Vleis: I think the US needs a Sunwolves like step up. If their major league could result in top players being offered the chance to play as a US based team in Super Rugby or even if it mimicked a Jaguares type national team in disguise look, it might offer US rugby a boost in profile.
I think there are plenty of Saffas playing college sports in the US. Last week I met the father of a golfer at North Caroline. He talked about a schoolmate of his son who was now a kicker for a football team there. Mention was also made of tennis and lots of people know about the swimming standards there. Then I know an old boy of my school who’s son is working towards furthering his athletics career in the US. Lots of worthwhile opportunities exist at US colleges, many can adequately prepare students for a professionally viable career in sport if they are good enough. As things stand, it’s probably a graveyard for a promising rugby player with the talent and drive to go pro. I’m very interested to see how things turn out for the kids who have opted to head to Japan and Australia, particularly Australia, where pro rugby is under pressure to up its game in terms of producing more quality and where a youngster as a result can make it big in the pros and internationally.
@Smallies: Yes, I think that things are starting happen in US rugby. Major League Rugby (MLR), which is their professional league, has just started its third season…so who knows. That said, I think that the standard of rugby at their Universities is poor.
@Gatskop: Arkensas state University het so iets soos 8 Saffas in hulle starting line up oa Evan Roode Boishaai 2019,TJ v Rensburg Grey 2018 en nog n hele paar ander