Two of the 2021 season pace-setters Paarl Gymnasium and Grey College will head into the 2022 South African schoolboy rugby season as the early favourites come out on top, but for the most part, determining where the rest of the big guns will fit into the ranking puzzle is a guessing game.
The build-up to the regular season is one which has been characterised by even the most avid supporters’ keeping their cards close to their chests as far as their own school’s prospects are concerned.
The contributor to this cautious approach is simply that there is a greater unknown that ever before.
There has been precious little by way of competitive strength-versus-strength school rugby to fall back on for the past two seasons. As a result the traditional age-group rugby track record indicator of how a 1st XV will shape up is unavailable.
For example, take a promising Grade-11 under-17 who is set to make his 1st XV debut at the start of this year’s regular season. We expect the usual stuff like for him to be wet behind the ears to start with, pick up valued experience with each passing game and see improvements in his play as the season goes on. But before coming in top level of South African schoolboy rugby, well the last time he would have enjoyed a full school rugby season was way back in 2019 as first year in high school under-14 player. He and his teammates probably would have had close to nothing at u15 level and a handful of games as an u16.
In terms of earning A-team caps during their high school careers, under normal circumstances, you would expect new first team run-on players to have a tally closing in on 40 games as a standard, with the returning 1st XV players possibly approaching the 60 mark, based on having represented u14A, u15A, u16A and 1st XV over a 4-year span. If the 2022 players have half these numbers behind them, they have done well.
Other measurables influencing the variations from the age-group track record are obviously how the two main age-groups (u17 and u18) blend to mask weaknesses, the undoubted impact of returning u19 players and of course, the major part that “imports” recruited later on during their school careers, play in outcomes.
Rating Grey College is amongst the easiest things to do. The last time they had a bad season by their extremely high standards, was when they had a host of injuries in 2015 and they still finished in the Top 6 that year.
The Gimmies Class of 2022 a number of returning players including backs who were crucial to their success in 2021.
@Zion: Het dit te make met Noordelike voorstede wat talent kan behou en nie opgeraap word deur Wynland skole nie?
@boerboel:
Ja ook gehoor hulle het ‘n goeie span
Ons glo darem alles sal oop bly sodat almal weer skole rugby kan geniet
@boerboel:
Ja ook gehoor hulle het ‘n goeie span
Ons glo darem alles sal oop bly sodat alaml weer skole rugby kan geniet
Corne Uys se voorbereiding spreek boekdele van sy ervaring en kwaliteit as speler destyds.
@Zion: hoor Stellenberg het n lekker span0 sal ook gaan kyk as ons mag
@CharlesZA:
Gaan verseker ‘n draai daar maak
@CharlesZA: Eish, not free that weekend.
@CharlesZA: The majority of the 100 year team will be playing 2nd team this year.
@Vleis: Should attend the game on the 18th of March vs Gim, will be a lekker one.
@CharlesZA: Not surprising. I’m based in CT this year (most of the time), so I’ll pop into watch their game v Stellenberg on 23 June if I’m free that weekend.
It is going to be an exciting year of rugby and I know many people will be eager to watch. Covid has given us platforms to watch schoolboy rugby aswell.With the likes of Digitv being at most schools and SSL also covering games.
We are spoilt for choice
Kan nie wag vir die seisoen om te begin nie. Ek dink die eerste paar wedstryde gaan maar moelik wees, aangesien die spelers so lanklaas behoorlike wedstryde gespeel het
@Vleis: Yes their 100 year team is grade11 now. From what I heard they will make up the mayority of the Kwaggas first team this year.
I seem to remember that Outeniqua had an exceptionally strong u14 team three years ago. I wonder how those boys have developed during the Covid era. They will be u17 now, so it will be interesting to see how Outeniqua fares this year and next.
Baie geluk aan Paul Roos met hul krieket oorwinning teen Boishaai. Welverdiend.
Paul Roos het ook vir Boishaai in die Gerrie Berner tennis toernooi geklop.
Nou nog net die rugby wat voorlê..