I think amongst the joys of the schoolboy rugby sidelines is getting to interact with different people from different walks of life, who all share some sort of attachment to the sport or a school or one of the players on the field. You get to share your different opinions and often learn something interesting and new. And sometimes you just get a reinforcement of a perspective that is worth sharing, like this email I received today:
Good afternoon Beet
I hope you are well, I was at the Primary Schools North/South rugby festival at Pretoria Boys over the past 5 days Friday – Tuesday.
With 28 Schools represented at U13A & U13B & U11A, 72 teams taking part.
The standard of rugby at both U13 level and U11 level is extremely high. It took me by complete surprise what standard and type of structure these teams can set.
While it was entertaining, some of the parental support was “mind blowing” to say the least.
Most schools had three coaches and one particular school from the Cape (No names mentioned) even had two “coaches” running the touchline at primary school level, you must be kidding.
Some of the players I saw where just brilliant and one can only imagine the high school scouts at the festival “salivating” to entice these youngsters to their schools with all sorts of monetary incentives. The saddest thing of all are parents , bartering their sons, for the best “deal” from full school fees, including boarding cost, to transport money, to flights home to even pocket money.
I went across to Affies to watch some of the big games over the past few days. Crumbs I have being involved in coaching for many years, even at first team level, and while I will never claim to be a great coach, I cannot believe the high standard of rugby.
While I think Grey College and Paarl Gym were a cut above the “other” schools, I think most of the “other” schools are much of a muchness.
I watched the Grey College / Waterkloof game and while Waterkloof scored 37 points against Grey, they were never going to win the game. Grey just know the opposition score 5 tries, they will score 8!
While its fantastic entertainment, this is professional rugby. Not many fulltime academic coaches on the scene anymore, it’s either a professional coach or a director of rugby. The conditioners, physios, trainers etc. are just like any professional junior team.
Someone suggested the Grey College 1st team should actually take part in the U20 provincial league, as they would definitely not be out of place there.
While Covid has robbed us of two years of schoolboy rugby, I would hate to think at both U13 and U19 level, the fundamentals of playing this amazing sport is being eroded away. The fun element and comradery make this sport so unique, we can’t afford to lose that!
I am not going to jump on my soap box about scholarships and bursaries, but schools having great first team rugby sides, doesn’t make them a great school.
A great sporting program is a contributing factor to a school being top class, let us never forget that.
Anyway, just thought I would give my 5 cents worth on the last 4 days of great rugby , you may discard once you have read this. Can you imagine what the likes of the great Danie Craven, Basil Bey and Skonk Nicholson would think of these sorts of things.
@Leelu: Hoop dinge is fine aan jou kant.Goeie post.Wat Garsies doen kan enige skool Doen.Kloof het Nou n rugby man as hoof so sal julle dop hou.Glo COVID het sy planne en momentum in die wiele gery.
In my opinie gaan Affies die skool wees om dop te hou in nabye toekoms.Basies unlimited recourses,sterk old boys club wat Nou weer geluister word na en n oop kop Direkteur.
@Grizzly: My beskeie mening is dat Garsfontein al vir ‘n geruime tyd die top 1ste rugby span in Gauteng het. Hulle gaan ook baie beter raak en indien die ander “rugby skole” nie hul vingers trek gaan hulle ver agter raak.
Die hartseer gedeelte is dat plaas dat die buurskole hulle game lig is dit vir hulle makliker om Garsies te probeer afbreek.
Interskole tussen Garsies en Affies = nie in ons leeftyd.
@Smallies: Ek hoop van harte oor 5 of 10 Jaar sal Garsies vs Affies ook gerank wees as deel van die top interskole.
@balikibaba, certain parents have been losing the plot in schools rugby since the dawn of time. There’s nothing to claim.
@beet, 10 years ago I posted on this very website that adults were losing the plot with regards schools rugby. Seems I was right.
Om n groot interskole by te woon is een van die groot lekkertes in die lewe ,ek het al n paar grotes bygewoon in Bloem Stellenbosch die Paarl en ek het ook n paar kleineres bygewoon in Burgersdorp, Aliwal Noord Cradock en Graf Reinette….orals is die gees groot en die passie die selfde
Beet – lovely article. It has been fantastic to watch the festivals from another continent. Having not watched school boy rugby for some time, I was struck by how much more professional it is becoming (and this is not off a low base).
Thanks for sharing Beet. Very informative, especially what happens at U13 level. I would not imagine they take it so seriously at that early stage. Good breeding for senior school level and onwards. Small wonder international rugby is full of South African surnames all over the world.