It’s a question being asked around SA by the schoolboy rugby interested community: when was the last time Grey College, Paarl Boys’ High, Paarl Gymnasium and Paul Roos Gymnasium, could not register a win between the four of them on the same matchday? Bearing in mind that we are talking about four of the five powerhouses of South African schoolboy rugby.
If you restrict your search to this century, I guess you’d start with Grey who have lost and drawn precious few matches over the last 22-years. From there you will possibly narrow down the search to just 30 possible dates. Then when you look at the records of the three Winelands big guns, finding a season in which all three performed below expectation is like finding a needle in a haystack. Changes are this was the first time all four top rugby schools went without victory in this millennium.
A date in the history : so where were you on Saturday 23-04-22 when this all went down?
Oakdale 17 Grey College 17
Rondebosch 22 HJS Paarl BH 19
Affies 29 Paarl Gim 26
Paul Roos 39 Bishops 38
@Vleis: You are making important points re the death knell.
I guess I am disappointed as we played the game because it was lekker. So we played C-team because it was lekker.
But I guess you are right in that so many just want to play A-team. The lekker part is disappearing for them. So sad!
@Smallies: lekker day for the kudubulle I’m sure
@Vleis:
Didn’t even know we had a national team
The only hockey player I ever heard of was Mandy Yachad
At first I thought it was a female until I bowled to him
@Mate: LOL…in ’84, a new guy arrived at my school for matric who had played for SA u18 hockey the previous year. Even at our soutie school, he was convinced that playing hockey was not a good idea at all…so he played 3rds, then 2nds and finally for the 1st team rugby instead of hockey.
That said, hockey is much more popular today than it was in our day, but I find it interesting that despite the massive increase in hockey numbers (and water polo), our national senior teams are not good.
@Vleis:
I think it has a lot to do with this new afrikaans generation
They pep their children too much
I would have received a hell of a hiding if I told my dad I wanted to play hockey
@Djou: A contributing factor is the prevailing attitude of many of the Gen Z kids, who’ve been told that they’re all winners and receive participation medals from a young age; who crave the spotlight due to social media, etc, etc. Many of these kids only want to play for an A team, or not at all.
That said, while this is a major concern, it does not need to be the death knell of rugby. In the USA, massive high schools only have two American football teams (the Open A team and the Junior A team)…and yet football remains a hugely popular and lucrative sport there. Indeed, even at college (university) level Nebraska has sold out a 91,000-seat stadium 333 straight times, I think Ohio state has never had less than 100,000 fans for a home game since 1970, or thereabouts, etc.
@Jong Matie: Ha ha!
Maar ons praat oor die kwynende rugby getalle
@Djou: Ek kan regtig nie kla oor die kwaliteit van hokkie by my alma mater nie.
@Jong Matie: Waar, maar dis nie die enigste ding nie.
Meer kinders speel hokkie – die antwoord is maklik.
13 o.19 spanne, en die aantal junior spanne daal ook.
@All Black: @Gatskop: Daar is baie redes waarom daar minder seuns is wat rugby speel. Dit gebeur oor die hele land.
Ek het anderdag gesels met ‘n vriend wat hoog op is in ‘n bekende sogenaamde rugby-seunskool, wat vir getalle afhanklik is van die laerskool. Hul opname het getoon daar is baie minder seuns in die laerskool wat rugby speel vergeleke met 15 jaar gelede. Hulle sukkel dus nou om 10 spanne vol te maak waar dit 15 jaar gelede maklik 13 was – en die 10 kom boonop na ‘n groot gesoebat.
Mens sal ordentlike navorsing moet doen hieroor. Dalk iets vir ‘n doktorale proefskrif, maar iets wat aandag sal moet kry.
Van die bykomende redes wat gemeld word is dat baie meer laer- en hoërskole nou hokkie en ander buitemuurse aktiwiteite aanbied. In die verlede was dit net rugby in die winter.
Dan, die koms van rekenaars en rekenaarspeletjies is ‘n ander en nuwe aktiwiteit waarmee seuns hulself besig hou.
Daar is ook demografiese skuiwe waar rugby in sekere dele van die land minder aftrek kry, terwyl dit gewilder raak in ander dele.
Maar die werklike antwoord sal ons net kry uit navorsing.
@All Black: Jy is 100% reg. Asmens werf, maar nie ontwikkel nie dan verdwyn die belangstelling jaar na jaar.
@Gatskop: dit gebeur maar as skole net A spanne werf, die seuns wat nie gekies word nie begin dan ander sporte doen
@Gatskop: Wat is die probleem?
@Jong Matie: Kwaggas is ongelukkig besig om rugby dood te maak in hulle eie skool. Hulle kan nou skaars 12 spanne in die veld stoot. Daar is ongelukkig n groot probleem.
@Oakdale supporter: ja dis maar n entjie hoor
@Mate: LOL…no, those ones will go to Reddam Constantia!
@Vleis:
Your skelm’s
I think there were more spectators at PBHS and Affies home games than at Loftus across the road on Saturday.
@Mate: LOL My lighties have all finished school, so the current link to KES is not via my children.
@Smallies: Ek het daai Grey manne jammer gekry toe hulle 15h00 Saterdagmiddag op die busse moet klim vir die lang pad van Riversdal af Bloem toe. Daar was 24 Grey spanne die naweek op die plaas waarvan 20 teen Oakdale gespeel het.
Gelukkig vir hulle ry hulle die naweek net om die draai Kimberley toe. Dan moet al die ander spanne weer travel.
@Jong Matie: dis hoekom Grey so baie traval .
It does not help a damn thing if for instance Kwaggas can only field 3 under 19 teams, what must Grey Bloem for instance do with the rest of their 9 under 19 teams.
How many under 19 teams do Garsies and Menlo have, these are massive schools in terms of numbers, so I have to guess and say at least 6 teams each??
I was watching the Bulls vs Benneton, but Affies vs Gim on the phone.
People around me thought I was crazy when I jumped up and cheered when Affies won – as at that point it was only normal nothing spectacular play at Loftus.
So I informed them Affies won, but they did not believe me – at first!
@Jong Matie: I think the profesional schools wil DV open up the gap again, covid definitely make a difference in the talent skills of the more talented players not playing since under 15 and now playing 1st team.
@Vleis:
Jeepers Vleis when you burst on the scene the young one was going to start at St Albans
Now you have another one starting at KES
You are not a One Man One School oke?
Gosh no I can’t tell
Besides witnessing The Lucky Escape at Markotter I can’t tell.
Will get divorced and arrested
@KES Oldboy: Yep, I do enjoy SBR…but I now have a link to KES (with effect from 2022), which is why I got there early to watch the u14s.
@Wondermaar: I thought of popping over to Affies to watch the 2nd half, but after being at Boys High for six hours, I decided that a few cold beers back in Jhb had my name on them!
@brum: The challenge wil always be, can the non traditional schools keep the appearance of these strong sides going for at least 5 to 7 years in an row. Then we can talk business.
Would it be fair to say there is less of a gap between the top 4/5 and the rest this year ? Do you think this could be as a result of COVID and lack of rugby over the last 2 years
@Vleis: Hi vleis, did you have a eye on the affies/paarl gim game also. If you did how wil you rate/compare the overall qaulity of the two games??
@Vleis: Vleis a true schoolboy rugby lover. Not an old boy or parent of either school but he’s there watching rugby all day in Pretoria. Agreed – both teams gave it their all.
I was watching Boys High v KES – who both delivered good (but not great) performances in terms of skill…but in terms of passion and commitment, they deserved 10/10. There will be many sore bodies today. I was quite surprised at how big and well conditioned the Boys High players were.
@Playa: I think that might have been a great game ….if you’re a kudubul
Was op ‘n regte plaas, met landerye, wingerde, beeste (geen plasiek osse) en skape. ‘n Bedrywende boerdery. Dit was salig
Ek het op my 28ste huweliks herdenking vir die eerste keer sedert Covid op die plaas gaan rugby kyk. Meeste toeskouers in jare daar. Het darem vir vroulief se onthalwe oor die berg gery en in die kleinkaroo ‘n gastehuis vir die aand geboek
Besoek gerus Diesel and Cream vir ontbyt as jy eendag deur Barrydale ry.
Ek was op die Affie plaas besig om iets besonders te sien. Daar het beslis trane geloop onder ouer oud skoliere toe die eindfluitjie blaas.