April 2024
Bishops rugby at the moment.
Bishops rugby finds itself at a challenging juncture.
Bishops may not have been the first Southern Suburbs school to have been comfortably in control of a match against Milnerton this season and then somehow gone on to lose to the high flying B-league school. However there is no getting away from the end result. It is a shock and disappointment to a community that prides itself on rugby success.
The die-hard supporters may find it even harder to accept this downturn. As a result the school, its coaches, and even the headmaster may face criticism on social media platforms and the school’s own channels.
The reality is stark: the next couple of years will be arduous for Bishops’ 1st XV rugby team. They are at a low point.
The Bishops community has been spoilt of late
It’s crucial not to overlook the period of 2018 to 2023, when Bishops rugby consistently ranked among the top rugby schools in the land, including coming agonisingly close to achieving a double Triple Crown in the suburbs last year. These were the glory days, fuelled by exceptional talent emerging from the private school’s ranks. Names like Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Cornel Smith, Connor Evans, Ross Vintcent, Imad Khan, Hashim Pead, Aiden Norris, Gilermo Mentoe, Adam de Waal, Bruce Sherwood, and several other Varsity Cup players adorned the team sheets, bringing hope and expectation to the Bishops faithful.
Then the the music stopped…
What stopped the music?
The music abruptly stopped with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bishops limited their bursary offers to R350 000 in total.
To put this into perspective, the school fees were over R300 000 per student per annum at time.
It was always going to be tough but it was a time when different schools had different challenges. Bishops just have to battle through this cycle. And supporters need to exercise patience.
The direction now
A recovery plan is underway so there is light at the end of tunnel.
This glimmer of hope was emphasised by the recent u16 results against Boland Landbou, suggesting a potential turnaround.
Wes Chetty, the man at the 1st XV helm, assumed responsibility for school recruitment, ensuring promising u15 and u14 age groups. In addition to this the 2026 grade-8 has already been completed.
Then people can say Bishops are buying again :-)
The truth is one of the difficulties they face with having a fully subscribed school is no places available in the higher grades unless a student leaves.
The coaching structure
Wes Chetty is the head coach, widely acknowledged for having a high rugby IQ, as evident in the style of rugby. Aside from Pieter Rossouw, the Paarl Gim coaching guru, he is the longest serving head coach in the WPPL. He’s not the Director of Rugby though. He is a part-time coach who has a day job. Bishops does not have a DOR, so a committee of four coaches that oversees their rugby. The other three coaches on the committee are Robbie Fleck, Tank Lanning and Rick Evans. Master in Charge Ronald Jacobs is also doing some amazing work.
Conclusion
This collaborative approach is still in its infancy, with a three-year plan unfolding.
In essence, while the road ahead may be fraught with challenges, Bishops rugby remains resolute in its pursuit of excellence. Bishops remains committed to investing in its rugby program. With a clear recovery plan in motion and a dedicated coaching team at the helm, the future promises a resurgence of the Platinum Blues’ dominance, reaffirming their position among the rugby elite, starting in 2026.
@Deon (Comment #41)
Dude, go home. You talking absolute twaddle…
@KES Oldboy (Comment #43)
Yes, I seem to remember a qualified confirmation, but I’m sure that you are correct that it was a proper confirmation.
@Vleis (Comment #39)
We’ve discussed this before. I was the one who said no way did Saints beat HJS in 88. But I seem to remember a blogger here confirming it as they were strewn with injuries. I watched that festival & certainly don’t remember it but I think it happened…….
@Kaya 85 (Comment #32)
Substantiate that so called “fact”, it is a challenge. Independently verifiable neutral source please, not Sons of England meetings minutes.
@Grasshopper (Comment #30)
You are the ignorant one here and unlike me you can substantiate nothing, you just contradict yourself all the time. Read what I wrote Kaya above. The structures 1987-ish accommodated English speakers well at school level according to you, the Bok teams after 1987 included many English speakers, including the 1995 WC champions, many from that 87-ish era, under Kitch. It took Natal a 100 years to win a Currie Cup, and that says it all. Those 87 MC players were nowhere, possibly just selected because they were English, that is now if I too start reasoning as ignorantly as you do. The era after 87 is evidence of who of us are ignorant. Grassy, keep politics off this page, go educate yourself on history, the authors of racial laws, education before 1953, the Cottesloe declaration, language policy, sports teams, and keep it to yourself, it is a bitter subject, and not for subjective minds. And never ever defend yourself in court. I care about you lol
@Kaya 85 (Comment #32)
OK first of all I am no fan of the Bond, my father hated them, second of all, ask yourself why their coming into existence was an absolute necessity after the Boer genocide. I have a very interesting background as Boerejoodjie, with my one great grandparent murdered by the Nazis and the other by the Brits in their cowardly scorched earth campaign commencing on youth day 16 June 1900. You asked for the history of Helpmekaar school, while you are researching it, also research the history of Laerschool Groote Schuur. See what the English in the Southern Suburbs of CT did just the other day and tell me collective action was not a necessity. Survival. And it could clearly be seen in sport too. The English players of the 87-ish era were well assimilated in SA schools and Springbok teams and the 95 World Cup team. FFS man, it took Natal a 100 years to win the Currie Cup, initially on own steam and then the professional era started and Pieter Muller , Grey 87 was one of their stars. Stop talking half truths.
@TWE (Comment #38)
Howzit. The Boys High that I referred to (in post 21 below) at the ’85 Saints Fest, was Pretoria Boys High (i.e. Boys High), not HJS (i.e. Boishaai). That said, a good friend was captain (I think) of Saints in ’88 and he swears that Saints beat HJS that year. Perhaps you can confirm, or deny, said claim? Cheers.
@Vleis (Comment #36)
1987 was the first time PBHS went to Saints. Had to travel for 2 days in 3 mini busses, camping in Parys before realising that there are schools that serve other breakfast than bread and viennas. Played Jeppe, College and Grey. Never played rugby on the highveld, quite the experience. Jeppe was a good victory, College should have been a victory, but Goedeke kicked better- also a good cricketer. That Natal team played James Small Transvaal in the Cravenweek final, hence all the SA school players. Against Grey PBHS were leading at half time, but they brought in on that day this guy that was still doing discuss at SAS that wekend, who already had hair growing out of his neck whilst still only standard nine- Ruben Kruger. Muller scored a try standing in the crowd with a cross kick. Hansie was captain. PBHS beat Monument, Paul Roos, Oakdale and Paarl Gym that year, but was well beaten by Bishops at Bishops. Yes they had post matrics, but they were also a very well drilled team with rugby lines that was unknown then.
@Kaya 85 (Comment #35)
2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2023 off the top of my head irked me at the time. Not going to ping the boys or their dads/uncles/agents here, but believe me, WP school rugby which falls under the amateur arm, make or break like they please
@Grasshopper (Comment #23)
Correct – Brenton Cattrell, who landed up playing for Zim in RWC ’91. One of my best mates also played in that team.
@Ploegskaar (Comment #33)
Didn’t realize that about WP selectors..but which years Craven Week teams were like that?
Just for interest sake..Bishops just produced a boy who came first in the world in the Cambridge result for History, English language and literature and second in the world for Economics. Puts rugby results a little on the back seat!
@Kaya 85 (Comment #32)
Let there be no doubt though, that for the past 2+ decades, the dubious selection crown has been resting firmly on the heads of the WP Craven Week selectors. Nepotism has been the main and unashamed blunt weapon of choice, but fortunately we could be thankful that the 10th kakkest sons of the well connected were still better than what the rest of the country often had to offer
@Deon (Comment #29)
It’s no secret that the broederbond tried to influence things like Provincial and Bok selection back then. I’m not convinced it was like that in Natal though. Looking back over many Craven week, provincial and Bok teams there were many dubious and highly questionable choices. I won’t mention names, but some come to mind immediately.
@Roger (Comment #28)
True, Glenwood did tours up to Joburg in the 30s and 40s, usually losing as I think the journey was quite something. Later on St Stithians became the go to tourno. There were also a few ad hoc Ascension Festivals. We would usually either tour EP OR they visited us in the 90s, I do remember Wynberg coming up to KZN in about 1994. I did always know about these types of schools BUT for us Maritzburg College was the standard bearer in all sport.
@Deon (Comment #29)
Dude if you believe that then you are being ignorant, many a soutie didn’t make it because of this. My uncle sliced teams to bits, he was like a Brent Russell. Anyway, you can’t change the past. He just loved beating WEEEPPEE in 1965!
@Grasshopper (Comment #25)
Ag no Hopper, I have heard that too soutie bullshit too often. Way too often. Much like I heard it was made very hard for an Afrikaner to play WP cricket in past eras. Absolute bullshit, especially in the era under review. Rather read what Danie Craven said about the necessity of having a Jewish player in the Bok team and what Kepler Wessels wrote Mike Proctor told him, part of his own setup, while on tour. Mike Proctor (RIP)’s statement to part of his own group would have him in front of the SAHRC and Equality court if it was interracial in 2024. Let us rather not go there. Ruben and Pieter were legends.
@Grasshopper (Comment #25)
it’s just the way it was – schools didn’t tour often and regularly. Until the Saints festival came along in ’84 we had never heard of Paarl Boys, Paul Roos, Paarl Gim etc – Soutie schools only really played on tour against other Soutie schools and an Eastern Cape tour was big – let alone a tour to Cape Town and Stellenbosch. Natal being closer we were familiar with College, DHS, Hilton and Michaelhouse. Only heard of Dale, Queens and Selborne much later when they toured JHB.
@Vleis (Comment #21)
KES had a vrot team in ’85 – I was in primary school (Keps) then and remember it well. My family friend’s brother was in Boys High 1st team and they were pretty good in ’85 (beat Affies) so Bishops and College were obviously very good !
@Grasshopper (Comment #17)
@Grasshopper (Comment #17)
I agree 100% They were not good, they were brilliant. The first rugby games, before, PRG vs SACS/Bishops etc. all included teachers. Great reading communication between Uys Krige, poet, while living in France for many years and playing club rugby in France and his brother, written 1920’s to 1940’s, discussing rugby vs SACS and Bishops, scores etc.
@Vleis (Comment #21)
Awesome personal story. Guessing that was Brendan Catterall? That 87 College side beat Paarl Boys 16-11 and just lost to Grey Bloem 12-13, so that Bishops team obviously clicked that day and College were just off the boil…@Deon (Comment #22)
Those College SA schools players in 87 were too ‘soutie’ for higher honours, it had been that way for decades. Take my uncle as an example, played Natal schools in 1964 and 1965, Doc Craven came to him and said you are the best wing and kicker at the Craven Week. There was no SA schools team then but he wouldn’t have made it. If his surname had been Van Heerden, then a shoe in. He told me how he battled to get into the Natal team, eventually did, but then was told he was too small and too soutie. It’s just the way it was then. Re not knowing KZN teams, gosh you must have been sheltered, Maritzburg College started rugga in 1870, proper annual fixtures in 1890’s, way before the Vaal schools even started, which was only really 1930s. DHS, College, Hilton, Michaelhouse and Glenwood, all been playing since 1910 annually
@KES Oldboy (Comment #18)
No, not I all, I agree 100% with you. One of my family members’ sons, who played in his final Varsity Cup for UCT last year, is now involved in coaching lower teams at Bishops. I just think the R350 k scholarships are still there, and as many as previously, but not spent on rugby anymore to the same extent it used to be. Bishops is an institution of excellence, and they will at least at first team level always be a force, except 2024, which is an outlier. Hats off to Milnerton and Boland Landbou, not taking anything away from them. With Bishops one never knows, they can turn their season around. Gutsy guys. Proud.
@Vleis (Comment #21)
Awesome personal story. Guessing that was Brendan Catterall? That 87 College side beat Paarl Boys 16-11 and just lost to Grey Bloem 12-13, so that Bishops team obviously clicked that day and College were just off the boil…
@Vleis (Comment #21)
Hi Vleis, great to read you again. Sad to read about the player who broke his back. Happened at PRG too once on a Wednesday afternoon game against Bellville High, when the scrum collapsed. That player is now on the wrong side of 55 and of course still in a wheelchair. During my time at PRG the first team toured what is today referred to Noordvaal “Cup???” schools and at times Nelspruit during winter holidays, at least once, quite a while after I left, KZN, so we were aware of those Noordvaal schools but not KES and I only learned of St Alban’s during National Service as one of my mates attended. We were not aware of any KZN schools. Thus, to confirm, schools did not play as widely and as competitively over against so many different school powerhouses as they do today, add the official Bishops post matric program of the 80’s glory years and….we are comparing apples with pears. They now also have very little depth compared to the 80’s. There are still many scholarships , judging by some boys’ background, but it seems less so in rugby, and GOOD/KUDOS to them. Beautiful. Of the 87 MC SA Schools players I have never heard again, while I have heard a lot about GC’s Pieter Muller and Ruben Kruger later years, but not of their third SAS player. Anyway, I unwittingly and erroneously redirected the discussion to 87 as I saw the video vs PRG and the referee was a friend of my dad and I happened to speak to the one flagman yesterday about underwater photography, and he was my neighbour until mid 2023. A moot point now really. MC vs Grey at Goldstones may have been different in Bloem, and the overall picture of their consecutive unbeaten years would have looked dramatically different had they played GCB annually, alternating venues. Add Affies and other NV powerhouses etc. Bishops has always been and will always be the scholarship/buying kings of the 80’s, and be remembered as the post-matric kings of the 80’s at least, and I qualify, as far as I KNOW. See my Worcester Hoërskool example. Apples with apples for those 80’s years.
BISHOPS V COLLEGE
a) Bishops thought that Boys High and KES would provide their stiffest tests so left all their reserves to play v MC on the Monday.
b) Bishops’ mercurial 15 year-old flyhalf broke his back early in the game, which took the wind out of their sails.
MC went on to beat GCB in an epic game at Goldstones later that year by 6 to 3, I think?
.
Two years later, while attending UCT, I popped down to Bishops to see if they could exact revenge v MC…and boy did they! I remember the large, quick Bishops wings running riot as they beat MC by 41 to 9. I shared a few drinks in our Res pub later that evening with the MC captain, as he was an ex-Zimbo so he was mates with some of my Zimbo friends. I remember proudly telling him that my ex-school produced a SA Schools player that year…but had to pipe down when he said that his school produced four SA Schools players in said year!
@KES Oldboy (Comment #19)
I have my sources ;-)…..
@Grasshopper (Comment #13)
Grassie- where do you find this stuff? I know that you know GW backwards but where do you find College stats like this? Just interested….
@Deon (Comment #16)
If I remember correctly, PMs were not allowed to play from 2010 or 2011. All I’m saying is that Bishops still had some good teams after this. So it wasn’t ONLY the banning of PMs that have lead to their current state.
@Deon (Comment #14)
Not sure what school that Latin motto represents, but it does for a couple of schools in the UK. Post matrics were the repost by privates schools when Gov Schools has boys failing years to stay back, some Gov schools had ‘boys’ up to 20, I even heard in the 60s it was 21. It was unfair but hey ho, it was what it was. Bishops were good! In the 1910’s teachers played in the school teams.
@KES Oldboy (Comment #9) Yes they were more than a force to be reckoned with but read my reply to Grassie. They imploded without that program available for rugby players who for instance played for Worcester Hoërskool in the late 80′ grade 8-12, and then did grade 13 at Bishops and is regarded a Bishops Old Boy. That is just plain weird. Again, esse quam videre.
@Roger (Comment #10)
Hey Roger. Great idea, but ditto as I told Grassie.
@Grasshopper (Comment #8)
They were good, I do not differ, but they were in their OFFICIAL Postmatric years, they did not play as “widely” as schools play today. Non Ceteris Paribus=Esse quam videre.
@Henkies (Comment #11)
Mate, here are College results vs Bishops since time began and yes it was 1985.
1950 – lost 3-11
1952 – lost 3-8
1958 – lost 3-19
1985 – won 44-0
1987 – Lost 9-41 – something must have gone really wrong for College
1997 – won 26-3
2011 – lost 17-22
2012 – won 35-18
Played: 8
Won: 3
Lost: 5
Bishops have a great record.
@Grasshopper (Comment #8)
I think it was the 1985 team that beat Bishops… College’s Ultra Team of many ultra teams
@Grasshopper (Comment #8)
Grassy can you check if College played Bishops in 1988. I seem to recall another exceptional College side avenging that loss to Bishops. I could be wrong on the dates though. The College win might have been pre-1987, possibly 1985. Some of the College bloggers will know
@Deon (Comment #7)
Both Bishops and Grey Bloem were at the Saints festival in ’87 which at that stage was the only show in town (truly national festival). Bishops beat KES 16-0 and KES had a good team in’87 – only lost 2 I think. KES wins included Michaelhouse, Grey High, Monument, Dale, DHS. Maybe someone can dig out Bishops and Grey Bloem results from the Saints Festival – perhaps they played each other there?
@Deon (Comment #5)
Bishops definitely didn’t play Grey in the late 80s but they were still a force to be reckoned with. 86/7/8/9 they beat all the WP schools including PRG, HJS & Gimmies. Whilst I agree that they had post matrics (mainly from Bishops), most other schools back then also had U19s. As recently as 2020 (just before lockdown) they beat PRG by a record score. All I’m saying is that they have had some really good teams which seem a long way off now…..
@Deon (Comment #7)
OK, in 1987 Maritzburg College played 18, won 16, lost 2. The two losses were to Grey Bloem 12-13 away in Bloem (with Ruben Kruger & Pieter Muller, Bok greats) and to Bishops 9-41 away. They beat Boishaai 16-11 on what looks like a Cape tour. That was a really good College side, probably in their top 5 best sides ever. To lose by that margin in the 80’s means Bishops must have carved them up, unless College had injuries from the Paarl Boys game. Maybe there are some College bloggers who can confirm. I mean the side had 4x SA Schools players! In those days that was unheard of, except for Grey Bloem. Those were Grant Reid, Brendan Catterall, Warren Wilson and Udo Goedeke. The beat Westville 31-15 who had Errol Stewart in the centre. That 87 Bishops side must have been good….
@Grasshopper (Comment #6)See if you can find a reference to them playing Affies, GCB etc. that year. It won’t be there. There was no Garsies then etc. The only rugby tournament where WP public schools competed was the van Rensburgh Cup in George, and I THINK that only commenced 88 or 89. So we are not comparing apples to apples. Esse quam videre.
@Deon (Comment #5)
I think they did play Maritzburg College in 1987 who had 4x SA Schools players & I think Bishops won by some margin, College’s only loss of the season. I’ll have to check my records. That must have been a special Bishops side.
@KES Oldboy (Comment #2)Those were the years they had their official post matric programme in place and I disregard those years, especially the 1987 game against PRG where Koster clearly missed his final kick, one flagman had his flag down, one up. Ref asked the one with the flag down. Ref pointed at the man with the flag down indicating that will be his decision too, the flagman misunderstood and interpreted the point as an instruction to put his flag up, hesitantly did so, chaos……ref was forced to change his call. Schools also never played as widely those years as they do now. I DOUBT they played Grey with Hansie, Ruben, Pieter Muller etc. that year. Or the great Monnas/Noordvaal teams of the era …..Not good representative sampling.
@Grasshopper (Comment #3)
Tend to agree and would also narrow the reason down to simply economic reasons. Having said that, I would also say that the pool of competitive rugby playing gov schools has also increased over the last 20 years which has levelled the fields so to speak.
This aspect I think is great for SA rugby as a whole, both culturally and of course performance-wise. There aren’t many T1 rugby nations where rugby isn’t considered an “elitist” sport, and I think this is part of the reason why it’s so special in SA.
For privates (Bishops in particular given the league they play in) it’s either OBs start digging deeper in the pockets, or accept that times have changed and a strong team will only come one in every 3-5 years (as a KC OB I know this all too well).
@KES Oldboy (Comment #2)
Not enough full fee paying parents out there, what normal family can afford R300k plus pa for a kid, imagine 2 or 3 kids in private school. Hence the we privates can’t give out bursaries Willy nilly. They need to find rich old boy investors, something House @ Hilton have done well. Brain drain of fee paying parents….
Interesting article. Bishops are certainly way off where they were in their glory days….86-90 lost 1 match. Even from 2000 until about 2010 they were very good – I’m a bit vague here but they were a force. Although the doubters will blame the banning of post matrics as the end of their rugby, these PMs were not exclusive to them; many schools had repeats & overage players. Private schools as a whole have seen a dip off in their rugby with the exception of probably Hilton & Michaelhouse. St Andrews had some great teams in the 2010-2020 period but are battling a bit now. The Joburg private schools are firmly in the C division & really battle for numbers & depth despite having big schools. Kearsney aren’t what they were. It’s strange…..would be interesting to hear some other opinions……
Well done Milnerton. Bishops might be back as a force, then again maybe not, maybe it’s the times they are a’changing. Years gone by they developed excellent players as counterfoil to the upcountry bruisers…also, an alternative attacking, ball in hand style of Rugby Football as its advocate and chief proponent. The Paarl/Stellenbosch teams could always employ superior force to blunt the running threats, yet as Western Province when confronted with equal or superior power of the northern rugby styles, Cape representative teams have always sought to play a faster game than the North especially north Vaal sides, hence Western Province rugby owes a massive debt to the Diocesan way. And as SA teams start playing more macro packs, Rochellaise, Tonga, Bordeaux etc. we as a country might need to move to a faster style too.