SARU are falling short of making the SA Schools experience all that it deserves to be. On Tuesday night the SA Schools team beat their French under-18 counterparts 17-13 it what felt like a bit of a covert operation.
It’s bad enough that the matches are not broadcast live and that the SA Schools team now only plays exclusively in the Cape but for this French match, the media coverage, even social media interaction seemed particularly poor and the match attendance was not great either.
It’s a great honour to be selected for the SA Schools team and fantastic that SARU has organised an international tournament consisting of creditable under-18 teams, however they really need to up their game in terms of bring the SA Schools matches up to a level on par with what the boys experience week in week out when playing for their respective schools. Take for example the up and coming Paul Roos versus Grey College match which will easily attract a crowd of 5000+ people and be televised as well.
International Series Results and Fixtures
| DATE | TIME | TEAM | TEAM | VENUE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/08/13 | 12h30 | Italy | 17 | 39 | WP Schools | City Park Stadium, Cape Town |
| 09/08/13 | 14h00 | France | 8 | 47 | Wales | City Park Stadium, Cape Town |
| 09/08/13 | 15h30 | SA Schools | 19 | 15 | England | City Park Stadium, Cape Town |
| 13/08/13 | 14h00 | Italy | 55 | 3 | SWD Schools | Outeniqua Park, George |
| 13/08/13 | 16h00 | England | 17 | 15 | Wales | Outeniqua Park, George |
| 13/08/13 | 18h00 | SA Schools | 17 | 13 | France | Outeniqua Park, George |
| 17/08/13 | 12h30 | Italy | 36 | 12 | Boland Schools | Boland Stadium, Wellington |
| 17/08/13 | 14h00 | England | 12 | 8 | France | Boland Stadium, Wellington |
| 17/08/13 | 15h30 | SA Schools | 14 | 13 | Wales | Boland Stadium, Wellington |
SQUAD
I get the impression that SARU just don’t give a damn.. I mean, there are highlights for the Wales vs England match but they aren’t any highlights for the SA Schools vs France game at all, how does it make sense people from Wales and England know more about what’s happening in games hosted by South Africa than we do! Last year the RFU uploaded all of their U18’s tries in South Africa to youtube meanwhile us South Africans see absolutely nothing of our SA Schools team.
It doesn’t make sense to cover schools rugby so extensively and then to completely ignore the culmination of those same schoolboys careers, it simply doesn’t.
on the money Beet……very little coverage of these games in social media
not having a delayed showing on even ONE of Supersports 9 or 10 channels is crazy,especially with the crap they show at times
funny thing is,they repeat the gym vs boishaai/grey college vs grey pe games for example,numerous times!
should definitely be curtain raiser for the Boks
@ beet: We were invited to this one. http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=242721
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=242721
probably examns
@beet: There is such a tournament organised in Aus, aparently SA withdrew for what ever reason.
Saru is more interest in quota systems at Vodacom level in stead of growing the game at the very grass roots at schools.
When will they get the wake up call?
Kan EGouer of Jakes my dalk reg help as ek verkeerd is.
Ek verstaan gisteraand van een van die EG Jansen ouers dat Pieter Jansen, wat gekies is vir die SA Skole span, nog glad nie betrokke was by die span nie. Hy was glo nog nie eers by die span nie.
Is dit moontlik ?? Indien wel, waarom is hy dan gekies ?
@Tjoppa: …and Newlands of coarse!!!!
I really don’t care if they play all their games up North, as long as it’s on the tele ( live would be nice). I firmly believe that they should get better treatment, these boys have worked very, very hard to make the squad. They are extremely talented and the South African public must get the opportunity to see them in action. A pity that the administrators are slipping again, When will we ever see an administration that is worth their salt?
@GCollege86: It is usually in the first holiday after the first semester, end of March or first week in April. A good tournament to test your squad for the coming season. Well organized as well.
Beide wedstryde teen Engeland en Frankryk, was daar kameramanne. Ek vermoed die wedstryd se hoogtepunte gaan op ‘n latere stadium uitgesaai word. Maandagaand op Kyknet – Superrugby, het hulle hoogtepunte gewys. Ek dink SA Rugby het beide DVD’s in hulle besit – sal ook lekker wees om weer die wedstryde te kyk. Word die SA Skolespan nie miskien deur Coke geborg en die senior spanne deur Castle nie? Miskien is dit ‘n conflict of interest. Have to agree that it would have been fantastic to see the boys playing the curtain raisor for the Bokke on Saturday.
@Predator: The boys from up North have the best stadiums thank you very much. Loftus, Ellis Park and Soccer City what more can a schoolboy ask for.
@RuggaZ: I think we must not lose sight of the fact that boys have to focus on examines as well at that time of the year.
Perhaps the answer is to try arrange fixtures against New Zealand and Australia as part of a December tour even though conditions might be a bit warmer by then.
We had a chance for the boys to get a little more playing time together but SARU withdrew:
“SYDNEY, NSW (02/06/13) – In news that will come as a great disappointment to followers of schools’ rugby, the South African Schools Rugby Union has advised the ASRU that it will no longer be coming to Australia for the planned quadrangular Test series between Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa in September.
With the withdrawal of South Africa, the home test programme for the Australian Schoolboys Rugby team has been reduced to just two games.
These two games (against New Zealand and Fiji) will occur in a significantly reduced time frame – avoiding school term time for most states.
There will also be two games for the Australia A team (also against NZ and Fiji).
The dates for these games are set out below.
The games for Australia and Australia A will also function as the final selection games for the Australian Schoolboys squad of 27 to tour the UK and Ireland, commencing in the second half of November.
This tour is one of the most anticipated events in schoolboy rugby—such tours have taken place every four years since 1973. This year will be a “grand slam” tour with Tests against England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.”
site: schoolstribune.com
Great article which is 100% correct. Why is the SA Schools side not playing as curtain raiser to the Boks on Saturday? Having Baf Baf play before is a waste of time. I for one will not be interested in watching that game.
But the games should be spread around the country to generate more interest.
@Predator: Do you perhaps know the dates when the u/14 and u/15 Kwagga Tournament will take place next year?
The SA School side should be treated like royalty. They are the future of SA Rugby. They should play at the big stadiums in South Africa as opening games for the unions or the Boks if possible. This will secure TV coverage for them . South Africa needs to see who the best school boy rugby players are for this year. It also gives the boys from the North the opportunity to play in our fantastic stadiums. If who-ever is in charge of SA School rugby at SARU cannot see this benefit , he /she must be replaced by someone with vision. These mickey mouse venues that are chosen does not do justice to the best junior players in South Africa, catch a wake-up and smell the roses.
Very good point Beet. Why bother selecting a SA Schools side, if you don’t show the rugby to the public? Why are the games played in small stadiums? Why did they not play at Newlands on Saturday? I’ve spoken to one of the fathers and according to him, the visiting sides are treated like royalty, while the SA side is not.
Bring the matches to Durban. Weather is as predictable as Grassy and WBHS at this time of the year
I agree 100% with you – had it not been for this blog I would not have known about these games – they are great sides and deserve TV coverage.
I think SARU have so much mud in their faces from the Lions/Kings debacle that they are losing their way a bit here…
I couldn’t agree more beet !! All these games should have been televised – even if it had been a delayed broadcast.
Another thing is the fact that apparently these other international school sides have been playing with each other for the past 3 years (since under 16 level). We don’t have that continuity.
Furthermore if you have a big squad and want to give every player an opportunity to play, you can virtually only select your best side for the third match in the series. Hopefully we’ll see the best team selected for this weekend.
I trust that the game is moved to Worcester. As said earlier during the week, Wellington will be a mud bath IMO. It is really raining a lot at the moment in the Cape. The weather will start clearing from tomorrow with a drizzle still expected on Saturday.