The following 23 players are invited to attend next week’s training at PMB Varsity RFC and Hillcrest RFC (Shongweni); starting time is 14h45. It’s been a challenging process and these boys must be commended for reaching this point. Our intent is to announce the traveling 12 and non-traveling 4 by the end of next week. – Ryno Combrinck (Head Coach).
Just like in 2012, the best represented teams are 2013 KZN Schools Sevens champs Glenwood with 7 players and Michaelhouse with 6 players. Kearsney are next with 3 representatives. So that is 16 out of 23 from 3 schools.
The selectors / coaches are Roelof Kotze (Sharks Academy), Ryno Combrinck (Michaelhouse) and Francois Lubbe (Kearsney).
This year’s KZN Sevens runners-up, Maritzburg College, who also happen to last year’s champions can count themselves so very very unlucky once again. They have but just one player invited to training. Last year College did not have any players in the provincial team despite winning the local tournament.
| # | Name | School | Of interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K. Nell | Clifton | |
| 2 | C. Jonas | Glenwood | u17 |
| 3 | D. du Randt | Glenwood | u16 |
| 4 | J. Coetzee | Glenwood | u17 |
| 5 | M. Joubert | Glenwood | u17 |
| 6 | N. Vidima | Glenwood | |
| 7 | S. Matiwane | Glenwood | u17 |
| 8 | S. Ngcobo | Glenwood | |
| 9 | C. Cele | Greytown | |
| 10 | M. Dahl | Hilton | u16 |
| 11 | A. Schramm | Kearsney | KZN 7’s 2012 |
| 12 | B. Cremer | Kearsney | |
| 13 | T. Dixon | Kearsney | u16 |
| 14 | M. Kriel | M. College | u16 |
| 15 | B. Arnott | Michaelhouse | |
| 16 | B. Pretorius | Michaelhouse | u16 |
| 17 | C. Schoeman | Michaelhouse | KZN 7’s 2012 |
| 18 | M. Bouwer | Michaelhouse | u17 |
| 19 | T. Walker | Michaelhouse | u17 |
| 20 | V. Foster | Michaelhouse | u16 |
| 21 | P. Sobathle | Northwood | |
| 22 | J. Luyke | Voortrekker | u17 |
| 23 | B. Ellse | Westville | KZN 7’s 2012 |
Yeah, Tedder is in those nets! Crickets’ so boring
well done on those boys making it this far. I know lots of these guys now, good to see all these kids coming through.
A College teacher says that all but Holder and Kriel were unavailable for selection, with Elder injured? Glenwood won two tournaments without losing a match, MHS came 3rd, 2nd and 1st (3 tournaments) while College’s record is one 2nd ( lost with 50 odd) from three starts after having lost twice to St Charles. Westville will want to forget this season while Kearsney wasn’t worth much after losing Schram at Glenwood. So, considering the above and quotas it seems accurate. The younger guys must be involved with the hope of creating depth for next year, and if its the case its commendable actually as it shows some planning/ thinking is going into 7’s. It seems that u18 players like Vermaak are now concentrating on their academics. Is Tedder preparing for cricket? Will admit that it is pleasing to see that Dickson from KC has finally been recognised. Just glad I don’t have to select or coach the final 12, can’t be easy.
It is very strange squad given the results
Let’s hope people don’t blame any Glenwood coaches for the missing College, Westville and Pioneer kids as that is usually the angle played. I do find it strange that Pioneer, Westville and College don’t have a few more….
@Gungets, as far as I know there are no official trials – the players are selected into the squad from the various tournaments. I’m not sure Pioneer participated in any of the tourneys other than the Glenwood one, by which time the training squads would have been in action for 6 weeks already.
WRT the U16’s – it’s very unlikely any of them will make the final team, but 7’s is a very short season and a rather specialised format of the game, I would guess the youngsters are in the training squad to pick up the skills / understanding for next year. Having said that, Du Randt is perfectly suited to 7’s and I wouldn’t be surprised with his inclusion.
Gungets, agree with you 100%. But then this is what we expect isn’t it?
Saw a post on an earlier article where I think it was Pongola who pointed out that Pionier did not even have one representative in the preliminary squad. Makes you think.
With 6 U16’s in the 23 are we saying they are all better than the rest of the U17 and U18’s across all the schools? I would find this very surprising.
Why do they not have a separate tournament for U16’s? Surely this would be a better way to start preparing boys as a group for 7’s.
Seems odd that only 1 College boy is there (and that an U16 who would not have played in last year’s winning squad).
That said – good to see so many U16’s and U17’s in the mix – good for the future years.
Luck has nothing to do with it. Put the Sevens tournament results up again and tell me that there is not some coaching nepotism going on. If nothing else, tell me where the Pioneer kids are.
I don’t normally belt it out quite like this, but if the selections carry on being transparently biased then kids are going to stop going to trials. They will take a 3rd term break or just throw their energy into polo which has already started.