An article with the header “New Kids on the Block” appearing in the recent edition of regional newspaper The Bulge added warmth to the welcoming function attended by three new Dalians Solomon Makhubela (Leopards Craven Week 2014), Oratile Mabusela (Leopards Craven Week 2014) and Thabiso Msiza (Leopards Craven Week 2014) in King William’s Town.
The short write-up stated that the boys would be attending Dale College for academic and sporting purposes and it was accompanied by a photo of the three recruits alongside head coach Griffy Griffith, his assistant coach and two other very promising Dale rugby players.
The three new players all attended Potchefstroom Boys High previously.
@Queenian: Definitely an Old Boy. You sometimes have one Old Boy paying for 3 students at a time and I think that’s great because these are kids who really cannot afford to pay.
@Mike: Question not sure how much you in the know at Grey, have heard that Grey do not give out any busaries of any type. So here is the question said boy who was in Grade 7 last year at a Despatch school father approached Muir for a busary to attend Muir from Grade 8 as he was not in a financial position to pay the school fees. I know the father and he battles. Well he did not go to Muir so was very surprised to bump into him at Grey PE on Saturday.
Now my question is did he get a busary as I know he’s parents could not even afford the R 450-00 school fee from last year.
Not sure how this could happen and yes he will be playing for Grey Under 14A this year as he was a junior craven week player last year. Or would this be a Old Boy busary.
@Queenian: Not a problem, no hard feelings.
@rugbyfan:
@rugbyfan:
@Queenian:
@rugbyfan: Ye sure!
Maybe they will we will have to wait and see, agree Grey should be to strong for QC this year.
Listen I am here to chat and comment and not to get into any childish spat with anybody.
@Queenian: Well well well! a Queenian apoligising to “Pansy” must be a first.
You must be worried Grey PE is going to put a beating down on QC this year.
@Mike: Well firstly I think you should look at comments as comments and not a reason to jump the gun. Grey PE results speak for themselves and that not only with sport but also all aspects of school life. Which I think I have said maybe 200 times on this site so no there is no vendetta or grievance from my side, and yes Grey relationship with Border schools is great. So by stating that there are a few boys at Grey this year that were not there last year is a fact and yes I never said these were by any under hand means.
Grey PE is a great school so if you in anyway think I would think anything else you are mistaken.
So sorry if you took that in that way.
interesting times
@Queenian: When you produce 3 SA schools players, two of them in grade 11, beat Grey College, Paul Roos, and beat Selborne without those 3 players in the side at Selborne, your marketing for at least 2015 takes care of itself. There is no need to coerce anyone in to coming to your school. The new boys who are at Grey now are not from rival boys schools that Grey has a derby with. I’ll say it once more. The Grey school does not offer bursaries. Old Boys who wish to contribute to the funding of boys from all spectrums of education are looked after by these Old Boys. That is where the total of funding for these boys come from. I will never apologize for that and neither will the school. Without that contribution, people like Siya Kolisi , Junior Pokomela, Keanu Vers and Curwin Bosch might not be in the same position they are today.
Just by the way. I had a look at the Grey Junior u13A rugby photo from 2009. Of the 15 boys in that side, 11 of them played in the 1st XV of 2014. So please , get off your high horse and give credit where credit is due for once. In the 1st XV of 2015, maximum of 3 boys in the starting 15 arrived later than grade 8 and in my mind there is nothing wrong with that. Lastly, whatever vendetta or grievance you seem to keep having against Grey is not at all a reflection of the relationship that the Grey school has with the border schools. Your opinion is one not shared with many and it’s a pity you make it seem that way.
hahaha, “where is Selbone”?? comment of the day!!!!
Oh i see, so you get to determine when HOME grown starts…….fair….fair
Where is Selborne?
Home grown means boys entering Selborne from gr 8 of there own free will no agent no cash maby a bursary or two same as any school world wide .Hats off to Selborne and their traditions, for drawing talent to the school . Arrogant not proud yes.
Ahhhhh, the age old arrogance of the selbornian, how I do not miss it!
Claiming to have HOME grown talent noggal???? remind us how many headboys of selborne have been from Dale Junior and Central Primary school in the last 10 years??? Im willing to atleast 4 or 5?? how many boys from stirling/hudson/grens/dale junior end up at selborne college? very HOME grown mate!!!
Cut all the BS , let Dale Grey PE and the likes, have all the imports they want and can afford,just look at the schools ,these boys are from,certainly , no great pedigree . Most schools in SA , would give their right arm, to have the HOME grown talent , in this years Selborne squad. Take a leaf from Selborne , for the future , develop the talent from the start, and end with the Tradition and Winning Spirit ,well known to this school.
@Dale College Per Ardua Ad Astra: Which reminds me…I need to pay my subs before you blast me with a guilt trip e-mail
oh and our hostels are full which has not been the case for a number of years!
Very interesting reading. I agree Dale has fallen by the way side in the last 10 to 15 years. I believe it all started with appointment of the wrong headmaster James Haupt and then appointing an even weaker HM in Eddy. As a result, some of the old boys seemed to have given up hope and we are largely to blame for the downward spiral.
BUT………there is a change in the air. The ODU consists of a new and revitalized bunch of younger Dalians and things are happening. They have taken over the Malcolm Andrew Centre, built a new road to our hostel, are busy finalizing plans to revamp the hostels. The ODU is in the best financial position it has ever been. They have created a bursary fund, a trust fund which offers incentives for donors. The list goes on.
All these changes are having an affect on the school itself. We are the fullest we have ever been with little under 600 pupils. Our hockey, cricket and rugby 1st teams have both been in the top 20 last season with our cricket 1st team losing their first game this season over the weekend. The school is concentrating on academics and discipline, with a number of programs being put in place including after school classes and tutoring.
There is a sense within the school that change is happening and it is extremely exciting!!!!!
So yes, we may not have been on the right road in the past, but we are getting there!!! watch this space!!!!!!!
Article in business day today: http://www.bdlive.co.za/sport/columnists/2015/01/29/potential-springboks-at-dale-college-need-help-to-reach-full-potential
Some irony here with Dale refusing to play Glenwood at KERF ?
@Queenian: QC my number 2 team as well…I almost went there after all
As for Mr Gunn, I hold that man in very high regard. I have all the respect in the world for him
@Playa: Don’t worry I am usually one of those people shouting for Dale except against QC. Don’t think that is what Rugbyfan meant.
Will say this there are a lot of boys at Selborne that are from Dale and QC old boys not sure that can be look at as poaching in anyway. I will say this about Sammy Gunn if there was any buying of players at Selborne he put a stop to that.
@Queenian: @rugbyfan: If such an agreement was reached, I am even more disappointed with what is happening.
I have always said that Dale needs to look within before crying wolf.There are a lot of challenges, which seem to go unnoticed. As for the buildings and grounds, those are a work in progress – watch this space.
Lastly on the old boys’ morale at rugby games. You hang around the wrong bunch of Old Dalians.It becomes difficult to be optimistic when you look at the team and you know that that is probably what would be the 3rd team if we had managed to keep our players. I guess that is what those ‘few’ old boys suffer from. Hang around the old boys I hang out with – we believe every season will be an unbeaten season
@QC86: Maybe they got broke from all the buying they did in the late 1990s to mid-2000’s?
I don’t know. But we know that chequebooks don’t need to come from the school to make things happen. But I’m not one to speculate – I do enough of that for the peanuts I get at the end of each month…To thrash my own school as an example, the Zim boys were funded by an old boy and not the school. A school being broke has no bearing on whether or not ‘assets’ can be bought under its name.
Like I said, many Dalians left for Selborne for their own reasons, but just be careful of denying that there were a good few who landed up there after being enticed.It is that fact that you either neither to acknowledge or investigate if not satisfied.
@Queenian: Will agree there I have been past these 3 schools a lot of times over the last ten years and must say just looking at the schools (Buildings and grounds ) Dale looks run down were Selborne looks good and will take my hat off to QC excellent must be one of the best in the country in that regard.
Also I know a lot of Old Boys of these 3 schools and the one thing is they all very passionate but there is one big difference I find QC Old Boys are still well organized and raise money and believe in there school, were I find the Dale Old Boys are proud and want Dale to win but believe its a lost cause.
Just my opinion.
@QC86: @Playa: Not to get off the subject but school’s like Dale/QC and in some ways Selborne are battling and are not the same. Will question Dale academic’s as they had 9 failures as far as I heard and only a 51% varsity pass rate were Selborne had 1 failure and a 90% varsity pass rate and QC 1 failure and a 82% varsity pass rate which show something.
Playa not trashing Dale they are still my second favourite school.
@Playa: @QC86: I would say all the rumbling,s that were made a year or two back by the Selborne/Dale/QC head masters about not playing school,s who brought in Grade 12 boys whether they were Under 18 or 19 means nothing after this.
QC86 is correct about the boy now at Grey PE did apply to go to Selborne and was turned down by Sammy Gunn also I know of 3 separate boys from Dale over the last two years who applied at QC and were turned down one of which also landed up at Grey PE, who seem,s to always claim no wrong doing. They have done it again this year 4 news boys in there 1st team group.
One thing I do hope is that these 3 boy’s at Dale will help them give Grey PE a whipping.
@Playa: Dale is not a good place to be at, as sad as that may be. Queens the same, Selborne not far behind. But going the zim route and now the potch boys is not the right thing to do. I don’t know what the answers are. You fix it I am going fishing for a week, no coms , , cheers
@Playa: what you guys don’t know is that Selborne was flat broke 6 years ago, thus there was no money to any of what you are saying.
Brandon played 15B and 6ths with warrick before they moved back to King, due to his moms business not doing too well, plus the house they were renting burnt to the ground, was very sad
During the time frame you talking about many Dale boys fled from Dale. Dannys uncle is my partner at the shop and he will tell you why he left.
My point is, , there was no Selborne master wearing shades running around with little brown envelopes buying Dale rugby player’s,
@QC86: Kemp,I believe went back to Dale for rugby reasons.Your son was one of his competitors for 1sts and was never going to cut it,if I’m not mistaken.Ngethu,Mtimka and Nabe I know for a fact were on bursaries.Parents still lived in King.The rest were rumblings as I said.You know how we small town people like to talk
Employ me and I’d move back in a heart beat!
@beet:
I sent you a much better pic.
I know he played some level of representative rugby – don’t want to mis-represent the oke but maybe Natal B??
@GreenBlooded: He’s got shades on but the hair colour is a match if my memory serves me correctly. He was a standout no.8 for Tech in the days of the club rugby u21 league.
@beet:
Was Scott a big red-haired oke? If so it could be the same oke who coached with me at Hillcrest Villagers. He has a good lighty coming through the ranks – he should be in Gr 6 this year. I’ll see if I can find a photo so you can identify the oke. He is still very much alive and well in the Highway area!!
@QC86: Is Brandon Kemp related to Scott Kemp, loose forward from the early 90s. I can’t remember which Border school he went to.
I won’t forget Mrs Kemp at KERF in a hurry. Her son was well lets call it a bit of a physical type player and mixed it up with the Kearsney team at KERF. A couple of days later she just happened to be sitting behind the Kearsney players while Dale were playing a different school and one of them made a comment to his teammates about about young Kemp which she obviously overheard and took an instant disliking to. Felt like all hell was about to break loose on the stand. She was loud and it took more than a game for her to quieten down a bit. Pretty funny thinking back about it now.
By the way, if king was such a nice place way do none of you bloggers stay here.
Hey guys the boys you talking about, eg Brandon Kemp moved to Selborne due to the fact that his folks sold their house in Kwt and moved to El , grade 9.no money no bursary, no approach and the same for virtually every one of the above examples.There was no school that did any poaching, until Kes took those Dale boys, it was the first time I ever heard of it. Bossr applied for the Qk bursary which is done through the QK foundation and does not cost Selborne one cent, and starts from grade 8
HAHAHAHA, i cant wait to find out who this QC86 character is, he moans about how shitty king is, yet owns a business here????? yeah there are tons of dalians who have been enticed to leave for “greener” selborne pastures!
@DC ARMY:
I just took it Per Ardua was the one meeting him for some meat business, and not QC86 requiring his services.He seems a very sane man.
Hennie Otto’s still around…an oh ja, I forgot about Bossr…
There were 3 other ex-Dalians in the Selborne 2013 team that Gosa captained – a prop, wing and center I think. I just don’t know their names.
@QC86: I’m a bit worried, have you ever shown or been diagnosed with psychological problems. My word
If King is such a shitty place why own a business here then? Furthermore do you know each and every single kid that attends Selborne?
@Playa: Am not sure if it was Gosa who left with 4 others i think, but there was a case when 5 boys left after u14A’s and i can recall 1 who vividly told us exactly what happened and i remember that first game when they lined up against Dale the following year. Hennie Otto not sure if ever left, Jerome Bossr now at Glenwood.
@QC86: HA! Is that the only differentiating factor? The blondes?
@QC86: Just four names off the top of my head, Brendon Kemp (who ended back at Dale in his matric year), Sisanda Nabe (came back to Dale then ended up at Parktown), Mtimka (who ended up going back to Dale in his Std 9 year), Matthew King (this may have been a legitimate move, but there were rumblings), Ngethu, and Mjekevu (who then moved on to KES). There were also ramblings about Daniel van der Vyver and Lungelo Gosa…but I am yet to verify those. I would like for them to be proven wrong.
Further in history, a certain Micheal Smith who is now a hot shot at Maritzburg College was offered a scholarship and left for Selborne in his matric year. Dale refused to counter offer and he went.
Just though I would just give you a snippet. This is not to prove anything as it’s all history now
@Speartackle: Way better than King i can assure you,money has been known to blind some people thro,watched a sharks u 19 game there once,moer those blonde chicks were hot and many.
@Playa: sorry my reading is just fine,was not sure about how far back you okes were going.Back in those days there was no money influence so i am not sure what the issues were.Warrick played in 2011 thus started at Selborne in 2007 and during his progress through school no new okes ever arrived,from Dale or any other school to play rugby.Their A and B team remained virtually unchanged,to the best of my knowledge.
I don’t blame these boys………….Potch is a kak place anyway
@QC86: Dealing with too many Xhosa customers can affect your English reading
We both referred to past instances.
As for Dale Junior boys who end up at Selborne in grade 8 that he talks of…well,I know a few recently who are there out of their parents’ own will. Selborne do advertise scholarships quite a bit though, admittedly, these are all-round type scholarships, and not sports focused. I can’t say for a fact who’s on scholarships and who isn’t so I will not make any such accusations.
@Playa: way before my time,not one boy at Selborne now that i know of on a sports bursary,even the QK cricket bursary has come to an end,and not one boy that has been recruited or poached.Tell your mate to name them if i am wrong,please.
@QC86: Like I said, not recently. But there was a time between 2001 and 2008/9 when it happened. Hudson and Dale were the biggest losers.
Leave the academics alone, this is a rugby blog
@Dale College Per Ardua Ad Astra:Maybe you should start in the classroom,5 matrics failed 2014 and 11 in 2013,rather than spending money on winning the odd rugby game.
My comment above opens the door for some facts,and not just hot air.
Perhaps its not in the spirit of school boy rugby, and like i said, i dont think that this should be a common practice for dale. I would much rather see that we develop our boys from a younger age. But when 90% of your u13A team leaves every year, it becomes difficult. When Kingswood take our top u15’s it becomes difficult. When Selborne takes 16 of our grade 7’s, it becomes difficult! When DHS, Northwood, St Stithians, St Andrews dangle bursaries in front of our boys, it becomes difficult!
The way I see it, there are two paths to take here! Be a victim and fall by the way side, or mobilize and try our best to work towards our long term goal of turning dale into a top sporting school again where we wouldnt need to offer any bursaries.
QC86, you speak as if i know you??
And perhaps selborne has turned over a new leaf with Sammy guns late realization in life, that you say he has supposedly had (again not what i heard about some new recruits), but they are as guilty as any other school of doing the very same thing that you accuse us of doing. The world is round…..
@Playa: He has an appointment with me now and he is late.That counts for 2 slaps now. 8)
@Playa: What boys moved to Selborne????There is not one boy at Selborne that is on a sports bursary that i know of.If i am wrong please correct me.
@QC86: Have you checked his stomach lately? Well..it’s more of a sack. You’ll need to do quite a bit of punching to make a dent on that
@Dale College Per Ardua Ad Astra: I think he’ll find that you think he matriculated in ’89 and not ’86 far more offensive
Let’s debate cleanly, and not turn into one of our surrounding provinces’ bloggers. Good on you to apologise amicably!
In as much as I don’t think Selborne can claim innocence here, who knows, maybe the boys they have ‘acquired’ in the past were not interviewed by Mr Gunn, and therefore he wasn’t aware of their real intentions, or he did, but realised that he needs to reassess and do things differently. I cant speak for him, but let’s admit that these ‘acquisitions’ have quietened down recently (maybe not for Grens –
said tongue in cheek).
Anyway, my point is let’s understand that in as much as we might feel that this move is ‘justified’, it is still not in the spirit of schoolboy rugby.And let us not be distracted by people who come across as hypocritical, as it takes away from the focus…focus which is not to allow such to happen
@Dale College Per Ardua Ad Astra: you know i am much bigger than you
nothing wrong with passion for your old school,but you need to learn that not everything they do or get up to is cool,and if the likes of us want to enjoy schoolboy rugby going forward things need to change,and sometimes we need to stand together to fight,whether its your school or mine.
@Dale College Per Ardua Ad Astra: Those are the facts boet,and you forget, so have we been on the receiving end of player poaching many times.I do know that English is no longer Dales first language but if you read carefully you would see that i say you are NOT breaking any law,but answer the question !!!When Selborne refuse to play Glenwood story broke,Griffy was the first to say that Dale would also refuse to play against Glenwood and now you okes do the same,and okes like you defend it,just like the Zim saga,100 reasons way it was ok,it’s NOT.[ask playa if he agrees with these new okes]
Giggle as much as you like boet,and there is nothing wrong with trying to remain competitive but buying a team is not the way to go,No old boy worth his salt will be proud of this teams results,they are a lie,just like 2012 results
sorry QC89, I didnt meant to come across as so bitchy! Apologies!!
@QC89, you basing this on a SARU website???? oh please!!! I have a copy of his id book in front of me!! And even if he was 19, he is still eligible to play school boy rugby! check your facts!
As per your claim about Selborne, Ill believe it when I see it! And that is such a rubbish claim “their reasons for wanting to come to Selborne was wrong”. Now who is guilty of “spin”? They have been guilty of the same thing in the past, but was kept hush hush, and yes i know alot more about the happenings at selborne than most people on this blog.
Oh and I had a right giggle reading this………….@Queenian: prop, lock and centre. Selborne are trying very hard to encourage our boys to play sport for the right reasons, so not been no1 in the EC is far from their main goal!!!
Anyone that knows a selbornian knows that this is statement is laughable!!
An “old gentlemen’s agreement” that we have been constantly on the losing end since 2003????? forgive us for trying to remain a competitive sporting school whilst we lose ten’s of players every year due to the dangling of bursaries!!! Take the plank out of your own eye china
@Dale College Per Ardua Ad Astra:”show me a school” read my comment above yours please.Solomon was born in 1996 according to the SARU website,that makes him 19 this year,so he should play club rugby.Google tells all about who they are.
There are no rules that you have broken,just the odd gentleman’s agreement but yes no hard and fast rugby laws as such,but is all this in the spirit of schoolboy rugby,i don’t think so.
@qc89: firstly, only one of them played craven week, the other two did not. Furthermore, playing for leopards gives you exposure for one week a year, the rest of the season they are playing against tier 3 teams, so i disagree with you on your idea that they dont need further exposure or what further exposure could Dale offer. Secondly, these boys are all turning 18 years old this year. and just a lil insert, 19 year old’s are permitted to play school boy rugby…see kingswood
Thirdly, these boys were not brought on a sports focused bursary, or a ministerial bursary. That money is being used for its intended purpose, identifying young talent in the surrounding areas and providing them with an opportunity to further develop their rugby. In fact, we have 4 boys in grade 8 on this sports focussed bursary. It does not cost a R100 000 a boy as @boom mentioned, rather only covers school fees and hostel fees which equates to R48 000.
Finally with regards to these potch boys, and being involved in the process of getting them here I have the facts. These boys applied to Dale to further their rugby and play for a school that would offer exposure at the highest level possible (kearsney fest, cape schools week, link with Kings Academy and Sharks Academy). AFTER their application, they inquired about possible bursaries and motivated why they would want bursaries. The bursaries were awarded. Show me a school that would not accept three talented rugby players who stated that they were desperately unhappy at their school?????
Yes the long term goal at Dale is retention of your younger teams. I personally would not like to make a habit of bringing in boys at a grade 12 level. However, as so many others have mentioned on this blog, we are constantly on the receiving end of this!
All it takes is a few headmasters with balls to say enough is enough.Selborne had 2 boys that wanted to join our school,one is now at Grey PE,[Mike the new centre] from G town and the other was from Hudson,a very good lock ,in their first xv,Border craven week,but Sammy had an interview with them and turned them both down.He said their reasons for wanting to come to Selborne were wrong.
@Mike: It can only be sinister,why else would certain bloggers spend hours on this blog denying and in some cases lie about how certain kids have arrived at their school.Those are not actions of above board player movements.Yes i agree boys don’t have to be begged to move,just a show of a handful of cash and they off,so maybe the cash flashers should stop and then lets sit back and see how many player movement takes place.
@QC86: I’m well aware of that. What I’m saying is that I don’t believe that it’s all as sinister as it appears and that boys don’t need to be begged a coerced to move schools these days.
@Mike: What is the bigger picture here,so Grey PE beat Selborne 20 -18 and life went on,and me and my Grey mates had a wonder day,maybe to many beers,but hey we lost so what.This year we will loose again because Grey have now bought a whole bunch of okes,now its predictable ,now there is no fun in it,you see the danger of recruiting.The school that is prepared to break the rules the most wins,or worse,the biggest cheque book wins.
@Mike: Recruitment does not just happen,it is pushed or promoted by certain individuals,over zealous old boys or parents of up and coming first xv players,a pro coach,with a win at all costs mentality and a headmaster that has forgotten the real reason he started teaching and the role he should be playing in the kids lives.
@QC86: I agree on the 2 wrongs bit but I’m telling you now other schools that are in the recruitment business would have plenty to say to justify their decisions if they were regularly having to part with their own developed star players.
On the Potch side, most of us know very little about Potch HS or whatever efforts they have been making to develop these boys for their own 1st XV rugby this season. This could amount to a major setback for their rugby.
@Playa: You make a good point Playa. Use the money for efforts that promote retention.
Recruitment is going to happen, whether we like it or not. Dale has been on the receiving end of it many times and as a Grey Pe supporter I’m able to identify, seeing the likes of Jan Serfontein, Daniel Du Plessis, Stephen Rautenbach and Renier Marais leave Grey Pe for other schools after being developed by Grey for the majority of their schooling career. We can all only assume what the real story is in this particular article at Dale and if it’s true I can’t condone that at all, but what I am saying is that recruitment of players is not going away and we all know that. But let’s not place all of the onus squarely on Dale. These boys , without any promise or lure from Dale had in the back of their minds , probably from u16 level, how they were going to further their school rugby careers and possibly after that. All it takes is the smallest bit of interest from a school with a good reputation and fixture list for them to be more than interested. This is how the modern day schoolboy rugby player thinks. Let’s also remember that Dale are a great school, who often get good exposure playing top teams every year. Playing for a 1st team who goes to big festivals gives you exposure as a player. It doesn’t take much convincing or begging a player when you have a reputation as a good rugby school for a move to be made, especially when the school offering you a position is a more well known than the current school. A plan does need to be made so that Dale can hold on to their younger players as to develop them and ultimately create a good crop of 1st XV players one day but until that happens, Dale junior boys will shift across to a ‘bigger’ and ‘better’ Selborne or St Andrews or somewhere in Durban.
@QC86: I agree
@beet: I hear you ,but 2 wrongs don’t make a right.I don’t believe in fixing your problems from the top.Instant results don’t last,work on keeping all your home grown boys from grade 7.
@beet: I tried to avoid that explanation so as not to seem like I am making an excuse. I wholeheartedly disagree with the notion of bringing in boys with the notion of bringing in boys this late, I am actually disappointed that it has happened.Part of it is that it opens it up to questions of age as has been mentioned by rugbyfan.I hope those allegations have since been quashed
I would rather see the R250k a year bursary money from the DEO as offered to boys with great potential who will still be developed instead of being used to beef up the 1st XV. My Cambridge friends will disagree, but this was the case with one of their under 15s from last year who is now at Dale.
Retention should be priority, and recruitment should be done correctly and for the right reasons – which is to develop, and not to create a winning team
One can see that this sort of thing immediately puts a school and its supporters on the back foot.
Yesterday someone described this Dale matter to me by using the term “vicious circle” which in a way separates Dale from many other schools that recruit players. Dale is constantly having to deal with talented boys being lured away to other schools most often by financial arrangements. Now they have acquired the services of 3 Potch HS boys who were clearly able to make a name for themselves at their old school and even play provincial age group rugby, in spite of that old school falling off the pace in terms of competitiveness in the Leopards region. But what if Dale had been in a position to keep the players that started out with them? Would they have had a need to go down this road?
We can all say not right! That’s fair enough. But at the same time make the distinction. Rich schools that are fully subscribed, have no issues with talent players leaving, have plenty of players to choose from, yet still want to recruit vs Dale with room to absorb more students and constantly being looted of talent. Importantly Dale is not allowing their adversity in respect of losing top players to set them back in terms of seeking out a testing fixture list every year.
On the matter of government funding, I would have assumed that this was offered to benefit the local community as opposed to kids/families from Jozi and beyond. A major bone of contention at the Border Rugby Union was that players were being brought in and that locals were being ignored. So there is recent history of unhappiness in the region. The BRU is/was meant to be a profession set up. Surely government money is more to do with social upliftment meaning emphasis on the community.
@Queenian: prop, lock and centre. Selborne are trying very hard to encourage our boys to play sport for the right reasons, so not been no1 in the EC is far from their main goal
@rugbyfan: Ye age is always an issue it caused a lot of issues a few years ago at Dale.
Maybe Selborne’s hope of a EC No 1 this year is now under threat. This should also give Dale the edge over QC this year.
Wow is all I can say hope this is all above aboard, anyway good luck to Dale agree they have been at the wrong end of this type of thing for years.
Just hope Griffy is not trying a win at all cost approach here as he did with the Zim boys. Also bring in Under 19 boys is a big no no.
Anybody know what positions these kids play.
@Playa: My sources say that the one boy,s age was questioned last year already at the Leopards which is a problem. Just hope Dale no what they doing here as boys don’t just arrive from Potch to King I am sure. Surely if Dale wanted to put money into Rugby they would rather spend it on keeping talent from leaving in the lower age groups.
Anyway good luck to Dale hope they have a great year just hope this does not put a damper on it.
I honestly think this might be a knee jerk re-action from Dale after year’s of been raped by others school’s.
@Boom: The government cant supply text books, but will spend R100 k per learner? Happy days are here again! Partly explains why SAs debt is increasing by R3700 per second
A little bird mentioned to me that last year Dale was approved by the SA government as a Sport Focus school! This means that they are going to pump money and resources into Dale big time from now on.
Boys that are identified in the feeder schools will be sent to Dale and given ministerial bursaries to the value of R100k each.
There are a lot of feeder schools, more than 30 schools and believe it or not Queens College falls in as a feeder school.
The bursaries will not be only for rugby. I don’t know if these purchases are from this funding or not.
I dont agree with it and kids should not be allowed to move as much as they do.
@Dale College Per Ardua Ad Astra: “Why would we set out to bring children to the other side of the country” …. but not explaining at all why they would, at their own expense do exactly that. No sir, I believe that Greenhopper is not correct though, I believe that sort of spin is more in the league of Jonathan Moyo. Mac Maharaj is in awe …
@Roger:
And for a classic Exhibit B – please see here @Dale College Per Ardua Ad Astra:
“were subsequently given rugby bursaries due to their previous sporting achievements. They were not offered bursaries first in order to lure them here!!! ” Bwahahahahahaha. Mac Maharaj take off your hat sir……
@Roger:
I was never a fan of the Bossr move nor am I a fan of any other poaching of players. Never have been. Never will be. But thanks to you and others for once again proving my point that poaching is far more acceptable to many bloggers if the destination is anywhere other than the scum-of-the-earth school in the dimly lit area down by Durban harbour.
@Woltrui: Hahaha!You’re delusional, like a true Bulls fan.
@Dale College Per Ardua Ad Astra: Explanation makes sense, though one, as QC86 has will have to question why a Craven Week rep would move so late?Unless what you meant in your first sentence is that they had applied in 2013 for 2014?If this is not the platform to do so,I’ll take that, and maybe we can have the discussion in private. One thing though we should know is that Dale will have to furnish the rest of the world with the details.
@QC86: Is there a national headmasters agreement that says so?I thought only KZN had such stipulations
@Dale College Per Ardua Ad Astra: These boys have played Craven week,what exposure can Dale give them that beats that,One of them turns 19 this year,therefor he is in breach of the headmasters agreement ,right?? and should be playing club rugby [u19]
@Playa: Thank you Playa. I (reading between the lines) accept your sincere and humble apologies towards the Mighty Bulls. I understand that you only have the highest regards for the Union and the Brilliant players representing the Light Blue jersey. No bad feelings
Just to clarify a few matters. These three boys applied to Dale College first in 2014 and were subsequently given rugby bursaries due to their previous sporting achievements. They were not offered bursaries first in order to lure them here!!! Why would we set out to bring children to the other side of the country. The wanted exposure at the big rugby festivals that we attend and wanted to form part of a traditional rugby school that plays tier 1 rugby!
@GreenBlooded: hmmmm – it could be argued that Potch Boys High is not a tier 1 or even tier 2 rugby school (they used to be but not anymore) – so I’m not sure you can liken these movements to say…….I dunno …… a player moving from Selborne to Glenwood
Just saying 
@Woltrui: Firstly, I doubt very much that Border Rugby Union had any hand in luring these boys to Frontier land.
@QC86: @Woltrui: @GreenBlooded: Secondly, I do not have details of this, my first time hearing it was when QC86 mentioned it here.And to quote, myself, I was adamant that I hope this is nothing like the 2012 saga. My stand point on poaching will not all of a sudden change because my alma mater is involved.One thing is clear, boys don’t “just arrive” at a school…
@QC86:
Interesting. I think it must be load-shedding that is keeping all the poaching critics away.
@GreenBlooded: Blatant poaching,but to clear the air.I was told they just arrived at Dale [out of the blue] ja right,so thats different,always some reason why it’s ok.Comment was solid tongue in cheek and steam out ears.
@QC86: What are you saying QC? This wasn’t poaching?
@Woltrui: Wollie this is very different,they just arrived here
no seriously what is the bigger picture here.One oke is post matric [DOB 1996] unless he failed a year,other 2 are 18 this year.Beet you should phone the headmaster at Potch Boys High and chat to the oke,tell him you writing a piece on player movement ,see what he says.
AaaaHa!! Please step forward the well known, though controversial, Dale Blogger who ALWAYS critisize the Beloved Blue Bulls when they recruite kids from the Eastern Cape(not that I am in agreement with the Bulls on this strategy).