Free State. According to a report in Netwerk24 (link) two promising schoolboy rugby players that joined Welkom Gymnasium from Hennie Cilliers in Virginia this year are not allowed to play rugby for any school except the Virginia Sports Academy (Hentie Cilliers) until a dispute that has arisen over their respective contracts with the Academy are laid to rest. The Welkom magistrate has enforced this until the charges for breach of contract is resolved by arbitration on 19 March. The boys are from George and Port Elizabeth and the report mentions that the academy had already spent a large sum of money on them.
@beet: The Harmony Sports Academy has moved from Virginia to Welkom, effective January 2015.
Their players used to play for Hentie Cilliers. It was this team that took part in Wildeklawer, played at Maritburg College in 2013.
I would assume that these players were part of this structure.
Not sure where the Virginia Sports Academy fits in.
@beet: Another interesting fact is that the lawyer firm acting for the Virginia Sports Academy is that of Jaco Peyper’s brother and even more interesting is that Jaco’s father was Head Master of Welkom Gim.
@valke: Your comment about Harmony vs Virginia Sports Academy is very interesting. Might there have been a split up in the recent past that resulted in the boys moving to Welkom from Virginia?
@meadows…the age is 16 and a child cannot enter into any labour agreement if it is to the potential detrimine of the the child…i have raised similar points laat year and suspect that this matter is just the beginning of several to follow….as with all other laws in SA…if goverment cannot promulgate laws, the courts will set the precedents.
A child under 18 does not have contractual capacity. I would be very surprised if the temporary order is made permanent.
@BOG:
Saw this ridiculous idea circulating on Facebook. An organised grid collapse – which would benefit the perps how exactly? Do they think Nkandla doesn’t have a state of the art backup power supply? Do they think parliament doesn’t have a backup system? The broadcasters? The international news media? Think they rely on EksDom? I certainly won’t be switching on anything. Lekker night up the hill here in Kloof. Think it’s time to light the braai…….
@Bog @ Gungets: Problem is, if we turn everything on, we pay for it. And even if it works, we won’t be able to see the fruits of our success.
@BOG: No, no, no … this is once circus I want to carry on. They would never shed in Parliatent, it’s inevitable. Besides, I want to see Glorious Leader say aanother big number like Putins nuclear deal .. like these ..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F4el3Ivl2A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46Iojp5HueI
@Gungets Tuft: Dont forget to turn on all your appliances- stove, all plates on high, oven, geysers, washing machine drier, swimmingpool pump- the whole lot from 18:30, to remind him of his own incompetence
@GreenBlooded: Ja, WE have load shedding from 8:00pm till 10:30pm so I will be spared the spectacle of politicians pretending to be movie stars on red carpets. How diabolical that 1/2 the country is more concerned about the Speaker wearing Victoria’s Secret suspenders than the state of the nation. I will run the mutt, klap a fanta or 3 and settle in for some yoga
@Gungets Tuft:
It seems like the “Pay back the money” circus has started a few hours earlier that expected. Had I known I would have have the popcorn and drinks ready earlier……..
@Djou: Policy at Grey is not much different to some schools south of it…We learnt from the best…only took us a while to catch on!
Is their a difference between Virginia Sports Academy and Harmony Academy ?
I know Harmony Academy used to be at Hentie Cilliers, but has moved to Welkom Gim in 2015.
Why would Henties have the Virginia Sports Academy as well ?
The money spend on these boys, surely was done by the Harmony Academy, in which case they just followed their Academy to Welkom in 2015.
What am I missing here ?
The other less obvious problem also hits the schools. Kids with private bursaries – lots of companies offer them, often for employees etc. More so with BE kids, but should these kids leave, even if they do pay back the money (ohhh dear, I do so hope we hear THAT being shouted out loud later today!!
), they leave an open bed in the BE. It’s less of an issue up till the end of Grade 10 because there are waiting lists for boarding, certainly at College. After the start of Grade 11 it’s not quite that easy. Kids want to stay at their current schools with mates, parents don’t want to rock the boat in the final two years of school, so the school is left short of income. A school like College is a “break even business”, so the loss of the R50K for a boarder impacts the financial viability of the school because fixed costs don’t go away.
So, more than just “poaching” amd “bursaries”, there’s a genuine impact on the school trying to deliver it’s mandate.
@beet: I agree. This will get interesting. The Children’s Act allows a child under 18 to contract but only with parental consent if obligations are assumed in the contract. However, from memory there is an age below which a child cannot enter into an employment contract even with consent. I can’t recall that age offhand but I suspect that it is 16.
i was under the impression that SARFU had expressly prohibited the contracting of rugby players under 18. If my recall is correct that introduces another dimension to these “contracts’ and their enforceability.
@Bog: It can’t have an impact further south to Bloem. You need to have a contract first for it to have an impact and we know the policy at Grey, don’t we!
However, further south from Bloem it is a different story.
@beet: The ruling on this is going to be a very interesting one. It creates precedent and could affect every single bursary offered by schools that are attached to a commitment to repay if they leave.
@Djou: The bad influences have moved south and crossed the Vaal river, hopefully no further.
@Beet: It is stated that they may not play until agreement is reached by way of an arbitration process that is on going.
In the case of Virginia Sports Academy vs Welkom Gimnasium and the 2 boys who broke their contractual commitments, it is stated that it (the bursary) costs Virginia Sports Academy R85 000 per year per boy. Now, is the value of better performances by a school worth all this money?
@kosie: Thanks Kosie. That is very interesting news. I believe there are numerous schools that have clauses attached to bursaries and scholarships requiring the money to be repaid in the event of the parents wanting to place their kid at another school for whatever reason/s. I assume those agreements are between the school and parents. I however really don’t understand how a school can contractually bind a minor unless emancipated???
@kosie: So, what it means is that schools who are recruiting with contracts will now turn to such contracts and see how they can hook the boys permanently. It is just ugly that it had to come to this. And nogal in die Vrystaat.
@kosie: Nou wonder ek weer in wie se belang opgetree word. Die ouers, die kind of die skool? Op die einde gaan dit net oor die skool en sy Beeld en gewin. Hoop dit sal skole soos Garsfontein 2 maal laat dink met hulle koopbeleid.
@Beet, The first legal action against 2 schoolboy rugby players charged with contract breach has been instituted in the FS. The 2, who played for the Griffons GK and AW in 2014 joined Welkom Gim at the begining of 2015 instead of returning to Hentie Cilliers. They both had contracts wuth the Virginia Sports Academy. In terms of the interim court order they are not allowed to play rugby for Welkom Gim.
We can name them as the matter went to court. They are Jerome Lotering U/18 and Stan-Lee Mteyse U/16. Bith are from the Cape.