Frustration is the best way to describe this situation.
A Westville under-17 frontrow rugby player was prevented from starting the under-19 1st XV match against Maritzburg College because his SARU age banding “paperwork” (often incorrectly referred to as Boksmart) was not in order. Westville Boys High School was not at fault here. The problem was/is Archie Shelakho, a referee based at the Rugby Unions headquarters at Kings Park who is responsible for signing off the “paperwork”.
Section A and B forms had to be completed by Westville for all their under-17 players playing in the front row. These forms were sent to the KZNRU weeks ago but to date Shelakho still has not signed them, suggesting there is inefficiency at the Union which is undermining the whole point of having these world class safety standards in place.
SARU age banding regulations have been around for at least 2 years now. It has been made quite clear to the society referees that they cannot allow any player who requires ‘paperwork’ to play unless the “paperwork” is signed off and available to the match referee at the match. So the referee on the day of the Westville/College match was well within his rights to not allow the Westville player to play.
However it does not explain why the same referee allowed the same player to play in a Westville game he refereed at the Port Natal Night Series just over a month ago.
Also outstanding is an explanation for how Shelakho managed to timeously cleared Maritzburg College’s under-17 front row forward for the same match but has not worked on the Westville “paperwork” yet.
There are further frustrations for school coaches. They are no longer allowed to give their ID numbers on team sheets. They are obliged to give Boksmart numbers. The referees have been instructed that they cannot allow a match to proceed if one of the two coach does not have a Boksmart ID handy. However the problem is that the Boksmart people seemingly take forever to issue these ID numbers. They can take several months to get a Boksmart ID.
@Pedantic: Hear,hear. Sort out the mess and let him play. An intergral part of the Westville pack.
As far as getting clearance- this was done before the PNNS and his parents
never gave it another thought till Saturday, half an hour before kick off.
I just want to put it in perspective. They followed the right channels and they should not be to blame- it falls squarely on the shoulders of the KZNRU. Someone signed the consent form that wasn’t authorized to do so.
This boy will be in contention for KZN honours this year – very strong that can handle anything thrown at him. Another product of the Youth Club Rugby system . He played in the Grant Khomo side last year coached by Frank Lubbe.
To all the conspiracy theorists – BINGO!!! College do this kind of thing – we find the one key player and make a plan.
A couple of years ago we had to face Cameron Wright and Hilton – so we invented a flu epidemic in the BE so we could pull ………………………oh no, wait ,
The whole administration of Boksmart is a complete balls up…. i have just completed my 3rd Boksmart seminar, i have only received 1 Boksmart card, and even that had my name spelled incorrectly. What do i do if i get asked to produce a card by a ref???
@beet:
Archie is actually employed by the Sharks as the “Boksmart” man as well as some other duties. The fact that he is a referee (and a very good one I might add) is not connected to his job at the Sharks. So the referees societies do not have official dominion over him although being a referee himself certainly makes the communication channels easier.
We get told at every law meeting (once a fortnight) about age-banding and Boksmart forms. It does not require reminders etc – it is just somethign we know we have to do from the beginning of the season. Archie’s paperwork is not something the referees have control over and there isn’t generally a report from him on this. It is more between the schools/clubs and Archie. The referees are simply the policemen to make sure it is done. As stated before – I wish this function could be given to someone else. We have enough to worry about on match day.
@Pedantic: And quite probably lead to schools just agreeing to uncontested scrums just to get game time, a most likely explanation for the reports from the Hilton derby. Now if the union would just co-opt a few of the MIBs to process paperwork rather than enforce rules that have been crippled by bungling, perhaps we can get past this.
Agree though, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, camp at the union office till you get action, sometimes persistence is the key.
@Westers:
Indeed Sir. I’m glad you agree with my above epistle.
@Pedantic:
In many ways – it sounds a lot like the creditors department at a lot of my clients. Amazing how every other facet of the buisness runs like clockwork – but the creditors department is so slow it almost lapses into a coma. Clerks on leave blah blah blah. So I pity the businessman who submits his invoice and simply waits for it to get paid. Rather, what I do, is I get on the blower immediately, make sure the invoice was received (most common excuse) was it passed to Betty in the store to add her signature, did it go to Susan at General Ledger for her signature etc. Basically – it takes upward management of the client to get what I want – i.e. to get paid.
So when the know quantity at the Shark Tank is that they are inefficient, then it surely follows that to get what you want out of them you need to be a bit pro-active. Were the forms received? By whom? Were that given to Archie? Are they lying in his in-tray? You generally find the squeaky wheel gets the most grease – and constantly getting in someone’s face get’s him to do what you want (within reason) – just so that he doesn’t need to hear your whining voice on the phone every morning.
My question is – why does it seem to be Westville that are the only school with problems? Has the ‘we sent our forms in weeks ago’ actually been verified? It seems we are trying to blame everything but the Easter Bunny for this – when in effect it would seem to be a combination of the official at the Tank as well as the lack of follow-up from Westville. Certainly not the referee. Certainly not a conspiracy theory to end all conspiracy theories involving the management at College.
@beet: Absolutely! The title of this blog sums it all up … forget the conspiracy theories.
Can someone tell me why it takes 3 to 6 weeks to sign a form where both parents and an experienced coach have already agreed that the player is fit and capable to participate? This is not an isolated case – it’s always a problem getting the forms signed off.
If SARU want Boksmart & their SARU age banding taken seriously, they need to pull finger, failing which, the whole drive towards safety is simply going to be disregarded due to the unions’ own inefficiency.
@Gungets Tuft: Please don’t include me in the bloggers trying to implicate College. It is a Westville player and the onus is on them to ensure the paperwork is complete. If the authorities are not facilitating, Westville must chase them and make an issue of it during the week.
@GreenBlooded: And you supposed to add a smiley face.
@beet: Then this blog would serve as a wake up call. Hopefully anyway, because the symptoms are of lazy management of the various divisions of the Union. It would not surprise me if schools rugby was neglected, the Sharks policy for ages has not been one of developing local talent but rather buying it in. It needs to be clarified because for some daft reason the Westville bloggers are trying to implicate College, which boggles the mind somewhat.
@Gungets Tuft: The behind the scenes comments from those in the know suggest there is a great deal of inefficiency stemming from the office at Kings Park. And that comes from sources connected to different schools.
@beet: Someone is being economical with the truth. Either Westville are being truthful and the paperwork has been done, and the union is lying, or Westville haven’t done the paperwork properly. It would be a good idea to clarify which it is because the conspiracy theorist are in full flight trying to find a scapegoat.
It would be nice to understand how many matches against Hilton had uncontested scrums, and why. That on its own would be enough to invite scrutiny.
It still irritates me that the College u17 prop got signed off but the Westville u17 hooker did not. If the official is going to sign off one school and then complete ignore the other, then surely its going to result in issues such as these.
@GreenBlooded: Does do the society referees association ever co-ordinate with Archie. For example a reminder memo gets sent out in the week to referees to strictly adhere to the Age Banding checking – Archie has confirmed that all his paperwork is up to date so no excuses for any schools to be non-compliant.
@Boertjie: Asked and answered- the Union player safety rules mandate that the referee has to check the forms. No form, no play. It’s not some arcane rule to create admin, it’s a safety concern, and as parents of kids playing the sport I would expect them to support the ruling. Imagine if the same kid got seriously injured, these same people would be all over the ref for NOT checking, and in fact probably having a legal claim against the union.
@star: haha, yes, no, yes, no. I’ll see you at KERF, can I bring my clip board and must I wear a nose and moustach disguise?
@GreenBlooded: Shew – you got it wrong – and the Dale guys are smiling all the way to the KERF trophy.
It was the Dale/SACS guys who are closer to Newlands – and are looking to get a star Ville player out of the KERF.
I think I saw one of them masquerading as a medic giving “Concussion” slips to all the guys cramping too?
@Rugger fan:
Star’s scenario
1. College coaches burn the midnight oil all week and hack into the Boksmart Player database.
2. On night 3 just after midnight – eureka moment. They discover HP is not signed off.
3. A surreptitious call is made to the referee’s society and their co-operation is instantly assured. The eVille must be slayed.
4. The match referee arrives at the venue on the morning, watches some games but cunningly keeps to himself the dirty secret which he plans to unleash at the right moment.
5. The men-in-black arrive to provide backup. eVille have no idea what is about to happen.
6. At the very last second – mayhem is unleashed on the boys of eVille. They are powerless to stop what is about to happen. The referee stifles a smile and the men-in-black chuckle to themselves.
7. eVille are slayed on their home ground – 0-13.
8. They all lived happily ever after (you have to say that at the end of a fairy tale).
@Rugger fan:
Far too straight forward if you are not into conspiracy theories.
1. Referee asks for team sheets with date of birth.
2. Notices an U17 player in the front row.
3. Asks for paperwork.
4. Doesn’t receive it.
5. Refuses to allow player to take the field.
6. Notices a College U17 player in the front row.
7. Asks for paperwork.
8. Receives duely completed and signed off paperwork.
9. Allows player to play.
Straight forward.
I think it is easy to see the “who”. The DoB are on the team sheets – and any players U17 – would have been asked for the relevant paperwork. Obvious all the other boys on both teams would have had it – and signed off – barring 1?
Just my speculation – I am assuming as I was not in amongst the MIB – but it seems pretty straight forward? or not?
The whole fracas seemed odd and very pedantic. The day was started with some complaints about biased refereeing on the Commons fields and then the whole issue with the under 17 player. That said, all that needs to be answered is who raised the issue with the referee initially. There is the crux of the matter. Answer that and we will all be informed of the facts of this matter.
@McCulleys Workshop: All aboard and welcome. You are getting in early as last year it was after the KERF tournament. The wife kick you out of bed or what.
)
@ Greenblooded- Point 1 -I will leave to your imagination
Point 3- timing
Point 2- this is interesting as involves being able to determine Boksmart compliance. Is said data base secured from a privacy point of view or can anyone access it( even a telephone call)
So no it was not the mad professor but the star trooper from the moon who used his telepathic powers ( the same ones that communicated with the MIBs to appear at the start of the 2nd team game
@ Westers- I agree with you re Damon( Beet please note correct spelling) Lee who is a more traditional/tight hooker as opposed to Prinsloo who has more X-Factor and thrives on the loose play. They compliment each well and the team certainly benefits from their varied skill sets.
@star: College had TK Chikwezvero on the team sheet. He played 2nds and then subbed for the firsts. He is U19
If you are looking for that “early warning” system, how many matches against Hilton had uncontested scrums?
Do you think that this maybe caused the extra attention being paid to the Westville fixtures, because uncontested scrums are only allowed when a series of injuries ends up where “unqualified” front rankers are being used – but you may not start like that.
I know this because 2 years ago it was that ruling that forced College to cancel a lot of fixtures due to the flu epidemic.
@GreenBlooded: Too much time in the sun and he has started howling at the moon.
@GreenBlooded: Ironically, Ball the Westville captain is U19.
@Westers:
How is it relevant if College had an U19 in the front row? It was an U19 game therefore the U17 front row restriction is in play. If there were NO U19 players on the field, then it could have been played as an U18 game and Prinsloo would have been okay. One U19 in any position makes it an U19 game.
@star:
1. Who would have tipped off the refs?
2. How would they have known?
3. Having received the tip-off, why would the refs have not alluded to the issue so that Westville could have got it resolved? We are not meter-maids waiting for the parking meter to expire you know……
It was Professor Plum……..in the Library………with a candlestick.
@Westers: http://goo.gl/HuApZl
The entire regulation and schedule A & B forms in that link.
For info, can anyone tell me if College had an U19 player in the front row?
Also, what info is on the paperwork that an official signs off on and what does he check before signing?
@star: Did the MIBs appear after the ref raised the issue or before.
Should have played the match in the Hollow, there would have been no officials daarso. Everyone knows the wallahs from the Tank never make it too much past Stokers.
The ever efficient Mdu tells me that nobody has collected the tent. Hurry hurry, they disappear to Splashy first thing on Wednesday, then all your admin guys will be able to take with them is the mongrels blankie. You don’t want that … ask the Affies and PBHS boys we have hosted. 8)
@Griffon08: I would be very surprised if this was the case. If it is, I would expect a change of coaches in the 2nd team shortly. Let’s watch and see.
What’s done is done – Westville need to get down to KP and collect those signed forms before Thursday!
We’re all looking forward to watching Prinsloo at KERF so his name can be on this blog for the right reasons – his obvious rugby talent.
@GreenBlooded: I am not trying to blame the refs, Sorry if I gave that impression. I am only saying that on the day they were there pretty early and could therefore check the paperwork long before the game. I am questioning if this was done (not blaming) and suggesting that if there is blame to be attached it should be to Westville for not taking the replacement off earlier in the 2nds.
Also, if the refs and others can check on the day, why can Westville not have done this checking themselves well beforehand?
@Griffon08: “Unfortunately the 2nd XV selfishly coach refused to take Lee off”
This should not happen, it points to an unhealthy relationship between the 1st XV and 2nd XV coaches.
@GreenBlooded: There does not have to be collusion with anyone. A simple tip off to the Durban Referees Society would suffice. They would then respond ( again no collusion necessary) and correctly apply the rules which by your own omission are fraught with problems. Please divorce the issue of the College U17 prop as that is red herring brought up by someone else.( more as a jest I am sure). There is nothing Grassy Knoll type about the above scenario. Again all I asked was a simple question ie were the said gentlemen also at the Hilton/Westville game or any other fixture for that matter. If not and the MEN IN BLACK
suddenly appear at a moment critique on a issue that had been ostensibly already been cleared , then the question can be realistically asked.
It is the schools responsibility to ensure they have the correct paperwork. Submitting a form doesn’t mean you’re now OK to play (much the same as submitting an application form for an ID doesn’t guarantee you’ll get it). Onus is always on the school / club, so blaming the union for Westville’s inefficiencies is a little off side.
At least the levels of inefficiency is beings spread evenly throughout SA society. You cannot have this exclusively concentrated at government levels.
@star: College LIVE for admin …
Plus we’re from Sleepy Hollow, we are so used to waking people up from their slumber to get something done that we could go to Kings Park and wake up Rip van Winkle ..
There is of course the question of how anyone would know that the boy WASN’T registered. He has been playing, reffed by the very man with the red pen, so it’s going to take an enormous grudge for someone to go to the trouble of actually finding that information, then mobilising the forces of evil (that same ones that were not able to be mobilised to clear him in the first place). Why would someone dislike you that much??
No mate – swing past my place, pick up a tent, then camp at the Union office till the bar-stewards sort this out. Go now, my Garden Engineer (the very likable but terminally thick Mdudusi) awaits your arrival …
@star:
Are you then suggesting that the College management (from Maritzburg) somehow conspired with the Durban Referees (from Durban) to disrupt Ville (from Durban) in their strongest department? Maybe they also got the KZN official to process everyone else’s paperwork except for Westvilles? You conspiracy theory is starting to take on Grassy Knoll type proportions.
As far as I could see, the 1st team coaches did try and sort this out at the beginning of the 2nd team match when the ref checked their papers. I even spotted the assistant coach having a chat to Prinsloo’s dad. Obviously informing him. As far as the gentlemen in official attire go – they were the Durban refs committee members.
Lee was apparently asked to come off the 2nd team team field as soon as it was confirmed that Prinsloo could not play. This was about 10minutes into the 2nd team game. Unfortunately the 2nd XV selfishly coach refused to take Lee off. Pity as the kid had to play a hell of alot of rugby on Sat.
@GreenBlooded: Certainly not the referees as they are just doing their job. It is common knowledge that Westville’s strength lies in the front line for both teams and both were negated on the day. You ask about motive. It does not take a brain surgeon to work that one out. Now before I incur the wrath of Gungets I just wanted to find out if their appearance and numbers was random and in line with normal standards. I think it was Beet who started the conspiracy theories by questioning why the College U17 prop had been cleared and not the Westville players
I am sure he was just pulling our legs and that this issue is being made into a mountain from a mole hill. That however does not preclude me from answering some simple questions to deal with that 2% nagging feeling. 
@star: Also remember that the refs are part of the Durban Sub Society of Ref – and PMB has a separate sub-society under the Midlands banner.
So College would have little (if any) influence on the refs at the game. I know most schools games have a bevvy of other refs/officials there to watch/grade/assesses/coach the appointed refs. So I don’t believe it was anything untoward at play.
I reffed a game last week and had 3 assessors/coaches watching me (mainly because it was my first one back for a while and I think they were worried about me not making it through 2 halves
) – so I’d not worry too much about the number of officials there. Refs also enjoy a good game of rugby ( they are only blind on the field 
)
@star:
If they were aware of it a potential problem in advance do you not think they would have taken steps to try and resolve it?
There is no norm – they attend matches to make sure that things are running smoothly and that that things are being done correctly as per their mandate. Reading between the lines, I think you are hinting at some sort of conspiracy against Westville by the referees which is nonsense. What would be the motive?
@GreenBlooded: Is it the norm to have that number of society officials at a specific match.ie were they also there at the Northwood/Westville game( or any other fixture this season). Were they possibly informed of a potential problem in advance?
@Westers:
I don’t like the idea that seems to be getting spawned out of this that it is the referees responsibility to get this right. The onus needs to be on the school and the coaches to get things legit. The rules have been around for a while and it is our job as referees to make sure they are enforced. The contention that the same referee reffed the same boy before is also irrelevant. The referee does not necessarily follow Westville, Prinsloo or SBR for that matter. He sees a team sheet with 23 names and dates of birth on it – scans the sheet – see’s a 17 yr old in a front row and asks for the paperwork. Festivals do sometimes work slightly differently where the paperwork side of things is handled by the festival organisers which might explain how Prinsloo was not detected at the PNNS. As referees we have enough on-field stuff to concern ourselves with. Frankly – I think the paper-trail should be the responsibility of someone else. We are unpopular enough on the field when calls don’t go the ‘right way’ now we have the added AH appeal by having to not allow boys to play. Sucks being a ref.
@GreenBlooded: Thanks.
They were there at the start of the 2nd team game so you would have thought the problem with the paperwork for the 1sts would have been picked up early enough to get the reserve hooker off before the end of the 2nds game to keep him a little fresher. But maybe they did and the Westville coaches were slow to react.
To his huge credit, I though Lee had a really good game for the 1sts, given that he had played most of the game before. He took longer to cramp than some who had only played half a game.
He might not be quite as good in the loose but I honestly think he has more to offer in other areas of the game than Prinsloo. His lineout throwing is definitely better.
@Westers:
Officials from the referees society.
@Buffel: On the ref – I don’t believe we can judge him because he didn’t check in the pre-season match (2 wrongs dont make a right) – he must have seent he error of his ways and tried to do the correct thing on Saturday.
As a spectator – it was frustratin that this was not done long before the planned kick-off. I felt bad for the boy running on – then off – then another swap – did not look good. All 30 players and crowd were gee’d up – and then ……… nothing
@Buffel: Time for a more direct approach – take new copies of the forms and go and sit in the office at the Tank and refuse to leave until it’s solved. The last thing Westville want to do is give the okes a gap to respond on Thursday saying there is some vital form or bit of info missing and exclude the boy for KERF. My experience of bureaucracies means they are going to be looking for teflon to make sure nothing sticks to them. Don’t give them the gap.
There were several guys in official looking black golf shirts (not College shirts) involved in the off field discussions before the 2nd and 1st team games on Saturday. Unfortunately I could not see where they were from. I would be interested to know where they were from and if they made any contribution to this debacle.
Being a ref is a thankless task but if you decide to do the Job then take the criticism that goes with the job. The ref in the middle plus the KZNRU are at fault here. Firstly the ref has blown a game this season where the u17 boy played and there was no issue. A clearance was sent to the union and all the procedures were followed only to say that the signatory was not authorized to do so. So now 7 games into the current season the boy gets pinged because of no fault of theirs ( Westville ,boys parents).
The necessary requirements have been adhered to so get it right KZN rugby. Sign the frigging form and let the boy play. He has an important festival to play in this weekend and he is an integral part of the team.
@QC86:
The very same guy.
Hopefully not the same Archie that reffed the Border v Kings game on Friday night, flippen clueless ,he should have just worn a border jersey it would have been less obvious