There are several choice words to describe incidents involving school rugby players leave one high school to join another. “Poached”, “bought” and “stolen” are amongst the more popular ones used by unhappy supporters of the school losing a good player. It goes without saying that these same terms scarcely ever come out of the mouths of those who welcome the new player into their stable. Anyway to sit on the fence for this one, I’ll refer to these inter-school movements as transfers. With all high schools now back in class for 2013, this is a good pre-season opportunity to identify all the transfers around the country that are have sparked an emotion of some kind. In the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and the old Transvaal region reports have streamed in about new arrivals or suspected permanent departures. So amongst the extremes of happiness and sadness, who has the right to be labelled the happiest supporters right now and who most definitely are the saddest? And which individual transfer look set to reshape the 2013 fortunes of an affected school the most?
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@rugbyfan: Ye we would all love to see him back home
@Playa: Ye i know just hope he has a about turn as i do know that his parents did say that if he was not happy there he could do an about turn
@rugbyfan: Sad indeed.I’m concerned about the type of competition/opposition he will face when he plays for Southdowns.It’ll be a fleet of stairs below what he could have had at Queen’s.
@Playa: Ye i think some kids just follow the busaries.
@rugbyfan: Sounds like one who goes where the wind takes him.It could bite him in the a$$ one day.
@Playa: The strange thing is i hear viva the Grape vine is that when somebody had a chat to Ashton Fortuin the other day just before starting at School in Pretoria was he said he will always be an Old Queenian at heart.
Sad really sad
@Playa: Ye i know Queenian son is there watched him play last year against Kingswood he plays no 8 i think he was Captain of there Under 11 A team really good although when chatting to him afterwards he has his heart set on going to Queens in Grade 10.
This boy who left Muir for Noord Kaap i think has an ID crisis as he did he,s Juinor school at Dale then went Newton Tech in PE left there spent 1 year at Muir and now is at Noord Kaap wonder were he will consisder himself an Old Boy of one day.
@rugbyfan: That is sad. I know Muir have been trying to get their rugby on the map again.This is a huge blow to their efforts.
Well some intersting facts Muir College in Uitenhage No 8 from last year who played for EP Craven week did not pitch for his first days school only for them to find out he is at Noord Kaap so the Transfer/Poaching what ever we call it seems to have target another Eastern Cape school also 3 of there unbeaten Under 13,s from last year are at Grey PE this year.
When will this end.
@Queenian: very sad
@QC86: As far as i am aware now there are 2 boys from Under 13,s 1 boy from under14 and Fortuin who have left Queens were they have gone i am not sure did ye from a Old Queens boy in PE that one of these boys are at Grey PE
@QC86: Thats shocking that kid was really talented watched to of he,s games last year he was to Selborne what the Smith boy was to Queens
@Grasshopper: I don’t think they have , what is striking is the lack of formal communication form the School, Kershaw for ever silent on the issue , that for me needs addressing by him, to at least say they are doing it or not ,
This trend is sustainable by the school , and think now the agenda have gotten bigger and egos are more towards personal paths rather than the well bong of the school,
Last year was traumatic and blemished the 5 previous years of good work, ethos and brother hood is now laughed at in the school, a real pity
@Ludz: ja boet,star player,cant tell you how sad i am,in fact got tears in my eyes just writing this
@QC86: aah man, shame man, poor boy, he was Border u13 flyhalf last year hey?
on a sad note,selbornes star u13 flyhalf has snapped his knee,doing highjump at the college on Wensday,our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.
@Beet, I’m never happy with ‘transfers’ in or out. For Glenwood with Van Zyl back in the horsefly barn I believe the only senior import is the KZN Development no8 Ntokozo Vidima, see here; http://www.hssm.co.za/interviews/rugby/kwazulu-natal/durban/2012/one-one-development-star-ntokozo-vidima. Only time will tell but lets hope Erasmus and co have learnt from last year, imports = failure and loyalty = success.
Plenty of ‘happy’ schools in KZN.