If an on-field rugby body check makes you go ballistic with joy and up your verbal volume in adulation, then chances are you’re a teenage boy (or living vicariously through one).
For someone trying to understand a teenage boy’s psyche a little better, the experience of being alongside the school rugby field to witness a body check does provide a bit of insight.
As insignificant a contribution as repelling a defender may be to the immediate play or in the overall context of the match or end result, there is just something about that moment that attaches instantaneous hero status in the eyes of his peers to the boy who pulls it off.
So now imagine those same boys who go crazy over a “Jammer Meneer…”, getting to witness or later download and watch after the whistle handbags involving schoolboy rugby players. It is almost certain to be a huge hit. Viral! And guaranteed more and more boys are going to want in.
That sort of popularity appeal is set to fuel a trend.
There will be a cultural shift.
Players will stop resorting to jumping in as peace-makers who separate aggrieved parties and calm situations down before they have a chance to escalate. Instead their first reaction will be to respond as wingmen who aid a teammate by shoving or attempting to manhandle other opponents who respond in the same fashion.
School rugby referees who are already being subject to levels of backchat like never experienced before, will blast on their whistles to no avail. That respect would have been lost. Tension won’t simmer that quickly. It is going to be drawn out. It will probably be up to responsible adults from both camps to step in and end the conflicts.
Irrespective of how harmless or meaningless it turned out, there is no getting around that it is poor conduct. It’s an ugly look for schoolboy rugby. It is bad publicity for the schools involved. However worst of all is its going to be regarded as the coolest thing out by teenage boys.
The worry is that if nothing is done about it now, it entrenches itself as an accepted norm. From there, maybe next year or the year after that, does it step up a level to becoming violent physical exchanges of fists, elbows, knees etc?
Many of the schools that generally excel at rugby, produce outstanding academic results as well. The latter are more often than not synonymous with a high level of discipline and other ethics including respect. How these schools’ headmasters, senior staff and management step up and address this matter now is crucial as there may be time to redefine the culture or at the very least impose punishments that make school players think twice before they act.
@BlueMoon:
Damnit man dit maak my kwaad
Refs moet verban word
Hang hulle op in eensame tronkselle, aan hul bra strappe of tampontoutjies
I had to spend a bit of time before posting here, my son attends a school in the WP A2 league playing against schools most of you on this blog probably would not have heard of before. The general consensus on the sidelines in all 3 league matches they’ve played to date is that the referees are biased/dishonest/incompetent and are out to make sure their own team looses. This is done by supporters, players not on the field and players on the field as well as some coaching staff and rugby organisors. This past weekend I saw mother reprimanding school boy players for swearing at the ref loud enough for everyone to hear. Winning has simply become to important for some schools and this in my opinion can only be addressed by everyone involved taking responsibility for their actions next to a rugby field. The most shocking incident was when the away captain hit the home captain in the face in open play, he was duly red carded. The head of rugby stormed on the field and accused the ref of trying to be a Super rugby ref for sending of a boy for a silly mistake? The hosts to their credit allowed the carded player to be replaced, the visitors however allowed their Captain to remain on the touch line where he swore and insulted the ref for the remainder of the match because they beoieved he was wronged.
@Kaya 85: Ek stem saam met jou. Skole moet strenger optree teen seuns wat herhaaldelik in hierdie soort ding betrokke raak. Skeidsregters moet ook baie vroeg die voet neersit en optree anders draal die ding die hele wedstryd totdat dit ontplof.
Bietjie van die topic af ,maar steeds relevant tot die tema ….ek sien Elton Jantjies was bietjie stout op n Jet ,toe kap hulle hom toe vir n rukkie.
@Kaya 85: when I was a schoolboy the Headmaster of my highschool had a very simple rule ….if you got involved with a fight ,or were sent off for foul play ….monday it was six if the best ,do it twice and your season was done
Ethos, discipline and gentlemanly conduct are essential as are good sportsmanship and restraint. Schools are not rugby clubs…they are educational places. Rugby in SA IS and must continue to be part and parcel of that ethos.