The various ranking models are starting to take shape, meaning the guessing games will end and the great debates begin.
Amongst the interesting developments, is that for the first time since the Rugby365 Top 20 commanded the attention of most who were interested in 1st XV rankings, a domination that ended in about 2012, 2023 perhaps marks a change that will see one ranking start to gain ascendancy.
No one quite knows where SuperSport Schools stands in terms of its own profit-making forecasts for its investment in school sports. There is no doubt they now hold the closest thing to a monopoly over the broadcast of school rugby. Should their board be pleased with progress and they continue in this vein, there is every suggestion that their media surrounding schoolboy rugby could well start to dominate the narrative and their own rankings could gain nationwide acceptance as the ranking.
Naand Almal ….ek wil weer “ranking the rankers” aan die gang kry (vir die wat mag belangstel) …ek vind huidiglik slegs rankings (1ste spanne) vir die volgende webtuistes :Ruggas/Schoolboyrugbyblog (BHP)/SA Schoolsports/Nextgen. Is daar dalk ander webtuistes wat ek miskyk?
@JongMatie: Agree, though the other rankings that also do the youth teams add something, even though not as scientific. Eg, looking at Nextgen today, there are only 3 schools in top 10 1st teams that are presented in u16s, u15s and u14s. Two teams are only presented in the first team and not at all in any of the other age groups.
@Gimnasias: Ek stem saam, en elkeen kan een verloor teen een van die ander.
@JongMatie: None is good, but I agree, his method is better than the others – if it is not tinkered with late in the season to favour a certain school. 😄
@Kantman: Ek het so idee die 3 skole gaan ook die top 3 wees die jaar. Moet net sien wie eindig waar.
@Djou: There is only one guy that i trust when it comes to rankings.
BoishaaiPa.
@beet: I get what you say. And yes, followers want it. But for me, if I had to do it, I will wait till after Wildeklawer.
Alternatively, I would through informed guesses predict who will beat who at Wildeklawer and calculate the rankings accordingly.
@Djou: Hi Djou, that’s the statistician in you talking. I’m not sure there is anyone that patient.
A football league table is not quite the same thing but the principle is similar. It is not a foregone conclusion after the first few weeks of the season, yet followers are interested in monitoring progress from the word go.
@Kantman: daar gaan ‘n paar seer lywe wees.
Beet, although I don’t care much for rankings, people will always look at rankings – and choose the one ranking their school highest.
However, in my opinion, the first estimate of a ranking should only start after June 2023 when sufficient matches had been played.
Interesting trio of match-ups between Grey, Garsfontein and Outeniqua the next 3 weeks!