The KZN tier-1 league consists of 10 very well-off English-medium boys’ high schools. Making it unique is that half the league consists of private schools. This places a great deal of pressure on the five state schools to maintain a high standard. Two of those privates have a longstanding dependence on the Gauteng and surrounding highveld areas as an important feeder region for kids enrolling in Grade-8. Interestingly a number of the kids arriving from the interior have not played rugby at primary school, making them new rugby players to the system once they take up the sport. The KZN drop off to tier-2 is also fairly large, so the choices for rugby opportunities are quite restricted for locals but then, so is the rugby talent pool in the province.
In order to compete on a national level consistently year-to-year, a need developed to acquire more talent from outside the borders of KZN. Glenwood once led the way in this approach, while local rivals resisted the cultural and ethical changes the path demanded. Although Glenwood were maligned, their aggressive recruitment strategy which increasingly saw them target the acquisitions of talented kids in classes above Grade-8, as well as rapidly increase their intake of both Afrikaans and Xhosa first-language students, proved to be very successful as a marketing tool. The school name Glenwood went from one barely known outside KZN to a household one in all rugby circles nationwide. The flip-side as discovered in recent times, is that in spite of all the resources poured in for well over a decade, the goodwill created was minimal. Translated it meant rarely did a prospective player ever choose Glenwood over another KZN school, based on a record-setting, headline grabbing past achievements on the rugby fields of SA.
The out-of-province sponsored enrolment along with the post-Grade-8 recruitment change eventually caught on big time in KZN. Probably the best visible evidence of it was that post-Covid, suddenly for the first time ever, the KZN tier-1 league consisted of over 50% Players of Colour at 1st XV level. Schools’ relative purchasing power rugby budgets moved to on par with that of Glenwood and closer analysis in 2024 might reveal that quite a few have surpassed them on a relative to school fees spending scale.
Now its part of a growing and often cut-throat culture to employ talent scouts, agents and even work with the local rugby union to identify the talent that other schools have nurtured/invested and then make attractive offers to acquire these sort after players for the benefit of improving rugby competitiveness and results.
Below is a XV of players acquired by KZN tier-1 rugby schools who have achieved provincial status at their previous schools:
1 Jeshua Ferreira (Westville)
FROM: Rondebosch
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Western Province B Grant Khomo 2022 (Sharks u17 Academy Week 2023)
2 Jnr Martin van Wyngaardt (Glenwood)
FROM: Transvalia
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Valke Academy Week 2023 / Lions Grant Khomo 2022
NOTE: After leaving Monument in Krugersdorp and just two weeks into his shortish stay at Transvalia which included attending Youth Week trials, Junior made a Valke team which paved the way for him to be noticed by KZN scouts at Academy Week.
2 Simon Steyn (Hilton)
FROM: Grey College
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Free State Grant Khomo 2023
NOTE: Simon, a good cricketer left St Charles College in Pietermaritzburg as an inside centre and was converted into a hooker playing for an excellent Grey College u16A team.
3 Teddy Dlamini (Durban HS)
FROM: Glenwood
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Sharks u17 Academy Week 2023 / Sharks Grant Khomo 2022
NOTE: After achieving so much at Glenwood, it came as a surprise when the big ball-carrier prop crossed the Berea. In a true life twist to the sorely missed rugby derby day warcry, its a case of “rather go to School than Glenwood High” for Bongani. Hopefully that and other songs like “Swat the Fly!” return very soon to Dixon’s and Van Heerden’s during rugby season.
4 Raynardt Brown (Durban HS)
FROM: Grens
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Border Grant Khomo 2023
NOTE: In 2022 after making the Border u16 team, Raynardt’s mother made a passionate plea on FB for financial assistance to help complete the dream of her son attending Grant Khomo Week. Those rugby related financial concerns are probably a thing of the past now.
5 Robert Combrinck (Michaelhouse)
FROM: Paul Roos
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: No youth week caps but Paul Roos u16A
NOTE: Being the son of the former Michaelhouse rugby guru Ryno meant that Robert has spent well over double the amount on time on the school’s campus compared to his new homegrown teammates at Balgowan.
6 Chris Cloete (Westville)
FROM: Glenwood
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Sharks u17 Academy Week 2023 / Sharks Grant Khomo 2022
7 Naz Isaacs (Maritzburg College)
FROM: Paul Roos
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Western Province B Craven Week 2023 / Lions Grant Khomo 2022
NOTE: Nazier’s journey saw him represent Northcliff and the Lions at u16A level before doing exceptionally well to make the highly competitive WP Craven Week B team a season later.
8 Hencoe Janse van Rensburg (Westville)
FROM: Middelburg
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Pumas Grant Khomo 2023
9 Roydan Madatt (Kearsney)
FROM: Welkom Gim
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Griffons Grant Khomo 2022 (Sharks u17 Academy Week 2023)
NOTE: Roydan was part of a highly successful Welkom Gim u16A team that included schoolboy rugby jet-shoes star Cheswill Jooste, who achieved 2023 national honours via Noordheuwel in Krugersdorp.
10 Doan Nel (Kearsney)
FROM: Brandwag (Benoni)
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Valke Grant Khomo 2023
During November 2023, a Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival media release stated: “The organisers are delighted to welcome three newcomers – Rondebosch Boys’ High from Cape Town, Hoërskool Rustenburg from the North-West and Hoërskool Brandwag from Benoni. Come 2024, Brandwag are no longer attending the festival.
11 Michael Satade (Westville)
FROM: Paul Roos
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Western Province B Grant Khomo 2022
12 Unathi Mlotshwa (Westville)
FROM: Ben Vorster
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Limpopo Grant Khomo 2022 (Sharks B Academy Week 2023)
NOTE: Unathi is skillful athlete who arrived at Westville as a flyhalf but was also used on the wing and will hopefully develop into key player in 2024. In 2023 he was one of three former Ben Vorster players in the Westville 1st XV.
13 Timothy Visagie (Glenwood)
FROM: Rustenburg
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Leopards Grant Khomo 2023
NOTE: Glenwood has an interschools relation with Rustenburg.
14 Rukudzo Madinga (Hilton)
FROM: Grey College
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Free State Grant Khomo 2022
15 Valentino Lenge (Kearsney)
FROM: Diamantveld
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Griquas Grant Khomo 2023 / SA Sevens 2023
Added:
3 Thomas Peach (Michaelhouse)
FROM: Voortrekker (Bethlehem)
YOUTH WEEK ACHIEVEMENT: Griffons Grant Khomo 2023
@Griffin (Comment #43)
There you go, a shock win over Monnas, now to become more consistent…
Well done Westville
@Griffin (Comment #43)
Imagine the outcry say 10 years ago if Glenwood acquired 5x new players, cancelled games, newspaper and website headlines etc….these days not an eyelid batted…#Marnegate
@Griffin (Comment #43)
Not really but everyone is entitled to an opinion….
@Grasshopper (Comment #42)
The less I say, the better…..
@Griffin (Comment #41)
Completely agree with you, bringing in players at grade 10 level is a massive middle finger to the current boys. Just not on. Re Westville, something isn’t clicking, and it’s been a while. The quality at the school is insane. For me its the coaching…..but Beet knocked that theory down….
The lack of loyalty from schools to players who have put in the work and been an integral part of the A teams at u14a and u15a, only to be booted to lower teams at u16 level to make space for ‘bought’ players is very disappointing to witness. Especially when the bought players are not that good. I don’t think the schools realise the effect this has on the boys and the damage it does to their confidence.
I’ll reserve my comments regarding the state of Westville over the last few years, and most likely this year to, suffice to say that its not due to a lack of talent available….
@Dixon’s (Comment #38)
What was the Chris Cloete reason? Another massive loss.
@Dixon’s (Comment #38)
Disappointing if true. He was going to be the cornerstone of the scrum
@beet (Comment #37)
i fully put my hand up and say that this is just me relaying what i overheard and i dont claim that it is 100% true at all, but the details the young man gave about why Dlamini was no longer at Glenwood sounded true and more than 1 boy said roughly the same story. the reason i mention it is because if he is no longer a Glenwood student for whatever reason, Glenwood cant be upset that he goes elsewhere. and also the other school cant be accused of poaching!
@Dixon’s (Comment #36)
Not true.
Teddy left Glenwood for Westville, then returned to Glenwood, then left for DHS.
Glenwood leadership are/were not happy about the circumstances surrounding Teddy leaving.
Please take this as complete speculation because i have no way of proving that it it true.
I was sitting at the Glenwood Under 13 Festival this afternoon and i overheard some Glenwood boys talking to what i assume are their former Primary Schools coaches. and apparently the reason Dlamini left Glenwood EDITED (i wont mention the reason here because its not fair to the young man if its just a rumour)
@KES Oldboy (Comment #31)
Is this not as much of an issue in JHB out of interest? ie boys moving schools after u16 to bolster rugby teams.
@KES Oldboy (Comment #33)
Agreed but any rules that were once in place are gone, it’s the wild west now….
@Grasshopper (Comment #32)@Grasshopper (Comment #32)
I don’t have a Problem with that – primary school kids must go where they want to go. But I do have a problem with U19s playing where the main reason that they are U19 is not because they went to school late or were held back early on – they are held back by the recruiting school to get another year out of them as an U19…..
@KES Oldboy (Comment #31)
And half of the Joburg primary school stars are at Hilton, Michaelhouse or Kearsney….
It’s completely out of hand. I’m not sure what it shows about loyalty with these boys moving so late in their school careers. It’s twofold – the schools showing no loyalty to their existing pupils & the kids showing no loyalty to their schools if they are moving this late. The other thing that concerns me about these moves is that often the boys repeat the year at the same time. That’s why the Natal schools always seem to have a number of U19 players in their teams.
@Pamos (Comment #29)
YEAH, but every school has had age issues, you can’t guarantee age in SA with late birth registration and those ‘boys’ were at Glenwood prep. All the other schools have just managed to hide it better and sweep it under the carpet quickly. Not sure about the Cloete issue…
@Grasshopper (Comment #28)
If I’m not mistaken it started with three boys in 2019/2020. Two of them were part of the scandal for being overaged after making Sharks u13😂 The other boy is Chris Cloete who left Glenwood is currently at Westville. The new management at Glenwood were keen on the idea of a fixture but it’s out the window after Teddy incident probably
@Pamos (Comment #22)
I haven’t forgotten, started via a flyhalf being approached to move to Glenwood about 6 years ago. Also, some grade 7 boys DHS had given bursaries too ended up at Glenwood on day 1 of grade 8. DHS cried and threw toys out of the cot, so decided to scrap rugby fixtures but weirdly still play other sports vs Glenwood, bizarre double standard there. Maybe they are scared of losing the derby as form/strength has never been the decider in the past…….well less so. DHS, OBS and Trust need to step in and say enough is enough now Tony….the derby is 100 years old, that is bigger than you…
@Tang (Comment #23)
Yep, the DHS Trust has very deep pockets, same with the private schools. Glenwood and PBHS have to now progress with the talent they get, maybe a handful of provincial reps in year 8. Glenwood bucked that trend by leading the way in professionalism and when there was much more control on movement etc, now in the wild west, only the strongest financially will survive. Glenwood might as well give up Aquatics now and focus on rugby, basketball and athletics. The demographics of the school have drastically changed over the past 20 years….
@ForeverHorseFly (Comment #25)
Now imagine how much sweeter DHS’s success would have been with wins over the old rivals across the road, unfortunately Tony has tainted this through childish ignorance. The school and it’s history is always bigger than the individual. The Tony years will be seen as a missed opportunity vs a derby rival.
@Skywalker (Comment #24)
To your point even DHS lost two Grant Khomo players last year from the talented U16 2022 team who went on to represent Border and WP XV respectively at craven week as U17 in 2023. So even with all the recent success DHS has been having it was not enough to retain them(not sure of the actual reasons they left). This is the nature of high school rugby now, we need to just support and focus on our schools and try not to dwell too much on the coming and going
of players.
@Grasshopper (Comment #21)
Agree with those 2. Also Michaelhouse had to play catch up with Hilton after the last few years and showed they could with last years team – top in KZN. Will be interesting to see how that continues. Kearsney have Keegan Daniel now as Director, and with Waylon Murray there they know they need to get more proative with getting great talent to bring back their glory teams of early 2000’s. MB College have turned out some good teams again.
To the earlier points, the challenge is keeping key talent. You never own them, so if they want to move to another school you really cant stop them. I dont know Teddy, but it doesnt take much to see how good DHS have been in the last 2 years under Engledow – and Glenwood on the other hand seem to be struggling – so he could easily have asked to move across to give him a chance to play in a better/more successful team and give him a better shot at making a KZN team again etc.
NWood once had both Zuki Tom and Lili Bester in their u14A unbeaten team. Both went on to play SA Schools. They lost them both. Nothing they could do. It happens. And no doubt they have gained some from other schools s well. Thats something to remember – success brings success. The school doesnt need to pay and bribe as much, when parents contact them and ask for tranfers.
@Grasshopper @ForeverHorsefly – It is unfortunate but I think you are both correct – the horse has bolted. If you have 10/15 boys on bursaries per year, it means your first fifteen plus subs are almost exclusively hired guns. It also means the cost of these bursaries (whether funded by old boys, foundations, funds) is extremely expensive. The cost per year is anywhere from R700,000 to R3 million. I recall a time when one hired gun was frowned upon. Now 10 to 15 is table stakes. It reminds me of the cold war and the arms race. It’s a downward spiral and a bottomless pit. Eventually schoolboy rugby is dominated by a few schools who have found the best means to fund bursaries. How sad this is for school sport and the boys who are caught up in this madness. One of the best things about school sport in general was the unpredictable outcome.
I think the Candies are going to have a season from hell!
@Grasshopper (Comment #16)
Seems like you’ve forgotten why Glenwood doesn’t play DHS anymore. Glenwood was a powerhouse and losing to Glenwood as DHS would be terrible for their marketing campaign. I can’t see DHS vs Glenwood as long as Tony is Head Master at DHS. The whole year last year there were rumours of getting the fixture back. But now DHS take Teddy, who was Glenwood’s tight head prop this year and only academy player. Do you think they really wanted to get the fixture back ? Haha
@KatzRugga (Comment #20)
It was Glenwood for a decade maybe more, no longer. My feeling, not being there, is DHS & Hilton are top currently. Recruiting left, right & centre. Northwood could be there, they have the numbers, right location etc
SET UP AND COACHING @BEET
Overall Coaching, conditioning etc. staff?
Overall facilities & rugby program?
Best vision and most likely to surprise over the next 5 years?
@Grasshopper (Comment #18)
Absolutely. That might or might not have been the goal with a Sharks team from tier 2 schools. I in fovour
@KatzRugga (Comment #17)
Khuta Mchunu and James Venter at the Sharks joined Glenwood late, I think Khuta came from Vyrheid in grade 11 and James a bit earlier in grade 9 from Port Shepstone. I think in these cases being in a tier 1 school helped them and they were local….
OVERALL NUMBER PR SCHOOL.
Wonder what the overall number on average is in KZN tier 1 schools for recruited rugby boys in grade 10?
The below stands out. But how many other boys, not making a provinsional team, would have been attached to a tier 1 school via scouting and a little help.
Two years back there was a Sharks team from tier 2 schools. I’m guessing that maybe half of these boys moved onto tier 1 schools too
@Tang (Comment #14)
I agree with Horsie, the horse has bolted unfortunately. None of what you suggested can be enforced. It’s a complete free for all now. So now the ones with the biggest purse wins. I don’t like that Westville secure nearly every SA Schools swimmer on bursary, that is how they’ve protected their unbeaten record there. Westville were nobody in swimming in the 90s when kids landed at schools organically. Glenwood, DHS and Northwood got the surfers, so naturally had good swimming teams. I think like DHS and Glenwood, schools can refuse to play each other due to later movement, it’s unfortunate though as Glenwood now don’t play 3 of their oldest rivals, DHS in Durban and Hilton/Michaelhouse since the 1920s. I would rather see a DHS fixture where we get hammered than a game vs Rustenburg or Westvalia who have no history with us….tough one. Sponsorship, OB payments and TV/Streaming is now embedded, not going to change….good luck to the Candies this year.
@Tang (Comment #14)
I think for the most part most of the suggestions you have put across wouldn’t work. Capping bursaries will be hard to enforce seeing as most if not all of them are funded by Old Boys/foundations or sponsors and not the school themselves so if a certain school has wealthy old boys willing to fund 10 or even 15 bursaries per grade per year, how would anyone stop that?
As for recruitment after grade 8, again you would run into the issue of freedom of movement, kids and their parents will do what they want to do at the end of the day. No one ever questions kids moving schools who aren’t involved in a major sport(in fact no one really cares), it’s only an emotional issue when it relates to rugby because we all fans of the sport and the particular school so losing a talented rugby player who could have helped the school hurts.
As for sponsorship, I think the interest in rugby and the need for touring and attending festivals can get expensive so sponsorship does help reduce those costs…especially since it’s not all kids who can afford it and not all kids who get bursaries that cover those tours. Government schools need to make money where they can and there are a lot of eyeballs on rugby so why not maximize on that interest?
Since there are no rules or regulations regarding recruiting and buying of players, what would common decency dictate?
1) How many rugby bursaries are acceptable per age group? I would say a max of 3.
2) Should schools be given a maximum allowable budget for rugby bursaries? I would say a max of R450,000 per grade. (In the case of private schools this may have to be raised to R800,000 per grade.
3) When is it unacceptable to recruit players? After grade 9 or after grade 10? I would say no recruiting after grade 10 (regardless of circumstances).
4) What should happen to schools who break the basic rules? I would say a season long ban on playing fixtures. Punishment has to be harsh to act as a deterrent.
5) Is sponsorship acceptable for schoolboy rugby? In my view, it’s a hard no. No sponsorship should be allowed. If schools accept sponsorship, they should be given a one season ban.
I would love to hear other views/ thoughts.
@beet (Comment #10)
Maybe, I just personally rate the current group on coaches at Ville. I mean they mustn’t cry about it being tough, they are compensated hansomely for their services, better than some of the top teachers. I can’t see how Glenwood can hold onto Heiberg for much longer..
Jho KZN is lekker stout ne…
It’s scary how much big names are brought to KZN after grade 10. There was a principals agreement of not taking boys from other all boys schools but guess that’s also out the window for these schools. I’m happy about giving boys at lesser recognised schools an opportunity at a bigger school. But if I a boy goes from one big all boy school to another then there must be a problem. I guess they either don’t fit into the culture or are a discipline problem. I wonder if Unions looks at how many times boys have go to different schools and if that plays a role in choosing them..
but this is KZN schools for you..
SOMETIMES YOU'RE THE LOUISVILLE SLUGGER, SOMETIMES YOU'RE THE BALL
I dunno Hopper. It is like the Unai Emery effect. Sometimes you work your butt off and tick every box but the team just does not produce the desired results. Then you go elsewhere, work with a new set of players, apply the exact same principles and voila, everything works out and you’re a godsend.
Often coaches who achieve success at lower age-group A-team level see those promotion doors open. So generally your 1st XV head coach is someone who has proved his worth and been successful somewhere in his past.
All the SBR coaches will tell you it’s a tough, increasingly demanding industry to be in. Just like a bad season can set you back as a rated coach, there is opportunity to build a good lasting reputation off a standout season.
During one of the cut short Covid seasons, Westville had a really good team. If the coach had been afforded the chance to guide them to a top 10 finish that year, the conversions would be different right now. Sometimes it’s those fine lines that ultimately determine polarised opinions.
@beet (Comment #7)
For me Ville have an average coaching contingent, a Jeremy McClaren would have got better results out of them…
@beet I know PBHS has started an initiative with the South African Hall of Fame. Sounds like some bursaries could be given via the Bulls. I have no details on the program but at least it could start a change of heart.
Looking at some of the player acquisitions, this is a very costly business for some schools. Assume Hilton pay 100% for the two acquisitions, the cost is R800k per year. At Kearsney three boys is equal to 1 million per year. This is a big bucks business for private schools.
@Skywalker (Comment #5)
These past two seasons, Westville has started really well. The way they played at KERF suggested they would be up there competing for top spot in the province. Their May/June results have been the let down. In each season played 7 won 2 lost 5. The compo is tough in the province and if the opponents are stronger there is little that can be done but that said Ville just didn’t look like they were able to play close enough to their true potential to reserve those results. I think if they had won just two more matches in the second part of each campaign, there would have been a lot more positivity around Bowden’s about how things are going. They need to collect all the intel around what contributed to things not going to plan in 2022/23 May-June and come up with new ideas on how to approach it differently and hopefully avoid a recurrence.
Third term rugby wouldn’t be a bad place to start. Relief a bit of the congestion. Give the team time to re-energise and refocus. Coaches can also suffer from burnout when they are under the pump week-in, week-out non-stop.
@Tang (Comment #4)
Yeah its really just up to each individual school to decide where they stand on this matter now.
I met Gregary Hassenkamp very briefly after a rugby match in KZN about 10 or so years back. He was the head coach back then. He was very direct in his opposition to sports sponsorship for rugby players. When he became PBHS headmaster, I thought they have appointed the perfect guy to replace Tony R. and continue to proudly hold the moral high ground.
But looking at Tony R where he is now, there is no way he can be part of the same culture as at PBHS. It wouldn’t surprise me even if he is totally opposed to acquiring boys from other high schools, he is now part of a management team that not only condones it, actively supports the practice as well. Its just horses for courses.
The one thing that is clear and was emphasised to me by a top headmaster who is now retired is that when rugby results are good at a high school, the headmaster’s job is that much more pleasant. Rugby is a big deal. Its outside interest popularity possibly exceeds those of all the other school sports combined.
On a seperate point…I feel over the last few years Westville have not performed to the standard of their players. They go big (literally), and have star players throughout, but are mid table. If I recall, Northwood beat them in 2019, despite them having the most KZN Craven Week players that year, (no match in 2020), lost to them in 2021, beat them in 2022 in the return fixture, and lost by only 1 point last year. NW have not had the squads Westville have had the last few years yet have still done well against them. I think was it last year they also started well and then imploded. They had a great u16A team last year and a good 1st team so i expect they should be up there this year – we will see.
Hoerskool Brandwag no longer attending the festival. Any background as to why they are not attending? May be afraid they will have an empty bus on the journey back to Benoni.
@beet – is it acceptable now to recruit players at any age level or from any school. Still no controls on player movements and the fact school boys are hired to play for schools.
Shew, some schools have been busy. Westville with 5 key players. Kearsney and Hilton also not messing around. High calibre players. 2 from Grey College for Hilton. Exactly as i had noted on this blog…they had a poor u16A team in 2022 that needed to be corrected. No surprises. Imagine schools could not recruit after u16. Would be a very interesting…
The issue
Teddy crossing the road has killed the derby for another 5 years. Remember the outcry from DHS a few years back. Marne-gate drifts in the memory for Westville peeps. A free for all now. Clifton swooped in for a Glenwood u16A prop too…
I am really surprised to see a Glenwood player move across to DHS, makes my hope to see the great rivalry come back look unlikely anytime soon.