I will be honest. I expected an Old Kingswoodian backlash of note after their 1st XV went down 17-26 to Port Rex on the City Lords Field on Saturday 18 May 2024. Yet most of their support base seems to be chilled. They are OK with it!
The mitigating factor: Kingswood ran onto the field minus 12 first choice players who were at EP trials that Saturday.
It was an unprecedented number of candidates of the small Co-ed private from Makhanda, who in years gone by were able to cope in matches despite having a few missing players on EP’s Meyer Sauerman trials weekend.
Instead of cancelling or attempting to downgrade the Port Rex match, Kingswood honoured the match as a full 1st XV fixture which included handing out debut caps to several boys.
Like a lot of other schools Kingswood are investing a good deal of money into their 1st XV rugby programme, so the results do matter. That said showing their community what it means to face a challenge head-on is priceless.
The icing on the cake is that 10 Kingswood players went to be picked for the Eastern Province u18 Craven Week team. The school with a little more than 200 boys could not come close to this remarkable feat when they are part of the smaller EPCD region.
@Overlooked lad (Comment #24)
Yeah, I agree. It’s not OK to raid your own local rivals to bolster a team. In their own head they might think they are earning respect. Hudson is a great nursery…they should send a fat invoice to KC.
@RuggaFreak (Comment #27)
Left Gleenwood with ukhona kama who is also at Hudson more of an academic and behavioral issue from what I’ve heard
@jules (Comment #25)
It’s more a numbers issue than anything else. On most weekends KC can only put out 8 teams, sometimes more on derby days against GC and SAC. I think over the years the player numbers have dropped a bit because I clearly remember (before u16 age group) there was a 6th team for Kdays. Maybe a similar trend to what’s happening over at Bishops…
@RuggaFreak (Comment #23)
Agree, the three from Hudson would’ve made Border CW. Maybe one point that’s overlooked is that they moved when Winstanley moved from Hudson to KC. Not sure this was coincidence, but what I do know for sure is that they have benefitted greatly from his coaching these last two years.
Personally, I’m not for kids from rival schools coming over on bursaries. Having said that, I do know that many do apply through the official channels for bursaries etc.
@Overlooked lad (Comment #24)
How did Klaas move from to Glenwood,play a few games and then move back to Hudson ?
I think it’s more of a numbers issue as Kingswood doesn’t have a B team for every age group and thier 3rd XV plays the occasional dearby day
Now it makes sence why KC dont have fixtures against top EC schools sure the money bags will be out agains Dale next week again poor Dale.
Very unfortunate as Hudson could have had one hell of a 1st team if all thier players from their star studded u16 dream team of 2022 had stayed ,sadly 9=Archie went to Kingswood, 10=Praise went to Kingswood, 11=Vizi went to Kingswood, 12- Sisipho “naynay” Dwayi went to Gleenwood and 15=Kepe went to Kingswood, add that to the current crop of the of D’Angelo,Shaq Wright, Bubbles Mtshini and qiqa qwesha and what a team it could have been
@Wyvern (Comment #14)
Wouldn’t be tough for Kepe and Matsila, they would’ve easily made border. Why do you guys not care cause Hudson is a rivalry school and you guys still poached from them ? Hudson is a good model C school with a good program that you guys ruined for your own joy,why ? Poach from disadvantaged areas and completely change a kids life. I think also this why your boys are poorly behaved, they come in late hardly knowing what KC is about. No man
@Overlooked lad (Comment #20)
I don’t agree. Top 5 maybe, but definitely not the best in EC. Also, the 14 you refer to plays 2nds.
Thats a big statement to make as they are not playing Selborne, Grey, Framesby or Queens looking at who they have won this year they only beated Hilton thats in the top lWyberg drew to St Johs lets fist see how ghey go against NM and Dale.
Kingswood have invested heavily in their first team recently, of the current crop
No. 3 comes from DHS, 4 from Northcliff, 5 from gleenwood,7 from Adelaide,9 from Hudson, 10 from Hudson,11 from Hudson,13 from Hudson, 14 from north cliff. Lots of recruitment but it’s payed off as they are the best team in the Eastern cape
THEY'RE JUST KIDS
1. All these boys had 2 years of sport affected by the pandemic (scholarships etc in Gr6,7 &/or 8)
2. Schools ‘own’ players and they stop them being poached by other schools in their province (sad but true) There’s a lot more at play than just buying players
3. These boys live rugby. They DESERVE this. Please don’t take it away from them
4. Buying players – honestly, if you read the stats you’ll see a lot of springboks were poached to bigger schools in Gr10/11. This happens ALL the time, ALL over the world.
This negative commentary is so disappointing
These young men deserve their spots and now need our support at Craven Week!
I’m not sure why Beet would expect a backlash from OKs? As mentioned, they had a number of players at trials (probably nothing to do with JW being at the helm of Kingswood Rugby and in SA Schools coaching set up). KC has such a small number of boys that they have to buy players in just to compete, cannot rely on traditional intake. Agree with Comment #16, the players brought in weren’t from a lucky packet, but were provincial reps.
@Ystervark (Comment #16)
Nobody is being defensive nor am I denying that they are talented kids. The point I was trying to make below is that the opportunity and exposure they all have now is greater than what they would’ve had at their previous schools. My question was, how many of them would’ve made CW had they stayed, also considering the coaching and facilities available to them at KC..
@Wyvern (Comment #14)
This narrative that you have imported a bunch of no name brand players and they are only getting recognised because they came to Kingswood is nonsensical. Almost all had played Grant Khomo from other schools before being brought in.
The 3 from Hudson all Border Grant Khomo players. Nonyalela played Grant Khomo out of Adelaide. Ukekwe and Katikati were named in the New Gen Sharks u15 squad in 2022 system. Ukekwe was captain of his team at DHS. One of the twins played Lions Grant Khomo – amazing feat coming out of a school like Northcliff.. Ndlazi played Border CD.
Just own the fact that you guys go and “buy a 1st team”. Stop being defensive about it
@Kaya 85 (Comment #11)
We can debate ethics of offering scholarships til forever. My previous post #14 stands…
Re your observations online, it’s your opinion. Not too sure what match you’re referring to last year (presumably kday?) but to paint a whole school/community with the same brush says more about you imo.
@Pamos (Comment #13)
100%
If we take the below list from Ystervark, which of those players would’ve made the Craven Week team in their previous provinces? It would’ve been tough for all. I would hazard a guess and say that the exposure and opportunity they’re all getting now is well above what they would’ve gotten previously.
@Ystervark (Comment #10)
I think you can make a case with Junior as he was at a ‘disadvantage’ school before Kingswood and this could set him up for after school.
Looks like KC should stand for “Koop Kollege”
@Wyvern (Comment #4)
Not sour grapes…Budget discrepancy.
And ethics…
The way Kingswood players, & supporters carried on and on in the games we saw online last year, they were an arrogant entitled bunch. If that’s your school, I hope u take a big hiding.
@Pamos (Comment #8)
Add Junior Ndlazi u17 2024 to that list too
Poor kids paying school fees( not cheap) playin14A to 16A never to play fist team place taken by an no school fees paying inport.
I know that Kepe was given a scholarship in 2023 and Liyema Katikati was given a scholarship in 2024.
@IanC (Comment #6)
3 – u16 2023
Twins – u17 2024
The rest u17 2023
So yeah I’m pretty certain
@Ystervark (Comment #5)
“off the top of your head”…how certain are you of this information and in what years did these boys arrive from respective schools you state?
@jules (Comment #3)
Off the top of my head the 3 came from DHS, lock and wing/centre (twins) came from Northcliff, 7 from Adelaide, 9 10 and 13 from Hudson Park. Might be others not too sure
@jules (Comment #3)
Sounds like sour grapes to me…
How many of the boys that played Port rex will ever play fist team again? Or will KC not just buy a new team next year? How many of the players that made cravenweek was at KC 0/16? Would be geeat to see the 0/16 boys go on to play fist team in 2 years time.
At the time I was torn between having the fixture/downgrading the fixture and going ahead. I think if the scoreline was a heavy loss there might have been a different reaction from the OB community. Having said that, the boys gave a great account of themselves and if not for a few soft moments probably could’ve/should’ve won the match (they were leading at HT and unlucky not to be up more).
What won me over in the end was that you could see that the boys rose to the occasion with grit, kept to their structures, but were eventually undone by inexperience in my opinion.
All in all some good motivation for those players for the rest of the season, and for the gr11s to put in the work for next year.
NO BACKLASH
Congrats to all the kids who were selected for EP Craven Week, and on most days I would have preferred a win over Port Rex, but then again, so glad we got to cap players and we stood up and honoured the fixture in full and as they say in the classics, even if you lose, so long as you gave it your best and you can walk away proud that you did.