This is an analysis of the of SA School cricket and rugby selections 1994 – 2013, in other words the last 20 years. For the sake of creating a common base of measurement, schools have been assigned to their rugby regions as opposed to their cricket regions which differ in some cases.
Western Province is the top region followed by the Blue Bulls and KZN in third place.
Grey College from Bloemfontein is the top SA School player producing school overall as well as the top rugby school. Grey High School in Port Elizabeth is the top SA Schools cricket player producer during this period of analysis. Waterkloof comes out first amongst the co-ed schools, while Kearsney is the leading private school.
| RANK | REGION | CRICKET | CRICKET | RUGBY | RUGBY | TOTAL | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLAYERS | % | PLAYERS | % | PLAYERS | % | ||
| 1 | Western Province | 38 | 15.6% | 87 | 19.1% | 125 | 17.9% |
| 2 | Blue Bulls | 26 | 10.7% | 73 | 16.0% | 99 | 14.2% |
| 3 | KwaZulu-Natal | 37 | 15.2% | 38 | 8.3% | 75 | 10.7% |
| 4 | Free State | 16 | 6.6% | 54 | 11.8% | 70 | 10.0% |
| 5 | Golden Lions | 37 | 15.2% | 26 | 5.7% | 63 | 9.0% |
| 6 | Eastern Province | 31 | 12.8% | 27 | 5.9% | 58 | 8.3% |
| 7 | Border | 13 | 5.3% | 31 | 6.8% | 44 | 6.3% |
| 8 | Pumas | 2 | 0.8% | 30 | 6.6% | 32 | 4.6% |
| 9 | Boland | 7 | 2.9% | 24 | 5.3% | 31 | 4.4% |
| 10 | South Western Districts | 3 | 1.2% | 27 | 5.9% | 30 | 4.3% |
| 11 | Valke | 8 | 3.3% | 11 | 2.4% | 19 | 2.7% |
| 12 | Leopards | 4 | 1.6% | 12 | 2.6% | 16 | 2.3% |
| 13 | Eastern Province CD | 10 | 4.1% | 3 | 0.7% | 13 | 1.9% |
| 14 | Griffons | 3 | 1.2% | 8 | 1.8% | 11 | 1.6% |
| 14 | Griquas | 8 | 3.3% | 3 | 0.7% | 11 | 1.6% |
| 16 | Limpopo Bulls | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.3% |
| TOTAL | 243 | 100% | 456 | 1 | 699 | 1 | |
| BY SCHOOL | |||||||
| RANK | SCHOOL | CRICKET | CRICKET | RUGBY | RUGBY | TOTAL | TOTAL |
| PLAYERS | % | PLAYERS | % | PLAYERS | % | ||
| 1 | Grey College | 13 | 5.3% | 44 | 9.6% | 57 | 8.2% |
| 2 | Affies | 10 | 4.1% | 27 | 5.9% | 37 | 5.3% |
| 3 | Grey HS | 21 | 8.6% | 7 | 1.5% | 28 | 4.0% |
| 3 | Waterkloof | 3 | 1.2% | 25 | 5.5% | 28 | 4.0% |
| 5 | Paarl Gim | 1 | 0.4% | 19 | 4.2% | 20 | 2.9% |
| 6 | Paul Roos | 2 | 0.8% | 17 | 3.7% | 19 | 2.7% |
| 7 | KES | 12 | 4.9% | 5 | 1.1% | 17 | 2.4% |
| 8 | Selborne | 6 | 2.5% | 9 | 2.0% | 15 | 2.1% |
| 9 | HJS Paarl BH | 1 | 0.4% | 13 | 2.9% | 14 | 2.0% |
| 9 | Kearsney | 4 | 1.6% | 10 | 2.2% | 14 | 2.0% |
| 9 | Maritzburg College | 6 | 2.5% | 8 | 1.8% | 14 | 2.0% |
| 12 | Dale | 3 | 1.2% | 10 | 2.2% | 13 | 1.9% |
| 12 | Monument | 0 | 0.0% | 13 | 2.9% | 13 | 1.9% |
| 12 | Outeniqua | 2 | 0.8% | 11 | 2.4% | 13 | 1.9% |
| 15 | Ermelo | 1 | 0.4% | 11 | 2.4% | 12 | 1.7% |
| 16 | DHS | 9 | 3.7% | 2 | 0.4% | 11 | 1.6% |
| 17 | Glenwood | 5 | 2.1% | 5 | 1.1% | 10 | 1.4% |
| 17 | Oakdale | 0 | 0.0% | 10 | 2.2% | 10 | 1.4% |
| 19 | Boland Landbou | 1 | 0.4% | 8 | 1.8% | 9 | 1.3% |
| 19 | St Andrew’s | 8 | 3.3% | 1 | 0.2% | 9 | 1.3% |
| 19 | Vereeniging Gim | 3 | 1.2% | 6 | 1.3% | 9 | 1.3% |
| 19 | Wynberg | 7 | 2.9% | 2 | 0.4% | 9 | 1.3% |
| 23 | Bishops | 3 | 1.2% | 5 | 1.1% | 8 | 1.1% |
| 23 | Hilton | 7 | 2.9% | 1 | 0.2% | 8 | 1.1% |
| 23 | Rondebosch | 7 | 2.9% | 1 | 0.2% | 8 | 1.1% |
| 23 | St Alban’s | 3 | 1.2% | 5 | 1.1% | 8 | 1.1% |
| 27 | Noord-Kaap | 6 | 2.5% | 1 | 0.2% | 7 | 1.0% |
| 27 | Pretoria BH | 3 | 1.2% | 4 | 0.9% | 7 | 1.0% |
| 27 | St Stithian’s | 7 | 2.9% | 0 | 0.0% | 7 | 1.0% |
| 30 | Die Brandwag | 1 | 0.4% | 5 | 1.1% | 6 | 0.9% |
| 30 | HTS Middelburg | 0 | 0.0% | 6 | 1.3% | 6 | 0.9% |
| 30 | Hudson Park | 3 | 1.2% | 3 | 0.7% | 6 | 0.9% |
| 30 | New Orleans | 5 | 2.1% | 1 | 0.2% | 6 | 0.9% |
| 30 | St John’s | 6 | 2.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 6 | 0.9% |
| 30 | Westville | 0 | 0.0% | 6 | 1.3% | 6 | 0.9% |
| 36 | Daniel Pienaar | 2 | 0.8% | 3 | 0.7% | 5 | 0.7% |
| 36 | Louis Botha | 0 | 0.0% | 5 | 1.1% | 5 | 0.7% |
| 36 | Michaelhouse | 1 | 0.4% | 4 | 0.9% | 5 | 0.7% |
| 36 | Nelspruit | 0 | 0.0% | 5 | 1.1% | 5 | 0.7% |
| 40 | Centurion | 2 | 0.8% | 2 | 0.4% | 4 | 0.6% |
| 40 | Florida | 0 | 0.0% | 4 | 0.9% | 4 | 0.6% |
| 40 | Kasselvlei | 0 | 0.0% | 4 | 0.9% | 4 | 0.6% |
| 40 | Queen’s | 1 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.7% | 4 | 0.6% |
| 40 | SACS | 1 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.7% | 4 | 0.6% |
| 40 | Worcester Gim | 1 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.7% | 4 | 0.6% |
| 46 | Bellville THS | 3 | 1.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 0.4% |
| 46 | Drostdy | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 0.7% | 3 | 0.4% |
| 46 | Hentie Cilliers | 1 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.4% |
| 46 | Jafta Mahlangu | 3 | 1.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 0.4% |
| 46 | Jan Viljoen | 1 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.4% |
| 46 | Menlopark | 1 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.4% |
| 46 | Pietersburg | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 0.7% | 3 | 0.4% |
| 46 | Rustenburg | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 0.7% | 3 | 0.4% |
| Other Schools | 57 | 23.5% | 104 | 22.8% | 161 | 23.0% | |
| TOTAL | 243 | 100% | 456 | 1 | 699 | 1 |
HTS Daniel Pienaar has 4 rugby and not 3.
2004 – Luvuyo Mhlobiso
2005 – Dewald Potgieter
2005 – Vincent Gwavu
2012 – Aidon Davies
@Gungets Tuft: Definitely 6′-8′ – the Hawaiians would be calling it 5′! We grew up sizing waves based on swell size from trough to peak or from the back which is always substantially less than the size of the face when it breaks. I always understood that calling wave size on that basis had its origins in Hawaii but having spent a few seasons on the North shore I can confirm that they take understatement to another level. Solid 12′-15′ sunset beach is never bigger than 8′-10′
@Gungets Tuft: Thanks for that clip! Rudi Palmboom Snr, still shredding. Rudi Palmboom Jnr Glenwood Old Boy :-). That surf looks 10 feet to me…you measure the face…
Maybe some Hawaiians in this video as well. The text says 6 – 8 foot, looks closer to 12 to me, and now for the faint hearted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfvLNZ91EHQ
Meadows
when there’s a cyclone off Madagascar we have 20′ swell’s – seen that a few times – a 15 footer at Dairy happens maybe once a year – trust me no exaggeration here – did it once but never again – left a long brown trail in my wake ……..
@Andre T: $ 115 (Light), but the commodity spot price for Thai rice is higher @ $ 1023 pt
@BOG: Can you please tell me what is the current price of Brent Crude Oil?
@Greenwood: @Gungets Tuft:
I have to confess I’ve never seen Dairy at 15′ but then I’m a little old school (read old!) and tend to subscribe to the Hawaiian penchant for understatement of wave size where nothing is ever over 8′-10′ even when it is clearly 3-4X overhead
Biggest surf I’ve experienced on the SA coast is around 10′ with the odd 12′ sets at the Rock or Outer Komm.
@Greenwood: 15 foot wave at Dairy …. that would be 5m. It’s been a while …..
Surf ski .. indeed. Got taken out at Pirates 2 years ago – knee reconstruction cost R50k after my foot got caught in the strap (silly mistake – should have had them out but got caught by surprise). Still find a full river more fun than surf ski …
Might have to change my Christmas pressie list … surfboard .. and lotto .. so I have some time to actually do all this stuff.
Gungets
Surfing is the best by far – nothing to compare – had many years of this in my early 20’s – most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done – even a full Duzi cannot compare – ride a 15 ft wave at Dairy – huge white water on the Umko doesn’t come close – after surfing took up surf skiing – also scary stuff ….
@Grasshopper: I think you would be surprised at how many players from smaller schools got selected back then. Unfortunately I don’t have the teams for CW from 1974 (which was when the first SA Schools side was picked – lends itself to checking the conversion from CW – SA Schools).
In the back of my mind I remember Estcourt, Ixopo, Howick, Greytown, all getting a look in, the odd player here and there. Names like Plank Atherton, Murray Dawson spring to mind …???
Now, since I started the train of thought way back on this thread (wondering about the conversion from SA Schools to the national side, and the origins of the players who make the national side and not schools sides, and where they were from) – my contribution as to why this might be the case could easily go back to :
1. Coaching at school – sometimes latent talent never becomes evident.
2. The single top player at a school might never reach their potential due to the team itself not providing the support.
That said, a skilled selector that travels to other matches, as I know Skonk did, will see that and call the oke up to trials. It happened internally at College all the time, Skonk was known for finding players in lower teams and having them in the first side in the space of weeks, centres retreading as loose forwards was a particular skill of his.
So, to answer your question …. no, I don’t think Skonk retreated to a comfort zone, ever. Too humble, and too proud. Chat to SLM, ask him what he thinks … he would have known him as a coach and as a “colleague”.
@Gungets Tuft: Having done both I can assure you that there is very little that compares to the adrenalin rush of big surf.
@Grasshopper: @beet:
I had a look at the MHS Craven Week, SA Schools and conversion to senior pro rugby stats over the last 10 years (from 2004 – 2013).
– 26 Craven Week representatives – heavy weighting in ’07,’08 &’12 with 6 reps each)
– 5 Craven Week captains – ’05,’07,’08,’09,’12
– 2 SA Schools (Pat Lambie in 2007-8 and Pat Howard in 2010)
– 2 SA Schools “B” (Ross Cronje -07 and Robert de Bruyn – 08)
– 12 have played senior pro rugby – minimum Currie Cup or international equivalent. (2 of these did not play CW so aren’t included in the 26 above)
– 2 Springboks in Pat Lambie and Pat Cilliers
I’ve excluded U19 and U21 Currie Cup and Varsity Cup from the definition of “senior” pro which obviously precludes most of the post 2010 crop from developing as senior players.
@BoishaaiPa: Tans lyk die kanse goed dat Bellville weer teen SACS gaan speel by die Brackenfell Rugbydag op die 22ste, met Outeniqua vs Drostdy as die hoofwedstryd, so sal Porterville mis hierdie jaar. Die HJS/Stellenberg o/15 wedstryd behoort ‘n lekker game te wees.
@Ploegskaar: Sien daar op die Porterville Rugbydag 21/22 Mrt is daar n paar lekker games. HJS se o/14’s en o/15’s vs Stellenberg en Tygerberg…0/19A’s speel Punt. Gaan jy kyk?
@oldschool: your sarcasm is much appreciated ;-)
@All Black: Jeez, you guys are taking it in the wrong way. My point is coaches will always prefer to work with players they know than those they don’t, hence naturally many many great players from smaller rugby schools never made Natal in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s etc…….their was certainly some bias in those era’s as their was literally no structures in place, bar appointing the coach and he selected who he thought best. No one really questioned things like we do today where we know more. Glenwood won the best KZN rugby school trophy for 4 years in a row so for those years their selections were justified. I do agree the past 2 years have been different and the number selected was far too high…..
@Grasshopper: thanks for the insight into choir ….my initial comment was a tongue in cheak brag to meadows about KC being the number one PRVT school in the country and I merely threw our choirs performance in there to add balance to my statement ….
@Grasshopper: Lets just say that Skonk would not have passed a comment like that about you if the roles were reversed.
@Grasshopper: And another point, I don’t know Sean Erasumus, but a number of my mates, who’s opinions I rate very highly, do know him very well, and they are certain he is not the type of man that would influence selections unfairly, they describe him as a man of high integrity. I wonder if that had anything to do with his departure. Keep on sifting through the woodpile, but Sean isn’t your man.
@Grasshopper: Careful now. I very much doubt that 2nd and 3rd choice College players were ever invited to trials, so lets not try to smokescreen the discussion. When you look at the results from those years the College selections for CW were backed up by results against other KZN schools, as well as a fair conversion to SA schools selections.
I am not entering the discussion, just making the point that this diversion will be defended. If you wish, it will not be a difficult task to match College KZN results to selections for CW, just to see if there is a correlation, provided that is matched by the same effort on your part
@Jordaan: Yep, we all know that. Petros Methula, Jaydon Hill, Ricky Schnetler & Shaun Malton since 2000. Siyabonga Thom was struck from the records. For Glenwood that is far better than the previous 20 years, where we only had Baronet (85) and La Marque (79 Capt). All things are relative…..the mass Glenwood selection has only really happened in the past 3 years, not sure it was all to do with Sean Erasmus as he was only assistant coach. Fred Zeilanga was another who probably would have made SA Schools if he didn’t pick up that injury at College….he would have been Goosen’s understudy. Brian Shabangu and Carel Swart where SA Schools 7’s picks too. Anyway, I hope going forward the Glenwood boys picked for Craven Week are there on merit only. I wonder if Skonk ever picked College boys for Natal schools because he knew them better….
Include Jukskei please
@Ploegskaar: Then you would hate me, I am the oke body surfing in the lineup
Hockey is not the sport it was, with astro it is a high pace, high speed game, check one out sometime.
Canoeing, too much fun if you have some decent water. I don’t surf, intend learning but struggle for time with the other interests, but if surfing gives the same buzz as a big water day 3 of Dusi then I am missing something.
@Grasshopper: My initial take on this is that the number of Glenwood rugby players that have made SA Schools over the last 20 years is extremely low based on the number of KZN Schools selections they’ve had.
I would like to see a comparison on the number of KZN schools rugby players selected and the conversion rate to SA Schools. What you’ll find is that Glenwood have a very low conversion rate given the number of KZN schools selections they’ve had over the last 10 years.
@Gungets Tuft:
T’was a toss up between you and Woltrui to reply. Don’t pretend to know much about hockey and paddling to be honest. As I said, surf is another story, although I am certainly not fond of ballies with surf-ski’s, SUP’s or barges out at the back on a big day. Plenty of adrenaline during the CT winters though, with the chance of a bit of contact if it gets too crowded 
@Ploegskaar: I want to see you run out against a short corner in hockey, with a drag flick coming at your head at 160kph, from 1/4 the distance that Dale Steyn bowls. Might turn you into a girl.
Let me paddle you down a 35 cumec river, or a on a ski out through a 2m break. Lots of sports can make you blink.
@Grasshopper: True, it’s definitely an extramural activity, in my opinion similar to the obscure hobbies and past-times such as water polo and swimming often discussed here, at length. Hockey is for girls, same with basketball and tennis. Cricket is a sport that you do while waiting for the rugby season, but which should not interfere once rugby starts. Likewise athletics, a necessary evil that at least keeps the boys fit. Surfing is a sport, big balls required, so too F1 and WRC, even bigger balls required.
@oldschool: I am aware of their past achievements and successes in specific categories. I listed current rankings in overall categories, but you can read up on the SMK’s achievements at http://www.smk.org.za should you be so inclined.
@Gungets Tuft: Kelly Madsen too; http://www.mrpricesport.com/Heroes/kelly.aspx
@Gungets Tuft: Yeah, maybe…
LB Madsen – 1961
MB Madsen – 1968-1981 (13 years playing for the national side)
PL Madsen – 1976-1987 (11 years)
TR Madsen – 1977-1987 (10 years)
3 brothers playing at the same time, that must be some sort of record in SA. 35 years between them….
Also, Paddy Madsen’s son Lloyd went to Kearsney and is in the National side now….so 5 reps from one family….
@Grasshopper: For best hockey family I reckon the Bestall’s, Turnbull’s, Evans and Paton’s might have something to say. Puffy Edwards might also go all pensive. All below are SA reps.
DA Bestall 1951
FC Bestall 1957(Capt)
D Bestall 1970(Capt)
GR Turnbull 1979
DD Turnbull 1979
SL Evans 1995*
IL Evans 2002*
WR Paton 2007
TM Paton 2009
All that said, the Madsens are still going strong, the Madsens 11 still play often in Durban, klapping all and sundry. Brilliant all round sportsmen.
@oldschool: FYI – choir is an extra-mural activity not a sport. Well done to Kearsney on this, you certainly need the money to do all those international tours. To be honest look at Lady Smith Black Mambaso, they were a few poor Zulu boys who could sing amazing African songs and because the western world love this sort of music they made it internationally.
If you included hockey, then KES, College, South Suburbs and Grey PE would gain the most. I think my beloved Glenwood would stay around 17th, although we could say we had arguably the best hockey striker in SA history, Greg Nicol and the best hockey family in SA, the Madsens….
@beet: I am trying to find please forward if you find. Regards
@Roger: Theo suggested I read it but we don’t get the Star in Durbs and I could not find it online.
@Tjoppa: ha ha …I didn’t make much note of the picture ….. was to quick to cut and paste !!!
@oldschool: Dra die seuns rokke. Nee magtig man g’n wonder die wereld is in so ‘n gemors nie. Seuns dra broeke en meisies broekies. Klaar
@Ploegskaar: have a look at these stats oumaat !!!
http://www.kearsney.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=85
@Gungets Tuft: wow – incredible stats – I didnt realize College had such a hockey pedigree. Those cane farmers obviously practise batting the rats away
College hockey
Total SA Schools – 62
Total South Africa – 28
Since 1994
SA Schools – 46
South Africa – 15
@Roger: Okay I thought it was the SAS stats for 1992 and from the beginning.
@BoishaaiPa: broaden your horizons and get with the game otherwise move on to the next article
Read Theo Garrun’s article on schoolboy rugger in last weeks Sat Star (if you can get a copy) and you will soon realize why interest in rugger is waning and why soon all talent will be concentrated at elite rugby schools (academies) controlled by the unions and 100% professional – its just not cricket old chap
@Tjoppa: read Max Du Preez’s Pale Native – it will give a good indication
@beet: confused – those are SA Schools stats you have pulled up – I am talking National representation here?
@beet: While we are at it and seeing that although Hockey is played in the Boland, but at a smaller scale and Gymkana is also a big sport overe here, we should include all the Gymkana SA Schools riders and Boks as well….add Waterpolo, Tiddlywinks, wrestling etc….and we will get a different result each time around!..This is a schoolboy rugby site..it was born from the love of SBR…not cricket or hockey or waterpolo. so we should stick with the one sport…Rugby!
@beet: Agree 100% Beet but believe it or not I think the hysterics surrounding success and winning is robbing our kids of a wonderful growing up experience.
I read again this morning the article of the athlete from Florida High that was loaded into a car and taken to EG Jansen yesterday. Why do they not rather load him on a cattle truck because this is exactly what he is. A piece of meat. Where is his parents that is suppose to guard him with their life. He is now hated in his home town, old school and sure as hell all will not welcome him at his new school.
I am meeting a lot of schoolboy stars and can count the balanced and happy humans on one hand. Now we wonder what happened in the lives of the WKloof4, Oscar etc etc etc. I will tell you what happened US PARENTS.
@Tjoppa: I dunno Tjops but a lot of people seem to enjoy reading these stats. SASchoolSports even used the last one in their magazine. At the end of the day it’s just one of many forms of measuring success under certain given criteria – definitely not an absolute.
@Roger: Rugby seems fine but where is the cricket difference coming from:
1994 Neil McKenzie
1998 Graeme Smith
1999 Graeme Smith
2000 Stephen Cook
2003 Vaughan van Jaarsveld
2003 Blake Snijman
2006 Wesly Landsdale
2009 Malcolm Nofal
2010 Quinton De Kock
2012 Shaylen Pillay
2013 Grant Roelofsen
2013 Yaseen Valli
1997 Joe van Niekerk
1998 Joe van Niekerk
2008 Wandile Mjekeyu
2009 Siyabonga Ntubeni
2012 Malcolm Marx
@Playa: When do we start with crossing the interracial language barriers.
@beet: And when you are done with that maybe you can establish who are descendants from the early Dutch colonial oppressors that arrived in the late 1600’s and who are the result of interracial contact. I know for a fact that surnames like Wessels, van der Merwe, Stoop, de Bruin, Pollard, Jones, Smith are already known for jumping the fence. It will be interesting to see how many boys seen as European is actual South Africaan.
@beet: KES overall:
Rugby 7
Cricket 27
Hockey 15
Since 1992
Rugby 4
Cricket 10
Hockey 7
@Greenwood: Shosholoza
@Roger: If someone passes on the hockey teams for the last 20 years, I will gladly do it.
Anyway I have rating formula plan in the pipeline to assess who the whole cricket and rugby thing in terms of success achieved after school. So amongst other things, I will rerank the schools and determine which code has been better at selecting future stars (not that this has ever been the criteria for SAS) and finally we can see which year was the best year of the lot in terms of SAS future stars selection goes. Reminder all will be based on after school achievement.
I’m with Gungets here – would love to see a list for cricket, rugby and hockey national players (as all bloggers here say – SA schools doesn’t mean much in the greater scheme of things). I’m putting hockey in there as it is probably the fourth biggest team sport at most schools and nationwide (after rugby, cricket and soccer).
The list should include all national players (whether they have been capped by SA or Eng, NZ etc – thus the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Matt Stevens, Brad Barritt, Kruger Van Wyk should be included – but they have to have matriculated in SA.
As far as cricket is concerned it should also include T20, ODI and test caps – rugby limited to only test rugby (sevens doesn’t count)
And the list should only go back to 1992 – readmission (this is only so Beet can get some sleep)
Over to you Mr Beet
Old School
I tell you what give me goosies – every time I hear it at Kearsney – the Kearsney boys in the stands singing Shozeloza (Not sure about the spelling)
@BoishaaiPa: I believe that the conversion rate from SA Schools to Boks or Proteas is around 12%.
Depending on your perspective as to who would form part of a first choice Bok starting 15 it is interesting how many key players did not make the SA Schools side – Le Roux, Habana, JP Pietersen, Jacque Fourie, Morne Steyn, Fourie Du Preez, Duane Vermuelen, F Louw, Wim Alberts, Marcel Coetzee (didnt play CWeek), Jannie Du Plessis.
Jean de Villiers did, as did Bismarck, Flip VD Merwe, Bakkies, Coenie and Pat Lambie
See that EG Jansen is at it again – picked up Previously Disadvantaged kid at Florida High School, one day before inter hoer, and disappeared with him.
@BoishaaiPa: Agree 100%, as with the Stormers and WP, the poor results are a reflection on the coaching staff rather than the available talent (as is the case with the Bulls I suppose).
@Ploegskaar: Told you that thing about choirs is true!…Naah..just kidding, but there is serious problem at Maties…It’s definatly not the player quality as 13 of them were part of WP u/19 and WP u/21 teams that won junior Currie Cups, so I tend to look at the coach. ..Last year already he was lucky to get wins with some of previous coach’s leftovers. This year his lack of experience is showing!
@Woltrui: How many of those Waterkloof boys are playing or played prof and/or Bok rugby?..Convesrion rate is important as that correlates to real impact on SA Rugby.
Other big surprise for me. Plattelandse schools like New Orleans, Hudson Park, Nelspruit and HTS Middelburg producing more SA school players than established schools like Queens, Menlopark and SACS, for example.
@BoishaaiPa: With regards to Maties you might be right though, no1 choir in the world and the rugby as kak as it comes.
Waterkloof has a better average for producing SA school cricket and rugby players than Paul Roos, Paarl Gim, KES, Selborne and HJP the past 20 years!! Third on the list = with Grey PE. Is that stat correct Mr Beet? Big surprise!
Waterkoof also producing 3rd most schoolboy rugby players after Grey Bloem and Affies the past 20 years??? I am not being sarcastic, just really surprised that they produce more than the big 3 Cape schools. Would have thought Grey Bloem, Affies, PR, Paarl Gim and Bois High should have been way ahead of the other schools (rugby stats).
@BoishaaiPa: I didn’t bring up the subject of choirs, but had to clear up the facts though. Both GCB and Affies have T10 national choirs as well, so not to sure about that correlation of yours either.
@Ploegskaar: Seriously?..choirs?..I think their is a correlative relation between choirs and rugby…The better the choir the kakker the rugby!…
@oldschool: Uhm, you have to at least win the National Choir Festival (2013 held in Bloemfontein) before talking of a World Champion Choir. No doubt the Kearsney College Choir is good, they won the all-boys division last year and came in 3rd overall after Menlo (2) and the Stellenberg Girls’ Choir (1), but to put it in perspective:
-They are ranked 48th overall in the world, the Stellenberg Girls’ Choir 10th
-They are not ranked under the top 50 Youth Choirs in the world, the Stellenberg Girls’ Choir is ranked 2nd
@Gungets Tuft: Clyde Rathbone somehow made it from Kingsway to captaining the SA U21’s and playing for Australia. I suspect that it is becoming more difficult to do that each year.
@Gungets Tuft: For as long as I can remember, admittingly on a clear day, this unfair and injust system was in place. Whatever changes you make will simply result in the same results. Therefore if you think that your child has what it takes. Take him to the top school in your area and bribe the coach. Otherwise it is going to be a long long road.
@Tjoppa: Ya, to an extent as well. I sometimes think it is too much trouble for selectors to watch the smaller school games. Many years ago I have a mate at Kingsway (I think), superb batsman, but he was never invited to trials. Kingsway never played the bigger schools, the reults always glossed over as “2nd tier” …
Solution? – perhaps every school gets given a “wildcard” or two, to send a boy to trials if they wish, no questions asked. But then adding up the number of schools .. you could end up with 400 boys at trials. The regional system should work, but it doesn’t.
@meadows: nice to see Kearsney so far ahead of both MHS and Hilton …. cementing our current status as the top private school in the country ….the top IEB academic school for last 5/6 years in the country ….. the top SA sport represented private school and a world champion choir !!!!!
@Gungets Tuft: I agree – a more meaningful analysis IMO would be the number of internationals or even senior professional players produced in either sport. the conversion rate from SA Schools to the senior pro ranks is surprisingly low.
@Gungets Tuft:Better word for missed maybe ignored?
@Gungets Tuft: From Dale: Monde Zondeki did not play SA Schools cricket. Bandise Maku, Keegan Daniels (didn’t even make Craven Week) and Bjorn Basson (also didn’t even make Craven week) didn’t play SA Schools rugby.
What would also be interesting is to see how many Protea players from the last 20 years did not play SA Schools. I suppose, in the same way as rugby, good players from lesser known school (read Marcel Coetsee) get missed at schools selection and come good later.
Sorry guys. Misread that figure.
Well done. Some interesting facts. What I found most interesting was KES and the high amount of SA rugby players. Thanx Beet.
@Roger: Not to mention the fact that they have been on a “buying spree” the last couple of years. Their under 14 rugby team last year was very good, but mostly Afrikaans spoken on the field. I predict that this year their under 14’s and under 15’s will be excellent and mostly Afrikaans-speaking.
not my favourite school but watch St Stithians over the next few years – especially their cricket. Their facilities are world class (in fact – I would go as far as saying I don’t belive there is a school in the country who can match them on that front). They also now have close to 1000 boys in the high school
Thanks for the article beet. So good to see Grey High top of the cricket pile. And it goes to show our brothers from Bloem aren’t just a top rugby school. Some fantastic cricketers from there.
@beet: I think if you looked at it by decade, the first would be from more schools but schools have started to pool talents at the bigger schools so the number of schools represented in the past decade would have reduced……
Very interesting analysis.
The interesting thing about the Dale SA Schools stat is that 2 of the 10 reps were in 1999. The rest (8) were selected in the 2000s.
@Grasshopper: Thanks. I found it interesting that “other schools” not listed make up over 23% of the representation with similar %’s for both rugby and cricket. This might be an indication that talented players don’t have to go to the so-called best schools to deliver and/or gain selection.
Very interesting and well put together. Good to see Glenwood in the top 20 ahead of some very good all round schools :-) adding hockey would be even more interesting…