(from Wikipedia):
The National First XV Championship is ultimately broken down via the Top 4, which is made up of the winners of the four regions: Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes and South Island.
Each region operates its own different qualification system.
Blues:
The Northland and North Harbour champions meet, with the winner of that match facing the Auckland champion.
Chiefs:
Each regional province determines their own winner, followed by a knockout bracket.
Hurricanes:
The winner and runner-up of the Wellington Premiership and the top-two region schools that play in the Super 8 competition play in a seeded knockout. A ‘challenger’ place is available to any region school that does not play in either competition, with that match taking place prior to the seeded matches.
South Island: The winner of the match between the Crusaders winner and the Highlanders winner. The Crusaders winner is the top side from the region-wide UC Championship, while since the Highlanders-region competition was discontinued after 2015 a provincial-based knockout format has been used.
These four teams then have two semi finals with the winners advancing to the National 1st XV Final. The semifinal matchups change each year; for example, the Blues winner plays the Hurricanes winner one year, the Chiefs winner the next, and finally the South Island winner in rotation.
Some titles have been shared. There have been calls for overtime to be included to determine an outright winner, but this is currently not allowed for under World Rugby’s Under-19 variations. In the event of a drawn semi-final, the team that advances is determined by a hierarchy of factors starting with which team scored the most tries in the match.
Before: New Zealand National 1st XV Secondary Schools competition
The National First XV Championship is ultimately broken down via the Top 4. The Top 4 is made up of the 4 main franchises/regions:
1. Blues,
2. Chiefs,
3. Hurricanes,
4. South Island.
Prior to the Top 4 competition, schools first must compete in their local/provincial competitions. Once provincial Champions are determined they then enter into their regional/franchise playoff. This determines the regional/franchise Champion that will represent that region/franchise at Top 4. Each region/franchise is made up of the following:
Blues:
1. Northland Champion,
2. North Harbour Champion,
3. Auckland Champion.
Chiefs:
1. Counties Champion,
2. Bay of Plenty Champion
3. Waikato Champion
Hurricanes:
1. Poverty Bay Champion,
2. Hawkes Bay Champion,
3. Manawatu Champion,
4. Taranaki Champion,
5. Wellington Champion.
South Island:
This region is arranged slightly different as it is a merger of the Press Cup (Crusaders) Competition and the Highlanders Competition:
A. Press Cup (Crusaders):
1. Nelson Bays,
2. Marlborough,
3. West Coast,
4. Canterbury.
B. Highlanders:
1. North Otago,
2. Otago
3. Southland
The winners of the Press Cup (Crusaders) and the Highlanders competitions play in a one off final to determine the South Island Champion.
The winners of the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes and the South Island franchises make up The Top Four.
These 4 teams then have 2 semis finals with the winners advancing to the National 1st XV Final.
Top 4 Winners since 1982 and Co-ed winners since 2007
Since 1982, 17 different schools have won the tournament. If you count schools who were finished second and have never won the tournament, the number goes up to 20.
@beet most New Zealand regions have the concept of 1A or 1B. 1A is the top 10 in a region. The teams in 1A can be relegated and likewise, those in 1B promoted. The winner of 1A will progress to the national stage.
As I posted last year, this would give most schools a minimum of 10 fixtures. Those who progress of play in the semi-final/ final would play 12 and potentially 14 fixtures.
@BoishaaiPa – I take your point but I don’t think it is fair to compare our cup competitions to the New Zealand system. We don’t play promotion/ relegation at a regional level. We don’t have the concept of a 1A school or 1B school. South African schoolboy rugby is all about rankings.
There is very little comparison between our approach to schoolboy rugby versus New Zealand.
Wel kom ek sê so voor iets nog nie getoets is nie kan niemand së sy stelsel of denke is beter. Ek wonder maar net hoekom daar in alle sporte regoor skole, streke, provinsies, lande, vastelande, eilande en kontinente meegeding word om medaljes, bekers, trofees, skilde en watookal, maar hier in die immergroen Republiek van Suip Afrika is daar steeds balhorige individue wat nie glo in uitklopkompetisies.
Lank sal hul lewe in hul mistroostige gloria met hul mistroostige nasionale spannetjies en hul angswekkende, naelbyt interskool mallemeules.
Tik Tok tik tok………..die All Blacks begin ons goed opfok
Beker rugby het sy plek en ek praat dit nie sleg nie, maar om te dink dat beker rugby n speler n voorsprong gee tov voorbereiding vir senior rugby is egter van alle waarheid ontbloot. Dit is net nog n tipe kompetisie, nie slegter of beter as gewone Interskoles nie, Die Beeld/Admin/Direkteur word al 100 jaar lank gespeel in die Noordvaal…tog het die Suide meer as helfte van die Springbokke die laaste 100 jaar opgelewer en die OVS nog n kwart…altwee streke waar beker rugby nie die alfa en omega is nie. Laat jou dink!
@Speartackle: Jy verstaan obviously glad nie die verskil tussen vriendskaplik en Interskoles nie…So jy reken die spelers van Gim en Boishaai het glad nie BMT nie omdat daai groot interskole maar net nog n friendly is?..Nee wat ou mater , as jy nie betrokke is by sulke games nie sal jy nooit weet wat is pressure is nie…Daai outjies speel week in week uit in klipharde games wat elke week druk situasies voortbring…Daar is baie meer op die spel as jy vir jou skool, jou old boys, tradisie en kameraderie speel as n koppie wat jy volgende jaar maar weer kan probeer wen…daai een verloor kry jy nooit weer terug nie…die koppie kan jy wel weer wen!
@Speartackle.Hoeveel het skole beker uitkloprugby bygedra daartoe dat Boishaai ,Grey Bloem,Paarl Gim ,Affies en Paul Roos tradisioneel die sterkste rugbyskole die afgelope 20-30 jaar in Suid-Afrika is.As jy my wil wysmaak dat daar meer druk was in die Beeld Finaal tussen Garsfontein en EG Jansen as tussen Boishaai vs Grey Bloem en Boishaai vs Paarl Gim praat jy sommer twak !!Of wat dink jy Boishaaipa ??
@BoishaaiPa: Nee ou maat ek kan aflei jy is ook n vriendskaplike man…….BMT word gekweek deur jou gedurig aan pressure situasies bloot te stel.
Maar ja julle vriendskaplikes sal altyd vriendskaplik bly totdat julle owerstes anders besluit en dan sing julle weer saam hulle. The blind following the blind.
Ons ou volkie is so gedwee om mediocre te aanvaar en ons weet mos altyd van beter. Ons way is mos altyd die beste behalwe op die score boards.
Mens kan niks aan die kwaliteit van afrigting doen….dit sal 20 jaar neem om al die crap uit te roei en n groot genoeg groep kundige nuwe generasie afrigters los te laat…………so mens kan net sowel intussen maar probeer wat die All Blacks doen en ten minste die gap bietjie verklein.
Om af te skiet wat jy nie eers probeer is dwaas……..
@Speartackle: Die HJS Lions spelers bewys juis my punt..sonder beker rugby op skool was hulle in elk geval tops in n final..in n beker kompetisie!…Dis nie beker rugby wat jou BMT gee nie…dis goeie afrigting en selfvertoue.
@Speartackle: your medicine seems weak, oh “not so pointy anymore” one.
But do not add more of the white powder to the pipe of war. You may soar to heights never achieved and get stuck in the stars of discontent. We understand the sands of time may be a bit uncomfortable. A slither to the cool offshore abyss wil gather the mind and strengthen the “sole”.
from – Bennie Boekwurm
Rugby opponents are always respected.
You seem to be blowing the Helpie horn quite feverishly – thank you.
Don’t see any Helpies laying claim to any cudos for next year. Just grateful that they can be part of it.
@BrotherBear: En julle? Julle sien sommer julle gatte tydens n ander skool se proewe.
Maar julle ‘poeding’ is al vir jul voorberei volgende jaar……….Affies gaan mos net n ‘tong-tippie-toets wees…………gevolg met n vinger-lek-lekker St John’s en dan n Ma-het-gesorg-vir-Melrose Wildeklawer.
Welkom by Master Chef, Nathaniel…………onthou wat Ouma altyd gesê het………..You can’t have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat
@Speartackle: Indien die regte spelers na skool gekies word met die nodige Emosionele Intelligensie (EQ) en vaardighede is dit geen probleem om soos All Blacks te kan speel nie. Voeg dan goeie afrigting by asook goeie ontwikkeling en “bob’s your uncle”.
Ns: Monnas sien die afgelope paar jaar gereeld hulle gat met beker rugby. So jy se hulle het nie die “druk verwerking” skills nie? Ek dink daar word eenvoudig net te veel druk op hulle gesit om te wen. Buite die beker opset doen hulle Ok. Your proof must be in the poeding, old chap!
@BoishaaiPa: Dit is dalk die probleem omdat helfte van die skole op n meer kompeterende vlak meeding en die ander op n meer vriendskaplike basis. Ek së nie die vriendskaplike wedstryde is nie kompeterend nie, ek weet hulle speel om te wen maar die pressure van as-ons-verloor-gaan-ons-huistoe is baie erger as n derby game. Vra maar daai HJS Lions spelers.
EEn van ons groot redes, behalwe afrigting, is die feit dat die jong manne na skool nie die druk kan verwerk van uitklop rugby en daarom hou baie van hulle op speel. Dit gebeur in alle sporte. spelers was uitstekend as juniors maar die druk om te presteer na skool is te erg. BMT is nie iets wat jy na skool kan aanleer, dit kom van kleins af.
Ek sou graag alle skole wou sien uitklopkompetisies speel en die resultate dan na skool wou evalueer. Ek is bereid om al my ou geldjies daarop te sit dat die overall vertonings sal verbeter.
Ek sou bitter graag n speler soos Neil Marais in daai milieu wou sien grootword. Ek dink nie daar is tans n speler in RSA met meer BMT as hy…..
@BrotherBear: I am so relieved you mentioned the fact……”To your mind it is exceptional….”
I’m sure to your mind Annelize Weiland is very sexy……and to your mind Ernie Els is the best putter on the PGA Tour…….and Debbie Did the Whole Texas………….
Pity I couldn’t intrepret this to you in Swahili
@Speartackle: Ek vermoed jy sit die pot heeltemal mis!..Ons Skolespanne is baie kompeterend en selfs beter as die NZ skole sonder dat ons hierdie nasionale beker komp het. Dit het absoluut fnokkol met beker kompetisies uit te waai…as beker kompetisies jou soveel beter maak hoekom wen die Noordvaal spanne nie elke Cravenweek wedstryd en elke ander belangrike wedstryd teen die suide nie?..Ons skole vaar baie goed teen die beste van NZ en dit is deur die jare al bewys op SANIX. Ons probleem is beslis nie of ons skole rugbspelers aan beker kompetisies deelneem of nie, maar eerder die manier van afrigting en bestuur NA hulle skool verlaat. Jy kan soveel bekers inbring soos jy wil en elke skool in SA kan deelneem, maar dit gaan beslis nie die resultaat van jou top prof spanne beinvloed nie!…Daarvoor is ek bereid om al my geld op te sit
@Speartackle: Maybe you should understand the English you read in English and not try and interpret it in Afrikaans and then share your Afrikaans thoughts in English. I believe you lost the plot and your postulation rather weak and unsubstantiated.
Do you think there is a problem with the rugby that top schools in South Africa play and that the skills these kids have are just “okay”? You will be at a stretch to say it is merely “okay”. To my mind it is exceptional. So lets get more schools at that level with good coaches and structures. Different incentives for different regions. How the kids are managed from then on is maybe a bigger issue and where the All Black comparison becomes relevant. No need to follow others to be as good or better than them. Use our own inventiveness with a good spicing of excellence.
Let’s just say we are a bunch of stupid dutchmen and we want to follow our own clueless ideas and let NZ become untouchable and invincible to us. Let’s watch week in and week out how they thrash us and build this unbelievable awe for them.
Why should we bother? As long as little Bababeer plays 1st team and gets selected into some Academy team, everything is okay. As long as my school has a dream team every 23 years, the coaches are okay.
As long as we introduce the game to millions who would much rather play with a round ball or wear boxing gloves, and in the meantime their “heroes” get 50 against them on Saturdays…..everything is okay
We are so getting used to be satisfied with okay
My mother in law also used to be okay
Not trying to be “stroomop” with my comments in 31, but think on what we are trying to achieve in RSA.
1. Develop rugby with as many schools/clubs as possible to get best talent out there.
2. Develop the necessary skills with all rugby players.
3. Expose the talent (and those with lesser talent) to tough situations and games where they learn, can excel and take pride in what they do.
4. Develop as many good coaches as possible to spread the net.
5. Get good management and development systems in place.
Multiple competitions or friendlies spreads the net to execute the above. No reason to have an elitist system where only “best” play “best”. No reason to have a complicated system where “best” rugby schools in country need to compete over and above their existing “derbies”. They playing more than enough rugby already, thank you. The start of season tourno’s, Wildeklawer and SARU youth weeks provide more than enough opportunities to pit power against power. Development is where we need focus. Development of up and coming schools also falls under that umbrella.
I believe we are looking in the wrong areas w.r.t. what may “save” our rugby. Forget about the competitions and differences between schools, wether to play for cups or to just concentrate on friendlies. None makes such a big difference as;
1. an institution’s willingness and plans to be the best and,
2. having the coaching staff to execute.
Yes, one must have a few very talented players, to boot. But without the former two, good players will get you nowhere. The former two will attract the best players through good performance.
Some of the best teams in the country only play friendlies and some of the best teams play a lot of cup rugby – no differentiator there then!
So let’s concentrate on the 2 points I mentioned.
@Speartackle: This will never happen in this country as there is just to much differentiation between schools.
As long as schools are allowed to do as they please and be on their little thrones of “we select against who we want to play” this will be off the cards.
The ego trips are the deciding factor.
@Hooit: Die Paarl ouens poef in hul doeke as jy net van n nasionale kompetisie praat maar glo my as die geld reg is sal hul speel
A National competition can be achiecved without any financial problems. You just need to move Wildeklawer towards the end of the year. The saterday games can be the quarter finals and the Monday the semi finals with the following saterday the finals at one of the participating schools.
Now this is what we need….if it works for NZ…it will work for us……NZ always lead….and we follow
Just imagine the semi’s
Garsfontein vs HJS Paarl
Paarl Gim vs Grey Bloem
Televised live
@Vyfster – You make a very good point. Imagine if the Beeld Trophy was extended and included more schools. Playing for promotion/ relegation and playing for a place in the semi-finals / finals will make our players mentally tough which is essential.
I hope all the detractors can now clearly see…..this is in essence exactly how the the Northvaal Beeld trophy works…..a regional or provincial league system, where the top 2 teams out of each province’s leaugue advance to the interprovincial play-offs, or knockout stages to eventually determine who is the all-out winner of all 6 the provinces that is part of the North Vaal……since NZ are far in advance of us, maybe this playing for a trophy thing that we in the nortvaal like, is not such a bad thing as some commentators seems to believe…….interesting that Grey Bloem decided to return to the Free State/Griqua league (Volksblad trophy)
@Tang: Alright,thanks for the clarity on how the league works. Learn something new everyday.
Thanks Tang. A few other points that may be of interest are:
1. In general, the large Kiwi schools are much bigger than the schools here in SA – e.g. Auckland Grammar has 2,498 boys. That said, the schools that performed well this year are closer to our size – e.g. St Kentigern has 1,148 boys, Rotorua BHS has 849 and Otago BHS has 787.
2. The runner up this year (Scots College) were the champions last year, so they represented NZ at Sanix this year. They were beaten by about 30 points by Brisbane Boys in the semi-final. Paul Roos then thumped Brisbane Boys by about 30 in the final.
One more important point:
1A is not determined by number of boys, being Co-Ed, etc. 1A leagues are determined by your aspirations. A Co-ed school can play 1A.
St Kentigen and Aorere are both co-ed schools and both play Auckland 1A.
@Oorkant Loftus @Kosie @Playa
Please read my post above.
The Wiki Article is very misleading. The article implies there is a national league but there is no such thing. Rather, there are regional leagues and the winners advance to a national play off competition. This means logistics and the length of the season are not a factor.
The Auckland 1A winners, St Kentigen played 11 rounds in the Auckland 1A league (I am sure each team has a bye so they only played 10 league matches). They then played a semi-final and a final. In other words, they played 12 Matches.
They then advanced to the National play offs where they played a further 2 matches (Semi Final and third/ fourth place).
In other words, they played 14 Matches all season.
New Zealand are not big on Friendlies. The league has a purpose. They also don’t have rankings. They don’t play to rank, they play to win a league and advance to the finals. In South Africa schools play to rank and get bragging rights on websites.
Your perceptions about one or two teams dominating are incorrect. There is serious depth in each of the 1A leagues around New Zealand. I would say 6 to 8 of the 1A teams could advance to the play offs at the end of the year. If you take this number we are talking about 24 to 32 seriously good teams throughout New Zealand.
Based on watching the Auckland 1A from start to finish this year, I think it is one of the reasons New Zealand are better prepared mentally. As school boys they are not playing for fictitious rankings, they are playing for semi final and final places from the first match of the season.
Rankings are rubbish. Win a league and you have proved something.
If you play in a Gauteng 1A with teams like Affies and Monnas you will have to be well drilled all season to make a final four.
Holding regional 1A leagues doesn’t mean you lose rivalries or inter school competition.
I bet you South African rugby would be much better off if we still had the old Administrators cup competition.
@Beet
There is quite a lot more to the competition than the Wiki Article suggests.
I followed the Auckland 1A championship from start to finish this year. Any team that beat St Kentigen must be pretty good.
In Auckland and all the other major regions, teams are divided into 1A, 1B, etc. There is a 1A league a 1B league, etc.
The initial part of the competition is on a pool basis (I think Auckland 1A had 11 rounds). At the end of the pool stage, the top four teams advance to the play offs (the same applies in 1B, co-ed, etc). The Auckland 1 A final was played between St Kentigen and Auckland Grammar. The 1B final was played between Onehunga and Liston College.
The 1B winners advance to 1A and the bottom of the log 1A Team go into a playoff with the runner up in 1B.
There is no doubt a similar competition could be arranged in South Africa and it would get rid of things like Wildeklawer and unreliable rankings.
There could be a Gauteng 1A, 1B, a Western Cape 1A, 1B, A KZN 1A, 1B, etc
The only flaw to the system is the very large schools who field so many teams and how they would cope if they were relegated to 1B.
In the Auckland 1A, there are some serious historical rivalries – so none of the tradition is lost by holding such a competition.
There were a few things I really liked about the Auckland 1A:
1) Every match counts and is important
2) The fixture always has consequences. If you lose matches, you can end up at the bottom of the table and be in relegated to a lower league.
3) There is no false ranking system – the champion is the champion and the respective winners of each league advance to regional and national play offs.
4) There were not that many mismatches in the Auckland 1A. The top four 1A teams were probably a cut above but the fifth and sixth placed teams were in contention for most of the season.
5) There were some 14 and 15 year olds playing in the Auckland 1A – New Zealand has some serious talent.
6) Since results are always important, the teams have something to focus on and play for. In South Africa we have too many friendlies and then implied winners (normally implied in rankings).
7) There is no ridiculous sponsors logos on school first team kit.
8) The Super 15 scouts were present during every week of the tournament and are fast tracking boys into Super 15 franchise teams.
9) TV coverage was only allowed this year and a few schools are still weary as they feel the boys are already under huge pressure. My Albert Grammar, who are an excellent rugby team and were in the Top 4 in the Auckland 1A, were the most anti.
10) We have much bigger crowds at school boy rugby matches in South Africa.
11) Recruitment and how recruitment is handled is out in the open. The 1A teams (some with serious traditions and history) are always looking out for talent from the 1B league.
12) 1A schools are not for all boys and this does not mean you won’t be an All Black in the future (Kieran Reid is a great example).
I personally think it would be brilliant to have National SBR Cup champion. A few problems to consider:
National Cup sponsers must also sponser Sanix team.
1.School management will give preference to Interschools with all teams playing, rather than only playing the 1st team.
2.I would prefer the top8 SBR ranked teams at year- end playing in a quarter,semi and final over 3 weekends.The final could be between teams in the same province.
3.It will not be fair sending this team to Sanix the next year as it wont be the same team.
4.Sanix will have to move to end of September after the National final.
5.This will increase the rugby season by 4 weeks.
6.Grey will go to Sanix 6 out 10 times that will have a yearly financial implication on them and the parents.( BOG will say 9 out of 10 times.)
7.This will impede on schooling and yearend matric exams.
Play your local fixtures as usual in a round robin format. Tier 1 schools home and away. That will be 14 games locally, using the normal scoring system – 4 points for a win and bonus points etc. The winner goes forward to a knockout compo against all regional winners. 8 for arguments sake. so quarters ,semi and final played over 6 days like the easter festivals.
Winner is crowned champ and so it goes down to 8th place.
So no more festivals travelling all over the country and out of province games. Play the locals first and if you win you go forward to the knockout stages. Pity because of all the strength in the WP but only 1 side can go forward. What do you guys think.
Interesting to see St Kentigern played in the Co-Ed league until 2011. Now are in the boys only schools.
@kosie: Don’t get me wrong, with proper planning it could work. I’m just not supportive of it. Largely because it would exacerbate the problems we already have in SBR, i.e. professionalism (poaching).
@BOG: Hahaha! Thanks for the advice. I always take advice from my elders, they know better after all.
@Playa: I was not going to say anything more this year, but having read your comment, I thought that I would be failing my duty as an elder, if I did not offer you urgent advice as a father. Your son is going to have fun, whether you encourage him or not. In fact the more you encourage him to have fun, the more its going to cost you financially. So please accept this as a Christmas gift to you. If you heed this advice,its worth a lot of money.
@Playa: I was not going to say anything more this year, but having read your comment, I thought that I would be failing my duty as an elder, if I did not offer you urgent advice as a father. Your son is going to have fun, whether you encourage him or not. In fact the more you encourage him to have fun, the more its going to cost you financially. So please accept this as a Christmas gift to you. If you heed this advice,its worth a lot of money.
@Playa: Lets look at cricket and football. Both have a national schools competition to crown a champ. If rugby could somehow incorporate their current fixtures to get a regional champ which then play the other regional champs, it could work.
Just think of the prestige
Brilliant concept, but one I cannot support. Logistics and money aside, unlike NZ, we already have far too much ‘competitive rugby’ in this country…club champs, varsity cup, Vodacom cup, super rugby & currie cup…I may be missing one or two others. Where and when will our boys have fun if we add another competition in high school? Beyond just the traditional fixtures being a risk, as a father, I would like my son to have fun first, and compete later.
@Ooorkant Loftus: i fully agree with such a competition… not sure if all schools would buy in though…
@Valke, that would be great if it can happen again.
@Beet, I agree the NZ Schools have a good strong structure. That is ideally what we must try to institute over here. It will however take a lot of work to get it off the ground. And as you said three more games at the end of the season for those 8 schools of those 8 regions wont be that bad.
lets hope someone can run with this idea and come up with our own SA NATIONAL SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIP….
I guess if you could somehow persuade 8 regional champion teams to extend their season by 3 games at the end of the year, a National Champion could crowned annually.
Quarterfinals
WP vs SWD
Bor vs EP
KZN vs FS/Griquas
NV1 vs top rated 2nd place regional team in SA
Semifinals
Final
3 Games – 1 Champion
@Ooorkant Loftus: You are welcome O.L.
I also found it very interesting that NZ school rugby has so much structure in the set up. The final is a big deal and is televised.
I’m sure Andre T could have made good use of this info back in the days when he was the no.1 promoter of the Noordvaal Cup competitions.
There is a blog around here somewhere initiated by an Eastern Cape SBR supporter. It was from a few years back. We tried to come up with a format for a national competition to decide one champion team for the season and end the rankings debate.
Hasn’t this been done in the past ?
I seem to remember, in my school days, that the various provincial champs ( Beeld Trophy, or Direkteurs / Admin beker in the Tvl region ) would go on and play for the Volkskas Shield, which would determine the national Champion.
I remember my school, Hugenote Springs, after winning the Direkteurs ( Beeld ) trophy in 1987, went to play Queens College in the QF for the Volkskas Shield.
@kosie: Yes the logistics will be a buggar. SA is a bit larger than NZ but still I believe with the blessing / approval from SARU and Sponsers carrying most of the costs involved this can work.
All parties will have to get together and think this through (SARU, Provinces, Schools and Beet!!) – how to go about hosting such a competition, defining all the rules, when it should start and what importance it will have as to already other current rugby weeks/tournaments and long standing inter school derbies.
But a competition of this nature with all the approvals will be very popular and all provinces will support this. That will mean lot of supporters live or on TV and sponsers will get the exposure that they are looking for.
We know need somebody to promote this and get it of the ground, who will that be?
@Ooorkant Loftus: The idea is a good idea to be able to crown a national champ. I think the logistics would be mindbogling and the traditional fixtures will probably also fall by the way side.
It might be good to look at the national T20 schools cricket competition as a starting point. Identify a regional champ as part of normal competitions/ fixtures and then let the regional finalists play a week to confirm a national winner. This will afford all to still play their regular fixtures but build up to a regional winner that takes on the rest of the regional winners.
This idea might be easier to sell to the schools although there will be some resistance. Sponsors will then also be more willing to sponsor the week as it will attract the best teams. SARU will however have to approve the idea otherwise it will flop.
I think most schools would jump at this. The NZ system is working since the 80s with the best schools winning it a few times.
Also the smaller not fancied schools have won it beating in the process the bigger dominant schools.
A FA Cup style comp would be perfect.
everybody has an equal chance and on the day the ball jumps perfectly for one side and the opposite to the next team.
But being crowned Nat Champions will be the ultimate for any school I think, bragging rights and all that goes with this.
Now how can this be sold to all schools and relevant parties in SA to get it off te ground. That will take some doing!
I wonder if a schools “FA CUP” style competition could be used? Any registered school could enter – and over a 10 odd week system.
Would cause havoc with any standard fixture list – but is a “fun idea”
Format of FA cup is here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FA_Cup
Thank you BEET, this is very informative.
Pity I only stumble upon it now.
This is what we in SA should have for our schools.
a National competition for ALL schools that wants to be part of it.
Will take some thinking and capital injection to get it off the ground.
Imagine, semi finals of Noord Kaap vs PRG and Grey vs Kloof ??
I think all top rugby playing schools will look at such a competition but the financial assistance will have to be there from SARU and sponsers.