Grey day for junior rugby
31 Aug 2009
The positive results of the new SA U18 High Performance Programme have been marred by the recent schoolboy rugby controversy.
The programme, designed to help condition and develop elite, young South African players at an early stage, was a late addition to the rugby calender. The team seemed to benefit from their two-week programme, recording victories over France (39-3 and 39-6) and a mixed Namibia side (93-10) which included U19 and U21 players.
However, it clashed with major school derbies, namely Paul Roos vs Grey Bloem, Bishops vs Rondebosch and Monument vs Waterkloof. These matches were the last school fixtures of the season, and are the last opportunity for departing matriculants to turn out for their school sides.
Grey Bloem’s four-year unbeaten streak was ended by the 9-3 loss to Paul Roos a fortnight ago. Seven regular players were missing because of their commitments to the SA U18 team. A week before the loss, a full-strength Grey beat second-ranked Glenwood 62-3.
Grey head coach Dries van der Wal lamented the ‘poor planning’ of the High Performance Programme, considering these major school matches were already scheduled at the beginning of the year.
‘We had a fantastic season and we are very unhappy because we set out our fixtures before those plans,’ he told keo.co.za. ‘Then we received a fax that our players must report [to the SA U18 squad]. We asked if at least half of the players could be released for the Paul Roos game, but they said no.
‘They said if the boys did not report there, they would be left out of the squad. But they released one of the Bishops players [Nizaam Carr made a match-saving tackle in that fixture] and two guys at Waterkloof, which is unfair. Why make exceptions? Why do we have double standards?
‘With all due respect, I’m not saying we would definitely beat Paul Roos if we had our full team, but without seven regulars, how can you expect a side to win?’
Although Van der Wal expressed his frustrations, he stressed that he didn’t disagree with the ideals of the High Performance Programme. He just couldn’t understand the planning of it all.
‘The U16 High Performance Programme is scheduled for the September holidays, which is fine. I think that’s great. I’m not against Saru’s principles and I agree it will be very good for our boys. But the timing for the U18s was very poor.
‘Our boys have been away from school for almost two weeks. They arrived back on Sunday, and start mock exams on Tuesday. How do they expect them to perform well academically?
‘It was also unfair for the players to make that decision. Obviously they would’ve liked to play for the SA U18s, but on the other hand that was their last match for Grey College, which they would’ve loved.
‘I’m sure if they had the opportunity, they would’ve played for their school, but they also knew their rugby careers were on the line.’
Manager of High Performance for junior rugby at Saru Herman Masilma said this step had to be taken for the development at U18 level in South Africa, and that there was no other possible time in the year to fit in international opposition.
‘For this programme to be possible, we had to accommodate the foreign teams,’ he said. ‘We didn’t pay a cent for them to come down and we couldn’t confirm these dates at any earlier time. Even at a late stage, Argentina withdrew this year because they had a swine-flu moratorium, which banned them from travelling. We wanted to start a relationship with these U18 teams and it is extremely difficult to get them at any other time.
‘Next year, England, Argentina, Italy and Wales have already confirmed to tour South Africa. We also hope Australia and New Zealand will be available.’
When asked about Grey College’s situation, Masilma said that Saru would try to avoid such scheduling clashes in future.
‘What do you expect me to do? We can do nothing. Saru will try to prevent this situation,’ he said.
‘By next week, we will confirm the time slots for next year’s plans. The school will be aware of these dates. I understand the situation the schools were in, but we were in our own situation. But next year, definitely, we will accommodate them [the schools] so they can plan accordingly.’
Meanwhile, Grey College scrumhalf Pieter Rademan, who captained the SA U18s in the first match against France, believed the programme was hugely beneficial despite the unfortunate scheduling clashes.
‘I’m not ready yet [for the mock exams], but I have to work hard now [Rademan hopes to study medicine at the University of Free State]. It’s going to be tough. Luckily I’m academically strong, but the guys who are not will struggle,’ he said.
‘But I’m looking forward to the future now. If I didn’t join the SA U18 squad, I wouldn’t of had that head start to a professional rugby career. These are the type of structures England have, and that was makes their junior rugby so good.
‘I am very sad that Grey Bloem lost to Paul Roos because our unbeaten record has been broken. It was my dream to be unbeaten, but at the end of the day I had to make the decision, and playing for the SA U18s was more important.
‘I had to make a choice, and that was my decision. I have to face these kind of things in life.’
By Gareth Duncan
16 Comments
31 Aug 2009, 10:39 am
The priorities of the national side comes first
31 Aug 2009, 10:52 am
#1 dWeePer:
It does indeed.
How many players did Paul Roos miss?
31 Aug 2009, 11:26 am
#1 dWeePer: I disagree. School boy rugby is a huge part of South African society, rugby and the education system. It is essentially the schools that produce the players, and nurture them, without a lot of support from SARU.
This is different to the English system, where clubs play a far more important role than do the provinces in South Africa.
The players are still at school and because of the importance of schoolboy rugby, I personally think that international rugby can wait until after the school season and until after the exams.
31 Aug 2009, 11:46 am
Look at it this way boys – if they organise the Currie Cup final on the same day that the Boks are playing – everyone would think it is stupid. Imagine if you are Morne Steyn, Habana, Olivier, Fourie, Vic, Bakkies, Spies and you have to say bye bye to a CC final?
How would Bulls supporters feel about playing then??
Add to that a three year unbeaten streak, and your last game for your school?
Ideally you would love to do both – if everything was planned properly.
Grey lost 7 players to High Performance, and three were injured (unforeseen). So 10 players that thumped Glenwood, were lost for the PRG encounter. It was in essence Cherries (Grey 2nd XV) that played – and narrowly lost by 6 points in The Bos…Add to that a penalty count of 22-4 to PRG, and the picture becomes complete.
LASTLY – i might sound bitter, but please, lets not take away from PRG. They are a brilliant school with brilliant traditions, and they fully deserved the win. Well done to PRG.
Hopefully this will take pressure of Grey to make them even meaner next year !!
COLLEGE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
31 Aug 2009, 11:47 am
Talk about sensationalism. What exactly is the story here. By the sound of the headline and intro sentence I thought we were going to read about Caster Semenya having played prop for Pretoria Boys High in 2005.
31 Aug 2009, 11:49 am
Talk about sensationalism. What exactly is the story here. By the sound of the headline and intro sentence I thought we were going to read about C@s+er S3m3nya having played prop for Pretoria Boys High in 2005.
31 Aug 2009, 11:55 am
#5 Soda: hahahahahaha
31 Aug 2009, 12:25 pm
#2 PissAnt: I agree the national side comes first, but this seems ridiculous, especially if they did let some other players go back to other schools. Pathetic planning.
31 Aug 2009, 13:31 pm
#7 Mutant: Yep look at the administrators experience with school boy rugby then you will understand why. They were never part of that culture so they don’t udnerstand it and could nto give a toss about it.
31 Aug 2009, 14:11 pm
but then the question out there is what would have happened if they won would they still complain about the players not being released?
31 Aug 2009, 16:32 pm
Think Paul Roos missed 4 players? Its a shame that such an important game couldn’t be played with 2 full strength teams…it surely is something a schoolboy remembers for the rest of his life.
31 Aug 2009, 17:23 pm
#5 Soda: Hahahahahaha!
#9 Dunx: Cosign.
31 Aug 2009, 20:22 pm
#4 Cheetha Champs: Ag, shame!
31 Aug 2009, 22:33 pm
#12 JUSTANOTHERFAN: ag shame what?? Idiot!
I thing Cheetah Champs’ comment is spot on! Brilliant post Cheetah.
1 Sep 2009, 06:27 am
I think that it absiolutely SUCKS that some boys were released, but thers weren’t? That smacks of interference!!
2 Sep 2009, 14:43 pm
I think everyone knows that Grey would have beaten Paul Roos and that even to loose with second stringers was a good performance. Piet Rademan in his interview on http://www.saschoolsports.co.za mentioned that he is contracted to the Cheetah’s. If he can’t get into Med School in Bloem what then?
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