Over-aged players shame SA schools rugby
1 Jun 2012
GARETH DUNCAN reports on the KZN over-age saga that shocked the national schools rugby scene.
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Last weekend, reports emerged that several KZN schoolboys were found to be older than the U18 and U19 age-group school and provincial teams they were selected for. One of the players was reported to be 22 years old.
These players presented fake birth certificates upon high school enrollment. However, KZN head of high school rugby Noel Ingle confirmed that one schoolboy was caught out when a particular school was compiling matric entries. A provincial investigation followed.
The KZN High Schools Rugby Association, with the support of the local schools, employed an immigration expert to carry out a verification process. This was to ensure that no players representing the province or their respective schools at any level were over age.
Siyabonga Tom
No names have officially been released, but keo.co.za’s Schoolboy Derby has it on good authority that two of these schoolboys were Glenwood captain and wing Siyabonga Tom and DHS fullback Mbembe Payi. Both players hail from Port Elizabeth and were granted sport bursaries to attend the respective schools. They both played 1st XV rugby and are KZN U18 Craven Week representatives.
Tom also made the SA Schools team and started against France U18 in last year’s Tri-Nations curtain-raiser in PE. He was then selected for the SA U18 Sevens side that competed at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Man. However, he was dropped from the latter squad as he didn’t possess an ID or passport to make the trip to Europe.
Tom and Payi have left their respective schools since being exposed and are reportedly ‘missing’. They were also absent from the Glenwood-DHS clash in Durban last Saturday, which was televised on SuperSport.
Ingle, who couldn’t confirm the names of the players or schools being investigated, said the matter was being dealt with accordingly.
‘Schools that have over-age players have been informed,’ Ingle told this site. ‘Individual schools have dealt with these matters internally in good faith, and due process will take place.
‘The schools that have been mentioned in the press are not the only schools that found over-age players in their teams. It would be injudicious of me to mention either the player’s names or the names of the schools.
‘We have completed a verification process,’ he continued. ‘The problem is not widespread, but nevertheless, one over-age player is a serious matter. The consequences of serious injury due to an over-age player are too horrendous to contemplate.’
Sharks Academy operations manager Roelof Kotze, who was the SA U18 Sevens squad’s team manager during Commonwealth Youth Games, suggested that this is a national problem.
‘If it happened in KZN, you better believe this is happening in other regions too,’ said Kotze. ‘Players, parents and even agents will do anything for the best opportunities to secure a professional rugby career.
‘There are steps that can be put in place to help solve this matter, but this problem is so sensitive. Players will start accusing each other, and innocent players who are accused will complain. We need input from a national union to sort out this mess.’
Saru does not officially manage school matters, but these are monitored by the South Africa Schools Rugby Association (Sasra).
Sasra acting chairman Thys Bezuidenhout stated that these incidents were ‘highly upsetting’ and he was dumbfounded how these players escaped the national verification procedures.
‘When a player is selected for the junior provincial weeks, they have to fill out a form with their birth certificates or ID copies attached,’ said Bezuidenhout. ‘These are then verified through Saru, who pass these on to home affairs to be checked. So how these players managed to get away with it in the first place is a big mystery.
‘I last heard of an over-age incident during the U18 Craven Week five years ago, when two boys were caught out. Since then, we haven’t had any issues.
‘Hopefully we will be able to resolve this incident. The necessary action will be taken.’
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130 Comments
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1 Jun 2012, 09:40 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-47:
@Mr Black(Mr Black)-49:
I have read somewhere that it was the practice in SA to have weight classes in junior rugby at primary school level . It was probably during the 1950′s or 60′s.
1 Jun 2012, 09:42 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-47: would you put this kid in the “early developers class”?
Big things to come: Johan Meyer
30 Dec 11 10:55 | Original Content, Sharks |
It’s that time of year when a hand-picked group of talented schoolboys up and down the country prepare to make their way down to Durban to start their new lives as Sharks Academy students. For big Queens College number 8, Johan Meyer, this is a journey that’s been almost two years in the making and one that he simply can’t wait to get started with. Sharksworld caught up with him for a quick chat.
Johan tells us that he’s currently spending some quality time with his girlfriend – and eagerly awaiting his Matric results – having opted to forego the typical “matric holiday” in order to spend more time in the gym, preparing for life as a professional rugby player. “I think the results are coming out on about the 4th,” he tells us, “and I’m a little nervous! I’m planning on studying BCom Marketing at the Academy next year”.
We asked him to tell us a little about his background and how he got started with rugby. “I was born in Port Elizabeth on 26 Feb 1993. I was at Hangklip Junior until grade 6 then I moved to Hudson Park Primary in grade 7 and at the beginning of grade 9 I started at Queens College.” Johan says that rugby has always been a big part of his life. “My dad played for Border schools in 1978 and I’m even a distant relative of [Bulls centre] Wynand Olivier! I started playing bulletjie rugby when I was 8 and rugby has always been my greatest passion.”
Johan’s immediate goals are to make the under 19 team and hopefully break through into under 21 – or maybe even Currie Cup – rugby soon after that. He believes he has the physical attributes and at 1.94m and 106kg (at just 18!) he’s certainly already about the perfect size for a modern number 8. “I have the speed and I can think quickly on my feet. Also have a decent handoff,” he quips, “but possibly my strongest attribute is how committed I am, how badly I want to do well. I still have a lot of things to work on, mostly the more physical stuff, hitting rucks, getting more involved all over the field, not just with ball in hand. That’s what I need to develop more to be an all-round player.”
1 Jun 2012, 09:43 am
When I was at primary school we had a few slow learners in our school – big strong chaps mostly – they could not play sport for the school (under 13) as they were too old- the coach however always took them along to matches against certain schools and he would then check out the opposition before the match to see if there were any “suspiciously matured” players in their team – if there were, he made a few late changes and included our “giant reserves” – the ones who dropped out did not mind as they were in any case not particularly keen to face the 16 year old “giants ” playing for the other side. Nobody ever asked for ID’s or birth certificates.
1 Jun 2012, 09:57 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-52:
Interesting.
You do get the exception though with regard to size as transie showed in post 51.
My boy is 12 yrs old, 1.81 M and weighs 75kg. Now here is the surprise, he has played against bigger kids this year. Granted he is still in Std4, and some of those kids are in std 5.
Now i have on numerous ocasions heard parents next to the field call my son a cheat because of his size thinking he is older. Thats why it is so important for the schools to get the age thing correct.
1 Jun 2012, 10:01 am
Very embarboer.
Dulwich and and Malborough used to do the same thing.
They’d discover these african “princes” who needed to shave at half time and then drove themselves home after the game.
1 Jun 2012, 10:15 am
@Mr Black(Mr Black)-54:
No doubt that the only way is for schools to get it right. How difficult can it be after all to get a birth certificate? I think some of them deliberately turn a blind eye though. Sad really.
1 Jun 2012, 10:18 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-51:
and a reasonable idea too imo.
@Transformation(Transformation)-52:
my point exactly
the kid’s a freak of nature and deserves to succeed with the advantages natures given him but it shouldn’t be at the expense of smaller age group players.
rather have a weight category at junior level imo it would benefit the smaller boys as well as the bigger boys.
@Robzim(Robzim)-53:
my point exactly.
@Mr Black(Mr Black)-54:
not so stupid sounding now hey
1 Jun 2012, 10:19 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-53:
Bishops is a rof school.
1 Jun 2012, 10:24 am
@RL(RL)-15:
Often there aren’t leagues from which to deduct points
Gamnes are done on a ‘friendly’basis
1 Jun 2012, 10:25 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-58:
1 Jun 2012, 10:30 am
@RL(RL)-7:
Your blind provincialism shows through.
If you think that the age group cheating is limited to
a) 2 provinces
b) rugby
then you need your head examined.
Same as steroid cheating which in some ways is worse because it ruins the health of the kids.
When birth certificates are not easily verifiable, when Home Affairs can be bribed, and when some of the kids were born on other Africa countries with even less control then it is very difficult.
Turning a blind eye is just not on though.
At least KZN are being tansparent and eventually stopped these guys from playing.
1 Jun 2012, 10:31 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-52:
Some of the Paarl Gym forwards are even bigger than this bloke
1 Jun 2012, 10:32 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-57: But the weight category then negates so much of the beauty of rugby. It will represent a 15-man version of 7s as there would be no space (or need) to accommodate the slow guys.
1 Jun 2012, 10:41 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-63:
i understand this absolutely but my concern is soley with junior schoolboy level rugby and the harm it does to ‘normally’ developed boys (or perhaps to say ‘underdeveloped’ boys).
it could be possible to field full teams in one or two different weight ranges and still capture the essence of rugbys’ ‘different sizes’ philosophy.
1 Jun 2012, 10:43 am
@Biscuit(Biscuit)-62: And ALL of the Affies forwards are bigger than the Paarl Gym forwards…..
1 Jun 2012, 10:45 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-58:
You ain’t see nothing yet.
1 Jun 2012, 10:50 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-65:
Some schools just “breed” them bigger.
I mean Boland Agriculture High will always have a heavier and more aggressive pack of forwards then the Drakensberg Boys High (choir) School’s first XV.
1 Jun 2012, 10:52 am
@Biscuit(Biscuit)-61: You are spot on with the kids born in other African countries: I know of a chils that played U/13 WP last year or year before. His school coach suspected that he might have been older but the “documents” his parents have, indicated that he was of the correct age. If you can’t prove it, what do you do?
1 Jun 2012, 10:53 am
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-68: child not “chils”. He is a forward as well – imagine the difference between a 13 year old and 15 year old!!
1 Jun 2012, 11:00 am
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-68:
Hi Charles, how are you?
I saw in the paper today that contrary to rumours the schoolboy star Pollard has not as yet signed for the Bulls. According to his dad he received offers from the Bulls and Sharks but they are also still in discussion with WP. His dad also captained the WP Craven week team and is a huge WP supporter. Apparently they will only decide in July after the Craven week where he will play from next year onwards.
1 Jun 2012, 11:19 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-70: On Boots and All a few weeks back, the ‘live’ from Kimberley show, after the schoolboy games, Pollard stood up and asked Naas a question. Naas answered him and inserted a little “don’t worry, soon we (as in the Bulls) will buy you. That was definitely more wishful thinking at that stage though, rather than fact. The only worrying thing about the future of kids like this is: Mr Heyneke Meyer (National coach or not) will still be identifying and telling the Bulls who to buy in terms of youngsters (this will not change). Kids ‘might’ accept offers up north in the hope of being fast tracked into the Bok setup – as I’m sorry to say, there is NO way Meyer and all his ex-Bulls assistants WON’T suddenly stop trying to bolster the northern union (albeit less obviously than before). Just my opinion.
1 Jun 2012, 11:28 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-71:
You have a point. It is quite possible.
I remember Alan Solomons was accused by Brian van Zyl of trying to lure Sharks players to go to Province during his tenure as Bok’s assistant coach. Nothing came from it (Solomons being a very sharp lawyer) but there was much unhappiness.
I see Pollard is on Keo- TV.
1 Jun 2012, 11:33 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-70: Hi Rob, I’m well thanks. I’ve read the report about Pollard: obviously his dad won’t say anything at this stage. My son is a friend of him (he was in Paarl Gym for a while) and the amount that is mentioned that the Bulls are prepared to pay for him is HUGE!! The only way that WP can keep him, is to find a person / company that is prepared to sponsor a part of his contract. Otherwise, he’ll be moving to Loftus next year.
1 Jun 2012, 11:34 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-72: Yes, I remember that! Thanks. Will check out the insert now.
1 Jun 2012, 12:00 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-72: Solomons was 2nd in Charge of the Cape Cabal. I did not know he was a laywer explains alot.
1 Jun 2012, 12:03 pm
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-73: So no conspiracy that HM and his assistants are luring him north so he can be fast tracked into the Boks. It is all about the money and a better chance to win trophys. I strongly believe that HM has much higher ethics than Solomons and Mallet ever had.
1 Jun 2012, 12:16 pm
@Airwell(Airwell)-76: It’s no secret that Meyer rates Pollard highly. He and his parents spent a day or 2 with the Bulls last year to “check out the set-up”. His father is a school principal and I think he is a good negotiator as well
1 Jun 2012, 12:31 pm
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-77: Good for the youngster, maybe the Bulls will develop him and he will go back to the Stormers. You never know what the future brings.
1 Jun 2012, 12:35 pm
@CharlesM(CharlesM)-73:
That is not good news then. Maybe the can get somebody like Groot Schalk to help out- he is after all also an old paarl Gym boy.
WP has not produced a top class flyhalf for years now – I have heard a lot about Tim Swiel but not sure where he is at the moment.
@Airwell(Airwell)-75:
He was one of the best in the business. Not your everyday run of the mill lawyer.
It was never proved that he tried to lure players away so I do not know on what do you base your assumption that there is anything wrong with his ethics or that meyer has higher ethics.
1 Jun 2012, 12:49 pm
“Over-aged players shame SA schools rugby” – same applies to the national team
1 Jun 2012, 12:49 pm
@Airwell(Airwell)-75:
Solly has always been a wheeler dealer.
hatchet man deluxe.
1 Jun 2012, 12:52 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-79: Getting Jake White fired and Teichman dropped. I am sure there is more. Just think about the mutiny of the players while coaching in Endland. Have you heard any similar stories about HM. Or have you heard anybody come out apart from on here that has anything bad to say about HM’s appointment as Bok coach?
1 Jun 2012, 12:54 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-81: That is why he is a lawyer he makes good company with Cheeky. Soort soek soort.
1 Jun 2012, 12:54 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-79: because solly is slimier than a can of sardines.
he is a fit at the kings for just this reason.
1 Jun 2012, 13:04 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-71:
reminds me of the good old craven/maties days.
legend was you had to be a matie to stand any chance of making the boks
1 Jun 2012, 13:10 pm
@Airwell(Airwell)-82: Wellllllllllll, Heyneke Meyer HAD to have been involved in the attempt by the BBRU to have Jake White removed at the end of 2006? How on earth would the BBRU have put forward their ‘no confidence’ vote, and then provided SARU with their master plan to install Heyneke WITHOUT Heyneke’s knowledge? So no, I believe his integrity is just as ‘grey’ as those you mention.
1 Jun 2012, 13:13 pm
@Airwell(Airwell)-76: On what basis?
1 Jun 2012, 13:16 pm
@Airwell(Airwell)-82:
Solomons was lured to to Northampton after being extremely successful at Ulster. As a person who is not scared of conflict he rubbed some people up the wrong way at Northampshire and tried to change things too quickly- that is why the senior players got upset, it had nothing to do with ethics.
Re the Jake and Teichman issues, Some people would tell you that Jake overstepped the line and got fired because of that while the dropping of Teichman was for rugby reasons (wrong with the benefit of hindsight as Mallett admitted). Yet again nothing to do with ethics.
So I still do not know on what you based your assumptions.
1 Jun 2012, 13:17 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-86: Sorry but getting a coach fired because he does not like him or wanting your mate Skinstad to be a first choice and ******** over a honourable captain like Teichman is far worse than giving your union a plan to fix the Boks because your Union does not think the incumbant is good enough. There is nothing unethical about that. I understand you are scared your favourite players will not be picked but I can nearly say for sure that HM will explain exactly to each player not chosen what he has to do to get in the Bok team unlike what your Cape Cabal duo did.
1 Jun 2012, 13:20 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food(The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food)-86:
Wasn’t it the ex NTvl/BB Springboks who campaigned against Jake?
1 Jun 2012, 13:21 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-84:
Yeah, that is the opinion of most shark fans mainly based on the fact that he was probably part of the decision to drop Gary.
1 Jun 2012, 13:22 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-88: Read Teichmans book and it will give you more insight. But if a person lives life with a code of high ethics these things that happened to Solomons does not happen. HM is by far the most reapected Coach we have had since Kitch. Again show me one ex springbok or current player who has had anything bad to say about him. That tell you what type of man he is. Same cannot be said about Solomon and look who he is hooked up with.
1 Jun 2012, 13:24 pm
@David(David)-90: Yes, but the way I read it – How on earth would ‘their’ (ex BB players and Boks) vote of no confidence make SARU haul Jake’s butt back from the UK? The ‘no confidence’ vote would have had to come from a SARU affiliated ‘body’ for them to take the action they did at the time. And I refuse to believe that Heyneke was ‘in the dark’ about the plan to install him as Bok coach.
1 Jun 2012, 13:27 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-91: probably?
he was instrumental.
watch and learn, he is south africas anwer to john mitchell and always ends up with anger and dispute surrounding him.
1 Jun 2012, 13:32 pm
It’s a massive problem.
You appreciate the problem when you’re a parent hoping to see your kid compete against his peers.
This has been of particular concern to me as my son, who will turn 12 soon had to compete against a guy that was suspect. I tested this with another parent and said to him: Do you see that boy over there? How old do you think he is?
His first response was: Well he has quite a mature face, if I look at his build and strength, I’d say 16. I said: No sir, that guy is 12. His response: no way!!!
So with every passing day sport is being made a mockery because of morally bankrupt individuals.
Man I would love to investigate these individuals and embarrass them in front of everybody. I think that would be fair.
1 Jun 2012, 13:40 pm
@Airwell(Airwell)-92:
i will never use the autobiography of a person as a reliable source for this purpose. There is no doubt that Solomans will have a different view on the matter , so how do we know who is right and who is wrong.
Solomon had to deal with many more different and more diverse people in his life than Meyer who more or less spent most of his professional career coaching the Bulls- so lets see how he goes when the heat gets turned on- it is too early to compare him with Mallett and Solomon.
Why do you blame Solomon for being involved with EP and with Cheeky Watson. As a professional rugby coach/administrator he obviously went where the work and money is and where he thought he can make a contribution.Perhaps he can even make this whole Kings issue work for the longer term benefit of SA rugby, who knows.
1 Jun 2012, 13:44 pm
It’s sad how schoolboy rugby has lost it’s purity. Steroids, over-aged players, pay-for-play arrangements, players bought from other schools. Hell, first teams even have 22 man squads these days. So much for playing “for the love of the game”. By the time these okes have turned 21, these guys will basically have played 4 years of professional rugby.
1 Jun 2012, 13:44 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-94:
Somebody must rock the boat every now and then otherwise things become too cosy. I am telling you we need somebody like that in WP rugby at the moment just to wake this bunch out of slumberland.
1 Jun 2012, 13:47 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-96: Agreed. It is no point bagging the Kings for their lack of professional rugby acumen and criticizing the rugby capital that helps to correct this situation.
1 Jun 2012, 13:50 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-98: Agreed again.
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