More over-age KZN schoolboys exposed
6 Jun 2012
GARETH DUNCAN reports that eight KZN schoolboys were found out to be over age following a provincial investigation.
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Last Friday, keo.co.za’s Schoolboy Derby revealed the names of two high-profile 1st XV players who were over the allowed age for the school, provincial and national junior teams they represented. They are Glenwood’s captain and wing Siyabonga Tom and DHS fullback Mbembe Payi. Both players featured for KZN at the U18 Craven Week last year, while Tom was selected for the 2011 SA Schools squad. They have since been expelled.
Following these findings, the KZN High Schools Rugby Association started a provincial investigation.
KZN head of high school rugby Noel Ingle said their probe is still ongoing, but confirmed that eight over-age players were caught.
‘There were 320 schoolboys who took part in the U16 and U18 provincial trials. From that group, we found out that eight boys were over age,’ Noel told Schoolboy Derby. ‘Most of those players were a year too old. There were three serious cases, where one player was actually 22 years old. Saru and Sasra [South African Schools Rugby Association] will determine their punishment.
‘Today I can say that all the school teams in the province are clean,’ he continued. ‘I am relieved that we have sorted out this mess, but in the same token, I am disappointed that this has happened.
‘We are now trying to find out who the guilty parties are. The schools are not the issue. To the lesser extent, the players are accountable, but the main problems are the scouts and agents involved, who have probably played a big role in organising fake identity documents. We hope to have this matter sorted out over the next couple of weeks – preferably before Craven Week [9-14 July].’
Ingle added that he believes this is a national problem.
‘I don’t think this is an issue within the KZN province only,’ he said.
WP manager of youth rugby Theo Kleynhans argued that all unions should check their junior provincial trialists through Saru’s database before a final squad is selected.
‘In my 17 years here at WP, I haven’t encountered one major over age issue,’ Kleynhans told this site. ‘This is because we use Saru’s identity checking services, which is made available to all unions.
‘When we have a provisional squad of 40 players, we already start gathering the necessary information and send all the names through to Saru. Other provinces should do the same to avoid any issues.’
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16 Comments
6 Jun 2012, 15:33 pm
Wow… Some boys just don’t want to grow up
6 Jun 2012, 15:33 pm
Name and shame the schools!
6 Jun 2012, 15:36 pm
This is nothing new in KZN… a little surprised that the bigger schools are being caught now.
6 Jun 2012, 15:41 pm
‘Main problems are the scouts and agents’ – how much control do these guys have? And are they really faking IDs for the kids?!!! Thats crazy. Saw that Siyabonga Tom was on Union Sports group website but now they have taken him off. Should they be accountable or shouldn’t these agents have known? I also thought you couldnt represent players u18? which they obviously thought they were doing.
6 Jun 2012, 16:58 pm
oh oh….
6 Jun 2012, 17:44 pm
Love the fact that the one kid was 22. What a joke!
6 Jun 2012, 20:24 pm
All parties should be penalized to the fullest extent. That includes the players, agents and schools. Players have conveniently gone missing. Schools should be accountable for the screening / verification process, they should be well aware of what they are fielding. Besides the cheating and poor sportsmanship, consider the injuries, potential for injuries and loss of opportunity and recognition to other players. This needs to be dealt with sternly and eradicated from our rugby.
6 Jun 2012, 22:20 pm
@BULLET(BULLET)-5:
I wonder if the 22 year old played under 16 or under 18, lol.
6 Jun 2012, 23:29 pm
Agents? Schools? agents working for schools players? The world has gone mad.
7 Jun 2012, 08:05 am
@Robzim,
Whatever he could get away with. I think its amazing. Not just on the rugby field, I would expect a 22 year old to be in the top 5 academically against 17 year olds as well.
Its amazing what people will do, but imagine the circumstance, youre completely underprivaledged, no money, no chance in life in PE, and some guru agent offers you a bursary and free education to a good school if you sign these papers saying youre 13 (when youre 16)
AMAZING!
I guess its just easier for the agents/scouts/schools to cheat rather than play by the rules. I also think its a case of – well all the other schools are doing it, were getting left behind so stuff it!
7 Jun 2012, 08:36 am
Great that this is being exposed and investigated. I am sure KZN is not the only problem child in SA rugby, but we trust that the other provinces also investigate and sort this out.
One problem I have – everyone seems focussed on the U16 and U18 squads. But I believe that this starts when these boys are scouted at the U12 and U13 level. So they are moving through the system their entire high school career.
Why is nothing being said about the junior squads? I saw the KZN U12 and U13 trials and there were some big boys there, some not originally from KZN too (scouted in to top Durban schools on bursaries) – is this the next batch – or I trust that these guys are all above board so this issue has been well investigated.
7 Jun 2012, 08:50 am
Perhaps Grey College can get a few of their current boks to return to school for the last games of the season (by their standards they are having a tough season).
7 Jun 2012, 11:37 am
Heck, Eben Etsebeth, CJ Stander, Arno Botha and Marcell Coetzee are still younger than some of the guys playing school rugby in KZN.
Mind boggling.
7 Jun 2012, 11:39 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-12: I was just thinking the same thing. Also Kitshoff and Kolisi.
7 Jun 2012, 18:21 pm
I am sure this is a national problem and applicable to all popular sports were athetic and physical strength plays a role.
I am glad KZN are belatedly vigilant and transparent
I hope other provinces also investigate.
The WP guy has jumped the gun by saying “In 17 years blah blah..”
If one surfaces it will be embarrassing
Of course its more likely to happen at schools that attract out of province kids with bursaries
The trouble is things have changed since professionalism
a) Schools now pay significant bursaries
b) We have problems at Home Affairs where fake documents are available
c) Agents are now involved. The rewards of getting players into Academies are significantly
d) Some boys are form out of country
e) People pose as other people and use their IDs
Its probably difficult to police given the above.
Can’t really cut someone open and count their rings
7 Jun 2012, 19:47 pm
@ Biscuit – apparently counting rings os not so far fetched – but it is expensive – as an X-ray of the wrist appraently tells an age pretty accurately, but I guess around puberty things can get a little skewed?
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