Comments on: Make schoolboy rugby about entertainment

By: TheTackler

TheTackler — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 02:37:51 +0000

Once upon a time the Administrator’s Cup (in the old Transvaal) was awarded to the winning first team in the Transvaal Schools U19 tournament league. None of the big English-medium rugby schools like KES or St John’s even bothered entering this tournament, and it was fought out only between the big Afrikaans rugby schools like Affies and Monnas etc. The English schools arranged their own “traditional” fixtures against each other and, while winning was always the aim, it was never the only aim. And fair play was always the proper style of these contests. Not so over in the Administrator’s Cup matches. They were no-holds-barred and cut-throat, death-or-glory brutality contests.

By: @whistle@blower@

@whistle@blower@ — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 18:31:59 +0000

@Mo Shark-25: Easy to criticise like you have just done. This article is addressing a serious issue. The professionalism and winner takes it all approach at major schools are ruining the game here. And kids are not mentally strong enough to deal with the disappointments of loosing/playing badly where the expectations are super high. But I agree, policing will be difficult. But then the sanction should be serious. For instance should you be caught the name goes on a list of forbidden agents/players for a certain period. I like the last paragraph of this article.

By: Mo Shark

Mo Shark — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:47:26 +0000

Very naive article. How do you “ban rankings” when any blogger can create their own team rankings? And “selecting teams for the televised games based on the amount of tries they score and style of play” is not how TV works. They’re in it for the audience, which follows the big clashes.

By: Eekay

Eekay — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 08:42:12 +0000

We are creating a generation of kids that are being set up to fail in real life.
The expectations they are given by being “bought” at school is so much that they make a career choice when they are under 13 and they are then not equipped to do anything else with their lives when rugby fails them.

By: lepel

lepel — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 06:03:36 +0000

@@KhumieM-22: Why should there even be recruiting? I coach at a school that is not quite a top flight rugby school, but still strong enough to hang in there with the bigger schools in the Cape. We try our best to keep our talented kids in town, but they flock to Paarl Boys or Paarl Gym in their droves because they literally get contracted. We've asked the Boland u13 Craven week coach for his suggestions. His answer is quite simple: give the kids a better offer. Despite the fact that we give the kids all the same opportunities, we can't physically pay them to come to our school. None of this has ANYTHING to do with education. Now the kids go to a school where they are taught winning is everything. Some of these schools teach their learners appalling sportsmanship. To them WINNING is everything. And they absolutely CAN'T accept it when they loose to a smaller school like us, which happens, but is never reported.

By: @KhumieM

@KhumieM — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:07:19 +0000

When else should recruiters recruit besides craven week! Oh wait, we could always try first break !

By: @KhumieM

@KhumieM — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:02:58 +0000

It would be difficult to keep both parties happy,but I just want to know if these boys ever have time (besides their busy whey protein schedules and demanding sponsors) to study and maybe a matric farewell

By: stormer in a teacup

stormer in a teacup — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 14:03:12 +0000

@nortierd-16: skop is definitely Cacafonix. I think most bloggers would happily imagine him bound and gagged and tied to a tree

By: Vundu

Vundu — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:33:57 +0000

Keep the Sponsors, although that money raised should be used for educational scholarships.

Keep the TV broadcasts, but base it on entertainment

I agree with the changing of certain rules. When I was a kid, we always ran the ball. Then again, I went to SACS and we were pretty ****. But watching schoolboy rugby now, its boring, so so boring.

By: pompies2

pompies2 — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:06:14 +0000

This was spoken about a few times already over the last few years. The context was slightly different, but there was\is a definite need to evolve school-boy rugby. The knock-on effects will only benefit SA rugby as a whole.

By: nortierd

nortierd — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:43:14 +0000

“Hence Saru’s recent regulation stating that unions may only contract players over the age of 18, and that the recruiting of players at Craven Week is now forbidden. ”
Who will be “policing” ,for want of a better word, this aspect?
What is the difference between that and schools trolling the under 13 Craven Weeks and offering High School scholarships to talent they identify?

By: nortierd

nortierd — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:37:36 +0000

@TooMuchRugby-14: Can think of a couple of bloggers who fits the bill as Cocophonix. As soon as they come on everyone else disappears. And of course my favourite character, Capt. Haddock aka Skop

By: The Rangerman

The Rangerman — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:34:16 +0000

@TooMuchRugby-14: i am actually. and i will slat you with a pap snoek.

By: TooMuchRugby

TooMuchRugby — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:31:00 +0000

@The Rangerman-13: But you were. Aren't you Unhygienix, the fishmonger

By: The Rangerman

The Rangerman — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:14:38 +0000

@TooMuchRugby-12: ah, it does speak inglis. thought i was in an asterix and obelix comic with you posting pig latin to show how cleva you are!

By: TooMuchRugby

TooMuchRugby — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:09:00 +0000

Spot on, Tank

By: wpstormerbok

wpstormerbok — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:05:29 +0000

This year’s articles have been lekker reads I agree, decent rugby discussions instead of rants about coaches, agents, pdv and so on.

By: The Rangerman

The Rangerman — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:04:06 +0000

so jc and ryan have jumped ship and tank has taken up the slack?

tank, get ready for a rocky ride and maybe file redpu ss ys post to warm your heart when the rest of the muppets get riled up at you

By: PissAnt

PissAnt — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:01:29 +0000

@RL-7: That tarzan juice yes.

By: Tankman

Tankman — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 09:53:52 +0000

@RL-5: Phew