Sharksworld, as most blogsites worth their salt, is constantly trying to improve its content and increase the variety of news stories and opinions that we cover, and our next point of interest, after a successful trial run last year, will be Schools Rugby.
Schools rugby is a tricky topic to cover, with so many games and rugby days happening at the same time, it is near impossible for a few writers to get to all these games. So we are looking for people, whether you are a parent of a school boy rugby player or maybe you are even one of the players, to report back to us on what is happening at these games.
Whether you just send us the final scores or would like to attempt a match report, it is completely up to you and we will post it here for all to read.
So please, if you know of somebody who would be in a position to help us with this, or know of a school that you would like to see the results of, mail me at [email protected] and we can try arranging something.
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@Uli (Comment 1) :
Thanx man..
Rich
I’m surprised you haven’t asked Muzi to contribute.
Rich email sent :).
@wpw (Comment 3) : True he always has allot to say 🙂
@Uli (Comment 1) : which school u doing? 🙂
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 6) : eish not to sure mate, so many around me…. any ideas? PMB/howick area….
Brilliant response so far guys, thank you!
By the way what has happened to that lovely blogger from Westville also very keen on schoolboy rugby to whom I owe a drink? Old age has caught up with me I can’t remember his name 😳
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 9) :
Might it have been Mocho?
If you go to the Maritzburg College one we should meet up I’ll definitelly will be there and I’m sure Beet too
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 11) :
I had a response from a Maritzburg College old boy, so we might have more than one at the same school..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 10) : that’s him! Thank you!
@Sharksmad – The Blog’s Dudette (Comment 13) :
Haven’t seen him around in ages… You might be lucky!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 12) : that’s great Richard then he can do the match report, and I can relax 😆 I was feeling decidedly nervous about writing a report 😳
mate of mine is a teacher at Kearsney. He will message me updates etc and I will forward on
Adonga just scored a hatrick for the bulls against the cheatahs….
@juba_fan (Comment 17) : actually just posted that on another thread. Bulls B won 33 – 31
I’m still pretty peeved he left the Sharks. I know we solid loose forward depth but thats how i feel about it
I’m going to the Rugby Festivals up here in gauteng.Rugby15 and Schoolsrugby.co.za have asked me to give them updates for schoolboy rugby matches.
I’m not all that keen with sharksworld you guys will give me banter.
So Nooooo is my answer 🙄
Daniel Adonga you beauty.
@Muzi (Comment 19) : if that the schoolofrugby.co.za site? That site is horribly out of date and not easy on the eye.
@slammerboy (Comment 21) : I have been promoting schoolboy rugby players in sharksworld most of you guys are not interested except my good pal Beet.
It will be a waste of time
@slammerboy (Comment 21) : schoolofrugby is not that bad.
well according to the article we’re commenting on there will be more of a focus on school rugby so you will have your opportunity to put forward your views and opinions. Don’t forget Hopper enjoys chatting about schoolboy rugby even though his words have a green tinge to them
@slammerboy (Comment 24) : yea hopper is green machine mad!!!!
Like i said i will see bbm is the way to go.
If only i was a sharky then maybe BUT ek’s n bull. 😮
@Muzi (Comment 22) :
Im interested bro and would like to hear what you have to say. Particularly it would be good if you could infiltrate the Bulls scouting legions and try and find out who they are looking to poach from the Sharks youth ranks and then contact Hans Scriba or Streauli ASAP so the Sharks can get in first!!!
@Pat (Comment 26) : Xander Janse van Rensburg is the man who gets all the signatures. No doubt he’ll be lurking around at the Kearsney Easter Rugby festival! I wonder what these guys are offered – maybe a life time supply of blue boerewors who knows!
@Pat (Comment 26) : are you from jozi? we must go to the festivals.
I will never do that to xander and the bulls scouts.
The only person i have a word or two about bulls target acquisitions is beet.
I do not trust you guys.
@slammerboy (Comment 27) : No doubt about it that is where xander got some of the glenwood players.
@Muzi (Comment 29) : with Heyneke Meyer no longer at the union and with the real possibility you may lose some of your coaching staff I wonder if the carrot will be as desirable as before.
@Muzi (Comment 28) :
No im not so can make those festivals. Would be good to hear your opinion though on those games. Talking of juniors what’s the lowdown with SA schools captain Steenkamp. Article on Suparugby says he has some sort of contract dispute with the Lions and he might play for the Bulls?
@slammerboy (Comment 27) :
What are the chances of sending a message to Xander and the Bulls scouts nearer the festival to tell them its been moved to Kokstad, part of the NRU’s drive to take rugby to the smaller communities and all that
@slammerboy (Comment 30) : I have to admit i’m impressed 😉
I agree with you that is why i was sad Meyer left he is such a great coach.
@Pat (Comment 31) : I will try talk to xander about stoney i heard he is training with the bulls under 19’s.
Haha you know that xander is a good guy i will meet him soon probaby at loftus with werner de beer.
@Muzi (Comment 33) : Lions will be pretty pissed off that they turned out for the Tuks Young Guns teams. Seems a breach of contract. I reckon the Bulls will have to pay up transfer fees. Didnt help that the Lions were lacking a sponsor up until a day ago so this probably influenced the players decision.
@slammerboy (Comment 34) : I wouldn’t be surprised if xander is working on the compensation.
Ruan is a big time player a massive talent the bulls will do everything to secrue his signature.
@Muzi (Comment 35) : The bigger question is do you really need another SA Schools / SAU20 No8? i mean you’ll have Steenkamp (Scools – 2011), Nardus v.d Walt (Schools – 2010), CJ Stander (Schools – 2008) and Arno Botha (SAU20 – 2011).
@slammerboy (Comment 36) :
I would be suprised if he plays at No8. I think he is a bit on the shortside, 1.83m or something. I would imagine the plan would be to play him on the flank as an openside.
@pat and slammerboy dnt be surprised if he lands up playing at 6 or hooker in the future.
“@mark_keohane: Plum in @SARugbymag int says all WP centres (JF, Jdv, JS, JdJ), plus Lionel Cronje and FS Ebersohns were approached by Sharks & all said no”
@Pat (Comment 31) : I read the article
http://bit.ly/yR8Rr4
and was a bit surprised by it, having read a completely different version from someone creditable with a relative who’s played alongside Stoney at Monnas and is now also with the BBs.
He said that (like many other youngsters incl Ungerer, Stander, Marx etc) Steenkamp had a type of school contract with a Union, in this case the Lions. RS received a bit of pocket money and in exchange he had to give the Lions preference by way of a first right of refusal to match any other offers from other Unions on the table as far as signing a junior contract is concerned. RS DID NOT enter a contract with the Lions after school, choosing instead to study at Tukkies where he had been accepted for a course that UJ had rejected his application for. At this stage he does not have a contract.
Based on this I imagine there will be a problem if he attempts to sign a junior contract with a Union other than the Lions at some stage.
The worrying part about the article was the future consideration given by the Lions to only picking players for Craven Week who were going to stay on in their region after school. I understand that SBR is becoming more professional by the day but this kind of ruling wud just serve to further remove Craven Week from it’s meant intention, namely to showcase the best available talent from different regions of SA.
I think its high time that some firm rules and guidelines for contracting players are put in place.
Is this only for KZN schools?
@Mutley (Comment 41) : No.
@beet (Comment 40) :
It is very difficult to say what is happening, I think Suparugby is an official Lions mouthpiece so might be putting more of a slant on it. I would have thought that he would be on some sort of junior contract with the Lions.
I definitely agree that something needs to be done about the contracting issue. It is not just at junior level but even at senior level players are breaching contracts or exploiting loopholes far too easily.
I would be very interested in Kearsney’s results – not many schools punch so far above their weight than Botha’s Hill High.
I am a Glenwood fanatic and avid Rugby365 schools blogger, if you want to know about Glenwood or KZN rugby I will let you know. I have contacts in all places……Go Green in 2012!!
At Flashman, Botha Hills High will get a pommeling from Umbilo High this year no matter how many du preez boys play. The green machine will be awesome!
@Muzi and co, look out for Carel Swart in 2012, a machine and animal at No8! Marx from KES is on everyones lips too. Obviously the Du Preez boys too, but Kearsney seem to think 2 boys make a team….
@Flashman (Comment 44) : I also take great interest in Kearsney results. 😛
Perhaps relative to the state schools in KZN like M/College, Westville and Glenwood that have in the region of 1200+ boys, Kearsney with 600 (a bit bigger than Hilton or MHS who often outperform Kearsney), does do well.
However when you consider that schools like Monument with 620 boys and Paarl Gym with 500 boys are 2 perennial powerhouses in SA SBR, it adds perspective to the “punch so far above their weight” line 🙂
@Beet, agreed mate. But remember the Kearsney lot are multi-millionaire so there is no limit to extra training, supplements etc. Also, at Glenwood, DHS and College less than half the school play rugga so it’s actually quite equal in terms of numbers playing rugby. Some of the Glenwood kids parents can’t even afford the kit let alone creatine and glutamine required to muscle up at 1st team level……
@Grasshopper (Comment 47) : Glenwood have quite a fixture list in 2012. I reckon apart from the annual fixtures against Affies and Grey College the games against Queens and Monument will be of most interest
@Grasshopper (Comment 47) : Wrong forum
This is Sharksworld where guys like Rob and Rich have gone out of their way to encourage constructive debates/banter/differences or whatever its called.
You’re going to have to try a little harder than that last comment of yours. 🙄 🙂
@Grasshopper (Comment 49) : Its actually a complement to a school like Kearsney that they have a rugby participation ratio of ±50%
And an insult to the good programmes they run at Glenwood, College, Westville, if fact an insult to SBR in this country as a whole to suggest that supplements are all it takes to stay competitive.
@Beet, yeah well at Glenwood, DHS and Westville the boys have the added distraction of the beach and girls, hence it’s understandable only about a third of the boys sacrifice their lives for rugby. I think you will find the Kearsney gym is full of creatine and glutamine filled shake bottles too. @ Slammerboy, it’s not just those two games, it’s about 10 others that will be hard and hectic;
Argentina Tour (mixed group of Under16’s, opens and those who could afford it)
Rustenburg (Unconfirmed) Pukke
Oakdale (Unconfirmed) Pukke
Framesby (Unconfirmed) Pukke
Queens College Kearsney
Dale College Kearsney
Monument Kearsney
Outeniqua Wildeklawer
Paarl Gim Wildeklawer
Westville A
Michaelhouse H
George Campbell H
Hilton A
Northwood H
Kearsney H
Pinetown H
DHS (OB’s Day) H
Voortrekker H
College H
KZN Dev H
Affies A
College A
Grey Bloem H
At least 10 schools in the Top20, pretty tough!
@Grasshopper (Comment 47) : What you got against Kearsney Hopper? Definitely a credit to them that they can produce produce competitive teams with the limited numbers. I hope all the KZN schools are strong this year and we see more representation in the Top 20 which is so often dominated by teams from Gauteng and or the Cape. Hopefully College give you okes a good run for you money this year
@Grasshopper (Comment 53) : So College play you toward the end of the season just before Affies and just before Grey Bloem when you’ll be decimated by not just injuries but fatigue and call ups to the Craven Week squad. Hopefully you have decent backup to Unathi Mkasi at 10!
Sarcasm aside good luck with the 2012 season. I will be following the progress of all KZN schools
@Slammerboy, nothing against Kearsney at all. It’s just alot easier when you don’t have to worry about money and daddy and mommy give you everything on a silver platter. To me the Glenwood boys from the Bluff and Queensburgh have to work harder to get where they do. Also, I think at private schools rugby is literally compulsory. Kearsney have done extremely well to attract the best scholars from Durban and Westville and good on them. College will be strong this year but if the Glenwood side play to potential they should blow everyone away, Siyabonga Tom, Carel Swart, Marwana, Pina, Gouws, Potgieter and Coetzee are all machines. I think Glenwood could get 2 SA schools players this year which would be a school record….
@Slammerboy, you spot on. Those last few fixtures are suicidal but hey Glenwood are obviously man enough to agree to them and accept they may get hammered by Affies and Grey Bloem, good on them for not being scared. A good beating can teach many lessons, although I think the 1st team could give Grey Bloem a very tight game on fortress Dixons….
@Grasshopper (Comment 56) : It sounds like you’re saying that it’s easier to do well at rugby if you come from an affluent background. Absolute nonsense.
Glenwood’s rugby programme is probably the best in KZN at the moment. Any Glenwood kid who’s good at rugby stands an excellent chance of going well there irrespective of his financial background and/or the ability of his parents to afford supplements.
@beet (Comment 58) : If fact your chances of succeeding in rugby after school are probably greater at Glenwood than at Kearsney right now.
@Grasshopper (Comment 57) : Will be a bloody tough encounter thats for sure. I have a feeling that 2 teams we’ll see in the top 5 this year will come from Paarl – both Paarl Boys High and Paarl Gymnasium will have very good sides. Like Queens they’ve retained most of their squad from 2011.
@Beet, I was just stirring the pot. Agreed, talent is not based on money but let’s just say Kearsney will not battle to get the best scrum machines etc. Kearsney should have a hot season too but with Glenwood away on Dixons I would say Glenwood probably have the edge even if Kearsney have the Du Preez twins….
@Slammerboy, I would add Paul Roos to that equation. By their standards they had a rubbish 2011 and will want to correct that. The top 10 will be the usual suspects, Grey Bloem, Waterkloof, Monnas, Paarl Gim, Paarl Boys, Paul Roos, and Affies…..
@Grasshopper (Comment 61) : You seem to be stirring the pot very often these days 😐 You obviously get a kick out running down some schools.
Silver spoon?! Oh dear.
I’ve spent a bit of time coaching at English schools and while they have a decent set up it just can’t compare to what we have in SA. Unfortunately the professional game in England seems too alluring and it would be good to see a Kearsney boy play in the green and gold!
The great thing about the game is that it’s a good leveller – while maximuscle, new scrum machines and caviar sandwiches are nice to have, they make very little difference at the bottom of a ruck.
@beet, seriously I have the greatest respect for Kearsney and what they do. I have many friends who are old boys and my sister had her wedding pics there. It’s just friendly banter and a bit of envy. Whilst we at Glenwood try and squeeze 25 teams practising on 3 fields Kearsney have like 8 and Hilton and Michaelhouse have like 10. It does make a difference and just shows how well Glenwood are doing with limited facilities. It just unfortunate that we cannot buy more land. Same goes for DHS and Westville. Looking forward to the Kearsney Festival, probably now the best in the country! Also Kearsney coming down to fortress dixons….should be fun!
@grasshopper
Your comments are not remotely funny and you are starting to sound like a stuck record on many topics, especially KES, govt versus private schools, etc. Please do not post the same opinions and responses ad infinitum this year.
Just for the record, I am a Glenwood old boy who comes from Umbilo originally.
@Beet
Your comments on schools rugby here and on Rugby365 are greatly valued, especially for someone a continent away and your degree of objectivity is especially remarkable, given how charged SBR can be in SA.
@Ozshark, plenty other bloggers value my comments and stats so having a few that don’t is OK with me. Blogs would be boring if everyone agreed. I respect all schools and admit when I am wrong. Agreed, Beet is a great blogger. I think you will find Beet does live in Durban and attend the games…
@OzShark again, here goes, KES is a great JHB school that deserved their top 10 ranking last year even though they only played 2 Top 20 schools. Private schools are far better than gov schools because they write IEB exams and don’t charge too much, only R175,000 a year compared to R28,000 a year for a good gov school. Hopefully that satisfies you. I will remember never to challenge anything again and listen to big brother…..;-)
seriously? I think everyone just needs to calm the blimming heck down 🙂 It’s just school rugby, for goodness sake!
@Rob, agreed mate however schools rugby can get very passionate, even more so than Super 15 and Bok rugby at times. Especially when parents and sons are involved. Remember Jake White started at that level and the likes of Brad Mcleod Henderson & Sean Erasmas are trying to make their marks that way. All Boks were once school boys so it’s not just school boy rugby, it’s the origins of Bok success…