School sends team to South Africa
Southland Boys’ High School’s first XV are in for a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience, and their coaches have made sure they know how special it is. Logan Savory reports.
Jason Dermody knows too well what a group of Southland Boys’ High School rugby players has in store this month. Twenty-three years after the Southland Boys’ first XV team’s last trip to South Africa, the Invercargill school will again send a team to the Republic this month.
Dermody is one of the cocoaches of the 2019 first XV. He was also a player in 1996 when Southland Boys’ last toured South Africa. He has stressed to the current day players they are in for something special.
‘‘I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity,’’ Dermody said. ‘‘I told the boys that this is something they will remember forever. Not many young guys get to go to South Africa with their rugby mates.
‘‘For the majority of these guys they will never get to do something like this again.’’
Dermody’s brother Clarke, who went on to play for the All Blacks, was also part of the 1996 team which travelled to South Africa.
As was David Hall who went on to play 100 games for Southland after his school days.
One of the coaches from that 1996 trip – Peter Skelt – will also return to South Africa this year as a co-coach with Dermody.
The 1996 tour coincided with a special time in New Zealand rugby’s rivalry with South Africa. At the same time as Southland Boys’ toured in ‘96 the All Blacks were in South Africa playing in an historic series.
Southland Boys’ played a curtain-raiser to an All Blacks midweek match and the Southlanders also attended the famous third test in Johannesburg.
The All Blacks won the test 23-22 to record New Zealand’s first ever away series win over South Africa.
Rugby was at the forefront of everyone’s minds in South Africa during that time, according to Dermody. ‘‘I can remember the crowds, we played Pretoria Boys’ and there would have been 10,000 people there,’’ he said.
This year’s trip came about after an approach from former Southland Stags player Hale T-Pole. There was little hesitation in saying yes, Dermody said.
T-Pole is one of the organisers of the World Schools Festival in South Africa which Southland Boys’ has linked with.
Southland Boys’ will join John McGlashan College, Napier Boys’ High School, and Christchurch Boys’ High School as New Zealand teams attending the event this month.
They will break the trip up with a stop in Dubai where they will play a UAE Barbarians team, before heading to South Africa to play against leading South African school team Paul Roos, as well as Greys College.
It will be the third time Southland Boys’ has squared-off against Greys College, after Greys College visited Invercargill in 1994 and they also met in South Africa in 1996.
Dermody expected the Invercargill school would be in for a stern test. ‘‘We are under no illusions how tough it is going to be. You don’t realise how big the South African lads are until you get to go up against them.’’
The team will depart Invercargill on March 19 for the two-week tour.
The Southland Boys’ team has been training hard for the South African trip being two months ahead of their usual preparation.
The tour party will consist of 28 players and 32 parents, as well as four management.