Rugby no longer only for elite schools
It was “back to school day” for South Africa’s United Rugby Championship (URC) players in yesterday’s two local derbies — and what the celebration showcased was that if a player is good enough, the origin of his schooling or his formative rugby education doesn’t matter.
Gone are those days when a select few elite rugby-centred schools dominated South Africa’s provincial and national selections.
The likes of Grey College and Paarl Boys High, in particular, continue to lead representation in South African rugby’s professional landscape, but the gap has been narrowed in the past decade, and players don’t have to necessarily move schools to make it as professional players.
There were 92 players in action yesterday, when the Sharks hosted the Stormers and the Lions were at home to neighbours the Bulls.
The most noticeable aspect of the four 23strong match-day squads was that there was no bias towards home-grown talent and, for the most part, there is considerable movement to provinces outside the one in which the player finished schooling.
The Stormers’ squad of 23 featured nine players schooled in the province, the Lions had eight and the Sharks and Bulls five each. For the Bulls, only one in the match 23 was from Pretoria’s famed Affies, and five of the starting backs were from the Western and South Eastern Cape.
Paarl Boys High, who enjoyed an incredible five-year unbeaten run with Sean Erasmus as head of rugby, has produced some super players in the past decade. So has Bloemfontein’s Grey College, which has consistently been ranked one or two in the country. But when it comes to making a career of rugby, it is a sport that is providing an opportunity for all and not just a privileged few.
Those schools traditionally strong in each province will always feature prominently in professional South African rugby, but what the URC’s Round 10 “Origin” weekend
Gone are those days when a few schools dominated SA’s provincial and national selections
highlights is just how many different South African schools are producing professional rugby players. Stellenbosch and Paarl have always been rugby nurseries with Boshaai, Paarl Gim and Paul Roos the big three in the region. Boland Landbou, the alma mater of Bulls and Springboks utility back Canan Moodie, make up the imposing quartet.
Grey College in Bloemfontein is a modern rugby institution and a decade ago nine former players from the school featured in the same Springbok squad of 30. It is a record that is unlikely to be beaten, although Paarl Boys High, in the past few years, have developed some sparkling talent, with the conveyor belt particularly generous when it comes to loose-forwards.
The Stormers and Boks No 8 Evan Roos leads the charge, with Cameron Hanekom (now at the Bulls), Francke Horn (Lions) and Ruan Venter (Lions) all from that production line. George South Primary, Randfontein Primary, Bekker High, Wonderboom High, Mooirivier Primary, Gene Louw Primary, Winterton Primary, South Natal Primary, Avondale Primary, Nelspruit High, Stellenberg High, De Vos Malan High School, Northcliff High, Piet Retief High, Linden High, Bergsig Academy, Augsburg Agricultural Gymnasium, Middelburg Technical High School, Bastion, Hentie Cilliers and Hermanus High all sit comfortably alongside Bishops, Monument, Grey High, Durban High, Paul Roos and Dale College, to nominate just a few.
Past pupils from Dale College and Queen’s College, in the Eastern Cape, are well represented and World Cup winners Makazole Mapimpi (Jim Mvabanza Secondary) and Lukhayno Am (De Vos Malan High) are those schools’ most inspirational rugby stories.
All these players give every rugby-playing schoolboy hope that it is possible to become a professional player and a World Cup winner.
Wonder wing Cheslin Kolbe played for Brackenfell High; Franco Mostert for Brits; Deon Fourie for Pietersburg High; Damian de Allende at Milnerton High; Bongi Mbonambi played for Voortrekker High in Bethlehem; and World Cup-winning lock duo Eben Etzebeth and Marvin Orie played for Tygerberg High.