WLF3, like Snort, I have banged on about evenness of match ups before.
I don't understand why associations don't ask schools to nominate a 'division' for each of their teams. If the Waverley 14A's nominate as division 1, and the Waverley 14B nominate as division 2 and that was known amongst the sportmasters / MICs, then schools can be matched up on that basis. eg. If the Riverview 14A's nominate as division 2, then the Waverley 14Bs play Riverview 14As and Waverly 14As need to find another division 1 team to play.
Nomination of 'division' can be subjective by each school, or could attempt to be more robust (ie. points system based on club players, rep players, years experience, rugby league club standard, league rep player, etc). Presumably the sportsmasters / rugby MIC meet up each week and for the first few weeks of the trial season could review the accuracy of the 'division'. I am sure they could easily review 5 minutes of iphone match footage each week to also ensure the nominated division is appropriate.
These division and their adjustment during the trial period then could inform the structure of the CAS comp. eg. Division 1 has all the teams who are considered division 1 after the trials. It might also mean that strong rugby schools have both their A and B team in the division 1 comp and the weaker schools have their A team in division 2 or 3.
I guess what I have described above is pretty similar to the SJRU grading approach and I know that many will say it doesn't work for schools as it means that have teams spread all across Sydney and therefore is logistically impossible (especially for those with boarders), wrecks school spirit, etc, etc.
If rugby wants to stay viable at the school level, then I can't see another alternate (other than a division structure between merged associations).
Yes ap1, I too have commented on exactly this type of format but it won't happen unfortunately.
There is no point in having a CAS specific divisional comp, there would be only 3 schools in div 1.
It needs to involve multiple associations to have the sufficient number of schools to make a reasonably sized division.
The GPS will never buy into this, I think the ISA may well, but not even sure if all the CAS schools would.
I actually think the grading criteria, and work involved to do this, would turn the Sports Masters off, and I understand that, as they have many other sports to also look after.
The only issue that may one day force such a merge might be based on safety issues, ie 1 school being undersized/limited ability etc.
In the case I put forward, ie View v Waves, I am sure it has an easy fix, and that is, play against the corresponding teams.
Waves played Newington last week and the matchups were normal.
How is this any different? Simple it's not.