Crusaders digging SA Schoolboy Talent

Saw this one making head waves over the weekend! :

Sport24

Myself pretty much involved in our schoolboy rugby, talking to parents and schoolboy laaities, so not surprised at all to see it.

I have qouted two years back about the current Paarl Boyshigh U18 nr 10, Anton Hauptfleisch, handed a Canterbury contract as a u16 laaitie and most Kiwis over at TSf thought I lost my nuts, they still think I do, but nevermind.

NZ: I have read over the last view years from the real rugby lovers , not the white collar lot, that NZ have problems at grass roots level. Mostly because of the modern lifestyle, PC world and mummies dont want their boys to play rugby and obvious the shite cold weather and various reasons.

SA: Listened a few years back around 2004 to the then Bok coach, Jake White talking at Paarl Gyms big brag before interschools the reason why any international coach would want to coach the Bokke. One reason was the quality talent our schoolboy system produce, the weather and a few more reasons. SA schools rugby is the last structure where teams are picked merit based, provincial level not anymore. Now playing for a top rugby school means you have to be the best from 7 teams (thats the amount of U18 teams the top schools deliver). Around my area we have Paul Roos, Paarl Boishaai, Paarl Gim and Boland Landbou so make this 4 x 7 = 28 under 18 teams add the Cape Town souties and you get the picture. Ny view is that any A team player of this four school is a real talent, only 30 players get picked by WP Craven week add in 50% quota and you get the picture. At the end og the day say 10 of the 15 from Paarl Gym had to either go study and playing boarding school rugby at Maties , dhave to priorities between study and rugby and end up out of the rugby net OR he get one hell of a oppertunity to make rugby his career, have a once in a lifetime experiense and end up with a much wider life vision. Thats the kid and parents view of it.

So SARU you vokken made up this bed , you and the ANC and government force qoutas on our game so face the music!

So maybe we should see the Saders riot or poaching or whatever as a blessing not a thread.

My cent worth.

Just to paint a little picture here, knowing my local school so well,

Pieter (Slaptjips) Rossouw and his boet Chris played for Paarl Gyms second XV
Marius Joubert, de Wet Barry and Dewaldt Duvenhage havent made WP Craven Week side.

Only Schalkie and Jean de Villiers made the WP Craven Week side from the last Paarl Gym Bokke lot.

Myself always had the view any rugby poacher should target the just outside of Craven Week players from the top schools, they will make a killing in SA rugby talent with probably a few cents.

Slowly but surely the truth will come out.

Rugby365