School sporting scholarships/recruitment

[The Blindside]

At least someone associated with Newington finally admits that they are doing it!! GPS byelaws veery clearly state that it is not allowed - so how do NEw and Kings and Scots so brazenly get away it?!

All you have to do is look on the Newington website - all scholarship streams are fully disclosed. You guys just don't get it - it's about the boys.

The top private schools in the USA have over half their students on scholarships or bursaries and I'd like to see the same here in Australia.

Newington also has an indigenous scholarship program. If what you say is true they'd have a whole bunch of budding young Preston Campbells and Ewan McGrady's on the books.

 

[H98]

How about they introduce a lightweight class/division as they do in rowing. Maybe 87.5 kg and under. No school is realistically going to actively recruit in such a division, yet it would still be highly entertaining and competitive. Late developers and naturally lighter kids will still get the chance to experience rugby and show their talents without fear of a being maimed by a man child. Most of these kids may not go on to senior or rep football, but some may. They will also have a lifetime of good memories regarding their school rugby days.

This way schools whom choose not to go down the import path can still realistically win such competitions.

 

[I like to watch]

Blindside it is ironic that you bring up the US College system as a defence to the blatant importing of players that Newington has been party to in the 16yo age group in the last year (is it 6 or 7 new ''Á' players that joined over the past year)
I remember seeing a documentary about a college in Texas that continually flouted the College rules and when they were caught they had their football team dismantled overnight and were banned from competing in the competition for several years.
If it was sanctioned by the Association,I believe it is not a bad thing for talented kids to be invited into these schools.
But it is not sanctioned, so it is cheating. Yes you guys are not the only ones, but that doesn't make it right.
I have looked at the website & I cannot see where there are 6 or 7 different scholarships available for year 9 or year 10 kids.
In regards to the indigenous program, no one is complaining about that, so do more of that instead.

 

[International Badboy]

All you have to do is look on the Newington website - all scholarship streams are fully disclosed. You guys just don't get it - it's about the boys.

The top private schools in the USA have over half their students on scholarships or bursaries and I'd like to see the same here in Australia.

Newington also has an indigenous scholarship program. If what you say is true they'd have a whole bunch of budding young Preston Campbells and Ewan McGrady's on the books.

How about we take all your scholarships, islanders, aboriginies, basketballers, soccer players whatever and give them to high and you stop giving them out, then would you think it is a good idea when high smack you across aboard?

 

[TigersFan5]

At least someone associated with Newington finally admits that they are doing it!! GPS byelaws veery clearly state that it is not allowed - so how do NEw and Kings and Scots so brazenly get away it?!

and Joeys

 

[The Blindside]

Blindside it is ironic that you bring up the US College system as a defence to the blatant importing of players that Newington has been party to in the 16yo age group in the last year (is it 6 or 7 new ''Á' players that joined over the past year)
I remember seeing a documentary about a college in Texas that continually flouted the College rules and when they were caught they had their football team dismantled overnight and were banned from competing in the competition for several years.
If it was sanctioned by the Association,I believe it is not a bad thing for talented kids to be invited into these schools.
But it is not sanctioned, so it is cheating. Yes you guys are not the only ones, but that doesn't make it right.
I have looked at the website & I cannot see where there are 6 or 7 different scholarships available for year 9 or year 10 kids.
In regards to the indigenous program, no one is complaining about that, so do more of that instead.

I'm not talking about US Colleges, I'm talking about US private schools like Exeter and Andover - the equivalent of our GPS schools.
Scholarships and bursaries are good things - they give deserving boys opportunities to receive a first rate education.
And as I've said before, I'll take one of New's Tongan scholarship lads over 100 of the indolent stuck up tosser boys you find at some other GPS schools.

 

[baldingwingforward]

And as I've said before, I'll take one of New's Tongan scholarship lads over 100 of the indolent stuck up tosser boys you find at some other GPS schools.

As long as he is over a 100kgs and can run, tackle, catch and pass...

Blindside quit while you can. You are copping a hiding and digging a bigger hole for yourself with each post that you write!

 

[pitbull]

Sorry but if I was offered a scholarship to a GPS school, I would be ecstatic. Everyone who comments on these threads are usually supporters of teams that got beaten by an "import" team the previous season. Maybe think of the boys who these scholarships are handed out to? You whinge on and on about how it takes away from club rugby and is unfair, but who really wants to play club rugby, or in a shit team? Very few non-private schoolboys get picked for representative honors, and those who do have to work incredibly hard to get noticed, from an early age.

 

[lincoln]

Sorry but if I was offered a scholarship to a GPS school, I would be ecstatic. Everyone who comments on these threads are usually supporters of teams that got beaten by an "import" team the previous season. Maybe think of the boys who these scholarships are handed out to? You whinge on and on about how it takes away from club rugby and is unfair, but who really wants to play club rugby, or in a shit team? Very few non-private schoolboys get picked for representative honors, and those who do have to work incredibly hard to get noticed, from an early age.

Pit-bull, I don't think anyone has a problem with the boys lucky enough to be given the opportunity. Generally they are better people than the indolent offspring of the nouveau riche who seem to fill GPS schools these days. The problem is it is specifically prohibited by the AAGPS rules - ipso facto these boys are unwitting participants in cheating. Very unfair on these lads.

 

[dermo]

Pit-bull, I don't think anyone has a problem with the boys lucky enough to be given the opportunity. Generally they are better people than the indolent offspring of the nouveau riche who seem to fill GPS schools these days. The problem is it is specifically prohibited by the AAGPS rules - ipso facto these boys are unwitting participants in cheating. Very unfair on these lads.

To add to that no one has a problem with helping boys who without a scholarship wouldnt get a good education, it is when schools use this as an excuse for their cheating and they pick boys for these scholarships purely for there sporting talent

 

[CDOG]

Blindsided, how do you explain the amount of a scholars in your swimming team - absolutely chocker block full - open secret in the very small Sydney swimming community. What I found amusing/ironic/satisfying was when you lost the swimming in 2010 to a bunch of Shore rowers and a lad not considered good enough for a New "All Rounder" scholarship. Then we can start on your tennis team......

try trinity for swimming I have no doubt that every boy (or the vast majority) have been pinched from other schools for their swim team

 

[light]

Thought i may join this discussion as I am all for school sporting scholarships. If the kid is good enough then why shouldn't he be poached by elite schools?.
In terms of bringing boys in from overseas I have a little story. I attended a GPS school and in my first year, there were about 5 or 6 big Somoan boys. Everyone knew who they were, they were clearly on scholarships. Not one of them could speak english, nevertheless, they were part of the boarding houses and school life and whatever else. Rugby season came along, they played 1st XV and led the warcries.

I remember their time came up, and it was the final day of their Australian education experience. During the final assembly one of them stood up during the headmasters speech. The whole school went quiet, the boy proceeded to walk up onto the stage and shake the headmasters hand, slowly approached the microphone. As you can imagine the whole hall was deafly quiet as this guy began to speak. Within 30 seconds he was in tears, thanking all those who had taken their time to not only help him with rugby, but teach him english, how to write, read, all the bare necessities. He singled out all the people who helped him and carried on thanking them, pausing to wipe tears from his eyes and the like. 5 years later I finished school, and still to this day I have never seen so many students stand and applaud a speech in my life. I looked around and saw his fellow classmates crying, teachers comforting each other as they went on this emotional rollercoaster of this boys schooling experience.

What you don't see in regard to these scholarships are the person it makes them. That boy left Australia and returned to Somoa to become a teacher, he plays rugby occasionally and helps build other villages. For the school I attended, he was there for rugby, for the kid it was about much more than that. He went back home with knowledge and skills that are invaluable, and im not talking rugby

If private schools can afford to bring underprivileged kids to Australia, regardless of the reason behind it and give the kids an opportunity that they would have never gotten before then I don't see a problem with it. These boys still sat their end of year exams, played a part in the school spiritual life, became prefects and were more beneficial to the school than 90% of paying students. I don't see a problem with sporting scholarships, you just have to look outside the rugby field to see the real advantage

 

[light]

As for bringing boys in from other local schools and comps. I can't say I support it, but there are obviously a lot of people who do. I'll leave that one to the experts

 

[Man on the hill]

Have to agree with lincoln - AAGPS & CAS charters both specifically 'outlaw' sporting scholarships. So whether you can rationalize them is not relevant, the rules say NO - what example does it set that you can just ignore the rules you don't happen to like.

PS - lincoln, curious that you use well known Shore old boy Errol Flynn for your ID pic, yet you insist no shore affiliation.

 

[International Badboy]

Always wondered who that guy was haha

 

[light]

"BSHS is Brisbane’s only selective public school and is able to pick the best rugby players in the government school system from all over town. The other GPS rugby powerhouses at the moment are Nudgee and The Southport School. They stay ahead of the pack by offering lots of rugby scholarships, unlike some of the other sides." - Green and Gold Rugby...

 

[Torn Hammy]

There are schools that don't give scholarships for the specific reason of helping their affiliated schools in poorer parts of the world.

Justifying his abhorence of sporting scholarships, a CAS headmaster told a group of parents that every $20K that the school could give to the head office meant an extra teacher in this school's organisation. Presumably that teacher would have a class of 30.

If we do the math on 'light's' argument- 5 boarders @ $40,000 across 6 years of school equals $1 million.

If we give this $1 million to the CAS headmaster he educates 1,500 kids around the world. That's a lot to blubber about.

But of course he probably won't win the footy. Got to get our priorities sorted, eh light?

 

[light]

I'd rather see 5 boarders from Samoa given the opportunity to be educated in Australia. Sure you may educate 1,500 CAS kids but the boys from Samoa were only over on two year stays. They weren't boarding for 5 years, no school could afford that but if schools can afford to bring them over for a short period of time, help them learn english and teach them life skills which they really wouldn't have learnt over there and perhaps, like the example I used, the kid goes back and uses what he learnt to educate 100 more people then I think sporting scholarships are justified.

Their efforts on the rugby field are nothing in comparison to the greater good they are doing when they return home. As the kid in his speech said, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity, I'd rather see him given it over any other CAS boy.

These kids we are talking about aren't the Quade Cooper's of the world. Sure they are big, but rarely do they actually go on with rugby after school. Their contribution to rugby is minimal, it's more about their contribution to their own society.

How can you argue against an underprivileged kid gaining a scholarship, and rebut it with "he's only there for rugby, we can educate twice that many Australian kids" when it's clearly more than that.

As for those who suddenly appear at the school during rugby season, and have 'suprisingly' dropped out come time for end of yr 12 exams, I can understand that being under a lot of scrutiny

 

[Torn Hammy]

You misunderstood what I'm saying light.

These 1500 kids are located in the Pacific, Africa, India, South America and Asia and their schools are reliant on funds from Australian and other countries' wealthy schools.

The Headmaster was intimating that the $40,000 spent on one Samoan border at Newington, could be used to educate 60 kids in Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe or Uraguay.

 

[light]

Ah makes sense, sorry I went off on my own little tangent. I see what you're saying but I think that fact that they play rugby has nothing to do with it. Most kids in those countries grow up playing it, the school I attended prided itself on picking the most academic of the bunch who would go back and be able to educate others. It just happened that they played rugby - coincidence huh