The Rugby Championship 2017

[PaarlBok]

Great test. Etzebeth, Marx, Ginga & PSdT giving it their all.

Thought we kick to much (Cronje) in the first half.

CC now and its very exciting. All teams still in with a shot and everything will change with the Boks back.

 

[Dan54]

Very interesting after the result of this test, almost without exception everyone I have spoken to at home has said what a great test and how much they enjoyed it, best of year etc, which goes to show that most real rugby people prefer a good hard test than the team they support getting a blow out on scoreboard that happened last time in Albany. Mind you most that I spoke to actually were like me and thought Albany wasn't quite a fair reflection of the game.

 

[PaarlBok]

Very interesting after the result of this test, almost without exception everyone I have spoken to at home has said what a great test and how much they enjoyed it, best of year etc, which goes to show that most real rugby people prefer a good hard test than the team they support getting a blow out on scoreboard that happened last time in Albany. Mind you most that I spoke to actually were like me and thought Albany wasn't quite a fair reflection of the game.

In SA we rate the All Blacks as the measurement and our players ultimate challenge always is to play against the old foe. Myself are positive for the future, our schoolboy rugby are healthy, most top schools play running rugby, in the CC we saw some great running rugby, only the Boks need to go this route. We look on saturday dominant with ball in hand at times. Sadly we lost it on the scoreboard but it was really close.

 

[Ulrich]

I hope they don't skip the coaching indaba this year as was promised would happen yearly from last year.

It's a good step in the right direction and recently in Bloemfontein the Bok coaches held a meeting with a bunch of local school coaches at Grey College. This needs to happen all the time if we are to succeed in the long term.

It will be some years before it bears fruit if the plan is right, that is.

 

[Dan54]

In SA we rate the All Blacks as the measurement and our players ultimate challenge always is to play against the old foe. Myself are positive for the future, our schoolboy rugby are healthy, most top schools play running rugby, in the CC we saw some great running rugby, only the Boks need to go this route. We look on saturday dominant with ball in hand at times. Sadly we lost it on the scoreboard but it was really close.

Most at home like me feel the Boks are going the right way PB. I know your Schoolboy rugby like NZ's is very healthy and CC is also a pretty good comp showing like our Mitre 10 cup the depth of players you have. I so glad that at end of day in my opinion the NZ/SA rivallry and respect is still intact and pretty strong. I actually was real pleased to see on a FB page after the test on Sat, Shag and AC having a beer , and Wayne Smith having a bit of and a beer with some of the Bokke players, just reminded me as did the way the players interacted on the field after the game that both teams still have the respect and correct attitude for the game we love.

 

[PaarlBok]

I hope they don't skip the coaching indaba this year as was promised would happen yearly from last year.

It's a good step in the right direction and recently in Bloemfontein the Bok coaches held a meeting with a bunch of local school coaches at Grey College. This needs to happen all the time if we are to succeed in the long term.

It will be some years before it bears fruit if the plan is right, that is.

You probably havent heard the French Connection to Grey College.

http://www.gc.co.za/News/444/new-scholarship-programme-at-grey-college

COMMUNICATION: NEW SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME AT GREY COLLEGE
On behalf of the Badawi Legacy Trust, the Jock Meiring Trust, and the Governing Body of Grey College:
Parlez vous francais
It is said that a school is a building with tomorrow inside. As a modern society, it is our duty to provide our students with an environment within which they can create the best possible tomorrow for everyone. A tomorrow in which South Africans will succeed in the context of unprecedented levels of globalisation and technological advance.

Grey College has been providing such an environment to its students for decades. This includes maintaining a school identity which promotes inclusivity, diversity, equality, discipline, respect, hope, faith and charity. More recently, the school constructed world-class facilities where boys are tutored in science, a subject in which South Africa lacks skill. Grey College has also introduced French as a voluntary subject as of 2018. This new faculty is a subset of a new scholarship programme designed to reinforce the environment within which Grey College boys are shaping a better tomorrow:

The Badawi Legacy Scholarship Programme has committed to make contributions to Grey College in three areas over the next five years:

1. The programme will fund the appointment, by Grey College, of a French Language teacher for a period of five years
2. The Programme is expected to provide funding support to at least 50 scholarship holders which translates into partial funding support of over 200 student years. Scholarships will be awarded to students on an unconditional basis and without recourse or any other obligation during, or post- study at Grey College
3. The donor of the programme has secured a commitment from Montpellier Rugby Club in France to make available, to Grey College, resources including a commitment to sharing coaching methods and exchange programmes for rugby coaches

Badawi Scholarships will enable scholarship holders to attend Grey College and will be awarded, on a means tested basis, to individuals who do not have similar alternatives readily available to them. Scholarships holders will be individuals with demonstrated potential in leadership and/or academia and the sport of rugby.
The application process will be communicated in due course.

• It could be argued that these principles applied since the inception of Grey College in 1855 (reference, for example, the contribution made by Old Grey Bram Fischer)
• These numbers depend on (a) School Fees payable per scholarship holder, which i.a. depends on the boarding or non-boarding status of the scholarship holder (b) The level of scholarship awarded per scholarship holder (c) the year of intake and (d) Other variables.
• Scholarship holders are invited to, but won’t be required to take French as a subject
• For the avoidance of doubt: Grey college will not be “buying” talent: The programme will seek to identify talented individuals who do not have similar alternatives readily available to them. Applicants whose financial position does not impose any restriction on their attendance of Grey College or similar institutions will not be eligible for this scholarship.

Agtergrond: Die program, wat uniek is in Suid-Afrika en een van die mees omvattende skenkings in die geskiedenis van Grey Kollege, is ‘n direkte gevolg van die kulturele, sport- en professionele bydraes deur oud-Greys verbonde aan die Montpellier Rugby Klub in Frankryk.
Die donateur, wat verlang om anoniem te bly, het van Grey Kollege verneem deur sy assosiasie met die Montpellier Rugby Klub, waar oud-leerders Francois Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Bismarck en Jannie du Plessis, Jan Serfontein asook ‘n jonger Henry Immelman tans rugbyspelers is. Die donateur het wêreldwye besigheids- en kulturele status en maak hierdie skenking uit ‘n filantropiese oorweging.
In oud-Grey en Springbokspeler, Francois Steyn se woorde: “ Dit is wonderlik om as oud - Grey te weet dat die skool vir wie ons almal so lief is voortaan seuns wat graag ook wil deel word van die Grey Kollege familie sal kan akkommodeer onder omstandighede waar dit in die verlede nie moontlik sou wees nie. As Montpellier speler is ek trots daarop om te weet dat ons Alma Mater invloedryke mense in Frankryk sodanig beindruk dat hulle met raad en daad wil deel wees van ‘n inisiatief wat meer seuns die geleentheid sal bied om deur die beste skool in die wêreld geslyp te word tot eerbare manne wat ‘n verskil in die wêreld sal maak.”
Ons bedank die skoolhoof, Mnr. Scheepers, wat hierdie inisiatief ondersteun het op die voorwaarde dat die program tot voordeel van Grey Kollege se seuns asook Grey Kollege se gemeenskap (die Vrystaat en ons land) sou strek. Die program sal dus voortdurend teen hierdie beginsels getoets kan word, en is so ontwerp dat Grey Kollege nie eksklusiwiteit inboet nie, of ‘n finansiële las sou hê indien bogenoemde nie van pas sou wees nie.
Deon Scheepers, Old Grey and Headmaster, said “We are deeply thankful to the sponsors of this programme and remain committed to building a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between Grey College, the donor and the Montpellier Rugby Club. Not only will such a relationship be beneficial to the learners of Grey College, but also because a strong relationship will mean that this programme could become any donor’s blueprint for the further development of talent in South Africa“
Chris Derksen (Chair), Jurgens Myburgh and Willem Klopper (Directors of the Badawi Legacy Trust) on behalf of the Donor
Henry Buchner (Chair) and Dr. Steve Steyn on behalf of the Governing Body of Grey College
Philip Piek and Steyn Strauss on behalf of the Jock Meiring Trust

* The programme is not exclusive and will hopefully serve as blueprint for other similar programmes and/or donors.
* For the avoidance of doubt, the directors of the Badawi Trust, Jock Meiring Trust, and members of the Governing
body are acting in the sole interest of Grey College and will not receive any remuneration or other benefit as a result
of this initiative.

 

[Ulrich]

^ I did read about that, yes.