CAN WE KEEP UP?
An article by Loffie Eloff, (https//rugby365.com/schools/news-sa-schools/have-schools-lost-the plot-with win-at-all-costs-attitude/), inspired me to open the conversation around the many changes that are experienced in school rugby today.
Sure, it has always been a competitive contact sport, and school boy rugby has, as far as I can remember, always been the highlight of the annual schools calendar.
But things have changed, suddenly it attracts higher viewership and fan base value than Provincial match tournaments, young players are coached at higher intensity, using increasingly more sophisticated equipment than some super rugby teams do.
I was amazed by the salaries Governing School boards are willing to pay for Rugby Directors, rugby coaches and strength and conditioning coaches and team managers these days. Many of which have no formal teaching experience, but they are hired with one mission in mind and that is to WIN.
The stakes are high and the sponsors and donors expect ROI for their “investment”. So more budget is allocated every year for advanced technologies and the next trending fitness and strength attire. School boys rugby has become a lucrative market. Schools now charge exorbitant amounts of money for anyone wanting to put up a stand to sell anything from coffee to photography at tournaments. The marketing space in and around school stadiums and pavilions have become prime spots and the smallest of advert can cost a pretty penny!
It’s a new rising economy that has emerged! Schools and organizers of tournaments are in for lucrative seasons this year, that most certainly makes up for the C19 stricken 2020 and 2021 ones. When our organization recently offered to sponsor all our WP, Pumas and Cheetahs gazebos to a school in need of shade for VIP’s, medical personnel and other support activities, our offer was declined, as these were branded and we had to pay to offer them for free.
But why is this reason for concern? In South Africa diverse strategies to address persistent inequalities through endless legislation and policy implementation are endless, you have to wonder how less fortunate schools will ever be able to keep up with the Joneses?
Is the gap not increasing to the point where we are creating a Grand Canyon of division?
Players of color from talent rich areas such as the E astern Cape, simply don’t all become Siya Kolisi’s and get exported to top private schools to receive equal opportunity. Most of them are trapped in their dust ridden school yards with little to no resources to facilitate athletic development.
In these schools the working environment for Teachers and pupils are an even greater challenge than concern over adequate sport facilities. And although not as challenged as this, they are not alone any more!
An average middle-class school in South Africa that are traditional neighborhood schools in many small, medium sized towns or cities are also facing huge financial challenges with the middle class also under increasing economic pressure.
These school boards simply do not have the resources to employ the equivalent caliber Rugby/Sport head coach and supportive staff, nor can they purchase the same quality equipment, install five star gyms and employ full time coaches to work with young players in development. So it comes at no surprise that so many young athletes lose hope and give up on rugby after school.
In fact sport is blamed for creating the social inequalities in rural communities!
Of course, their plight is of no concern to Unions, Universities who are spoilt for choice from the TOP Rugby schools. Leading me to ask the question if Rugby has become an ELITE sport in South Africa? Is it time for the previous disadvantaged or middle class to accept their fate when looking at these realities? Or when they look down at their bare feet or cheaper brand boots on the worst pitch conditions we can imagine, should they just accept that they can never compete equally to those of the fortunate and give up?
Because unless you have friends in high places, or a Samaritan rescues you, these player’s chance of ever being selected for Craven week is as slim as Eskom keeping the lights on this year, or Romania winning the rugby world cup in 2023!
But it is not all BAD NEWS, if there is a lucrative economy coming from Schools boy rugby, this means job opportunities and a time to consider all the other rugby careers in high demand at different school levels, especially at junior level.
The days are gone where Teacher-coaches emerged from the old teaching colleges and universities.It is not a requirement of a Teacher in training to have any sports code coaching knowledge or skill any longer. Taking into consideration that Teaching Colleges that trained the majority of the teacher-coaches in South Africa, were closed 30 years ago, those old school teachers are now nearing retirement or have retired already. Who is now championing sports codes at school level, inspiring youngsters to participate and take up a team sport such as rugby?
Good question.
Teacher-coaches, both male and female, are becoming extinct, so to speak, leaving a massive void in skilled coaches available at all schools, not only the middle-class or previously disadvantaged ones. Many schools, in absence of bottomless budgets, are reverting to parents who were past players to coach younger teams, and often these parents are not adequately trained as rugby coaches and professionally skilled to do so.
Fundamental rugby skills should be taught at the youngest possible age. South Africa is often criticized for being unimaginative when it comes to game plan execution. But ask any player why he is executing a decision in the manner he does, and he will tell you with pride, it is because the coach says so.
I have once, out of interest, counted the amount of titles available on the game of chess written by masters across the centuries. How is it possible that so many variables of play can exist for every piece on the board, and so many different scenarios can unfold in one game? The titles are all aimed to improve strategy and skill and outsmart the opponent, but it takes years to master these skills.
So I did the same for Rugby and all I could find was mostly Autobiographies of the master coaches.
Who is teaching the real game of rugby, roles and responsibilities, restrictions of every position, laws of rugby in line with the positions and different defense and attack strategies? There is hardly time for this during normal practice sessions as fitness, strength and coaching to win the next upcoming game are of greater priority. There is sadly no time for individual positional development.
Many coaches that coach at senior amateur sides and academies, are often amazed by the absence of fundamental skills of players. Coaches that coach at A- league clubs and Institutions simply don’t have the time to correct or train skills that should have been embedded at a younger age. This can result in major injury risks.
Our youth is in desperate need of professionally trained coaches who coach to a standard of skill that is acceptable as world-class. Coaches that take the time to embed knowledge and unlock potential through positional development focus will pave the way for a higher level quality player available for SA Rugby. This is sustainable coaching!
UXI Rugby Institutes pride itself to become the NEW VARSITY of rugby careers, offering not only rugby development for players parallel and within the Union structures it is placed. It offers the opportunity for rugby enthusiasts to pursue an array of rugby related careers.
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Our passion is to narrow the divide, produce the next generation work-force for the rugby industry in South Africa. This is not only potential professional players but more importantly the human resources for our schools, clubs and sports industry in general!
The next generation Coaches that will “Inspire and ignite Greatness!”
