Continued decline in Sydney Junior Rugby
- Thread starter Quick Hands
- Start date
- Status
S'UP
Bill Watson (15)
I've said it before but I'll say it again, somebody please take control of both school and club rugby, make some hard decisons and stick with them for more than 1 season. Come on ARU standup and be counted. If it isn't broken don't fix it but it is broken so do something. All this is getting boring.
Hugh Jarse
Rocky Elsom (76)
Yep. Apart from being in breach of the rule about the maximum number of forfeits for the team, the Chatswood Folk have by and large complied with all the eligibility criteria for their representative quality players.
SJRU have to shoulder responsibility for this situation.
You must realise how important it is to have a competitive SJRU Representative team to take on NSW Country JRU. If the Country JRU were regularly touching up the SJRU teams, then questions may be asked about participation numbers, governance, standards etc.
Relax criteria here or there, and you get to proudly write in your annual report that things are all honky dory in SJRU Land. Executive members get their fancy windcheaters and their photos taken with rugby luminaries. Kids get bragging rights and get to wear their fancy SJRU gear at rugby occasions. Everyone is a winner, aren't they?
Bit of a waste really, because colts coaches and selectors don't actually care about previous representative history from Junior land, ... ... ... but let's not burst that particular ego bubble just yet shall we?
SJRU have to shoulder responsibility for this situation.
You must realise how important it is to have a competitive SJRU Representative team to take on NSW Country JRU. If the Country JRU were regularly touching up the SJRU teams, then questions may be asked about participation numbers, governance, standards etc.
Relax criteria here or there, and you get to proudly write in your annual report that things are all honky dory in SJRU Land. Executive members get their fancy windcheaters and their photos taken with rugby luminaries. Kids get bragging rights and get to wear their fancy SJRU gear at rugby occasions. Everyone is a winner, aren't they?
Bit of a waste really, because colts coaches and selectors don't actually care about previous representative history from Junior land, ... ... ... but let's not burst that particular ego bubble just yet shall we?
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
There's an edge to your sarcasm HJ - my understanding is that SJRU drew 10 all with CJRU.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
The district clubs should be in control of everything from 15s up and they should play Saturday mornings before colts.
Most of this parental shennanigans would then disappear.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
I did say most. They'd certainly be much smaller fish in a much bigger pond, which would dilute their abilty to rort the system in aid of the advancement of their own offspring.
I note again the correlation between the manic desire for honours of Gordon juniors (parents) and the dramatic downturn in colts players at Gordon.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
i was trying to give it the most ringing endorsement
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
I'm the wrong demographic for Homer Simpson
No one is the wrong demographic
Dingasden
Ward Prentice (10)
This would rule out private school players. So what, many would say. Well it could be enough to rip the guts out if most village club teams resulting in massive folding of teams.
I'm not against trying new ways but we just need to be careful with any major changes.
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Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
They're playing at school and many cannot commit to club once the school season hits its stride.
If the district clubs ran it on Sunday it would be possible for some to play and would eradicate the vested interest.
It could become a very good comp and give some of the lesser district clubs early access to their local talent and an advantage in senior recruitment as a result.
I see the NRL want to scrap their u20s comp: big mistake but just the sort of opportunity that could help an idea like this work.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
If you've been reading this thread and noted the number of forfeits, you'd see that the guts has already been ripped out. In the older age groups the SJRU competition is a vehicle for rep selection for some teams and nothing more. They have no interest in competing with other teams to win the competition. (i.e. enter a team when you only have 14 players, play the prescribed number of games before the State champs, get your boys selected and forfeit the rest of the year)
Rugby needs to cater for those boys who don't have school games - that's actually what the village club system used to do. Sunday rugby is a relatively new phenomenon, prior to about 2000, all junior club rugby was on a Saturday. This idea that we need private school players to exist is a fallacy - yes there would be less teams in the middle age groups, but those teams would be able to go all the way through in most cases.
The dependency on private school players to prop up otherwise non-viable teams is a road to nowhere - and as seen by the antics in the 16s this year actually causes more damage and problems than it is supposed to fix. Like any dependency, once you get past it, you find you didn't really need it after all.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Agree QH - but my secret plan is that by getting the district clubs involved it becomes such a good comp that it threatens the schools (which, as we know, cannot quite work out how they want to run their comps) and (not in my lifetime perhaps) the schools become secondary and the primary comp is the one run by the clubs.
In the medium term the super schools could even play against the district clubs in these age groups for some real competition.
In the medium term the super schools could even play against the district clubs in these age groups for some real competition.
In the lineout
Allen Oxlade (6)
In many areas too the league comp from 16's and up moves to a Sunday. For what ever reason league seems to take precedent over union whenever times clash. We have witnessed first hand some pretty dirty tactics by league coaches to keep boys away from union this year. Union doesn't have the power behind it at junior level anyway to take on league, so no point in continuing to battle. A move to Saturdays again, as stated above, would be ideal.
In the lineout
Allen Oxlade (6)
In all honesty i dont think the travel in the 16a comp is an issue. Its pure numbers each week as is being discussed along the lines in this forum at the moment. Except for one team being Chatswood, other teams in 16's are being depleted by the now rep commitements, Sunday league finals, amd boys (and parents) just over seeing their team turning up each week scraping together 13 to 15 players and getting smashed with not having reserves or having to pull some poor kid up from B grade ( which in some teams is mor elike a C grade).
S'UP
Bill Watson (15)
So I ask the question why does SJRU competely disrespect their own competition and schedule trial games for their rep teams on a sunday and allow the selection trial for NSw to be held on a Sunday? They schedule the state champs on an off weekend, regionals on a off weekend but trials on a sunday. this was done for teams that don't play again until October it make no sense.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
I'd suggest the answer is that many of the people running SJRU have boys at private schools and are thus hopelessly conflicted.
Runner
Nev Cottrell (35)
It is compulsory in most private schools to play for the school so suggesting that the Saturday competition will grow maybe hopeful.
I also suspect that things have changed agreat deal over the years with growth of AFL, basketball, soccer etc on the weekends.
Runner
Nev Cottrell (35)
Perhaps or it lets the most numbers have a go
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