Are they just kids or are they professional athletes? My Opinion!
I acknowledge that the protests within this site asking for some of us to “take a step back because our U/16’s are just kids” are valid positions to take! So too is the view that boys who play rugby of a high standard can do so purely just for the love of the game! Notwithstanding the validity of such positions and views, the same are not necessarily those of general application. With all due deference to those who will disagree with me here, labelling ‘ALL’ U/16 representative lads as just kids is hard for me to reconcile given that a considerable number of the same boys that have been selected in the three NSW U/16 representative teams are presently members and/or subjects of the recently created professional rugby development program, the ARU’s Junior Gold Squad. This is also in addition to those whom are members of the senior National Gold Squad and professional league development programs. Correct me if I am wrong but is it not the purpose of the JGS to identify, nurture and develop talented juniors in order to generate world class rugby players and deliver the same to the ranks of Australian ‘Super Rugby’ teams and in turn, the Wallabies? I believe that it is the case and from what I have seen the identification of talented rugby players for the JGS generally begins at the U/15 level and by the time those selected enter into the U/16 age category they have already spent a good part of a year in a professional rugby environment with all the associated benefits that are perceived to come with the same!
Of the current crop (as I shall refer to them) I personally know that several are contracted to various league entities and are remunerated by the same (this also in addition to the same being members of the JGS). Others are on scholarship (which is inclusive of full or part scholarships) at various GPS, CAS and ISA schools. As a result I can assure the members of this site that each of these boys who are in such a relationship are acutely aware that their position is one of "quid pro quo"! If not they should be made aware! Accordingly they are also aware that their tenure is a performance based relationship with expectations attached, and those who beg to differ may need to open their eyes. Such lads also have 'Sport Agents/Managers' that look after their affairs. I know for a fact that several of the boys I have mentioned in my post at #1391 actually have full time managers and surprise, surprise some of them are strictly 'rugby only'. And these are only the ones I know of personally.
At the conclusion of last Sunday’s U/16 SJRU game I overheard two lads who were probably in their early to mid 20’s giving their respective summation of the U/16’s game. Both were of Polynesian descent with “thuck” accents that strongly suggested that they were from our lovely 7th (north and south island) state of ‘Eastern Australia’. Essentially both lads were ridiculing SJRU’s performance and in doing so one said to the other, with words to the effect of “if that’s the best they got, no wonder our B team hammered the Wallabies.” With that both were in fits of laughter! Essentially the U/16 SJRU team is the ‘cream of our crop’, they have inherited a winning legacy that has been left to them by former U/16 teams (in particular the victorious ‘Class of 2010’). Whenever this team runs out onto the paddock it should be the best team that can be fielded. The trials are over; they were conducted at the State, Regional, and Schools Championships. IMO these boys can no longer be labelled as kids, they are finely tuned athletes on the cusp of adulthood who are being professionally developed by the best the ARU can muster! Calls to “give the kids a break” (though warranted in some respects) is not going to appease the likes of Robert Taufa, Iona Taiki, and Niu who are now standing on the sidelines lamenting a missed opportunity that they would have given their ‘ALL’ had they been playing; the same (and IMO a much better) ‘ALL’ that each gave their respective teams at State and Regional.
In conclusion may I also say this? If one were to read my earlier posts (i.e. those prior to the selection of the SJRU and NSW Schools teams, in particular the SJRU team) I made favourable mention of certain lads who incidentally happen to go to CAS schools. Such lads included Jamo Clark, Afele Malaki, and Jake Roberts to name but a few. I also made favourable mention of a lad called Kagiassis from MSZ in addition to certain lads from the Barbarian’s, namely Aukofolau and Robert Taufa. When the SJRU team was eventually named the abovementioned lads were included (excepting Robert Taufa), however it was my opinion that the best team had not been selected and SJRU were going to struggle at the National Championship. IMO there were certain lads who deserved to be in the SJRU team ahead of others. Those lads were Trent Winterstein, George Taufa, Hector Titterton, Robert Taufa, Iona Taiki and Niu because all of them had outstanding performances at Regional. Since then 3 of my abovementioned lads have now been added to the SJRU squad so I feel vindicated; not only because they were selected, but more so for their stand-out performances during the game against KG.
Unfortunately the debate over whether a lad is to be labelled as ‘JUST A KID’ or a ‘QUASI- PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE’ is not black and white! No, no, no; it is not that easy, it is grey, and it is blurred, with no clear lines of delineation! We live in a world where we ask 17 year old children to make life decsions at school that affectivley chose a career path they will follow for the rest of their life. For mine, all that 17 year old boys should be doing is chasing young ladies, yet our society imposes this upon them! The same can be said of 16 year old talented rugby players; they should be playing purely for the love of the game. However professionalism and commercialisation has put a sword to such idealic notions and we are now seeing the commodification of U/16 rugby players!
Regards,
Newbie
