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School sporting scholarships/recruitment

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
horrid rule. What if some poor kid who has travelling parents comes into the school after a term has passed, he was a promising player in QLD,South Africa, England etc, and his dad just got promotied to a job in australia, goes to his new school and finds out he can't play rugby

He can play rugby, just not in the 1sts or 2nds. I think that is fair on the boys at the school (who have been training and trialling all year) and the boys at other schools.
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
I assume it doesn't count for people already enrolled before that year since some people's Jan holidays go into Feb
 

Lindommer

Simon Poidevin (60)
Staff member
What if some poor kid who has travelling parents comes into the school after a term has passed, he was a promising player in QLD,South Africa, England etc, and his dad just got promotied to a job in Australia, goes to his new school and finds out he can't play rugby?

If this situation wasn't engineered to shoehorn a talented player into a school's sporting team one would hope the other members of the GPS would allow the boy to play after appropriate representation from his school. There may be other circumstances which require a boy (or girl) to change schools during a school year and one would hope commonsense prevails.













As long as it isn't for King's.
 
P

pitbull

Guest
So, hypothetically, if say Curtis Browning was to move down to sydney with his parents due to personal reasons, and arrived later than term 1, he would have to play 3rd grade if he wanted to go to a gps school? And murder a bunch of kids for a season, have limited improvement and effectively lose a year of his rugby career. Great rule.
 
W

WB3

Guest
So, hypothetically, if say Curtis Browning was to move down to sydney with his parents due to personal reasons, and arrived later than term 1, he would have to play 3rd grade if he wanted to go to a gps school? And murder a bunch of kids for a season, have limited improvement and effectively lose a year of his rugby career. Great rule.

At worst he could probably go play Colts instead of school rugby, but I do see your point.
 

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
Yeah well the chances of Curtis Browning being able to get straight into a GPS School halfway through Year 12 would be slim to nil, UNLESS he receives a scholarship of some kind or is rushed up the waiting list. Which is the definition of importing, which this rule now prevents.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
So, hypothetically, if say Curtis Browning was to move down to sydney with his parents due to personal reasons, and arrived later than term 1, he would have to play 3rd grade if he wanted to go to a gps school? And murder a bunch of kids for a season, have limited improvement and effectively lose a year of his rugby career. Great rule.

Seems to me the rule is designed to benefit the many, rather than the one, which is how schoolboy sport should be. In my opinion.
 
R

Rothschild

Guest
On this subject, the GPS have just passed a rule stating that unless a boy is present/enrolled on the first day of term 1 then they cannot represent that school in any GPS sport for that year (ie 1sts and 2nds). This probably would apply more to the summer sports (would mean new boys can't suddenly rock into the 1sts Cricket or Bball), but would also prevent very late arrivals playing GPS rugby. A good rule IMO.

I agree - where the kid is on a scholarship - however I have deep reservations where there is no incentive.
Personally, my feelings are if a school wants to play a scholarship player the player must be at the school by last term grade 9 for rugby and term 3 for cricket.
This eliminates the one year scholarship just to win a premiership. Two years playing in my view will fix whatever goes on at the dark side at Nudgee anyway.
 

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
Rothschild no-one thinks it will solve the problem. It just eliminates one avenue of importing. There are obviously still other issues that need to be addressed.
 
T

tranquility

Guest
Well when your brother was picked up by the coach back in 2001 I think (another story altogether) and went on to Nat schoolboys, I would think if the younger was any good he would follow, as he did. As I said, I do not think he came to TSS on a scholarship but whether or not he eventually got one he sure as heck deserved it.
TSS is very guarded about their scholarships so in reality it's anyone's guess and pure speculation.

TSS has the most immoral philosophy on scholarships within the GPS circle of QLD schools without one grain of doubt. This includes a Danish rowing world champion for the head of the river, Indian spin bowlers who were imported only for the cricket season and English national swimmers who competed for TSS while they were out here on an training cycle. Before any TSS tragic comes back with a rebuttal to this, I know that all schools do it and it is part of the culture of the competition but to deny or in fact doubt the probability of scholarships is ridiculous and naive.
 
R

Rothschild

Guest
TSS has the most immoral philosophy on scholarships within the GPS circle of QLD schools without one grain of doubt. This includes a Danish rowing world champion for the head of the river, Indian spin bowlers who were imported only for the cricket season and English national swimmers who competed for TSS while they were out here on an training cycle. Before any TSS tragic comes back with a rebuttal to this, I know that all schools do it and it is part of the culture of the competition but to deny or in fact doubt the probability of scholarships is ridiculous and naive.

Every 6 months or some agrieved person comes on here or Sportal and mouths off about this garbage. It has been covered adnausem yet it still gets regurgitated.

Firstly the English swimmers were never on a scholarship. The English swimming association selected TSS from a number of schools incl Nudgee and paid ALL their fees. The swimmers were also at TSS for a number of years and it was not a once off. If Nudgee or Churchie had been selected you would probably bounce them as well unless you are from those schools.

Excuse me but your rant is purlely emotional and probably fueled by jealosy and certainly is baseless as far as facts are concerned. - please name the Indian cricketers or the Danish person. TSS never gave scholarships to any people like what you suggest - you really need to get your facts right before you mouth off like that.

TSS immoral as opposed to Nudgee actively seeking rugby player in NZ and the islands. Please grow up. Next time make a worthwhile comment on rugby and not make a baseless accusation.
 
T

tranquility

Guest
Excuse me but your rant is purlely emotional and probably fueled by jealosy and certainly is baseless as far as facts are concerned. - please name the Indian cricketers or the Danish person. TSS never gave scholarships to any people like what you suggest - you really need to get your facts right before you mouth off like that.
.

Okay, if you would like to get into it I will do a little bit of digging around. If you want to look into it yourself I believe the head of the river year was 2001 or 2002. I can't be sure what year the cricketers played, but I will be sure to find out for you.

Oh yes, and I am very jealous of you. Because being aligned to a certain school is very rare and a great sign of superiority. Learn a little bit of restraint.
 
R

Rothschild

Guest
Okay, if you would like to get into it I will do a little bit of digging around. If you want to look into it yourself I believe the head of the river year was 2001 or 2002. I can't be sure what year the cricketers played, but I will be sure to find out for you.
Oh yes, and I am very jealous of you. Because being aligned to a certain school is very rare and a great sign of superiority. Learn a little bit of restraint.

Restraint - yes but please state facts before making incorrect statement that inflame peoples sence of justice. What you claimed is not only incorrect but has been dealt with on many times previously and had been put to rest many times previously. You are only digging up old and incorrect scenarios in order to make a fallaceous assertion,

Sincere apologies if I have offended you, however I am not alligned at all, just take an interest and this swimming accusation comes up all the time and is in the least baseless and false. It is generally promulgated by people who immediately assume that 'the swimmers must have beenon a scholarship'. The English Olympic Assn spent a lot of time looking and researching many schools as a long term base for the entire squad before they settled on TSS and the swimmers were at TSS for a number of years, not just 'grabbed while they were here. They actually studied for and in many cases completed the final exams with fees fully paid - no TSS funding at all. The reason they left a year ago was that the UK now have a dedicated facility for these athletes and the authorities felt it better for them to train 'at home' prior to the Manchester games instead of overseas.

If my memory is correct about the rower (This is what I have been told by people at TSS anyway), his family actually migrated to Australia an on learning of this TSS made an approach - not as you would say immoral but certainly proactive and I am sure NC or Churchie would have done the same.
 

Bowside

Peter Johnson (47)
Number of students is often forgotten in these discussions. Nudgee and Churchie are big schools so you often see wider success in sport simply due to the number of students competing for spots. You can always tell when TSS teams are laden with 'imports' as TSS have a lot less students than most other schools and therefore usually have no depth.

You will see especially with the rowing where scholarships are not as widespread every few years tss or nudgee will produce a crew that is nothing in grade 11 and then littered with champion scullers or surf boat rowers in grade 12. Its easy to see when they are doing it because there is still limited depth in wider age squad, and these schools often struggle to field 3rd or 4th VII's. I'm not saying this to start an argument but rather stating some observations.
 

en_force_er

Geoff Shaw (53)
I think there are two kinds of scholarships, both vastly different.

There are those the school seeks out, perhaps they have a poor year in rowing, rugby or soccer (also they could be seeking to improve academically or in the arts). These boys are actively looked for and hand picked. They are then given free tuition to fill a gap and it is, to be honest, pretty sketchy.

2nd is when the scholarship holder/his parents actively seek out the school. They present their sons sporting/music/academic prowess (or a combo thereof) and rationalise it along with the backround they have and perhaps family links to the school. Their son, because of reasons listen above, is granted a scholarship. I know at the privet school I went to in Victoria never let a financially disadvantaged background deny the school a quality member, it's just people don't often ask for a free spot. I'm more then sure that many other schools do this.

Anyway, these types of scholarships are vastly different. If many terrific rugby player's family seek out a school as a developement platform but don't have the dollars, yet their son is a quality young man, why not allow him at the school?
 
T

tranquility

Guest
Excuse me but your rant is purlely emotional and probably fueled by jealosy and certainly is baseless as far as facts are concerned. - please name the Indian cricketers or the Danish person. TSS never gave scholarships to any people like what you suggest - you really need to get your facts right before you mouth off like that.

and then

If my memory is correct about the rower (This is what I have been told by people at TSS anyway), his family actually migrated to Australia an on learning of this TSS made an approach - not as you would say immoral but certainly proactive and I am sure NC or Churchie would have done the same.

So in actual fact my 'rant' was not 'purely emotional' or 'baseless' at all. Regarding 'facts' your arguing about a situation that you were not even aware of and are now basing your argument on what other people have told you. I'm not even sure if you believe what your saying regarding scholariships or if you are just acting as PR servant for TSS. It is the same cultivated lie that all the schools develop.

For example the Churchie Pacific Islands trust fund where talented Islanders were offered the opportunity to develop their skills and improve their resume credentials. It just so happened that all of these talented Pacific Island boys were rugby players which was coincidence and certainly not rugby importing. It was also unfortunate that they were only given two year education visas so at the end of their senior year they were sent back home (largely Samoa) and only returned if they were able to organise a visa off their own back.

All of the schools tell the same lie. But at the end of the day it is still a lie.

TSS is marketed as a sporting school and rests on the laurels of it's outstanding sporting success - so I understand scholarships are an essential piece to the puzzle. It is just unusual that the school is such a consistently poor academic force and it doesn't seem to be an issue with the philosophy of the institution. I believe it was 2006 when TSS was the most expensive school in the state and the year 12 marks were in the bottom 5 percentile.

Thats the very last word I have on the topic
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
With the recent introduction of St Gregs Campbelltown into the ISA rugby programme, it begs the question of mungoballers on scholarship/contract at private schools.

My contacts tell me that there are a number of boys there who are not allowed to play rugby, but have been placed there to complete their education before they join their contracted mungoball club's Toyota cup squad. I might say a bravo to the mungo clubs for their foresight to have boys complete high school before they come mungo fodder.

What is the view of gaggerlanders towards these kids playing school rugby?


The likes of Keleti Vaingolo (Newington) now Tigers Toyata Cup, Asapeli Fine (Waverley) now Easts Toyata Cup, and several unnamed Hills Sports High boys spring to mind.

At least these kids have been up front with their mungoball connections. The Aust Schoolboys have had several kids surprisingly "defect" in recent years.
 

WorkingClassRugger

Michael Lynagh (62)
With the recent introduction of St Gregs Campbelltown into the ISA rugby programme, it begs the question of mungoballers on scholarship/contract at private schools.

My contacts tell me that there are a number of boys there who are not allowed to play rugby, but have been placed there to complete their education before they join their contracted mungoball club's Toyota cup squad. I might say a bravo to the mungo clubs for their foresight to have boys complete high school before they come mungo fodder.

What is the view of gaggerlanders towards these kids playing school rugby?


The likes of Keleti Vaingolo (Newington) now Tigers Toyata Cup, Asapeli Fine (Waverley) now Easts Toyata Cup, and several unnamed Hills Sports High boys spring to mind.

At least these kids have been up front with their mungoball connections. The Aust Schoolboys have had several kids surprisingly "defect" in recent years.

Your contacts are correct regarding St Gregs. Only the uncontracted (and thats only a handful) are permitted to play Rugby. I cannot comment on the numbers now but during my time there were several Rugby players in the 1st XIII who given the chance would certainly have turned out for the school but due to contractual obligations were prohibited to do so.

It was one of a few contributing factors why I declined to play RL as I was offered contracts by both Cronulla and Wests (the school had strong links via ex-teachers to both) but by accepting I had to be cotton wooled from playing Rugby. I've said this on another thread but having these guys playing Rugby would be a good thing as it opens more opportunities for them and having schools of the likes of SGC would bring along a different level of professionalism along with them.
 
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