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School sporting scholarships/recruitment

Bowside

Peter Johnson (47)
I wrote a year or two back on this forum that I think there should be two premierships in Rugby - one for the First XV and one for the combined results of say the first 5 teams in each age group. So in practise the 13E's results contribute just as much to the second Premiership as the first XV's do.

The problem with schoolboy rugby is that it has lost it's way in terms of where it places importance. Schoolboy rugby exists as a means for students to compete in a team, as a team - and learn from the experience. The way the premiership is currently structured schools will buy in a first XV for year 11 and 12 to 'win' a premiership - but what are they really winning? A glorified talent scouting contest and not much else.

Hence why the once mighty sydney GPS is now a shadow of its former self - with a meagre 6 teams competing (evidently only 5 of which are competitive).

The whole emphasis of the competition needs to shift towards rewarding more enduring achievement. I have nothing against schools offering scholarships - but they should be offered at the start of high school so that the A team can build and develop into a worthy First XV. Likewise schools with a solid rugby program across all ages and grades should be rewarded.
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
For anyone joining or rejoining the thread (I'm tuning out for a while) we have returned to the south western corner of the mulberry bush.
All aboard, first stop hunters hill followed by north parramatta then all stops to college street for a quick tour of the similarities between academic and sporting scholarships before heading over to north sydney, via gladesville, in order to review the likelihood of the existence of rowing scholarships - brookvale buses depart on the round service [anyone joining in brook vale should have (a) their 5 minute ergie score handy for an all expenses paid trip to SIRC on HOTR day] on the half hour - this service terminates at stanmore where you can view cricket, rugby and water polo played at the highest levels.

You can check out any time you like IS, but you can never leave:)
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
All I'm saying is that you cannot deny that the Scots rugby programme, at least in high teams, is good, or else we wouldn't see players such as Porter and Hendrie, who have been at the school since the prep.

Let's agree that the boys in the current 1st XV are well-coached and are part of a well-resource programme with use of some of the best facilities around. It does help though if you have a collection of the best players at the start and keeping adding rep level players throughout the years.

PS. You've made more sense that the rest of the TSC supporters combined over the past 12 months or so.
 

I like to watch

David Codey (61)
Try harder Kenny.
You have gone back 10 years & provide 3 examples, one of which is a poor example.
Compare that to the 14 odd from last year at New,or the 8 or so from Scots this year.
It's not even close to being the same.
 

Kenny Powers

Ron Walden (29)
Try harder Kenny.
You have gone back 10 years & provide 3 examples, one of which is a poor example.
Compare that to the 14 odd from last year at New,or the 8 or so from Scots this year.
It's not even close to being the same.

We'll it's the whole slippery slope thing.

The whole we did it a little and they do it a lot argument, I won't waste words on.

They are comments made in newspaper articles of ex students who went on to professional rugby careers. They are neither my opinion or unsubstantiated rumour or innuendo.

It's only those that go onto high profile professional careers that would be interviewed by newspapers.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
More irony - top right corner
Screen Shot 2014-07-31 at 9.47.09 am.png
 

RugbyFan14

Herbert Moran (7)


I'm new to this thread but sounds like an old claim - there are no sporting scholarships, just bursaries, boarding scholarships, indigenous scholarships etc....
 

Muglair

Alfred Walker (16)
This is the thread that keeps weaving on itself. A 101-0 result was enough blood in the water to bring me back. Nevertheless I resisted temptation and logged out again before becoming infected. Now I have to stay around because I am just dying to see all the responses to this letter.

Dear Old Boys

On Saturday, our 1st XV Rugby team had an outstanding win against Newington College that has attracted quite a bit of media attention and comment. The final score was 101-0.

Frankly, much of the media comment is either misinformed or simply incorrect.

As an example, earlier today I took a telephone call from former Wallaby Phil Kearns (1989-1999). He rang to let me know personally that his comments had been misquoted in the press. Not everything you read in the press or online is true.

Yesterday, the Headmaster of Newington College, Dr David Mulford, released a statement saying, "Such a score-line shows how good Scots currently are with their 1st XV Rugby team. Newington had been hit with key player injuries plus were affected with a major gastro attack in the last few weeks. However, Newington acknowledges the superb teamwork and preparation of the Scots team. Even if we had been at full strength, we would have struggled to be competitive in this fixture. Newington understands that sport can go in cycles. We will welcome Scots back to Newington for the round 2 fixture."

The press doesn't cover the complete picture.

So today I am sending you some relevant facts. Our own news service if you like.

Fact number 1:

It is a policy of the College Council that all new admissions to the College in Years 9 to 11 must be full fee paying (see the complete policy below). This policy has been recommended for adoption by all GPS schools, however to date Scots alone has implemented it. Importantly, as a result no new student entering the College in 2014 is representing the College in any senior GPS sporting teams.

Fact number 2:

There is no “strength mismatch” as claimed by former Wallaby Nick Farr-Jones (1984-1993). Mr Farr-Jones was not at Saturday’s game. In fact, on paper, the team from Newington College was stronger with six NSW Schoolboy Representatives, including one Australian Schoolboy Representative. The Scots team included five NSW Schoolboy Representatives including one Australian Schoolboy Representative. Regardless, the safety of our boys and that of our opposing teams is always our utmost priority.

Fact number 3:

All of our sport programs, including Rugby, support the academic focus of the College. In many instances our boys actually spend less time training than their peers at other GPS schools. Sport directors track the classroom effort by every boy to ensure that boys are achieving balance between the academic program and the sport program. Indeed our data reveals that boys in high performing teams average higher scores in their academic results. We will never let sport commitments compromise a boy’s academic achievement.

Fact number 4:

Scots is not professionalising schoolboy sport. We unashamedly aim for excellence in sport in the same way we aim for excellence in Music, Mathematics or any other subject. When a boy’s excellent execution of applying oil to canvas is recognised, we praise his skill as an artist. When a boy plans, and executes an excellent closing argument, we praise his skill as a debater. Our sporting teams are no different. They plan, practice and then execute with precision on the field. We recognise it for what it is – excellence in their chosen sport. It is not professionalism. If executing with excellence is being professional, then as a College that is a tag I am prepared to wear.

I write to you today as a proud and protective principal. I am proud of the way our 1st XV executed its plan during the game. But I am even more proud of the humility and respect they showed for the opposition before and after the game. I am protective of all our boys and will not allow shallow and misguided criticisms to be directed at them without rebuttal.

Yours sincerely

Dr Ian PM Lambert Principal


_____________________________________________


Council Policy
Awarding of Scholarships/Bursaries


In an effort to ensure that The Scots College continues to maintain the highest level of compliance with the GPS Code of Practice, the College Council, with the consent of the Principal, adopts the following policy:

a. The Principal will in his monthly report provide to Council details of any new admissions to the College in Years 9 to 11.

b. All new admissions to the College in Years 9 to 11 must be full paying. No scholarships or bursaries will be awarded to enrolments for those years except within existing preferred categories of being sons/grandsons of Old Boys, sons of Presbyterian ministers or indigenous students. Care must be taken in awarding any such scholarship or bursary to ensure the GPS Code of Conduct is complied with.

c. Details of any proposed scholarship or bursary for an enrolment in Years 9 to 11 must be provided by the Principal to the College Council in his monthly report.

d. In special cases where there are exceptional circumstances, the Principal may recommend to Council that a scholarship or bursary be awarded for an enrolment in Years 9 to 11 who does not fall within the preferred category of enrolment specified above. In such a case the Council must approve the award of the scholarship or bursary and if the student has disclosed sporting talent, the Principal must notify the Heads of all GPS schools.

The Principal will ensure that all staff members are required to refrain from any conduct which could constitute a breach of the GPS Code of Conduct regarding enrolments. In particular, staff will need to undertake in their contracts of employment an obligation such as the following:

"I will not approach students from other schools, including offering any kind of inducement or third party consideration, to encourage them to seek enrolment at the College."
 

Brian Westlake

Arch Winning (36)
We'll it's the whole slippery slope thing.

The whole we did it a little and they do it a lot argument, I won't waste words on.

They are comments made in newspaper articles of ex students who went on to professional rugby careers. They are neither my opinion or unsubstantiated rumour or innuendo.

It's only those that go onto high profile professional careers that would be interviewed by newspapers.
Oh Ken.... It is so good to have you back


And your little mate Rob Hart too. Liking everything in existence as long as tsc is in the favourable.
Can't you understand that, whilst it has occurred over history, that it is not the right to continue?
If we stick to yours and robbie harts thoughts, we would still be watching "love thy neighbour" and benny hill show. Imagine the hue and cry if you tried that type of caper on today?
 

Freddo Frog

Ward Prentice (10)
Can't you understand that, whilst it has occurred over history, that it is not the right to continue?

I think that's the crux of it.
Both New and Scots have already, a few months back, said that there are some boys whose enrolments were not to the letter of GPS rules. So life moves on, and Scots has now made a public commitment to uphold the GPS code from here on in. I think that this is the best outcome we could have hoped for. We can't change the past, and surely no fair-minded person expects the schools to withdraw these boys enrolments.
 

RugbyFan14

Herbert Moran (7)
I write to you today as a proud and protective principal. I am proud of the way our 1st XV executed its plan during the game. But I am even more proud of the humility and respect they showed for the opposition before and after the game.


Running the score up to 101 is hardly showing humility and respect for the opposition....
 
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