• Welcome to the forums of Green & Gold Rugby.
    We have recently made some changes to the amount of discussions boards on the forum.
    Over the coming months we will continue to make more changes to make the forum more user friendly for all to use.
    Thanks, Admin.

School sporting scholarships/recruitment

Black & White

Vay Wilson (31)
So we have 82% who want an excellent sporting program and you'd be content with 10% of the recruited ascribing a positive influence to the school.
As I say, of the 10 I know I can see no different outcome, and some worse - in the sense that they were forgiven their sins by the school and betrayed a very strong sense of entitlement in their attitude.
Be all that as it may - there is a weird sense of social justice in your rants: this is a rugby site so I'm not debating academic or vocational outcomes. In your world it is better that one male child should get to play in the NC 1st XV than that the public high schools should still be playing the game or that the district clubs be able to field under age teams between 13 and 18.
I grew up in Mosman in the 60s and 70s. They were able to field teams full of public school boys from 13-18: that does not happen any more.
A reason why it does not happen is the obsession in the older private schools with the marketing potential of rugby premierships - that was actually the reason that NC started recruiting in the mid noughties: they had vacancies and were hit hard by the GFC and they saw that they could attract fee payers by bolstering their lack lustre rugby program with recruits: all of whom are back playing league.
The proof of the truth of that proposition lies in your 82% - so don't play the social inclusiveness card, recognise it for what it is. And I say that having booked my sons into Newington when they were born.

Many issues there IS and we could spend a lot of time discussing them, which regrettably i don;t have. But one issue that has caught your attention is that of Social Justice.. Social justice has many faces and names.It will differ with a Marxist, a Socialist or a liberal. It vary between even between such groups. It has no one meaning, but it will have certain core components amongst them. My interpretation is access to a quality education that as a teacher I know from first hand experince, not does exist in many parts of this nation. Many of our schools are blackboard jungles, where teachers are baby sitters for undisciplined and unmotivated classes. Learning is minimal and of a poor quality. So offering places at Newington is indeed an act of social justice.. Sydney Grammar as a school of outstanding excellence should I believe should be embarking on a program of inclusion and social justice by offering places to academic inclined boys in large numbers from Western Sydney. They may not have the advantages of the boys in the Eastern Suburbs or the North Shore. But if given the opportunity such boys could exceed our expectations beyond belief. So IS, that is from a educational perspective and a ever so brief one as an explanation, as to my belief of what constitents social justice.
 

Black & White

Vay Wilson (31)
So we have 82% who want an excellent sporting program and you'd be content with 10% of the recruited ascribing a positive influence to the school.
As I say, of the 10 I know I can see no different outcome, and some worse - in the sense that they were forgiven their sins by the school and betrayed a very strong sense of entitlement in their attitude.
Be all that as it may - there is a weird sense of social justice in your rants: this is a rugby site so I'm not debating academic or vocational outcomes. In your world it is better that one male child should get to play in the NC 1st XV than that the public high schools should still be playing the game or that the district clubs be able to field under age teams between 13 and 18.
I grew up in Mosman in the 60s and 70s. They were able to field teams full of public school boys from 13-18: that does not happen any more.
A reason why it does not happen is the obsession in the older private schools with the marketing potential of rugby premierships - that was actually the reason that NC started recruiting in the mid noughties: they had vacancies and were hit hard by the GFC and they saw that they could attract fee payers by bolstering their lack lustre rugby program with recruits: all of whom are back playing league.
The proof of the truth of that proposition lies in your 82% - so don't play the social inclusiveness card, recognise it for what it is. And I say that having booked my sons into Newington when they were born.

Hello IS, got some extra time Yes, Marketing the College based around an enhanced Rugby Program did occur no argument there.Scots under Dr Lambert have the same Marketing Strategy but more money to spend. St>augustines have used Rugby to present a more up market image of their school. But I can assure you Newington does have genuine belief to make the school more assessable to all boys from all backgrounds. By the way its not my 82%, but a figure from an official college publication, there were also other figures. Also well done on enrolling your sons at Newington, I can testify from having done a year of relief teaching at New it will be worth every cent you pay for in the fees.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Hello IS, got some extra time Yes, Marketing the College based around an enhanced Rugby Program did occur no argument there.Scots under Dr Lambert have the same Marketing Strategy but more money to spend. St>augustines have used Rugby to present a more up market image of their school. But I can assure you Newington does have genuine belief to make the school more assessable to all boys from all backgrounds. By the way its not my 82%, but a figure from an official college publication, there were also other figures. Also well done on enrolling your sons at Newington, I can testify from having done a year of relief teaching at New it will be worth every cent you pay for in the fees.
It was a backup neither went there.
You miss the point.
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
Huh?
I thought a high quality sports program was one that turned my bumbling 12 or 13yo into a well drilled, fit sportsman with a good understanding of the games he is playing.
.
Go figure...

Perhaps that really what the 82% really do expect, particularly as 82% of any year group cannot mathematically get into the firsts in any sport offered. As someone who replied to the survey, it's how I read the question anyway.
 

Black & White

Vay Wilson (31)
Perhaps that really what the 82% really do expect, particularly as 82% of any year group cannot mathematically get into the firsts in any sport offered. As someone who replied to the survey, it's how I read the question anyway.
The News, a Newington College Publication has it as part of parental expectations that the College should fulfil. Also,My apologies to everyone the figure was actually 81% regarding sporting excellence. I tried to upload the figures in line with other expectations but I could neither paste it or upload it as a PDF file to this site. Any advice in this matter would be deeply appreciated.
 

southsider

Arch Winning (36)
Give it up Black and White, call a spade a spade. Newington actively seek kids who they believe will be elite athletes end of story. If they’re smart, have an ethnic background or are poor it’s an added bonus and an extra box ticked that makes them look good. But don’t trot out this BS line of they pick these kids on overall merit and weirdly a huge cross section of them are excellent footy players
 

Black & White

Vay Wilson (31)
Give it up Black and White, call a spade a spade. Newington actively seek kids who they believe will be elite athletes end of story. If they’re smart, have an ethnic background or are poor it’s an added bonus and an extra box ticked that makes them look good. But don’t trot out this BS line of they pick these kids on overall merit and weirdly a huge cross section of them are excellent footy players
You see Southsider, I actually have had the pleasure some years ago in 2011 of being involved in a scholarship selection process for one young man.I was invited by his parents who knew I was an Old Boy of the school, to act as potential referee for him. At the time I was his teacher and had been since 2009. As a referee, the family asked that I comment about his OVERALL suitability for entry into Newington College. This included not just his Rugby ability, but his interests in the Arts, Drama and other contributions such as life in the Boarding House. Because,if Newington is offering scholarships it needs to know the suitability of a boy, based on his compatibility to Newington's Ethos. Also the school is making a considerable investment and as such needs to know he will be happy in its environment. As there have been numerous scholarship failure over the years, because boys were chosen on a simple one dimensional aspect for entry into a school. So, Southsider,if I find your interpretation of the Merit based scholarships awarded at Newington, to be based somewhat on ignorance, its because I have the benefit of experience into the selection process. Something you clearly do not possess. So rather than" Blowing it out the proverbial", please make informed comments.
 

southsider

Arch Winning (36)
You see Southsider, I actually have had the pleasure some years ago in 2011 of being involved in a scholarship selection process for one young man.I was invited by his parents who knew I was an Old Boy of the school, to act as potential referee for him. At the time I was his teacher and had been since 2009. As a referee, the family asked that I comment about his OVERALL suitability for entry into Newington College. This included not just his Rugby ability, but his interests in the Arts, Drama and other contributions such as life in the Boarding House. Because,if Newington is offering scholarships it needs to know the suitability of a boy, based on his compatibility to Newington's Ethos. Also the school is making a considerable investment and as such needs to know he will be happy in its environment. As there have been numerous scholarship failure over the years, because boys were chosen on a simple one dimensional aspect for entry into a school. So, Southsider,if I find your interpretation of the Merit based scholarships awarded at Newington, to be based somewhat on ignorance, its because I have the benefit of experience into the selection process. Something you clearly do not possess. So rather than" Blowing it out the proverbial", please make informed comments.

Of course they ask about his “overall” adaptability to the school, doesn’t mean they actually care, all they really care about is 1) are they good at footy 2) are they going to be troublemakers....that’s literally all it boils down to.

And that’s cute you think you’re high and mighty because someone asked you a couple of questions about a student and now you’re all knowing about scholarships process. I’m sorry my friend but I was a student at Newington far more recently than you were (since newington ramped up their scholarship game)I’ve been a rugby coach there and I’ve been good family friends with a scholarship holder at New that came to the school pretty late in the piece and is now a professional player. You can beat it up all you like and newington do a good job putting a positive spin on it but it just boils down to picking the best footy players period

I’d also like it to be known I have no problem with giving scholarships for footy, but don’t bs it, if they’re their for footy don’t start handing out the old “triangle music scholarships” to every Kid who just happens to also be a footy player
 

Black & White

Vay Wilson (31)
Of course they ask about his “overall” adaptability to the school, doesn’t mean they actually care, all they really care about is 1) are they good at footy 2) are they going to be troublemakers..that’s literally all it boils down to.

And that’s cute you think you’re high and mighty because someone asked you a couple of questions about a student and now you’re all knowing about scholarships process. I’m sorry my friend but I was a student at Newington far more recently than you were (since newington ramped up their scholarship game)I’ve been a rugby coach there and I’ve been good family friends with a scholarship holder at New that came to the school pretty late in the piece and is now a professional player. You can beat it up all you like and newington do a good job putting a positive spin on it but it just boils down to picking the best footy players period

I’d also like it to be known I have no problem with giving scholarships for footy, but don’t bs it, if they’re their for footy don’t start handing out the old “triangle music scholarships” to every Kid who just happens to also be a footy player

That what you claim and the best way to side step the issue is to claim membership of the School. Its been done before and such individuals were shown to have no connection with the school. Or their son missed missed out on a scholarship and tirade was launched at the school based on "Sour Grapes". But of real concern, you sound very bitter,angry and vindictive. Believe me, such anger will simply eat you up if you continue let it fester. If Newinton did wrong by you, let it go and move with your life.
 

southsider

Arch Winning (36)
That what you claim and the best way to side step the issue is to claim membership of the School. Its been done before and such individuals were shown to have no connection with the school. Or their son missed missed out on a scholarship and tirade was launched at the school based on "Sour Grapes". But you sound very bitter,angry and vindictive. Believe me, such anger will simply eat up if you continue let it fester if Newinton did wrong by you let it go and move with your life.

So what you’re saying is that I either never went to newington or I have a son that didn’t get a scholarship so now I’m bitter....gotcha

I have no problem with Newington, I don’t love the place but I have a certain amount of pride from going there and wish them nothing but success. The problem I have stems from you coming up with these bs marketing spiels and pushing them as gospel. Newington is a business just like any other private school they need to look as attractive as possible to potential parents but there’s a lot of creative license when it comes to talking about their scholarships
 

Black & White

Vay Wilson (31)
So what you’re saying is that I either never went to newington or I have a son that didn’t get a scholarship so now I’m bitter..gotcha

I have no problem with Newington, I don’t love the place but I have a certain amount of pride from going there and wish them nothing but success. The problem I have stems from you coming up with these bs marketing spiels and pushing them as gospel. Newington is a business just like any other private school they need to look as attractive as possible to potential parents but there’s a lot of creative license when it comes to talking about their scholarships

With some real genuine idealism that seeks to make the lives of boys, better for their attendance. Southside, I think its time we both became adults in the room and walked away from this issue. Any further discussion is simply "Flogging a Dead Horse" I don't know if you attend the Rugby Matches at Stanmore and elsewhere. But if you do maybe we can catch up and be good friends. Despite our passionate differences. You have nice day, my friend
 

southsider

Arch Winning (36)
With some real genuine idealism that seeks to make the lives of boys, better for their attendance. Southside, I think its time we both became adults in the room and walked away from this issue. Any further discussion is simply "Flogging a Dead Horse" I don't know if you attend the Rugby Matches at Stanmore and elsewhere. But if you do maybe we can catch up and be good friends. Despite our passionate differences. You have nice day, my friend


Nah sorry apparently I never went there so I don’t have any reason to attend
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
You couldn't kill this thread with an axe.
Absolutely. Once SYDNEY GPS acknowledges they’re all doing it (bar one) the issue will become the etiquette of recruiting.......and then some will not abide by whatever “code of conduct” is agreed upon and so it will escalate to a point where some players will not just get a free ride but will be paid to play. We could have transfer windows. And a draft.
<p>
I hope at that point, if not before, the federal government has a look at the acceptability of paying gazillions to schools who can afford to chase sporting credibility partly at taxpayers’ expense.</p>
The present recruiting is not confined to rugby at any of the offending schools.
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
Absolutely. Once SYDNEY GPS acknowledges they’re all doing it (bar one) the issue will become the etiquette of recruiting...and then some will not abide by whatever “code of conduct” is agreed upon and so it will escalate to a point where some players will not just get a free ride but will be paid to play. We could have transfer windows. And a draft.
<p>
I hope at that point, if not before, the federal government has a look at the acceptability of paying gazillions to schools who can afford to chase sporting credibility partly at taxpayers’ expense.</p>
The present recruiting is not confined to rugby at any of the offending schools.

Grammar now being the only one.
 
Top