School sporting scholarships/recruitment

[spirit of cupertino]

What positions he play?

my old one, left right out

 

[kickingtee]

Up here in Queensland the whole idea of scholarships is not talked about to such an extent. I know that an number of schools are starting to use the American College system where players on scholarships must be making an effort to maintain grades otherwise they will face their scholarship being revoked.

However it is also at a stage where nobody really cares. It's up to the schools integrity now and the schools who are maintaining a 'no scholarships' policy are starting to face hidings from teams who do actively recruit and hence everyone has been drawn in to the system.

The stage Queensland is reaching is where the scholarship players are coming from, with a number of boys from WA, SA and NZ coming to Brisbane to play rugby and other sports.

However one must ask what the effect is on the lower tier schools like AIS or Rockhampton Grammar, St Ignatius Park etc. where boys are coming from?

 

[Quick Hands]

The issues that you raise in the last paragraph are important. The further narrowing of an already narrow player base is in no-one's interest (except perhaps the school which wins the title - assuming that they are comfortable winning at all costs)

 

[Hugh Jarse]

@Kicking Tee, you have identified the innocent victims of the Scholarship Arms Race.

The School Teams which fold because the school loses 2 players to <insert elite rugby school>. End result is Australian Rugby loses 20 players to the game at the precise base of the pyramid that Ausrtalian Rugby should be doing everything to expand.

The blokes making the sponsorship decisions in business are typically the kid who was not selected for elite development in the 1st XV or the Reps or whatever, but the kid who enjoyed their rugby experience and thinks that the game is worth investing in, and understands the demographic that they can reach through their Rugby association.

Most of the blokes bringing their 5 year olds along to register with a Rugby village club (frequently against Mum's desire for a "Safe" soccer registration) did not play 1st XV or play high level reps. They are ones who enjoyed their rugby experience at whatever level they played.

If FoxTel relied on only Former 1st XV, former State level Age group Reps and former First Grade players for their pay TV subscrption base, then the SupeRugby TV deal would be worth hundreds of dollars, not multiple millions.

Bottom line Rugby is kept alive by non-elite, fat and uncoordinated ex players who simply enjoyed playing the game. They are the lifeblood of the game and the future. They provide all the funds that allow the gooder players to get gooderer, and be the goodererest.

Without a fanbase who want to be entertained by the goodererest players, the game reverts to being no more important than Mongolian thumb wrestling.

 

[harrysboy]

Wait a minute ... how does that argument translate to a large audience for the "five kick" game? Don't they have well established talent identification and recruitment systems?

 

[Quick Hands]

League junior development is club based, not schools based, so the ARL has full control over the management and administration of that system. This means that the clubs are responsible and they realise that the better they do in development, the better their club will be. They can also bring in rules to prevent unhealthy dominance if they wish.

The club based system also means that there is less need for boys to go to certain schools to be developed and the schools that do play league are probably no better than the schools that the boys already attend.

The ARU have no control of what schools do. Even if the ARU wanted to stop the schools from concentrating talent into a handful of elite schools, they are powerless to stop it. The more talent that gets sucked from state schools and junior village clubs, the harder it is for those who remain to have access to coaching and development, so private schools become more and more attractive for rugby players.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Without a fanbase who want to be entertained by the goodererest players, the game reverts to being no more important than Mongolian thumb wrestling.

Except they don't play Mongolian thumb wrestling in heaven

 

[lincoln]

Except they don't play Mongolian thumb wrestling in heaven

Nelson and Jesus concur!

 

[lincoln]

League junior development is club based, not schools based, so the ARL has full control over the management and administration of that system. This means that the clubs are responsible and they realise that the better they do in development, the better their club will be. They can also bring in rules to prevent unhealthy dominance if they wish.

The club based system also means that there is less need for boys to go to certain schools to be developed and the schools that do play league are probably no better than the schools that the boys already attend.

The ARU have no control of what schools do. Even if the ARU wanted to stop the schools from concentrating talent into a handful of elite schools, they are powerless to stop it. The more talent that gets sucked from state schools and junior village clubs, the harder it is for those who remain to have access to coaching and development, so private schools become more and more attractive for rugby players.

AFL in many cities the same

 

[harrysboy]

And the NRL and AFL are so good at supporting their junior clubs. Surely the ARU should wake up to the fact that junior club rugby is dying and that much of the talent will be lost forever?!?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^ Nah. And they have the figures to prove it. The figures proving the growth in Rugby participation are proudly published in the ARU annual reports. They are worthy of a thread in their own right.

That's right. There is already a thread for that. The clever folk at G&GR have already thought about that. http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/co...nnual-report-2012-participation-growth.12652/

The ARU Annual Report for 2013 must be out soon. I'm sure it will be an interesting read in more ways than one.

 

[Quick Hands]

Something about a North Sydney garden of Eden and persecution of Scots for handing out crumbs to the poor and downtrodden - can't see anything here yet.

 

[Brian Westlake]

Something about a North Sydney garden of Eden and persecution of Scots for handing out crumbs to the poor and downtrodden - can't see anything here yet.

He dare not speak its name.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/community/threads/nsw-gps-2014.13053/page-19#post-586757

In talking to one of the boys, TSC are taking 32 players, 4 coaching staff (i think randwick first grade coach is going so watch for more scots players to end up at the mighty wicks in '15). the players are a combination of first 15 players, seconds and players they are eyeing for the future.

so which schools are those being eyed for the future attending at the moment?

 

[Quick Hands]

Maybe they're some of the poor and downtrodden masses that we heard about on the other thread?

 

[Quick Hands]

Maybe these are some of the poor and downtrodden masses that we heard about on the other thread?

Does the desire for world domination now extend to South Africa?

They might even bring some extras back? (For purely altruistic reasons of course)

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Maybe these are some of the poor and downtrodden masses that we heard about on the other thread?

Does the desire for world domination now extend to South Africa?

Untapped potential.
I can see a need for a Statue of Liberty - although I think those masses were huddled rather than downtrodden

 

[Brian Westlake]

Maybe these are some of the poor and downtrodden masses that we heard about on the other thread?

Does the desire for world domination now extend to South Africa?

They might even bring some extras back? (For purely altruistic reasons of course)

Wêreld oorheersing kom in baie tale....

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Wêreld oorheersing kom in baie tale..

Ons weier om jou invoer te speel

 

[Brian Westlake]

Ons weier om jou invoer te speel

Maar dit is nie basketball