School sporting scholarships/recruitment

[Azzuri]

I'm now in a position in the junior rugby journey where I'm seeing some of the boys return to rugby clubs and can catch up with them and their parents. The reports are all very positive from both boys and parents (I also know a boy who didn't accept an irregularity, he didn't think it would suit him).

I think that the debate about the particular effects of these irregularities on the boys and their contemporaries misses the broader issue, and that is the damage to Australian rugby.

I was listening to Wendy Harmer on radio recently and she was going through the football codes ridiculing each (I thought all codes got equal shit put on them). When she got to Rugby it was a game played by "inbreed private school boys" where did the inbreed come from?

The problem is that rugby is perceived to be a game played by a handful of privates schools, run by private school old boys for the benefit of private schools. AND that if you haven't been offered an irregularity by 15 forget rugby and play one of the other codes, and they do.

This characterisation of rugby in Australia is extremely unfair. The current schools comp. is and will only reinforce the perception (the private schools want to reinforce the perception). And the irregularities further reinforce the perception.

The privates schools are not going to stop it is how they market themselves, SGS markets to a different market (i.e. we're not one of them).

The only way out that I can see is for the ARU to create an alternative that is competitive, through the JGC. e.g. State U18 and National U18 teams that can be competitive with Australian schools (which would then become Australian Private school boys, CHS and CCC are never going to undertake rugby development like GPS and CAS).

I find the current debate focussed on the individual benefits to the boys misses the bigger issue, and frankly the debate will never go anywhere whilst it remains down in the weed. Soccer addressed its' structural problems years ago and has now overtaken rugby in Australia, so has league and AFL, we need to do the same.

Well worth a read.....for those interested in a snapshot of the evolution of the various codes over the last 25 years including the impact of professionalism, MONEY, marketing and changing player demographics

http://www.convictcreations.com/football/battlerugby.html

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Well worth a read...for those interested in a snapshot of the evolution of the various codes over the last 25 years including the impact of professionalism, MONEY, marketing and changing player demographics

http://www.convictcreations.com/football/battlerugby.html

It was OK until I read this

rugby league has generally been free of the dirty play seen in union

Did the author not see Les Boyd, John O'Neill, Dallas Donnelly, Rod Reddy etc etc etc play?

 

[Azzuri]

It was OK until I read this

Did the author not see Les Boyd, John O'Neill, Dallas Donnelly, Rod Reddy etc etc etc play?

Yes a case of Pot, Kettle, Black.... Crouching Tiger and Hidden Digit!

 

[Inside Shoulder]

But a good read with some concerns for our code

 

[Spieber]

Well worth a read...for those interested in a snapshot of the evolution of the various codes over the last 25 years including the impact of professionalism, MONEY, marketing and changing player demographics

http://www.convictcreations.com/football/battlerugby.html

Hmmm - it infers that the CHS boys did not come into the game until the 80/90's with the emergence of professionalism - total bollocks.
Also in the book of Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics this one fits well:
In 1996, 89,760 people played union in Australia. In 2006, the number was 193,382.
Ok - women are now playing but the numbers in grade and subbies are down from 1996. Juniors had a resurgence after the 1999 WC victory (and more games on Sunday) but have been in decline since.

 

[Gregor]

This is exactly the kind of silly talk and negative inferences I was referring to in my comments at #4524. Schools involved in Indigenous Programs should be supported and not subject to such ill informed and unfounded criticism.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Hmmm - it infers that the CHS boys did not come into the game until the 80/90's with the emergence of professionalism - total bollocks.
Also in the book of Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics this one fits well:
In 1996, 89,760 people played union in Australia. In 2006, the number was 193,382.
Ok - women are now playing but the numbers in grade and subbies are down from 1996. Juniors had a resurgence after the 1999 WC victory (and more games on Sunday) but have been in decline since.

judging by some analysis HJ did CHS participation has declined in that time

 

[Quick Hands]

sadly some in this forum only see such boys being "parachuted in ' for sporting talent when in fact these students bring so many other values from their heritage whether koori, maori or polynesian to these schools they now attend. positive mentoring and the schools' attitude that "all have potential in all curriculum areas" is what matters to these boys and their proud families. scots and cranbrook also have strong feeder schemes from country areas for these students

The test is the motvation of the school. If the motivation is the altruistic ones you and others describe, it's not a problem. The problem arises when the motivation is purely to bolster sports teams, such as recruiting upper-middle class boys from the northern beaches who already have /have had siblings attend other private schools paying full fess.

 

[Quick Hands]

Hmmm - it infers that the CHS boys did not come into the game until the 80/90's with the emergence of professionalism - total bollocks.
Also in the book of Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics this one fits well:
In 1996, 89,760 people played union in Australia. In 2006, the number was 193,382.
Ok - women are now playing but the numbers in grade and subbies are down from 1996. Juniors had a resurgence after the 1999 WC victory (and more games on Sunday) but have been in decline since.

They also count golden oldies and participants in one off gala days in the stats.

 

[Tahspark]

Readers of this thread may have seen this but I only saw it the other day for the first time.
This is the safest thread for it but it deserves a wider audience.

Thanks for posting that clip, IS. Great work being done by Joeys & at several GPS schools (and others?) with indigenous programmes giving boys opportunities that they would never have growing up in places like Walgett.

I would love to see a follow up story to see how the boys featured in that clip have developed post-school and what they're doing now.

 

[sidelineview]

As I understand it there is an agreement between GPS schools that sporting scholarships will not be granted, but that isn't always followed to the letter of the agreement.
CAS schools however have no such agreement as I am aware.
I'm curious to know what CAS schools grant sporting scholarships, specifically for rugby players.

 

[BeastieBoy]

Trinity are heavily into scholarships. Waverley don't but get a lot of their players poached especially their year 6 Cranbrook have bought in a couple of masters from Milford which is a scholarship rugby school in England so stay tuned on that. Not sure on the rest.

 

[eastman]

So

Trinity are heavily into scholarships. Waverley don't but get a lot of their players poached especially their year 6 Cranbrook have bought in a couple of masters from Milford which is a scholarship rugby school in England so stay tuned on that. Not sure on the rest.

So because Cranbrook is employing teachers from schools that used to import, they will do the same thing? Not going to happen.
Traditionally Waverley have been the worst culprits over the years but Trinity have taken the mantle recently, they have a huge emphasis on their swimming program.

 

[sidelineview]

So

So because Cranbrook is employing teachers from schools that used to import, they will do the same thing? Not going to happen.
Traditionally Waverley have been the worst culprits over the years but Trinity have taken the mantle recently, they have a huge emphasis on their swimming program.

In what era did Waverley import players? and through scholarships? they don't now; no scholarships of any kind. No professional coaches. I realise Trinity import now.

 

[eastman]

There was a period during the early 2000s where Waverley had imports in a number of years. Players like Eddie Paea, Anthony Cherrington, Mikey Cummins all were there but ended up at Matraville Sports after scholarships were aborted.

 

[sidelineview]

There was a period during the early 2000s where Waverley had imports in a number of years. Players like Eddie Paea, Anthony Cherrington, Mikey Cummins all were there but ended up at Matraville Sports after scholarships were aborted.

Fair enough. thanks

 

[GPSSPORT]

lets add some spice to the forum, with a few new findings that have appeared recently at our schools in Parramatta, Stanmore, Bellevue Hill and Moore Park.

 

[GPSSPORT]

The great CHeir Maker (Newington) has been replaced by Makuach Maluach from Armidale (Year 9), and his two brothers will be close behind - clearly the Sudanese link is in full affect thanks to Ed Smith. All these boys are State athletes. TSC will have to maybe go searching into their indigenous program to keep up with this trend.

 

[GPSSPORT]

St Dominics Year 10 student starting at Kings
http://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/2173851/tower-of-talent-adam-lulka-off-to-nationals/

Kellyville High Student already at Kings
http://www.hillsnews.com.au/story/2048286/kellyville-shooting-guard-threads-the-needle-for-nsw-u18s/

 

[GPSSPORT]

Scots will hopefully just try and get a game next season - rumour is they are going o/s