Forgive my ignorance about the details (I'm a long way away) but from what I've picked up in these forum posts, it seems the great developmental move made by the schoolboy rugby powers is for the GPS schools, rather than play two rounds against their traditional counterparts in competition, will play trials against the Associated Schools and restrict the GPS comp to one round. I'm guessing that's with a view to morphing the two associations in the future. Is that an accurate reading? So, does that mean ISA schools which commonly play trials against both GPS and CAS schools, will be unable to do so next year? I thought the obvious move from a rugby standpoint (and in the interests of the schoolboy elites joining the 21st century, and maybe saving the game from complete eradication amongst kids whose parents don't have deep pockets for school fees- or choose to send their kids to a diverse school) would be to develop opportunities for the big schools to play "different" opposition more often -- leading CHS schools, perhaps, or regional/ bush schools which might "qualify" through a qualifying comp to face the big swinging dicks. Sure, the traditional fixtures (First XV through to Sixth XV etc) would be hard to fill against schools with a shallow pool, but imagine if Joeys deigned to meet Westfields in first XV and 16a on a diverse day of rugby at Hunters Hill that featured other Joeys teams going up against a strong ISA outfit ... or maybe a rising school like St Edwards qualifies to play a few fixtures against Waverley? From afar, at least, it looks as though the rugby authorities have given up the ghost on CHS and bush schools which is just insane. A variation on the Waratah Shield involving a diverse bunch of schools -- even clubs, shock horror -- against the traditional powers is not only possible, it's sensible and perhaps essential. It doesn't ruin the rah-rah tradition, the GPS comp will still be the gold standard, but rather than setting up relatively meaningless "trials" against equally well heeled institutions, isn't it time for the leather patches to understand their precious boys (and in the future the rugby girls') rugby education and life experience might be well served by testing themselves against the talented people who will likely kick their entitled arses a few years down the track?
