I do believe that the Western Province school rugby season is the last to finish in this country (and I feel that it finishes far too early). In the remainder of the country the season is completed even before that -- long before the end of August. Schools like Grey (Bloemfontein) make up for these shortened seasons by travelling all over the country, seeking out and playing against schools somewhere near their own calibre. However, all schools cannot do this.
You train hard for the rugby season to achieve the fitness the game demands; were I playing I should find it extremely frustrating to play as few games, as most schools do, having prepared for the season as I had done. The first fifteens (as opposed to other teams) of some schools, are fortunate in that they attend tournaments in various parts of the country and thus end up playing many more games than, let us say, the under 15 D do.
What, however, is even more frustrating is that the so-called 'authorities' governing schools rugby in the various provinces choose to interfere with the season by extracting players from the different age groups during the term to practise with the 'provincial age-group' squads, thus totally disrupting school teams. If that is not enough, they throw in the odd 'provincial' match in order to hone their select side in preparation for what used to be called ' Craven Week '.
Now, towards the end of the season, these august officials organise under 18 fixtures for the S. A. Schools' team against the English, the French and even the Namibians - completely ignoring the fact most of our schools play traditional fixtures, a derby fixture, at the close of their season. This is the last game for the school for most of the 1st XV players -- an emotional occasion - but schools are instructed by the provincial officials that their ( S.A.) selected players may not turn out for the school 1st XV match should it conflict with any of the S. A. arranged fixtures. Let me give an example. Bishops on Saturday played Rondebosch in their derby match, as they do at the end of each season. However, players selected for the S. A. Schools' were forbidden to play in any such game. The schools authorities in this case objected to the ruling (and to the S.A.Schools fixture) - but were told that if any of the players disobeyed the instruction not to play for their school side, those players would be ignored in the future when it came to selections for any provincial teams beyond school. This, of course, is nothing more nor less than blackmail.
No body outside the school should have the right to interfere with school sport -- after all, if Bishops wished to play soccer rather than to play rugby, that would be entirely their business and have nothing to do with the Western Province Rugby Football Union whatsoever, or S.A. Schools rugby selectors. They should be made aware of that. Furthermore, it is time for the headmaster's and principals of various schools to make this absolutely clear.
The school has first call on its players, always! In our schools rugby is part of our educational system and we do not want outsiders interfering. What happens after a boy leaves school is of great interest to us but we do not interfere. This non-interference must work both ways!
Surely, it is time to do away with school provincial sides at all age levels -- educationally sound, too!
Three things I have found upsetting in this past schools' rugby season; the first is the behaviour of adult spectators on the field (I should say, on the side of the field but that is not always true). It is shocking, indefensibly shocking! Second is the performance (as in performance of a clown) of school coaches, standing on the rugby field itself, for example, shouting all sorts of abuse at the referee, at their players, gesticulating, shouting instructions, never setting a good example to young schoolboys. Many schools now do not have the teachers who are able to coach rugby and so they find past pupils, university students or someone interested in the game to do the coaching but unless these people understand that rugby coaching at school is part of education, they do more harm than good. Headmasters of schools should have a look at this situation -- it is seriously bad. Third is the attitude of some of the younger players on the field who now believe that tugging jerseys, pushing an opponent, throwing the ball forcefully on to the ground to express disgust with the referee, himself or his opponent is normal practice. If, as I say, sport at school is part of education, then we should make very sure that boys behave themselves but if adult spectators and adult coaches do not set a good example this will not happen - then there is no case for coaching sport at schools.
I do believe that rugby at school level in South Africa is, in the ways I have described ,reaching an all-time low -- perhaps a reflection of a society in a mess.