2019 School Rugby
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@bovidae said in 2019 School Rugby:
@nepia There is obviously a degree of self-preservation.
St Kents and King's are the worst offenders of getting players from outside of Auckland. And if your chequebook is bigger...
Yeah, and Kings was a signatory to this - maybe they are sneakier in that they grab the talented U15 players just before they hot 1st XV level?
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@bovidae said in 2019 School Rugby:
@nepia Like the Sullivan brothers?
King's have agreed to change their recruitment policies so are likely on probation.
Jonah Lowe - sending up the @Stargazer bat signal.
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@machpants I just asked a guy at work who's son played WBHS 1st 15 this year and he mentioned a couple of names as possibles.
Pretty sure an exceptionally talented young fella up here had a good deal to go to a top Auckland school (not St Kents) this year, but he is only form 3 this year (year whatever)
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They have been saying this for years around schools and poaching. The issue in NZ is the rules and the inconsistency of the application of the rules.
I have been involved in a couple of clangers were schools (outside AKLD) have basically lawyer-ed up and the rugby unions have backed down as has been mentioned in the article.
Again not many of the big schools can say they do not bend the rules, even though they say it publicly (Not necessarily recruiting form other firstXVs).
This has been a build up of miss-management and offloading for decades from a number of organisations from Auckland schools sport (In this case), NZSSC, Local and senior rugby unions all not singing from the same sheet. -
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Great to see the schools taking a stand. Traditional powerhouses like Kelston and De La Salle might actually have a chance to compete again.
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NZR is trying to get pro rugby players, so for them getting good players into rich schools which run a very pro style 1st XV is a bonus. Principals look at it from a teaching/schooling perspective. Fee paying private schools look at it from a business perspective. Unsurprisingly they disagree what's 'best'
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@tim said in 2019 School Rugby:
@nepia Didn't see Kings among the signatures?
From the article I posted:
St Kentigern refused to sign the new document. King's have signed the guiding principles document but have not agreed to boycott playing St Kents. -
they interviewed St. Kents Principal on RS about 5.10pm today...claims were that they are doing what other schools are, just better.
Says they dont go actively seeking people, but kids and thier parents go to them wanting to school there, and if they look like a good fit and able to , they can look at sponsorship with only a finitte number of scholarships available.
He quoted a letter from NZR saying they liked what they were offering kids both on and off the park and ensuring they were being educated as well as providing a good rugby program.
Darcy likened it to people wanting to be part of the Crusaders due to thier success.
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He might say he's not doing anything different, but he'd be lying.
He's not doing anything much worse than the other really bad schools. But he's ripping the best players out of smaller and poorer schools -- a fact he carefully avoids.
The Crusaders do not poach players locked in to other franchises. There'd be an uproar if they took Beauden Barrett when they needed a first five. There was a fair bit of fuss when Rennie took Cruden -- that was considered off.
