The future of the NZ Schools team
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Link to pay-walled article below.
The iconic and much revered New Zealand Secondary Schools could be about to play their last tests this month, with a proposal on the table to axe the team in its current format.
Dating back to the early 1980s, the New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) team has provided the first taste of international rugby to hundreds of high-profile players, including World Cup winners Jerome Kaino, Rieko Ioane, Sam Cane, Sam Whitelock, Grant Fox, Kieran Read and Mils Muliaina, as well as great All Blacks such as Jerry Collins, Jonah Lomu and Walter Little.
Since its inception, only those enrolled at school have been eligible for selection, but New Zealand Rugby, which took over management of NZSS in 2013, wants to rebrand the team as New Zealand Under-18 and open it up to those who are no longer playing for their First XV and in full-time secondary education.
The move is being pushed to bring New Zealand into line with other leading rugby nations and to bridge a representative gap for those who leave school early and the New Zealand Under-20 team.
But a consortium of heavyweight schools, including Auckland Grammar, St Kentigern College, St Peter’s College and Sacred Heart, as well as Hamilton Boys’, Hastings’ Boys and Wellington College, have jointly submitted feedback that vehemently opposes the move on the basis it could have a negative impact on the academic futures of pupils, see staff and volunteers disconnected from the game and that it is contrary to NZR’s own conviction that teenagers need to take a balanced approach to sport.
In correspondence sent to secondary schools dated August 14 and entitled, Matter for Feedback – NZ Secondary Schools re-branding and eligibility, NZR’s high-performance unit outlines the historical context of the NZSS team, citing concerns that its current selection criteria leave those who have left school and are still under 18, with no meaningful representative team to play for.
Previously, NZR had un an annual Under-19 competition known as the Jock Hobbs Memorial Tournament, but scrapped that in 2021, in favour of an Under-20 Super Rugby format.
With representative teams set up as they are, NZR believes there is no real opportunity for those 17-year-olds and 18-year-olds who have left school, to experience a higher-level of competition.
The national body wrote in its consultation document about NZSS, that: “Many of our international competitors have evolved to a more inclusive Under-18 selection policy such as Australia and all of the Six Nations teams, which gives them a greater opportunity to work with all talent at Under-18, in preparation for the professional pathway and Under-20 international competitions.”
But on September 4, the consortium of schools responded by saying that the premise of the proposition was incorrect as the New Zealand Barbarians XV – which operates effectively as a shadow NZSS team -is open to both First XV and club players.
They also voiced their collective surprise and disappointment that NZR was selling the change on a ticket of conformity.
“Rugby in New Zealand has long been renowned for our independence in how we approach the development of the game,” their response states.
“We are surprised to learn that NZR believe it is now necessary to emulate what is happening in other countries, especially when
there is little relevance to our context.”
The 40-plus schools also said that the proposed change would lead to some pupils opting to leave school at a younger age without adequate academic qualifications, and that it will inevitably lead to a wider transition of focus away from First XV rugby towards clubs, which they believe will deter staff and volunteers from connecting with the game.
The feedback also says: “The move to a high-performance model at such a young age troubles us, and goes against NZR’s rhetoric about ‘balance is better’.
“We are concerned that NZR would disregard that the primary focus for these students is their academic progress at school.
“In conclusion, we would emphasise to New Zealand Rugby that the removal of this iconic team after 40 plus years, would be a slight to the traditional framework of secondary schools rugby in this country. “We would also remind NZR that schools make significant investment in the game in our schools through our facilities, resources and coaching staff. Any change to this model would be seen by us as undermining our secondary schools contribution to the game in this country.”
NZR says it is still considering and accepting feedback and no decision has yet been made.
NZSS will play Australia Under-18 later this month and again in early October.
The controversial proposal to axe NZ Secondary Schools rugby team
Iconic NZ team could be about to play their last tests this month.
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New Zealand Rugby, which took over management of NZSS in 2013, wants to rebrand the team as New Zealand Under-18 and open it up to those who are no longer playing for their First XV and in full-time secondary education.
The move is being pushed to bring New Zealand into line with other leading rugby nations and to bridge a representative gap for those who leave school early and the New Zealand Under-20 team.
I don't get this. Why is it necessary that the players are no longer playing 1st XV and attending secundary school full time? It seems to me that in their endeavour to bridge a "representative gap" for early school leavers and the NZ U20 team, they create a new gap for those who decide to stay at school and, therefore, miss out on playing for the NZ U18 team.
Why can't they extend the current eligibility for NZ Schools to all U18 players and call the team "NZ Schools and U18 team" (similar to the Australian Schools and U18 team)? As some of the schools in their comments point out, they already have extended the eligibility for the NZ Barbarians U18 team that way.
Why would they want to give an incentive to schoolboys to leave school prematurely? The reality is that most of them will never make it in rugby and if they leave school early - possibly without graduating - that will affect their future employment (or access to tertiary education), and therefore their future.
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@Stargazer said in The future of the NZ Schools team:
New Zealand Rugby, which took over management of NZSS in 2013, wants to rebrand the team as New Zealand Under-18 and open it up to those who are no longer playing for their First XV and in full-time secondary education.
The move is being pushed to bring New Zealand into line with other leading rugby nations and to bridge a representative gap for those who leave school early and the New Zealand Under-20 team.
Why can't they extend the current eligibility for NZ Schools to all U18 players and call the team "NZ Schools and U18 team" (similar to the Australian Schools and U18 team)?
That sounds like what they are doing? I don't see anything in that article saying school students aren't eligible, I read it as saying that it's just dropping the requirement to be one.
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@Cyclops Yeah, I may be reading that the wrong way.
I still think the schools are right in being concerned about the unwanted effect it may have on students' decisions about staying at or leaving school. They'll definitely need to be careful in how they're going to shape future pathways.
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@Stargazer said in The future of the NZ Schools team:
But a consortium of heavyweight schools, ... have jointly submitted feedback that vehemently opposes the move on the basis it could have a negative impact on the academic futures of pupils,
I don't think the schools give a fuck about their academic future if they're good enough to win a first xv title over any arch rival.
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@Stargazer I think there would be a lot of friction between coaches and the academia in some schools. And the parents!
I look at the NZ school system and see similarities with the schools systems here. The parallels of player warehousing at the big colleges, combined with erosion of the community game, means we see a lot of kids exiting the code altogether if they don't "make it".
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Well at least there's some serious debate and thinking going on regarding the lower levels. Along with the AB XV initiative, can we hope NZR are looking at the structure and development of the game at all levels?
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@Victor-Meldrew Yeah, that's my hope. Improving the selection process is probably the most important thing, but I'd be keen to hear if they're going to organise proper tours and/or tournaments.
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I agree with @Stargazer that this decision could have unwanted consequences but the NZ Barbarians and NZ Māori teams are U18s and include school leavers.
The problem for the NZ Schools team is that they don't play anyone outside of Oceania, and I doubt NZR is in any hurry to change that.
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I don't think finishing school or university are at all important in this day and age. The ones that stay just for 1st xv especially so.
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@muddyriver also plenty of schools have no 1st 15 or one of decent enough quality for the kids to get opportunities, so end up playing in club teams.
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We're talking, what, 30 kids? Many of those trying to make an Under 18 national team will stay in school anyway. It won't make much difference to 1st XV rugby.
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I think this is the start of NZRFU getting rid of all school rugby apart from 1st & 2nd xv. It needs to happen if clubs are to survive.
Not only are you losing kids from your club at year 9 , but you’re also losing all the volunteers that have coached/managed since under 6s.
