Schools Rugby

[ecks tartan army]

schools rugby? :?

in scotland its quite simple, public schools play football while private ones (i think, i dont go to one thank god) play a league. We also get a lot of club v school conflicts whereby clubs wont let their players play for the school, and as rugby isnt that big here in scotland the ones that want to play already play for clubs. That is basically how our school team died.

However it used to be (when there was a team) that if you turned up you got a game!

 

[Boggle]

That is basically how our school team died.
[/b]

You LOST a school rugby team ?

that's....
well that's just unheard of.

I mean, my school would never even have less than atleast 3 teams for each age group.
:huh:

I've been watching the FNB classic clashes on TV and apparently recently Crawford college had a tour to Wales and Ireland, looked like fun.

In other news, Paul Roos and Grey college are still thrashing everyone they play, as expected.

 

[BokMagic]

Well, they haven`t played the truly MIGHTY Framesby High yet, so..........

Our setup in South Africa is very much based along provincial lines. Each province has a league, with eventual champions crowned. There are the inevitable derby rivalries- in the Eastern Cape where I grew up, it was always Framesby(my old alma mater) vs Grey High- nowadays considered a FNB Classic Clash- and Framesby vs. Andrew Rabie. But nowadays there are more and more rugby schools coming forward, for instance Itembelihle, alma mater of Bok backrow Solly Tybilika. In the other provinces, there is the annual Hilton/Michaelhouse derby in KZN, Affies vs. Pretoria Boy`s High in Pretoria, and of course the mother of all schools derbies, Paarl Gym vs Paarl Boy`s High in the Boland, a game that draws 30000 people annually.

Out of these provincial games comes the provincial Craven Week teams, where the best players from each province plays in an inter-provincial competition. Out of this competition, the Baby Boks will be picked.

 

[SaintsFan_Webby]

and of course the mother of all schools derbies, Paarl Gym vs Paarl Boy`s High in the Boland, a game that draws 30000 people annually.
[/b]

That suprises me every time I hear it.

I've been to Paarl, and although I know they are big on sport in that area, I wouldn't have imagined it being a big enough town to draw 30,000 for a schools match.

 

[BokMagic]

<div class='quotemain'>
and of course the mother of all schools derbies, Paarl Gym vs Paarl Boy`s High in the Boland, a game that draws 30000 people annually.
[/b]

That suprises me every time I hear it.

I've been to Paarl, and although I know they are big on sport in that area, I wouldn't have imagined it being a big enough town to draw 30,000 for a schools match.
[/b][/quote]

Well, it does actually happen. You must understand the dynamics of the inter-schools derby matches in SA to grasp the concept. Old boys will travel from everywhere in SA to watch this game, some from as far afield as JHB or Pretoria- that`s more than 1000 km. Old boy Boks will also come from all over the place, and rub shoulders with the current 1st XV- it`s just absolutely THE social event of the year in Paarl. The whole town pitches up, accomodation is speedily arranged for old boys etc.

Although rugby`s not nearly as big here in the Eastern Cape, I still travel 100km, religiously every year, for the Framesby/Rabie derby game. And my wife and I don`t speak to each other for 2 weeks before, and after, that game, as she`s a Rabie old girl! Just to give you an idea- a few years back, the local Currie Cup team, the Mighty(?) Elephants, the worst team in the CC, drew an average crowd of approx. 1000 people. The Grey Bloem/Grey High match drew 12000.

 

[conorsinnott]

While schools rugby is lagging way behind in terms of coverage in comparison to Ireland and South Africa here in England. It is developing, quite quickly.
You have quite a few websites covering it very well such as:
http://www.inattheside.com/
http://www.fifteenrugby.com/
While you don't get the 30,000 people derby games often do get quite good crowds. A notable one would be the John Fisher School vs Whitgift school; the Croyden derby which attracts around 2,000-4,000, which is considered a HUGE amount this a typical local state school(john fisher) vs the posh public school lads (whitgift). My local derby Wimbledon College vs Kings College, Wimbledon is also very much like that except it gets around 500-1,500.
There is a national cup running called The Natwest Cup which has been running for 20 years or so(?). The current champions are Dulwich College who have now won it 3 years in a row. Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Mail_Cup

This is also covered by the national newspaper "The Telegraph" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/schools-cup/
The finals day of this (u18 main Cup, u18 vase, u15 cup, u15 vase) usually attracts around 10,000-15,000. The semi-finals and finals are also streamed online on the above websites listed and the RFU website.
So like i said while schools rugby isn't very big at the moment it is certainly growing and the Rfu to their credit are also putting in a fair share of cash into it.

And although it is difficult to compare as schools usually only play schools in their own regions (unless they go reasonably far in the national cup) the main rugby schools in England would be:
Wellington College: http://www.schoolsrugby.co.uk/Team.aspx?ID=46&TID=191423
Dulwich College: http://www.schoolsrugby.co.uk/Team.aspx?ID=99&TID=194283
John Fisher School: http://www.schoolsrugby.co.uk/Team.aspx?ID=888&TID=194337
Whitgift School: http://www.schoolsrugby.co.uk/Team.aspx?ID=265&TID=194378
Warwick School: http://www.schoolsrugby.co.uk/Team.aspx?ID=258&TID=194485
Sedbergh School: http://www.schoolsrugby.co.uk/Team.aspx?ID=236&TID=194749
Millfield School: http://www.schoolsrugby.co.uk/Team.aspx?ID=38&TID=192120
Woodhouse Grove School: http://www.schoolsrugby.co.uk/Team.aspx?ID=269&TID=192557
RGS High Wycombe: http://www.schoolsrugby.co.uk/Team.aspx?ID=278&TID=191397

Now im not saying that they are the only big schools as they are definitely not. Just some of the most notable. I also have a bias to London/South East as that is where i live.
Sidenote: Only one of them schools (John Fisher) is not a fee paying (private) school.


Hopefully this post gave you a pretty good insight into English schools rugby, excuse my English i am writing this in a rush and not checking my grammar.