2019 School Rugby
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When Kevin Fallon was at MAGS they had a football academy that attracted the best players from all over NZ. Their 1st XI dominated the national tournaments. This was before the current principal's time but it does highlight this was/is happening in all sports and a lot of schools.
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@98blueandgold said in 2019 School Rugby:
'Poaching' is a technicality. The only way a school can be caught doing this is if a staff member/employee of the school is caught, with evidence i.e. and eye-witness who will testify who witnessed the approach.
If they get another person/kid/friend anyone not employed by the school to say "I think you should contact the school" it is not classified as poaching. Schools can then say that they are not 'actively' recruiting players using this, as long as it can be proved the first contact was made by the parent.
You can see how easy it is to get around the rules. In my time involved in 1st XV rugby I have seen many accusations but only one that has gone even close to being upheld.
I guarantee that all schools do this to some degree but it is 'within' the rules which are incredibly loose and impossible to enforce.
Good watching though!Absolutely the way it is done. It is easy to achieve and impossible to prove. When the Principal says "we don't poach" they don't mean "we don't take poached players", they mean "my staff don't personally do the poaching".
I've seen a boy at the school I was teaching at approached pretty every year by "interested parties", to change to a Boys High School. The BHS knew it was happening, but they didn't care, since they personally were not doing the approaching. We had a rather dodgy sports director for a while who used to have some contacts he relied on to do this stuff for him, and he would indicate the boy he wanted them to target (not rugby, but a sport we were national level competitive in). It was blatant, but unprovable.
The more aggressive schools simply go to the islands. Since that is not poaching, it is perfectly legal. And so some NZ kid misses out to an islander (and I've seen a few come over that barely speak English).
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@chester-draws said in 2019 School Rugby:
@98blueandgold said in 2019 School Rugby:
'Poaching' is a technicality. The only way a school can be caught doing this is if a staff member/employee of the school is caught, with evidence i.e. and eye-witness who will testify who witnessed the approach.
If they get another person/kid/friend anyone not employed by the school to say "I think you should contact the school" it is not classified as poaching. Schools can then say that they are not 'actively' recruiting players using this, as long as it can be proved the first contact was made by the parent.
You can see how easy it is to get around the rules. In my time involved in 1st XV rugby I have seen many accusations but only one that has gone even close to being upheld.
I guarantee that all schools do this to some degree but it is 'within' the rules which are incredibly loose and impossible to enforce.
Good watching though!Absolutely the way it is done. It is easy to achieve and impossible to prove. When the Principal says "we don't poach" they don't mean "we don't take poached players", they mean "my staff don't personally do the poaching".
I've seen a boy at the school I was teaching at approached pretty every year by "interested parties", to change to a Boys High School. The BHS knew it was happening, but they didn't care, since they personally were not doing the approaching. We had a rather dodgy sports director for a while who used to have some contacts he relied on to do this stuff for him, and he would indicate the boy he wanted them to target (not rugby, but a sport we were national level competitive in). It was blatant, but unprovable.
The more aggressive schools simply go to the islands. Since that is not poaching, it is perfectly legal. And so some NZ kid misses out to an islander (and I've seen a few come over that barely speak English).
that was happening before rugby was a career, so i can imagine it's even worse now.
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@chris now that to me seems a strange decision.
School-wise and rugby-wise it doesnt seem to make a huge deal of sense.
So lets say St. Kents didnt 'poach/recruit' him, but him and his family approached St.K to go there, what sort of thing can they offer him, at that age to make his last year of school and rugby better than staying in Christchurch, where the path to M10 Cup, Super rugby and potentially ABs would seem the better choice...
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@chris there is a little more to this story around why he left but again not sure if Christs are the greatest example to choose. Along with St Andrews are the two worst schools for buying in players and targeting other UC championship team players.
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What I don't like about this (aside from the hypocrisy) is that it targets the kids, not just the ones who are coming in and who they want stood down for big matches, but also the other ones in the team who are having their rugby program ripped to shreds through no fault of their own. It doesn't sit right with me.
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@98blueandgold Rotorua did win the National comp that year too but had no one selected in the NZSS squad. Most were not eligible due to the New Zealand Schools eligibility criteria.
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@98blueandgold haha yes there is. I had the guy who’s missus he shagged in my team this year
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@chchfanatic said in 2019 School Rugby:
@98blueandgold haha yes there is. I had the guy who’s missus he shagged in my team this year
oooh scandalous!
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3 or 4 years ago CC was beaten by CBHS by about 80 points. The then headmaster got sick of old boys vigorously complaining about rowing getting all the attention and rugby being neglected. So he decided to do something about it.
They don’t get a lot of boys in on scholarships but have put a huge focus on the coaches - mostly old mates of Reuben Thorne and Steve Dods.
Re Punivai: chchfanatic is right on the money! -
@Wally I agree that they have had a good period with the recent group has come through from year 9 but they have recruited within that (lock from Burnside 1stXV + others) issue for them is like a St Kents they do not have much coming through after that and have been very active over the last 12 months trying to fill the void, I know this first hand!
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St. Kents must be absolutely overjoyed at this outcome. They will be in no danger of not winning the 1A competition in 2019 after they win all their competition matches by default.
Played 10 Won 10 Drawn 0 Lost 0 Pts for 0 Points Against 0 Bonus Points 10 Competition Points 50 -
Haven't they spouted that it is the academic opportunities they are offering outsiders rather than sporting (or most specifically rugby) opportunities. If so then I await with bated breath the announcement of a thirty stone Iraqi refugee dwarf being offered a scholarship.
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Something that has been totally missed.
Parents or guardians sign off these decisions for what they feel is in the best interests of their children.
I spoke to a father today who’s son went to St Kentigern College a few years back,his son is currently in one of the NZ super rugby squads ,without the scholarship his son received ,he doubts wether the same doors would have opened had he stayed at the rural college he was attending.
I personally hate the word poached being used,as the parents and guardians are the ones that sign off on these decisions at the end of the day. -
This has been an issue for years in Super 8n rugby. 6 of the Super 8 rugby teams give financial scholarships for players. The only ones that do not are Tauranga BIys College and Gisborne (I think), that hamstrings them massively. TBC has lost a few good players, but are maminly hurt from not attracting others. Obviously some schools are still magnet schools because of sport, but that is at year 9 level, not year 13!
I love the action the other schools are taking. Fuck St Kents. They want to be dicks, then take the fact nobody will want to play your school.
I do find it rich that Hamilton Boys and Rotorua Boys are bleating.... they rely on poaching 100%
