It's not always all bad

I’ve become a sceptic when it comes to schools rugby. I usually expect the worst from schools, and I’m seldom disappointed.

In the last two weeks, however, I witnessed two events that restored my faith and reminded me that the people who dedicate so much time and effort so that schoolboys can play the game are among the best you’ll find.

And then, just as I was getting carried away, I came across a deeply disturbing situation at a school, one that confirmed my cynical views.

More of that later – first the good. I was at KES two weekends ago when Pine Pienaar, the highly qualified ex Blue-Bulls coach who has been hired, I assume to get Waterkloof’s 1^st team on the winning track, did something you don’t always see.

The referee, and his assistants, were somehow confused about a KES penalty goal attempt that everyone sitting at that end of the ground could see went over. A discussion ensued and the ref ruled it unsuccessful. The Waterkloof coaches were at that end and they too saw it cross the crossbar. One of them turned and told Pienaar that and he, immediately, went on the field, told the ref so, and it was reversed, giving KES three points at a stage when the game was still quite close.

Pienaar is a rugby boffin, everyone knows that. Now those who were there know he is also a true sportsman, with integrity. It was great to see.

And then there was last weekend’s game between Jeppe and Affies. Jeppe have never won that fixture and they were 41-38 up with time expired when Affies constructed a move that began in their own 22m area and ended with the winning try in the opposite corner.

It was heartbreaking for Jeppe, but the things that have been said since, including a wonderful letter by the headmaster, describing how Muzi Manyike, the 1^st team captain, and head boy, reacted to the defeat, have been amazing.

It showed that there can be a victory that has nothing to do with the final score.

For me, the cynicism-destroying moment came before the game. Muzi, and the vice captain, accompanied a tiny disabled boy onto the field to place the ball on the centre spot. And Muzi carried him off again. I learned afterwards that he is from an Aids orphanage close to the school, and the whole idea was Manyike’s himself.

Use the occasion of a big game to do something like that, and who cares if you win or lose?

The dampener came this week when I read an open letter to a school that appeared on a schools rugby website.

Read it yourself - http://www.talk.ruggas.co.za/?p=865 - and decide.

I found it very sad. For me, it sums up the gulf in thinking that exists between two groups of lovers of schoolboy rugby. Basically, it describes how Hoërskool Nelspruit is considering its options because its 1^st team is being beaten in the new Virseker Cup super league.

The writer predicts that if they leave the league, or step down a division, they will lose all their top players, their coaches, their standing in the community and their invitation to the St John’s Easter Festival.

They could well lose players to the cut-throat professionally run schools who will scoop them at a discounted price. What’s really alarming, however, is the assumption that they, and the coaches, will be prepared to go – no loyalty or school camaraderie there.

I do know a bit about how the Joburg Easter festival hosts think and I know that Nelspruit are invited back to St John’s each year because the organisers enjoy them as people, they like their rugby philosophy and the way the play the game. Whether they carry on playing Garsfontein, Monument and Helpmekaar or not next year will have nothing to do with their next invitation, I’d wager.

Here’s hoping there is more that’s good than bad at this weekend’s matches.