After various festivals around the country got the school rugby season off to a flying start, it is now time for the real challenge.
The inter-school u/19 rugby matches in Nelson Mandela Bay kick off on Saturday, and traditional enemies will take each other on in what should be fascinating clashes in the coming months.
Although the upcoming derby matches will be probably what the players are most looking forward to, the role of the early season festivals can’t be under-estimated.
Some Bay schools were involved in very tough matches, and this was valuable preparation for what lies ahead.
These festivals also bring problems and challengers for the players and coaches. Sometimes teams have to play three matches in four or five days, which tests the fitness levels of the players.
We see a lot of injuries early in the season, and many coaches still have to master the skill of managing the workload of the players.
Many teams would have learned valuable lessons at the festivals. Discipline on and off the field is very important for success.
Some players and coaches see these tours as fun outings only, and for the serious competitors this could be a very frustrating situation.
It is in fact very important for schools and players to make their mark at these tournaments. It is a tremendous boost for the image and reputation of a school when their first team performs well on this stage.
Although it is an honour for schools to participate in the most prestigious tournaments, the lesser-known tournaments also have a rightful place in youth rugby around the country.
Some lower-key tournaments offer unique bursary opportunities for the players, and there is always the chance that a scout looking for talent is in attendance.
It is also important for the bigger schools to make some of their teams available to play in tournaments which are not in the spotlight like those huge festivals.
The recent Mali Tournament showed how many talented players are in the Nelson Mandela Bay township schools.
This kind of exposure creates opportunities for the small, township, and rural schools. It makes sure the sport is relevant and keeps growing in the Eastern Province, one of the strongest in the country at school level.
One of the biggest annual festivals over Easter Weekend is the Kearsney College tournament in Durban.
Two Gqeberha teams, Framesby and Pearson, were in action there. Framesby is a regular at this event, but it was the debut event for Pearson.
Framesby was involved in two thrilling encounters, and can look forward to the rest of the season. They beat the hosts 18–17, but ran out of steam against Monument who won 22–17.
Pearson was unlucky not to come away with at least a draw in their debut match against Westville.
Westville won 18–11, but there were enough good signs for Pearson to be excited about what lies ahead.
