IT is highly unlikely that Nelson Mandela Bay schools will stop streaming rugby matches or discourage any live broadcasts.
Earlier this year a debate started after principals of many top New Zealand schools voted to no longer broadcast or stream matches.
The thinking was that too much pressure was placed on the players.
Their feeling is school players aren’t ready for the pressure of the mainstream and social media and that the environment has become too professional.
Two top school coaches in the Bay, Elric van Vuuren (Despatch) and Bean van Eeden (Grey), say there are good and bad aspects of the live broadcasts.
“There are more positives. I think live streaming is an excellent idea,” Van Vuuren said.
“If I think back 20 years ago when I played Craven Week it was basically the only time you were on television.
“You had to be at the Week to get exposure.
“The players from the smaller schools never got that. These days many schools do live streaming. The players get noticed this way.
“When a player gets to the Craven Week there are already offers for him to consider.
“The talented player is now identified much earlier. There is a bigger platform to showcase their skills.
“Of course there are children who will fold under the pressure. After school the pressure of a rugby career is ten times worse.
“It is not good if a player can’t handle the pressure but it is positive that a player can learn how to handle that pressure,” the EP Craven Week coach explained.
“The other positive aspect is that parents can watch the matches when it is not possible for them to attend.
“From a coaching aspect, the streaming of matches can be positive and negative.
“You can analyse how other schools play, what their strengths are. Your opponents can also do it of course.
“This makes you a better coach. You can’t use the same game plan every weekend.
“It’s the same for the players. The people know about you, so you must make sure you perform in the next match.”
Van Eeden, the EP School Sevens coach, understands why some of the NZ schools took that approach.
“They want to protect the boys because social media can be good and bad.
“We also experience it. Sometimes the boys feel they are more advanced than they actually are because of social media.”
He agrees with Van Vuuren that parents get the opportunity to watch matches.
“Parents of children in hostels can watch and we have Grey old boys all over the world who want to follow their school.
“Players get spotted by provinces and universities as the scouts have access to the matches.”
The president of the Blue Bulls, Willem Strauss, reckons that the live broadcasts are not a problem. “One of the reasons that were mentioned by those NZ schools was that they lost players to Rugby League scouts. That is not a problem in South Africa.
“Geographically, SA is much bigger than NZ and the broadcasts help us to overcome that challenge.
“The broadcasts are a great transformation tool as many players from the previously disadvantaged communities also get exposure.
“Pressure is not a problem. In SA we live in a pressured environment; we are used to pressure.”
