By Awande Mabizela
Selectors in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Sharks Rugby Schools trials say they still expect chosen players to prioritise their books despite playing top flight schools rugby.
They showcased their skills in a fundraiser event that is also a celebration of Sharks rugby in Durban’s Kings Park Stadium on the weekend.
Maritzburg College Head Coach, Tim Orchard, says they allow their players to attend extra
lessons if they need additional support. “We try to help them find that balance and we find that we get it more right than wrong.”
Westville Boys High School Head Coach, Njabulo Zulu, reiterates this. “I do let the boys go to their extra lessons as long as they communicate efficiently and early, but before anything they are student athletes not athlete students, so we encourage and support them academically.”
The weekend selections give the chosen ones to play at Craven Week. Selectors are looking for different age groups that include U/15, U/16 and U/18. The competition saw 10 top tier one high schools and ten tier two schools urban and city schools playing matches against each other at these trials.
Beyond being selected to play, there are other opportunities that include scholarships and contracts which would open doors to a possibility of successful rugby careers.
Sharks Rugby Schools Chairman, Dean Moodley, says the possibilities are many. “If a boy is selected to play for the Sharks Craven Week Side U/18, he has a chance to get a junior contract with some of the Unions and pursue a career in rugby.”
The school learners say their schools put in all the effort to ensure that academic studies and their passion for rugby are all given a chance. “They help us time ourselves accordingly and be organised in different ways, and they don’t push us to hard,” says Thabiso Khanyile who plays U/15 for Kearsney College.
Beyond being selected, parents say schools’ rugby assists with teamwork and discipline for the boys. The results for the selected rugby players will be on the Sharks website.
