School Rugby Pressure: Don’t Let the Sport Define You
“My son needs an Agent. He is being overlooked because he doesn’t have an agent”. After a few years spent out of the agency industry, I returned to find the schoolboy scene as intense as ever. A father had called me, and I was happy to give my advice. I have so many of these calls, and conversations.
The Pressure Cooker of Schoolboy Rugby:
My response was simple: “Your son does not need an agent. Your son just needs to play rugby”. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. A Jesse Kriel, Andre Esterhuizen or Handre Pollard may need an agent, but that’s because they are effectively playing senior rugby within a year of matriculating. A player at that level will need an agent because when it comes to senior contracts, he will have no idea what his market value is. His parent or guardian is unlikely to fare any better either. But I digress.
Talent Will Be Found (With or Without an Agent):
Let’s return to the father who thinks that his son is not being offered a junior provincial contract (presumably to play U19 Currie Cup) because he does not have an agent. The underlying strength of the South African rugby ecosystem is its talent identification network. If a player is a standout schoolboy talent, the provinces will not wait on the presence of an agent to pursue this player. In fact, they may look to ignore his agent altogether (an all too regular occurrence).
Loving the Game vs. Chasing the Glory:
But this is not a story about agents. It’s a cautionary tale about the self-worth that schoolboys and their families are intrinsically linking to ‘making it’. Schoolboy rugby is monumental in this country. On any given Saturday, thousands of people attend hundreds of 1st XV rugby fixtures across South Africa. Yet the number of these boys who go on to play at their local club, college or university is steadily declining. I must ask: Do they really love the game?
Obviously they love playing in front of crowds, with the adulation that comes with it. They certainly love seeing the pride that it brings their family. They are the school’s cream of the crop. People mention their name on blogs, whilst Instagram accounts show their highlights reel as if their Springbok selection is a mere formality.
But what happens when they hit a roadblock on their career trajectory. Craven Week plans don’t materialize. SA Schools is not going to happen. The big provinces don’t come knocking. Does that boy consider himself to be a failure? Does the disappointment drain any remaining love he has for the game?
To paraphrase Hacjivah Dayimani’s Instagram page: Is playing rugby something that you do? Or is it who you are?
Beyond Craven Week: Alternate Paths to Success:
And if the player is no longer a ‘star’, what effect does that have on his mental health? I reiterate: If he loves the game, he just needs to play rugby, and whatever will be, will be.
Should we examine the pathways of the Springboks’ World Cup winning team? Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende went to a so-called ‘non-traditional rugby schools’. Duane Vermeulen never represented South Africa in an age-group team. Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi and Lukhanyo Am began their senior provincial careers in the Currie Cup 1st Division. Jean Kleyn never made it to Craven Week. The list is endless.
As for the next step, 54 Springboks have come out of the Varsity Cup (and Shield) system. The number of graduates who have played in the Currie Cup and/or URC must be well into the hundreds. Consider the incredible TV exposure that the Varsity Cup and Varsity Shield enjoy, compared to the U19, U20 and U21 Currie Cups. Would it be so bad to earn a qualification, a university experience and possibly kick on to the senior professional ranks after that? And if you don’t kick on to the pro ranks, does that constitute a ‘failure’. Certainly not.
A Broader Definition of Success:
I once represented a player who had earned bursaries for high school, his undergrad degree and postgrad degree. Almost ten years of education, paid for by his rugby talent. An incredible gift for his single-parent home. He now plays semi-pro rugby overseas whilst earning a very good salary as a private banker. Sure, it would have been great if he became a global superstar earning millions (and fantastic agent’s commission for my business); but his career has been nothing short of an unmitigated success.
Where to Play Next: Options Beyond School:
To the matrics of 2024, I say strive for Craven Week or that provincial contract. Looking for a rugby gap year? Enrol at the Sharks Academy, Stellenbosch Academy of Sport or one of the various UXI Rugby Institutes. Looking for a student athlete experience? Play some res or koshuis rugby at your college or university. Attend the trials for the U20 Varsity Cup or Shield team. Just don’t let this sport define you.
By Bryce Foss – Rugby Agent
