Provincial rugby coaches on why school festivals matter for future stars

Let’s be real…many, maybe even most, of those out on the sporting fields this weekend share one dream, and that is to wear the provincial or even national colours of the sport of their choosing.

And why wouldn’t it be? To reach this point, they have already amassed hundreds, if not thousands, of hours on the field, giving their all to the sport of their choosing.

So, how will participation this weekend prepare them for the future of their dreams? We spoke to four provincial rugby greats to find the answers.

“Our school programmes are one of the strongest pillars of why we are the strongest rugby nation in the world. It is of vital importance that school festivals continue because that is where talented players that become world champions are first unearthed.”

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These words, spoken by junior high-performance coach Zola Mazwi at the Sharks, are echoed by colleagues at the Lions and the Blue Bulls, who all credit the strength of school sports in South Africa with the success of sports at a higher level.

Head coach of the Lions Currie Cup and Development, Mziwakhe Nkosi believes that festivals are important for the development of the game for a number of reasons.

“I think that school sports festivals, especially the Easter festivals which have become such a fixture, provide such an important pathway for the rugby-playing youth as a whole in the country.

“If you think about how many players have come through the pipeline via these festivals, it is important. Firstly, the festivals allow players to play against schools which they wouldn’t usually play against, and secondly, they get a different level of exposure in terms of coverage of the matches.”

Nick Byrne, manager of special projects and in-house legal at the Sharks, said school sports festivals played a vital role in connecting professional high-performance organisations with aspiring professional athletes at junior levels.

“Our unique strength relative to other rugby-playing countries is a very strong school rugby system which produces high-quality players who can compete at a high level because of the pressure and expectations placed on them.

“This makes them able to win in high-pressure moments, and school festivals play a big, big role in that.”

Blue Bulls Rugby Union President Willem Strauss agreed that the South African rugby ecosystem benefitted greatly from school sports festivals.

“Our schools are our academies. We are blessed in this country to have schools, teachers, players and parents who take rugby very seriously and invest a lot of money, resources and effort into their programmes.”

The men who make dreams come true
Sports festivals are the perfect environment for scouts from various teams to see a massive talent pool, all in one place, and it is an opportunity they do not miss out on.

At this weekend’s games, more than just school pride is at stake as scouts assess the talent of players.
Mazwi confirmed the importance of these festivals from a scout’s viewpoint.

“I am one of those scouts that attend festivals around the country each year. All the unions and tertiary institutions send scouts to watch schoolboy rugby. This is where the cream of the crop is identified.”

Byrne said a strong school rugby system is what sets the country apart from others.

“Scouts are prominent at these festivals, whether they be looking to recruit players for other schools or professional organisations. It is important for scouts to engage with the players and parents and to track their development to decide whether or not to contract them at a later stage.”

Nkosi confirmed that scouts from the Varsity Cup and the various franchises visited these festivals to get an early look at the talent that is coming up.

“In terms of showcasing talent, Easter festivals are really important.”

Strauss said that scouts started paying attention to these festivals, as well as provincial tournaments such as Craven Week, from about U16 level.

“From a Bulls perspective, many of the youngsters are identified to become part of our Junior High Performance Programme once they leave school.”

While the presence of scouts at festivals is exciting, Mazwi urges players not to worry too much if they miss out or don’t play well on the day.

“This does not mean that if you miss out during your school days then all hope is lost,” indicating that there would always be other opportunities going forward.

The transition from school sports star to sporting heroes
Playing sports at a national level is not easy, and the expectations of a sport-renowned nation such as ours can be a heavy weight to bare. But school sports festivals can prepare players for the limelight in more ways than one.

“Rugby festivals and general high-performance programmes at school level allow players to play in front of big crowds, which is what will happen when they reach a professional level. So, it helps them to get used to that kind of pressure,” said Strauss.

“The festivals also aid players in growing their skill levels and fitness because of the level at which they are playing.”

Nkosi added festivals enabled players a glimpse into the quick turnaround time of professional rugby and allowed clubs to see how players could adapt to a more professional setting.

“It is not often at the school level that players get the opportunity to play three big games in a row with quick turnaround times like they do at festivals.

“If you look at the professional aspect, the recovery over the three days, the analysis over a short period, how teams can fix what went wrong or implement things they want to in a very short space of time – that’s a glimpse into what professional teams will do.”

The fast-paced world of professional sports can be intimidating, but sports festivals are good training grounds for our future sporting heroes and heroines.

Sports fests are the cherry on top for many school sports careers
Sport is about more than physical dominance on the day, and lessons are learned whether it’s a good day on the field or not.

Sports festivals allow players opportunities that they seldom otherwise receive – whether it’s playing in different conditions, in a different province, or against teams they haven’t met before – these are all growth opportunities that should be cherished.

Nkosi said different opposition, different conditions, teams who come from down south to play in the north, different fields – there is a lot to be said for that type of exposure in developing players.

Byrne spoke of the mental conditioning that took place at big sporting events.

“Resilience, the pressure faced, the expectations on the players are all really good preparation from a mental point of view. As well as the skill sets shown – the quality of the rugby being played is really good as well.”

Strauss, a proud rugby lover, summed up the importance of sports festivals as follows: “The qualities of rugby and the value of rugby are strengthened at these types of festivals. The values of rugby – discipline, respect for one another, respect for your opponent, respect for the referees, all the values you need to become a good rugby player are strengthened.

“I think that is one of the benefits of a team sport like rugby, a gladiator sport like rugby – is that you need to adhere to these qualities, otherwise you won’t make it at a professional level.”

Sports festivals do a great deal to prepare our future sporting superstars for the pressures and privileges they will face should they be fortunate enough to reach their dreams of playing at a professional level.

The friendships made, the skills garnered and the lessons learned are invaluable, incalculable and irreplaceable, and will stay with the players for life in ways they will probably never truly know the value of, but will always have the benefit of.
Onward gladiators!