So the sports festivals have come and gone. There are lots to chat about and whilst my thoughts are still fresh in my mind I thought I would share. Lots has been discussed on my radio show, School Sportz Buzz on 101.9FM/chaifm.com around schools “buying” players, players being over age and also the abuse of stimulants in school rugby. These are somewhat peripheral for now.
The were four festivals up in Joburg – King Edward VII, St Johns College, St Stithians College and Krugersdorp High; in KZN there was the Kearsney festival for 1st teams and the Skonk festival for U14 and U16 which all offered something unique. In general all the festivals were very well organised and efficient in most cases. For me though they have lost some flavour by becoming a “must win” place as opposed to a launching pad for the season – this very fact is what is influencing the peripheral negatives of the schoolboy game. Kearsney college justifiably lay claim to the best of the best schools with the likes of Grey Bloem, Hoerskool Monument and Paarl Gim among the attendees and some brilliant results came out this festival. Grey Bloem lost their first game in three years, losing to arch enemy Paarl Gim must have been a cracker.
Special mention must be given to the big sponsorships for these festivals. There is major money being invested and hopefully we will all see the fruits of this. Challenges still very definitely rest in whether festivals are beer fests with sport as an aside. This is a big issue and all schools, I believe, must take this very seriously. Like it or not though, the schoolboy sport environment is changing rapidly and I don’t think it can be slowed or stopped. We need to get to grips with the professionalism, particularly in rugby, and ensure that schools are adequately equipped to ensure that education never suffers because of it. If this is not managed it will erupt into chaos – some people believe it already has – but from the outside, we need to remain circumspect and hope the schools are putting measures in place.
The festivals around SA offer a massive opportunity to participants in all age groups and it once again emphasises two important messages: activity in schools is essential and sport in this country is the heartbeat of this nation.
Catch Greg Hurvitz on School Sportz Buzz, the radio voice of school sport, Tuesdays 6-7pm on 101.9FM (Gauteng). Streaming and podcasts on www.chaifm.com
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