Springboks captain Siya Kolisi was a star rugby player at Gray High School
At King Edward VII School in Johannesburg one gets one the prize above all: a red jacket with white stripes. This means the boy has received a full sports kit, giving him the opportunity to join the illustrious list of Springboks school rugby players and international cricketers from South Africa.
“Wearing the red jacket is a big deal, it is a very prestigious award «says Eugene Marks, King Edward VII's sporting director. “When people talk, they talk about the school rugby team.”
One boy who used to wear the jacket, Quinton de Kock, looms as England's biggest threat in the first half of the England-South Africa world. Cup doubleheader on Saturday. Another graduate, Malcolm Marks (no relation to Eugene), might have played hooker against England in Paris but for a knee injury.
De Kock and Marks are members of a rare club. Twenty-four of King Edward VII's old men played cricket for South Africa; another five played rugby. When England meet South Africa in two World Cup games, they will be up against a school system rather than a nation.
But a knee injury means Malcolm Marks is likely to play against England in Paris this Saturday. the same school as Malcolm Marks and will take charge of the Proteas' game against England on Saturday. Photo: Getty Images/Robert Cianflone
In a country of 6,000 secondary schools, about 40 have produced the most Proteas cricketers since readmission, South Africans have calculated. sports scientist Habib Nurbhay. The Springboks are thought to come from a similarly small number, with the same schools specializing in producing both cricketers and rugby players.
“Sports are the glue that binds our school community and brings us together,” says John Duncan, Director of Athletics at Glenwood High School. Glenwood has South African cricket and Rugby World Cup internationals Andile Pheluquayo and Jayden Hendricks. «We believe that developing the 'whole boy' through holistic education and sport is a vital aspect of what we do.»
Leading South African schools tend to be among the oldest in the country, often dating back to the mid-to-late 19th century; Since then they have maintained an emphasis on Christianity, discipline and sports. Most of the top producers of World Cup talent are boys' schools. These are divided between private schools and so-called «Model C» schools, such as King Edward VII's, which were only open to white children during apartheid and have since changed. Although Model C schools are classified as public schools, they charge fees.
Each rugby season culminates in the «inter-school games»: a series of high-profile games that can attract crowds of more than 10,000. SuperSport broadcasts some interschool rugby games.
Gray College in Bloemfontein, founded in 1855, graduated a record 46 Springboks. One of them, Cobus Reinach, will line up in the scrum-half against England. Gray college boys were the common thread in South Africa's three Rugby World Cup victories; The first two test captains of the Proteus after readmission, Kepler Wessels and Hansi Cronje, also went here.
Hansi Cronje studied at Gray College in Bloemfontein, the same school as another Proteus captain, Kepler Wessels. Photo: Reuters/Juda Ngwenya
“The story certainly inspires the boys to be the best they can be,” says Bobby Joubert, director of rugby. “There is a spirit of greatness in the school.”
Extraordinary opportunities help. Gray College has 18 turf nets and six indoor cricket tracks; along the rugby fields there are also tennis courts, hockey pitches, a superb gym and a swimming pool. Rugby players at Gray spend approximately 20 hours a week playing, training or doing strength and conditioning; there is even video analysis.
While representing the Springboks is the dream of most boys attending elite schools, especially those in Africa, rugby's cultural dominance does not come at the expense of other sports.
It has been demonstrated that later specialization in sports, no earlier than the child reaches middle adolescence, improves his chances of later becoming professional athletes. Playing a variety of sports promotes motor development, reduces the risk of overuse injuries, increases athleticism, and gives a child the best chance of choosing the sport for which they are truly best suited.
“Most children who go to school , play a lot of sports,” says cricket great Shaun Pollock. He attended Northwood School, the alma mater of Keshav Maharaj, whom England will face in Mumbai. “You play everything: rugby, cricket, hockey, football. So they become quite athletic.”
Elite schools see their role as more than just developing talent; it is also necessary to ensure that boys who could not afford to pay school fees still have access to them. They effectively function as sports academies.
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi was spotted playing in an under-12 tournament and was then offered a scholarship to Gray Junior, paving the way for him to pursue a rugby scholarship at secondary level. Gray school. At the time, Kolisi spoke only a few words of English. “Just seeing this building completely changed my mindset and I believed I could be whatever I wanted,” Kolisi said.
Kolisi says when he arrived at Gray High School, he felt like he could achieve anything. Photo: AFP/Frank Fyfe
Besides the desire to help those in need, scholarships are also driven by the need to win. “Rugby is a marketing tool for schools,” explains Joubert. Johannesburg's most talented 13-year-old athletes often receive three or more scholarship offers from different schools.
«I don't want to say buy players, I want to recruit players,» says Marks.
The schoolboy's talent didn't just serve South Africa. England 2003 World Cup winner Mike Catt attended Gray High School, Kolisi's old school. Robin Smith (Northwood School), Kevin Pietersen (Maritzburg College) and Keaton Jennings (King Edward VII) represented the England cricket team.
Dawid Malan, England's top scorer at the World Cup, faces South Africa on Saturday. In a few hours, tough prop Frans Malherbe, a product of Paarl Boys' High School, will take to the field for South Africa.
Malan compares school sports to college sports in the United States. “It becomes the be-all and end-all that is your ticket to success,” he muses.
In his final years at Paarl, representing the school's second rugby team (he played centre) and first team cricket, Malan would go to the gym at 5am during the rugby off-season and then play cricket in the afternoon. He considers this environment the ideal preparation for a career in professional sports. “From the gym to the workouts, everything has been designed to help you be the best you can be.”
With Dawid Malan opening the bets during the World Cup, England have also benefited from the South African school system. Photo: AFP/Arun Sankar
Some believe that sport is given too much importance in South African school life. “To be honest, the nature of sport in our country can be a bit all-consuming,” says Pollock.
“In South Africa, in schools across the board, it's about how good your first rugby match is. there is a team,” reflects Marks. «That's not always the right way to look at things.»
But if South Africa secure a World Cup double on Saturday, only England will be complaining.
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