The 'mercenary approach' is why schoolboy rugby needs a new code

EXPOSÉ: The world of schoolboy rugby has been starkly likened to a ‘meat market’.

This provocative analogy stems from a groundbreaking research paper by Bertus Preller, titled ‘Bought, Not Built: The South African schoolboy rugby market has no rules’.

“Schoolboy rugby has increasingly adopted the characteristics of a professional sport,” Preller stated to @rugby365com, emphasising the stark reality: “Yet, every participant remains a child.”

A seasoned family law attorney, Preller was present during the pivotal negotiations of South Africa’s inaugural professional rugby contracts in 1995.

He asserts that existing legal frameworks already delineate how the transition of young athletes should be managed, making it evident that the establishment of a national code is not only necessary but long overdue.

* To read the full 96-page report, CLICK HERE!

Some of the more confrontational and provocative assertions in the report urge authorities to address an “arms race” wherein “schools scramble to outshine competitors by zealously recruiting the best rugby talent available, spanning from Under-15 to open age groups.”

Furthermore, it posits that the top 20 schools resemble “college NFL systems more than anything else,” as these young athletes receive not only strength and conditioning training but also expert nutritional guidance.

While these young players “aren’t being compensated, they are effectively funded to attend these institutions.”

“Schoolboy rugby represents one of the formidable pillars of the South African game,” stated Preller.

“It is the crucible where loyalty to a jersey is instilled and where the country’s future players are nurtured.”

However, he clarified that this is not an assault on schools; instead, it serves as a call to ‘regulate’ the system through a binding code.

“Nothing in my recommendations aims to diminish the esteemed status of our schoolboy game,” he affirmed.

“The objective is simply to ensure that, as the game evolves into a more commercial venture, those in charge remember a fundamental truth that the law has never overlooked: the boy in the jersey is first and foremost a child, and only a player second.

“In essence, the funding in schoolboy rugby should be directed towards player development, not acquisition.

“Investing a rand in coaching a school’s under-14 teams cultivates thirty of its own boys; conversely, spending a rand on a Grade 11 recruit from elsewhere develops no one and displaces an existing talent.

“This is not an argument against scholarships.

“I wholeheartedly endorse scholarships for students from underprivileged communities.

“A scholarship that affords a talented boy an education he could not otherwise attain is genuine development, deserving of encouragement rather than restriction.

“The first institution to lose a Craven Week captain to a rival and reach out to legal advisors will grasp the essence of my findings in a single consultation. The law does not confer a proprietary claim to a child; it imposes something far more significant: the responsibilities of a guardian.”

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The most iconic illustration of Preller’s commitment to bursaries is none other than Siya Kolisi, the record-breaking, two-time World Cup-winning captain of the Springboks.

Kolisi grew up in Zwide, a township in Port Elizabeth, raised by his grandmother, who died when he was still a boy. His mother died when he was 15.

At age 12, he impressed at a provincial Under-12 tournament in Mossel Bay and was offered a scholarship to Grey Junior, and then a bursary to Grey High School.

That bursary came at the start of his high-school career, to a boy whose family could not otherwise have afforded it, and the school then developed him over five years.

“That scholarship marked the beginning of his educational journey, transforming the life of a boy from a family unable to finance such an opportunity, and the school nurtured him for years to come,” Preller explained to Jan de Koning when clarifying the distinction between effective and ineffective bursaries.

“That is the essence of an opportunity bursary,” he emphasised.

“My research lends robust support to this notion. Section 9(2) of the Constitution allows for it, and the Code I propose does not challenge that foundation.

“Under the home-grown rule, Siya is recognised as the school’s own player.

“What my research scrutinises is the case of the Grade 10 or Grade 11 boy, already polished by another institution, who is recruited for a couple of seasons of first-team rugby.

“Siya was never acquired as a finished product.

“He was afforded a quality education and developed into a leader, culminating in a World Cup-winning captain for our nation.”

There are numerous instances of empowering talented youth with the chance to succeed in life.

“Breyton Paulse illustrates this point from a different perspective,” Preller remarked to Jan de Koning.

“Raised in De Keur in the Koue Bokkeveld and attending a rural secondary school, I understand that the owner of the De Keur estate generously covered his university fees at Stellenbosch.

“His potential was recognised and cultivated, paving his path to becoming a Springbok.

“Makazole Mapimpi serves as perhaps the most compelling example of all.

Emerging from the rural landscape of Tsholomnqa, he began as an amateur club player before Border welcomed him into its provincial setup in 2014.

“Just five years later, he found himself competing in a World Cup final. He was a player no one would have thought to sign at 15.

“Thus, the research argues that schools should prioritise investment in coaching and developing players over merely acquiring them.

“Only about one in four Under-13 Craven Week players progresses to play in the Under-18 Craven Week, and talent at 15 is a perilous predictor of success at 25.

“The narratives of Siya, Breyton, and Makazole hold a crucial lesson: it is not about purchasing young talent.

“It is about granting boys opportunities and nurturing their growth.

“I stand firmly in favour of bursaries for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“My concern lies specifically with the late transfer.”

Preller is acutely aware that his research and forthcoming proposal will likely ignite considerable debate and opposition.

When Rugby Union transitioned to a professional format in 1995, he was a key member of the employers’ negotiating team, pivotal in securing the first professional rugby contracts in South Africa alongside the players’ union, the South African Rugby Players’ Association. He was also instrumental in drafting the constitution for the South African Rugby Employers’ Organisation.

“Today, it’s difficult to envision professional rugby devoid of contracts, negotiated terms, and an established framework of rules,” he states emphatically.

“These regulations did not diminish the essence of the game; rather, they rendered it sustainable and safeguarded those who participate in it.”

He anticipates that his proposal for a governing code regulating the movement of schoolboy players will attract similar criticism.

“Yet, I firmly believe it is essential. Unlike the men who inked those initial contracts, the players in schoolboy rugby are still children.”

The immense scale of schoolboy rugby in South Africa is no secret. Leading rugby schools are reported to spend an average of approximately ZAR6-million annually on their first-team programs, with some institutions dedicating up to ZAR10-million on bursaries beginning as early as the Under-14 level.

The research paper notes that a 2025 peer-reviewed study of elite boys’ schools found scouting often commences in Grade Six (around the age of 12), with scholarship offers occasionally reaching an astounding “120 percent or 130 percent,” covering essentials such as laptops, clothing, medical aid, and tours. One player agency head remarked, “Once you reach Craven Week, the scouting is essentially complete.”

“I wish to clarify a critical point,” Preller continued, adding, “Most boys who were publicly announced by the unions were in matric and would turn 18 before signing any contract; there is no indication that any union entered into a formal contract with a minor. The pressing concern lies in the fact that the approach, negotiation, and the boy’s decision transpired while he was still a student—a child.”

“Beyond the legalities, there exists a compelling argument within the sport itself. A study published in the South African Journal of Sports Medicine in 2011 tracking players from the 2005 Under-13 Craven Week revealed that only about one in four progressed to the Under-18 Craven Week.”

“Boys of the same age exhibit significant variations in their physical development, and selectors often favour size. A school that invests in physique at the age of fifteen is essentially banking on talent that may soon be outpaced. It is, therefore, evident that nurturing the existing potential within a school’s roster is a more prudent investment.”

* To read the full 96-page report, CLICK HERE!

@JanDKrugby
@rugby365com