Everybody has an opinion regarding the current state and affairs of South African rugby. The behavior and integrity of the large unions are questioned when they "buy" an excess of talent in order to keep the talent going to other provinces. There is huge support to implement a draft system similar to the NFL in America, to ensure that the smaller unions have a fair chance to compete with the bigger unions and to spread the talent across all the unions in South Africa.
"The National Football League Draft, also called the player selection meeting, is an annual event in which the NFL teams select eligible college football players. It serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is that each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order relative to its record in the previous year, which means that the last place team is positioned first. From this position, the team can either select a player or trade their position to another team for other draft positions, a player or players, or any combination thereof. The round is complete when each team has either selected a player or traded its draft position. Certain aspects of the draft, including team positioning and the number of rounds in the draft, have seen revisions since its first creation in 1936, but the fundamental methodology has remained the same. Currently the draft consists of seven rounds. The original rationale in creating the draft was to increase the competitive parity between the teams as the worst team would, ideally, have chosen the best player available."
In order to determine if enough talent is available in South Africa Ruggas.co.za asked seven couch scouts to take part in this draft. All of these "scouts" is well known to the school boy rugby community. However some is participating under aliases in order to protect their family against their own stupidity.
From Tuesday 30 August 2016 each "scout" is allowed to pick two players per day. The eligible players are those boys that is expected to pass their grade 12 exam the end of the year. If a player is picked by a scout he is not eligible for selection by any other scout. Scouts are ranked by their claimed knowledge.
If our readers want to participate they are welcome to click on the pictures of the scouts to be redirected to that scout's twitter account or to his web page. If their is no link available that scout believe his is informed enough.
1) Kayden Kiewit - Hugenote
2) Bees Ferreira - Garsies
3) Dewalt Maritz - Nelspruit
4) Chris Havenga - Monnas
5) Martin Raath - SA LSEN
6) Regardt du Plessis - Affies
7) Liam Larkan - SACS
8) Henk Pretorius - Affies
9) Deon Carstens - Boland Landbou
10) Ulrich Maritz - Waterkloof
11) Nathan Church - Grens
12) Sicelo Tole - Muir College
13) Marthinus Holtzhausen - Glenwood
14) Lubabalo Dobela - Grey PE
15) Labib Kannemeyer - Wynberg
Coaches : Naas Rossouw (Montana Pretoria) and Thinus Pienaar (Parel Vallei)
1) Cabous Eloff - Affies
2) Hendrik Prinsloo - Westville Boys
3) Andre vd Merwe - EG Jansen
4) Dylan Weideman - Glenwood
5) Francois du Preez - EG Jansen
6) Stefan Smit - Garsfontein
7) Juan Venter - Grey College
8) Marco Palvie - Glenwood (Capt)
9) Ginter Smuts - EG Jansen
10) Theo Boshoff - Paarl Gim
11) Lee Irvin Andries - EG Jansen
12) Wian van Niekerk - Paarl Gim
13) Manny Rass - Paarl Boishaai
14) Jaco Wessels - Grey College
15) Gianni Lombard - Paarl Boishaai
Coaches : Johan du Plessis (Garsfontein) and Carl Spilhaus (KES)
1) Nathan McBeth - Monnas
2) Schalk Erasmus - Affies (Capt)
3) Arno van Wyk - Affies
4) KP de Jager - Nelspruit
5) Keenan Murray - Marlow
6) Luke Croshaw - Kearsney
7) Phillip Krause - Affies
8) MJ Pelser - Monnas
9) Jack Hart - Affies
10) Damian Willemse - Paul Roos
11) Tatendo Mujawo - St Benedicts
12) Gerrie Koegelenberg - Grey College
13) Niculus van Eeden - Oakdale
14) Khanya Ncusane - Paarl Boishaai
15) Chuiner van Rooyen - Helpmekaar
Coaches : Jakes Smit (Eldoraigne) and Sean Erasmus (Paarl Boishaai)
1) Naude Naude - Grey College
2) PJ Botha - Monna
3) Mornay Smith - Eldoraigne
4) Louis Meiring - Outeniqua
5) Salmaan Moerat - Paarl Boishaai (Capt)
6) Charl Serdyn - Paarl Boishaai
7) Jesse Johnson - Paul Roos
8) Kwezi Mafu - Grey PE
9) Embrose Papier - Garsfontein
10) Xavier Swartbooi - Oakdale
11) Lance Jurgen - Stellenberg
12) Louritz van der Schyff - Affies
13) Anton du Toit - Swartland
14) Emilio Adonis - Garsfontein
15) Sihle Njezula - Grey High
Coaches : Oloff Bergh (Boland Landbou) and Divan Batt (Stellenberg)
1) Andre Booysen - Paarl Gim
2) Nola Naka - Jeppe
3) Andre Posthumus - Oakdale
4) Ben Jason Dixon - Paul Roos
5) PJ Steenkamp - Garsfontein
6) JC Pretorius - HTS Middelburg
7) Heinrich Brendel - Boland Landbou (Capt)
8) WP van Heerden - Oakdale
9) Rewan Kruger - Grey College
10) Tyrone Green - Jeppe
11) Alexander Wallace - Oakdale
12) Henlo Marais - Boland Landbou
13) Keegan Hamman - Helpmekaar
14) Labello Scott - Bishops
15) Riaan van Rensburg - Framesby
Coaches : Janse vd Ryst (Jeppe) and Helmuth Lehman (Paarl Gim)
1) Reece Bezuidenhout - Paarl Boishaai
2) Daniël Jooste - Paarl Boishaai
3) Adam Neethling - Paarl Boishaai
4) Jaco v Tonder - Grey College
5) Ruan Vermaak - Monnas
6) Dian Schoonees - Grey College
7) Hacjivah Dayimane - Jeppe
8) Jared Meyer - Kearsney
9) Zak Burger - Paarl Gim (Capt)
10) Jerome Bossr - Glenwood
11) Marnus Boshoff - Grey College
12) Christopher Hollis - Queens
13) Siba Mzanywa - Kingswood
14) Cameron Burke - Jeppe
15) Aphelele Fassi - Dale
Coaches : Ryno Combrinck (Michaelhouse) and Brad MacLeod-Henderson (Hilton)
1) Denver Prins - Worcester Gim
2) Athi Magwala - Boland Landbou
3) Cohen Kiewiet - Hugenote
4) Ruben le Roux - Framesby
5) Bernard Jansen - Diamantveld (Capt)
6) Alex Halvorsen - SACS
7) Muller Uys - Paarl Gimnasium
8) Hanru Sirgel - Grens
9) Zinedine Booysen - Oakdale
10) Josh Vermeulen - Paul Roos
11) Darryle Kameel - Outeniqua
12) Marnus Scheepers - Ligbron
13) Christian Strydom - Affies
14) Darren Adonis - Oakdale
15) Wian van Zyl - Paarl Gimnasium
Coaches : Graeme Wepener (SACS) and Johan Joubert (Belville Hoërskool)
1) Gugu Nelani - Northwood
2) Tiaan van der Merwe - Helpmekaar
3) Sazi Sandi - St Andrews
4) Luwan Ludick - Helpmekaar
5) Albert Liebenberg - Drosdy HTS
6) Tiaan Scholtz - Helpmekaar
7) Tertius Groenwald - Grey PE (Capt)
8) Luke Fortuin - Garsfontein
9) Richman Gora - Welkom Gim
10) Ruan de Swardt - Affies
11) Ayabonga Oliphant - Grey PE
12) JP Duvenhage - Outeniqua
13) Wandisile Simelane - Jeppe
14) Mike Mavovana - Rondebosch
15) Austin Davids - Garsfontein
Coaches : Mziwakhe Nkosi (KES) and Gideon Stander (Helpmekaar)
After this "intensive" project was completed all agreed.
- South Africa have enough talented players to make a draft system work.
- Quotas is not needed as no quota requirements was set and plus minus 30% "quotas" was on merit in the teams.
- A draft system will allow 8 - 10 provinces to compete on an equal basis that will ensure proper talent identification and proper development of talent.
- A draft system will force unions to employ good coaches in order to win. No more "buy all talent available to make sure we win" attitude.
After all was said and done the "scouts" picked the best team.
- Zambucks
- Southern Quees
- Affies
- Stephan Brink
- Speartackle
- SBR Blog
- Quagga
- Ruggas.co.za