Cellphone footage of young rugby players came to our attention last week. The footage shows several boys sleeping in the toilets and changing rooms of the Tuine Rugby Club. These boys were part of a "Rugby Academy" managed/owned by Mr Theo Reynecke.
During our investigation, we found that mr Reynecke is known in the Pretoria rugby community as a "shady" person and moved his academy from Pretoria Rugby Club to TUKS and ended up at Tuine Rugby Klub.
On the Facebook page of the Rugby Skills Company, a post-dated 23 September 2020 shows the Academy at Loftus Versveld doing contact training with some of the better-known coaches in South Africa. Level 1 lockdown was in place with contact training not allowed. Restrictions on the use of sporting facilities were also in place. This unlawful behaviour continued at the Tuine Rugby Klub, where the kids were forced to take part in contact training during the last two months.
Our view on Rugby Academies and what must be done to regulate this criminal practises.
Rugby Academies across South Africa that operate under no guidance or accreditation is a major problem where stardom and international fame is "sold" to kids who have no hope in "hell" to become professional rugby players.
The unwillingness of SARU and the Unions to regulate this, has created a free for fall mentality with Pretoria most probably the headquarters of this scam.