--- title: "The big business of SA schoolboy rugby comes with red flags" description: "From a booming talent pipeline to unprecedented investment, junior rugby is flourishing, but it does have troublesome aspects." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "Cost of winning" author: "Annemieke Thomaidis" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/annemieke-thomaidis/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-08-23-the-big-business-of-sa-schoolboy-rugby-comes-with-red-flags/" published: "2026-08-23T11:11:26" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 1153 --- # The big business of SA schoolboy rugby comes with red flags > From a booming talent pipeline to unprecedented investment, junior rugby is flourishing, but it does have troublesome aspects. By Annemieke Thomaidis · Published 23 August 2026, 13:11 SAST ## Key points - South Africa’s school system is delivering: the Junior Springboks won back‑to‑back Junior World Championships and both SA U18 sides went unbeaten in the Under‑18 International Series — coaches say schools are now doing the heavy lifting in talent ID. - The talent pool is deeper and broader than ever — more than 500,000 registered players, rising performers from beyond traditional powerhouses (eg Stellenberg) and standout prospects like Travis Pheiffer, Lamla Mgedezi and Jaydon Viljoen earning pro attention. - Schoolboy rugby has become big business: interschool derbies draw 20,000 fans, SuperSport broadcasts boost visibility, and South Africa’s top 200 rugby schools reportedly spend over R1‑billion a year with elite coaches earning in excess of R1‑million. - But alarm bells are ringing — rapid professionalisation brings unhealthy pressure, academic trade‑offs and a spike in doping cases and multiyear bans; coaches and experts warn the system must protect wellbeing and keep childhoods intact. ## Content In July, the Junior Springboks made history when they claimed back-to-back Junior World Championship titles, beating France in a nervy final. A month later, in the Under-18 International Series, both South African teams (SA U18 and SA U18 “A”) completed their campaigns unbeaten, the first time in the competition’s history that both teams had done so in the same campaign. These results, amid the dominance of the senior Springbok structures, reinforced what many in the game already believe – that South Africa’s school rugby system appears sounder than ever. Lwazi Zangqa, the head coach of the SA U18s, credited the schoolboy system after his side’s dominant campaign, which included victories over France (52-7), Ireland (51-15) and England (68-40). “We as selectors and coaches probably have the easiest job in just identifying the talent, but this is bred through many years of school pre-seasons, off-seasons and in-seasons,” said Zangqa. “It would be an injustice not to acknowledge how much South African schools’ rugby programmes contribute towards the pathway of what South African rugby can produce.” [Read more Craven Week’s role in South African rugby has changed with the times July 5, 2026 ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/B-J2PI5MJHNyt25xonMfbhgfhBo=/450x0/smart/file/attachments/2994/TL_2422075_967837.jpg)](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-07-05-craven-weeks-role-in-south-african-rugby-has-changed-with-the-times/) School rugby has evolved into one of the country’s most influential sporting ecosystems, producing elite talent and serving as a critical pathway. It also attracts significant investment and draws crowds that many professional competitions would envy. “Rugby is part of the South African DNA,” said Jeppe first team coach Drickus Venter. “In my opinion, South Africa has the best schoolboy rugby system in the world. The competition is fierce and there are some quality schoolboy coaches and some serious rugby programmes around.” ### Deeper talent pool than ever before The quality and depth of schoolboy rugby is remarkable, and with more than half a million registered players, according to SA Rugby’s 2024 annual report, it is only going to get better. The country has always had a proud tradition of powerful schoolboy rugby and the pool of competitive first teams has grown in recent years. Paarl Boys’ High, Paarl Gimnasium (Gim), Grey College, Paul Roos, Affies and Oakdale have been the top teams for some time. Rondebosch Boys’ High, Jeppe Boys, KES, Sacs, Waterkloof, Durban High School, Grey High, Boland Landbou and others also regularly produce good teams and quality players. In 2025, Stellenberg were marked as an up-and-coming side. And yet, few could have predicted that they would win 16 of their 18 games in 2026, beating Gim (20-19), Grey College (26-21), Paul Roos (20-10) and Oakdale (15-13) to get a top-four national ranking. “Our talent pool is deeper than we think,” said Venter. “Talent isn’t just at the prominent rugby powerhouses in our country any more. The top-tier schools will always be very competitive and have bigger budgets and greater resources, but the gap has closed. Schools and coaching have improved across the board and right now I feel that on a Saturday anyone can win.” This year’s crop in Paul Roos flyhalf Travis Pheiffer, Grey College fullback Lamla Mgedezi and Monument flyhalf Jaydon Viljoen (who recently grabbed headlines with a monster near-60m drop goal against Grey College) are just some of the players who secured opportunities with professional unions. ![P48 School Rugby](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/rsR43xpGe0RNG6rQN-9lEjbgBUY=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2990/travis_pheiffer_-_paul_roos_307483.jpeg) *Paul Roos Gimnasium flyhalf Travis Pheiffer celebrates one of his two tries against Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool on Saturday, 21 March, in Stellenbosch. (Photo: Jaco Marais/Netwerk24)* Behind this vast talent pool sits an increasingly professionalised and well-funded school rugby ecosystem. ### The business of schoolboy rugby These days, big schoolboy rugby matches attract far more fans than Currie Cup games. The annual interschool derby between Paarl Gim and Paarl Boys’ High alone attracts 20,000 spectators. “There’s a deep tradition that comes with interschools and it’s a tradition that lives on through the old boys,” said Ronnie Cooke, a former professional rugby player and now head of the South African office of The Team, a talent agency. “I don’t think anywhere in the world you’ll get a school game where there’s more than 20,000 spectators. That shows just how highly regarded schoolboy rugby is in this country,” Cooke told Daily Maverick. ![Super 14 Rd 11 - Hurricanes v Cheetahs](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/RHeHiBVJNAT8XKoD1nc9ya99OAk=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2990/73872723_190215.jpg) *Former Super Rugby centre Ronnie Cooke (with ball) is a prominent sports agent who works with schoolboy rugby players. (Photo: Marty Melville/Getty Images)* This popularity has fuelled significant investment and an entire business revolving around schoolboy rugby. Collectively, South Africa’s top 200 rugby schools spend well over R1-billion a year on their rugby programmes, Cooke previously wrote on LinkedIn, and coaching salaries at elite institutions can exceed R1-million. “The game has evolved tremendously,” added Venter. “Back in the day there was a forward and backline coach, we trained twice a week and just played on Saturday. Now it has become much more professional. Coaches have sharpened up and try to stay ahead of the curve. You have defence coaches, attack and skills coaches, strength and conditioning, nutritionists, medical staff, mental preparation, the list goes on.” Coupled with the investment, the broadcasting, specifically on SuperSport Schools, has increased visibility, boosting the commercial appeal of school sports and attracting further sponsors and advertisers. [Read more Hilton College and others grapple with the cost of commercialisation in school sports May 20, 2026 ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/8RNg4kRic4GWwMCDY33BspgAJxA=/450x0/smart/file/attachments/orphans/TL_2248634_512226.jpg)](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-05-20-hilton-college-and-others-grapple-with-the-cost-of-commercialisation-in-school-sports/) ### Welfare concerns However, in talking about the health of schoolboy rugby, the concern of rapid professionalisation and increasing pressure on schoolchildren runs parallel. By transforming school sports into a widely consumed product, it introduces a new level of scrutiny and expectation. Students become exposed to pressures typically associated with professional superstars while still balancing rugby with academics and the normal challenges of adolescence. South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport CEO Khalid Galant recently told News24 that the increasing commercialisation of schoolboy rugby may be contributing to a more pressured environment for young athletes, with far too many cases popping up of children copping multiyear bans for testing positive for prohibited substances. ![Rugby-Ntlabakanye delay](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/qKD8oAzbQvCY8QwPd1t5znVMPQI=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/595012900_864657679256444_7524215742003982143_n_202171.jpg) *Saids CEO Khalid Galant. (Photo: Facebook / Drug-Free Sport ZA)* Venter agreed, saying there was “huge pressure” on young athletes. “Our primary role is to educate, guide and improve the skills and lives of these young people. They are still children. We must create an environment that allows players to develop and improve, to never kill the passion and desire but allow them to grow safely, carefree and to enjoy our great game.” A bottleneck after school means not all these talented players will play professionally. So long as schools put systems in place to encourage a balance between sport and academics, the situation is a healthy one for the country’s rugby ecosystem. “Don’t get me wrong, winning matters and we all want to win, but winning isn’t everything,” said Venter. “We must create an environment that allows players who want to make a career out of rugby to grow and develop, but that environment must also be nurturing, guided, safe and a space where children can make mistakes.” **DM** *This story first appeared in our weekly DM168 newspaper, available countrywide for R35.* ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/qMseDtXw7147irksosp70Zi5ya0=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2996/DM-210826_450460.jpg)