Hold onto your hats, rugby fans! SA Rugby is shaking up the game for emerging players with a brand spanking new U23 competition set to launch next month. This move comes after a Special General Council meeting where it was decided that our up-and-comers needed more game time to really flex their muscles on the senior stage.
The overhaul doesn't stop there. The U19 competition has been tossed into the bin, and the SA Rugby U20 Cup is making a comeback after a three-year hiatus, taking over from the U21 Cup. Meanwhile, the U21 Shield remains untouched, keeping its place in the pecking order.
Dave Wessels, the big boss of SA Rugby’s high-performance department, was quick to point out the cracks in the previous system.
"We’ve seen the brilliant work done by our schoolboy coaches and as a result, our U18 teams have been in dominant form for some years, but that didn’t translate into success at U20 level,"
said Wessels. He added,"Something was amiss between U18 and U20 level, with other countries somehow overtaking us, and after a thorough review, we realized this age group needs more competitive game time."
Rian Oberholzer, the CEO of SA Rugby, chimed in about the past issues, noting that overlapping schedules during the Super Rugby era limited players to participating in only one of the competitions – U19, U21, or Currie Cup. He emphasized the new U23 competition as a way to keep the younger players engaged and ready to step up to senior challenges.
Oberholzer laid out the vision:
"By bringing in the new U23 competition, we hope to give the younger contracted players at our URC franchises consistent rugby early in the year, so they are ready if they are needed at senior level."
So, who's playing who? The U23 Cup will see action from the Bulls, Lions, Sharks, and Stormers kicking off on March 21, with a final showdown on May 16. Meanwhile, the U20 Cup will feature the Bulls, Cheetahs, Lions, Leopards, Sharks, and Western Province starting May 16, wrapping up on October 24. The U21 Shield will involve teams from across two sections, Northern and Southern, starting their campaigns on August 22 and culminating in a final on October 10.
With these changes, it looks like SA Rugby is seriously beefing up its game plan for grooming the next generation of rugby heroes. Get ready to watch these youngsters ruck and maul their way into the big leagues!