Like the legendary song by Don McLean, I believe we all lost something last night and whether or not you want to openly admit it, deep down we all know it.
I believe much like the McLean classic of the early 1970’s, the interpretation and views on the topic of the Varsity Cup and what reared its head yesterday will differ greatly.
It will be easy to dismiss the actions of UCT as being part of the game today, or even calling me or this column sentimental or over-dramatic – but there can be no doubt in my mind that we have lost something in the Varsity Cup which should have been protected by all involved, regardless of what you were or are allowed to do.
If you are unsure about the incident I am referring to let me help to refresh your memory.
Last night was a do-or-die round for all 5 teams that found themselves at the top of the log in the last round of league matches. This is evident in the fact that the second placed team prior to last night’s matches, Maties, was kicked out of the competition by virtue of a single league point.
Out of all these fixtures Ikeys arguably had the most difficult fixture as they had to travel to Pretoria and beat Tukkies who came off a fabulous win over Maties just the week before – a task which almost seemed impossible given Ikeys themselves were coming off a couple of bad losses.
Ikeys proceeded to select their strongest team for this fixture and included players like Whitehead, Brache and Nic Groom, all who played some part in their campaign this year, and all of whom were available or released from their provincial (Vodacom Cup) commitments.
One selection however came completely out of the blue, that of Hilton Lobberts.
So much so that punters and journalists close to the Ikeys team like Tank Lanning did not even know he was registered with them until his name appeared on the team sheet at lock. His name does not even appear on the tournament’s official website as being part of the Ikeys squad.
When people on social networks started questioning the selection of Lobberts, the Varsity Cup’s tournament rules were thrown at us including the ‘fact’ that Lobberts was selected to remain ‘match-fit’ (presumably for the Vodacom Cup side of Western Province who fielded Anton van Zyl and Adrian Fondse in their last match) by playing for his ‘club’ (he is registered with Ikeys but has never played for them).
The irony is that if Western Province’s Vodacom Cup team selects the same locks for this coming weekend’s fixture, Lobberts will have no team to play for as he is not allowed to play in the play-off matches for Ikeys as he had not played the minimum required 2 round robin games to qualify. Which would leave him struggling to stay ‘match fit’ for this, or possibly the next two weekends.
The selection of Lobberts not only left most of us confused, as I am sure poor old Pallo Manual who did duty for the Tigers throughout their campaign was probably left scratching its head wondering what he had done wrong as he had to stay home, and no doubt will now be called up to do duty in the semi-finals.
Now personally I have no problem with any team doing their utmost to win, but the cost at which winning comes at sometimes, might just leave you and everyone else ultimately ending up as losers.
The Ikey Tigers did not break any rules, they simply used the framework available to them to go out and win a crucial fixture. This framework included the Western Province Rugby Union (under which the UCT Rugby Club falls) and more specifically, the Western Province Vodacom Cup team whose coach, Paul Dobson, has a long history with the University having coached them up and till last year’s Varsity Cup.
It does open the door however for any other university in future, all of whom fall under various rugby unions, to load their team with experienced provincial and even Super rugby players whenever they have a must-win fixture.
Even more so if we consider that you now have a Varsity Shield or ‘B’ Section where promotion and relegation will play a major role in determining who stays in the elite division, and who moves down to the Shield division.
It is difficult to justify or even describe things like the ‘unwritten rules’ or the ‘spirit of the game’ in today’s day and age where professionalism rules everything. But it only takes one instance, or one individual or team of individuals to break this ‘rule’ for everything to spiral out of control.
Competition rules will also never really define this concept, but there is no doubt in my mind at least that everyone who is involved with this competition, was quite well aware of it.
My personal interpretation of the Don McLean classic is that although no-one can really pin-point the meaning of the song, it deals with a loss of some kind, a loss perhaps of the innocence of America and American society from the 50’s and early 60’s which can neither be clearly defined or fully explained, but a loss all Americans felt and could relate to in their own personal way.
Ikeys might have stolen victory from the jaws of defeat in Pretoria last night to keep their tournament hopes alive, but they also stole the innocence of the Varsity Cup.
elcamino
logan
Tina
ROOILEEU
KingPaul
Methos The French Stormer
Thomas_Bulls
Deon
Aldo
JT_BOKBEFOK!
garyj1-Bulls
Amethyst
trevormayhew
Pom in Joburg
Marcel
namboer
Jacques(Bunny)Somtimes I sits and thinks and sometimes I just sits
RUGGA_MIND
Quinn25
Pokkel
moose
Vernonimous
Watte
niekie
Dante
Panther
Vetgesmeerde Blits
bryce_in_oz
Kozac
Blokkies
Number12_Lions
Brutus2
Lehe6
Estian Nortier
DavidS
johanleroux13
Morné
Tafelberg
pietstreak
Ollie
Koos
March 22nd, 2011 at 11:36 am
March 22nd, 2011 at 1:33 pm
WeLL WriTTen
ethics and compliance and the leTTer of the law vs the intention thereof
Yip interesting topics
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Reply to pietploos @ 11:36 am: Me too
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Well, Ikeys won DESPITE of having Fodders in the team. I do not understand why he was picked ahead of anybody?
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Extremely well written with the Mclean analogy/reference… can you do the play-off’s with Rodriguez?
As for the eligibilty… why not just do what the Aussies do… and incorporate the Varsity Cup into the Club league and give up on who is studying and who ain’t…
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:46 pm
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 2:41 pm:
a proffesional sport run by amteurs maybe?
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Agreed
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 2:41 pm:
Hey I am a huge Rodriguez fan, will certainly give it a crack!
Just for reference, it is not the fact that it is Lobberts, it could have been anyone.
It is also not the fact that it is Ikeys, hell they are my team in fact!
But given this has now happened, and all of it is legal or by the book, be assured every other Varsity team will look to exploit this especially given the Varsity Cup and Varsity Shield will have a promotion/relegation angle built into the competition.
This year it is decided through play-off, but next year it is automatic.
Expect the UKZN to load their team with stars to ensure they end top of the log and the bottom two guys in the Cup section to do the same to save their asses.
Like Ploos said last night, this has now been turned into a national club championship, or another version of the Vodacom Cup.
And that is really the point.
Below an article on the Varsity Cup website by former Bok Ian McDonald on how crucial the Varsity Cup (specifically) is to modern rugby players…
(Unfortunately it is in Afrikaans):
Ian MacDonald, klipharde kantman van die negentigerjare van die vorige eeu, is baie uitgesproke oor die toekoms van juniorrugbyspelers. Hy het met Piet de Jager gesels in ons ‘Alumni’ reeks.
Hierdie oudstudent van UJ, Springbok in ses toetse wat die ’95 Wêreldbeker weens ‘n hakskeenseningbesering misgeloop het en 146 wedstryde vir Transvaal en later die Leeus gespeel het, het ‘n probleem met juniors wat deur provinsies gekontrakteer word.
Hy sê dat die kontraktering deur die universteite gedoen moet word en dat die spelers gedwing moet word om te studeer sodat hulle kan voorberei vir die lewe na rugby. (Dit was ook die woorde van André Markgraaff met die tot standkoming van die NWU-Puk Rugbyinstituut.)
“Spelers wat nie universiteitsmateriaal is nie, moet ander opleiding ontvang as byvoorbeeld vakmanne,” sê Ian aan varsitycup.co.za.
Ian verwys na die Amerikaanse stelsel waar sportdeelname onderworpe is aan akademiese prestasie.
Hy sê die spelers wat dit nie maak nie, word “rugbyboemelaars” wat rondspartel op soek na ‘n heenkome. Hy haal statistiek aan wat aandui dat net 3% van die spelers wat Cravenweekrugby speel dit maak tot op senior nasionale vlak. “Wat word van die ander 97%?” vra hy.
MacDonald getuig dat die vakuum na uittrede, selfs vir ‘n Springbok, skrikwekkend groot is. “Dit kos fyn beplanning om die ‘lewe na rugby’ onder die knie te kry.”
Ian is baie positief oor die Varsity Cup en sê, soos baie ander, dat diè kompetisie die “tweede vlak van deelname” moet word na Super Rugby. Dit beteken dat die Vodacomreeks maar uitgeskakel kan word.
Ian is deesdae betrokke by ‘n onderneming wat handeldryf in vleklose staal en dan praat hy met groot passie oor die beesboerdery in Springfontein in die Suid-Vrystaat waar daar met die Hugenoot-bees, die nommer een voerkraalbees, geboer word.
Ian is nog in ‘n raadgewende hoedanigheid betrokke by UJ se rugby en is ‘n groot ondersteuner van sy Alma Mater.
Hy nooi oudspanmaats om meer betrokke te raak en die UJ-span, wat uitstekend vaar in die kompetise, behoorlik te kom ondersteun.
Deur Piet de Jager
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:59 pm
Sorry article was titles “Ons maak rugby-boemelaars”
March 22nd, 2011 at 5:48 pm
Guys,
I catch your drift and I agree this was a calculated move by messers Dobson & Co, but it wasn’t so much Lobberts as an overlooked blatant forward pass, which both touch judges should have picked up, that in the end saw them save their bacon.
March 22nd, 2011 at 6:28 pm
Reply to Hydra @ 5:48 pm:
Hydra the point is not really Ikeys winning or not, most of this article was penned before the game even started.
Unfortunately since they won, this comes across like sour grapes which was not the intention at all.
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:12 pm
Especially seeing as Morne is an old Ikeys boy and devoted fan…
March 22nd, 2011 at 11:20 pm
Reply to Morné @ 2:58 pm:
In this case the American NCAA is a good model to follow.
Players have a maximum of 4 years eligibility. The NFL has a rule not to contract players until they have completed at least 3 years in college. As student athletes they get scholarships only. No agents, no contracts, no side jobs. Even receiving gifts are strictly limited. And they must be full-time students with passing grades.
The upshot of a university competition with genuine students are that people can support it because of their various connections to the colleges. It is not a B team competition like the Vodacom Cup. It is a competition with future stars.
March 22nd, 2011 at 11:29 pm
B team competitions can never attract enough attention to be financially successful.
The Varsity Shield guys should take note. Forget playing the Cup losers in a P/R match. Rather challenge the Cup winners for a “Bowl” match. Else they will never have any fans.
March 23rd, 2011 at 8:48 am
Reply to Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes @ 11:20 pm:
Now that sounds like a bloody good structure.
March 23rd, 2011 at 8:51 am
Reply to Morné @ 8:48 am:
Agreed