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Elitism is a word often associated with rugby union. In order to have the best chance to become a professional, one of the most important career decisions for a young athlete is what school you attend.
If you look at the most prestigious underage side, the Australian schoolboys, a common trend is apparent. The schools these boys attend are almost all predominately of the elite GPS schools in Brisbane and Sydney.
Coincidence? Most definitely not. Just last year the issue of ‘schoolboy rugby imports’ made front page news (Courier Mail tabloid, but still counts).
However, it danced around the issue at the core of the issue, instead victimising the benefactors of scholarships, portraying them as overdeveloped beasts that need to stay out of the elite private schoolboy game.
Scholarship holders know though if they want a career in rugby it is a surer pathway then grinding out in club rugby praying to get noticed.
Rugby in Australia needs a professional model for junior development; the world’s elite sporting codes of the world don’t rely on a minute proportion of society to expand its code.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.