Cost of winning: 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.
South African schoolboy rugby is thriving, boasting a booming talent pipeline and unprecedented investment. The Junior Springboks claimed back-to-back Junior World Championship titles in July 2026, while the Under-18 teams completed unbeaten campaigns for the first time in competition history. Head coach Lwazi Zangqa attributes this success to the schoolboy system, crediting years of preparation and development.
The country has a rich tradition of powerful schoolboy rugby, with over half a million registered players and top teams like Paarl Boys’ High, Paarl Gim, Grey College, and others consistently producing quality players. The sport's popularity has drawn large crowds and attracted significant investment, with top 200 schools spending over R1-billion annually on rugby programs.
This professionalization has brought coaching salaries close to R1-million and improved the quality of players, who are now being scouted by professional unions. However, the rapid professionalization and increasing pressure on young athletes due to commercialization has raised welfare concerns, as students face pressures typically associated with professional superstars while still managing academics and the challenges of adolescence.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
