Sports agent and former rugby player Ronnie Cooke says schools rugby in South Africa is a “R1 billion” industry and the driving force behind the Springboks’ unprecedented success over the last seven years.
Cooke, who played centre for the likes of the Cheetahs and Griquas in South Africa and French teams Brive and Grenoble, these days works as a player agent.
He recently wrote a piece on LinkedIn highlighting the “machine” that is schools rugby South Africa, which is “driven by passion, community, history — and yes, massive investment”.
“Behind every Springbok jersey, there’s a story that often starts on the manicured fields of Paul Roos, Grey College, Affies, Paarl Boys, Paarl Gim, and many more. Our schools aren’t just playing rugby — they’re running full-scale rugby businesses,” Cooke wrote.
“Collectively, South Africa’s top 200 rugby schools spend well over R1 billion per year on their rugby programs. That includes everything from elite coaching and specialist conditioning, to high-performance gym facilities, full-time analysts, nutritionists and psychologists. Even salaries that rival some of the country’s professional unions.
“Today, top school coaches can earn north of R1 million a year. Major festivals like North/South (tournament) attract crowds that put Currie Cup games to shame. Sponsorship, merchandising, streaming rights — schoolboy rugby is no longer a stepping stone. It’s a beast of its own.”
Cooke says the Springboks have greatly benefited from the strength and professionalism of South African schools rugby.
Rassie Erasmus’ team are currently the No 1 team in the world and are coming off back-to-back Rugby World Cup wins. Last year they also won the Rugby Championship by beating the All Blacks twice on home soil. They also won 11 of the 13 Tests they played in 2024.
“We all talk about the Springboks being such a big brand,” Cooke said.
“So I went to break it down and asked ‘what is the real reason why we are double World Cup winners?’ Yes, Rassie and his team have a real influence on that, but if you’re going to break it down, then the real answer is schools rugby.
“Rugby in the schools is a business. The old boys are ploughing back financially and businesses are buying in and getting involved because there is a lot of good exposure for them – it’s a machine that is constantly fed with money. That’s why the game and everything around it is so professional.”
“That’s the one thing that puts South Africa on a whole different level to other countries and where we have no equal.”
Speaking to Rapport, Paarl Boys’ High director of rugby Neil de Bruin concurred with Cooke, saying that schools rugby has evolved from oranges at halftime to ultra professional approach.
“Schools these days have high-performance programmes – a lot of attention is paid to the physical conditioning of players,” De Bruin said.
“Video sessions and analysis of matches and even practices, the use of drones from different angles, the players’ recovery and nutrition are monitored and practices are carefully planned.
“We have short, intense sessions that the coaches facilitate and it is all very decidedly professional.”
However, this has certainly had an impact on the “fun element”, as a win-at-all-cost mentality has replaced the recreational side of the sport after it’s become such big business.
“We’ve gotten past the point where it’s just about having fun and enjoying the game or results are just a side issue. Because so much money, time, effort and resources are put into these school programs, everyone expects you to win,” De Bruin said.
“So you have to have a professional mindset. Every U14 team, for example, has a conditioning coach. The levels of recruitment and position specific skills that go into such a program are professional.
“It’s professional minus the compensation (for players). For example, if a player makes the transition as an U19 or U20 player (after school) at a union, you’ve already been in a professional system for 6 years. That’s why it’s so difficult for a boy who isn’t in a good program to make it in the professional ranks after school.”
@JohnGoliath82
