New Zealand Schools team before the NZ Schools v Samoa U18 match. Photo: Blake Armstrong/ActionPress
Explainer - It's almost comical to think about what boils the blood fastest when it comes to rugby in New Zealand.
While the All Blacks' results, coaching staff and selections send people rushing to their keyboards and group chats, nothing quite goes from zero to a picture of angry folks standing grimly with their arms folded, than schoolboy rugby.
While we didn't get that exact image on Friday regarding a letter released by a group of principals about the announcement by NZ Rugby (NZR) of a national under-18s side, it's pretty easy to imagine them in that pose.
The letter, on behalf of 40 of the country's top rugby schools, said that the move was "a strong signal that our collective input into New Zealand Rugby, through the secondary school game, is not valued".
In a nutshell: NZR's rationale for the U18 side being formed is that the current NZ Secondary Schools (NZSS) side excludes school leavers, who make up 30 percent of eligible players for this age grade.
It will mean the side can be picked from club and provincial academy players, somewhat loosening the grip the schools have had on the programme.
New Zealand Schools team perform a haka before the NZ Schools v Samoa U18 match. Photo: Blake Armstrong/ActionPress
The NZSS team would still exist, however it would now effectively be a feeder team for the U18s and play in a national tournament against other invitational trial sides.
The letter also accused NZR of being beholden to what the Northern Hemisphere unions are doing in this age-grade space (for context, the existing NZSS side already plays against U18 teams from different nations) and that the principals are "deeply upset to not be afforded the basic courtesy of communicating your decision to us directly".
Chris Lendrum, NZR head of professional rugby, admitted that they could have been clearer but denies they're doing anything surreptitious.
"I don't think it is ultimately about taking control. New Zealand Rugby has been mandated to deliver a New Zealand secondary school team in the past," he said.
"We're talking about an U18 team that would still have significant involvement of school staff. But in practice, not a lot other than the name and branding of the of the team is changing alongside the eligibility of the players."
That hasn't washed with the principals' spokesperson and Otago Boys' High School rector Richard Hall. He said on RNZ's Saturday Morning that "the pathway is already there" for schoolboy players.
A dejected Otago Boys High School team after losing to Nelson College in the First XV final. Photo: Blake Armstrong/ActionPress
"We're not sure why secondary schools rugby, which holds 70 percent of the talent and players, is being downgraded…what we'd like to hear from NZR is that they'll listen to what we want, to retain the NZ Schools side as the pinnacle team.
"We've got several things in our remit and one of the things that's been mooted in the last couple of days is that why should we protect the privileged position that NZR has had within our schools.
"For example, we've got a very good and very keen NZ Rugby League organisation making inroads into schools and providing a fantastic competition…maybe it's time for us to be more open to them."
Now, this is where it gets a little bit difficult to take Hall seriously, given that anyone with even the vaguest understanding of the history of the rugby and league in this country knows full well the over century-long level role these schools have played in suppressing the 13-man code.
It certainly feels like an empty threat to suggest that the nationwide powerhouse rugby schools are simply going to switch to league over this.
Especially since it'll mean they'll all be getting into bed with the NRL and its extremely assertive and unrestricted scouting tactics, ones that have seen Australian clubs help themselves to enough teenage talent on this side of the Tasman as it is.
Otahuhu College's Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 2011. Photo: William Booth/photosport.co.nz
Lendrum's main message was to call everyone to take a deep breath.
"I think I would be encouraging two things. Firstly, for people to look and read through the emotion and actually understand cryptically what's happening here.
"And also to accept it's going to change, just because something's got a great tradition in the past doesn't mean that it becomes a sacred cow."
Of course, the word "tradition" has been brought up a fair bit. This is fitting given that this is the latest in a long tradition of schoolboy rugby's only exposure in the mainstream media being controversial - drunken crowds, infighting,eligibility issues, accusations of poaching and the Auckland 1A grade's heavy-handed position on media coverage in an age when everyone carries a broadcast quality camera in their pocket have all made front page news.
Christchurch Boys High Old Boys at the 1st XV rugby match against Christ's College, 2009. Photo: Simon Watts/Photosport
Last year, the overturning of an upset by Dilworth over Auckland Grammar due to ineligible players stoked massive outrage given the supposed disparity between the two schools, only for it to eventually emerge that Grammar hadn't been the ones who had made the official complaint.
Even when one headline stated: 'The Dilworth/Auckland Grammar saga proves we take rugby way too seriously', it turned out the following 900-word article was in fact a very serious and impassioned case for Dilworth to be awarded the win.
It's things like this that make it easy to jump to some pretty cynical conclusions.
A lot of the feedback on the issue has been that the schools are only concerned about how this side will affect the First XV seasons, given those sides are the ones they have complete control over and are seen as advertisements for the institutions they represent.
There's nothing particularly wrong or unusual about that, but it has led to a serious level of public mistrust around the closed-shop way that the competitions are run, due to the factors above.
Social media admittedly isn't always the best indicator of public opinion, but the overwhelming general reaction is that the principals' stance on this has been a failure to read the room.
For his part, Hall is looking forward to the upcoming school rugby season, which kicks off in April/May.
Saint Kentigern College v Sacred Heart College. First XV Schools Rugby Union 1A Final. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
"In schools, I think it's strong… because it has a high level of commitment from teachers and school leaders. Boys and girls want to play for their schools, we still remain the strongest place for rugby in Aotearoa."
Hall is certainly correct there about the level of passion at the school level, something he won't find Lendrum disagreeing with. However, it is unlikely that it will stop NZR forging ahead with the U18 programme.
"I do understand the emotion, I definitely do," said Lendrum, himself a former head boy at traditional rugby school Wellington College.
"You know, there's a lot of identity wrapped up, schools and school rugby.
"But we want to put the players at the heart of it and say what's best for the development of the whole cohort, whether they're still at school or not."
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