RUGBY NEWSLETTER TERM 2 2008

Dear Parents

This is the season when the school comes to life, with the buzz of Super 14, 8 weeks old and rugby in the now chilly air! Our fields are lush and green due to all the rain and the boys are itching to start!

Hi, I am Tony Richter and I am the master in charge of rugby at Hilton College, and the coach of the 1st XV. Naturally I am delighted that your sons have chosen to play rugby and I look forward to an enjoyable and injury free season.

The “Rugby Club” has the following team to assist it this year: there are 22 coaches, PK Ramnarain, our administrator, The Sanatorium sisters and 1st Aid team to organize medical help, and Spectrum Services who keep the grounds in tip top condition.

As is usual, every year before rugby season begins, we have a staff meeting in which our plans and arrangements for the term are made, and I am going to share a few of the points under discussion with you.
Hilton is fortunate to have the experienced coaching staff that it does and the coaches generally work as backline or forward “specialists” with a group of 30 players. The coaches are responsible for making each player accountable both on and off the field, and for teaching them what their roles are in the team. The coaches are responsible for the selection of the team, and this is done with one goal in mind – to choose the BEST fifteen players available. Teams practice together e.g. U15 A and B, with Mr Scheepers working with the backs and Mr Werth with the forwards, but each team has a coach, in this case Mr Scheepers is the U15A coach and Mr Werth the U15B coach. Each team has two hour practice sessions twice a week with a captains’ practice on Fridays. Coaches have already met and discussed selections within the various age groups, and where possible, have included the previous year’s coaches in these discussions. In general the majority of our teams will need time for selections to be finalised and we ask that the players and parents be patient during this process.

During the holidays, an U14 squad played at the Parktown Festival and I was pleased to see good skills and determination from these youngsters. An U15 squad attended the Independent Schools’ Rugby Festival held at Woodridge and produced pleasing results. A 1stXV squad of 22 players and a 3rdXV squad of 22 players attended the Voortrekker Festival and did well. The 1stXV squad also attended the St Stithian’s Festival and returned unbeaten.

I would like to welcome some new staff to the Hilton College Rugby Club, a warm welcome to Paul Venter who joins us from St Henry’s, Joe Niven and Hayden Everill(student teacher).

This season also has NEW ELV’S (experimental law variations) which are designed to make rugby attractive and I urge people to have patience while the boys, staff and referees become familiar with these laws.

I would like to thank Mr A Nicholson, a top referee in our province, for taking the time to give a presentation on ELV’s to all our rugby playing boys and staff. Mr PK Ramnarain has also kindly generated handouts on these ELV’s for our players and staff. Staff were also afforded the opportunity to attend presentations on the ELV’s by the NRU.

This Friday, the 1stXV Squad and I will demonstrate to the coaching staff, “general movement”. The 1st XV has worked on this aspect of the game with the guidance of Charles Louw, the current Wildebeest coach. Next week Brad Anderson and I will be working with the packs introducing the scrumming techniques taught by Balie Swart. Balie Swart, in return for helping the 1stXV pack, has asked to be allowed to witness to the boys in a Chapel service on the 1st of June. Garth Giles, an Old Hiltonian and director of coaching in our province, has been of great assistance to me, the 1st XV and Hilton College rugby, and I thank him for all his efforts on our behalf.

I look forward to meeting you all in the upcoming weeks and please feel free to e-mail me at tr@hiltoncollege.com if you have any queries about rugby at Hilton.

Yours, in rugby

Tony Richter
M.I.C
1st XV Coach