Did HAMILTON BOYS' HIGH play GREY COLLEGE'S U16 team? 

There is a tradition in Grey that at the end of your grade 12 year you walk underneath the old bell. This means that your time at Grey has come to an end. The players who didn’t attend the world schools festival are the ones who have already walked underneath the bell, thus they couldn’t play because their time at Grey has ended.

This is a brilliant video man! Well researched 👍 Hope to see more like this!

This is pretty spectacular taking into account that Grey college U/16 beat most of the world 's best First teams.

I was at the tournament in Thailand and as an ex HBHS student it was a great experience. If your boys were only 16 then hats off to them, they did a great job.

Awesome video, I work at Supersport Schools streaming most of Grey's games, they have a great chemistry throughout the whole school.

There’s actually a pretty good reason for that and when I first watched that grey team walk I knew instantly that wasn’t the first team but a trial team (recently confirmed when I watched their pre season game). Here is how it works and forgive the lengthy paragraphs: 1. SA schools operate in reverse to the northern hemisphere and the tournament was hosted at the end of the year. This means although most teams present were in their mid season, Grey and other SA schools didn’t have their seniors available due to final exams and the fact that by that time they were no longer considered part of the school and couldn’t represent it on the field. This is why this team only has 4 players from the previous in season games since they were juniors and are playing as seniors now. This is also why they pulled a lot from their second team and U16 which is smart for the second reason (also impressive they did so well which shows this school has high prestige and the players know what is expected of them). 2. This leads to the second reason which is that SA schools do not care about other international schools. All they care about is beating their derby. Beating the big Paarl schools, Paul Roos and Grey High is their top priority because of history, these schools have been facing each other for over a century and as a first team player that’s the legacy you have to hold up. This is mainly why they’d rather use these tournaments or festivals to get inexperienced players some game time and try things out, instead of aiming for a big W. That being said they still expected to perform but I also suspect they learned from Paul Roos when they went to the Sanix tournament. Paul Roos brought their actual first team and used the tournament as a preseason tour. Proceeded to win and run over every single team and putting 50+ (emphasis on +) on most teams. That was impressive but once they came back home to take the season on, they got ran over by all their derbies (Grey especially) even though they had excess of talent in that team. Many attributed this to not having a normal pre season back home on their domestic level which tends to be much higher than other parts of the world. Thus when the time came to verse the big schools back home they were unprepared and took a hidding. That being said Hamilton deserved that W solely on the consistency they showed and they were a well oiled machine. Should they tour SA mid season it would be a completely different story but definitely some games I’d get out of my way to watch. I must say I was a little bit disappointed by those European teams 😢 saw a lot of big well fed boys walk on that pitch but the skills, pace and just physicality was pretty average at best, I expected more… although that one team wearing brown (can’t remember the name for the life of me) did show some good rugby so they should definitely come tour Paarl, Stellenbosh and Bloem… they’ll meet some big hungry boys that love to drive a maul from the half way to your try line if you let them.

Hey Wes, great video. Something needs to be said about the rugby excellence that is Grey College, Bloemfontein. You would be amazed at the respect that the players show for their opposition and the sport, despite being such a powerhouse of the school game.

Awesome video, very well done and researched.

The way they select players in these big schools the 3rd team is often as good if not better than the 2nds team. They prioritize young players so much, keeping them close with better coaches and systems. Often you’d feel the tougher game to play in was 3rds as there would often be more 18yo’s. A team with no grade 12’s performing that well is incredible

They probably used the U16s because in South africa,schools don't use player while writing their final exams as they may be considered not to form part of the school

Good job Wez ... very informative.

They best content that I have ever watched

Good video, I was wondering about that.

Bro did you what the south african schoolboys did in 2019 at the world schools festival at Boys high? That festival wil show you that we’re on another level, that was definitely grey’s U:16 team. But besides my rant, I think the whole festival is great for schoolboy rugby and rugby union. Can’t wait to watch the next world rugby festival!

To make things worse Grey finished second in the SA schoolboy rankings last year, Paarl Gim finished first in South Africa in 2022.

This is mind blowing!!! it just shows how much dept grey have.

Interesting to note that the guys weren't even given the honour of wearing the proper 1st XV jersey. HBHS is excellent, but dare I say in a match at the height of both teams' powers last year, it wouldv been Grey by a canter. The precision in the 1st team is amazing. This was a very rag tag team. I remember in about 2006 watching Glenwood v Grey in Durban. Grey lost they game, however their try where the Sias and Robert E carved the Glenwood team apart. That was an experimental team building for the following year. Needless to say the disjointed performance till that point was a sogn they chucked their u16 players in. The following year Grey blew everyone away, includong giving Glenwood 50 pts. Watch what happens this year.

Correct Csrlos Spencer son was playing but not this year so was full strength Hamilton side , all Grey boys is still playing this year. Well still lost but was good preseason work out for them cannot wait for the big games this year in SA. Go Stellenberg show the big boys we here to stay !

The future of our springbok tean has never been so bright😅😅

U16’s this is insane 🔥

I was super disappointed about the decision not to take the best team to Thailand. It's even more shocking that Grey will do something like that being such a proud Rugby school

Great Video Now let me explain from a former Hamilton Boys pupil. 2 things to bring up , 1. Hamilton can only play what’s in front of them. Grey brought a knife to a gun fight and got embarrassed. 2. This was the team that started for Hamilton Boys against Grey College, Raharuhi Palmer** Tom McCarthy* Will Martin Christian MacEwan* Tama Hodgson* Liam Sturm Liam Anderson Oli Mathis* Mac Russ* Wyndham Patuawa Zach Coffey Hiraka Waitai-Haenga** Aki Tuivailala Caelys Putoko* Pavton Spencer Bench Inga Kokohu Breyton Legge Jake Rabarts Josh Syme Jamie Brewer Patty Kailahi** Mitch Swann** Alex Pitts-Brown Dupre Marshall Kurtis Hana* Rangiwai Lunjivich* * returning in 2023 ** returning in 2024 8 of the starters are only 16. 12 out of the 26 are return. Technically Hamilton sent there top side BUT Nearly half were only U16 so really it doesn’t matter about Grey bringing an U16 team. It does mean however Hamilton will be favourites in NZ in 2023. With so many returning. Oh and fun fact, Hamilton announced publicly today that they are going to the Sanix World Rugby Invitational Tournament next month.

Yeah I’m upset they couldn’t send their first XV, but academics takes preference in the end. Can’t be missing your final exams to play rugby 😓

I'm sure no disrespect was intended. The 2022 grade 12s had already left school. If they had come back to play, there would have been a lot more noise about men playing (and thumping) school boys.

It's the best team grey had as playing their firsts would be the equivalent to the European schools playing the teams they had the year prior as SA schools are 6months behind

Grey's first and second team of 2022 will run over this grey side. I would think Grey's 3rd team would also have beaten them. This to me would have been the 4th best team in that school in 2022. We should send a first team or not go at all.

they gone hate this, but its true

Slightly incorrect, Ranon Fouche started at 4 against Paarl, has now moved to loose head prop 1

I counted plenty of 17 year olds starting for greys in the final, you SA lot like to make up your own facts, the hamilton 1st 15 had 8 16 year olds starting.

Sorry I don't understand did Hamilton u16 beat grey 1XV

All the folks @rugbypass need to watch this video

I thought something was up

Interesting as I watched the tournament and Grey never looked settled on field especially key positions, they should have given our second best school team in SA rather the opportunity to represent us if they couldnt field a first team. I think a follow up on this is to see who starts for their first team next year, it will be interesting.

Grey college were also a team made up of players born in 2004 this would make them older than all the other teams which went, so they sent the 2005 team which was inline with all the other schools therefore making it fair

I agree with all the comments here, and would like to add one more - whichever teams participate from South Africa, must of course remember that they not only represent their school, but also their country. Sending such an understrength team gives a misleading impression about the strength and depth (or lack thereof) of South African schoolboy rugby.

If Abrahams and Isaacs were there it would’ve been a bloodbath against Hamilton and the number 9

Isn't this the 2nd team and not the U/16

South Africa schoolboy rugby is tops we all know it 😂

The SA schools should just not attend if the scheduling means their 1st XV can't attend, see what the organisers will do. If the big names can't make it then surely they'll change the scheduling to accommodate them, not just send an u17 team to accommodate the comp.

So the so-called Best Schools boys Rugby team, Hamiltons only won by a 12 point difference over 15-year-olds??? Thats not even a C-team 😂😂😂😂😂🤣

They should have been called Grey College U16 team.

You missed "Ronan Foche"

They just need to get over that loss they just lost to a better team .next time Hamilton will bring there under 10’s🤣🤣

What do you consider U16? if your still 16 by the end of the year 31st Dec your under 16. Ten starting players from greys were 17 year olds at the start of this, u17 players, sure whatever u18 players stayed back for exams is what it is, but stop claiming U16. Hamilton had 8 starters as 16 year olds so they were a younger team than greys, not sure what players from their squad that won the top4 didnt travel, but atleast its better than the sanix one where its held at the start of the rugby season.

It was an age restricted tournament!!! All teams had to be U17

We should always send our 1st teams so we don't get embarassed like that, People enjoy beating our teams cause they KNOW😅

Millfield would have beaten grey at this tournament if they hadn’t been matched with Hamilton in semi

Waiting for the new video with new excuses 🤣🤣🤣

Gonzaga vs blackrock

I think we can all agree that the real Grey first team would have wiped the floor with those Kiwi boys.

Nah mate it's geys grade 11s jj Theron and them are playing this year in matric and the other boys are grade 11

Stupid reasoning - you are finished with school when you PASS matric. The ONLY reason school players should be disallowed from playing should be age. This is an International competition, with lots of prestige attached to it.Wevshould have sent the best. Imagine what a flop it should be if we send the u20 Baby boks to defend the world cup. Arrangements could have been made for players who wanted to play regarding exams. Most of the players who did not play in the tournament will try their hands in the professional game, with winning this tournament giving them a boost.

Zuid-Afrika….!

It doesn't matter how you look at it, whoever the coach fields is the team, stop trying to justify the loss, we in NZ know SA high schools are good, but so are ours and Hamilton Boys have won the most NZ & world titles for NZ secondary schools. Grey college loss that's fact, dry your eyes and move on to this year 2023 and maybe you might win this year, but NZ teams will be there also so who knows.

So why did they play their first xv every other year except 2023?🤷‍♂️love the research done just seems like butthurt to go to extreme measures like this..leave it in the past.history has been made❤

What an excuse lol😂😂

Hamilton would’ve beaten their 1st xv

There are some salty kiwis in the comments. Just accept you beat under 16’s not the actual first team. If Hamilton beat the proper starting 15 then fair play but they didn’t so…

😂😂😂😂

Please don’t tell me you’re gonna make another video after westlake from nz and st micheal from ireland sent sa schools packing again 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 what’s the excuse this time? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😭

Excuses 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Lol look at all these excuses 😂 typical saffas always making excuses up lol

This video is a lot of insecurity vibes from Grey College...it's school rugby ffs

Are they still on Roids like they used se too be.

Half of Hamilton were 16 themselves so this video is meaningless! They lost

Excuses 😂

Your a windger!

Do you agree that the south African schools coaching staff pump their teams full of steroids?

Who cares they lost ffs

They all 16 yrs old

Took you that long to come up with these excuses - move on brother this is last years news 😂😂😂

Joke of a channel Hamilton don’t control who shows up for grey why are you trying to make excuses lol

Who cares, they lost. And in typical south african style, everyone’s gonna start making excuses. Hamilton boys are the best, the end.

Lmao here we go with the bs excuses. Just get over it NZ have the best school teams and thats facts

Grey had size and steroids and still lost to smaller boys 😂

They still took an L

Great video. I had so many kiwis telling me im just a sor looser bla bla bla , wish i had this video then.. Good on hamilton , they deserved to win but im exstemely disapointed in Grey for sending a second team combined with u16,, again shows how we discount ourselves and always find ways of sabataging or shooting ourselves in the foot..... typical south african way .... We really need to get some coaches in our provincial setup with the pride and passion of the likes of Rassie, ackerman, mallet, burger, de villers , shimy, beast... to name afew. I am so hapoy that jacques fourie is involved at the lions , watch this space , a real pitty we cant get swys involved somehow , we need that rugby brain in sa rugby ....

Safas the only people to make videos about losing rugby games. There's another channel called TASanalytics dedicated to complaining when the boks lose. It's a game. You win some you lose some. Get over it FFS