'R1 billion' ecosystem fuels Boks' success

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.

- JOHN GOLIATH

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 programmes. 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.