I can only imagine how tough it must be to work out the schedule for the Super League A at the start of the season.
It’s now almost August and while Durbell have already played 11 games and are at the top of the log, they will know that being the frontrunner at this stage means nothing because defending champions Maties must still enter the fray.
The Stellenbosch students played their first game since early May when they hosted Villagers at the Danie Craven Stadium on Wednesday night.
But that match was the unbeaten students’ fifth in the tournament.
I just find it crazy that you can have a tournament like this where one team has almost finished all their fixtures, while another is yet to start.
Now here is a wild suggestion that might not be well-received by all, but isn’t it time to cut the varsity teams from the club competition?
They’ve got the Varsity Cup to showcase their talent to the rest of South Africa.
On top of that they also compete in the USSA tournament that prevents them from taking place in the SLA during a certain time of the year.
We have seen what the Varsity Cup has done in terms of getting university players to the top – just look at Herchel Jantjies’s rise from uDubs to international star.
Or Maties’ Duncan Saal being snapped up by the Cheetahs to play Pro14 earlier in the week.
Now removing the varsity teams from the competition will allow the club man to play against his equal – guys who have day jobs and are still trying to keep it real by juggling work and rugby on a weekly basis.
As it stands, these students have the edge over the club teams simply because the players more access to coaches and the club than the real club men.
Facilities are also readily available to them at the various universities.
But that’s not even the biggest motivation behind my suggestion.
I believe it will breathe more life into the club competition, knowing that anyone can be crowned champs in any given year and not compete against what I perceive to be a semi-professional system.
The university teams play enough rugby throughout the year to keep them busy.
What I imagine is a return to a 10-team league, with one big final – WP selectors picking a Club XV, with this squad then playing a grand finale against a combined Cape Varsity XV at Newlands.
Daar sal jy nou elke selector wat nuwe talent soek kry.
The winner there will then be crowned the ultimate champs of the Western Province.
But as it stands, the club season is a bit monotonous when Maties enter the race.
Let me know what you think at . . .