Schoolboy rugby isn’t what it used to be.

Sure, most lower age group teams are still begrudgingly coached by teachers who would rather be anywhere else on a Saturday morning (here’s looking at you, Rodney), but there’s a degree of professionalism amongst those competing to make the first XV.

Sometimes, here in South Africa, that level of competitiveness is stretched a little too far, like the recent schoolboy doping sagas. For the most part, our schools are breeding grounds for future rugby superstars.

Over in New Zealand, the always excellent team at RugbyPass decided to take a close look at one of their famous rugby-producing institutions, tracking them for a show called The Season.

In a country where rugby is king, high schools are breeding grounds for future rugby talent that the sporting world acknowledges to be the most plentiful on the planet. As a result, competition between the school First XVs is passionate, tribal and highly scrutinised.

Young NZers dream of representing their school, pulling on their high school First XV jersey to do battle with local and regional rivals. The most successful First XV in the country over the last ten years is undoubtedly Hamilton Boys High School, based in the North Island’s Waikato region.

Multiple winners of the Top 4 National Championships and Super 8 Rugby titles, the school allows cameras into their revered rugby program to witness key parts of their 2019 season…

But most critically, the coaching and playing staff reveal themselves to the audience in a personal, intimate portrayal of sport as a way of life, a career choice and a catalyst for growth, development and life experience…The Season brings you five episodes of award-winning documentary making inside one of the world’s leading rugby nurseries.

I would prefer to watch a series about Paarl Boys’, or Grey College, or Affies, but we will have to make do with a look at Hamilton.

Here’s the first episode in its entirety:

To finish on something a little more lighthearted, here’s a quick look at some of RugbyPass’ funnier crowd interactions during the Rugby World Cup:

[source:rugbypass]