Napier Boys' High School rugby coach says players better for television exposure

The Napier Boys' High School 1st XV's dreams of only a second-ever national schools championship were shattered as they were beaten 17-15 by Waikato nemesis Hamilton Boys' High School in the Top Four.

We are either preparing young men for life, or we're not.

If we are, says Napier Boys' High School director of rugby Brendon Ratcliffe, then putting 1st XV games on television is a positive part of their development.

Ratcliffe said the recent decision by schools involved in the Auckland 1A competition to not play televised matches was "unfathomable''.

Napier Boys' High School, along with fellow Super 8 schools such as Hastings Boys' High School, have signed a deal to have one match a week broadcast on Whakaata Māori (Māori Television). Ratcliffe's team have also been regularly seen on Sky and he sees no downside to the exposure for players.

Even so, Ratcliffe, his fellow coaches, teachers and the school headmaster have held detailed discussions in the wake of the move by Auckland schools and talked to players individually to ensure there's no angst or anxiety about being on television.

"There's not one occasion where a game of ours has been televised and it hasn't been incredibly well received and positively motivating for a player to be involved in,'' Ratcliffe said of his five years coaching the school's 1st XV.

His own son, Max, was captain of the 2022 team and Ratcliffe treats every player as if he were his own.

"Nearly all your time, energy and focus as a coach is put into supporting the growth of the person and equipping them to deal with any challenge,'' said Ratcliffe.

In the same way you give the player the physical tools to perform on the field, you also give them the emotional ones to cope with pressure, disappointment and criticism.

Life can be challenging, but Ratcliffe argues it's better to learn that at school rather than get a rude shock once you're out the gate.

"It doesn't make any sense [to not televise games] and it's so far off the mark that I think it's really compromising to young men. It's not a positive decision at all.''

There is a view that the importance, and exposure, of 1st XV rugby needs to diminish. That some schools are spending absurd amounts of money on coaches and high-performance programmes and rely on television coverage to satisfy donors and sponsors.

With so much money involved, the boys have to be on TV whether they like it or not.

"Seriously, you're probably talking to the wrong school and the wrong coach. We are the exception to the norm,'' Ratcliffe said.

"We fundraise, so when we go to play Hamilton [Boys' High School] in Hamilton, the cost of the vans, the food, the accommodation; it all comes back to the families. It's user pays.

"We're an anomaly, but we're also really important because we prove that you can still do it this way and benefit from the growth that occurs from it.

"You're building really driven, resilient young men who respect and appreciate their opportunities.''

Hastings Boys' High School were also approached for comment on this topic.