The growing trend of South Africa’s top school rugby players moving directly into overseas professional systems has once again sparked debate about who should benefit when young talent leaves local shores.

According to SA Rugby’s High Performance Manager, Dave Wessels, discussions are already underway at World Rugby level around whether international clubs should provide greater compensation to the structures responsible for developing young players.

The issue has gained momentum following the recent confirmation that several highly regarded South African school rugby players will continue their careers abroad after school.

Among them are former Rondebosch Boys’ High standout Harry Soboil and Kingswood College twins James and Josh MacKenzie, all of whom are set to join professional pathways in Scotland.

While the movement of talented athletes to international opportunities is nothing new, Wessels believes there is an increasing need to ensure that the schools, communities and development programmes responsible for producing those athletes are recognised and rewarded for their contribution.

A Growing Global Conversation

The discussion is not centred around preventing players from pursuing international opportunities.

Rather, it focuses on creating sustainable development ecosystems that continue to invest in young athletes.

World Rugby already has regulations relating to compensation for developing unions, but many believe the current structures do not adequately reward the schools and grassroots programmes where athlete development begins.

Other sports have already addressed similar challenges.

Football’s governing body FIFA operates a training compensation model designed to reward clubs involved in a player’s development journey. France’s Top 14 rugby competition has also implemented systems that recognise the role played by development structures in producing elite athletes.

The argument being made is simple:

If professional organisations benefit from years of investment made by schools, coaches and local programmes, should a portion of that value not flow back into the environments that produced the player?

Recent Examples Highlight the Trend

The number of South African school rugby players entering overseas pathways continues to increase.

Harry Soboil has already begun integrating into the Edinburgh Rugby system and has represented Scotland at age-group level through family qualification.

The MacKenzie twins are expected to join the Glasgow Warriors Academy after completing school in 2026.

Other recent examples include:

• Josh Neill (Leinster)
• Rourke O’Sullivan (Connacht)
• Rynard Gordon (Ulster)
• Gershom Pieters (Benetton)
• Jayden and Tristan Joubert (Panasonic Wild Knights)

These athletes represent some of the strongest products of South Africa’s school rugby system and highlight the growing international demand for local talent.

Not About Punishment — About Sustainability

Importantly, Wessels has emphasised that the objective is not to punish young athletes who choose to pursue opportunities abroad.

South African rugby understands that professional opportunities, education pathways and international experiences will always attract ambitious players.

The real question is how local development systems remain sustainable when they continue producing talent that is eventually recruited elsewhere.

Schools, coaches, development programmes and communities invest thousands of hours into athlete development long before professional contracts become a reality.

Without ongoing investment back into those structures, the long-term sustainability of the development pipeline could eventually come under pressure.

A Future Built on Development

South Africa remains one of the world’s most respected rugby talent producers.

The challenge now is ensuring that the ecosystem responsible for producing future Springboks remains healthy, funded and capable of continuing its work.

As World Rugby explores potential changes to existing regulations, the conversation is likely to grow louder.

The objective is not to stop athletes from chasing global opportunities.

The objective is to ensure that when South African talent succeeds on the world stage, the schools, coaches and communities that helped build those athletes also share in that success.

Because developing world-class rugby players is not the work of a single club or union.

It is the result of years of investment, mentorship and commitment across an entire sporting ecosystem.