What is the Bishops Rugby Supporters Club (BRSC)?
The BRSC plays a crucial role in supporting Bishops rugby in any way we can. Most importantly, we play an integral role in fostering a vibrant and happy rugby community by organising various events such as the Bishops Rugby Dinner, Q&A evenings with rugby celebs, and by running the Bar Liki Bar bar at the Heatlie after games.
We are also involved in special projects such as the installation of the digital scoreboard on the Piley Rees in 2024, and fundraising for the VUSA Rugby Academy. Our special project for 2025 is to give the beloved Heatlie pavilion a bit of a facelift,
Through membership fees and fundraising initiatives, we also provide support to a wide range of rugby matters. Guided by the High-Performance Rugby Committee (HPRC), we hope to enable them to secure specialist external coaches, enhance coach development, improve training equipment and facilities, and provide top-tier medical services.
They do this fund raising via events like dinners and golf days, selling clothing and memorabilia, but primarily through acquisition of paying members, who then not only contribute to Bishops rugby but also enjoy the following added benefits:
- An exclusive Club cap
- An exclusive BRSC bar (the Bar-Liki) in The Heatlie after home games
- Onsite parking at home games for first 60 supporters on first come first served basis
- Early bird booking windows for fun BRSC evenings like the Annual Rugby Dinner
- Updates and insights via our Whats App members group
- Playing a meaningful role in growing and developing rugby at Bishops
Most importantly though, it gives you a place in a unique rugby community, and firmly pins your loyalty to Bishops rugby, whilst backing our boys in the most competitive schoolboy league in the world.
Who is the current BRSC committee?
- Ian Marr – Chairman
- Nick Durrant – Vice chairman & Events coordinator
- Chris Hofmeyr – Secretary
- Rachel Cowan – Treasurer
- Tim Bower – Membership management
- Lindsay Cowan – Membership recruitment
- David Le Feuvre – Bar coordinator
- Madeleine Le Feuvre – Bar coordinator
- Dale Whiffler – Merchandise and Events
- Kevin Skillicorn – Extraordinary member
- Ronald Jacobs – TIC rugby at Bishops
- Tank Lanning – High Performance Rugby Committee
What does it cost to be a member?
R1200 per year for single membership, R2200 per year for couple membership, but all donations are most welcome!
How to join the BRSC?
Please CLICK HERE to fill in the membership application form
Then please make payment into the following account:
- Account name: BRSC
- Bank: Investec
- Account number: 10013773671
- Reference: Surname, Initial (EG: Kolisi, S)
- Please send POP to: brscmember@gmail.com
At just R100 a month, it’s not breaking the bank, and sees you buying into a Club who wants to see Bishops rugby back at it’s prime more than any keyboard warrior out there!
Why do we need the BRSC?
The Bishops rugby programme, after school and sponsor revenue, needs to raise around R1 million a year to operate effectively. This before trying to finance any rugby bursaries or scholarships. We aim to do this in multiple ways, but one of the key cogs is the BRSC.
Having lost our competitiveness, and indeed, relevance, the school co-opted a 6-man High Performance Committee to implement and oversee our rugby programme in 2023 … Focussed primarily on the game model, coaching methodology, coach acquisition, and coaching infrastructure, the committee soon understood the importance of the commercial side of the programme.
In the past, one might expect one’s school fees to cover everything, including sport, but not now … So what has changed?
The make-up of the College staff has become much more diverse, including many more females, and masters interested in other sports. And while it may have created a more understanding, perhaps softer, place for the boys to thrive in all aspects of what the school has on offer, it has totally changed the rugby environment. The school has fewer masters who want to coach rugby, and current teachers also have whole lot more on their plate … As such, rugby actually cannot operate without third party coaches, which cost money.
This while many of the schools we play against have morphed into rugby clubs with a school problem …. Some with budgets in excess of R5m a year! Great rugby coaches and administrators are leaving jobs in the professional game to coach or be directors at schools.
Rugby is massively different to the likes of water polo, cricket or hockey in that it is an incredibly physical game that requires an excellent base level of strength and conditioning to ensure not only the enjoyment of this great team sport, but also secure the basic safety of our boys. This requires time, equipment, and skilled coaches.
Recruitment is no longer under cover, but something all schools engage in … It requires not only intent from the school (who have multiple goals to fulfil), but also skill and excellent people to get it right … And given the difference in fees, the additional risk one takes in recruiting players at Bishops adds a layer of complexity.
Which is a problem in itself, made more complex given the athletic ability of boys coming through Bishops Prep and Wet Pups, the College’s primary feeder schools … A modern-day Bishops Grade 8 boys is a very different animal (perhaps species!) to his counterpart at Paarl Gym or Paul Roos!
How do other schools finance this? Mostly via a plethora of sponsors (on a recent Paarl Boys fixture pamphlet, there were more sponsors than fixtures!) Having 10X as a commercial partner at Bishops will make a huge difference, but not come close to covering all costs.
Old boys and supporters at other schools have donated into a Trust, which then invests the lump sum in order to finance the rugby programme via the interest. This is an avenue we are exploring.
Other schools also seem to have a fabulous culture of parent involvement on match day, and organising of events (SACS raise significant revenue via their Percy Montgomery foundation) …
The BRSC is our attempt to harness the energy of our parents and supporters … Sure you will get some cool stuff in return for becoming a member, but at it’s heart, it’s a vehicle for us to raise some money for Bishops rugby via the parent, supporter and OD body …
The reality is that the school rugby landscape has changed RADICALLY over the last 10 or 15 years … And while we could debate the pros and cons of how we got here, the reality is that the horse has bolted … And until it changes, Bishops needs to either try our best to remain competitive and relevant in the current landscape, or step away …
To our minds, Bishops has a massively proud rugby history, together with a few fantastic traditions that are part of the school’s fabric … And we now need to do it proud, and add to it!
For more information on the BRSC, please contact Tim via brscmember@gmail.com.