Craig, who preferred not to give his surname, pointed to a \u201cstaggering\u201d hypocrisy from the schools, given that they were themselves broadcasting the games online through the subscription-based streaming platform, Sportway.<\/p>\n
Craig told the Herald he was confused by the school\u2019s stance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019ve got a no filming policy, fine. Like Auckland does, you have a blanket policy, that I get. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I don\u2019t get is that it was alright last week. Wasn\u2019t alright this week and then next week it\u2019ll be alright again for a certain group of kids. I think there\u2019s a hypocrisy there,\u201d Craig told the Herald.<\/p>\n
Onside Rugby, a channel with almost 3000 YouTube subscribers and 12,000 followers on its social media accounts, has been posting top-level First XV matches to YouTube regularly since 2024. <\/p>\n
\u201cUp until this season, no one seemed to have any issue with my work. And then the new South Island Boys\u2019 School Network competition started. The headmasters of the new SIBS network decided to monetise schoolboy rugby,\u201d Craig said.<\/p>\n
Southland Boys’ High School in possession against Nelson College at “Magic Round” in Christchurch over King’s Birthday weekend. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
He conceded he also made money from the channel\u2019s videos.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do receive some money from YouTube, but it is such a very small amount and it\u2019s not enough to cover costs of filming.\u201d <\/p>\n
Grocott argued not a dollar of Onside\u2019s earnings went to the schools the players hail from and said the SIBS subscription model ensures greater control of the footage \u2013 and a return of revenue to the schools and their athletes. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think this guy from Onside sort of thinks he\u2019s Robin Hood and he\u2019s stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. I can see the public perception of that; I totally understand that. That\u2019s not the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever revenue that they [SIBS broadcasters Sportway] are generating, yes, they\u2019re getting a cut – they\u2019re a business. They\u2019ve got to make a profit, we get that, but they are also reinvesting back into the schools. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll of our schools are getting an equitable share of revenue to help us participate in that competition.\u201d<\/p>\n
School Sport New Zealand Chair and Shirley Boys’ High School Headmaster, Tim Grocott. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
He said the bigger issue is having control of what\u2019s filmed, how it is broadcast and viewer engagement \u2013 something he believed Onside doesn\u2019t understand. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know what ads are on through that broadcast. We don\u2019t know whether they align with secondary school sport values and in our schools and we\u2019ve got no say over anything that\u2019s on that channel.\u201d <\/p>\n
Grocott says putting it on YouTube \u201cis the thing that gets really worrying\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is being posted on YouTube, which is an open channel. No safeguards around anything, open comments, and very little management or oversight of what\u2019s actually happening on that page.\u201d<\/p>\n
Try. Marlborough Boys’ College score against King’s High School of Dunedin at the neutral venue of St Bede’s College in Christchurch. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Whakaata M\u0101ori is the biggest broadcaster of First XV rugby in New Zealand with eight matches streamed live on YouTube each weekend across the Super 8 and Central North Island competitions. It does not allow comments in the videos.<\/p>\n
Sky Sport has also posted First XV games to YouTube, and this season has broadcast games from the North Harbour competition. Auckland\u2019s 1A competition is the only league with no coverage, after principals of major schools collectively voiced concerns over the broadcasts.<\/p>\n
Onside\u2019s most popular videos are of former St Thomas of Canterbury College student and current NZ Warriors NSW Cup player, Bishop Neal. <\/p>\n
Neal is a prodigious talent who produced a number of incredible feats for his First XV. Singling out and glorifying those feats in short, shareable clips could risk placing unnecessary hype on a player like Neal \u2013 and potentially drawing criticism to his opponents, Grocott claimed. Allowing comments to be open invites both, he said.<\/p>\n
Bishop Neal (front) Bishop signs an NRL contract at St Thomas\u2019 \u2013 a way of honouring the school\u2019s investment in him. Pictured (left to right): Head of sport Paul Burton, Steve Hart, St Thomas\u2019 league coach and deputy principal Andrew Auimatagi and First XV coach Kieran Coll. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think he [Onside Rugby] is fully informed around some of the risks that exist with what he\u2019s doing and, when I say risks, I mean to the students, to schools, to school reputation, to students\u2019 reputation and wellbeing. All of those sorts of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Grocott said they are risks that educators were fully aware of. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe risk that potentially exists for [school] boards around ensuring that we\u2019re compliant with the harmful Digital Communications Act, the Privacy Act, all of those sorts of things, I think, have probably come to the fore with the increase in broadcasting of secondary school sport,\u201d Grocott says. <\/p>\n
Before their inaugural competition began, the South Island Boys\u2019 Schools established a set of guidelines around broadcasting. Students from the participating schools play a role in presenting the coverage, offering opportunities to students beyond the pitch \u2013 and ensuring commentary is always positive. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe basis of those [guidelines are] celebrating the educational nature of school sports. It\u2019s actually not a professional experience; this is secondary school. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt does have age protections. People who are under 15 are not able to be streamed or filmed. There\u2019s an opportunity to opt out. So, if a school\u2019s not comfortable to be filmed, then you can opt out if you wish. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s an agreed level of broadcasting and commentary standards. You don\u2019t zoom in on an injury, or you don\u2019t showcase someone who\u2019s scored a fantastic try, the commentary is about being kind to kids and not about singling out people or criticism,\u201d Grocott said.<\/p>\n
Powerhouse First XV Southland Boys were too strong for a gallant Nelson College at the SIBS “Magic Round” over King’s Birthday weekend. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Grocott would like to see a consistent level of regulation across all streamed school sport, something that SSNZ was working through. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s ensuring that our students are being broadcast in a way that we can feel pretty comfortable with, and it\u2019s going to be the same for other sports, particularly at a national level. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnything that\u2019s going to be broadcast at national winter tournament week this year, whether it\u2019s football, basketball, that the intent is that those guidelines will help support all of that work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Craig, for this part, said he would be supportive of some guidelines. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf there is a charter that comes through for the younger kids, then yes, I would be very likely to follow that.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been more than three weeks since Onside posted its statement online.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, to all my fans involved in rugby at St Bede\u2019s and Shirley Boys\u2019 High School, I\u2019m afraid your rector or headmaster has said no more Onside Rugby for you,\u201d the channel said.<\/p>\n
Otago Boys’ High on the burst against Marlborough Boys’ College at SIBS “Magic Round”.<\/p>\n
But, despite the order not to film, Onside cameras were back in front of Shirley Boys\u2019 High School\u2019s First XV for their away clash at St Andrew\u2019s College on Saturday. Craig\u2019s presence was noted by Grocott. <\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to him at halftime and asked him if he had consent to film Shirley Boys High School students and he told me that he had consent from [hosts] St Andrew\u2019s College to film. <\/p>\n
\u201cI contacted the rector of St Andrew\u2019s College on Sunday to ask whether or not that was correct, and why hadn\u2019t we been asked to provide consent, because to my knowledge we hadn\u2019t been. And he informed me that they had had no contact with Onside Rugby.\u201d <\/p>\n
Craig disputed this, saying he was contracted to film the games.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was approached by a parent associated with the First XV to film that game and the game the previous week.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe approached me and actually hired me to film those two games and then he comes back to me a couple of days later saying that he\u2019d been talking to the head of sport at STAC. As it was their club day, would I be interested in going along and filming some other games to provide them clips? <\/p>\n
\u201cThen I\u2019ve had, not spoken to, but contact from subsequent staff members to get access to footage to use,\u201d Craig said.<\/p>\n
The Christchurch Boys’ High School v Christ’s College match resulted in a big win for the home side. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
The channel\u2019s cameras were also at Christchurch Boys\u2019 High School, where principal Nic Hill said they have an understanding. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have a school policy for Onside, but if we wanted something taken down from their pages, we\u2019ve been assured it would be,\u201d Hill said. <\/p>\n
CBHS and St Andrew\u2019s College are the only schools that Onside has filmed at since it issued its statement. Comments remain open on each video, and they continue to be filled with requests to film upcoming games.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy phone just goes off the hook, notifications from these kids wanting me to come and to film their games.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never come across anything negative up until these two principals turned up at Magic Round. <\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody\u2019s always been positive,\u201d Craig said.<\/p>\n
The Herald understands Onside Rugby and Sportway are still in discussions about how both parties can work together.<\/p>\n