When you think of a high school rugby tournament, you probably don’t think of business strategy. Yet, as sponsors of rugby teams, we’ve seen first-hand how the lessons learned on the field mirror the realities faced by business owners and CEOs in South Africa’s “messy middle.”
Helpmekaar Kollege, a Johannesburg high school with a proud history, embodies teamwork, discipline, and community. Earlier this month, their Second Team won their league and this coming weekend both their Under 14 and First Team play in the final of the SDC Noordvaal Cup, one of the oldest and largest schoolboy rugby competitions in the world. Over 20,000 boys participate each year across more than 200 schools, spanning five provinces and six rugby unions. This is no small weekend tournament. It’s a century-old proving ground.
We chose to sponsor Helpmekaar Kollege not just because of their visibility and track record, but because their very name, when translated, means “Help Each Other.” That philosophy runs through rugby, through business, and through everything we do at The Alternative Board South Africa (TABSA).
Planning, Execution, and the Brutal Reality of Competition
Let’s be blunt: talent alone doesn’t win championships or grow companies. Planning, preparation, and execution do.
No team reaches a final by accident. They trained relentlessly, analysed opponents, developed set plays, and adapted to changing conditions. Success in rugby is the product of hours of unseen planning – strategy meetings, fitness drills, tactical adjustments, and constant feedback loops.
Sound familiar? It should.
Because the same is true in business. Companies don’t “luck” into growth. They don’t stumble into profitability. And they certainly don’t reach their version of the final – whether that’s breaking R300m turnover, securing a succession plan, or freeing up the CEO’s time – without planning, structure, and accountability.
The Cost of Not Reaching Your Goals
Now, here’s the part no one likes to talk about: what happens when you don’t reach your goal.
When a rugby team loses in a final, the pain is visible. Heads drop, tears flow, coaches wonder what they could have done differently. But failure isn’t fatal – unless you repeat it. Smart teams debrief, ask hard questions, and come back stronger.
Businesses should do the same. Yet too many don’t. Instead, they repeat the same mistakes:
That’s why many mid-sized South African businesses plateau. They’re not small anymore, but they’re not yet “big corporates” with armies of analysts and advisors. They’re in the messy middle -too big to wing it, too small to absorb repeated failure.
At TAB, we see it every day. A R250m turnover business, still making the same mistakes it did at R50m. A family-owned company that’s never clarified succession. Leadership teams that are talented, but not aligned. These businesses aren’t failing because they lack drive – they’re failing because they lack structure, clarity, and accountability.
Lessons from the Field: How Rugby Mirrors Business
Let’s draw the lines more clearly:
Rugby teams want to win championships.
Businesses want to grow, exit successfully, or create freedom for the owner.
Rugby coaches design plays.
Businesses need strategic plans.
On the field, you either made your tackle or you didn’t.
In business, did you deliver your KPIs or not?
A rugby prop doesn’t play like a wing. Everyone has a role.
In business, roles and accountabilities need to be just as clear.
Weather shifts, referees make tough calls, injuries happen.
In business, markets crash, supply chains fail, customers churn. Can you adapt?
Rugby isn’t just about the First Team. It’s about the U14 C-side, the parents, the supporters.
In business, it’s about employees, customers, suppliers, and families.
Why Mid-Sized Businesses Can’t Afford to Wing It
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: big corporates have buffers. They can afford multiple failed initiatives, overstaffed departments, and wasted projects. Mid-sized businesses cannot.
If you’re running a company, every wrong move costs you disproportionately. Every poor hire, every unimplemented strategy, every misaligned leadership decision bleeds cash, energy, and time you don’t have.
That’s why working with TAB is like giving your business the equivalent of professional coaching, conditioning, and game analysis. You’re no longer running drills blind. You’ve got a framework, a board of peers holding you accountable, and a strategy that doesn’t just sit on a flipchart.
The Alternative Board Advantage
At TAB South Africa, we bring business owners and CEOs into Peer Advisory Boards – think of it as your own “First Team,” except your teammates are fellow business owners who’ve faced the same bruises and setbacks. You also get:
It’s Not Just for Big Companies
One of the biggest misconceptions we hear is: “That sounds great, but isn’t it more for corporates?”
No. It’s precisely for you – the mid-sized business that’s too complex for gut instinct, but too lean to waste money on big consulting firms.
Just as the Noordvaal Cup isn’t only about the powerhouse schools, but also about the smaller sides that bring passion, grit, and community, TAB is about levelling the playing field.
You don’t need to be the biggest to compete. You need to be the best prepared.
Our sponsorship isn’t just about rugby jerseys with our logo. It’s about visibility, yes, but it’s also about alignment.
Rugby represents the values we live by: helping each other, building strong communities, planning with intent, and striving for excellence. When you sponsor a rugby team, you’re investing in future leaders. When you work with TAB, you’re investing in your business’s future.
So here’s the challenge:
If the answer to any of these is no, then it’s time to stop hoping for lucky breaks.
At The Alternative Board South Africa, we help business owners and CEOs create strategies that stick, align leadership teams, and deliver results. Because like rugby, business isn’t won by talent alone – it’s won by planning, discipline, and execution.
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