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I couldn't find a reference elsewhere apart from this Facebook video, taken from BBC local news.
Short story, Bath are experimenting with a new system, putting their young prospects into groups to train together based on their size, not their age - the idea being that all players should be better able to develop their skills when size is close to irrelevant. I'm aware that this is done in New Zealand (not sure if it is universal standard practice, or just some academies?), but have never heard of it being done in the UK before.
Interesting idea. I can see advantages, that big kids will not succeed simply by being big, and will hopefully therefore learn more skills; and talented smaller kids will be identified and developed rather than potentially wasted because they can't compete with giants. However, I also wonder whether there is a potential issue from taking away specialism - is it wise to have small, nippy potential scrum-halves and huge, slow potential locks both working on spin passing skills and linepout jumping skills equally?
Thoughts?
Short story, Bath are experimenting with a new system, putting their young prospects into groups to train together based on their size, not their age - the idea being that all players should be better able to develop their skills when size is close to irrelevant. I'm aware that this is done in New Zealand (not sure if it is universal standard practice, or just some academies?), but have never heard of it being done in the UK before.
Interesting idea. I can see advantages, that big kids will not succeed simply by being big, and will hopefully therefore learn more skills; and talented smaller kids will be identified and developed rather than potentially wasted because they can't compete with giants. However, I also wonder whether there is a potential issue from taking away specialism - is it wise to have small, nippy potential scrum-halves and huge, slow potential locks both working on spin passing skills and linepout jumping skills equally?
Thoughts?