Contact Rugby in Schools

[ncurd]

As someone who barely got a whiff of playing rugby at school (it was an extra curricula activity and not part of standard PE lessons). This kind of news is worrying for the sport.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35696238
I'm really not sure of the problems either I'd have thought we'd have known of kids were getting concessions all over the place.
Anyway no way of beating NZ in the future if we adopt that attitude.

 

[Tony Manx]

Love to know the number of children who have actually played the game against the number who have suffered medium to long term injury as a result of contact on the field?

I broke bones, pulled hamstrings and lost teeth etc but would discount those injuries from the above.

 

[saulan]

Love to know the number of children who have actually played the game against the number who have suffered medium to long term injury as a result of contact on the field?

I broke bones, pulled hamstrings and lost teeth etc but would discount those injuries from the above.

Yea I would also love to see those stats as well. I played contact rugby from grade 1 to grade 12 and the most hectic injury I had was some back inflammation and that includes playing games against Eben, Frans Malherbe, Steven Kitshoff and PS Du Toit, so no light contact at all. Sure there were injuries, similar to what Tony refers to, but looking at some real statistics as to how frequently this occurs. Obviously there are dangers in a contact sport such as rugby, but I really don't think many of those injuries occur at the lower age groups and generally the injuries from my perspective are in the top two teams per age group. I also feel that it shouldn't be stopped in junior schools either as it stops some crucial development. In South Africa the Cape schools generally play rugby from grade 1 while the Joburg english schools only start around grade 8. That skills gap hardly ever closes and the Joburg schools often take on large losses as a result.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Not read the article 100% money that it is Bollock that is the expert

2014
www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/sep/28/is-rugby-now-too-dangerous-for-children-to-play

2015
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/21/world-rugby-rules-concussion-head-injuries
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/sc...ren-and-should-not-be-promoted-says-prof.html

She has a vendetta against it.

 

[TRF_heineken]

In South Africa the Cape schools generally play rugby from grade 1 while the Joburg english schools only start around grade 8. That skills gap hardly ever closes and the Joburg schools often take on large losses as a result.

This is false.

In the Gauteng/Limpopo/Mpumalanga area rugby is being played from age 6 upwards. Age 6 to 8 play on a quarter of the field and there are no scrums or lineouts. It's basically just kick-off, run with the ball and occasionally the ball is passed and a kid is tackled. The focus is to get the kids more used to the contact being made and if their bodies can take the hits and bruises, and to keep them active.

From age 8 upwards there are teams that play on the full length of the field. Ages 6 to 13 play barefoot. And age 14 and up play with rugby boots.

As for the main topic, South Africa has a pretty good programme in ensuring safety for the kids on the rugby field and all the coaches/fathers involved has to take mandatory courses to ensure the safety of the kids.

I played rugby from age 6 to my second year at University. The worst injury I saw was my team mate at age group 11 getting tackled while sliding to score a try next to the goal post, and as he was tackled, he and the tackler slid into the goalposts and the cushion around the post lifted from the ground upwards and my team mate went straight into the metal posts. He broke his knee and leg, and eventually he had to get his leg amputated due to the infections the fractures made into his arteries.

 

[saulan]

This is false.

In the Gauteng/Limpopo/Mpumalanga area rugby is being played from age 6 upwards. Age 6 to 8 play on a quarter of the field and there are no scrums or lineouts. It's basically just kick-off, run with the ball and occasionally the ball is passed and a kid is tackled. The focus is to get the kids more used to the contact being made and if their bodies can take the hits and bruises, and to keep them active.

From age 8 upwards there are teams that play on the full length of the field. Ages 6 to 13 play barefoot. And age 14 and up play with rugby boots.

As for the main topic, South Africa has a pretty good programme in ensuring safety for the kids on the rugby field and all the coaches/fathers involved has to take mandatory courses to ensure the safety of the kids.

I played rugby from age 6 to my second year at University. The worst injury I saw was my team mate at age group 11 getting tackled while sliding to score a try next to the goal post, and as he was tackled, he and the tackler slid into the goalposts and the cushion around the post lifted from the ground upwards and my team mate went straight into the metal posts. He broke his knee and leg, and eventually he had to get his leg amputated due to the infections the fractures made into his arteries.

Maybe I'm thinking of the private schools then? I'm referring to schools like St Johns, St Sthithians, St Albans... essentially all those Saint schools. I know a boy currently in grade 8 at St Johns and last year for their rugby season they played for a month instead of the traditional 6 months down in the WC. I probably had a fair amount of the information wrong. Do you know more about the private schools? I assume schools like Waterkloof follow what you described.

In the Cape it was start at the age of 6. There were scrums and lineouts, but there were no loose forwards and no fullback. From age 8 you go to full contact, full field, full team with boots. Some of the Paarl and winelands schools also stuck to the no boots until grade 8 though.

 

[Every Time Ref]

This ******** rolls round every few years, causes some cheap outrage then gets forgotten. This time around it has the word "concussion" in it because someone has noticed that concussion is a thing now. Big whoop.

 

[TRF_heineken]

This ******** rolls round every few years, causes some cheap outrage then gets forgotten. This time around it has the word "concussion" in it because someone has noticed that concussion is a thing now. Big whoop.

Yeah, I can just imagine the outrage the Dad's will have when this thing should happen in SA. Those farmers would say that they didn't raise a bunch of pu**ies.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Yeah, I can just imagine the outrage the Dad's will have when this thing should happen in SA. Those farmers would say that they didn't raise a bunch of pu**ies.

Our tighthead at my club is an Afrikaaner, I cannot wait to tell him about this! I might even pretend to agree with it for added effect

 

[saulan]

Our tighthead at my club is an Afrikaaner, I cannot wait to tell him about this! I might even pretend to agree with it for added effect

Schoolboy crowds here can get aggressive. I heard on the radio the other day that two rival schools had to ban matches against each other not because of fighting on the field, but because the parents were fighting off the field.

Obviously this isn't all schools.
Edit: It isn't most schools, although most schools generally have that one parent.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Remember going to watch a game in SA Rondenbosch V Bushops 1XV, the atmosphere was incredible for a school game.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Schoolboy crowds here can get aggressive. I heard on the radio the other day that two rival schools had to ban matches against each other not because of fighting on the field, but because the parents were fighting off the field.

Obviously this isn't all schools.
Edit: It isn't most schools, although most schools generally have that one parent.

Oh yeah definitely. Come to the platteland. that's a weekly occasion. But luckily the schools have now introduced a parent clause, and it basically forces the parents to sign a sort of agreement with the school in that they will behave next to the sports field and if they don't they are banned. Sometimes it gets worse and then the schools can even request for the child to be tranferred to another school to get rid of the parents...

 

[saulan]

Remember going to watch a game in SA Rondenbosch V Bushops 1XV, the atmosphere was incredible for a school game.

Yea, there is a high level of competitiveness between the boys schools and Paarl/Stellies Schools. Generally the big matches in the Cape are:
Paarl Boys vs Paarl Gym - That whole town stops and close to 20,000 people assemble to watch those contests.
Bishops vs Rondebosch and Wynberg vs SACS - Not as large as the Paarl game but attracts between 5-10k crowds and creates a massive atmosphere.

 

[ManusXavi]

Schools should not feel restrained from investing in tag 'flags' belts. It is a great way to substitute tackle at lunchtimes. They don't cost much.

As far as rugby development goes, why do they need contact to develop better. It is probably better to play no contact because then it becomes natural to learn to develop the team skills of finding space such running into space. Other skills include running straight and then providing the threat of 'draw and pass' or 'draw and dummy'. In that particular circumstance 'flags' as oppose to touch rugby is better.
If they want to play tackle then they can have it as part of a sport they play outside of school.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Schools should not feel restrained from investing in tag 'flags' belts. It is a great way to substitute tackle at lunchtimes. They don't cost much.

As far as rugby development goes, why do they need contact to develop better. It is probably better to play no contact because then it becomes natural to learn to develop the team skills of finding space such running into space. Other skills include running straight and then providing the threat of 'draw and pass' or 'draw and dummy'. In that particular circumstance 'flags' as oppose to touch rugby is better.
If they want to play tackle then they can have it as part of a sport they play outside of school.

Because it's a contact sport. You can learn the other skills you mention in part through non-contact drills, but every aspect of the game is affected directly or indirectly by physical contact. There's no way you can learn any skill satisfactorily without contact, except for goalkicking.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Because it's a contact sport. You can learn the other skills you mention in part through non-contact drills, but every aspect of the game is affected directly or indirectly by physical contact. There's no way you can learn any skill satisfactorily without contact, except for goalkicking.

exactly.

Tackling is one of the basics of rugby, and you need to learn at a young age how to tackle properly to prevent your body from getting hurt, like going in head first and not the shoulder, which could damage your spine.

 

[Every Time Ref]

exactly.

Tackling is one of the basics of rugby, and you need to learn at a young age how to tackle properly to prevent your body from getting hurt, like going in head first and not the shoulder, which could damage your spine.

I'd much rather every rugby player learnt to tackle correctly at age 8 when no-one has the strength or weight to really hurt anyone else - purely from a safety perspective, not even getting started on the technical advantage of learning good technique young

 

[TRF_heineken]

I'd much rather every rugby player learnt to tackle correctly at age 8 when no-one has the strength or weight to really hurt anyone else - purely from a safety perspective, not even getting started on the technical advantage of learning good technique young

And, the younger you are the more rubbery your body is. I seem to remember jumping off our house's roof into the pool, climbing and falling trees.

One of my friends is a coach at a local primary school and is a registered coach with SARU, and the first month of the 8 year-old's season involves tackling for 15 minutes each training session. and from there onwards they teach them drills and other things...

 

[Which Tyler]

Not read the article 100% money that it is Bollock that is the expert

However did you guess.
Of course, the majority of the Dr.s who signed appear to be academics, not medical doctors, and several from countries where rugby barely qualifies as a minority sport; and most seem to be personal colleagues of one of the 2 authors; and presumably people Pollock has regularly associated with on her crusade.

The expertise these signatories have is mostly self-awarded, and not backed up by any evidence of personal expertise, or indeed, by demonstrating any knowledge whatsoever about the area in which they're pontificating.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Pretty much agree with what ETR and Heineken said, particularly about how learning how to tackle at a young age actually improves safety. The technique involved is not always instinctive and takes time to master. Hard to do well if you have to learn it as an adult.
An easy way to spot this is when the bring a sprinter who's never played the game before to play sevens. You can tell a mile away.

i've been injured and i've seen my share of injuries in rugby, both in team mates and opposing teams, but i've seen equivalent/worse/more injuries in cycling, bmx, motorcycling, climbing, skateboarding, surfing, skiing, and pretty much any contact sport that kids practice.